On Friendship: One Hundred Maxims for a Chinese Prince

by Matteo Ricci, Timothy Billings (Translator)

" On Friendship , with its total of one hundred sayings, is the perfect gift for friends."—Feng Yingjing, renowned scholar and civic official, 1601

Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) is best known as the Italian Jesuit missionary who brought Christianity to China. He also published a landmark text on friendship—the first book to be written in Chinese by a European—that instantly became a late Ming best seller.

On Friendship distilled the best ideas on friendship from Renaissance Latin texts into one hundred pure and provocative Chinese maxims. Written in a masterful classical style, Ricci's sayings established his reputation as a great sage and the sentiments still ring true.

Available for the first time in English, On Friendship matches a carefully edited Chinese text with a facing-page English translation and includes notes on sources and biographical, historical, and cultural information. Still admired in China for its sophistication and inspirational wisdom, On Friendship is a delightful cross-cultural work by a crucial and fascinating historical figure. It is also an excellent tool for learning Chinese, pairing a superb model of the classical language with an accessible and accurate translation.

Genres: China

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1595

About the author

Father Matteo Ricci, SJ

Italian-born Roman Catholic priest, member of the Society of Jesus, scholar, author, and missionary in China. He was named a Servant of God in 2013, the first step toward canonization (sainthood).

Reviews

[Jonathan R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting, which was probably helpful to see how different maxims balance each other out. I think my favorite was that if you tolerate your friends' vices, you will come to share them.

[Moss Bioletti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, a great work to read and understand friendship.