Rescript Not Allowing Choe Jongbeon (崔宗蕃) to Decline the Office of Examiner for the Supervisory Examination崔宗蕃讓監試試員不允批答
云云。朕以詞賦之科。網羅人林久矣。凡文墨位宰相。作予良弼者。皆從此塗而出。則豈可謂章句之技而輕品藻哉。考之惟精。則楚山無泣璞之冤。閱之非寶。則齊庭有吹竽之濫。主張是選。不曰其難。卿有祖之風。幹父之蠱。胸中學贍。洪溟巨浸不足況其淵源。筆下詞雄。震電驚雷。亦莫方其神速。早參侍從。累歷淸華。師席示嚴。望高於璧水。書筵承問。譽洽於玉堂。況玆場屋之主盟。須是文章之司命。得人於此。非卿又誰。以爾水鏡之至明。自然朱紫之易辨。寧有疑於心者。而遽陳其讓歟。云云。
And so forth.
Long have I netted the forest of talent by the examination in poetry and rhymed prose. Now all who have risen by letters to the seat of a chief minister and become my good aides have come out of this road; how then should it be lightly reckoned as a mere skill in handling phrases? If the looking into it be only exact, there will be none of the bitterness of him who hugged his lump of jade and wept on the mountain of Chu; and if the examining be not precious, there will be the overflowing of him who made a show of blowing the pipe in the courtyard of Qi. How shall it be said that to preside over this choosing is not hard?
You, my lord, have your grandfather's bearing and have carried on your father's work well. The learning within your breast is ample, so that the great sea and the broad waters fall short of matching its deep springs; and the writing beneath your brush is grand, so that lightning and startling thunder cannot be matched with its marvellous swiftness. Early you took part in the seats that attend upon the sovereign and passed through pure and splendid offices. Showing severity in the teacher's seat, your renown stood high in the National Academy; answering questions at the royal lecture, praise of you spread all through the Jade Hall.
How much more, since the master of this examination ground must needs be one who holds the very life of composition. If a man is to be got for this, who is it but you? With that utmost clearness of yours, like a water mirror, it will of itself be easy for you to tell the true from the false. What is there to doubt in your heart, that you send up a refusal of a sudden?
And so forth.