Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period/Hsü Tsung-yen
HSÜ Tsung-yen 許宗彥 (T. 積聊, 周生, original ming 慶宗), Feb. 18, 1768–1819, Jan. 17, scholar and painter, was a native of Tê-ch'ing, Chekiang, and a member of a celebrated family. His great-grandfather, Hsü Chên 許鎮 (T. 天倚, H. 東間), was a chin-shih of 1712. His grandfather, Hsü Chia-chü 許家駒 (d. 1757), was a chü-jên of 1747. His father, Hsü Tsu-ching 許祖京 (T. 依之, 春巖, 1732–1805), was a chin-shih of 1769, who rose in his official career to be lieutenant-governor of Kwangtung (1785). Hsü Tsung-yen himself was, in his boyhood, regarded as a genius. When he was eleven sui Wang Ch'ang [q. v.] bestowed upon him his first tzŭ 字 or appellation, Chi-ch'ing 積卿, and wrote an essay, entitled 許積卿字說 Hsü Chi-ch'ing tzŭ shuo, to commemorate the occasion. The essay states that the boy could, at that age, read the Five Classics, the Historical Record (Shih-chi) and the History of the Han Dynasty (Han-shu), and could write acceptably both prose and poetry. In 1786 Hsü Tsung-yen became a chü-jên and in 1799 a chin-shih. Competing with him in the metropolitan examination were such well-known scholars as Chang Hui-yen and Wang Yin-chih [qq. v.]. Hsü was appointed a secretary in the Board of War. But preferring to devote his life to literature, and discommoded by ill health and the care of aged parents, he resigned from office after only two months' service and lived the remainder of his life in retirement at Hangchow. Although primarily devoted to literature, he was also versed in the classics, mathematics, astronomy and philology.
Hsü's writings on these subjects appear in his collected works under the title 鑑止水齋集 Chien-chih-shui chai chi, a total of 20 chüan—eleven chüan of prose and nine of poetry. This work was first printed in 1819. A reprint by his son, Hsü Yen-ku 許延穀, appeared in 1858. The catalogue of his library, entitled Chien-chih-shui chai ts'ang-shu mu (藏書目), in 4 chüan, is printed in the Library Science Quarterly (volume 5, numbers 3 and 4) from a copy preserved by his grandson, Hsü Shan-têng 許善登 (T. 從如). This grandson was the father-in-law of the bibliophile Hsü Nai-ch'ang (see under Chiao Hsün) who edited and printed several famous collectanea, including the Huai-Pin tsa-tsu (see under Chih-jui); the 隨庵徐氏叢書 Sui-an Hsü-shih ts'ung-shu (first series 1908, second series 1915); and the 小檀欒室彙刻閨秀詞 Hsiao-t'an-luan shih hui-k'o kuei-hsiu tzŭ (1896–1909).
Hsü Tsung-yen's wife, Liang Tê-shêng 梁德繩 (T. 楚生, 1771–1847), a sister of Liang Yü-shêng [q. v.] was very learned, and had a collection of poems entitled 古春軒詩草 Ku-ch'un hsüan shih-ts'ao. Their two daughters, Hsü Yen-jêng 許延礽 (T. 雲林, 因姜) and Hsü Yen-chin 許延錦 (T. 雲姜), were both skilled in poetry, painting, music and seal-carving. The former married Sun Ch'êng-hsün 孫承勳 and produced a collection of verse, entitled 福連室集 Fu-lien shih-chi; the latter was the wife of Juan Fu, fifth son of Juan Yüan [q. v.].
[1/488/7b; 3/148/14a; 19/己上/32a; 20/4/00 (portrait); 6/59/25a; Wang Ch'ang [q. v.], Ch'un-jung t'ang chi 35/12b.]
Tu Lien-chê