Dong Gao 董誥

TUNG Kao 董誥 (T. 雅倫, 西京, H. 蔗林, 柘林), Apr. 23, 1740–1818, Nov. 8, official, painter, and calligrapher, a native of Fu-yang, Chekiang, was a son of Tung Pang-ta [q.v.]. He took his chin-shih degree in 1763, and became a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy with assignment as proof-reader in the Wu-ying tien 武英殿. In this capacity he participated in the revision of the 皇朝禮器圖式 Huang-ch'ao li-ch'i t'u-shih, 18 chüan—an illustrated description of the sacrificial vessels, robes, musical instruments, insignia, etc., used in the ceremonies of the reigning dynasty—which was completed in 1759 and revised in 1766. Tung Kao was appointed a compiler of the second class in the Hanlin Academy (1766) and in 1771 was ordered to serve in the Imperial Study. After filling various posts in the Hanlin Academy and in the Supervisorate of Imperial Instruction, he became examiner of the provincial examination in Kiangnan (1774), subchancellor of the Grand Secretariat (1775), and junior vice-president of the Board of Works (1776–77). In 1776 he was made assistant director-general of the Ssŭ-k'u Commission and director-general of the Wu-ying tien, chiefly in charge of the Ssŭ-k'u ch'üan-shu hui-yao (see under Chi Yün). He served as junior, and then senior, vice-president of the Board of Revenue (1777–87) and was appointed director-general (1777) for the compilation of the 滿洲源流考 Man-chou yüan-liu k'ao, 20 chüan, an historical and geographical study of Manchuria, completed in 1783. In 1778 he was in charge of the Bureau of Music, and in the following year became a Grand Councilor. After a term of ten years as president of the Board of Revenue (1787–96) he was made a Grand Secretary (1796) and concurrently honorary president of the Board of Ceremonies. In 1799 he became director of the Commission on Historiography, and was given the title of Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent. As a reward for his aid in suppressing the White Lotus Sect in Shensi, Hupeh, and Szechwan (see under Ê-lê-têng-pao) he was given (1802) the hereditary rank of Ch'i-tu-yü 騎都尉. In 1808 he was director of the metropolitan examination—a post he again filled in 1811. In the meantime he served as one of the directors for the compilation of the great collection of T'ang prose literature known as 全唐文 Ch'üan T'ang wên, 1,000 + 4 chüan, commissioned in 1808, completed in 1814, and printed shortly after. The collection contains 18,488 essays by 3,042 authors. It was reprinted in 1901 by the Kuang-ya shu-chü (see under Chang Chih-tung). In 1809 he was made Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent. Tung Kao retired in 1818 because of illness, and died a few months later. He was canonized as Wên-kung 文恭, and his tablet was entered in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen.

For four decades, during two reign-periods, Tung Kao served in the Court and was honored and trusted by both Emperors—Kao-tsung and Jên-tsung. He was known for his sincerity, tact, and sagacity, and it was largely by these qualities that he and a very few others counteracted the ruinous governmental policies of the notorious Ho-shên [q.v.]. When he died Emperor Jên-tsung attended his funeral in person and honored him with a eulogy.

His paintings were highly prized by both Emperors, who frequently wrote colophons for them. Many of these paintings are preserved in the Imperial Palace and catalogued in the two supplements to the Shih-ch'ü pao-chi (see under Chang Chao). His calligraphy was also highly praised. It is reported that when Emperor Kao-tsung became too old to write with facility not a little of the penmanship attributed to the Emperor was actually the work of Tung Kao.

Tung Kao had four sons. The only one who survived him was Tung Ch'un 董淳, in deference to his father's merits, was in 1813 appointed a department director in the Board of Works.

[1/346/3a; 3/33/26a; 19丁下7b; 20/3/00; 26/2/22b; 28/2/7a; 33/68/1a; Fu-yang hsien chih (1906) 19 chung 15a, 16 chung-mu 14b, 22/65b, 23/46b; Pan-li Ssŭ-k'u ch'üan-shu tang-an (see bibl. under Chi Yün) passim; Ku-kung chou-k'an (see bible under Na-yen-ch'êng) p. 407–443, passim; L.T.C.L.H.M. shang p. 367b.]

