Gaubil Antoine
Gaubil, Antoine
Jesuit missionary and scientist, born Gaillac, France , 1689 ; died Peking, 1759 . He was the greatest astronomer and historian among the 18th century French Jesuits in China, his numerous works being still highly prized.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Gaubil, Antoine
A French Jesuit and missionary to China, b. at Gaillac (Aveyron), 14 July, 1689; d. at Peking, 24 July, 1759. He entered the Society of Jesus, 13 Sept., 1704, was sent to China, where he arrived 26 June, 1722, and thenceforth resided continuously at Peking until his death. His Chinese name was Sun Kiun-yung. He had taken Parennin’s place as head of the school in which Manchus were taught Latin, to act as interpreters in Russian affairs. Gaubil, the best astronomer and historian among the French Jesuits in China during the eighteenth century, carried on an extensive correspondence with the savants of his day, among them Féret and Delisle. His works are numerous, and are even yet highly praised. Among them is “Traité de l’Astronomie Chinoise” in the “Observations mathématiques”, published by Pére Souciet (Paris, 1729-1732). From Chinese sources Gaubil translated the history of Jenghis Khan (Historie de Gentchiscan (Paris, 1739) and part of the annals of the T’ang Dynasty (in “Mémoires concernant les Chinois”. vols. XV and XVI); he also wrote a treaty on Chinese chronology (Traité de la Chronologie Chenoise, Paris, 1814), and executed a good translation of the second of the Chinese classics, the “Book of History” (Shoo-king), edited by De Guignes (Paris, 1770).
Gaubil left a great number of manuscripts now kept in the Observatory and Naval Depot (Paris) and in the British Museum (London). From three manuscript volumes kept formerly at the Ecole Sainte-Geneviève (Paris) the present writer published “Situation de Holin en Tartarie” (T’oung Pao, March, 1893) and “Situation du Japon et de la Corée” (T’oung Pao, March, 1898). Abel Rémusat in “Nouveaux Mélanges Asiatiques” (II, p. 289), wrote of Gaubil: “More productive than Parennin and Gerbillion, less systematical than Prémare and Foucquet, more conscientious than Amiot, less light-headed and enthusiastic than Cibot, he treated thoroughly, scientifically, and critically, every question he handled.” His style is rather fatiguing as Gaubil, in studying the Chinese and Manchu languages, had forgotten much of his native tongue.
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HENRI CORDIER
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VICopyright © 1909 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, September 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Gaubil Antoine
a Roman Catholic missionary, was born at Gaillac (Langsuedoc) July 14, 1689. He joined the Jesuits in 1704, and was sent to China as a missionary in 1723. He arrived in China just after the accession of the emperor Young- Tschsing, who was bent on banishing the Jesuits. Through the skilful management of Gaubil, most of the memeunbers of the order kept their positions. When the son of Young-Tsching, Kiang-Loung, ascended the throne in 1736, Gaubil, who bad become thoroughly acquainted with the Chinese and Mantchou languages, was appointed chief director of the imperial colleges where the children of the nobility were educated. He thus managed to remains in high standing at the Chinese court until his death, which took place at Pekime July 24 1759. He was a correspondent of the Academey of Sciences of Paris, and a member of that of St. Petersbusg. He wrote Le Chon-King, trad. du Chinois (Paris, 1771, 4to; the oldest and most importaent historical book of the Chinese, compiled by Confucius and giving the basis of the Chinese government and law): Histoire de Gentchiscan et de toute la dynastie des Mangoux, ses successeurs, conquerants de la Chine (Paris, 1739, 4to): Traite de Chronologie chinoise (publ. by De Sacy, Paris, 1814, 4to): Traite historique et critique de l’Astronomie chinoise: Traite de Chronologie chinoise (Memoires concernant les Chinois, volume 15): Historiae de la Dynastie des Tang (Memoires concernant les Chinois, volumes 15 and 16): Journal de mon Voyage de Canton ‘a Pekin (Prevost, Hist. des voyages, volume 5): Notices et description sur la Chine, le Thibet, etc. (in Lettres edifiantes). M. Abel de Remusat considers him also as the author of the Description de la ville de Piking (Paris, 1785, 4to), published, under the names of Delisle and Pingrm. See Amyot, Memoimres sur les Chinois; Lettres edifiantes, t. 31; G. Pauthier, La Chine (Univers pittoresque, pages 22, 31, 363); Abel de Remusat, Nouveaux Melanges Asiatiques. Hoefer, Nouvelle Biog. Generale, 19:636.