known by his fancy name, as Sa Tang-p'o. Canonised as 文忠
1786 Su Shun-ch'in 蘇舜欽 (T. 子美). A.D. 1008-1048. A native of 梓 Tzū̆-chou in Ssū̆ich'uan, of great ambition and wide reading, who graduated as chin shih before he was 21, and entered the public service. In 1040 he memorialised the Throne in reference to an earthquake which had taken place, and attracted the notice of Fan Chung-yen, who recommended him for promotion. He rose to high office and married the daughter of a Minister of State; but he became inyoWed in political intrigues, and was dismissed to a proyincial post where he died. His poetry had great vogue; and he was also a calligraphist in the "grass" character, of which he would throw off splendid specimens when a little elevated with wine.
1787 Su Tai 蘇代. 3rd and 4th cent. B.C. Brother to Su Ch'n, and like him a politician, but of lesser magnitude. He was one day advising the king of Chao to put an end to his ceaseless hostilities with the Yen State. "This morning," said he, "I was crossing the river 易 I, when I saw a mussel open its shell to sun itself. Immediately an oyster-catcher thrust in its bill to eat the mossel, but the latter promptly closed its shell and held the bird fast. 'If it doesn't rain today or tomorrow,' cried the oyster-catcher, 'there will be a dead mussel.' 'And if you don't get out of this by today or tomorrow,' retorted the mussel, 'there will be a dead oyster-catcher.' Meanwhile, up came a fisherman, and carried off both of them. I fear lest the Ch'in State should be our fishermen."
1788 Su T'ien-chio 蘇天爵 (T. 伯修). A.D. 1294-1852. A native of 眞定 Chên-ting in Chihli, who passed .first at a public examination of students of the Imperial Academy and entered upon a public career. He filled a great variety of posts, especially distinguishing himself by his zeal and energy as Censor. He was finally dispatched to oppose an irruption of rebels from northern Honan, and died of exhaustion from the mental strain. In his later
