Hu Wei 胡渭

HU Wei 胡渭 (T. 朏明, 東樵, original ming 渭生), 1633–1714, Feb. 22, scholar, was a native of Tê-ch'ing, Chekiang, where his ancestors had migrated from Yü-yao in the same province. His great-grandfather, Hu Yu-hsin 胡友信 (T. 成之, H. 思泉, chin-shih of 1568), appointed (1570) district magistrate of Shun-tê, Kwangtung, is said to have achieved in his day a literary fame equal to that of Kuei Yu-kuang (see under Kuei Chuang). Hu Wei's father, Hu Kung-chüeh 胡公角, was a chü-jên of 1624 who died in 1644 when his son was twelve sui. The country was then in turmoil and the youth took refuge with his mother (née Shên 沈) on a near-by mountain, continuing his studies under her supervision. At the age of fifteen (sui) he became a licentiate of the second class but failed, after several attempts, to qualify for a higher degree. He then went to Peking where he continued his studies in the Imperial Academy. Later he became a private tutor in the family of Fêng P'u [q.v.], teaching the latter's sons, among them Fêng Hsieh-i 馮協一 (T. 躬暨, H. 退菴, 1661–1737). In 1678, when high officials were ordered to recommend scholars who might compete in the special examination known as po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ (see under P'êng Sun-yü), it is said that Fêng P'u offered to submit Hu's name, but that the latter declined. When, in the spring of 1690, Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh [q.v.] went home to continue the compilation of the Ta-Ch'ing i-t'ung chih (see under Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh) Hu Wei and three other scholars, Yen Jo-chü, Ku Tsu-yü [qq.v.], and Huang I 黃儀 (T. 子鴻), were invited to assist him at Tung-t'ing shan 洞庭山, southwest of Soochow. Having there at his disposal many works on geography, Hu took extensive notes which, during the years 1694–97, he brought together in an important treatise on the geographical section of the Classic of History (Yü-kung or "Tribute of Yü"), under the title 禹貢錐指 Yü-kung chui-chih, 20 + 1 chüan, including 47 maps. The last two characters of the title, chui-chih, "pointing at the earth with an awl", he took from the chapter "Autumn Floods" in Chuang-tzŭ to indicate that his treatise was only a modest approach to a vast subject. But the work is lauded by the editors of the Imperial Catalogue (1781, see under Chi Yün) as the most reliable and comprehensive treatment of the subject. James Legge says of it, in his translation of the Shoo-king (see under Wang T'ao), "The work cannot be too highly spoken of". It attempts to correct earlier identifications of place names and mountain ranges and to trace the courses of rivers—particularly the various inundations of the Yellow River. He also sets forth a number of suggestions for river conservancy. In 1699, while visiting his nephew, Hu Hui-ên 胡會恩 (T. 孟綸, H. 苕山, chin-shih of 1676), in Peking, Hu Wei presented a copy of the Yü-kung chui-chih to Li Chên-yü 李振裕 (T. 維饒, H. 醒齋, chin-shih of 1670, d. age 68 sui) who wrote a preface for it. This preface, which was not included until a later printing of the work in 1705, is based largely on an earlier preface composed by Yen Yü-tun 嚴虞惇 (T. 寶成, 思菴, 1650–1713) during the years when Hu was in Peking (1699–1701). In the meantime Hu Wei completed another important work, entitled I-t'u ming-pien (see below), which he often discussed with scholars in Peking, such as Li Kung, Chin Tê-ch'un, and Wan Ssŭ-t'ung [qq.v.]—the latter writing a preface to the work in 1700. Hu Wei returned to his native place in 1701 and completed drawing in 1702 a total of 47 maps, entitled 禹貢圖 Yü-kung tu, which were included in a later printing (1705) of the Yü-kung chui-chih. In 1705, when Emperor Shêng-tsu made his fifth tour of South China, Hu Wei presented this work to the throne through Cha Shêng (see under Cha Chi-tso), together with a prose poem, entitled 平成頌 P'ing-ch'êng sung. Hu was granted an audience with the Emperor and was honored with four large characters in the Imperial handwriting, reading 耆年篤學 Ch'i-nien tu-hsüeh, "Advanced in Age but Diligent in Study". A summary of the Yü-kung chui-chih, entitled Yü-kung chui-chih chieh-yao (節要), 1 chüan, was made by Wang Hsien-k'o 汪獻珂, a native of Chang-chou, Kiangsu; and a list of corrections to Hu's work, prepared by Ting Yen [q.v.] under the title Yü-kung chui-chih chêng-wu (正誤), 1 chüan, is included in the I-chih chai ts'ung-shu (see under Ting Yen). Hu's maps were corrected by Ch'ên Li [q.v.] under the title 胡氏禹貢圖考正 Hu-shih Yü-kung t'u k'ao-chêng, 1 chüan, which appears in the Huang-Ch'ing ching-chieh hsü-pien (see under Juan Yüan).

