GIFT OF 
 Mrs. 
 
 fg&*mg&jjj$ 
 KKsiaisKssisRS 
 
SUPPOSED PORTRAIT OF SOGORO. 
 
LIFE OF SOGORO, 
 
 THE FARMER PATRIOT OF SAKURA, 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE JAPANESE 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE BRAITH WAITE. 
 
 WITH NINTC ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PRINTED 
 
 BY 
 
 THE YOKOHAMA BUNSHA. 
 1897, 
 
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay 
 down his life for his friends. John. xv. 13. 
 
 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while 
 we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
 
 Romans, v. 8. 
 
Ill 
 
 TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 The particulars here given of the Life of Sogoro were 
 first published in Japanese in 1887, being taken from 
 an old manuscript written anonymously many years 
 earlier. The book has had a large circulation. 
 
 In the course of study, the work was brought to my 
 notice soon after it was issued. I went through it at 
 once making a rough translation but little thinking it 
 would ever be printed. In fact, the idea originated 
 with those of my Japanese friends who went through 
 the book with me. At first I was not inclined to 
 adopt their suggestions, feeling as I do, that though 
 the main facts of the story may be correct, the 
 details cannot be so. The more I thought the matter 
 over however, the more it seemed to me that the fact 
 that it was a purely Japanese composition, giving a 
 wonderful insight into Japanese ways of thought and 
 action, would to some extent at least make up for its 
 shortcomings in other respects. On this account, I 
 have striven to adhere as closely to the original as the 
 exigencies of the English language would allow, and 
 have retained many expressions, which under other 
 circumstances I should have dropped. 
 
 How enjoyable have been the hours spent in this 
 work ; and what added joy it will be should this story 
 give pleasure to others, and be even to a small extent 
 
 M114552 
 
IV 
 
 the means of arousing or increasing their interest in 
 this land and its people ! May the day soon come 
 when the dwellers in this beautiful land shall know the 
 love of the Lord Jesus Christ, receive Him as their 
 Saviour, and rejoice in the sunshine of His love ! 
 
 '22, Takashima Yama, 
 
 Kanagawa, Japan. G. B. 
 
 June 1897. 
 
PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE 
 EDITION. 
 
 To find truth in a farmer is, it is said, like run- 
 ning across a cherry-tree in a bamboo grove ; and may 
 we not also say that to meet with treachery in a 
 warrior is like coming upon a bamboo growing among 
 cherry-trees ? In a tumultuous age the government 
 showed no mercy, so much the more was there found 
 righteousness in the Province of Shimosa. How 
 illustrious and beautiful is that glorious name of 
 Sogoro ; and how his fame still clings to the town of 
 Sakura ! Indeed, the very name of this town, by hav- 
 ing the same sound as the word for cherry, reminds 
 us of the beautiful cherry-flower, especially of the fol- 
 lowing kinds : 
 THE MOONLIGHT MORNING CHERRY-FLOWER (Ariake- 
 
 sakura). 
 
 For, uninjured by the midnight storm, it always 
 looks most beautiful when in the early dawn the 
 dew on its leaves sparkles in the moonlight. 
 THE THREAD-LIKE CHERRY-FLOWER (Ito-sakura). 
 For it is cleansed by the dew as Sogoro was by 
 
 the thread of his deep petitions. 
 THE WATERFALL CHERRY-FLOWER (Taki-sakura). 
 For his wife's tears fell in torrents when he parted 
 from her, and thus caused the family-line to be 
 broken. 
 
VI 
 
 THE INFANT CHEERY-FLOWER (Chigo-sakura). 
 
 For his heart went out to his infant children. 
 THE CLOUD-LIKE CHERRY-FLOWER (Kumoi-sakura). 
 For his petition did not reach to the clouds (the 
 Emperor) ; and so he died, and became like 
 cherry-flowers scattered in clouds by the morn- 
 ing wind. 
 THE BLACK COLOURED CHERRY-FLOWER (Sumizome- 
 
 sakura). 
 
 For his fame still remains fragrant in writings. 
 THE CHERRY-TREE (Sakura-ki). 
 
 For the blocks from which this book was printed 
 were made from a cherry-tree, and therefore the 
 whole tree remains ; and the fact that a book- 
 seller has published it, and thus shown that he 
 is^not behind the times, will bring glory to the 
 city where the whole flower of the nation 
 gathers.. 
 
 After having seen the cherry-flowers at Yoshino and 
 Kiso, I returned to Tokyo ; and took up my pen at 
 daybreak. 
 
 OTEI KINSHO. 
 
VII 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 I. The Hotta Family 1 
 
 II. Sozaemon Quarrels with a Potatoe seller 4 
 
 III. The Wonderful Monster of Imba Marsh 14 
 
 IV. -A Wrestling Match 22 
 
 V. Takasu Fights a Duel with Jusaburo 28 
 
 VI. Sogoro Meets a Young Woman Among the Hills 34 
 
 VII. Kanazawa Travels Through the Villages Extorting Thank 
 
 Offerings 40 
 
 VIII. Denzo Made Horse Inspector 53 
 
 IX. Deuzo Steals Matsusuke's Horse, and has him Arrested .... 60 
 
 X. Denzo is Banished and Matsusuke Set Free 71 
 
 XI. Ikeura Kecovers and goes to Yedo, where he Obtains Kozuke 
 
 no Suke's Sanction to the Extra Taxes 81 
 
 XII. The Farmers are Driven to Extremities and Present a Peti- 
 tion to Ikeura 89 
 
 XIII. The Petition is Presented in Yedo and Refused 102 
 
 XIV. Sogoro Resolves to Lay Down His Life, and Takes Leave of 
 
 His Wife and Children 110 
 
 XV. Sogoro Presents the Petition to the Shogun and is Condemn- 
 ed to Death 123 
 
 XVI. Sogoro and his Family are Put to Death 137 
 
 XVII. Kozuke no Suke Receives the Report of Sogoro's Execution. 144 
 
 XVIII. Kanazawa and Ikeura both Commit Suicide 151 
 
 XIX. The Ghosts Begin Tormenting Kozuke no Suke after First 
 
 Killing his Wife 166 
 
 XX. Kozuke no Suke Kills Iwami no Kami and is Deprived of 
 
 his Castle and Lands 176 
 
VITI 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Supposed Portrait of Sogoro Fron tispiece. 
 
 Tahei Blackmailing Sozaemon page 7 
 
 Catching the Monster ,, 19 
 
 Denzo Banished 77 
 
 Tahei Freeing the Boat 115 
 
 Sogoro Taking Leave of His Family ,, 119 
 
 The Funeral 143 
 
 Kozuke no Suke and the Ghosts 167 
 
 Temple near Sakura, in Honour of Sogoro ... ,, 180 
 
LIRE OF SOGORO, 
 
 THE FARMER PATRIOT OF SAKURA, 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 THE HOTTA FAMILY. 
 
 We read in Chinese History that, when king Buo 
 died, Shuko took the reins of government, and at once 
 sent for Shohakkin and said, " I am king Buo's 
 brother and Buno's son, and thus am a man of no 
 mean position ; and yet, so afraid am I of missing meet- 
 ing the wise that one day, hearing callers while I was 
 in my bath, I twisted up my hair and went out three 
 times to see who had come. On another occasion, when 
 at dinner, I went out several times to speak to visitors." 
 After thus admonishing him, he sent him to Ro. It is 
 still true now, as it was then, that all those who rule 
 must be willing to put themselves to inconvenience to 
 find out what is going on round them. Servants are 
 often bent on amassing fortunes for themselves, and 
 if their masters trust to them entirely, they will soon 
 be ruined. 
 
 About two hundred and fifty years ago, there lived in 
 Shimosa a noble named Hotta Kozuke no Suke the 
 
2 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 lord of the castle of Sakura. His grandfather Hotta 
 Kwanemon was one of Hideaki's trusty officers and 
 a member of the Cabinet. The Shoguii Hidetada 
 treated him with great kindness, and made his son 
 Sbogoro one of his constant attendants ; and such a 
 favourite was he, that he gave him the castle of Sakura 
 with an annual income of 120,000 koku of rice, and 
 called him Hotta Kaga no Kami Masamori. On his 
 becoming a member of the Cabinet, he proved himself 
 so faithful that the country was to be congratulated 
 on having secured the services of such a useful man. 
 
 On the death of the Shogun, the whole nation lost 
 heart and seemed for a time like men out without 
 lanterns on a dark night. His attendants felt it more 
 than others, for they had waited upon him for years and 
 basked in the sunshine of his favour ; and now stupefied 
 with grief, they wandered about like rudderless ships 
 in the middle of the ocean. Thirty-six of them, led by 
 Hotta Masamori, committed suicide together and thus 
 went to attend their master in the next world. .The 
 stone monument commemorating their devotion may 
 still be seen on one of the hills near Nikko. Such 
 fidelity as theirs is rare even in Japan and China, and 
 so an increase of salary was given to each of their 
 descendants. Kozuke no Suke had been high in favour 
 before; but now, as Hotta Masamori's heir, he was 
 treated with special kindness and was given the 
 positions that his father had filled. 
 
 Several hundred years before this time, about A. D. 
 935, Hanai Gondayu one of Sogoro's ancestors had by his 
 bravery and courage made his name justly famous. He 
 
SOGORO'S ANCESTORS SETTLE AT IWAHASHI. 3 
 
 belonged to the emperor's body-guard and was appointed 
 to attend his daughter. Shortly after his appointment, 
 she was seized with leprosy and was sent to Shimosa ; 
 it being feared that, if she stayed at the palace, the 
 three sacred treasures would become infected. Hanai 
 Gondayu went with her, had a palace built for her in the 
 district of Innan and devoted himself to nursing her. 
 Just before her death, she called him to her and said : 
 " I feel grateful to the emperor that I was born a 
 princess ; but am not conscious of having, in a previous 
 state of existence, done anything deserving of punish- 
 ment ; and so cannot understand why I should have had 
 this terrible disease, and been forced by it to live in this 
 out of the way place. I have felt some of the sufferings 
 that all women are subject to and from which many die ; 
 and so after my death, I swear that all who pray to me 
 shall certainly be relieved." With these words she 
 passed away. Hanai Gondayu felt her death very 
 much and buried her with respect amid many tears. 
 She was deified some years later and certain it is that 
 prayers made to her are nearly always answered, for 
 many women can testify to having received most 
 wonderful cures. 
 
 After her death Hanai Gondayu did not feel inclined 
 to enter into service again, but made up his mind to 
 live at ease an.d went and settled at Iwahashi changing 
 his name to Sodayu. He mingled with the villagers 
 and in a few years married, and thus became the 
 ancestor of Sozaemon, an incident from whose life 
 is related in the following chapter. 
 
LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SOZAEMON QUARKELS WITH A POTATOE SELLER. 
 
 Sozaemon, the grandfather of our hero, was a kind, 
 large-hearted man ; but had unfortunately a very quick 
 temper. This often led him into quarrels, and might have 
 caused much trouble, had not the authorities been very 
 strict with him and always settled each case promptly. 
 One day, about the middle of Keicho [1605] , a farmer- 
 stopped at his door and asked him to buy some potatoes. 
 Sozaemon wanted a great many, but all except seven or 
 eight had been already sold. These he bought and paid 
 for, but found when he took them that some of them 
 had been broken in two and mended with bamboo 
 skewers and the join concealed with earth. Seeing 
 that, he got angry and accused the farmer of trying to de- 
 ceive him. The farmer replied : " They are just as good ! 
 You are going to make them into broth so they will have 
 to be cut up small any way." "It is my own concern," 
 Sozaemon said,. " whether I make them into broth or not. 
 When you found them broken, you should have left them 
 so, you rascal, instead of mending them as you have done 
 to deceive people." At that, the farmer became very 
 angry too and said : "I am surprised you should call 
 me a rascal. We both have eyes. I was not trading 
 with a blind man." This made Sozaemon still more 
 angry and, clenching his fist, he hit the farmer 
 violently on the head. Much to his astonishment the 
 
THE POTATOB SELLER GOES HOME. 5 
 
 farmer fell back at once and became insensible. Com- 
 pletely sobered by this, Sozaemon did his best to 
 restore him but for some time his efforts seemed in vain, 
 he showed no signs of returning consciousness. At last 
 however, his toes began trembling a little, and all of a 
 sudden he jumped up and stared vacantly about. 
 Sozaemon was very glad, and after telling him what 
 had happened said : " How troubled we all should 
 have been if you had died from that blow ! How 
 do you feel now?" The farmer scratched his head 
 and said : " I am very subject to these attacks, but I 
 soon recover and am as well as usual directly. I am 
 very sorry to have alarmed your family and must ask 
 you kindly to excuse it." Sozaemon feeling quite 
 relieved said : " I am so glad to hear you say so. 
 You must take something before you go." He gave 
 him some wine and food ; also the money for the 
 potatoes and a little extra, and a piece of cotton besides. 
 The farmer declined the presents three or four times, 
 but at last took them ; and, putting his baskets across 
 his shoulder, took his leave and started home in 
 thoroughly good humour. 
 
