太外公的文章 My Great Grandfather’s Articles

Well, i haven’t posted anything here since the last one (about my dear grandma, hoping she would get better).   But she left us forever on Oct. 4, 2010.   It’s been over two months.   But this “she is gone” thought occurs to me every now and then and i am stuck in sudden surge of disbelief and sorrow.  She was such a funny and cute old lady…

Death is the end to every life.  Departure comes after every arrival.  I guess i need to get back to writing, my way of remembering things past.    In helping with the obituary, i learned more of what my grandmother has gone through in her 90 years of life.  Family history is interesting.  Personal destinies among the huge changes in China in the past 100 years have been more dramatic than any movie. 

As a start, i’m posting two articles by my Great Grandfather, father of my late dear grandma.    Great Grandfather was the 19th member of South Society （南社）, the largest literature and poetry organization founded in 1909 in Suzhou.   With its anti-Qing Dynasty stance, this organization had close ties with Sun Yat-San and his political activities.   Great Grandfather was probably prolific but he did not care for collecting his own writings.  And after the “Cultural Revolution”, very little was left.  Below two articles were found in the reprint of Nanshe Collection (《南社从选》）.  I wish i could find more personal materials he wrote so that i could know more about that 1/16 of my blood.

 

叔度文选

钱祖宪字叔度，江苏吴江人。今录文二首。

潘节士观复堂剩稿序

昔郑所南先生，以大宋遗民，身睹崖山之痛，感慨无聊，著《心史》万馀言，重匮铁函，锢蔽深泉。当是时，先生之意，不过欲留此忠孝文章，系鳌足以奠地维终古耳，初何尝计及于流布人间哉！迨夫胡运告终，中原有主，否泰剥复之机，行将周而置始，于是先生之书，终发露于眢井之中。呜呼！造物者之于忠孝文章，何若是其爱之笃而护之周也！吾邑潘节士力田，以班马之才，抱夷齐之节，自遭国变，杜门著书，思欲存一代之典章，留遗风于末世，上自国史，下至邑乘，莫不有所纂录。其所作之旨，类皆垂诸事实，以明大义，初不徒如郑氏之作，托篇什以写其黍离、麦秀之感而已也。浔溪难作，鸿文钜制，灰飞烟灭，《国史考异》、《松陵文集》诸书，一时抄掠无馀，所以摧折而锢禁之者，其力且十倍于铁函。迄今二百馀年，长离片羽，无有存者。盖至此而几疑造物者之于忠孝文章，爱之有不甚笃，护之有不甚周也。今岁夏，家兄仲雷，忽得此编于旧家。展览之馀，感慨系之矣。昔孔子有言：“王者之迹熄而诗亡，诗亡然后《春秋》作。”然则诗之盛也，其在于王迹将熄未熄之交乎？彼其时贤人君子，眷然于君父人伦之际，凄楚蕴结，不能自 已，而寄之于诗，此箕子之所以彷徨于朝歌，灵均之所以兴哀于郢都也。节士之史，《春秋》之旨也，顾已不可见矣。然其诗，类皆怆怀宗国，系心文献，则亦诗史之俦也。昔郑氏之书，其发露在三四百年之后，其时天地清朗，河山无恙，士大夫之读其诗者，不过发思古之深情，吊既往之陈迹而已。今则沧海横流，风雨如晦，读节士之诗，感慨畴昔，俯仰身世，有不悁然以痛，奋然以兴者乎！

古砚记

吾友心安自北方来，出古砚一方示余。质坚而色润，制作奇古，叩之其声清越以长。心安云，游燕市得之。盖清季王公贵人之遗也。尝考珠申一代，贪黩之风，夐绝古今。数百年之后间，海内珠玉锦绣，南金大贝，奇花怪石，粉白黛绿之选，恒荟萃于京师。其尤黠者，则又附庸风雅，托翰墨以自标其清流，而书画金石珍玩之品， 媵之以折人于此者，何可胜数。若此砚者，不知其来自何方，纳于何门，耍之乃鬻爵卖官之资，而天下不祥之物也。然王公贵人虽有此砚，而其人大都皆不学无术，浮慕虚名，其视此枯淡寂寞之质，固不能与珠玉锦绣之属争衡。然则此砚之在王公贵人家，实无异处于泥涂溷圂之中而已。帝政崩颓，市朝变易，一时凭藉权势之徒，灰飞烟灭，至不能保其所有，辗转流传，而入于心安之手。吾知心安之所以处此砚者，虽无有玉椟金缄，以荣华其外，然而丹黄不辍，晨夕与共，犹且宠以风雅，寿以文章，遇合之际，可为奇矣。昔苏子瞻跋许敬宗砚，谓敬宗奸邪，砚乃不免为其所污。然以子瞻之文章气节，为此砚荡涤之有馀耳。心安之砚，其旧主人未知视敬宗何如，然以心安之勤于翰墨，日累月积，将骎骎乎升古人之堂，则砚之不祥于王公贵人之家者，得心安荡涤之有馀矣。