Shi Runzhang (1618–1683; his birth year is also given as 1619) was a late-Ming and early-Qing official, scholar, and poet. His courtesy name was Shangbai (尚白; also written 上白), with the alternate courtesy name Qiyun (屺雲); his style names included Yushan (愚山), Huozhai (蠖齋), and Juzhai (矩齋). He was a native of Xuancheng in Jiangnan, in present-day Anhui.
Life
Both of his grandfathers were scholars of lixue; his grandfather was 施鴻猷 and his father was 施𧦴. His household included the concubine 徐珠淵, the sons 施彥恪 and 施彥湻, and the grandson 施瑮, who was born in 1673.
At eighteen, he passed the xiucai examination and in his early years studied under Shen Shoumin and Zhou Gao, prominent figures of the Fushe movement. After passing the jinshi examination in 1649, he was appointed a secretary in the Ministry of Punishments; in 1656 he became educational commissioner of Shandong, and later a provincial administrative assistant in Jiangxi, overseeing the Huxi Circuit. His administration was effective wherever he served.
He returned home in 1667. The year of his summons to the Boxue Hongci examination is variously given as 1661, in the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, and 1679, in the eighteenth year of the Kangxi reign; he placed fourth in the second class, was appointed a Hanlin expositor, participated in compiling the Ming History, and later became a reader. In 1681 he served as a chief examiner for the Henan provincial examination; in 1683 he transferred to reader and died that year.
He associated with Mao Qiling, Mei Wending, Tang Bin, and Wang Shizhen, while Hong Sheng was among his students.
Literature and scholarship
Well versed in books, Shi wrote prose described as pure and elegant and was especially accomplished in poetry; for decades he presided over literary circles in the southeast, and his work became known as the “Xuancheng style.” His poetry was ranked with Song Wan’s in the pairing “Southern Shi, Northern Song”; he was also grouped with Yan Hang, Ding Peng, and others as the “Seven Masters of Yantai.” His style was characterized as gentle and sincere, with repeated echoes and the spirit of the fengren.
His classical prose took Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi as models; his essays analyzing lixue and discussing the writing of history were considered his most refined work. In later poetic assessments, Zhang Yuzhao’s 《國朝三家詩鈔》 placed Shi alongside Zheng Zhen and Yao Nai as Qing poets of three generations; in volume 10 of Pu Songling’s 《聊齋志異》, “Yanzhi,” Pu praised Shi as the examiner who had examined him.
Works
His works include 《學餘堂文集》, 《學餘堂詩集》, and 《學餘堂外集》; the listed collections comprise a 28-juan 《學餘堂文集》, a 50-juan 《學餘堂詩集》, a four-juan 《學餘別集》, and a six-juan 《學餘遺集》.
Other works include 《試院冰淵》, 《青原志略補輯》, 《矩齋雜記》, and 《蠖齋詩話》; the last is also found under the variant title 《蠖集詩話》. Other titles associated with his name include 《硯林述遺》, 《端谿硯品》, 《雙谿草堂集》, 《硯林拾遺》, 《擬明史》, 《擬明史稿》, 《施愚山先生全集》, and 《愚山詩文集》.
References
- CBDB Shi Runzhang (35186)
- 搜韵 施閏章 (56443)
- 法鼓佛教人名规范数据库 施閏章 (A011672)
- Wikidata Shi Runzhang (Q11085302)