 His road lay across the Hirakawa Ferry kept by a 
 man named Tahei, who made a scanty living by ferrying 
 people across. It was just the end of autumn, and 
 there were so few travellers that he could not earn 
 enough to buy food ; and was in great straits. Much 
 pleased to see the potatoe-seller come up, he prepared 
 to row him across. As they were crossing, the potatoe- 
 seller told him about his quarrel at Iwahashi. To this 
 Tahei listened eagerly, trying to find some way of get- 
 
6 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 ting some money. At last he said to the potatoe-seller : 
 11 That is a beautiful piece of cotton you have. Please 
 sell it to me as I wish to make it into clothes for the 
 winter. I will leave the price to you but as the proverb 
 says, Nothing can be settled without a consolation." 
 The farmer thought a while and then said : " It would 
 be very easy to sell it but I do not like to as it was given 
 me by the headman of Iwahashi." Tahei laughed and 
 said : " You farmers have only one idea and do not know 
 every thing. Cotton can only be used for clothes, but 
 if you sell it, you can buy rice or anything else you 
 like with the money, and in that way you might get a 
 present that you liked better." After a little thought, 
 the farmer said he would sell it ; and Tahei quite set 
 up gave him the money at once. As the farmer stepped 
 out of the boat, he muttered to himself : " Oh ! what a 
 nuisance these baskets are !" Tahei overheard him and 
 said he ought not to say so ; but he burst out laughing 
 and said : " I shall get rid of them as soon as 1 reach 
 home. You won't patch me coming this way again." 
 Delighted to hear that, Tahei offered to buy them. The 
 farmer agreed at once and selling them for a trifle 
 hurried away home. 
 
 In the meantime Sozaemon was congratulating him- 
 self on having settled that day's difficulty so easily. 
 Just before he went to bed how T ever, some one knock- 
 ed loudly at his door. Inquiring who it was, he was 
 told that Tahei, the Hirakawa ferryman had come and 
 wished to see him on important business. Filled 
 with surprise and not a little curious to hear what 
 had happened, he told his servant to invite him in. 
 

 
SOZAEMON BLACKMAILED. i 
 
 On his asking what was the matter, Tahei took out the 
 piece of cotton and asked him whether he had ever seen 
 it before. Kecognizing it at once as the very piece he 
 had given to the farmer, Sozaemon told him all that 
 had taken place. Tahei hearing that, said : " About 
 sunset, a potatoe-seller carrying two baskets across his 
 shoulder took the ferry-boat ; but when about half way 
 across he suddenly became insensible. I was much 
 surprised and took him home and nursed him as well as 
 I could. At last he came to himself and said : * Mr. 
 Sozaemon of Iwahashi struck me violently today, and 
 stunned me, but I soon recovered. At first I had no 
 pain ; but after I started, my head began to hurt me and 
 got worse and worse, until when I reached here I could 
 go no further and now I shall die here. I am a green- 
 grocer and live in Kongo in Yedo. My name is Kyubei, 
 and I must trouble you to let my wife and children 
 know about my death.' While speaking, he was seized 
 with a fit of coughing and died almost directly. I 
 found this piece of cotton in one of his baskets, 
 and brought it here at once, as I thought that if 
 his story was true, it would bring you into trouble/' 
 Sozaemon's face was ashen white as he listened, 
 and his whole body was bathed in perspiration ; but, 
 seeing no way out of the difficulty, he thanked Tahei 
 for so kindly informing him ; and then asked whether 
 he had any plan to suggest. This was just what 
 Tahei wanted, but not wishing to show it, he appeared 
 lost in thought for several minutes and then said : 
 " It is very difficult to think of any plan, but I am 
 the only one so far who knows anything about it, so if I 
 
8 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 say nothing no one else will find out. I will go back 
 and bury the body at once. Fortunately it is late, and 
 no one is likely to see me at work." Sozaernon was 
 much pleased and said : " If it should get known, it 
 would disgrace not only my whole family, but the 
 village too. I cannot repay your kindness but must 
 give you what I can." So saying, he took out twenty 
 ryo. Tahei averred it was too much, but put it in his 
 bosom ; and taking his leave, hastened back to the ferry. 
 For a short time he was very happy and gave himself 
 up to pleasure ; but it was money obtained by roguery, 
 and so was soon spent ; and he was again plunged 
 into poverty, and could buy neither food nor clothing. 
 Sozaemon felt very sorry for him and helped him re- 
 peatedly. At bottom, Tahei was not really bad, and 
 this kindness touched his heart and made him repent 
 of his terrible sin and turn over a new leaf. 
 
 Now Sozaemon had an apprentice, named Sakichi 
 who was just fifteen. Sozaemon had shaved off his 
 forelock for him, and had shown him repeated kind- 
 nesses, letting him wait on him morning and evening. 
 Though too young to do much mischief, he was very 
 cunning and perverse ; and, being in the next room at 
 the time, had overheard his master's conversation with 
 Tahei, and was treasuring it up in his heart till he 
 found a good opportunity of frightening his master by 
 telling him about it. One day seeing ten ryo in his 
 master's room, he took it. When Sozaemon found it out 
 and began scolding him, he did not seem at all confused ; 
 but told what he knew about the potatoe-seller, and 
 threatened if scolded any more to make the story 
 
SOZAEMON'S TROUBLES THICKEN. 9 
 
 public. Much surprised, Sozaenioii begged him not to 
 tell any one else about it, and told him he could keep 
 the ten ryo he had taken. Sakichi thanked him, but 
 thought that Sozaemon really could not help himself; 
 and so after that, he held his head higher than ever. 
 Sozaemon often felt vexed with him ; but overlooked 
 his rudeness, not wishing to drive him to extremities. 
 
 One day meeting Tahei, he told him how Sakichi 
 knew his secret, and how insolently he was behaving. 
 After reaching his home, Tahei thought the matter 
 over carefully and said to himself: " It is all my fault 
 that he is so anxious, and that such wicked ideas have 
 got into his servant's heart. Had I not better confess 
 everything and set his mind at rest ? What I told 
 him about the potatoe-seller belonging to Hongo in 
 Yedo was quite false. I have no idea where to look for 
 him, but I will keep my eyes open and see whether 
 he comes this way again. I must prove that he is 
 still living, before I can ask Sozaemon to forgive me." 
 
 Sakichi, seeing he could frighten Sozaemon so easily, 
 planned to swindle him well, and then run off and live 
 in comfort. One day therefore he said to him : "I 
 am ill and find my work too hard. Please give me a 
 hundred ryo and let me go home and nurse for a few 
 weeks. If you won't do this I will summon you." 
 Sozaemon had borne with him so long that he lost his 
 temper as soon as he heard that and cried out : 
 " Have you forgotten how you came here when you 
 were quite a child, and how kindly I have always treat- 
 ed you ? It is extremely rude of you to ask to leave 
 at all, but far more so to ask so impolitely. You are 
 
JO LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 however only an apprentice, and not worth grieving 
 over ; so I will dismiss you as you request, but you shall 
 not have any money. Be quick and clear out ! You are 
 not fit to be called a man ! " When he had finished 
 speaking, he got up without waiting for a reply, and 
 went into the next room. " I will make you repent 
 before you are many days older ! " shouted Sakichi as 
 he rushed from the house in a fury. 
 
 Going straight to the court house, he there entered a 
 complaint against his master. Sozaemon was much 
 surprised, but felt it useless to worry himself unduly, 
 as it had all been caused by his own quick temper. 
 Just as he was starting to go to the Office, Tahei ran 
 panting up and said : " How anxious you must be 
 about this summons. Let me go with you. I will 
 clear it up if it costs me my life. The potatoe-seller 
 is still living. I was very hard up at the time and 
 deceived you." Sozaemon was much surprised to hear 
 that and said : " I had no idea of that, had I known it 
 before, all this trouble might have been prevented. 
 However come with me now to the court and tell all 
 you know there." 
 
 On their arrival the governor pointed to Sakichi 
 and said to Sozaemon : " Do you know that 
 man ? He accuses you of striking and killing a 
 farmer last year in a fit of passion while he was 
 selling you some potatoes, and of having the body 
 buried secretly ; but you no doubt remember all about 
 it." Just then Tahei stepped forward and said: "I 
 am the Hirakawa ferryman and I beg to state that 
 that accusation is not true. It all arose from my being 
 
THE POTATOE-SELLER FOUND. 11 
 
 so poor at the time that I could not buy food ; so I 
 concocted the whole story and swindled Sozaeraon out 
 of twenty ryo. No one is to blame but me, so please 
 punish me according to law." Here Sakichi interposed 
 and said : "I have to state that this ferryman has been 
 helped by my master repeatedly, and in return wishes 
 to bear his punishment, the scoundrel. What he has 
 just told you is false ; otherwise the potatoe-seller 
 must still be living." Tahei looked at Sakichi fiercely 
 and said : " You went to Sozaemon when you were only 
 a child and he has treated you most kindly. It is 
 monstrous of you to summon such a master ! What 
 will you do if the potatoe-seller is still living ? " Saki- 
 chi answered : " I .have as you say been most kindly 
 treated by my master ; but what difference does that 
 make? When he commits a crime he becomes a 
 criminal. I felt it my duty therefore to bring him before 
 the court, knowing that if such crimes were allowed 
 to go unpunished, they would only increase. If the 
 potatoe-seller is still living, bring him here and prove 
 your innocence." Here the governor broke in and 
 said : " You must all of you leave the court now, and 
 stay in your homes handcuffed until I send for you. 
 Heaven can make all plain." As Sozaemon was such 
 a good man, his friends felt sure that Heaven would 
 protect him. 
 
 One day not long after, the potatoe-seller stopped at 
 Sozaemon's house and said : " I am so much obliged 
 to you for all your kindness to me last winter. I should 
 have come to thank you before, but have been ill since 
 and so could not do so. I hope however you will accept 
 
12 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 these as a little return for all you have done." So saying, 
 he took out some potatoes. Soz lemon took them and 
 said : " After you went away, I was accused of killing 
 you ; and now there are three people handcuffed, and 
 confined to their homes on your account." The farmer 
 was much astonished to hear that and said : " It is all 
 my fault, as it all arose out of my selling the piece of 
 cotton you gave me. I will go to the court and 
 confess. I am a greengrocer named Shosaku and live 
 in Senju." On seeing him, the governor at once sum- 
 moned the three men and said: " Now the potatoe- 
 seller has been produced, there is no room left for 
 doubting Tahei's words. All this trouble arose in the 
 first place from the story he made-up, but he has turned 
 over a new leaf, and so is let off with a small fine. As 
 for the twenty ryo he got from Sozaemon, they must 
 settle that themselves. Sakichi deserves to be put to 
 death for having so basely accused his master on such 
 slight grounds ; but, by the exercise of extraordinary 
 clemency, he is only sentenced to be banished. Sozae- 
 mon is unpunished ; but as his quick temper caused all 
 this trouble, he is severely reprimanded. The potatoe- 
 seller is innocent." As they went home, Sozaemon told 
 Tahei he might keep the twenty ryo, and thus made 
 Tahei admire him more than ever. 
 
 Sozaemon saw that his quick temper would give him 
 a great deal of trouble if he could not overcome it ; so 
 he wrote the word " Patience " on a tablet, and hung it in 
 his room ; and as he looked at it day after day, he 
 gradually managed to conquer his temper and to live in 
 peace with his family and neighbours ; and thus the word 
 
SOZAEMON CONQUERS HIS QUICK TEMPER. 
 
 13 
 
 " Patience " was banded down to his descendants. His 
 son Sobei succeeded him, and he in turn was succeeded 
 by his son Sogoro, who is thus known to be Sozaemon's 
 grandson. This story is given here as it was one of 
 the principal incidents in the history of Sogoro's ances- 
 tors. Some of his biographers say he was descended 
 from Heishino Masakado ; and others that he came 
 originally from Higo, and was adopted by Sozaemon. 
 Both these statements are equally incredible. In my 
 opinion, there seems no doubt that his ancestors for 
 many generations back were farmers. 
 
 Q 
 
 Supposed representation of the Tablet which Sozaemon, 
 
 Sogoro's grandfather wrote. 
 The Chinese character signifies " Patience." 
 
14 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 CHAPTER. III. 
 
 THE WONDERFUL MONSTER OF IMBA MARSH. 
 
