two collections of verse, 城北集 Ch'êng-pei chi, in 8 chüan, and 苑西集 Yüan-hsi chi, in 12 chüan; and one collection of prose, 經進文稿 Ching-chin wên-kao, in 6 chüan. In the same year he compiled a work, 北墅抱瓮錄 Pei-shu pao wêng lu, which describes 222 plants that grew in his garden. In 1693 he completed the famous catalogue of paintings, 江村消夏錄 Chiang-ts'un hsiao-hsia lu, in 3 chüan, in which he set down valuable, detailed information concerning the dimensions and characteristic features of the works described. A simpler catalogue, entitled Chiang-ts'un shu-hua mu (書畫目), was printed in 1924 from an old manuscript.
In 1694 Kao Shih-ch'i was summoned to Peking by Emperor Shêng-tsu and was again appointed to serve in the Imperial Study as one of the Emperor's personal secretaries. About this time he printed several more collections of his poems, namely: 隨輦集 Sui-nien chi, 10 chüan; Sui-nien hsü (續) chi, 1 chüan; 歸田集 Kuei-t'ien chi, 12 chüan; and 獨旦集 Tu-tan chi, 8 chüan. The last collection contains his poems written in memory of his wife who died in 1691, and to whom he was devoted. His life in Peking from 1694 to early in 1696 was uneventful, but later he accompanied the Emperor twice on the latter's expeditions against Galdan [q. v.], to Outer Mongolia in 1696, and to Ninghsia in 1697. About the last-mentioned expedition he left an account, entitled 扈從紀程 Hu-ts'ung chi-ch'êng. Later in 1697 he was at last granted his request to retire. Five years later he was appointed a vice-president of the Board of Ceremonies but he declined, preferring to lead a quiet, literary life at home. About 1700 he printed yet another collection of poems, entitled 清吟堂集 Ch'ing-yin t'ang chi, 9 + 3 chüan. In April 1703 he went to Kiangsu to meet the Emperor when the latter was making his fourth tour to the south. Accompanying the emperor to Hangchow, he returned with him to Peking, arriving there May 1. According to Kao's account of this visit to the Palace, entitled 蓬山密記 P'êng-shan mi-chi, the Emperor confessed that in his youthful days he often wondered if he could ever attain such literary skill as Kao possessed. It seems from this account that the visit was markedly informal, much like a meeting of two old friends reminiscing together. Kao left Peking for his home on June 3, and died soon after his arrival. He was given, considering his official rank, unusual posthumous honors and was in 1704 canonized as Wên-k'o 文恪.
Kao Shih-ch'i wrote or edited more than fifty items. One collection of his works, entitled Kao Chiang-ts'un ch'üan-chi, contains fourteen of his literary collections, most of which are mentioned above. A more complete collection of his works, entitled Kao Wên-k'o kung ssŭ-pu kao (公四部稿), contains 41 titles. Among them may be mentioned the following: 左傳紀事本末 Tso-chuan chi-shih pên-mo (1690), in 53 chüan, a narrative of notable events in the Ch'un-ch'iu period; 編珠補遺 Pien-chu pu-i and Hsü (補) Pien-chu, each in 2 chüan (1698), being supplements to a classified phrase dictionary, 編珠 Pien-chu, attributed to Tu Kung-chan 杜公瞻 of the early seventh century; 金鰲退食筆記 Chin-ao t'ui-shih pi-chi (1684), in 2 chüan, being notes on sites of historical interest in the Forbidden City; 天錄識餘 T'ien-lu chih-yü (1690), a work of miscellaneous notes, and several more collections of verse and prose.
Kao Shih-ch'i's eldest son, Kao Yü 高與 (T. 巽亭, H. 青璧, d. 1717), chin-shih of 1700 and a Hanlin compiler, was ordered to print at his home the famous classified anthology of poetry, P'ei-wên chai yung-wu-shih hsüan (see under Cha Shên-hsing), completed in 1706, and he possibly also printed the encyclopedia, Yüan-chien lei han (see under Wang Shih-chên). After the printing was completed Kao Yü lived in Peking for several years and died while serving as a compiler of the classified dictionary of literary terms, 駢字類編 Pien-tzŭ lei pien (printed 1726). This unfinished task was assigned, by imperial order, to Kao Yü's nephew, Kao Hêng 高衡 (T. 南岫, H. 枝山), who is said to have been later entrusted with its printing. Kao Hêng served for a time in 1726 as grain intendant of Fukien.
It is not known exactly how Kao Shih-ch'i, without being either a Bannerman or the holder of a coveted degree, managed to rise from an obscure student to an imperial favorite. According to Wang Ching-ch'i [q. v.], his abilities were first recognized by Tsu Tsê-shên 祖澤深 (T. 仁淵) who recommended him to a powerful slave of Songgotu [q. v.], the latter recommending him in turn to the Emperor. Kao is said to have brought about the downfall of Songgotu, and later of Mingju [q. v.]. According to Li Kuang-ti [q. v.], Kao's own downfall was effected through the intrigues of Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh [q. v.].
[1/277/5a; 2/10/11a; 3/60/15a; 12/3/26a; 19/乙上/54b; 20/2/00 with portrait; 29/2/20b;
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