Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/586

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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
567

aborigines; but he soon restored peace. Upon the revolt of Wu San-kuei at the beginning of 1674, he was besieged in his yamên; and after holding out with the aid of his personal servants until it was plain that the provincial Commander-in-chief would not come to his rescue, he dispatched to Peking a secret report enclosed in a wax pellet, sent his sons away, and tried to commit suicide. In this he failed, and fell into the hands of the rebel general, who imprisoned him for four years. He was then put to death, even the slaughter of his two boys before his eyes failing to shake his undaunted spirit. His wife and concubines and female servants all committed suicide. The sight of his body lying on those of his sons moved a rebel officer to give them honourable burial. His poems, with the composition of which he had solaced his imprisonment, were rescued by a friend. In 1680 his remains were taken to Peking and interred with great honour, the Emperor composing his epitaph. Canonised as 文毅, and included by the Emperor Yung Chêng in the Temple of Patriots.

1475 Ma Jung 馬融 (T. 季長). A.D. 79-166. A native of Mou-ling in Shensi, who flourished as a scholar and official under several Emperors of the E. Han dynasty. His denunciation of political intrigues caused him to be suspended for a period of ten years; nevertheless he rose to high rank, and was finally Governor of modern Hupeh. He was a man of profound learning, and was popularly known as 通儒 the Universal Scholar. He had upwards of one thousand pupils, among whom may be mentioned Lu Chih and Chêng Hsüan, the latter's name being sometimes coupled with his own, as 馬鄭, to denote deep and accurate scholarship. Across the room in which he taught, a large red curtain was hung, and behind this was a band of female musicians; hence, "to put up a curtain" has come to be synonymous with "to open a school." He introduced the system of printing notes or commentary