Subject: Four elements (Philosophy)--China--Early works to 1800

Kongji gezhi 空際格致. [BAV R.G. Oriente, III, 229.1-2. Jap-Sin II, 55]
AuthorVagnone, Alfonso 高一志, 1566-1640
Place---
Publisher---
CollectionRicci Institute Library
Edition
LanguageChinese 中文
TypeBook (Text in Collection)
Series
ShelfHallway Cases
Call NumberBX880.T562 1972
Descriptionv.2, p. 839-1030
NoteIn: Tianzhujiao dongchuan wenxian sanbian 天主教東傳文獻三編 [WXSB], vol. 2, pp. 839-1030.

"Explanation (in 68 sections: 25+43) of the phenomena below the lunar sphere on the basis of the theory of the Four Elements, dealing with such subjects as ether, the sphericity of the earth, earthquakes, clouds, wind, rain, mountains and rivers. The first chapter deals with the general nature of the Four Elements, and the second with the phenomena engendered by the interaction of these elements.." -- Cf. full bibliographic and textual citation: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

JapSin II, 55
Kongji gezhi 空際格致.
By Gao Yizhi 高一志 (Alfonso Vagnone).
Two juan Bamboo paper in two volumes with a paper case. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears a label with the title written in ink and a Latin inscription: “De 4 Elementis | et meteoris etc. | a p. Alph. Vagnoni, S.J.”
There is a table of contents for juan A (one folio) and for juan B (one and one-half folio). In juan B on the back of the folio of the table of contents there is a declaration about the ecclesiastical approval of books: 遵教規凡譯經典諸書必三次看詳,方允付梓;茲並鐫訂閱姓氏於後 (see above, Jap-Sin II, 54). It then gives the names of the censors: Francesco Sambiasi 畢方濟 and João Fróis 伏若望. Permission for publication was granted by Manuel Dias Jr. 陽瑪諾, then Vice-Provincial.
Folio 1 of each juan mentions the title, the number of the juan, the author, the reviser Han Yun 韓雲 and the proofreader Chen Suoxing 陳所性. There are nine columns to each half folio with twenty characters to each column. The title of the book, the number of the juan and of the folio are given in the middle of the folio.
There is an introduction on folio 1 of juan A, in which the author states that all the wonderful phenomena one sees in the sky must be explained by the four elements, namely, fire, air, water and earth. The development of different chemical compositions in the universe is based on these elements.

Cf. Pfister, p. 94, no. 17; Feng 1938, p. 110, no. 17; Hsü 1949, p. 472; SKTY 3:2632; Courant 4916; Couplet, p. 12.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 359-360.

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