In 1706 Hu printed his second important work on the Classic of Changes, entitled 易圖明辨 I-t'u ming-pien, "A Clarification of the Diagrams in the Changes", 10 chüan, which was completed in 1700 when the author was visiting Peking. This work was regarded by Liang Ch'i-ch'ao (see under T'an Ssŭ-t'ung) as the most valuable contribution of Hu Wei to Chinese scholarship, and as significant in its sphere as the Shang-shu ku-wên shu-chêng by Yen Jo-chü. In the I-t'u ming-pien Hu Wei investigated the origin and development of the various illustrations or diagrams (known as 河圖 Ho-t'u, 洛書 Lo-shu, etc.) which had been so long attached to the text of the Classic of Changes that they came to be regarded as an integral part of it. These illustrations were originally drawn by the Taoist priest, Ch'ên Tuan 陳摶 (T. 圖南, H. 扶搖子, 希夷先生, d. 989), and were transmitted through Mu Hsiu 穆修 (T. 伯長, 979–1032) and Li Chih-ts'ai 李之才 (T. 挺之, chin-shih of 1030, d. 1045) to the great Sung philosopher, Shao Yung 邵雍 (T. 堯夫, H. 安樂先生, 1011–1077). Thereafter the illustrations attracted the attention of other Sung scholars such as Chou Tun-i 周敦頤 (T. 茂叔, H. 濂溪, 1017–1073), Ch'êng Hao 程顥 (T. 伯淳, H. 明道先生, 1032–1085), Ch'êng I 程頤 (T. 正叔, H. 伊川先生, 1033–1107), and Chu Hsi 朱熹 (T. 元晦, 仲晦, 晦庵, H. 雲谷老人, 晦翁, 滄洲病叟, 遯翁, 1130–1200), who founded a new Confucian scholarship later known as the Sung Learning 宋學. By the time of Hu Wei the conclusions of the Sung scholars had dominated Chinese thought for some 600 years. Their interpretations of the Changes were regarded as authoritative and the diagrams were attributed to a remote antiquity, even to the time of the legendary emperor, Fu Hsi 伏羲. By disclosing the real provenance of the diagrams and differentiating them from the actual text of the Changes, Hu Wei was able to deal a severe blow to the cosmology of Sung Neo-Confucianism and thus place the study of the Changes on a sound historical basis. Prior to his investigations several similar studies appeared, among which are the following: I-hsüeh hsiang-shu lun, 6 chüan, by Huang Tsung-hsi [q.v.], written in 1661; I-hsüeh pien-huo, 1 chüan, by Huang Tsung-yen [q.v.]; and 河圖洛書原舛編 Ho-t'u Lo-shu yüan-ch'uan pien, 1 chüan, and the 太極圖說遺議 T'ai-chi t'u-shuo i-i, 1 chüan, both by Mao Ch'i-ling [q.v.]. But it was Hu Wei who made the most exhaustive study of the subject.

During the years 1704–09 Hu Wei completed a work on the chapter in the Classic of History known as the Great Plan, which he entitled 洪範正論 Hung-fan chêng-lun, 5 chüan. This work was first printed by Hu Hui-ên's grandson, Hu Shao-fên 胡紹芬 (T. 念會), in 1739. Hu Wei also wrote a work on the Great Learning under the title 大學翼真 Ta-hsüeh i-chên, 7 chüan. The above-mentioned four works by Hu were copied into the Ssŭ-k'u Manuscript Library (see under Chi Yün). Other works attributed to him are: 詩箋辨疑 Shih-chien pien-i, 2 chüan; 吳興典錄 Wu-hsing tien-lu; and 他山錄 T'a-shan lu; but these seem to be no longer extant. Hu's verse was collected under the title 東樵遺詩 Tung-ch'iao i-shih.

Hu Wei had four sons, one of whom, Hu Fang-t'êng 胡方騰 (T. 黃間, pa-kung of 1697), was district magistrate of Ta-t'ung, Shansi, during the years 1721–23. Two of Hu Wei's grandsons achieved distinction as writers: Hu Yen-Ying 胡彥穎 (T. 石田, chin-shih of 1715) left a work entitled 北窗偶談 Pei-ch'uang ou-t'an, 3 chüan; and Hu Yen-shêng 胡彥昇 (T. 國淵, 仲升, H. 竹軒, chin-shih of 1730, d. age 88 sui), a musician, produced a work on music, entitled 樂律表微 Yüeh-lü piao-wei, 8 chüan, completed in 1755. Like his grandfather, Hu Yen-shêng presented this work to Emperor Kao-tsung in 1762 when the latter was on a tour of South China. It was copied into the Ssŭ-k'u Manuscript Library.

