n 



THE PREFACE OF ^ ^ LB WEI, 



OF pRKIWt*. 



My townaman, i "Jc JSf Otig-tae-hai^, in his youih 

 poiiessed irrepreBaible vigour of mind, and pcurning lo sub- 

 mit his lucubratione to the criticisms of ilie esajninin^ ofTic-er, 

 gave up fit3 prosperiu of adpftnflement to nUi^iiftl mnk, 

 and conieirteil himi'^lf with rhfi publication of prirate f?sfly3 ; 

 tt« was truly a nohle-minrffiif flrholar of tfi« ftge Hif family 

 WDB originally posa'^^ped r.f n little prnpefly^ but our friend 

 iinfluapectiTigty tillnwed hifi anf.ot'fitfintfl to waste Ihe income; 

 and ae nmi\y nf hi^^d-^bfors bad ftbfconried, bfi generously sold 

 hi 9 patrimony find (livid fid tbe proceftds nmorifsl ihe claim- 

 ants ; for bavin p; otbw <Iihi(zn? tn vif^w f»e would not allow the 

 buainftf^ of markets nod Rbop* moofty find I'loih, to isiterfere 

 "^hU his projftf:<ii, Aff<»r livinefir isom*? lima to poverty, in 

 a negU^t^J Unv^, im >i: -iiea lo iravel UivrxU and south of tbe 

 pr^at fipftr : bat bia ni^finf W]r\^ jnptifrici-»ni, be sviddenl^ 

 rlioitffbt of e""ins: abroad ; find mibarkinf nn board a mer- 

 chant vfpsel, he soon landed to Ufitnvia. When T beard ol 

 the cirflumstnofJ! I admired luV datftrmi nation. After it 

 lan^ ppason of iTRTftl he ri*tornM to big nntive land, and al 

 length nrrir^d at ihehillof f^lj ^ Sefin-lnn. and pAFssod 

 tlirongfj ^ ^ Woh-lin find ^ Kin-r.bnnpr, io order to 

 r^'vfve Fom* of hi3 old rftfol lection a (bp y*ar 179S, at 



nn inn in the fntranc<* of Sloo-cbow, vri* jgrafp^^d pndt olber'a 

 Jmnda.nnd dfi(:oiir!SRd nf wbnf Imd bappn'^d dtirrnf fb<* 20 

 f$&t9 of our eeparaiitn. l^m^otins *bai in hoib cRseit old mr* 

 was cr^emofir on m T hftard how»!v*r. that during ibp time 

 of hiji r<*Hidftn^*e nhroad. hp hnd b^**!! in tlip bnbit of describ* 

 ing- the bills and nv*r*, mftnni*r(i nnd roflm.na. wIiiHi Kb I*ad 

 witOBPSpd Btit be R«»fii"?d at fba< rim? in n prfnt bitrry, 

 *nd bpfire 1 poiild bftv*> IftiJiire to IfloU ov^'t liii prodtKtions, 

 bp eoof Al n FnHsfqnpnr )\**riod, )niwevi»r, rnv friewd't 

 two wirV». vi^. A d^sirtlory nrroiint of lh« Arrhipplngo " 

 and^'Pu^itive r^r«efl on'miftrplUn^oM? BijbjcrtF," were f#ni 



