宋荦承刻“御书”探析

Analysis of Song Luo's Assumption of Inscribing Imperial Books

宋荦乃康熙之宠臣,康熙三年筮仕黄州府通判,此后仕途通坦。康熙三十一年,调任江宁巡抚,驻节苏州①直到康熙四十四年迁任吏部尚书。在吴十四年,宋荦依托苏州刻书之地利,刊刻了大量精品图书。其中尤为重要的是其承刻的"御籍图书",成为内府刻书的有益补充,开创了清代臣子替内府刻书的先河,也在一定程度上促进了"康版书"风格的形成。而宋荦之所以能承刻御书与当时的主客观条件有一定的关系。康熙皇帝平定天下后,致力于文化建设,冀营造一种稽古右文之盛景,并以弘扬文治来收买人心。但当时天下初定,内府刊刻能力有限,不能满足康熙皇帝之文治需求。而宋荦刊刻图书之能力及其风格甚合康熙帝之需求,同时宋荦自祖辈起即得康熙皇帝之恩宠,宋荦为官及学识为世人称道。鉴于此,康熙皇帝敕宋荦刊刻御书则是情理之中的事情了。

As one of Emperor Kangxi^s favorite officials, Song Luo was first appointed the Deputy Huangzhou C-overnor in the third year of Kangxi, and was successful in his career thereafter. In the Kan- gxi thirty-first year, he was transferred to the Governor of Jiangning in the City of Suzhou, where he lived for fourteen years till he was promoted to the Chief of the Board of Personnel in Kangxi forty-forth year. During this period in Wu, Song Luo inscribed a large number of fine books relying on Suzhou＇s block printing. Among those were some particularly important ＂Imperial collection books＂ he was assumed to in- scribe, which became a useful supplement to the Royally inscribed books, creating a precedent of officials＇ carving books for the court in Qing Dynasty. To some extent, it promoted the formation of ＂Kang edition book style＂. The reason why Song Luo was able to carve the Imperial books lies in a certain relationship between subjective and objective conditions. After Kangxi Emperor stabilized the world he dedicated to cultural construction. So he created the heyday to venerate the antiquity and protect the culture, carrying forward the policy of ruling people by civil administration. But at the time the country was initially stabi- lized, the limited capacity of printing books within the Royal court could not meet the needs of Emperor Kangxi for the civil administration. Song Luo^s ability of inscribing books and his style just suited Kangxi＇s needs. Meanwhile, as his ancestors had already received grace from the Emperor Kangxi, Song Luo^s offi- cial career and learning credited him good reputation with the public. In view of this, Kangxi＇s imperial order to Song Luo to inscribe the Imperial books is natural and reasonable.