Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 2.pdf/290

 Schall, who had died in 1666, was posthumously restored to his titles and ranks; his confiscated properties were given back to the missionaries; and he was honored with an official burial. The five executed astronomers were posthumously restored to their former ranks. From 1669 to 1827 (?) the Imperial Board of Astronomy was continually under the direction of one or more Westerners, among whom, after Schall and Verbiest, the following may be mentioned:

Philippe-Marie Grimaldi 閔明我 ,

Ignace Kögler and André Pereira (for both see ),

Augustin de Hallerstein 劉松齡 ,

Antoine Gogeisl 鮑友管 ,

Félix de Rocha and Joseph d'Espinha (for both see ),

Joseph-Bernard d'Almeida 索德超 ,

André Rodriguez 安國寧.

There are a number of publications by missionaries refuting the charges made by Yang Kuang-hsien. The first, composed by Buglio in defense of the Christian faith, about the middle of the year 1665, was entitled Pu-tê-i pien (辯). In 1669 and 1670 Verbiest published a number of works to refute Yang's charges concerning astronomy. Among these may be mentioned a work, also entitled Pu-tê-i pien, which was directed particularly against the second part of Yang's Pu-tê-i. In 1672 a Christian, Ho Shih-chên 何世貞, of Ch'ang-shu, Kiangsu, published a work, entitled 崇正必辯 Ch'ung-chêng pi-pien, 4 + 3 chüan, in which he defended Christianity largely on the basis of the Chinese Classics.

An interesting result of the controversy between Yang Kuang-hsien and the missionaries was that it gave to Emperor Shêng-tsu the incentive to study mathematics and astronomy. According to a story, which he once related to his sons, he was exasperated by the lack of scientific knowledge of the high officials whom he sent in 1668 to the Observatory to check on the calculations made by Verbiest, and so decided to study these matters for himself.

[1/278/2b; 3/53/1a; M.1/172/4a; Shê-hsien chih (1699), 13/48a; Li Yen, 中算史論叢 Chung-suan shih lun ts'ung (1933), pp. 162–82; Greslon, Adrien, Histoire de la Chine (Paris 1671), pp. 35–46, 88–100; Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress, 1930–31, pp. 269–71; Pfister, Notices, passim; Favier, Alphonse, Peking (Lille 1900), p. 204; Pu-tê-i (1929), biographical sketch; 熙朝定案 Hsi-ch'ao ting-an; 正教奉褒 Chêng-chiao fêng-pao.]

2em

 YANG Lien 楊漣, Aug. 5, 1571–1625, Aug. 26, Ming official, was a native of Ying-shan, Hupeh. After becoming a chin-shih in 1607, he was given the post of magistrate at Ch'ang-shu, Kiangsu. Owing to his excellent record in this position, he was appointed (1619) a censor. In 1620 he attracted notice because of his energetic opposition to the group of eunuchs and Court concubines who appeared to be seizing power in the government of the country. During the illness of Emperor Shên-tsung, which began in the sixth month of that year, the heir apparent,, who had been appointed against the wishes of the favorite concubine, Chêng (see under ), was prevented from seeing his father. his aroused fears of a possible coup d'etat within the Palace, and led Yang Lien to press for an audience with the ministers, at which Chu Ch'ang-lo's succession to the throne was confirmed. Emperor Shên-tsung died and, though the enthronement of Chu Ch'ang-lo appeared to place the government on a stable basis, it was not long before intrigues arose between factions struggling for power. The late Emperor had left instructions that the title of Empress Dowager should be conferred upon the consort Chêng, but the ministers, led by Yang Lien, declined to give consent. A few days later the new Emperor fell ill and the attentions of his favorite consort, known as the "Western Li" (see under ), seemed only to aggravate his condition. Since the next heir to the throne,, was only fourteen years of age Yang Lien and others believed that, in the event of the death of the reigning Emperor, a designing faction within the Palace had prepared for a joint regency of the consort Chêng and Li. This fear was intensified when it was learned that the consort Li had installed herself in the Emperor's Palace on the pretest of serving him during his illness. Yang Lien protested, in memorials, against the medical treatment provided for the Emperor, and whm it appeared that the illness would be fatal, roused his associates to take measures to frustrate the suspected designs of the consorts. News of the 892