 Now in the Province of Sbimosa, is a large lake 
 called Imba Marsh. It is twenty miles long and more 
 than twelve miles wide, and is therefore the largest in 
 the Eastern Provinces. The view from it on a clear day 
 is very fine. The great river Tone flows through it ; and 
 on the left may be seen the top of Mount Tsukuba; and 
 on the right the tiled roofs of the villages of Nakagawa, 
 Shusui, and Sakura. The lovely peak of Fuji is visible to 
 the southwest with numerous villages clustering at its 
 foot and dotting the plain ; while on the sea between, 
 numbers of fishing boats rise and fall gracefully on the 
 waves. On the shore of the lake is the village of 
 Yoshitaka, clustering round the spacious temple of 
 Kofukuji with its handsome pagoda. The roof of the 
 temple stands out conspicuous among the thick trees 
 that adorn the shore. At the time of our story, it was 
 in the charge of a priest of the Zenshu sect. He 
 followed the teachings of Ikkyu Takuan, and never tired 
 of looking at the flowers and the stars, and thus 
 studying nature ; and being celebrated for his stores of 
 virtue and wisdom accumulated by no less than thirty- 
 six generations of virtuous ancestors, had a large 
 number of disciples. 
 
 Our hero Sogoro was at this time called Kenmatsu, 
 and was sent to the temple to be educated. Though 
 
SOGORO'S BOYHOOD. 15 
 
 only eight years old, he was so clever and quick that 
 if he heard one Chinese character he seemed to know 
 ten, and so was soon able to read and write. In two or 
 three years, he had learnt many books by heart ; and 
 could also sing and compose poetry. The priest was 
 very fond of him and said he was an extraordinary child. 
 
 Among the lads, who came to the temple to study, was 
 one named Tsunetaro. He was only thirteen and so 
 was a year younger than Ken mat su ; but being very 
 clever, he made up his mind to beat him. This put 
 Kenmatsu on his mettle ; and so they both did their 
 utmost, and gave their whole minds to their studies ; and 
 thus their progress was extremely rapid. Tsunetaro 
 was very strong and brave, afraid of nothing ; but as 
 for Kenmatsu, he was so timid that he very rarely 
 ventured out alone even in the day time ; and he was 
 always terribly frightened when it got dark ; moreover 
 so quiet and gentle was he that most who knew him 
 said he was a fool. The villagers used often to discuss 
 the merits of the two, and were pretty well agreed that 
 Tsunetaro was the braver and more talented lad ; 
 the priests at the temple however preferred Kenmatsu, 
 and maintained that he had the finer character. 
 
 Now, in the middle of Imba Marsh, is a place of great 
 depth known as Sakuchi Ana ; and just above this spot, 
 flashes of light might be seen at night. As these continu- 
 ed month after month, and year after year, all the people 
 round talked of nothing else ; and became at last so 
 terrified that they would not stir out after dark. Some 
 talked of asking their lord to come and destroy the 
 monster ; others of getting some celebrated priest to drive 
 
16 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 it away. When one dog barks, all the others, it is said, 
 join in ; and in the same way the excitement spread 
 from village to village, until the whole district was in a 
 fever. One day, seven or eight of the villagers chanced 
 to meet at the Kofukuji temple ; and one of them said, a 
 dragon had been seen above the hole, about a hundred 
 feet long with terrible shining scales ; another said 
 that one of his friends had seen numbers of women, 
 breathing flames and running about on the water with 
 their hair all flying in the wind ; and he added that 
 wherever they went, they brought famine and pesti- 
 lence. The villagers were much alarmed and spent a 
 long time discussing how to ward off the fearful 
 dangers that seemed to threaten them. 
 
 Kenmatsu and Tsunetaro were sitting by the fire 
 listening. As usual, Kenmatsu was silent, but Tsune- 
 taro pressed forward, and asked those who had spoken 
 whether they had themselves seen what they had 
 just narrated. They replied that they had not done 
 so, but had seen those who had, and so there could 
 be no mistake about it. Tsunetaro laughed and said : 
 " I cannot credit your stories. Such tales are hardly 
 ever true. But how is it that you have none of you 
 gone and examined the place?" Hearing that they 
 said : " You must be joking. It is in the middle of 
 a large lake, of which indeed it is the source, and is so 
 deep that the water all the time rushes out with great 
 force. In ordinary times it is not safe to go there, 
 but it is far more dangerous now, while such a 
 monster is living there, coming out every evening 
 and frightening everybody." Tsunetaro replied : "If 
 
YOUTHFUL COURAGE. 17 
 
 you say so it will always trouble you, so to-morrow 
 night I shall go myself and stop its pranks." When 
 they heard that, they all burst out laughing and said : 
 "How boldly you talk! You are but a lad! How 
 can you accomplish what we dare not even attempt ?" 
 Tsunetaro laughed and said : " One's courage is not 
 always in proportion to his age. We will not discuss it 
 further. To-morrow night you shall see the terrible 
 monster for yourselves." The others did not reply and 
 so they all separated for the night. 
 
 The next evening, as he watched the sun nearing 
 the western hills, Tsunetaro braced up his courage 
 with the hope of destroying the monster, and thus 
 saving all the people in the neighbourhood from 
 their fears. Hardly had the sun set and the sky 
 become clouded over with the evening darkness, when a 
 small boat pushed aside the reeds on the margin of the 
 lake. The man in it had a gun, a bow, and a sword. 
 Pushing out some distance from the shore, he saw, as 
 all had said, a light flashing at times from the neigh- 
 bourhood of Sakuchi Ana and rising to the sky. An or- 
 dinary man would have been terrified and have fainted 
 directly ; but Tsunetaro being courageous and bold, was 
 not the least disturbed. Looking round, he saw some 
 one in a small boat a little way in front watching the 
 light, and said to himself : " That is strange. The 
 spectre has transformed itself into a man. I will shoot 
 it." Going nearer he heard a cough, and a low voice said: 
 " Is not that Tsunetaro?" Much surprised he looked 
 carefully, and seeing Kenmatsu, said : " Mr. Kenmatsu, 
 why did you come alone and steal a march on me?" 
 
18 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 He replied : " Last night I noticed you said that you 
 were going in order to save the people further trouble, 
 and this made me wish to go too. I felt sure however 
 you would refuse to have me for a companion if I 
 asked you ; and so I came by myself, and have just 
 finished examining the place." Remembering how 
 much Kenmatsu disliked going out alone, and how 
 terribly afraid he always was of the darkness ; Tsunetaro 
 was astounded, and admired the motives which had 
 enabled him to overcome his feelings so effectually. 
 They soon lashed their boats together and while they 
 did so, the light rose from the hole and shone across 
 the surface of the water, making their bodies and hair 
 glisten. Tsunetaro seized his gun to shoot, but Kenmatsu 
 said : " Wait a little. There are three kinds of light, 
 male, female, and spiritual. I examined it before you 
 came and saw that it is not any of these, but is only 
 a reflection in the sky from something in the water. 
 Rotten wood or fish scales give out light at night, and 
 this looks to me as if it came from fish scales. The 
 man who shoots without knowing at what he is shoot- 
 ing is called a coward, and will be laughed at as such : 
 so please let me try another way first." With these 
 words, he made Tsunetaro take the pole, and looking 
 carefully at the place where the light was, took up a 
 net and threw it into the water, whereupon the light 
 disappeared immediately. The two men then tried 
 to pull up the net, but found it as heavy as a large 
 rock ; by pulling both together however, they at last 
 managed to get it into the boat, and saw they had 
 caught a huge mullet. Much pleased, they rowed 
 
THE MONSTER CAUGHT. 19 
 
 back as fast as they could. The villagers not hav- 
 ing seen them all the evening, concluded they had 
 gone to the marsh, and felt quite ashamed to think 
 how they had insulted and laughed at Tsunetaro the 
 evening before. Great therefore was their confusion 
 and shame when they saw him and Kenmatsu coming 
 back in triumph. The mullet was more than three 
 feet long ; and all the people were amazed at its size, 
 and at once saw that it had caused the light. They 
 praised the young men for what they had done, but 
 were particularly struck with the courage and reflection 
 Kenmatsu had shown. As no more was heard of the 
 horrible monster, the whole country-side felt greatly 
 relieved ; and all the people praised the two lads for 
 their courage, and for having freed them from the 
 terrible dread which had hung over them so long. 
 
 Tsunetaro went back to the temple, feeling very 
 happy ; and was soon fast asleep. When he woke the 
 next morning, he thought to himself: " What a fool 
 I have been all along to think Kenmatsu was a coward 
 when really he was full of courage and was only a little 
 shy. The skill he showed in always hiding his wisdom 
 and courage is equal to that displayed by any of the 
 old heroes. I do not believe he would be the least bit 
 frightened even though he suddenly found himself sur- 
 rounded by enemies. After laughing so much at him 
 for being so easily scared, I feel quite ashamed to think 
 how cowardly I was last night, not daring to go unarm- 
 ed ; while he, brave man that he is, looked calmly into 
 the water, and acted all through as though there was 
 nothing to be afraid of. He is certainly a true hero." 
 
20 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 With these thoughts, he invited Kenrnatsu into his 
 room, and said : " However shameful you may con- 
 sider my past conduct, please condescend to take the 
 seat of honour as I have something to ask you." 
 Quite taken by surprise, Kenmatsu said : " Mr. Tsune- 
 taro, why are you so polite? We have always been 
 firm friends, and I cannot understand why you should 
 change so suddenly." Tsunetaro burst into tears and 
 replied : "I am thoroughly ashamed of myself for the 
 shabby way in which I have treated you, and can 
 hardly speak of it ; I could not perceive your great 
 generosity with my common eyes, but I implore you 
 to forgive my past shortcomings and allow me to 
 become your younger brother. Let us follow the ex- 
 ample of those who swore an oath of friendship in the 
 peach garden, and I will ask you graciously to grant 
 me an oath to die on the same day." He spoke very 
 earnestly. When he had finished, Kenmatsu said : 
 " Though I am astonished at your request, I am quite 
 willing to swear an oath of friendship as you propose. 
 I must however positively refuse to become your older 
 brother, so please excuse me." Tsunetaro shook his 
 head and said: "No, no, not so. All the rest. of my 
 life I shall look upon you as my older brother, and shall 
 be sadly offended if you refuse. I am in earnest." 
 With these words, he forced him to take the place of 
 honour, and quickly brought out the wine and food he 
 had prepared for the occasion. They each then took a 
 short sword ; and cutting their arms, let the blood from 
 the two wounds mingle in the same cup, and swore 
 that though they had not been born on the same day, 
 
AN OATH OF FRIENDSHIP. 21 
 
 they would henceforth be brothers, and would both die 
 on the same day. 
 
 As they swore, the sliding screen was suddenly 
 pushed back and some one entered the room. Look- 
 ing up, what was their surprise and fright to see it 
 was the high priest ! Greeting them with a smile, he 
 said : " Good luck to your oath of friendship ! You, 
 Tsunetaro, are naturally proud of your courage, and 
 have often gone wrong and made me quite anxious; 
 but if you are careful to follow Kenmatsu's example, 
 you will do well. You, Kenmatsn, can do a gfeat deal 
 of good if you do not yield too easily to your noble 
 desires to sacrifice your own comfort for that of others. 
 You are now both men, and I will change your names. 
 Kemiiatsu is a dragon among men, so he ought to be 
 the leader and shall be called Sogoro ; while you, 
 Tsunetaro shall be called Chuzo." Both men were very 
 glad and promised to attend to his advice ; and said 
 they hoped to have an opportunity some time of repay- 
 ing his kindness, which they said was deeper than the 
 sea. After studying for another year at the temple, they 
 returned to their native places and there busied them- 
 selves assiduously with household occupations. They 
 cared for their parents, were faithful to their friends, 
 kind to the young, and reverential to the aged, so that 
 all who knew them respected them highly. 
 
22 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A WRESTLING MATCH. 
 
 There is, near the town of Sakura, a hill called 
 Mount Masakado, so named after Soma Kojiro, who 
 about the middle of the 10th century raised the stand- 
 ard of rebellion, built himself a castle, and proclaimed 
 himself king under the name of Masakado. He at- 
 tacked and conquered the eight provinces east of 
 Hakone, but at last his castle was taken and destroyed, 
 and he himself was killed in battle. In honour of those 
 who then perished, a Wrestling Match is held every 
 autumn on Mount Masakado. To this the young people 
 of the district always come in crowds, and most inter- 
 esting it is to watch them wrestling with one another. 
 After all the pairs have finished, there is a final strug- 
 gle to see who is the real victor for the day. This is 
 called the " Final Wrestle." If any one then manages 
 to throw three others in succession, he is rewarded 
 with a piece of silk, but it will be seen that unless he 
 is very strong, he cannot hope to win. 
 
