Gǔ Yìngtài 谷應泰 (1620–1690), zì Gēngyú 賡虞, hào Línsoāng 霖蒼, of Fēngrùn 豐潤 in Zhílì. Jìnshì of Shùnzhì 4 (dīnghài, 1647). Career mostly in Zhèjiāng, rising to Provincial Education Commissioner (Tíxué qiānshì 提學僉事). While in Zhèjiāng he had access through Shào Tíngcǎi 邵廷采 to Zhāng Dài 張岱’s manuscript Shíkuì cángshū 石匱藏書 — the most important manuscript history of the Míng then in private hands — and purchased a transcription for five hundred liǎng of silver, which became the principal source-base for his own Míngshǐ jìshì běnmò 明史紀事本末 (KR2c0020). The book, in 80 juǎn / 80 sections, was completed and prefaced in Shùnzhì 15 (wùxū, 1658), and printed thereafter — half a century before the official Míngshǐ was promulgated in 1739, and so anchored on a different and partly older source-base. Gǔ is consequently credited (by Endymion Wilkinson and others) with having made one of the largest single contributions to the writing of Míng history. CBDB (personid 65770) has no recorded lifedates; standard reference works give 1620–1690 (Wilkinson at §53396 confirms 1620–1690; at §42701 d. 1689), followed here. Beyond the Jìshì běnmò he is known for the (partially-preserved) Bóqiú jīng kǎo 博求精考 and the Wényán jí 文言集 literary collection.