" ... Ershiwu yan is basically a translation of a Latin version of Epictetus' Encheiridion, with some additions made by Ricci ..." (Cf. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, vol. 1, p. 605.

Local access dig.pdf. in folder: [Andrew Chung Series].

Online edition: Vatican Library [Borg.Cin. 350.96] with bio-bibliography on Ricci at Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.

[Notes for ARSI editions]
JapSin I, 53.1
Erh-shih-wu yen [Ershiwu yan] 二十五言
By Li Ma-tou (Li Madou 利瑪竇, Matteo Ricci).
One juan (fifteen folios), Chinese bamboo paper. Edited by Wang Ruchun 汪汝淳 of Xindu 新都 (Zhejiang). No date or place of publication.

There is a preface by Feng Yingjing 馮應京, written in Wanli 32 (1604, 甲辰) on the occasion of a new edition. The beginning of folio 1 bears the title of the treatise and below there is an inscription: 太西利瑪竇述 (Narrated by Li Madou of the Great West), 新都後學汪汝淳較梓(Proofread and edited by Wang Ruchun of Xindu).
Each half folio contains ten columns and there are twenty characters in the first line of each paragraph and nineteen in the other lines. The upper middle of the folio bears the title of the book and below the number of the folio is given.
The treatise ends with a postscript by Xu Guangqi 徐光啟, dated Wanli 32 (1604), who indicates that part of the manuscript of the Ershiwu yan was written at Nanjing in the years 1599–1600 (cf. FR 2:97, note).
Feng Yingjing is said to have read a more polished and complete version, when he was in detention (1604). He was so impressed that he offered to have it published and gave it the title Ershiwu yan (The Book of Twenty-five Paragraphs) in contrast with the Buddhist scripture Sishi’er zhang jing 四十二章經 (The Sutra in Forty-two Sections). In his opinion, the former is far superior to the latter.
Although there is neither date nor place of publication, the first folio gives the name of the editor, Wang Ruchun of Xindu (see above). In 1607 he published Ricci’s Tianzhu shiyi 天主實義 at the Yanyitang 燕貽堂 (cf. Jap-Sin I, 44, 45). We may conclude that this edition was also published in Hangzhou and perhaps shortly after 1607.
Courant in his catalogue (no. 3376) mentions a Qinyitang 欽一堂 (Fuzhou, Fujian) edition, of which the Vatican Library also possesses two copies (Borgia Cinese 350.26 and 512.3). According to the catalogue the date of publication is 萬曆甲寅 (寅 is a mistake for 辰, 1604).
According to the preface of Feng Yingjing the Ershiwu yan was re-engraved in Beijing in 1604. It is unlikely that this same book was simultaneously published in Fujian. Both Xu Zongze (1949, p. 473) and Luo Guang (p. 171) assign the date of the first edition of this treatise to the year 1604. But the preface of Feng Yingjing clearly states that this was a re-engraved edition (重刻). Our judgement is therefore suspended until further research.
Christopher A. Spalatin, S.J. published in 1975 "Matteo Ricci’s Use of Epictetus," (Excerpta ex dissertatione, Gregorian University, Rome), Waegwan, Korea, 1975, pp. 7–101. The author tries to prove that the Ershiwu yan of Ricci was a translation from Epictetus with some modification.
The scholar Wang Kentang 王肯堂 incorporated this treatise in juan 3 of his Yugangzhai bizhu 鬱岡齋筆麈 and changed its title to Jinyan 近言. “Mr. Li [Ricci] give me a copy of the Jinyan,” wrote Wang in his book, “. . . I therefore copied a few of the sentences and I keep them by my desk.” Actually, he published fourteen sentences in his book. His opinion of this treatise was that “it seems to be simple, but it has a profound meaning behind it.” As in the Jiaoyou lun (cf. Jap-Sin I, 49 and 53.2), which he also published, he made alterations in Ricci’s original work, which one can notice at once when comparing the two texts (cf. FR 2:286–289).

JapSin I, 53 B
Erh-shih-wu yen [Ershiwu yan] 二十五言
By Li Ma-tou (Li Madou 利瑪竇, Matteo Ricci).
One juan (fifteen folios), one volume.
Chinese bamboo paper. Edited by Wang Ruchun 汪汝淳 of Xindu 新都 (Zhejiang). No date or place of publication.
The cover bears a label with the Chinese title, which the Latin inscription translates as: “25 Sententiae a p. Matth Ricci, S.J.”

This book is a duplicate of Jap-Sin I, 53.1, although a careful examination shows that the engraved Chinese characters are not exactly the same. Jap-Sin I, 53.1 is undoubtedly a finer edition, while the characters in 53 B seem to be blurred. Probably the engraving of the wooden blocks was based on the edition of 53.1. The postscript by Xu Guangqi comes after the preface of Feng Yingjing, while in 53.1 it is found at the end of the book. The upper and lower margins of this book are narrower than in the other edition.

