Chen Zilong 陳子龍

Ch'ên Tzŭ-lung 陳子龍 (T. 臥子, 懋中 H. 軼符, after 1645 大撙; monastic name 信衷, T. 瓢栗 H. 潁川明逸), July 12, 1605-1647, June 15, Ming author and patriot, was a native of Hua-t'ing (present Sung-chiang), Kiangsu. He wrote poetry and prose in the style required in the examinations (ku-wên), being particularly adept in the p'ien-t'i, 駢體 or paired sentence style. He was a member of the politico-literary society, Fu-shê (see under Chang P'u), and of a smaller local group, Chi-shê 幾社. A chin-shih of 1637, he was on his way to the post of police magistrate, of Hui-chou, Kwangtung, when his step-mother died. During the three years of mourning at home he studied in various fields. In 1638 he and two associates compiled the 皇明經世文編 Huang-Ming ching-shih wên-pien, in 508 chüan, a collection of essays and memorials to emperors of the Ming dynasty concerning political and economic problems. In the following year (1639), while this was being printed, he edited Hsü Kuang-ch'i's [q.v.] 農政全書 Nung-chêng ch'üan-shu, a comprehensive work in 60 chüan on agricultural science, from original manuscripts entrusted to him in 1635 by Hsü's second grandson, Hsü Êr-chüeh (爵, see under Hsü Kuang-ch'i). The book was printed by two local officials and in 1643 was presented to the throne by the third grandson, Hsü Êr-tou (see under Hsü Kuang-ch'i), who was awarded the post of a secretary in the Grand Secretariat. This work served as the basis for the compilation, by imperial order, of the work on agriculture, 授時通考 Shou-shih t'ung-k'ao, in 78 chüan, completed in 1742. Believing the original edition of the Nung-chêng ch'üan-shu to be too long, Ch'ên revised and contracted it to 46 chüan. In 1640 Ch'ên Tzŭ-lung was appointed police magistrate of Shaohsing, Chekiang. There he carried on some social relief work and patronized such literary men as P'êng Sun-i [q.v.], and the so-called Ten Poets of Hangchow (西泠十子). For his services in quelling a local uprising, early in 1644, he was named a supervising censor and sent to Chekiang to inspect the military defenses of the province. Before he assumed office, however, Peking fell and he went to serve the Prince of Fu (see under Chu Yu-sung) at Nanking.

As his aggressive military program was ignored by the prince, and his agitation for reform in the court was unpalatable to Ma Shih-ying [q.v.], he resigned. In 1645 he undertook the defense of his native Sung-chiang against the Manchu invaders and was given posts by the Ming courts, both of the Prince of Lu (see under Chu I-hai) and of the Prince of T'ang (see under Chu Yu-chien). When the city fell (September 22, 1645), he fled to the mountains and disguised himself as a Buddhist priest. Then he lived with his ninety-year-old grandmother in the home of a disciple until she died the following spring. At this time Wu Yang 吳昜 (or 易 T. 日生), who had been defeated by the Manchus in the previous year, rallied his scattered forces east of Lake Tai-hu, near Soochow, gained several victories and was made Earl of Ch'ang-hsing (長興伯) by the Prince of Lu. Ch'ên Tzŭ-lung joined Wu's army, was given a minor title, and managed to escape when the army collapsed. In 1647, along with many other scholars whom the Manchus wanted to get rid of, he was charged with complicity in a rebellious plot. He fled to Chia-ting, was arrested, but jumped from the boat on which he was confined and drowned himself. In 1776 he was given the posthumous name, Chung-yü 忠裕.

Besides the works already mentioned Ch'ên Tzŭ-lung compiled the 明詩選 Ming-shih hsüan, 13 chüan, a critical anthology of Ming poetry. His own writings were collected by Wang Ch'ang [q.v.], under the title Ch'ên Chung-yü kung ch'üan-chi, 29 chüan, printed in 1803. This includes an autobiographical nien-p'u, with a supplement for the years 1645-47 by his disciple, Wang Yün 王澐 (T. 勝時, 1619-ca. 1693), and a portrait.

[ M.1 /277/12b; M.35/18/48a; M.40/75/2a.; M.41/ 3,,'25a, 6/42a, 10/41a, 14/23b; M.55/1/7b; M.59/ 44/1a; Sung-chiang-fu chih (1884), 55/48a; Hua-t'ing hsien chih (1884) 15/32a; Ssŭ-k'u (see under Chi Yün), 102/2b, 3a.]

EARL SWISHER

Chen Zilong 陳子龍 [29584] CHECK funerary inscription. MS, 277.7096-7098. 《清代人物生卒年表》定其生卒年為萬曆36年~順治4年。 【參考《清代人物生卒年表》#13048.】 — RMH

《明史》卷277

陳子龍，字臥子，松江華亭人。生有異才，工舉子業，兼治詩賦古文，取法魏、晉，駢體尤精妙。崇禎十年進士。選紹興推官。東陽諸生許都者，副使達道孫也。家富，任俠好施，陰以兵法部勒賓客子弟，思得一當。子龍嘗薦諸上官，不用，東陽令以私憾之。適義烏奸人假中貴名招兵事發，都葬母山中，會者萬人。或告監司王雄曰：「都反矣。」雄遽遣使收捕，都遂反。旬日間聚眾數萬，連陷東陽、義烏、浦江，遂逼郡城，既而引去。巡撫董象恆坐事逮，代者未至，巡按御史左光先以撫標兵，命子龍為監軍討之，稍有俘獲。而遊擊蔣若來破其犯郡之兵，都乃率餘卒三千保南砦。雄欲撫賊，語子龍曰：「賊聚糧據險，官軍不能仰攻，非曠日不克。我兵萬人，止五日糧，奈何？」子龍曰：「都，舊識也，請往察之。」乃單騎入都營，責數其罪，諭令歸降，待以不死。遂挾都見雄。復挾都走山中，散遣其眾，而以二百人降。光先與東陽令善，竟斬都等六十餘人於江滸。子龍爭，不能得。以定亂功，擢兵科給事中。命甫下而京師陷，乃事福王於南京。其年六月，言防江之策莫過水師，海舟議不可緩，請專委兵部主事何剛訓練，從之。太僕少卿馬紹愉奉使陛見，語及陳新甲主款事。王曰：「如此，新甲當恤。」廷臣無應者，獨少詹事陳盟曰可。因命予恤，且追罪嘗劾新甲者。廷臣懲劉孔昭殿上相爭事，不敢言。子龍與同官李清交章力諫，事獲已。未幾，列上防守要策，請召還故尚書鄭三俊，都御史易應昌、房可壯、孫晉，並可之。又言：「中使四出搜巷。凡有女之家，黃紙貼額，持之而去，閭井騷然。明旨未經有司，中使私自搜採，甚非法紀。」乃命禁訛傳誑惑者。子龍又言：「中興之主，莫不身先士卒，故能光復舊物。今入國門再旬矣，人情泄沓，無異昇平。清歌漏舟之中，痛飲焚屋之內，臣不知其所終。其始皆起於姑息一二武臣，以至凡百政令皆因循遵養，臣甚為之寒心也。」亦不聽。明年二月乞終養去。子龍與同邑夏允彝皆負重名，允彝死，子龍念祖母年九十，不忍割，遁為僧。尋以受魯王部院職銜，結太湖兵，欲舉事。事露被獲，乘間投水死。