almost gone out of fashion and fallen into neglect during the period of the Ming dynasty. But in the seventeenth century scholars turned to it again, and the interest then awakened in it produced several reprints and commentaries. One of the first of these was an edition with notes by Chiang Yung, mentioned above. Another edition with a learned introduction was published about 1772, the author of which was Chu Yun (朱筠). He reproduced the text of Pao Hsi-lu (包希魯) which had been published in 1420, and followed the arrangement introduced by Li Tao. A few years later Kuei Fu (桂馥) al. Wei-ku (未谷) finished his labours on the "Shuo-wên," though his treatise was not published until long afterwards. Kuei, who was a native of Chü-fu (曲阜) in Shantung, and lived from 1736 to 1806, was a scholar of wide reading and a true lover of learning. He put out all his talents in the production of a new edition of the "Shuo-wên," a labour on which he was employed for thirty years. The name which he gave to his work, "Shuo-wên-chie-tzŭ-i-chêng," or verification of the meanings of the "Shuo-wên," indicates its scope. The text of the original treatise is given in separate columns and in large characters. The commentary is full and gives the student nearly everything that could be desired to substantiate and illustrate the short paragraphs of Hsü's text. With this last as commonly received he did not interfere, for he had a genuine reverence for the words of the "Shuo-wên." The doubts he had on the subject and his views as to the purity of the texts in use were put in writing, but he did not live to publish them. It is probable, however, that many of them are embodied in his commentary as his views of readings found in various previous editions. His "Shuo-wên" was not published for more than fifty years after it was finished, and it was not until 1870 that it became generally accessible. In that year it was edited by Ting Kên-shan (丁艮善) and published under the auspices of the distinguished living scholar and official Chang Chĭ-t‘ung.[1]
In the meantime two other editions of the "Shuo-wên" had
- ↑ 說文解字義證 ed. 1870.