 At the time of our history, the games were held as 
 usual; and at half-past two the hour for the final 
 bout the victors for the day assembled to try their 
 strength. One of them, whose name was Okuma, soon 
 threw two of the others, and so felt quite confident of 
 the victory as he only had one more to throw. Among 
 the spectators was a man named Tenjinyama, a great 
 
WHO WILL RECEIVE THE PRIZE ? 23 
 
 favourite among the villagers. Arawasbi, one of his 
 apprentices, a celebrated wrestler and well up to all 
 the dodges, seeing Okuina so successful and wishing 
 to beat him, leapt into the ring, saying : " Come on, 
 let us have a try ! " Okuma said : " All right." 
 They seemed well matched, and as soon as the umpire 
 gave the signal by drawing back his fan, they rushed at 
 each other without losing a moment. Arawashi tried 
 to seize his opponent ; but he, perceiving his purpose, 
 caught him with his left hand, though the effort made 
 him breathe hard. Noticing this, Arawashi suddenly 
 twisted round, and threw him on his head right in the 
 middle of the ring. 
 
 At that, the spectators cheered loudly ; and Tenjin- 
 yama and all his apprentices stood fanning themselves, 
 and leaping for joy as they thought that surely no one 
 else would attempt to wrestle with their comrade after 
 the wonderful skill he had just shown. Very soon 
 however, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen 
 named Suijinyama challenged him. Arawashi accept- 
 ed the challenge and seized him, hoping to conquer him 
 at the first try, but though he did not look so, he was 
 extremely strong and very skilful and active too. For 
 a little while they struggled like lions without either 
 gaining any apparent advantage. Then Arawashi, 
 pretending to be tired out, made Suijinyama put forth 
 all his strength, and dodging as he did so, forced him 
 out of the ring. Arawashi now felt quite sure of the 
 prize, not thinking any one else would dare to wrestle 
 with him. 
 
 Now Takasti, a great friend of Suijinyama's, had 
 
24 LIFE OF SOGOBO. 
 
 been watching the contests eagerly for some time. On 
 seeing his friend beaten he sprang into the ring, say- 
 ing : " Let us try who will conquer!" Arawashi 
 thought from his look that he was no wrestler, and 
 spreading out his arms, said, chuckling : " I do not 
 mind how many of your sort I wrestle with. Come 
 on!" After they had wrestled a little while Ara- 
 washi, having seized his opponent's belt, they both 
 fell to the ground together. Seeing that, Takasu's 
 party jumped for joy and said : " Our man has beat- 
 en ! Our man lias beaten ! " But Arawashi's friends 
 said : " No, no, we have beaten ! " The umpire was 
 appealed to ; but was unable to settle it, and so it was 
 decided that they should wrestle again. Takasu made 
 up his mind to try some of his dodges and not allow 
 his adversary to seize his belt as he had done before. 
 As soon as the signal was given, Arawashi rushed at 
 him, but he dodging to the right, put forth all his 
 strength, and threw him in grand style right out of the 
 ring. The spectators jumped up and cried out : 
 " Well done, that's clever." Takasu's friends were ex- 
 tremely glad and cried out boastingly : " Does Mr. 
 Arawashi wish to wrestle any more ? We really con- 
 quered the first time, and he who is twice victor goes 
 away justly victor." Tenjinyama's company were 
 much vexed, but could do nothing as no one else would 
 challenge Takasu ; and so at last, he took that day's 
 bow, and as it was getting late, they all dispersed. 
 
 As Takasu was quietly going home, some rough look- 
 ing men suddenly rushed out at him from a bamboo 
 grove, and called out : "Stop! Stop! Mr. Arawashi 
 
SOGORO STOPS A FIGHT. 25 
 
 is vexed at the result of the wrestling to-day, and has 
 made up his mind to settle it at the point of the 
 sword." Takasu laughed and said : " A man wrestles 
 on the impulse of the moment and not out of malice. 
 It is unmanly in him to be so vexed at having been 
 beaten, but if he wishes to fight I am ready to accom- 
 modate him. Come on! Come on !" Hardly had he 
 spoken, when fifteen or sixteen men rushed on him with 
 drawn swords, determined apparently not to let him 
 escape. Having practised fencing all his life, he was 
 not at all disheartened and parried their blows so 
 skilfully and made so many cuts at them that before 
 long they were all scared and did not care to go near 
 him. Tenjinyania and Avawashi took no part at first ; 
 but when they saw how Takasu was getting the best 
 of it, they both rushed to attack him. His friends had 
 all gone on in front, but ran back to help him as soon 
 as they heard of the attack, so that in a few moments 
 there would have been a great fight. 
 
 Now Sogoro had inherited his father's property and 
 was headman of the village of Iwahashi. He had gone 
 to keep order at the wrestling match and was on his 
 way home when he heard of the fight. Losing no time, 
 he galloped to the place and jumped in among the 
 naked swords, shouting : " Stop ! Stop ! I am Sogoro 
 of Iwahashi and can settle this. Let me try." One 
 word from him was like the voice of the stork, and all 
 the combatants immediately sheathed their swords. 
 Delighted at that, he said : " Mr. Tenjinyama has no 
 just cause for resentment against Mr. Takasu for con- 
 quering his friend Mr. Arawashi. Mr. Arawashi had 
 
26 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 beaten both Messrs. Okuma and Suijinyama before, and 
 they have just as much reason for being angry with 
 him. If wrestling gave rise to quarrels in this way, it 
 would have to be done away with altogether. Such 
 childish behaviour as that exhibited by the illustrious 
 Messrs. Tenjinyama and Arawashi, I never dreamt 
 of seeing. Much ashamed and crest-fallen, they said : 
 " We have, as you say, acted extremely foolishly. 
 Your advice is extremely good, and we thank you 
 a thousand times for your trouble." Takasu bowed, 
 and then both parties swore to let the matter drop, 
 and drank and chatted freely together. 
 
 That night Takasu thought over the kind way in 
 which Sogoro had come to his rescue, and determined 
 to become his retainer and work with him. The next 
 day therefore, he went to Iwahashi to see him. Sogoro 
 was fortunately at home and asked him into his back 
 room. Takasu said : " I can find no words with 
 which to thank you for your great kindness yesterday. 
 But for your timely help, I should never have got home 
 alive, so I hope you will kindly accept this small pre- 
 sent I have brought." Sogoro replied : " You should 
 not have troubled to bring me such a beautiful present ; 
 you make far too much of such a trifling matter. I am 
 very glad to be able to congratulate you on your safety. 
 You are worth any number of such profligate, wicked, 
 good for nothing fellows as those who attacked you 
 yesterday. Hereafter you must be more cautious." 
 " Thank you much," said Takasu, " in future I intend 
 to take more care of myself. This present is very 
 small, but I shall not be satisfied unless vou take it. 
 
SOGORO EECEIVES A VISITOR. 27 
 
 I have a matter to lay before you in which I am 
 very anxious to get your assistance. As you are 
 doubtless aware, I was separated from my parents 
 when I was only a child, and can get no help from 
 any of my other relations. For some time past, I 
 have felt that I ought to have some friend I could 
 rely on. Often have I heard of your great wisdom, 
 and much do I admire the depth of your since- 
 rity and ability ; so please allow me to swear an 
 oath of friendship, and look upon you from this time 
 as my parent and older brother." As he finished 
 speaking, he knelt down and looked so enthusiastic 
 that Sogoro admired him and said : " I feel myself 
 altogether undeserving of your confidence ; but if you 
 wish, we will become brothers for the future. I am 
 however very sorry that you should ask me to become 
 your parent and older brother as I am quite unworthy." 
 Takasu said " No, no, not so ; your goodness is already 
 well known and you are well on in years ; so let it be 
 as I say, and I will reverence you as my older brother. 
 Please yield to my desire and graciously give your 
 consent." Just then a young man came out from 
 behind the screen and said : " Mr. Takasu's request 
 is right from top to bottom. Please consent to it, 
 brother, and then we three shall be able to talk over 
 everything together." Takasu was much pleased to 
 make the acquaintance of this man, who, as the reader 
 has doubtless guessed, was no other than Chuzo of 
 Chiba. Before separating, these three heroes made 
 a feast together Sogoro was older brother, Chuzo 
 was next, and Takasu was the youngest, changing his 
 
28 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 name of Toragoro to Saburobe. After talking and 
 laughing the whole day and night, they parted. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 TAKASU FIGHTS A DUEL WITH JUSABURO. 
 
 In the province of Shimosa there is a village, called 
 Kazuta, and near it in old days was a pool known in 
 poetry as the Pool of Kazumada. Though at one time 
 quite celebrated, it has long since dried up, and now 
 only the name remains. At the time of which we 
 write, there lived in the village, a wealthy farmer named 
 Today u, who had two daughters. One of them was 
 married and attended to the house ; the other, whose 
 name was Gran, was only sixteen and was kept in 
 seclusion in a back room. She had a beautiful form 
 and a slender waist, and was altogether so graceful in 
 her movements that she was considered by far the 
 most attractive girl in the neighbourhood. She was 
 also a good musician and knew many poems by heart. 
 In autumn, she would go out to see the maple trees, 
 and dearly loved to meditate in the moonlight ; and in 
 spring, how she did grieve when the rough winds scat- 
 tered the flowers which the nightingales so delight in ! 
 She was a general favourite, and it is not surprising 
 therefore that Takasu fell in love with her the first 
 time they met. From that day he could think of no 
 one else even in his dreams, and sent her numberless 
 
ANCIENT LOVE SONGS. 29 
 
 letters but never received any answers. It is said 
 that even brocade becomes rotten ; and the fine linen 
 that gives so much pleasure one day, only brings 
 trouble the next ; and so Takasu lived all alone in his 
 cheerless room, lamenting and grieving that he had 
 only the dull moon to keep him company. One night 
 it seemed niore than he could bear, so he got up and 
 sent Oran the following song : 
 
 If I this night for you should die, 
 Where alas could my body lie? 
 Of the Pool of Kazumada, 
 Not e'en the smallest drops remain, 
 Where I can float and end my pain. 
 
 Truly Tsurayuki spoke the truth when he said that 
 the gods look down in compassion on men and women 
 and reconcile them to each other; and so it came to 
 pass in this instance. Oran was much affected by the 
 song Takasu had sent her, and it softened her heart so 
 much that she longed to see him and sent him the 
 following reply : 
 
 Sometimes deep and sometimes shallow, 
 In this world of change and sorrow, 
 Is the Pool of Kazumada : 
 Who will not therein wet his sleeve, 
 In truth comes only to deceive. 
 
 On receiving this song, Takasu felt as though he had 
 suddenly been transported to the seventh heaven and 
 went that night to Oran's room. They swore eternal 
 love to one another and met again and again ; till at 
 
30 LIFE OF SOGOBO. 
 
 last reports of their intimacy got out : for it is said 
 that a bad thing is known a thousand miles off ; and so 
 without any one saying a word, it spread abroad. 
 
 Now there was living in the immediate neighbour- 
 hood a young man named Jusaburo. He was a 
 distant relation of Oran's, and ever since their childhood 
 their parents had jokingly said that they were to marry 
 each other. Oran had become so beautiful as she 
 grew up that Jusaburo was quite willing to marry her, 
 and so the villagers spoke of them almost as though 
 they were already married. Hearing the reports about 
 how she was going on, Jusaburo sent one of his friends 
 to make further enquiries. Finding the stories true, 
 he was extremely angry and resolved to pay Takasu 
 out. " I should like," thought he, " to kill him at once, 
 but he is a warrior and will have to be treated as such. 
 If I am cowardly and kill him by stealth or ask any 
 of my friends to help me I shall bring dishonour on 
 my name and descendants. I will therefore send him 
 a challenge." He accordingly sat down and wrote as 
 follows : 
 
 Mr. Takasu, having heard about your meet- 
 ings with Miss Oran, I have made enquiries 
 and found the reports quite true. She and 
 I have been as good as engaged to each 
 other all our lives, and if this report of your 
 conduct becomes generally known, it will 
 bring me into disgrace. I therefore hereby 
 challenge you to a duel with swords. 
 
 KAZUTA JUSABURO. 
 2nd Year of Kwanei [Aug. 1625J. 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR THE DUEL. 31 
 
 Takasu was much surprised to receive such a chal- 
 lenge, but knowing it was useless to attempt any 
 explanation, he agreed to fight and at once sent the 
 original to Sogoro together with his answer and the 
 following note : 
 
 This duel cannot be avoided and so it is 
 no good for rne to try and get off by apolo- 
 gizing to Jusaburo. He seems a straight- 
 forward man and has as you see sent me a 
 regular challenge. I have therefore com- 
 mitted myself to the care of Heaven. At first 
 I thought of not mentioning it to anybody 
 even to you, as he will not of course allow me 
 to have anyone to help me ; but I was afraid 
 you might be angry if I did not and you only 
 found it out afterwards. 
 
