JapSin II, 42, I. II. III.
Xinzhi lingtai yixiang zhi 新製靈臺儀象志.
By Nan Huairen 南懷仁 (Ferdinand Verbiest, 1623-1688).
Fourteen juan, sixteen ce; Chinese bamboo paper. Bound in three volumes, European style: I (juan 1–4; ce 1–4), II (juan 5–8; ce 5–9) and III (juan 9–14; ce 10–16). No date or place of publication.

The cover bears a label with the title of the book and a Latin inscription: “Theoria, usus, fabrica instru | mentorum Mathematicorum | variis tabulis stellarum | longitud. latit. cir. inclinationum | eclipticae etc. | a p. Ferdin. Verbiest, S.J. | continet 14. tomos.” Another Latin inscription reads: “Opera | mathematica | Patrum NN. | rarissima | pro curia | imperiali edita.”

Folio 1a of juan 2 bears three large Chinese characters: 儀象志 (A record of the astronomical instruments); they appear also in juan 3–4, 6 and 8–13. The collaborators of the other juan (6–11 and 13–14) were:
Juan 6: Sun Yourong 孫有容, Bao Yingqi 鮑英齊, and Jiao Bingzhen 焦秉貞.
Juan 7: Bao Yinghua 鮑英華, Zhang Wenming 張問明， and Ning Wanbi 甯完璧.
Juan 8: Bao Xuan 鮑選, Yin Kai 殷鎧, and Zhang Dengke 張登科.
Juan 9: Zhu Shigui 朱世貴, Liu Yingchang 劉應昌, and Xue Zongyin 薛宗胤.
Juan 10: Xiao Jinli 蕭盡禮, Li Wenwei 李文蔚, and Feng Fangqing 馮方慶.
Juan 11. Xi Yigong 席以恭, Li Yingqian 李穎謙, and Zhang Wenchen 張文晨.
Juan 13. Zhang Shikui 張士魁, Lin Shengxiao 林昇霄, Li Shi 李式, and Liu Changyin 劉昌胤.
Juan 14. Feng Chengyin 封承廕, Xiao Jinxing 蕭盡性, Wei Qifeng 魏起鳳, Feng Mai 馮邁, and Ge Zhangzhen 戈掌鎮.

There are nine columns in each half folio with eighteen characters in the first column of each paragraph and seventeen in the rest of the paragraph. Annotations are given in double lines and with smaller characters. The title of the book is given in the middle of each folio, and the number of the juan and of the folio are given below the fish tail. The book consists mainly of tables. In his memorial to the throne Verbiest explained why he wrote this book:

When dealing with the [astronomical] instruments one problem is how to make them, and the other is how to use them. Furthermore, there is the problem of how to set them up for permanent use. Unless a full discussion is given with all the details, I am afraid that the knowledge will be confined to myself, and no one will be able to share it. This, to my mind, would be selfish and short sighted. For this reason I have tried to combine old learning with new experiences and, after careful consideration and analysis and by means of a process of inference, I have produced these illustrations, comparing and confirming them by explanations and tables. In all, there are 16 juan, with the title Xinzhi lingtai yixiangzhi [A description of the recently produced astronomical instruments]. It is hoped that the students in the imperial services will learn and understand and thus will find the instruments easy to manage. As to those who are to come after us, they too may do their studies by referring to our books. Your Majesty has been so kind as to allow me to take charge of the Calendar Bureau and in return I feel it my duty to render service to Your Majesty. Furthermore, your servant has one more request. Since this book is laid out clearly in its theoretical and mathematical side and is fully furnished with tables, it is hard to expect that everything will be arranged as neatly as one would wish. For this reason difficulties arise when anyone tries to copy or to draw from the book. Unless it is printed it will be impossible to provide for common use, still less, for the generations to come. I therefore, request your Majesty to give an order to the Ministry [of Works] to have printing blocks made and to deliver these to your servant for the printing of the books, which will be distributed among the students of the Imperial Observatory. The result of this will be that every student in the Academy will be provided with his own copy unfailingly . . .

The memorial [of Verbiest] was presented to the emperor on the twentieth of the first month of the 13th year of the Kangxi reign [1673]. On the third day of the second month [that same year] the imperial reply came which reads: Both the calendar and astronomy are closely related to the rites. From the memorial [of Verbiest] we have learned that the astronomical instruments are completed and that they have been made with great accuracy. Nan Huairen [Verbiest] had spared no energy in this labor; indeed he deserves high praise. He should be given special honors. Let me know about all the items that are discussed in the memorial [of Verbiest]. Let this be reported to the Ministry [of Personnel]. Enclosed are the [manuscript of] the book [of Verbiest] and the tables.

該臣（對哈納）議得南懷仁奏稱臣指授嘔心，業將諸儀安列於觀象臺上。以故覃精研慮，繪圖表次，為一十六卷。名曰新製靈臺儀象志，是書樊然不齊也，使非板行勢難盡人而給，且無以遺久。祈仰[束+力]部鏤板一副，交臣印刷，以資給發官生，則守是掌者，皆手習一編，而無缺餘（如？）之憾矣……康熙十三年二月二十日題，本月二十四日奉旨依議，欽此，遵。

Cf. Couplet, p. 42; Pfister, p. 353–354; Hsü 1949, pp. 465–469; JWC 2:163–179. See also NBC, p. 240; Van Hée 1913, pp. 3–4; ECCP 1:569 (Mei Gucheng); Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China, vol. III, pp. 451–452; Zhongguo tianwenxueshi 中國天文學史 (Beijing, 1981), pp. 230-231.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 340-343.