Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/501

 under the direction of Jacques Rho (see under ) and Schall von Bell (see under ) was well under way, and early in 1635 the last instalment of the translations was presented to the throne. The entire collection of works on the calendar (three times submitted to the throne by Hsü Kuang-ch'i and twice by Li) was printed under the title 崇禎曆書 Ch'ung-chên li-shu, in 137 chüan (including two tables). It was reprinted many times under various titles, such as 西洋新法曆書 Hsi-yang hsin-fa li-shu, and 新法算書 Hsin-fa suan-shu, 100 chüan, the latter being the name under which it was copied into the Ssŭ-k'u Manuscript Library (see under ). Thereafter the Bureau began the construction of quadrants, globes, telescopes, and other astronomical instruments, and from time to time submitted information on the calendar to the throne. During this period Li T'ien-ching was twice raised in rank, being first given the title of provincial judge of Shantung (1636) and later director of the Banqueting Court (1638). In the hope of remedying the financial difficulties of the government he memorialized the throne on the opening of mines according to methods suggested in the work 坤輿格致 K'un-yü ko-chih, 3 + 4 chüan, by Schall von Bell, which Li submitted to the throne in two instalments in 1639. It seems that no action was taken by the government on this matter.

After fourteen years (1629–43) of efforts to reform the existing calendar the government was finally convinced of the superiority of Western methods of calculation. But before the new system could be adopted the capital fell to. Li T'ien-ching retired to his native place until he was recalled in 1644 by the Ch'ing House which appointed him a commissioner in the Transmission Office. But he soon resigned and returned to his home where he died in 1659.

[Wu-ch'iao hsien-chih (1673) 5/2a, 6/7b, 9a, 14a, 10/3b; Ch'ung-chên li-shu, 修曆緣起 passim;, Ch'ou-jên chuan (1935), pp. 409–17.]

2em

 LI T'ien-fu 李天馥 Mar. 12, 1635–1699, Dec. 5; official, was originally from Ho-fei, Anhwei, but registered in the examinations as a native of Yung-ch'êng, Honan. Receiving his chin-shih in 1658, he was made a corrector in 1661, and became sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat in 1677. He recommended Li Yin-tu (see under ) and Ch'in Sung-ling (see under ) for the special examination of 1679 known as po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ (see under ); both candidates were successful in the contest, and were noted for their scholarship. In 1688 he rose to the presidency of the Board of Works. In the spring of that year, director-general of Yellow River conservancy, and , governor of Chihli, were summoned to report in audience with the emperor on a conservancy program for the Yellow River. The two officials made conflicting recommendations—the former advocating the raising of a double embankment at Kao-chia-yen, Kiangsu, the latter proposing repairs in the lower reaches of the river and widening at the mouth. When the problem was referred to the nine ministers of state for final consideration Li supported the latter plan which also obtained the imperial sanction.

When in 1690 the Board of Civil Office was requested to recommend able district magistrates for higher governmental positions Li nominated, magistrate of San-ho, Chihli; and , magistrate of Ling-shou, Chihli. Both became known as model local officials. After serving in turn as president of the Board of Punishments, of the Board of War, and of the Board of Civil Office, he finally, in 1692, was made a Grand Secretary. In 1697 he was concurrently director general of the compilation known as P'ing-ting Shuo-mo fang-lüeh (see under ), the official history of the conquest of. Falling ill in 1699, he died in December of that year, and the posthumous name, Wên-ting 文定, was conferred upon him. His collected poems to the number of one thousand—as the title 容齋千首詩 Jung-chai ch'ien-shou shih indicates—were reprinted in 1886 with a preface by, dated 1697. One of his sons, Li Fu-ch'ing 李孚青, was a chin-shih of 1679; another, Li Fu-ts'ang 李孚蒼, a chü-jên of 1699.

[1/273/2b; 3/7/1a; 7/6/11b; Ho-fei-hsien chih (1801) 24/6a.]

2em

 LI Ting-kuo 李定國, d. Aug. 7, 1662, a Ming general who throughout his life defied the Manchu regime, was a native of Yen-an, Shensi. In 1646, after his patron,, was defeated and 489