Yílǐ jíbiān 儀禮集編
Compiled Edition of the Yílǐ
by 盛世佐 (撰)
About the work
Shèng Shìzuǒ’s 盛世佐 (fl. 1747–1766) forty-juan comprehensive Qīng anthology-commentary on the Yílǐ (KR1d0025), completed in Qiánlóng 12 (1747). The work draws on 197 commentators from pre-Qín through to early-mid Qīng — the most comprehensive single-author Yílǐ anthology prior to Sūn Yírǎng’s late-Qīng Yílǐ zhèngyì. Methodologically Shèng restores the canonical separation of jīng (classical text) and jì (record) — both of which Zhū Xī’s KR1d0085 Yílǐ jīngzhuàn tōngjiě had merged together. The Sìkù tíyào approves both the restoration of the Zhèng-edition sequence and Shèng’s careful editorial discipline. The Zhèjiāng yíshū zǒnglù (Zhèjiāng surviving-books overall catalogue) records the work as 17 juan; the present text is 40 juan, reorganised because of the size.
Tiyao
We respectfully submit that Yílǐ jíbiān in forty juan was composed by Shèng Shìzuǒ of the present dynasty. Shìzuǒ (native of Xiùshuǐ) held office as Lónglǐxiàn zhīxiàn. The book was completed in Qiánlóng dīngmǎo [1747]; gathers 197 ancient-and-modern Yílǐ commentators and adjudicates with personal intent. The Zhèjiāng yíshū zǒnglù makes it 17 juan, also stating the accumulated leaves total over 2000 fān — for juan only 17 — by classical-chapter count divided, not wishing to horizontally-cut within one chapter. Yet this text’s catalog lists 17 juan; the book is in fact 40 juan — apparently finally because the juan-axes too heavy, accordingly divided. The catalog also says: “End appended Kānzhèng jiānběn shíjīng — supplementing Gù Yánwǔ and Zhāng Ěrqí’s gaps” — this text also has a record but no book — perhaps the catalog only loaded by table-of-contents?
The book holds: “Zhū Xī’s Yílǐ jīngzhuàn tōngjiě divides the various chapters’ records and assigns them under classical text — apparently at compilation-start could-not-but-temporarily-set-up-this-precedent for the convenience of cross-referencing — regrettably not-finished-the-work and disciples continued it; perpetuating without changing — not Zhūzǐ’s original intent. Wú Chéng also suspected the jīngzhuàn mixed-and-confused as Zhūzǐ’s un-decided draft. Hence this compilation: classic remaining classic; record remaining record — entirely follows Zhèng’s old [arrangement].” Its Shìguān, Shìxiāngjiàn, Sāngfú and other chapters’ classic-record-tradition-note transmitted-and-confused — Shèng follows Cài Shěn’s Wǔchéng corrected-and-finalised example, separately fixing the order at the back; not daring move-and-change classical-text. His position-holding quite jǐnyán (rigorous-and-strict); without the shallow-learning empty-belly-loud-talking light-rebuttal-of-Zhèng-Jiǎ stale-habit.
Furthermore Yáng Fù’s Yílǐ tú has long circulated in the world; yet his accounts all rooted in the zhùshū and sometimes also incorporating the zhùshū’s intent and losing it — also one-by-one shìzhèng (correcting). As to the various scholars’ errors — discrimination-and-evidence especially detailed. Although the position-holding sometimes has comings-and-goings; what can be referenced is much. In recent days’ explaining-ritual scholars — definitely not lacking gēnjù (rooted-grounded) learning.
Respectfully revised and submitted, ninth month of the forty-fourth year of Qiánlóng [1779].
General Compilers: Jǐ Yún 紀昀, Lù Xīxióng 陸錫熊, Sūn Shìyì 孫士毅. General Reviser: Lù Fèichí 陸費墀.
Abstract
The Yílǐ jíbiān is the most comprehensive single-author Qīng anthology-commentary on the Yílǐ prior to Sūn Yírǎng’s late-Qīng Yílǐ zhèngyì. Shèng Shìzuǒ’s drawing on 197 commentators across nearly two millennia — from pre-Qín Zhōuyǐ and Mèngzǐ citations through HànTáng commentary, SòngYuánMíng glosses, and early-Qīng evidential scholarship — represents an unmatched breadth of citation in pre-Sūn-Yírǎng Yílǐ studies. Methodologically the work is conservative: it restores the canonical Zhèng-edition separation of jīng and jì; refuses Zhū Xī’s KR1d0085 interleaving of records under classical-text; restores the historical-period citation order; refrains from polemical attack on ZhèngJiǎ.
The 1747 (Qiánlóng dīngmǎo) preface by Sāng Diàoyuán 桑調元 of Qiántáng — included at the head of the work — frames the project as completing what Zhū Xī, Huáng Gàn, and the late-Sòng Yílǐ tradition had left unfinished. Shèng’s editorial fánlì (preserved at the head) explicitly rejects the late-Míng-and-after habit of plagiarising earlier scholars without attribution: “Gù Yánwǔ once lamented this; humble-and-shallow self I — heart-in-this-classic for nearly ten years — being able to compile — between the previous-Confucian’s accounts and my one-acquired-foolish — appended at the back; suíshí zhájì (timely jottings); seeing those who had-acquired-before-me — accordingly cutting them — fearing not exhaustively — although not fully reaching the lost-classic’s intent — required not falling into what previous people lamented.”
The dating “1740–1747” brackets the compositional window through the 1747 completion.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located. The work is regularly cited in modern Yílǐ commentaries and is a principal source for the citations of otherwise-lost Sòng-Yuán-Míng Yílǐ commentary fragments.
Other points of interest
The 197-commentator citation roster preserved in the Yǐnyòng xìngshì (cited authorities) section of the work — running from Zuǒ Qiūmíng, Mèngzǐ, Xún Kuàng, Gōngyángzǐ, and Gǔliángzǐ in the pre-Qín period through to Yán Ruòqú and Jiāng Zhàoxī of the early Qīng — is a major bibliographic resource for Qīng-period reconstruction of the entire history of Yílǐ exegesis. Several commentators (e.g., Wáng Yǔzhī, Lǐ Wéizhī) survive in fragments only through Shèng’s Jíbiān citations.
Links
- Chinaknowledge: http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Classics/yili.html