[1/487/5a; 2/68/15b; 3/416/1a; 4/131/17a; 7/33/6b; 13/1/10b; 15/3/4b; 16/12/10a; 17/6/81a; 23/3/17b; 24/2/1a; Tê-ch'ing hsien-chih (1673) 6/7b, 16a, 7/16b, 22b, 續志 6/2a–b, 3a, 8/4b–6b; Liang Ch'i-ch'ao 梁啟超, 清代學術概論 Ch'ing-tai hsüeh-shu kai-lun, passim; id. 中國近三百年學術史 Chung-kuo chin san-pai-nien hsüeh-shu shih, pp. 112–13; Ssŭ-k'u, 6/6b, 12/8b, 36/6a; Hsia Ting-yü 夏定域, 德清胡朏明先生年譜 Tê-ch'ing Hu Fei-ming hsien-shêng nien-p'u in 文瀾學報 Wên-lan hsüeh-pao (1936) vol. II, no. 1.]

J. C. Yang

《清史稿》卷481 儒林二

胡渭，初名渭生，字朏明，德清人。渭年十二而孤，母沈，攜之避亂山谷間。十五為縣學生，入太學，篤志經義，尤精輿地之學。嘗館大學士馮溥邸。尚書徐乾學奉詔修一統志，開局洞​​庭山，延常熟黃儀、顧祖禹，太原閻若璩及渭分纂。渭著禹貢錐指二十卷，圖四十七篇。謂漢、唐二孔氏，宋蔡氏，於地理多疏舛。如三江當主鄭康成說；禹貢「達於河」，「河」當從說文作「菏」；「滎波既豬」，當從鄭康成作「播」；梁州黑水與導川之黑水，不可​​溷為一。乃博稽載籍，考其同異而折衷之。山川形勢，郡國分合，道里遠近夷險，一一討論詳明。又漢、唐以來，河道遷徙，為民生國計所繫，故於導河一章，備考決溢改流之跡，留心經濟，異於迂儒不通時務。間有千慮一失，則不屑闕疑之過。

又撰易圖明辨十卷，專為辨定圖、書而作。初，陳摶推闡易理衍為諸圖，其圖本準易而生，故以卦爻反覆研求無不符合。傳者務神其說，遂歸其圖於伏羲，謂易反由圖而作。又因繫辭「河圖、洛書」之文，取大衍算數作五十五點之圖，以當河圖；取乾鑿度太乙行九宮法，造四十五點之圖，以當洛書；其陰陽奇偶，亦一一與易相應。傳者益神其說，又真以為龍馬神龜之所負，謂伏羲由此而有先天之圖。實則唐以前書絕無一字符驗，而突出於北宋之初，由邵子以及朱子，亦但取其數之巧合，而未暇究其太古以來從誰授受，故易學啟蒙、易本義前九圖皆沿其說。同時袁樞、薛季宣皆有異論，然宋史儒林傳：易學啟蒙朱子本囑蔡元定創藁，非朱子自撰，晦菴大全集載答劉君房書曰：「啟蒙本欲學者且就大傳所言卦畫蓍數推尋，不須過為浮說。而自今觀之，如河圖、洛書，亦不免尚有賸語。」至於本義卷首九圖，為門人所依附，朱子當日未嘗堅主其說​​。元陳應潤作爻變義蘊，始指諸圖為道家假借。吳澄、歸有光諸人亦相繼排擊，毛奇齡、黃宗羲爭之尤力。然皆各據所見抵其罅隙，尚未能窮溯本末，一一抉所自來。渭則於河圖、洛書，五行、九宮，參同、先天、太極，龍圖，易數鉤隱圖，啟蒙圖、書，先天、後天、卦變、像數流弊，皆引據舊文，互相參證，以箝依託之口。使學者知圖、書之說，乃修鍊、術數二家旁分易學之支流，非作易之根柢，視禹貢錐指尤為有功經學。

又撰洪範正論五卷，謂漢人專取災祥，推衍五行，穿鑿附會，事同讖緯，亂彝倫攸敘之經，其害一；洛書本文具在洪範，非龜文，宋儒創為黑白之點，方員之體，九十之位，變書為圖，以至九數十數，劉牧、蔡季通紛紜更定，其害二；洪範元無錯簡，王柏、胡一中等任意改竄，其害三。渭又撰大學翼真七卷，大旨以朱子為主，僅謂格致一章不必補傳，力闢王學改本之誤。所見切實，視泛為性命理氣之談者，勝之遠矣。

渭經術湛深，學有根柢，故所論一軌於正。漢儒傅會之談，宋儒變亂之論，掃而除焉。康熙四十三年，聖祖南巡，渭以禹貢錐指獻行在，聖祖嘉獎，御書「耆年篤學」四大字賜之，儒者咸以為榮。五十三年，卒，年八十有二。

渭子彥昇，字國賢。雍正八年進士，授刑部主事，改山東定陶縣知縣。著春秋說、四書近是、叢書錄要。又於樂律尤有心得，著樂律表微八卷。

渭同郡葉佩蓀，字丹穎，歸安人。亦治古易，不言圖、書，著易守四十卷。於易中三聖人所未言者不加一字，故曰「守」。