明儒王畿《中鑒錄》的流傳、編刊與內容特色

The Circulation, Publication and Contents of Wang Ji’s Record of a Mirror on Eunuchs

明代內書堂官定讀本《中鑒錄》一書，由王陽明弟子王畿編於神宗即位之初，以古今善惡宦官傳記為內容，旨在感化宦官，使其助養君德。該書萬曆九年左右首刊，萬曆三十九年重刊，分別出於曾任提督蘇杭織造太監的孫隆與劉成，顯示其確能打動宦官。由位尊勢顯的宦官刊行《中鑒錄》，符合王畿的最大預期。而《中鑒錄》之所以受到宦官垂青，與該書編排和內容特色有一定關係。書中王畿站在宦官立場說話，顯示出一種公允取態，尤得宦官讀者共鳴。王畿《中鑒錄》既為晚明士人指出一條間接可行、務實積極的「格君」路徑，又將王學有用於世之特色與行動力展現無遺。 The Record of a Mirror on Eunuchs (Zhongjian lu), written by Wang Ji (1498-1583), was compulsory reading for Ming dynasty eunuchs in the neishu tang—the school for eunuchs within the palace—and contains numerous cases of both exemplary eunuchs and counterexamples throughout Chinese history. Through these models, Wang Ji sought to morally reform the eunuchs, and in turn, to influence the moral character of the Wanli Emperor (1563-1620). Two eunuchs, Sun Long and Liu Cheng, who had successively served as the Eunuch Superintendent of Imperial Silk Manufacturing in Suzhou and Hangzhou, published and republished the book in 1581 and 1611 respectively. Published by such prominent eunuchs, the Record of a Mirror on Eunuchs indeed influenced its intended readers and was received favorably, as Wang Ji wrote impartially from the standpoint of the eunuch. Wang Ji’s book was a means for late Ming gentry to indirectly cultivate the emperor and to apply the teachings of Wang Yangming to worldly matters.

The Record of a Mirror on Eunuchs (Zhongjian lu), written by Wang Ji (1498-1583), was compulsory reading for Ming dynasty eunuchs in the neishu tang—the school for eunuchs within the palace—and contains numerous cases of both exemplary eunuchs and counterexamples throughout Chinese history. Through these models, Wang Ji sought to morally reform the eunuchs, and in turn, to influence the moral character of the Wanli Emperor (1563-1620). Two eunuchs, Sun Long and Liu Cheng, who had successively served as the Eunuch Superintendent of Imperial Silk Manufacturing in Suzhou and Hangzhou, published and republished the book in 1581 and 1611 respectively. Published by such prominent eunuchs, the Record of a Mirror on Eunuchs indeed influenced its intended readers and was received favorably, as Wang Ji wrote impartially from the standpoint of the eunuch. Wang Ji’s book was a means for late Ming gentry to indirectly cultivate the emperor and to apply the teachings of Wang Yangming to worldly matters.