of this poem and attempting to expose the hidden meanings of the author. The annotators seem to agree that the author's "distant" intention was to lament the fall of the Ming Court at Nanking in 1645. Indeed, a censor in the Ch'ien-lung period attempted to have all of Wang's works suppressed on the strength of the hidden meaning in this poem; but he failed, owing to Emperor Kao-tsung's personal appreciation of Wang's poetry. Recent promoters of vernacular literature have criticized his elaborate poetic puzzles on the ground that they appeal only to the privileged few who can afford the time or the works of reference necessary to understand them. Wang, however, did not always cultivate this recondite style; some of his verses are plain, comprehensible and moving. Moreover, his stress on the musical effect makes them always pleasant to recite.
Wang Shih-chên wrote several accounts of his travels to Szechwan, Kwangtung, and elsewhere. The following works contain miscellaneous notes, comments, and criticisms: 池北偶談 Ch'ih-pei ou-t'an, 26 chüan (1691); 居易錄 Chü-i lu, 34 chüan (1701); 香祖筆記 Hsiang-tsu pi-chi, 12 chüan (1702); 古夫于亭雜錄 Ku-fu-yü-t'ing tsa-lu, 6 chüan (1706); and 分甘餘話 Fên-kan yü-hua, 4 chüan (1709). He also compiled a list of posthumous names of the early Ch'ing period, entitled 國朝諡法考 Kuo-ch'ao shih-fa k'ao. He was the owner of a large collection of books. So ardent was he as a bibliophile that when he was granted a short leave from Peking in 1701, he is reported to have brought back with him, not the usual valuables that officials accumulated in his day, but several cart-loads of books. This episode was the theme of a painting by Yü Chih-ting [q. v.] and of several poems by Wang's friends. The painting and the poems were reproduced in a volume entitled Yü-yang tsai-shu t'u shih (載書圖詩). This devotion to book-collecting gave rise to the legend that one of his young admirers who, after several calls, had failed to find him at home, was finally advised by Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh [q. v.] to look for him, not at his home, but in the monastery, Tz'ŭ-jên ssŭ (see under Ku Yen-wu), in the South City, Peking, where booksellers displayed their treasures in those days. On following this advice the young man actually found the poet there.
Wang Shih-chên was the youngest of four brothers. His eldest brother, Wang Shih-lu 王士祿 (T. 子底, H. 西樵, 1626–1673), a chin-shih of 1652, left a collection of verse entitled 十笏草堂詩選 Shih-hu ts'ao-t'ang shih-hsüan, 11 chüan. The third brother, Wang Shih-hu 王士祜 (T. 叔子, 子側, H. 東亭, Jan. 7, 1633–1681), was a chin-shih of 1670. The writings of these and other members of the family were included in a collectanea, entitled Yü-yang san-shih-liu chung (三十六種), which comprises for the most part works by Wang Shih-chên. It was printed from time to time during the years 1669–1710.
[Yü-yang shan-jên nien-p'u (年譜); 1/272/6a; 3/51/1a; 20/1/00, with portrait; Tsinan fu-chih (1840); Chao Chih-hsin, T'an-lung lu; Lun Ming, "Bibliography of Wang Shih-chên" (in Chinese), Yenching hsüeh-pao (Yenching Journal of Chinese Studies), no. 5, pp. 934–64; Chu Tung-jun, "Wang Shih-chên on the Principles of Poetry" (in Chinese), Wu-han Journal of Liberal Arts, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 435–76; Wêng Fang-kang, Fu-ch'u chai chi, 8/6a.]
WANG Shih-min 王時敏 (ming before 1603 贊虞, T. 遜之, H. 烟客, 偶諧道人, 懦齋, 西田主人, 歸村老農, 西廬老人), Sept. 18, 1592–1680, July 12, landscape painter and calligrapher, was a native of T'ai-ts'ang, Kiangsu. He came of a distinguished family; his grandfather, Wang Hsi-chüeh 王錫爵 (T. 元馭, chin-shih of 1562, posthumous name 文肅, 1534–1611), was a Grand Secretary in the Ming period; and his father, Wang Hêng 王衡 (T. 辰玉, H. 緱山, chin-shih of 1601, 1561–1609, Mar. 4), was a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and was also known as a dramatist. As a boy Wang Shih-min was brought up by his grandfather and received instruction from the famous painter and calligrapher, Tung Ch'i-ch'ang [q. v.]. His grandfather, who was a well-known collector of paintings, was delighted with his talents and collected a large number of masterpieces for him to imitate. Wang Shih-min was especially fond of the works of the eminent landscape painter of the Yuan period, Huang Kung-wang (see under Tung Ch'i-ch'ang), and penetrated his art deeply. He was also a noted calligrapher, being skilled in the li-shu style (see under Ho Shao-chi). Because of his grandfather's merits, he was appointed in 1614 a secretary to the Keeper of Seals (尚寶司), and in 1624 was made Keeper. In this capacity he went to different provinces to present seals to the feudal princes or to their descendants. In 1636 he was promoted to the post of sub-director of the Court of Sacrificial Worship which he held for three years, and then
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