The title page of ce 1 gives the original edition (Bailu dong), the title and the place of publication: 白鹿洞原本 | 朱子四書或問 | 墨潤齋藏板.
Ce 1 contains the Daxue 大學 huowen and the Zhongyong 中庸 huowen, each in one juan. Each half folio has twelve columns with twenty-one characters to each column.
At the beginning of ce 2, there is a preface to the Zhongyong jijie by Zhu Xi (two folios) and a preface by Tang Shunzhi 唐順之 (1507–1560). After the table of contents follows the book Zhongyong jilüe 中庸輯略 (juan A and B). There are twelve columns in each half folio. The main text consists of twenty-two characters to each column and twenty-one characters for the commentary.
Ce 3–4 give the first part (juan 1–10) and ce 5 the second part (juan 11–20) of the Lunyu huowen 論語或問.
Ce 6 gives the first and second part of the Mengzi huowen 孟子或問, all together in fourteen juan.

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 16-17.

Sishu jinzhu jinyi 四書今註今譯 / Yang Lianggong [and others] zhu yi zhu bian Wang Yunwu楊亮功 [and others] 註譯 ; 主編王雲五.
Reprint of 4 works previously published separately.
大學今註今譯 / 宋天正 -- 中庸今註今譯/宋天正 -- 論語今註今譯/毛子水 -- 孟子今註今譯 / 史次耘.

A portion of the Jesuit archives collection Japonica-Sinica I is comprised of selected Chinese Classics and their commentaries as studied by the late Ming literati. It was through these works that the Jesuits learned the basic principles of Confucianism and the Neo-Confucianism of the Song scholar Zhu Xi. They are included here in order to illustrate the sources and thoughts of the Jesuits in their early, tentative steps in explaining and understanding traditional Chinese social/ethical/political systems, and their presentation to a Western audience.

Sishu jizhu 四書集註.
By Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130–1200).
Six ce. Bamboo paper. 26 x 15 cm.

The printing is fairly good and the book is in good condition. The format seems to be that of the late Ming period. The Latin inscription on the cover of the first ce reads: “Opera omnia Sinensis philosophi Mency, cum notis latinis marginalibus (seemingly, the one who wrote this thought that the book only contains the writings of Mencius).”
Ce 1 contains the Daxue 大學 and the Zhongyong 中庸, preceded by Zhu Xi’s preface and a general list of characters used in the Sishu 四書字辨.
Ce 2 contains the Shanglun 上論 or the first five chapters and ce 3 the Xialun 下論 or the last five chapters of Confucius’ Analects.
Ce 4 contains the Shang Meng 上孟 or the first three chapters of the Book of Mencius, ce 5 the Zhong Meng 中孟 or chapter 4–5, and ce 6 the Xia Meng 下孟 or chapter 6–7.

1. Daxue, f. 1v: incipimus 8 maii 1637 ad M.D.G. [ad majorem Dei gloriam].
2. Zhongyong, f. 1v: In nomine Dⁿⁱ huius libri explicationem agressi sumus die 29 8^bris [Octobris] 12^a 9 lunae (29 October 1637 was the twelfth day of the ninth month of Chongzhen 10).
3. Analects, juan 2, f. 2v: 4 Junii incipimus hoc 2 caput.
4. Analects, juan 5, at the end of the last folio: Laus Deo, BV, Sstis. Ig^o et Xa^o [Beata Virgine, Sanctissimis Ignatio et Xaverio] meisque omnibus patronis et advocatis ac precipuae D. Thome Aquinati. Absolvi hunc librum die 13 Julii 1637.
5. Analects, juan 6, f. 1v: Huius libri explicationem aggressi sumus die 24 7^bris [Septembris] 1637 post interstitum a die 6 [Augusti?] usque ad dictum diem 24 septembris.
6. Analects, juan 10, f. 9v: Laus Deo Beataq. Virg. Maria finem posuimus 28 8^bris [Octobris] 1637.
7. Shang Meng [first section of the Book of Mencius], f. 1: Ad M.D.G. Incipimus 28 8^bris [Octobris] 1637.
8. Shang Meng, juan 3, at the end of the last folio: die 4 X^bris [Decembris] 1637 finem imposuimus ad M.D.G.
9. Zhong Meng, juan 4, f. 1v: Incipimus deo bene adiuvante 4 X^bris [Decembris] 1637.
10. Xia Meng, juan, f. 1v: Post unius mensis interventum, ob occupatione principimus 11 Januarii 1638.

