and she tried hard to keep him from over-study; but he managed
to elude her watchfulness, and after becoming a pupil of Hsü
Hsüan, graduated as chin shih and entered the public service. He
was at one time employed upon the dynastic annals, and was the author of the 唐記, and of a collection of masterpieces in
literature. He was also employed, together with 丘雍 Ch'iu
Yung, upon the revision of the well-known 黃韻, a phonetic
dictionary containing over 26,000 characters arranged according
to 206 finals under the four tones. Canonised as 文僖.
238
Ch'ên Pêng-nien 陳鵬年 (T. 北溟 and 滄洲). A.D.
1663— 1723. Graduated as chin shih in 1691, and became a
District Magistrate in Chehkiang, where he soon earned the
reputation of an incorrupt official. In 1704 he became Prefect of
Nanking, and in 1705 he was accused of treason and imprisoned.
This caused a riot, and Ch'ên was sentenced to death, but was
pardoned and summoned to Peking. In 1708 he was Prefect of
Soochow, but in 1709 he was again summoned to Peking, and
there employed in the Imperial Library. He rose by 1723 to be
Director of the Yellow River, and died at his post in consequence
of illness brought on by exposure on the dykes. Wrote essays,
memoirs, and some poetry. Was one of the Five Devils (see
Wang Ch'in-jo). Canonised as 恪勤.
239
Ch'ên Pin (T. 文煥 . H. 眉山) A.D. 1655-1718.
A native of Kuangtung, who graduated as chin shih in 1694, and
served mostly in the provinces. He managed by frugality and
abstemiousness to live on his salary, and even to save money for public
works. He was Governor of Fuhkien from 1716 until his death. The Emperor K'ang Hsi, when he appeared at an audience in 1715, exclaimed:
"Why, this is surely some ascetic old priest!" But he nevertheless
appreciated his purity, which was free from all taint of meanness.
Canonised as 淸端, and included in 1730 in the Temple of Worthies.