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives: Japonica-Sinica I-IV, p. 84-86, 90.

"The fascinating story of Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) changing himself while trying to change the religious faith of the Chinese has been told many times. As a Jesuit, Ricci pushed Christian evangelism by claiming a theistic affinity with Confucianism and by presenting himself as a defender of Confucian orthodoxy from Buddhism. Already in his day, Ricci’s unusual cultural adaptation was controversial; not surprisingly, scholarly studies have hitherto focused almost exclusively on variations of this controversy. Reacting mostly to Ricci’s account of events, this line of research has provided insight, but much more can be learned about the early-modern cross-cultural encounter of Europe and China if the perspective is broadened to include his intricate and intriguing relationships with his Chinese friends. With his distinctively different religiosity, personal charisma, and knowledge of European science and mathematics, Ricci impressed the social and cultural elite of late Ming China, many of whom befriended him and some of whom became Christian converts. However, between him and his Chinese friends there were always disagreements, resulting sometimes from a lack of understanding or misunderstanding, and sometimes even when they apparently understood each other perfectly. Followed closely as the investigative thread of this book, the many kinds of disagreement cast an unusual light on an otherwise long familiar subject and are instructive for the at times tense and even hostile, but in reality always mutually energizing relationship of both competition and complement between China and the West in the early twenty-first century"--p.4 of cover.

Introduction: The Useful Instructions of Disagreement -- Journey to the Far East -- Michele Ruggieri -- Matteo Ricci -- Chapter Outline -- Chapter 1. Preparing the Ground for Evangelism: Matteo Ricci's Terms of Endearment in Jiaoyou Lun -- The Politics of Affection -- The Popular Reception -- The Distinct Lack of Distinction -- The Implications of Rhetoric -- The Divergent Expectation and Fulfilment -- Chapter 2. Reading Theism into Confucianism: Matteo Ricci's Ambiguous Alliance in Tianzhu Shiyi -- Ruggieri's Catechism -- Ricci's Revision -- Harmonious Disagreement -- The Tactical Maneuver -- The Ambivalent Appreciation -- The Surprising Directions of Change and Legacy -- Chapter 3. Arousing Antagonism out of Buddhism: Matteo Ricci's Deliberate Provocation in Tianzhu Shiyi -- The All-out War -- The Erstwhile Peace -- The Calculated Change -- The Gain and Loss -- Measures of Cultural Understanding -- Chapter 4. Making Use of Stoicism: Matteo Ricci's Surprising Breakthrough in Ershiwu Yan -- The Incongruent Mutual Appreciation --Epictetus and Adaptation -- The Unexpected Triumph -- The Secret of the Appeal -- Chapter 5. The Ambiguity of Intimacy and Distance: The Exemplary Friendship of Qu Taisu -- An Unusual Acquaintance -- A Relationship of Mutual Satisfaction -- A Skeleton in the Closet -- Intimacy and Distance -- Signs of Ideological Disagreement -- Chapter 6. The Intricacies of Motivation and Benefit: The Catholic Faith of Xu Guangqi -- Life before Baptism -- The Complex Motivation -- The Delicate Intimacy -- The Ambiguous Benefit -- Chapter 7. The Attractions of Science and Spirituality: The Independent Journey of Li Zhizao into Catholicism -- Family History and the Fateful Encounter -- The Limitations of Attraction -- The Subdued Voice of Reservation -- The Conversion -- Science and Faith -- Chapter 8. The Many Kinds of Acceptance and Rejection: The Ideological Commitment of Yang Tingyun -- The Mingled Doctrinal Influences -- The Different Degrees of Spiritual Openness -- The Conversion -- The Acceptance and Rejection -- The Question of Faith -- Conclusion: The Enduring Lesson of History.

“….In imitation …. Aleni modeled his Wushi yanyu 五十言餘 (1645) on Ershiwu yan to which it purports to be a supplement. ¹² Unlike Ricci’s work, however, Aleni’s is based upon classical European sources as well as Christian spiritual and ethical writings.” –Cf. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, v.1, p. 605.

JapSin I, 74
Wushi yanyu 五十言餘.
By Ai Rulüe 艾儒略 (Giulio Aleni, 1582–1649).
One juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. Published in 1645 (yiyou, 乙酉) by the Catholic Church in Fuzhou (Fujian).

The cover bears the title in Chinese with a Latin inscription: “50 sententiae morales a p. Julio Aleni.”

Cf. Pfister, p. 134 and p. 18*; Hsü 1949, p. 30; Courant 3406.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 126-127.