In several parts of the book pronunciations are given according to the Portuguese romanization and the meaning of each character is also in Portuguese. The explanations, however, are given in Latin.
This book seems to have been in the possession of Francesco Brancati (1607–1671), whose Chinese name was Pan Guoguang 潘國光 (hao 用觀). There are three seals with the name of Brancati stamped on different ce. On f. 12v of juan 10 of the Analects there is a seal in red ink with the characters潘國光印. On f. 23r of the Zhongyong there are two seals: the upper one, with seal characters in incised inscriptions, reads: 潘國光印, and the lower one, with seal characters cut in relief, reads: 用觀氏.

Brancati arrived in China in 1637. He first studied Chinese in Hangzhou 杭州 and left for Shanghai in the same year (JWC 2:55). Colombel gives the reason for his leaving for Shanghai: “le petit nombre des ouvriers ne permettait pas de longues études: il fut envoyé à Chang-Hai” (1:337). Pfister, however, makes no mention of Brancati’s study in Hangzhou.
If our guess about the ownership of this book is correct, Brancati must have spent nearly one year in Hangzhou, i.e., from before 5 May 1637 to after 11 January 1638. In Hangzhou there was a language school where a number of the missioners had spent some time learning the Chinese language. Among those who studied Chinese in Hangzhou there were two others, namely Girolamo de Gravina (Jia Yimu 價宜睦, zi 九章, 1603–1662) and Antonio de Gouvea (He Dahua 何大化, zi 德川, 1592–1677), cf. Pfister, pp. 221 and 243. Would this explain the use of the plural in the verbs used in the Latin inscriptions written on different ce of the book (incipimus, aggresi sumus) and for the Portuguese written on different parts of the book?

Cf. Sapientia Sinica (Jap-Sin III, 3a), f. 2r “Ad lectorem,” last paragraph: “Notae appositae in margine sunt: f. p. § prima denotat folium textus iuxta ordine impressionis nan kim editae Authore chu hi, qui liber vulgo dicitur su xu çie chu.” This translation of the Daxue by Guo Najue 郭納爵 (Ignacio da Costa) and Yin Duoze 殷鐸澤 (Prospero Intorcetta) was revised by Nie Baiduo 聶伯多 (Pietro Canevari), He Dahua (Antonio de Gouvea), Pan Guoguang (Francesco Brancati), Bai Yingli 柏應理 (Philippe Couplet) and Lu Riman 魯日滿 (François de Rougemont). In folio 2r of the Zhongyong (Jap-Sin I, 10) there was an envelope which was addressed to Intorcetta: “Ao P^e Prospero [I]ntroxeta da Com. de Jesu.” It is very likely that da Costa and Intorcetta made their translation from this edition of the Sishu jizhu, which according to the “Ad lectorem” in Jap-Sin III, 3a was published in Nanjing.

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 9-11.

JapSin I, 15
Sishu mengyin 四書蒙引.
By Cai Qing 蔡清 (1453–1508). Second revision by Song Zhaoyue (jinshi of 1628) 揭嶺宋兆禴爾孚甫重訂.
Fifteen juan in sixteen ce. Bamboo paper, in good condition. Dayetang 大業堂 edition.

The cover bears an inscription in Latin: “4 ll. [libri] classici, alia ed. (t. 15), 24 x 15.”

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 14-16.

