On Friendship. One Hundred Maxims for a Chinese Prince

Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) is best known as the Italian Jesuit missionary who brought Christianity to China. Lesser known is his landmark text on friendship& mdash;the first book written in Chinese by a European& mdash;which instantly became the equivalent of a late-Ming bestseller. On Friendship distilled the best ideas about friendship from Renaissance Latin texts into one hundred pure and provocative Chinese maxims written in a masterful classical style, establishing Ricci's sagelike reputation among China's educated elite. The sentiments still ring true: "My friend is not an other, but half of myself, and thus a second me. I must therefore regard my friend as myself." "Before making friends, we should scrutinize. After making friends, we should trust."Available for the first time in English, On Friendship includes a carefully edited Chinese text and a facing-page English translation as well as notes on sources and a substantial introduction providing the biographical, historical, and cultural backgrounds. Still admired in China for its sophisticated style and inspirational wisdom, On Friendship will delight general readers and is an excellent tool for students learning Chinese, containing a superb model of the classical language paired with an accessible and accurate translation. On Friendship is an important crosscultural work by a crucial and fascinating historical figure.

About the Author
Timothy Billings holds advanced degrees from Cornell University and the School of Oriental and African Studies and is currently a professor of English at Middlebury College. His critical edition of Victor Segalen's French and Chinese poems, Steles, received the Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize from the Modern Language Association for an Outstanding Translation of a Literary Work.