The Diaries of Sir Robert Hart

https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/sirroberthart/diaries/




Sir Robert Hart (1835-1911, 2nd IG 1864-1911) wrote in his diary during his long career in imperial China on a daily basis. The 77-volume diaries start from 27 August 1854 and end on 19 April 1908. During this period, he was deeply involved in every single project of China’s modernisation and witnessed the restoration and decline of the Qing empire. Although he would usually claim to be an outsider, Hart’s role in the imperial government was incontrovertibly that of an insider. He was highly trusted by the Throne, the Manchu royals, and Chinese officials. Not only was Hart the most powerful foreigner in nineteenth-century China but also one of the most powerful officials in the imperial court.

As Qing officials’ diaries are usually plain and lack explicit descriptions, Hart’s diaries provide us with a complete account of Qing China’s paces in catching up with the world in the nineteenth century and with pen protraits of his Chinese colleagues. His diaries disclose the true thoughts of the Empress Dowadger, Prince Gong, Wenxiang, etc, towards China’s modernisation. His diaries, in other words, can be considered as a piece of modern Chinese history.

Archibald Knox clocks

The Tale of the Lute

Pi pa ji (The tale of the lute) was written during the late Yuan dynasty by Gao Ming (circa 1305‒59). It is a southern drama, based on an earlier story from the Song and Yuan, entitled Zhao zhen nü Cai Erlang (Chaste maiden Zhao and Cai Erlang), which recounts the ups and downs of the life of Eastern Han scholar Cai Yong (also known as Cai Bojie) and Zhao Wuniang. The biggest difference in this play from the original story is its happy ending. The original story ended with Zhao Wuniang being kicked by Cai’s horse and Cai Bojie being struck dead by a thunderbolt in retribution for his betrayal. Gao Ming’s drama, in contrast, ends with “the union of the husband and wife, who brought honor to their family.” Zhao Wuniang is depicted as a kind and pure, selfless and responsible woman, and as an example of loyalty and filial piety. The script of the play is an elegant interpretation of the plot, a masterpiece that was well received in its day and was considered by later generations the “originator of southern drama.” Gao Ming, courtesy name Zecheng, self-styled name Caigen Daoren, was a native of Rui’an, Zhejiang, who was a poet and playwright. The play was printed at Wanhuxuan, a publishing house in Jinling, in the 25th year (1597) of the Wanli era (1573‒1620) of Ming, by Wang Guanghua, who was originally from Huizhou (present-day Shexian, Anhui). The compilation of the work was based on a Yuan edition as well as on various other editions. It contains 74 illustrations. The Wanli era of the Ming dynasty was an important period in the development of Chinese drama. Southern dramas with commentaries also flourished at that time. Among the existing Ming editions of Pi pa ji with a complete text, 16 are with commentaries, of which this copy is one example.

Li Zhi, Confucianism, and the Virtue of Desire

The Luigi Nono Archive

http://www.luiginono.it/en/

0edit

Murray Christmas

An Analysis to the Poems and Life of Tao Yuan-Ming (365-427)

Nansenbushu Bankoku Shoka No Zu [Outline Map of All Countries of the Universe]

http://www.swaen.com/Nansenbushu-Bankoku-Shoka-No-Zu-Buddhist-world-map.php

Whose going to make the gravy now?

The question of Rhodesia

European Front week ending 19 December 1944

John Harris

The power to tax is the power to destroy

AUTHOR: Daniel Webster (1782–1852)
QUOTATION: The power to tax is the power to destroy.
ATTRIBUTION: This quotation comes from the words of DANIEL WEBSTER and those of JOHN MARSHALL in the Supreme Court case, McCulloch v. Maryland.

Webster, in arguing the case, said: “An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy,” 17 U.S. 327 (1819).

In his decision, Chief Justice Marshall said: “That the power of taxing it [the bank] by the States may be exercised so as to destroy it, is too obvious to be denied” (p. 427), and “That the power to tax involves the power to destroy … [is] not to be denied” (p. 431).

Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army: David C. Isby

GALATA TOWER PROJECTION MAPPING EXPERIENCE

Nakagin Capsule Tower

Jim, Who Ran Away from His Nurse, and Was Eaten by a Lion

There was a Boy whose name was Jim;
His Friends were very good to him.
They gave him Tea, and Cakes, and Jam,
And slices of delicious Ham,
And Chocolate with pink inside,
And little Tricycles to ride,
And read him Stories through and through,
And even took him to the Zoo—
But there it was the dreadful Fate
Befell him, which I now relate.

You know—at least you ought to know.
For I have often told you so—
That Children never are allowed
To leave their Nurses in a Crowd;

Now this was Jim’s especial Foible,
He ran away when he was able,
And on this inauspicious day
He slipped his hand and ran away!
He hadn’t gone a yard when—Bang!
With open Jaws, a Lion sprang,
And hungrily began to eat
The Boy: beginning at his feet.

Now just imagine how it feels
When first your toes and then your heels,
And then by gradual degrees,
Your shins and ankles, calves and knees,
Are slowly eaten, bit by bit.

No wonder Jim detested it!
No wonder that he shouted “Hi!”
The Honest Keeper heard his cry,
Though very fat he almost ran
To help the little gentleman.
“Ponto!” he ordered as he came
(For Ponto was the Lion’s name),
“Ponto!” he cried, with angry Frown.
“Let go, Sir! Down, Sir! Put it down!”

The Lion made a sudden Stop,
He let the Dainty Morsel drop,
And slunk reluctant to his Cage,
Snarling with Disappointed Rage
But when he bent him over Jim,
The Honest Keeper’s eyes were dim.
The Lion having reached his Head,
The Miserable Boy was dead!

When Nurse informed his Parents, they
Were more Concerned than I can say:—
His Mother, as She dried her eyes,
Said, “Well—it gives me no surprise,
He would not do as he was told!”
His Father, who was self-controlled,
Bade all the children round attend
To James’ miserable end,
And always keep a-hold of Nurse
For fear of finding something worse.




--Hillaire Belloc

Population Mountains

https://pudding.cool/2018/12/3d-cities-story/

The Orangutan Story

www.packomania.com

Section 1: Packings of equal and unequal circles in fixed-sized containers with maximum packing density

Ajanta Frescoes

Sydney in 3 minutes

Japanese Commander Mitsuo Fuchida’s after-action damage assessment map of the 1941 attack, which was presented to Emperor Hirohito.

The Morning of Sedgemoor

James, Duke of Monmouth, Pretender to the throne of James II, was defeated at Sedgemoor near Bridgwater, Somerset, in 1685.