 After sending the above, Takasu hastened to Kazuta 
 Common. It was the middle of August and a clear 
 night ; so as he ran, he had the moon, the sky, and his 
 heart, for companions. On reaching the Common, he 
 could hear the monotonous humming of the insects, 
 and noticed the luxuriant growth of the tall grasses ; but, 
 not seeing any sign of his opponent, he began to wonder 
 whether after all he had not turned coward. While 
 waiting, he wiped away the sweat, and then took out 
 his pipe and began smoking. Hardly had he done so, 
 when he noticed a thick cluster of grass and reeds 
 near him suddenly divide ; and a young man came in 
 sight, shouting: " I suppose you are Mr. Takasu. I had 
 a good way to come but have been waiting here a long 
 
32 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 while for you." " T started," answered Takasu, " direct- 
 ly your letter came, and am very sorry to have kept 
 you waiting." Jusaburo thought he would have a 
 smoke before fighting, and so took out his pipe and 
 said : " Please let me have some tobacco and matches." 
 Takasu said : 4< You and 1 are going to fight directly 
 and do our best to kill one another, why then do you 
 ask me for anything ? " Jusaburo burst out laughing 
 and said : " So, so, what a narrow-minded man you 
 must be to talk like that ! A duel is a duel ; and 
 tobacco is tobacco." Quite taken aback at this, 
 Takasu handed him the tobacco at once. Jusaburo 
 thanked him and smoked for a few minutes in silence. 
 When he had finished, they both rose ; and unsheathing 
 their swords, began the fight. They fought with great 
 ferocity, but though they both tried their utmost, 
 neither gained any advantage ; in fact, they seemed to 
 fight like fire and water. 
 
 Now Sogoro was at home when Takasu's letter 
 reached him ; and was greatly surprised to hear how 
 matters stood, never having suspected anything of the 
 kind. Sure that unless the duel was stopped, one of 
 them would be killed, he rushed out without waiting 
 for anything and reached the Common soon after the 
 fight began. Seeing them struggling together so 
 fiercely, he called out : " You two heroes, please wait 
 a little while. I am Sogoro and can settle this matter 
 directly. Please put up your swords." In the pause 
 that followed, he rushed in between them and forced 
 them to sheathe their swords. The three then sat 
 down together on the grass. Wishing to give their 
 
SOGORO AS PEACEMAKER. 33 
 
 auger a little time to cool, Sogoro took out a gourd 
 and gave them some water. He then said : " Mr. 
 Jusaburo, I approved of your letter stating the cause 
 of your quarrel ; but you must bear in mind that if you 
 are killed now, you will fail in the duty you owe your 
 parents, even though your noble heart may be satisfied. 
 Sad indeed would it be for them if Mr. Takasu were 
 to kill you, their only son." At these words both men 
 awoke BS from a dream and felt quite ashamed of them- 
 selves. Sogoro continued : " Mr. Jusaburo, it is right 
 you should feel troubled ; but I can tell you a way out of 
 the difficulty. Mr. Takasu and I are united in the bond 
 of brotherhood, and there is no reason why we should 
 quarrel now. You have no doubt heard of Mr. Bokuemon 
 of Takizawa. He comes of a very good family and has a 
 daughter, named Oaki who is every bit as beautiful 
 as Oran and has all her lady-like accomplishments too. 
 It was almost settled that she should marry Mr. Takasu, 
 but now I will get her for you if you will kindly ask 
 Oran for Mr. Takasu." Jusaburo seemed greatly impres- 
 sed and said : "I will do as you propose and see Mr. 
 Today u ; and, though I feel myself quite unworthy, will 
 make Oran my younger sister and marry her to Mr. Ta- 
 kasu." The three men felt quite at ease, and after fixing 
 the time of their next meeting, they separated. Truly 
 when hearts unite, even those who have been .before 
 the greatest enemies become as brothers. Sogoro went 
 the next day to Takizawa and told Eokuemon just how 
 matters stood, and concluded by asking his daughter 
 Oaki as Jusaburo's wife. Eokuemon and Sogoro were 
 old friends, and so everything was soon settled, and 
 
34 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 the young people were married at once. In the mean- 
 time 'Jusaburo had explained matters to Todayu, and 
 had arranged everything there, so that Oran was mar- 
 ried to Takasu. All in the neighbourhood were much 
 pleased with both marriages, and were loud in praising 
 Sogoro for the happy way, in which he had settled a 
 very difficult matter; and they felt that the tact and 
 wisdom he had shown, were worth more than a thou- 
 sand pieces of silver. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SOGORO MEETS A YOUNG WOMAN AMONG 
 THE HILLS. 
 
 At the town of Narita, in the Province of Shimosa, 
 there stands a temple to the god Fudo, the Motionless 
 One. For many years the image was in Kyoto, but 
 when Masakado rose in insurrection, it was removed 
 to Narita for safety, and many were the earnest 
 prayers then made to it that he might be defeated. 
 When in answer to these, he was soon after killed 
 and the nation restored to its wonted peace' and 
 tranquillity ; it was proposed that the god should be 
 taken back to Kyoto. But the noble image stood im- 
 movable as a rock, without offering to stir, and so at 
 last a humble thatched temple was built over it. The 
 answers to prayers came so promptly, increased so 
 rapidly, and were so wonderful, that the temple 
 flourished exceedingly, and became widely known. 
 
SOGOKO MEETS HIS FUTURE WIFE. 35 
 
 Year after year, in ever increasing numbers, the eager 
 worshippers resorted to it, and returned to their homes 
 astounded at its grandeur and beauty. 
 
 At the time of our history, there dwelt near the 
 temple a famous swordsman ; and to him Sogoro used 
 to go to learn fencing. He was considered his best 
 pupil, and being a strong believer in Fudo, he often 
 stayed after receiving his lesson and spent several 
 hours in worship at the temple. Having done so one 
 day towards the end of autumn, it was after midnight 
 when he started to go home. The night was pitch 
 dark and as he got among the hills it began to rain. 
 That is an uncanny spot to be in alone even in broad 
 daylight as the wind whistles among the pine trees, 
 and makes a terribly ghostly sound. As he groped his 
 way along, he suddenly saw a light in the distance ; 
 and wondering what it could be, peered through the 
 trees, and saw a woman kneeling in prayer. Her long 
 black hair was streaming in the wind, and this and 
 her white dress made her look so much like a ghost, that 
 it was enough to frighten any one : Sogoro however, 
 being a man of great courage and fearless disposition, 
 was not even startled. Concealing himself in the 
 shadow of the trees, he watched her as she went round 
 and round the temple and after bathing in the holy 
 water knelt in worship. 
 
 When she had finished and was getting up to go, 
 he called out to her : " Will you not wait a little, and 
 tell me why you come out so late, and all alone too ? " 
 She turned at his voice and said : " Are you a ghost ? " 
 "No," he replied, " I am Sogoro of Iwahashi, and was 
 
36 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 on my way home from Narita when I noticed a light 
 here, and thinking it curious, turned aside to see what 
 it could be, and so have been watching you for the 
 last few minutes." She replied : "Well, if so, there 
 is no reason why I should hide anything from you ? 
 I live in the village and am the daughter of one of the 
 retainers of the former lord of Kumarnoto. My father 
 was considered equal in war to a thousand others and 
 served with honour under Kyomasa in his expedition 
 to Corea. On the destruction of the House of Tadahira, 
 my father, not caring to serve under the new lord, was 
 forced to leave and so came here. He died soon after, 
 and my mother brought me up in the midst of her 
 poverty and grief. Just now she is quite ill, but as we 
 have nothing put by, I cannot attend to her as I wish. 
 When I think of our family sorrows, I cannot help 
 weeping as I nurse her. I am ashamed you should 
 have seen me, but every night I come here, and pray 
 the gods to take my life instead of hers." 
 
 As she closed she burst into tears, and Sogoro was 
 so affected by her story that he wept too. On recover- 
 ing himself he said : " I rejoice to think that there is 
 such a filial woman in the world. Why should the 
 gods cast you off? There is a limit though to every 
 man's life and even kings cannot escape when their 
 time comes. If however you make yourself ill by 
 coming out here these cold nights, you will fail in your 
 duty to your mother, so take this trifle for medicine 
 and run home quick and nurse her." 
 
 With these words, he took a roll of money from 
 his bosom, and handed it to her. Quite taken by 
 
SOGOEO COMFORTS THE AFFLICTED. 37 
 
 surprise, she said : " Oh ! what an unexpected gift ! I 
 shall never forget your kindness as long as I live, but 
 please take it back as I should dread the displeasure of 
 Heaven if I took such a large sum from you, who are 
 not related to me in any way." She showed no signs 
 of wavering so Sogoro replied : " You must not think 
 that this comes from me. Wealth is the property of all 
 under heaven, and is given by the gods and Buddha to 
 those filial children whom they watch over, whenever 
 they see that it is required : of this, both here and in 
 China, there are many instances. If you look, you will 
 find bamboo shoots in the snow and carp under the 
 hard ice ; with these you can feed your mother until 
 I come and call on her." So saying, he put the money 
 into her bosom in spite of her remonstrances and went 
 on his way. She watched him until he was out of 
 sight, and then bowed three times and went home 
 filled with new joy and courage. 
 
 As he went along, Sogoro thought over all that she 
 had told him and felt it ten thousand pities that such 
 a filial woman should be so straitened by poverty. 
 Feeling he must help her in some way, he prepared 
 various articles of food and went the next day to call on 
 her. As he approached the house, he noticed the eaves 
 all decayed and the grass growing thick round the door, 
 unmistakable signs of the poverty of the inmates. 
 He called out for admittance, and saw as he did so, some 
 one whom he took to be the mother resting covered 
 by a thin quilt. The daughter, who had seen him come, 
 now ran to meet him saying : " Are you the gentleman 
 who was so kind to me last evening ? Our house is a 
 
38 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 very poor one but please come in." On hearing who 
 had come, the mother lifted her heavy head from the 
 pillow and said, while the tears filled her eyes : " My 
 daughter has told me how she met you last night, and 
 how kind you were to her. I cannot find words to 
 express my gratitude, but it did her as much good as 
 if the gods and Buddha had themselves graciously 
 appeared to her." Tears always come first in sorrow 
 and Sogoro was blinded with his now. 
 
 As soon as he could speak he said to the mother : 
 " I deserve no thanks. This is heaven's answer to the 
 prayers of your filial daughter. I only came to-day to 
 bring a little token of my regard. Please take it and 
 in future when you want anything, do not hesitate to 
 come to me as I shall always be only too glad to help you. 
 My name is Sogoro and I am the headman of the village 
 of Iwahashi. In spite of your present reduced circum- 
 stances, you belong I know to an illustrious family. 
 Take courage therefore and take care of yourself ; for the 
 spring will now soon be here with its opening flowers." 
 The mother and daughter tried to thank him but could 
 not speak for their tears of joy. He remained the 
 whole day trying to comfort them : and when he left, 
 the daughter saw him to the gate ; and, after again 
 thanking him warmly for all his kindness, parted from 
 him with many bows. 
 
 After this he called frequently to see them and gave 
 them numerous presents. No medicine seemed to 
 help the mother and even her filial daughter's earnest 
 prayers were powerless to detain her : she continued 
 to grow weaker and weaker ; till at last, about the 
 
SOGORO MARRIED. 39 
 
 beginning of November, she took her journey along 
 the way to Hades. Then indeed her daughter Okin 
 cried to heaven, and lamented kneeling on the ground. 
 After the funeral Sogoro went to call on her and said : 
 " Death is the doom of every living thing and none 
 can escape it." He then handed her the present of 
 money usually given in such cases to buy incense with. 
 She thanked him through her tears and said : 
 " Whenever shall I be able to repay all your repeated 
 kindnesses ? " She passed the forty days of mourning 
 entirely in weeping, and thus the year closed. 
 