Li Man-kuei

《清史稿》卷340

董誥，字蔗林，浙江富陽人，尚書邦達子。乾隆二十八年進士，殿試進呈卷列第三，高宗因大臣子，改二甲第一。選庶吉士，即預修國史、三通、皇朝禮器圖。散館，授編修。三十二年，命入懋勤殿寫金字經為皇太后祝嘏。次年，大考翰詹，因寫經未與試，特加一級。尋擢中允，丁父憂。三十六年，服闋，入直南書房。初，邦達善畫，受高宗知。誥承家學，繼為侍從，書畫亦被宸賞，尤以奉職恪勤為上所眷注。累遷內閣學士。四十年，擢工部侍郎，調戶部，歷署吏、刑兩部侍郎，兼管樂部。充四庫館副總裁，接辦全書薈要，命輯滿洲源流考。四十四年，命為軍機大臣。五十二年，加太子少保，擢戶部尚書。臺灣、廓爾喀先後底定，並列功臣，圖形紫光閣。

嘉慶元年，授受禮成，詔朱珪來京，將畀以閣務，仁宗賀以詩。屬稿未竟，和珅取白高宗曰：「嗣皇帝欲市恩於師傅。」高宗色動，顧誥曰：「汝在軍機、刑部久，是於律意云何？」誥叩頭曰：「聖主無過言。」高宗默然良久，曰：「汝大臣也，善為朕輔導之。」乃以他事罷珪之召。時大學士懸缺久，難其人。高宗謂劉墉、紀昀、彭元瑞三人皆資深，墉遇事模棱，元瑞以不檢獲愆，昀讀書多而不明理，惟誥在直勤勉，超拜東閣大學士，明詔宣示，俾三人加愧勵焉。命總理禮部，仍兼管戶部事。二年，丁生母憂，特賜陀羅經被，遣御前侍衛、額駙豐紳殷德奠醊。

誥既以喪歸，川、楚兵事方亟，高宗欲召之，每見大臣，數問；「董誥何時來？」逾年，葬母畢，詣京師，和珅遏不上聞。會駕出，誥於道旁謝恩，高宗見之，喜甚，命暫署刑部尚書，素服視事，不預典禮，專辦秋讞及軍營紀略，且曰：「誥守制已逾小祥，不得已用人之苦心，眾當共諒。」尋以王三槐就擒，與軍機大臣同被議敘。四年春，高宗崩，和珅伏誅，命誥復直軍機，晉太子太保。既，服闋，授文華殿大學士，兼刑部尚書如故。高宗山陵禮成，命題神主，晉太子太傅。七年，三省教匪平，予騎都尉世職。十二年，高宗實錄告成，詔以誥在館八年，始終其事，特加優獎，賜其父邦達入祀賢良祠。十四年，萬壽慶典，晉太子太師。充上書房總師傅。十七年，晉太保。

十八年，扈從秋獮。林清逆黨突入禁城，時回鑾，中途聞變，有議俟調大兵成列而後進者，誥曰：「是滋亂也，獻俘者行至矣！」即日扈駕進次，人心乃定。窮治邪教，誥謂：「燒香祈福，愚民無知，率所常有。惟從逆者不可貸。」凡論上，皆以是定讞。林清既誅，滑縣逆匪尋平，論功，迭被優敘，賜子淳為郎中。二十年，因病請致政，溫詔慰留，改管兵部。未幾，復命管刑部。二十三年，再疏乞休，許致仕食全俸。是年十月，卒，贈太傅。上親奠，入祀賢良祠，賜金治喪，御製詩輓之，嘉其父子歷事三朝，未嘗增置一畝之田、一椽之屋，命刻詩於墓，以彰忠藎。諡文恭。

誥直軍機先後四十年，熟於朝章故事，有以諮者，無不悉。凡所獻納皆面陳，未嘗用奏牘。當和珅用事，與王杰榰柱其間，獨居深念，行處幾失常度，卒贊仁宗殲除大憝。及林清之變，獨持鎮定，尤為時稱云。