A Record Setting Down the Names of Those of My Examination Year Who Became Chancellors同年宰相書名記
予於大定三十年之庚戌。登進士第。同年凡三十人而已。後皆跨騰振拔。官至相府及華資顯列者。無若我同年之盛也。以兩府言之。趙相國冲以相門子。早從仕。至守太尉金紫光祿大夫門下侍郞同中書門下平章事修文殿大學士修國史上將軍判禮部事。卒年五十。兪相國升旦起自寒門。至金紫光祿大夫參知政事集賢殿大學士修國史判禮部事。卒年六十五。韓樞密光衍亦以宰相子。累官至銀靑光祿大夫樞密院使禮部尙書寶文閣大學士致仕。今尙無恙。年八十三。陳樞密湜歷官至銀靑光祿大夫樞密院副使御史大夫翰林學士。卒年五十八。予亦承乏。至守太尉金紫光祿大夫參知政事修文殿大學士監修國史判戶祁事太子太保。雖微分已足。亦未知終至何官也。噫。於一同年中。宰相之至於五人者。雖國朝全盛之時。想未之多也。其餘或登三品四品。或躡制誥臺諫郞官者。凡十一人。雖未至參官。或至七品八九品凡六人。以此數之。其終於散官者。餘有幾人耶。凡以文鳴世者。亦多出於我同年。世言同年者。必以我同年爲稱首。是年。李政堂諱知命主盟。任承宣諱濡副焉。世亦服兩公之取人如此。是實士林盛事。而若不記以示于後。則百世之下。誰復知之耶。聊誌之以爲後之標識也。嗚呼。四十七年之間。皆已爲鬼錄。唯韓公與予存焉耳。可不哀乎。時乙未某月日。記。
I passed the examination for Presented Scholar in the thirtieth year of Dading (大定), the Gyeongsul year. Those who passed in the same year were but thirty men in all. Afterward they all leapt up and came forth with vigor, and there has never been a year-group as flourishing as ours in those who reached the seat of chancellor, splendid grades, and conspicuous station.
To speak of the Two Departments: Chancellor Jo Chung (趙相國冲), a son of a chancellor's house, entered upon office early and reached Acting Defender-in-Chief, Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon, Vice Director of the Chancellery, Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery, Grand Academician of the Sumunjeon (修文殿), Supervisor of the National History, Senior General, and President of the Board of Rites; and he died at fifty.
Chancellor Yu Seungdan (兪相國升旦) rose from a humble house and reached Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon, Assistant Executive in Political Affairs, Grand Academician of the Jiphyeonjeon (集賢殿), Supervisor of the National History, and President of the Board of Rites; and he died at sixty-five.
Privy Councillor Han Gwangyeon (韓樞密光衍) was likewise a chancellor's son, and advancing from office to office he reached Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon, Director of the Privy Council, Minister of Rites, and Grand Academician of the Bomungak (寶文閣), and then withdrew from office. Even now he is without ailment, and is eighty-three years old.
Privy Councillor Jin Sik (陳樞密湜) passed through office and reached Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon, Vice Director of the Privy Council, Grand Master of the Censorate, and Hallim Academician; and he died at fifty-eight.
I too filled an empty place and reached Acting Defender-in-Chief, Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon, Assistant Executive in Political Affairs, Grand Academician of the Sumunjeon, Overseer-Compiler of the National History, President of the Board of Revenue, and Grand Protector of the Heir Apparent. Though for my slight portion this is already ample, neither do I know what office I shall reach in the end.
Ah — within a single year-group, five men reached the rank of chancellor; even in the days when the country was at its height there were surely not many such. Of the rest, those who rose to the third and fourth ranks, or trod the posts of Drafter of Edicts, Censor, and Secretariat Officer, are eleven men in all. Those who, though they did not reach the participating ranks (參官), came to the seventh and eighth and ninth ranks, are six men in all. Reckoning by this, how many can be left who ended with no office at all?
And of those who made their names ring through the world by letters, many too came out of our year-group. Those in the world who speak of year-groups always name ours as the first. In that year Academician Yi Jimyeong of the Administration Chamber (李政堂知命) presided over the examination, and Royal Transmitter Im Yu (任承宣濡) assisted him. The world also marveled that the choosing of men by the two lords should be such as this.
This is truly a flourishing matter for the society of scholars. If it be not written down and shown to those who come after, who will know of it again a hundred generations hence? And so I set it down to be a marker for later days.
Ah — in the space of forty-seven years all have already entered the registers of the shades, and only Lord Han and I remain. Is it not sorrowful? The time: written on a certain day of a certain month of the Eulmi year.