 When the new spring came, it found her still living 
 alone in her grief, but Sogoro who had by no means 
 forgotten her, often dropped in as he passed. One day, 
 after they had talked some time, he said : " It is very 
 rude of me to say so, but no doubt you often feel very 
 lonely living all by yourself as you are doing. I am 
 unmarried and shall be glad to have you come and 
 manage my household. Will you not become my wife 
 and let us grow old together?" She replied blush- 
 ing : " I am very much obliged to you and shall never 
 forget how kind you were to us while my mother was 
 living. In return I shall be glad to serve you in any way 
 I can, but I think it would be wrong for me to be- 
 come your wife. If however you will take me as a com- 
 mon servant I shall be happy indeed." Sogoro said: 
 " No, no, not so. You were once, I am sure, a cele- 
 brated and distinguished woman, and though you may 
 hesitate to do so, please yield to my wish and become 
 my wife." As he seemed set upon it, and she really 
 liked the idea, they were soon married. She made 
 
40 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 him a faithful and virtuous wife, and soon had two 
 daughters and then some sons ; so that their home life 
 became happier and happier as the years passed, and 
 they wanted nothing. 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 KANAZAWA TRAVELS THROUGH THE VILLAGES 
 EXTORTING THANK OFFERINGS. 
 
 Going too far is as had as not going far enough. 
 When, towards the close of January in the 13th year 
 of Kwanei (March 1636) ; Hotta Kaga no Kami was 
 about to accompany the Shogun Hidetada to Hades, he 
 summoned two of his counsellors, Watanabe and Hara 
 men famous for their wisdom and goodness and 
 gave them each a sword, saying : " My son Kozuke no 
 Suke is very hasty, but you must try and restrain him. 
 If lie should go into profligate conduct, you must re- 
 monstrate with him even at the risk of your lives. 
 Henceforth you must never leave his side. When 
 a ruler has five advisers, it is said that his dominions 
 are secure, so do your best to be faithful." Both of 
 them felt his kindness deeply, and thanked him with 
 hearts overflowing with gratitude for the honour thus 
 conferred upon them. His mind being now at rest, he 
 summoned his old retainers and gave them his last 
 directions, and the next day committed suicide. 
 
 His son Kozuke no Suke was summoned at once to 
 take the offices his father had held, and was still further 
 
IKEURA, THE GOVERNOR AT SAKURA. 41 
 
 promoted on account of bis father's honourable death. 
 Removing to Yedo, he foolishly left the good old 
 customs of his ancestors, and lived in luxury and pride 
 in the height of extravagance. Watanabe and Hara 
 were both anxious to serve him with increasing fidelity, 
 but as they went to reside with him in the capital ; the 
 governors in the country, some of whom were very 
 wicked men, had abundant opportunity to do as they 
 liked. 
 
 One of them, Ikeura, who then governed at Sakura 
 as Kozuke no Suke's representative, was a great lover 
 of flattery. Avaricious and extravagant in the ex- 
 treme, afraid of nobody and detesting all who were 
 honest and straightforward, he made the whole district 
 tremble under the weight of his authority. Nor was 
 Kanazawa, who occupied the position previously held 
 by Hara, one particle better. He always flattered 
 Ikeura ; and so these two became extremely friendly, 
 and loved each other as the fishes love water. 
 
 One day Ikeura said to him : "If we wish to 
 govern properly, we must make ourselves thoroughly 
 well acquainted with the customs of the rustics. I 
 have noticed that many of the farmers, who were 
 leading men in the district in old days but have since 
 become poor, are now looked down on by their more 
 fortunate neighbours. How is this ? " Kanazawa 
 replied : " Farmers say that fields are the farmer's 
 glory and always work hard to add to their number. 
 Those who have the largest number are looked up to, 
 even though they may have been farming for only a 
 short time ; while those who lose their fields are 
 
42 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 despised even though they belong to old families. 
 Thus you see that men are honoured or despised 
 according as they are rich or poor. The rich rise to 
 the top, the poor are forced down lower and lower, 
 until it seems to me that the distance between them is 
 as great as that between heaven and earth." Ikeura 
 said : ''If so, we must have great wealth before we 
 can make our power felt over the whole empire. An 
 insurrection has, as you know, just broken out in 
 Amakusa and is spreading fast. The daimyos have all 
 gone to try and put it down, and we shall most likely 
 be ordered to send an army. If we can then raise 
 double the required number of soldiers, how greatly it 
 will redound to our lord's honour ! And what a grand 
 show they will make on the field if they all have first 
 class stores, harness, and weapons ! To do this we 
 must collect money, but as the farmers are sure to try 
 and get off without paying, I have thought of the fol- 
 lowing plan : 
 
 In the village of Kamio there lives a man called 
 Heishichi. Some years since, while digging a well, 
 he found thirty ryo and took it as his own ; but a man 
 named Sakuzaemon claimed it as his, and a great 
 dispute arose between the two. Our lord's father 
 heard about this and added thirty ryo himself; so each 
 of the men had thirty ryo and went away much 
 pleased. Now I propose that \ve summon Heishichi, 
 and tell him to return the .thirty ryo and twenty ryo 
 more as interest. His lands and fields are very good, 
 and he is quite wealthy and has built himself a beautiful 
 house. This is all really due to his lord's kindness ; so 
 
UNJUST EXTORTION. 43 
 
 as he is a very straightforward man, he will no doubt 
 show his gratitude by paying readily. 
 
 Again, when Yorozuya was living in the castle town, 
 he quarreled with Yonosuke and summoned him 
 before the court. Yorozuya was found guilty and was 
 ordered to adopt Yonosuke 's son Yoshimatsu and retire 
 in his favour. In view of this, Yonosake ought to be 
 only too glad to pay fifty ryo if we tell him to do so. 
 
 At the same time, let us decide that all who marry, 
 build houses, or adopt sons, must pay a certain sum in 
 proportion to their property. By so doing, we shall 
 gather mountains of gold and silver, and gain great 
 advantage ; but above all, it will be of great service to 
 our lord. Let us therefore labour body and soul to 
 carry it out. 
 
 Much pleased to hear it would be to his advantage, 
 Kanazawa, promised to do his utmost, and the next 
 day summoned Heishichi and ordered him to pay 
 the fifty ryo they had agreed upon. Heishichi was 
 extremely glad when he heard the proposal and 
 said : " I feel very thankful that my lord, notwith- 
 standing my low birth, has graciously requested me to 
 give him some money, thus honouring me above even 
 the headmen of the villages and the others with large 
 incomes. I therefore beg you kindly to allow me to 
 give seventy-five ryo." " You are a wise man, answer- 
 ed Kanazawa, " to make such a request. Some day 
 you will receive a reward. I shall do my best to 
 obtain one for you. But as you were only ordered to 
 give fifty ryo, we must write two notes one a receipt, 
 the other in the form of a petition." This was done 
 
44 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 and the money paid. The twenty-five ryo Kanazawa 
 kept for himself, only giving the other fifty to Ikeura 
 who did likewise, so Kozuke no Suke received none. 
 
 Now Yoshimatsu, who had succeeded Yorozuya, 
 had since been swindled out of thirty ryo and had also 
 had much illness, so that he had gradually lost all his 
 property ; but nevertheless he went to the Office as 
 soon as he was summoned. Kanazawa seeing him 
 said': "It was entirely due to your lord's favour that 
 you succeeded Yorozuya, and are now living in abun- 
 dance ; so to show your gratitude, you must pay fifty 
 ryo. I make this proposition as just now he is wanting 
 money ; but please bear in mind that you are not the 
 only one asked ; for all who marry or adopt sons have 
 to give in proportion to their property." Yoshimatsu 
 replied : "It was, as you say, all owing to tny lord's 
 favour that I succeeded Yorozuya, and I am very 
 thankful indeed to have an opportunity of requiting his 
 goodness even in a small degree. I should be only too 
 glad to give the sum you propose had I not met with a 
 succession of troubles, so that I am now in great 
 distress and quite unable to make it up. I will however 
 give thirty ryo and hope you will kindly accept that." 
 As Yoshimatsu was so courteous, Kanazawa had no 
 alternative but to accept his proposal, so the thirty ryo 
 was paid at once, and the other twenty was left over 
 till the following March. 
 
 Ikeura was much pleased to hear from Kanazawa 
 how well their plan had succeeded, and talked with 
 him over further measures for extorting money, not 
 caring how unmerciful they were. After they had had 
 
UNJUST EXTORTION CONTINUED. 45 
 
 many secret conferences, word was sent round to each 
 of the villages in the district that Kanazawa would he 
 coming. How anxiously then did all the farmers 
 await his arrival ! And how they wondered what 
 had happened ! At last he set out in state, taking 
 with him two inferior officers, named Muramatsu and 
 Mitsuhashi. He chose the best places for his head 
 quarters, fixing them simply to suit his own conveni- 
 ence. From these he summoned the officials of five 
 or six villages, and asked them how many houses had 
 been built in their respective villages during the last 
 three years, and how many people had married or 
 adopted sons. They replied that one house had been 
 built and five people had married, or that no houses 
 had been built but that six people had adopted sons, 
 just as the case might be in each particular place. 
 Muramatsu wrote down the names of all who had 
 built houses, adopted sons or married, with the pro- 
 perty belonging to each and the number of their house- 
 hold ; stating how many men and women servants 
 they employed, and how many oxen and horses they 
 owned. He then said : 
 
 " As Heishichi of Kamio has built himself a grand 
 house, and thus viciously departed from his proper 
 position, forgetting that farmers ought to live in 
 thatched houses all their lives, he deserves to be 
 severely punished, but he has been pardoned and, to 
 show his gratitude, has given fifty ryo. Therefore, 
 whoever builds a house anywhere in the district, 
 must give a thank offering ; but all must not give 
 the same as he did, but each in proportion to his 
 
46 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 property, at the rate of 4 T 3 a momme to the koku 
 (about 10%)." 
 
 "Again, Yonosuke's SOD Yoshimatsu used to live 
 in the castle town, and was then very poor, but he 
 was adopted by Yorozuya, and thus became a member 
 of a wealthy family : he has therefore given fifty ryo as 
 a thank offering. In like manner any one, who hence- 
 forth marries or is adopted, must give money in pro- 
 portion to his property, at the rate of lf^ momme to 
 the koku (about 3%.) If anybody tries to deceive us, 
 his statements will be compared with the official lists, 
 and the village officials will be held responsible for all 
 mistakes." 
 
 The village officials were all much perplexed and 
 held several private consultations, till at last Mura- 
 matsu began to fear they would refuse, and so told 
 them sternly that no petition they might present 
 would be listened to. As therefore they could do 
 nothing, all who had built houses, adopted sons or mar- 
 ried, gave money as they were ordered, and Kanazawa 
 then went on to the next village and extorted money 
 from there in the same way. 
 
 When he had in this way visited fourteen or fifteen 
 villages, he at last reached Upper Iwahashi, and took 
 up his headquarters at the house of our hero, who was 
 now the headman of the village. His full name was 
 Kinouchi Sogoro. He was famous for his wisdom, 
 learning and eloquence ; and was so kind and bene- 
 volent that he was beloved by all who knew him. 
 Ever ready to help those who were in trouble, he al- 
 ways tried to do his utmost to prevent oppression and be 
 
KANAZAWA BEACHES UPPER IWAHASHI. 47 
 
 just to all. All the farmers, not only in Iwabashi, but 
 in all tbe neighbouring villages and hamlets, respected 
 him highly ; and even in those troublous times, all 
 the members of his household lived in harmony, 
 working together in peace from morning to night. 
 
 Since hearing of Kanazawa's intended visit, Sogoro 
 had been wondering what was best to do. At first he 
 felt inclined to refuse to receive him, but did not well 
 see how he could : so he tried to think of some way to 
 find out whether he was really acting under his lord's 
 orders or not. He soon saw him coming and went 
 out at once to welcome him. Kanazawa asked him 
 whether any new houses had been built there during 
 the last three years, and Sogoro told him that Tahei 
 had built one that spring. Kanazawa then asked how 
 much property he had, so Sogoro answered : " He 
 only has an income of 13 to of rice/' Kanazawa 
 hearing that said : " Summon him at once ; " and 
 when he came, he said to him : "I hear you built a 
 house for yourself this spring. I cannot understand 
 how you could afford to do so with the income you have, 
 so I will not tax you like the rest. You must write a 
 note for three ryo at once." Tahei was much embar- 
 rassed ; but, seeing the look on Sogoro's face, he bowed 
 low in assent. Sogoro thanked Kanazawa and asked 
 him to let Tahei go, saying he would write the note 
 for him. He wrote accordingly as follows : 
 
 To the District Superintendent : 
 
 For the last twenty years I have lived alone 
 in great poverty. At the end of last year my 
 house was burnt down and I should have 
 
48 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 been reduced to extreme misery, had not the 
 farmers in the village kindly given me trees, 
 hamhoos, and cord ; and helped me to build 
 a small thatched house twelve feet wide and 
 eighteen feet long. I have now had the good 
 fortune to receive a present of three ryo from 
 my lord towards the expense of building the 
 above house. I feel truly grateful for this his 
 great kindness, and beg humbly to present 
 this note to thank him for his wonderful 
 benevolence. 
 
