Four Friends Studio Collection--Yuan and Ming

Author: He Liangjun of the Ming Dynasty
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The Four Friends Collection, written by He Liangjun of the Ming Dynasty. It was first published in 1569 (the third year of the Longqing reign), consisting of only thirty volumes. Later, eight additional volumes were added, combining them into a total of thirty-eight volumes and republished in 1579 (the seventh year of the Wanli reign). Later, Shen Jiefu excerpted the Ming Dynasty anecdotes from it and compiled them into six volumes, included in the Records Collection. Deng Qiemei also selected the discussions on drama from it and published them in the Ancient Studies Collection. Currently, the versions in circulation are all the abridged editions of these two collections, making it difficult to see the complete original work. This reprinted edition is based on the complete Wanli edition, with added punctuation. The entire work is divided into seventeen categories: four volumes of classics, thirteen volumes of history, one volume of miscellaneous records, two volumes of philosophy, two volumes of Buddhism and Taoism, one volume of literature, three volumes of poetry, one volume of books, two volumes of painting, one volume of local records, one volume of moral teachings, one volume of self-cultivation, one volume of leisure, two volumes of social reform, one volume of textual research, one volume of drama and poetry, and one volume of supplementary history.
Scholars of the Ming Dynasty generally prided themselves on being broad-minded while neglecting specialization. Their note-taking works often included everything in sight, without discrimination, and the Four Friends Collection was no exception. The author, He Liangjun, styled Yuanlang, was from Huating, Songjiang (now Songjiang County, Jiangsu Province). During the Jiajing era, he entered the national academy as a special candidate and was later appointed as a Confucian official in the Nanjing Hanlin Academy. After resigning from his post and returning home, he moved to Suzhou due to the invasion of Japanese pirates and engaged in literary circles with figures such as Zhang Zhixiang and Wen Zhengming. The Ming History describes him as "diligent in study in his youth, reading extensively in his twenties." The preface to the Four Friends Collection also states: "I have a collection of forty thousand volumes, and my reading covers almost everything." Among Ming Dynasty scholars, his erudition ranked only second to Yang Shen, Hu Yinglin, and Wang Shizhen.
Although the book draws from a wide range of sources, there are instances where the information is unreliable and it reflects the habits of Ming Dynasty scholars, occasionally including trivial or uninteresting remarks. However, it contains a wealth of Ming Dynasty historical records, local customs of Suzhou and Songjiang, as well as specialized research and criticism on various subjects. It is beneficial for readers studying history and literature, making it one of the more meaningful comprehensive note-taking works of the Ming Dynasty.