Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/363

Rh was printed in 1890 and reprinted in 1898, as well as in later years. It was one of the popular, though scholarly, accounts of that country and was highly praised by those who wished to follow the example set by Japan in matters of reform.

In 1889 Huang Tsun-hsien went to Peking where he received appointment as counselor to the Legation in London. Before leaving he met many famous men of the day who acclaimed him for his literary and political achievements. He and the new minister to England,, arrived in London in the spring of 1890. A year later Huang was sent to Singapore as consul-general and remained there for three years.

In 1894, when Chang Chih-tung was transferred to Wuchang as governor-general, he obtained the consent of the Court to recall Huang from abroad. Thereupon Huang went to Wuchang and in a few months settled a number of cases involving Chinese Christians and foreigners. With the rank of intendant of a circuit, he was summoned to Peking and was granted a special audience by Emperor Tê-tsung who was eager to initiate reforms. In 1896 he was named minister to Germany, but the appointment was cancelled, owing to alleged objections from Berlin. In 1897 he was made salt intendant of Hunan, and for a short while acted as judicial commissioner. The governor of Hunan, Ch'ên Pao-chên (see under ), being one of the sponsors of the reform movement in that province, enabled Huang to put into practice what he had learned in foreign countries. Huang helped to organize a society of more enlightened local gentry, known as the Nan Hsüeh Hui (see under ) and gave a number of lectures. He set up a police bureau, published a newspaper, and established some schools. The highest school, Shih-wu Hsüeh-t'ang 時務學堂, was an important institution where a number of revolutionary leaders discussed reform ideas and where Liang Ch'i-ch'ao (see under ) was the dean of Chinese studies.

In 1898 Emperor Tê-tsung was determined to carry out reforms in the empire. Early in that rear he had read the Jih-pên kuo-chih of Huang Tsun-hsien and was impressed by the achievements of Japan in her few years of Westernization. Thus in June, on the recommendation of Hsü Chih-ching (see under ), the emperor summoned Huang to another audience and in August named him minister to Japan. But Huang was prevented by illness from going farther north than Shanghai, and before long the whole reform movement was crushed by Empress who relentlessly punished the leaders. He was retired and went back to his home in Chia-ying-chou where he lived quietly until his death seven years later.

Though unable to carry out his ideas of reform, Huang Tsun-hsien is likely to be remembered for his poetry. He proclaimed that he wanted to discard the traditional modes of writing verse and to compose as he liked. Although he made use of traditional forms, he did succeed in writing verse with a freer and richer movement. His collected poems, entitled 人境廬詩草 Jên-ching-lu shih-ts'ao, 11 chüan, were printed after his death and have since been widely read.

[1/470/2b; 6/13/11b; Liang Ch'i-ch'ao, 飲氷室合集 Yin-ping-shih ho-chi; Nien-p'u, by Ch'ien Ê-sun 錢蕚孫 in 大陸 Ta-lu, vol. 1, no. 12, and vol. II, no. 1 (June, July, 1933).]

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 HUANG Tsung-hsi 黃宗羲, Sept. 24, 1610–1695, Aug. 12, one of the foremost scholars of the early Ch'ing period, was a native of Yü-yao, Chekiang. His father, Huang Tsun-su 黃尊素, a chin-shih of 1616 and a loyal member of the Tung-lin faction, suffered death because of his opposition to the powerful eunuch, , and was canonized in 1644 as Chung-tuan 忠端. Huang Tsung-hsi became a licentiate in 1623, and in the autumn of the same year (age fourteen sui) accompanied his father to Peking where the latter held a post as a censor. At this time the struggle between the Tung-lin party and the eunuch faction was nearing a climax, and many nights during the year 1624 such prominent members of the Tung-lin group as and Tso Kuang-tou (see under ) held secret conferences in Huang Tsun-su's residence. Hence at an early age the son was initiated into the intricacies of contemporary politics. The father was dismissed from office in 1625 for denouncing Wei Chung-hsien and his allies within the palace, and both father and son returned home.

Soon thereafter Huang Tsung-hsi was married to Yeh Pao-lin 葉寶林 (1609–1676), a daughter of Yeh Hsien-tsu 葉憲祖, a man of letters and a noted dramatist. When Huang Tsun-su was travelling in 351