Record of What Was Heard Before
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Scholars of Ming literature and historical sources interested in the documentary value of Ming notebooks
- Readers interested in Zhu Yunming's life and circle and in Ming literati life
- General readers who enjoy short anecdotal jottings for casual browsing
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking a systematic, comprehensive narrative history of the Ming dynasty
- Casual readers who prefer vernacular fiction or strongly plotted stories
Reading tips
- Read the main text of Former Recollections first, then the appended Zunwen lu, comparing their source material and style.
- There is no need to read such jottings straight through; excerpt them by theme such as people, institutions, and anecdotes.
- When encountering names or places, consult reference works on Ming history; do not stall over a few difficult entries.
About the publisher
Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- ○高皇帝敬天
- ○正經傳
- ○平吳仁言
- ○制度
- ○公宴節錢
- ○給有司官錢
- ○驛兒屬對
- ○龍須
- ○歐陽都尉
- ○勤政
- ○示儉
- ○持志
- ○天王堂土地
- ○誅李司徒
- ○床下義氣
- ○宋祭酒
- ○先曾祖受天恩
- ○危素
- ○嘉定縣吏人
- ○道不拾遺
- ○修書
- ○仁廟右文 （「仁廟右文」，「右」原作「古」，據明紀錄彙編本改。）
- ○霍侍郎
- ○睿皇徵吳處士
- ○英宗皇帝聖德
- ○英宗免禮官罪
- ○沈孝子
- ○妻代夫死
- ○平淮碑
- ○碧落碑
- ○王敦殺妓
- ○楊尚書
- ○陳節婦
- ○片言折獄
- ○唐宋金石
- ○啖執炙者
- ○武功伯賦何文淵
- ○訊盗
- ○身丁錢
- ○晉元帝
- ○晁錯張逵
- ○曾狀元
- ○修史人李至剛
- ○詠王少卿
- ○蔑面事際
- ○盛寅先生
- ○李壇
- ○奸獄
- ○南京姦僧
- ○關千戶開弓
- ○義虎傳
- ○戲語得婦
- ○下西洋
- ○題本 （文多不錄。）
- ○人數
- ○里程
- ○船號
- ○船名
- ○天象
- ○程南雲
- ○逸詩
- ○尤六十王昌四
- ○弄
- ○娼冤
- ○近時人別號
FAQ
What is the relationship between Former Recollections and the appended Zunwen lu?
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About the author
Zhu Yunming was a man of letters in the Ming dynasty; reliable public sources on his life, official career, dates, and native place are limited, and this profile makes no conjectures about them. The library holds seven of his works, including the Huai Xing Tang Collection, the upper and lower volumes of Qian Wen Ji, and Ye Ji, as well as a further Qian Wen Ji text that may be a differently titled edition of the same book. His writings span both poetry and prose and miscellaneous notes: the collection contains prefaces, colophons, letters, and travel records in a clear, fluent style, while the notes chiefly record court and local observations, anecdotes about people, and institutional and historical matters, written concisely with an antiquarian bent. Such works are often consulted for insight into the life of Ming literati and the tradition of historical notes, and are classified under Eastern philosophy, classic works, and culture, reflecting his dual orientation toward literature and historical source materials.
