Collected Works of Gu Huayu
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Summary
We, your servants, respectfully note: The Gu Huayu Collection was compiled by Gu Lin of the Ming dynasty and comprises forty-five juan in total. Lin is also the author of Jinyan and Guobao Xinbian, which are separately recorded. This compilation is divided into six collections: first, Fuxiang Gao in four juan, written when he was demoted from prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture to magistrate of Quanzhou; second, Shanzhong Ji in ten juan, written while he was ill at home; third, Pingji Ji in five juan; fourth, Pingji Xuji in two juan, both written while he held office as grand coordinator of Huguang; fifth, Xiyuan Cungao, comprising nine juan of prose and fourteen juan of poetry, all printed in the wuxu year of the Jiajing reign; and an appendix, Huantong Ji in one juan, written when he was serving as vice minister of the Ministry of Works and grieving the death of his daughter. Zhu Yizun's Mingshi Zong says he also had a Guitian Gao, which is not seen today, and it is unknown whether it survives. The Ming Shi, Wenyuan Zhuan, says that Lin, together with his fellow townsmen Chen Yi and Wang Wei, was known as one of the Three Talents of Jinling, and that later Zhu Deng of Baoying rose after them and they were called the Four Masters. It also says that Lin and Deng served as wings to Li Mengyang, while Wei and Yi held rather different views. It further says that Lin's poetry took Tang writers as its standard and excelled in tone and style. Looking at this collection now, it draws on the waves of Jin'an from afar and closely follows the team of Xinyang; among the Zhengde and Jiajing periods it could indeed be ranked first.
Editor's review
The *Collected Works of Gu Huayu* is the poetry and prose collection of Gu Lin of the Ming dynasty, in forty-five juan, divided into six collections: *Fuxiang Gao*, *Shanzhong Ji*, *Pingji Ji*, *Pingji Xuji*, *Xiyuan Cungao*, and an appendix, *Huantong Ji*. These correspond respectively to different stages of his life—relegation to Quanzhou, retirement at home through illness, service as Grand Coordinator of Huguang, and service as Vice Minister of Works—and constitute a complete sample for observing the official careers and literary networks of scholars during the Zhengde and Jiajing reigns. The editors of the *Siku Quanshu* said his poetry “draws afar on the waves of Jin’an and closely matches the team of Xinyang,” and that among the poets of the Zhengde–Jiajing period he may be ranked first; the *Ming History* (“Wenyuan Zhuan”) also records that he, together with Chen Yi and Wang Wei, was known as one of the Three Outstanding Men of Jinling, later counted with Zhu Deng as the Four Great Masters, and echoed Li Mengyang as a supporting wing. Reading this collection allows one both to see the sources and manner of Gu Lin’s poetry in various forms and, through the prefaces, social exchanges, and writings from his local posts, to understand the place of the Jinling literary group within the revivalist current.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Scholars studying Ming poetry and revivalist thought during the Zhengde–Jiajing transition
- Readers interested in the social networks of literary groups such as the Three Outstanding Men of Jinling and the Four Great Masters
- Scholars of literature and history needing reference on Ming dynasty *bieji* editions and the conventions of sub-collections
- Readers interested in experiences of exile and provincial administration and in local writing
Not a good fit for
- Beginning readers hoping for modern vernacular appreciation or a popular history of Ming literature
- Readers who want only a selection of Gu Lin’s representative poems and are unwilling to face the scale of the complete collection
- General readers lacking basic knowledge of Ming official posts, place names, and social backgrounds
Reading tips
- Read in the order of the six collections, beginning with each collection’s short preface and dates of composition to establish the correspondence between career stage and literary form.
- Read *Fuxiang Gao* alongside *Pingji Ji* to compare differences in poetic style and subject matter between the exile and grand coordinator periods.
- Using the *Ming History* (“Wenyuan Zhuan”) and the *Mingshi Zong*, sort out the social networks of the Three Outstanding Men of Jinling and the Four Great Masters.
