王世貞悔作巵言說辨

Abstract

In the history of Ming 明 (1368-1644) literary criticism, the most influential critics were the Former Seven Masters 前七子 and the Latter Seven Masters 後七子. Wang Shih-chen 王世貞 (1526-1590), a most prolific and versatile scholar-writer, is often regarded as the successor of the Former Seven Masters and the leading figure amongst the Latter Seven Masters. In the entire range of Wang's works on literary criticism, I-yüan chih-yen 藝苑巵言 occupies the central position. However, the eminent Ch'ing 淸 (1644-1911) critic, Ch'ien Ch'ien-i 錢謙益 (1582-1664) points out in his Lieh-ch'ao shih-chi 列朝詩集 that Wang Shih-chen, late in his life, wrote that he "regretted having written I-yüan chih-yen and nullified the critical beliefs of his youth" in a review "On Hsi-ya's yueh-fu poems" 書西涯古樂府後. And Ch'ien's remark has always been accepted as the truth. Wang Shih-chen had not written anything of the kind. In this essay, I shall try to prove that, what Ch'ien said of Wang was untrue. I shall, firstly, examine the various editions of the review in question; secondly, go through all the critical writings of Wang Shih-chen. In the course of my arguments, it will be made clear that Wang Shih-chen never regretted having produced the I-yüan chih-yen and he never nullified the central beliefs of his youth; on the contrary, he took pride in his magnum opus even in his old age.