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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
195

1729 — 1780. A natdve of Ta-hsing in Chihli and elder brother of Ghu Euei, celebrated as a scholar under the reign of the Emperor Gh^en Lung. Graduating as chin shih in 1754, he was sent in 1771 as Literary Chancellor to Anhui. Here he published a new edition of the famous S/iuo Wen, with a learned preface; and on the issue of an Imperial Decree calling for the production of works not generally known, he memorialised the Throne, drawing attention to the famous encyclopaedia of Yung Lo (see Chu TV), then preserved among the archives of the Han-lin College. This, he said, contained a vast number of ancient works quite unknown to the public at large; and he proposed that Commissioners should be appointed to examine its contents on a system which he proceeded to set forth in detail. At this time, Liu T*ung-hstln was a member of the Grand Council, and he viewed the question unfavourably on the ground that it was of no importance to the administration of government. However, after much opposition Chu Yflu's proposal was laid before the Emperor. Hence the Commission which resulted in the publication of the p!9J$^^- It was in activity for the space of 18 years, during which time 3460 separate works were brought together, no less than 500 being extracted from the encyclopaedia, all of which were at the time out of circulation. Chu Yfln next suggested a revision of the Thirteen Classics, but this scheme was not carried out. He was subsequently appointed Literary Chancellor of Fuhkien, and died at his post in the following year. He was the author of a collection of essays, published under the title of ^ jfST ^ ^ • Canonised as ^ jE -^ •

486 Chu Yün-ch'ien (T. ,B| ^ • H. |g ^ ). Born A.D. 1789. A native of the Soochow Prefecture, who took his hsiu ts^ai degree at 14 and was afterwards a Magistrate in Anhui. There he completed in 1853 his |ft [^ ifi |f|| ^ ^ Phonetic Shuo Wen ,