Ancient China: the Shoo-king, or, The Historical Classic: Being the most Ancient Authentic Record of the Annals of the Chinese Empire.

£4,800 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

This is the first English translation of the Confucian classic, the Shu-jing (Book of History). “For the benefit of students in Chinese, the text is interspersed with the translation, so as to afford a pretty correct clue to the meaning of each particular character.” (preface, p. IX). Medhurst also supplies extracts from the Historical Classic covering the period of the Shu-jing as well as two appendices on Chinese Constellations and Astronomy, in particular the Chinese Zodiac. Medhurst (1796-1857) was a famous English missionary in China and one of the early translators of the Bible into Chinese. After spending some twenty-five years in Malacca Medhurst went to Shanghai where he founded the Mission Press. Rare. Cordier II, 1378; Lust 739.

• Binding: Hardcover

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