JapSin I, 12
Xinke Zhang Tongchu xiansheng yongsizhai Sishu yan 新刻張侗初先生永思齊四書演.

On the cover there is a Latin inscription: “Chang Colai in ll. philosophi Mencij (2 tom).” Wieger’s catalogue (WH) gives: “Cham colai: Sinica explicatio in libros phil. Mencii pars I et II. 2 vol. 24 x 13.” In both cases Chang (Zhang) Nai has been confounded with Zhang Juzheng 張居正 by giving him the honorary title of Colaus 閣老 (gelao), i.e., Grand Secretary.

Cf. Courant 2946–2947; NBC, p. 38 (same title: Ming edition, twenty juan, eight ce).
Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 11-12.

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 3.

The title page gives the title (Zhang gelao jingyan Sishu zhijie), the place of publication (Deju tang) and the publisher (Chen Changqing): 正字全編，張閣老經筵四書直解，德聚堂陳長卿梓. On top there is a red, round seal with a design of the god of literature (Kuixing 魁星) and a dragon. Below there is a red seal in seal characters, giving the place of publication: 德聚堂. An inscription on the first folio of juan 1 gives the title, the author (Zhang Juzheng) and the collaborators (Shen Li 沈鯉, Tao Gong 陶珙 and Fang Qixun 方奇峋): 新訂四書直解正字全編相國太岳張居正直解龍江沈鯉正字後學滇南陶珙訂新安方奇峋校.
There is a preface by Tao Gong 陶珙 of Yunnan, dated 15.VIII Chongzhen jiaxu 崇禎甲戌中秋 (6 September 1634), another preface by Ye Can 葉燦, dated 9.IX Chongzhen 8 (崇禎八年乙亥, 19 October 1635) and a prologue by Shen Li to the list of standard characters used for free private schools with the signature: “an elder of Longjiang” 龍江老人. At the end it gives the names of the supervisors of the printing of the book, Chen Youzhi and Chen Yuzhi, sons of the publisher Chen Changqing 陳長卿: 男有芝，毓芝督梓.
For Shen Li (1531–1615), see MJCC, p. 179; DMB 1:616; for Tao Gong, see Wang 1983, p. 351. Ye Can (1566–1643) was a native of Tongcheng 桐城 (Anhui) and a jinshi of 1613, see Wang 1983, p. 667.
The main text has eighteen characters to each column. Annotations and commentary are given in smaller print with seventeen characters to each column.
This book is a collection of lectures which were given to the Wanli emperor in the early days when the latter was still a minor and Zhang was his tutor. The style is simple and clear; it was probably revised before it was printed. Cf. Zhang Taiyue ji 張太岳集 (Shanghai, 1984), juan 38, folio 14b. This book consists of:

1. Daxue zhijie 大學直解, juan 1 (one ce);
2. Zhongyong zhijie 中庸直解, juan 2–3 (two ce);
3. Lunyu zhijie 論語直解, juan 4–12 (nine ce);
4. Mengzi zhijie 孟子直解, juan 13–26 (twelve ce).

The Siku tiyao does not list this book, but it does mention another book of Zhang Juzheng, the Shujing zhijie 書經直解 in thirteen juan (SKTY 1:269), a series of lectures given to the Wanli emperor and written about the time of the Lunyu zhijie. Cf. Wang 1983, p. 44.

The Naikaku Bunko owns a number of editions of this book by Zhang Juzheng (NBC, p. 37); other editions are mentioned by Shao Yichen (TTSK, p. 148). None of them, however, consists of twenty-six juan in twenty-four ce. Cf. Courant 2844–2846, 2847–2848 and 2849 (see K. Lundbaek, “Chief Grand Secretary Chang Chü-cheng & the early China Jesuits” and D. E. Mungello, “The Jesuits’ use of Chang Chü-cheng’s commentary of the Confucian Four Books (1687),” in China Mission Studies Bulletin 3, 1980, pp. 2–11 and 12–22).

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 13-14.