- Make cards for personal names and place names as you go, then read the prefaces and records in *Xiyuan Cungao* to understand the background of the collection’s compilation.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 顾华玉集
- 提要
- 浮湘藁巻一
- 浮湘藳巻二
- 浮湘藳巻三
- 浮湘藳巻四
- 浮湘藳后序
- 山中集
- 山中集巻一
- 山中集巻二
- 山中集巻三
- 山中集巻四
- 山中集巻五
- 山中集巻六
- 山中集巻七
- 山中集巻八
- 山中集巻九
- 山中集卷十
- 凭几集
- 凭几集巻一
- 凭几集巻二
- 凭几集巻三
- 凭几集巻四
- 凭几集巻五
- 凭几集续编
- 凭几集续编巻一
- 凭几集续编巻二
- 息园存稿诗
- 息园存稿诗巻一
- 息园存稿诗巻二
- 息园存稿诗巻三
- 息园存稿诗巻四
- 息园存稿诗巻五
- 息园存稿诗巻六
- 息园存稿诗巻七
- 息园存稿诗巻八
- 息园存稿诗巻九
- 息园存稿诗巻十
- 息园存稿诗巻十一
- 息园存稿诗巻十二
- 息园存稿诗巻十三
- 息园存稿诗巻十四
- 息园存稿文
- 息园存稿文巻一
- 息园存稿文卷二
- 息园存稿文巻三
- 息园存稿文巻四
- 息园存稿文巻五
- 息园存稿文巻六
- 息园存稿文巻七
- 息园存稿文巻八
- 息园存稿文巻九
- 缓恸集
FAQ
Into which six collections is this collection divided?
According to the general table of contents, it is divided into *Fuxiang Gao* in four juan, *Shanzhong Ji* in ten juan, *Pingji Ji* in five juan, *Pingji Xuji* in two juan, *Xiyuan Cungao* in nine juan of prose and fourteen juan of poetry, with an appendix, *Huantong Ji*, in one juan. Each collection corresponds to a different period of Gu Lin’s life, including his relegation to Quanzhou, retirement at home through illness, service as Grand Coordinator of Huguang, and service as Vice Minister of Works.
How did the editors of the *Siku Quanshu* evaluate Gu Lin’s poetry?
The editors said his poetry “draws afar on the waves of Jin’an and closely matches the team of Xinyang,” and that during the Zhengde and Jiajing reigns it may be ranked first. This evaluation both identifies his sources and shows that Gu Lin occupied an important place in the poetic landscape of the time, and it should be read together with the account in the *Ming History* (“Wenyuan Zhuan”) of the Three Outstanding Men of Jinling and the Four Great Masters.
What is the content of the appendix, *Huantong Ji*?
*Huantong Ji* in one juan consists of works in which Gu Lin, while serving as Vice Minister of Works, mourned the death of his daughter, and it is appended at the end of the collection. Unlike ordinary occasional poetry and prose, it carries strong private emotion; readers may read it alongside the family and social writings in *Xiyuan Cungao* to understand Gu Lin’s state of mind in his later years and the emotional dimension of the collection’s compilation.
The *Mingshi Zong* mentions *Guitian Gao*; is it present in the current edition?
Zhu Yizun’s *Mingshi Zong* states that Gu Lin also had a *Guitian Gao*, but the editors of the *Siku Quanshu* already said it was not seen in their day and did not know whether it was lost. Therefore, when reading the current forty-five-juan edition, one should not treat the content of *Guitian Gao* as an available text; it may instead be investigated separately as a clue to textual transmission.
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About the author
顾璘
Author
Gu Lin was a literatus of the Ming dynasty. Publicly available information about his life, official career, and other biographical details is limited; the main traces he leaves are his surviving works. The library holds two works by Gu Lin, namely The Collected Works of Gu Huayu (Gu Huayu ji) and A New Compendium of National Treasures (Guobao xinbian). Judging from these works, his writing spans both poetry and prose and critical appreciation. He is commonly classified under philosophical reading and literary appreciation, which suggests that his texts engage both with discussions of thought and meaning and with the evaluation of literary and artistic works, figures, and classical texts. The Collected Works of Gu Huayu, as a collected edition, may be understood as a compilation of his poetry and prose and is the main basis for understanding his style and areas of interest; A New Compendium of National Treasures leans toward critical compilation, reflecting his interest in organizing documents and in connoisseurship. Because no verifiable records of his birth and death dates, native place, circle of associates, or official career are available here, no conjectures are offered. Overall, Gu Lin's writings reflect the Ming literati's dual attention to scholarly reflection and literary and artistic appreciation, and they are suitable for readers interested in Ming poetry and prose, thought, and traditions of connoisseurship.