 (Signed) TAHEI, farmer of Iwahashi. 
 ( do. ) SOGORO, headman do. 
 Sogoro wrote the above, strongly suspecting that 
 the officials were not acting under orders from head- 
 quarters ; but were simply trying to heap up riches for 
 themselves by extorting such taxes. Kanazawa was 
 extremely angry when he saw it and reprimanded him 
 severely, saying: "What do you mean by writing 
 such nonsense ? You have not written at all what I 
 ordered. You evidently despise me and must be a 
 thoroughly bad man." Pretending to be much fright- 
 ened, Sogoro replied : " I am very inexperienced, so 
 please excuse me if I have written anything rude, and 
 be so kind as to correct it and let me rewrite it." 
 
 At that, Kanazawa became still more angry and 
 glaring at Sogoro said abusively : " What do you 
 understand to be the purpose of my visit ? If the 
 farmers become fond of beautiful clothing and houses, 
 they will not be satisfied unless they have good food 
 too, and the whole district will be plunged into 
 
SOGOKO DEFENDS TAHEI. 49 
 
 poverty. To stop this, the authorities have ordered us 
 to raise these taxes. It was very wrong indeed for 
 Tahei with his small income to build himself a house 
 and it only shows his desire for luxury. For this 
 reason I dealt with him more strictly, and ordered him 
 to pay a fine of three ryo ; but you have worded the 
 note as if he was to receive three ryo. Such conduct 
 cannot be pardoned for a moment. I want no note. 
 Pay the money at once." 
 
 Sogoro was not the least afraid but said : " What 
 you have just said is, as I understand it, quite different 
 from what you said before. At first you asked me 
 whether any one in this village had built a house, and 
 I told you that Tahei had built one. You then asked 
 what income he had, and when I told you, you said 
 that it was hard to understand how a man in such a 
 position could build a house, and you told me to call 
 him. I thought you were going to give him some 
 money, as you had heard how poor he was, and knew 
 he must be in great trouble. He used to be the Hira- 
 kawa ferryman and for the last twenty years has lived 
 alone in extreme poverty. He is getting quite feeble 
 now, and it would be monstrous to ask him to pay 
 anything as a thank offering. I therefore thought you 
 could not mean that, but must intend to give him 
 something instead. You should not call me careless 
 for thinking so, for you said yourself you could not tax 
 him like the rest. Perhaps however you wish to fine 
 him, thinking that he has built himself a grand house, 
 although you must have seen from his dress how poor 
 he is. If however you have any doubts about it, I 
 
50 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 shall be must happy to take you to see it. You have 
 been far too hasty. Before ordering him to pay 
 anything, you should have stopped to inquire into his 
 circumstances. He will certainly never agree to pay a 
 single sen of the three ryo. All the birds and animals 
 have homes in nests or caves ; and surely man who is 
 their master ought to have a home somewhere too. 
 When a man's house is burnt down, he certainly 
 ought to be allowed to build a new one. In my 
 position as tax-collector in this large district it was, I 
 maintain, my duty to write the note as I did. Re- 
 ceiving and paying are as different as heaven and 
 earth ; and had I made the mistake you say I did, 
 all the other officials would laugh at me. It is 
 impossible to undo the harm your coming here has 
 already done, and I certainly cannot consent to your 
 visiting any more of the villages if you intend to con- 
 tinue extorting such taxes. It is my firm conviction 
 that they should not be paid, but in any case you 
 should have consulted me about them before coming. 
 You had better go home at once." 
 
 Sogoro spoke with no sign of hesitancy and his 
 eloquence flowed like a river, but Kanazawa thought 
 his words were vile, and hated him exceedingly and 
 felt very angry with him. He could however do no- 
 thing and so remained silent, and it was ten thousand 
 pities to see how he blushed with shame. Seeing his 
 confusion, Mitsuhashi turned to Sogoro and said : 
 " Your proposal seerns very reasonable, but if we go 
 back now, our superiors will want to know why we 
 did not visit all the villages. If we say it was because 
 
SOGORO STOPS KANAZAWA'S VISITS. 51 
 
 you objected, it will bring you into trouble, so I think 
 the best way for all concerned, is for us to take this 
 note you have written about Tahei, and visit the rest 
 of the villages without delay." 
 
 Sogoro answered : " It would not only be very 
 difficult for you to continue your visits ; but it would 
 not do for me to let you keep that note, which states 
 how much obliged Tahei feels for your present, when 
 all the time he has not received it, but has only heard 
 that you intend giving him something. His house is 
 already finished, and so it is not really necessary for 
 you to give him anything ; and as you say you have 
 been ordered by the authorities to visit the villages, I 
 cannot consent offhand to your giving him anything. 
 In the rest of the villages, there are probably seven or 
 eight people who have built houses ; and, say thirty 
 who have either married or adopted sons : and so you 
 see what you promise to give Tahei, bears no propor- 
 tion at all to the amount you will extort from them. 
 In fine, I disapprove altogether of your visiting any 
 more of the villages and hope you will go home at 
 once." 
 
 By this time Kanazawa had become very angry and 
 now roared out : " How high you hold your head 
 and how insolently you talk about things that do not 
 concern you ! Mr. Hara must have been mad to have 
 made such a blockhead as you headman ! I am super- 
 intendent here and will not have it said that I was 
 stopped by such a fellow as you ! Muramatsu, call 
 the servants and make ready to start at once !" On that, 
 Sogoro ran out and told the coolies that the visits to 
 
52 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 the villages had been given up. The farmers were all 
 much excited and had clubs ready to knock Kanazawa 
 down. Had they had a chance how glad they would 
 have been to use them ! Seeing this, Mitsuhashi 
 went to him and said : " Your visit is exciting the 
 people and may lead to an insurrection, in which case 
 the minister would have to commit harakiri and you 
 would find yourself in a pretty fix. The best way is 
 for you to give up visiting the villages." Seeing there 
 was nothing else to be done, Kanazawa consented 
 reluctantly and went home, calling out as he started : 
 " Sogoro, you shall repent of this." 
 
 Notice of his coming had been sent to the other 
 villages, and the people there were expecting him and 
 were much excited. When they heard how he had gone 
 home from Iwahashi, their joy was indeed great ; and 
 all those among them who had married, built houses, 
 or adopted sons brought money to Sogoro for him to 
 give to Tahei. He refused it at first but finally decided 
 to take it. In this way altogether he received fifteen 
 ryo which he handed to Tahei, who was much pleased 
 to have so much and thanked him warmly. This 
 Tahei was the grandson of the ferryman, who is men- 
 tioned in a preceding chapter in connection with the 
 quarrel between Sogoro's grandfather and the potatoe 
 seller. 
 
DENZO VISITS IKEURA. 53 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DENZO MADE HORSE INSPECTOR. 
 
 Kanazawa went home highly exasperated with 
 Sogoro for the way he had acted, and lost no time in 
 telling the governor the whole story. Ikeura was 
 greatly annoyed and hated Sogoro more than ever. Glad 
 indeed would he have been to pay him out ; but though 
 he racked his brains for several days, he could think of 
 no way of doing so, and so with much reluctance 
 he at last decided to let him be. 
 
 Now there was living at this time a man named 
 Denzo, a great intriguer and flatterer. Ikeura liked 
 him well and made him one of his attendants ; but he 
 quarreled so often with his companions, and gave so 
 much trouble that at length he had to be dismissed. 
 Being disinherited by his parents soon afterwards for 
 drinking and gambling ; he had no means of living, 
 and so became a horse-dealer and wandered about 
 from place to place. Naturally very smart, he soon 
 became well known through the country, and made a 
 large amount of money ; but his habits were so 
 luxurious that he squandered it all as fast as he re- 
 ceived it, and thus was always in want. 
 
 One day he bought some presents and went to 
 Sakura to call on his old master Ikeura, and told him 
 how he had been supporting himself for the last five or 
 six years and added : '* I know it is not considered at 
 
54 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 all a respectable occupation, but what difference does 
 that make seeing [ can make a good living by it ? So 
 man} 7 horses have been stolen lately that owners feel 
 themselves very insecure; but if you will give me the 
 register, appoint me horse-inspector, and let me make 
 every one who buys or exchanges a horse pay a tax ; 
 I will try and find the missing horses, and will also do 
 rny utmost to put a stop to the stealing." Ikeura as 
 usual was just longing for money, so he was greatly 
 pleased with the idea and asked. " How much would 
 such a tax yield in the year? " Denzo replied : " If 
 in a district yielding 100 koku, only three horses are 
 bought a year ; the district under your control will 
 yield at least 180 ryo annually." Thinking it a good 
 way of raising money, and intending to keep it all 
 for his own use ; Ikeura told Denzo to try it privately 
 for two or three years, and at once had a register made 
 with the words " SAKUEA OFFICE " on the cover and 
 the Office Seal below. This he gave to Denzo and 
 told him to show it as his authority, in case anyone 
 disputed his right to collect the tax. Denzo now felt 
 quite set up ; but what was his delight, when on 
 examining the Register, he saw that it contained full 
 information about every horse in the district ! 
 
 After waiting a few -days to mature his plans, he 
 started out and began collecting the new taxes. Then 
 indeed were the headmen and farmers all greatly 
 troubled, and knew not at first what to do ; but, re- 
 membering how Sogoro had stopped Kanazawa, and 
 thus saved several villages from paying anything ; 
 they at last decided to go and consult him. Seven or 
 
THE HOESE TAXES. 55 
 
 eight of them therefore went to his house, and told him 
 about the new tax. 
 
 After hearing their story, Sogoro said : " I cannot 
 speak positively but it looks very much like a swindle. 
 If it is a tax imposed by the Sakura Office, the head- 
 men should have been summoned and ordered to col- 
 lect it. I cannot tell why the work should have been 
 entrusted to this Denzo. Any way he is sure to be 
 here before long to try and get it out of me ; and when 
 I refuse to pay, as I shall do; he will be vexed and 
 abuse me. I shall then bind him and take him to the 
 Office and see whether he has not a false register. As 
 he has the Office seal, and has gone about so publicly, 
 the truth will then be known at once. Any way we 
 never agreed to pay such a tax, and no one can blame 
 us for refusing to pay it till we know more about it. 
 Don't be anxious, but go home and tell everyone that 
 I have just bought a fine new horse." Greatly cheered 
 to hear him speak so hopefully, they went home feel- 
 ing sure that their troubles would soon be over. 
 
 Good laws are difficult to devise, but when made 
 bring great happiness and prosperity to a country ; 
 while bad laws, although easy to make, only bring 
 misery and trouble: and so, though Denzo little 
 thought it, his wicked deeds were sure to ruin him 
 sooner or later, however well he might succeed at first. 
 Hearing the talk about Sogoro's new horse, he thought 
 to himself : " How I should like to go and see him at 
 once ! What a courageous man he must be to have 
 stopped Kanazawa as he did ! Before I can hope to 
 tackle him successfully, I must show the farmers how 
 
56 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 strong I am, and must also thoroughly ingratiate my- 
 self with Ikeura and Kanazawa ." 
 
 With these thoughts he went to Iwatomi, and took 
 from there a horse belonging to a farmer, named 
 Genzo, putting it in the stable of a wealthy man, who 
 lived at Amatsubo, in the province of Kazusa. The 
 horse he found there, he left in a stable at Daikata, 
 belonging to a man by the name of Shoemon and 
 took his horse, and put it in the stable he had taken 
 the first horse from. In this way he made changes 
 in three different places. Genzo of Iwatomi, getting 
 up one morning and going to his stable, found it 
 empty ; and, concluding at once that his horse had 
 been stolen, lost no time in telling the headman of 
 the village. From him he heard of the new regula- 
 tions about the buying, selling, and exchanging of 
 oxen and horses, and that three momme in silver had 
 to be paid on every one ; and was advised to look for 
 his horse for two or three days before taking other 
 steps. The next three days therefore he spent making 
 inquiries in the neighbourhood ; but could hear no- 
 thing till the third day when, coming in late, he found 
 a strange horse in his stable. He at once hastened to 
 inform the headman, who thought it very mysterious 
 and immediately sent a complaint to the Sakura Office. 
 
 Dcinzo heard a complaint had come in, and went 
 straight to Ikeura, and asked him what he should do. 
 Ikeura told him to send round word at once to all the 
 horse-dealers in the district, and make them all do 
 their utmost to find the horse and return it to Genzo. 
 Denzo promised to do this, but went instead to Genzo's 
 
DENZO'S ROGUERY. 57 
 
 house and said : " You have I hear, sent word to the 
 Office that you have lost your horse, and I have been 
 ordered to send out bills to all the horse-dealers in the 
 country telling them to look for it, and so shall want 
 three ryo from you for my expenses." Genzo, know- 
 ing he could do nothing else, paid the money. D^nzo 
 took it and went off to Amatsubo, to the house of the 
 man, from whom he had taken the horse a few days 
 before. 
 
