A Chinese Biographical Dictionary 645

Ch'n State. When the latter came to the throne, he was appointed tutor to the Heir Apparent; but his pupil hated books and made his position irksome. After the death of Prince T([an, he was treated with such contumely that he retired to his native State and devoted himself to teaching the Ode$, an edition of which, known as the ^ p^ , is attributed to him. He was already over eighty when the Emperor summoned him to Court, sending for him a comfortable chariot drawn by four horses, its wheels bound with rushes. His Majesty asked him how to deal with disorder; to which he could only reply, Government does not consist in saying much, but in acting according to the means at control.** For this dark maxim he was made a Minister of State, but declined the ofiBce and returned home, where he died a few years later.

Shen Lin-shih ^^ 1^ d: (^* # III)- ^^^ ^^^^' ^-D. A native 1693

of Wu-k'ang in Chehkiang, who was so poor that he was obliged to spend all his time in weaving door-screens. He managed howerer to educate himself meanwhile, and became known in the neigh- bourhood as jjH 1^ ^ ^ . By and by he retired to a mountain in Eiangsi, where he had several hundred disciples. He was often summoned to Court, but he preferred a life of retirement, gathering his own fuel and drawing his own water, in which condition he died at the age of 86.

Shen Lnn ^ ^ (T. j|g ^ )• A.D. 909-986. A native of 1694 ^AC J^ T^ai-k'aog in Honan , who served as secretary to the founder of the Sung dynasty in his early career, and on his accession was sent on various missions. He was accused of taking bribes; nothing however was to be found in his boxes save pictures. In 973 he had risen to be a State Councillor, and he was left in charge of the capital during the Emperor's expedition to Shansi. In 982 he was implicated in the disgrace of Lu To-hsfin, and

retired. As Minister he maintained his purity; but it is a reproach