Page:Essays on the Chinese Language (1889).djvu/65

Rh The old learning, also, about this time received attention from a faithful adherent, Li Yang-ping (李陽冰) al. Shao-wên (少温), who lived in the second half of the eighth century. Li was a relative of the celebrated poet of the same surname, and held office under the Emperors Su Tsung and Tai Tsung (756 to 780). In philology he claimed to be a reviver of the study of the old language before the time of the "Shuo-wên." To this book he devoted himself with great zeal, and he published an edition of it in thirty chuan. At this time the text of the "Shuo-wên" was full of errors, and much had been left or had fallen out, and Li wished to restore it to the state in which he supposed Hsü Shên had left it. So he introduced many characters from the old "Seal" and earlier writings, and altered the forms of others, and thus made what he considered improvements to the "Shuo-wên." But the critics who came after him thought differently and regarded his innovations as a cause of confusion. They were wroth with him for finding fault with the venerated classic. It was owned, however, that few could equal Li Yang-ping in a knowledge of the "Seal" characters, a knowledge in which he was said to be not inferior to Li Ssŭ. Li Yang-ping compiled a treatise on these characters and another one on unauthorized or forbidden characters. His learned work on the "Shuo-wên," however, was his chief contribution to the cultivation of the language, and yet it was destined to have only a short-lived popularity.

Among those who about the time of the T‘ang dynasty contributed to the study and improvement of the Chinese language we must not omit the Buddhist monks. It is not possible to do more here than simply mention a few individuals. Of these and their philological works few particulars are given in books now accessible, and it is in some cases hard to find when and where they lived. Some of the missionaries from India, and a few of the Chinese monks who had studied in that country, wrote books on the Sanskrit grammar and alphabet. The knowledge