姚文田 (秋農 梅漪)

YAO Wên-t'ien 姚文田 (original ming 加畬, T. 秋農, H. 梅漪), Aug. 29, 1758–1827, Dec. 28, scholar and official, was a native of Kuei-an, Chekiang. He became a chü-jên in 1789 and five years later took the special examination granted by Emperor Kao-tsung when the latter was touring through Tientsin. He passed with the highest rank in this examination, and was appointed a secretary in the Grand Secretariat. In 1799 he became by transfer a secretary in the Council of State and in the same year took his chin-shih degree with highest honors, followed by appointment as a first class compiler of the Hanlin Aacdemy. In 1800 he was deputed to serve as chief examiner in the provincial examination of Kwangtung, and later served in the same capacity in Fukien (1801) and Shantung (1801). As an examiner he was noted for his ability to select promising students. He served also as commissioner of education in Kwangtung (1801–04), Honan (1810–13), and Kiangsu (1819–22). In the meantime he filled various posts in the Central Government such as libationer of the Imperial Academy (1813), sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat (1814), vice-president of various Boards (1815–24), and president of the Censorate (1824–27) and of the Board of Ceremonies (1827). In all of these posts he was known for uprightness, integrity of character, and diligence in the performance of his duties. He submitted some valuable memorials to the throne about prolonging the term of provincial governors, simplifying the procedure in law suits (1813), and preventing false accusations (1814) and long-standing abuses in the transport of tribute rice (1821). All these memorials were received with high consideration by the emperors. After his death he was canonized as Wên-hsi 文僖.

According to the bibliographical section of the Ch'ing Dynastic History, Yao Wên-t'ien was the author of some fifteen works of which about one third deal with philology, one third with the classics, and the remainder with poems, essays and so forth. In the philological field he compiled the 說文聲系 Shuo-wên shêng-hsi, 14 chüan (completed and printed in 1804), a rearrangement on a phonetic plan of the characters in the ancient dictionary Shuo-wên (see under Tuan Yü-ts'ai); and the Shuo-wên chiao-i, compiled in collaboration with Yen K'o-chün [q.v.]. His study on the Book of Changes, entitled 易原 I-yüan, and on the Spring and Autumn, entitled 春秋月日表說 Ch'un-ch'iu yüeh-jih piao-shuo, being charts and comments on events of the Spring and Autumn Period (722–403 B.C.) arranged chronologically, are collected in the 姚文僖公所著書 Yao Wên-hsi kung so-chu shu (undated) which also includes four other items by him. Another work, entitled 邃雅堂集 Sui-ya t'ang chi, 10 chüan (1821), is a collection of his prose and verse. The 陽宅闢謬 Yang-chai p'i-miu, 1 chüan, is a work condemning certain geomantic practices supposed to be efficacious in the location of dwellings. It was included in the third series of the 咫進齋叢書 Chih-chin chai ts'ung-shu, a collectanea of 35 titles compiled by his grandson, Yao Chin-yüan 姚覲元 (T. 裕萬, H. 彥侍, chü-jên of 1843), and printed in the eighteen-seventies and eighties.

[1/380/1a; 2/34/35a; 3/110/25a; 5/6/17b; 7/24/7a; 20/4/13; 23/55/5a; Kuei-an hsien chih (1582) 32/16b, 31a.]

Têng Ssŭ-yü

《清史稿》卷374

姚文田，字秋農，浙江歸安人。乾隆五十九年，高宗幸天津，召試第一，授內閣中書，充軍機章京。嘉慶四年一甲一名進士，授修撰。迭典廣東、福建鄉試，督廣東、河南學政，累遷祭酒。

十八年，入直南書房。會因林清之變，下詔求言，文田疏陳，略謂：「堯、舜、三代之治，不越教養兩端：為民正趨向之路，知有長上，自不干左道之誅；為民廣衣食之源，各保身家，自不致有為惡之意。近日南方患賦重，北方患徭多，民困官貧，急宜省事。久督撫任期，則州縣供億少，寬州縣例議，則人才保全多。」次年復上疏，言：「上之於下，不患其不畏，而患其不愛。漢文吏治蒸蒸，不至於姦，愛故也。秦顓法律，衡石程書，一夫夜呼，亂者四起，畏故也。自數年來，開上控之端，刁民得逞其奸；大吏畏其京控，遇案親提，訐訴不過一人，牽涉常至數十，農商廢業，中道奔波，受胥吏折辱，甚至瘐死道斃。國家慎刑之意，亦曰有冤抑耳。從前馬譚氏一案，至今未有正兇，無辜致斃者累累。是一冤未雪，而含冤者且數十人。承審官刑撻橫加，以期得實，其中冤抑，正復不少。欲召天和，其可得乎？頃者林清搆逆，搜捕四出，至今未已。小人意圖見長，不能無殃及無辜，奉旨嚴禁，仰見皇上如天之仁。臣以為事愈多則擾愈眾，莠民易逞機謀，良善惟增苦累。應令大小官吏，可結速結，無多株引，庶上下相愛，暴亂不作矣。至所謂養民之政，不外於農桑本務。大江以南，地不如中原之廣，每歲漕儲正供，為京畿所仰給者，無他，人力盡也。兗州以北，古稱沃衍；河南一省，皆殷、周畿內；燕、趙之間，亦夙稱富國。今則地成曠土，人盡惰民，安得不窮困而為盜賊？歲一歉收，先請緩徵，稍甚則加蠲貸，又其甚則截漕發粟以賑之，所以耗國帑者何可算也。運河屢淤，東南漕未可恃，設有意外，何以處此？臣見歷來保薦州縣，必首列勸課農桑，其實盡屬虛談，從無過問。大吏奏報糧價，有市價至四五千錢，僅報二兩內外，其於收成，又虛加分數，相習成風。但使董勸有方，行之一方而收利，自然爭起相效，田野皆闢，水旱有資，豈必盡資官帑，善政乃行哉？民之犯刑，由於不率教；其不率教，由於衣食缺乏而廉恥不興。其次第如此，故養民為首務也。」奏入，仁宗嘉納之，特詔飭各省以勸課農桑為亟，速清訟獄，嚴懲誣枉。

