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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary


in the body of the page, using for that pnrpose smaller characters cnt in doable columns; and it was by a knowledge of this fact that a clever critic of the T^ang dynasty was able to settle the spuriousness of the ^ -^ ^, an early edition of the Too Ti Ching with double-column commentary, which had been attributed to Ho Shang Rung. Besides several famous odes, he is also the reputed author of the J^ jj^ Clastic of Loyalty. He was uncon- ventional in the extreme, and a good performer on both the lute and flute.

1476 Ma Ku J||L^. 2nd cent. A.D. The sister of Wang YOan, and like her brother an adept in the black art. By her agency, a large area on the coast of Eiangsu was reclaimed from the sea and transformed into mulberry-orchards. She had long finger-nails like the talons of a bird, which caused Ts^ai Ching to remark how convenient they would be for scratching one's back; whereupon he was suddenly belaboured over the shoulders by strokes from an unseen whip. She died at the age of 120.

1477 Ma Liang ,B| ;^ (T. ^ ^ ). 3rd cent. A.D. A native of 5|; ^ I-ch*6ng in Hupeh. He was one of five brothers who lived at the close of the Han dynasty and who were all men of talent. He himself had white eyebrows; hence the punning local saying, i^<^£^dj§ ^^1 meaning that of the five brothers Ma Liang was the most talented. He subsequently rose to high o£Sce under Liu Pei, but perished in the defeat at ^ |^ I-ling.

1478 Ma Lun S^ jj^ . 2nd cent. A.D. Daughter of Ma Jung and wife of ^ ^ Tiian Wei, one of the warriors of the closing period of the Han dynasty. Celebrated for her virtue and her wit.

1479 Ma Lung ,g| ^ (T. ^ 1^). Died A.D. 300. A native of ^ ^ P4ng-lu in Shantungi who rose to high military command under the first two Emperors of the Chin dynasty and was ennobled as Marquis. For many years his name was a terror to the turbulent