二十年，擢兵部侍郎，歷戶部、禮部。二十二年，典會試。二十四年，督江蘇學政。道光元年，江、浙督撫孫玉庭等議禁漕務浮收，明定八折，實許其加二。文田疏陳積弊曰：「乾隆三十年以前，並無所謂浮收。厥後生齒日繁，物價踴貴，官民交困，然猶止就斛面浮取而已。未幾而有折扣之舉，始每石不過折耗數升，繼乃至五折、六折不等。小民終歲勤動，事畜不贍，勢必與官抗。官即從而制之，所舉以為民罪者三：曰抗糧，曰包完，曰掗交醜米。民間零星小戶、貧苦之家，拖欠勢所必有。若家有數十百畝之產，竟置官賦於不問，實事所絕無。今之所謂抗糧者，如業戶應完若干石，多齎一二成以備折收，書吏等先以淋尖、踢腳、灑散多方糜耗，是已不敷；再以折扣計算，如准作七折，便須再加三四成，業戶必至爭執。間有原米運回，州縣即指為抗欠，此其由也。包完者，寡弱之戶，轉交有力者代為輸納。然官吏果甚公正，何庸託人？可不煩言而自破。民間運米進倉，男婦老幼進城守待，陰雨溼露，猶百計保護，恐米色變傷。謂其特以醜米掗交，殆非人情。惟年歲不齊，米色不能畫一，亦間有之。然官吏非執此三者，不能相制，生監暫革，齊民拘禁，俟其補交，然後請釋。不知此皆良民，非莠民也。此小民不能上達之實情也。然州縣亦有不能不爾者，自開倉訖兌運，修整倉廒蘆席、竹木、繩索、油燭百需，幕丁胥役脩飯工食，加以運丁需索津貼滋甚，至其平日廉俸公項不能敷用。無論大小公事，一到即須出錢料理。即如辦一徒罪之犯，自初詳至結案，約須百數十金。案愈巨則費愈多。遞解人犯，運送糧鞘，事事皆需費用。若不取之於民，謹厚者奉身而退，貪婪者非向詞訟生發不可，吏治更不可問。彼思他弊獲咎愈重，不若浮收為上下咸知，故甘受民怨而不惜。其藉以自肥者固多，而迫於不獲已者蓋亦不少。言事者動稱『不肖州縣』，州縣亦人耳，何至一行作吏，便行同苟賤？此又州縣不能上達之實情也。州縣受掊克之名，而運丁陰受其益，然亦有不能不然者。昔時運道深通，運丁或藉來往攜貨售賣以贍用；後因黃河屢經倒灌，運道受害，慮其船重難行，嚴禁多帶貨物。又從前回空帶鹽，不甚搜查；近因鹽商力絀，未免算及瑣屑，而各丁出息遂盡。加以運道日淺，反多添夫撥淺之費。此費不出之州縣，更無所出。此又運丁不能上達之實情也。數年前因津貼日增，於是定例只准給三百兩。運丁實不濟用，則重船不能開，州縣必獲咎戾，不免私自增給，是所謂三百兩者虛名耳。頃又以浮收過甚，嚴禁收漕不得過八折。州縣入不敷出，則強者不敢與較，弱者仍肆朘削，是所謂八折者亦虛名耳。然民間執詞抗官，官必設法箝制，而事端因以滋生，皆出於民心之不服。若將此不靖之民盡法懲處，則既困浮收，復陷法網，民心恐愈不平。若一味姑容隱忍，則小民開犯上之風，將致不必收漕，而亦目無官長。其於紀綱法度，所關實為匪細。」疏入，下部議。時在廷諸臣多以為言，文田持議切中時弊，最得其平。詔禁浮收，裁革運丁陋規，八折之議遂寢。

四年，擢左都御史。七年，遷禮部尚書。尋卒，依尚書例賜卹，諡文僖。

文田持己方嚴，數督學政，革除陋例，斥偽體，拔真才，典試號得士。論學尊宋儒，所著書則宗漢學。博綜群籍，兼諳天文占驗。林清之變未起，彗入紫微垣；道光初，彗見南斗下，主外夷兵事：文田皆先事言之。