 After standing a little while at the stable-door look- 
 ing at the horses, he went in and said to the owner : 
 " I am the Sakura horse-inspector, and hearing a day 
 or two since that a horse had been stolen in this neigh- 
 bourhood and another put in its place, I made en- 
 quiries and found that Genzo of Iwatomi had had his 
 horse stolen. Here in the register you see how it is 
 stated, that his horse was chestnut-coloured and so many 
 hands high, just like the horse in your stable there. 
 No doubt a thief stole it, but why he should leave 
 another in its place, I cannot understand ; doubtless 
 however you can explain it as the horse is there." 
 
 The owner said : " I can tell you nothing except 
 that the change was made at night while I was asleep. 
 When I got up the next morning and found my horse 
 gone and a strange one in its place, I thought it very 
 odd and at once went and told the headman of the 
 village. He advised me to look about in the neigh- 
 bourhood for a day or two, as he said he felt sure my 
 horse could not have strayed far." 
 
 Denzo said: " You are only making it worse by 
 your obstinacy. Many years ago there was a man, 
 
58 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 who left bis own horse oufc on a moor one day, and 
 stole a fine young one and put it in his stable. 
 Oh ! what a famous row there was, and how it was 
 talked of! You however say that you have had a 
 cheap horse stolen, and this good one left in its place. 
 What nonsense ! No one but a drunken horse-stealer 
 or one bewitched by foxes would do that ! The farmers 
 may swallow your story, but the judges will not be 
 fooled so easily. You will be surprised how soon the 
 truth will be found out. How comfortable you will feel 
 then ! " The owner trembled with fear and could not 
 answer. Seeing his advantage, Denzo said : " I 
 think I can quiet Mr. Genzo if you will return his 
 horse. If you will also give me three ryo for my 
 expenses, I will do my utmost to hush the whole 
 matter up, and will also try and find the horse you 
 say you have lost." Well pleased with this proposal, 
 the owner paid the three ryo without hesitation. 
 
 Denzo thereupon took the horse, and after sending 
 it back to Genzo, went on to Mr. Shoemon's house at 
 Daikata, and said : "I am the Sakura horse-inspector, 
 and have called to see you about a horse that was 
 stolen a few days since from the village of Amatsubo. 
 That horse there looks very much like it. Where did 
 you get it?" Shoernoii replied : " It was put in my 
 stable at night and my own horse was taken away." 
 Denzo hearing that, said : " That's very strange. A 
 person stealing a horse would hardly take the trouble 
 to put another in its place ; however, how much was 
 your horse worth?" Shoemon said: "About four 
 and a half or perhaps five ryo." Hearing that, 
 
DENZO GAINS NINE RYO. 59 
 
 Denzo said : " That looks bad. This horse is worth 
 nine or ten ryo at least. No one in his senses would 
 steal a cheap horse, and put a valuable one in its place. 
 We will soon show the world how horse-stealers are 
 treated in Amatsubo. If it is found in your possession, 
 you will be condemned at once, and that will be ten 
 thousand pities for you ; but I could perhaps settle the 
 whole thing if I were not so wretchedly poor." As he 
 said that, he scratched his head ; and Shoemon felt a 
 little more hopeful, and implored him to help him if he 
 possibly could. Denzo said : " I should dearly like to 
 help you, but the only way to do so is to stop the peti- 
 tion which has gone to Yedo, and that is very difficult 
 and cannot be done without money. If however you 
 can give me three ryo for my travelling expenses, and 
 will send back the horse you have taken ; I will do what 
 I can, and will also try and find your own horse." 
 Shoemon thought he was escaping no end of trouble, 
 and gladly paid the three ryo, and sent the horse back 
 to Amatsubo at once. Taking the money, Denzo went 
 to Iwatomi and sent Shoemon the horse Genzo had, 
 and thus settled everything. He had got nine ryo by 
 swindling and felt quite proud of himself. Fortunately 
 such audacity, boldness, and cunning are not often met 
 with ! 
 
60 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 DENZO STEALS MATSUSUKE'S HORSE, AND HAS HIM 
 ARRESTED. 
 
 Now in the town of Ghiba, there lived a man, named 
 Matsusuke, who made his living by letting out pack- 
 horses. He was very skilful in managing wild horses, 
 and had one which he had bought from Denzo, 
 which was so wild that the people called it, 
 " The Little Chestnut-coloured Demon." Now, as 
 Denzo was hurrying about day and night extort- 
 ing money, but never satisfied ; like a man who never 
 forgets the river where he has once caught carp ; his 
 eye fell on this horse, and he thought to himself : 
 " I will take it and put it in a strange stable, and then 
 go and tell the owner of the stable, it belongs to 
 Matsusuke, and ask how it came into his possession, 
 and threaten to have him punished for stealing it. In 
 this way I can perhaps manage to make five ryo." So 
 thinking, he took the horse out of Matsusuke's stable 
 and put it into an empty stable at Goimura in Kazusa, 
 belonging to a man named Shimbei. 
 
 Shimbei, seeing a strange horse in his stable, went 
 to look at it : but it became excited ; and, seizing him 
 by the shoulder, dragged him into its stall, and would 
 have killed him had not his servants run to his assist- 
 ance. As it was, his shoulder was so badly torn and 
 bitten that it took more than three months to heal. 
 
MATSUSUKE FINDS HIS HOUSE. 61 
 
 The horse always pranced and kicked furiously when- 
 ever the servants went to feed it ; so by degrees, they 
 stopped giving it anything but grass, which they threw 
 into its stable from a safe distance. Living in this 
 way, it quickly lost flesh and became wilder and wilder, 
 until at last Shimbei determined to get rid of it, and 
 put up a notice that he would give it away. 
 
 Hearing of Shimbei's offer, Matsusuke, who had now 
 missed his own horse for nearly three weeks, went to 
 Goimura thinking the horse that was to be given away 
 might possibly be the one he had lost so long. On look- 
 ing into the stable, what was his surprise to see it really 
 was his own horse ! Thinking he should gain posses- 
 sion of it more easily if he said nothing about its really 
 belonging to him, he simply told the master of the 
 house who he was, and that he had heard there was a 
 horse to be given away and had come to see it. 
 Shimbei said : " A little while since some one left a 
 horse in my stable one night. It was so wild that it bit 
 me when I went the next morning to look at it, and 
 you see the wound is not well yet. If you wish to 
 have it, I will give it you and will pay you fifty sen to- 
 wards its feed. Its owner must have left it here 
 because he was tired of it ; but it may have been stolen, 
 and if so, he may come later on to look for it, so if 
 you take it please give me a receipt." This put 
 Matsusuke in a difficulty as he did not know how to 
 write, and was ashamed to acknowledge his ignor- 
 ance ; but he tried to get out of it by saying he had not 
 brought his seal. Shimbei said, " That does not matter 
 at all ; the receipt will do just as well without." 
 
62 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 Still more embarrassed, Matsusuke asked to be allowed 
 to try the horse, and they went to the stable together. 
 
 As soon as it caught sight of Matsusuke, it became 
 quiet and allowed him to lead it out without making 
 any resistance. The villagers had seen him come and 
 had crowded together round the gate, saying : " Ah ! 
 he lias come for the wild horse ! What a man he is ! 
 However good he may be at managing horses, it is 
 dangerous work for him to try and tackle such a brute !" 
 Not seeming to notice them, Matsusuke stroked the 
 horse's back. The people stood round, wondering whe- 
 ther he would dare to ride without either saddle or whip, 
 when all at once he jumped on and galloped off like a 
 swallow. They were all dumbfounded to see him ride 
 so well, but Shimbei resolved to find out more about 
 him, and the next day gave some money to one of his 
 servants, and sent him to Chiba to enquire. 
 
 Now it chanced that Deuzo had started out that 
 morning intending to extort some money from Shim- 
 bei, but 011 the way called on Matsusuke to ask about 
 his horse. On reaching the house, imagine his sur- 
 prise to see it in the stable. When asked whether it 
 had not been stolen, Matsusuke said : " Yes : it was, 
 and the thief left it in a stable in Groimura belonging 
 to a Mr. Shimbei. He, being badly bitten, was in 
 such a fright that he was only too glad to give it away. 
 I got it from him without even saying it was mine." 
 Denzo said : " You are a silly to take back a horse 
 that had been stolen from you without saying it was 
 yours and asking how it had got into his stable. You 
 could not have acted more foolishly. You have taken 
 
DENZO VISITS MATSUSUKE. 63 
 
 it without investigation, and in so doing have com- 
 mitted a great crime." 
 
 As they were talking, Shimbei's servant came in and 
 said to Matsusuke : " I am so sorry I did not have the 
 pleasure of speaking to you when you were in Goimura 
 yesterday. My name is Kumazo. I have brought 
 the money Mr. Shimbei promised you and shall be 
 glad to have the receipt for the horse he gave you." 
 Matsusuke replied that he would be glad to give the 
 receipt but could not take the money. 
 
 Denzo had stayed in the room and now broke in 
 saying : " Oh ! You are Mr. Shimbei's servant, are 
 you ? I am the new horse-inspector. I hear your 
 master has given a horse to Mr. Matsusuke. Some 
 time since I sold the very same one to him, but some 
 one stole it and put it into your master's stable ; and I 
 cannot understand either why he should give it away, 
 or why Mr. Matsusuke should have taken it without 
 saying it was his. It must be looked into. In the 
 meantime, your master must keep the horse, and I will 
 take charge of that money until the thief is found." 
 With these words, he snatched the silver from Kumazo 
 and put it in his bosom. 
 
 Kumazo became very angry at that, and said : 
 " What kind of a man are you ? Even if you are the 
 Sakura horse-inspector, you have no business meddling 
 here. If it is your business to catch horse-stealers, keep 
 to that. You have no right to that money. My master- 
 told me to give it to Mr. Matsusuke, and I have not the 
 face to go home and tell him you have taken it. If you 
 do not give it up instantly, I shall have to make you." 
 
64 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 At that, Denzo burst out in a mocking laugh and 
 replied : " Lift your little ringer if you dare. Did you 
 never hear of me before ? Do you not know that I am 
 at the head of all the horse-dealers, and could if I chose 
 trample on every one in this neighbourhood ? This 
 money would not be safe with either of you, so I will 
 keep it. To tell you the truth, perhaps your master 
 stole the horse, but found it so wild that he was forced 
 to give it away. Matsusuke's conduct looks suspicious 
 too, for perhaps he was tired of it and put it in your 
 master's stable to frighten him, and make him pay 
 him something to take it away." 
 
 Matsusuke said : " My horse is not meant for 
 riding on. Indeed, beside you and me, no one in this 
 neighbourhood has ever used it, so what could I hope 
 to gain by putting it in anybody else's stable ? By 
 suggesting such a thing, you lay yourself open to 
 suspicion. If we are tried, you will have to be tried 
 too, and then the thief will soon be found." Denzo 
 got very angry at that, and so the dispute became 
 hotter and hotter. 
 
 The villagers and farmers, hearing what was going 
 on, left their work and ran to help Matsusuke. Several 
 of them took part in the dispute, and it seemed 
 almost settled, when all at once Denzo began using 
 such violent and abusive language that all the villagers 
 said he was drunk and three or four of them seized 
 him by the nape of the neck. Dragging him out of 
 the house with kicks and blows, they took the money 
 he had taken from Kumazo out of his pocket-book, 
 saying they would send it back to its owner for him. 
 
MATSUSUKE ARRESTED. 65 
 
 Then putting the pocket-book back in his bosom, they 
 began beating him more furiously even than before. 
 Finding this far from pleasant, Denzo, as soon as he 
 saw an opportunity, ran sneaking off, threatening what 
 he would do to them all, but especially to Matsusuke. 
 Going straight to Ikeura, he at once entered a com- 
 plaint. 
 
 In the meantime, the young men sent Kumazo the 
 money they had taken from Denzo ; but he refused it, 
 knowing how displeased his master would be if he took 
 it after being ordered so positively to give it to Matsu- 
 suke. It was then sent to Matsusuke, but he refused 
 it so decidedly, that at last Kumazo took it; and going 
 to Matsusuke, with great difficulty persuaded him to 
 take it to buy some wine for the young men, who had 
 helped them. 
 
 The following day, four foot-soldiers arrived ; and, 
 amid much excitement, arrested Matsusuke. The 
 village officials met at once to consider the matter ; but, 
 not knowing the facts of the case, were unable for some 
 time to come to any decision. Fortunately, however, 
 the young men, who had attacked Denzo, went to 
 Chuzo's house and told him all about the dispute. On 
 hearing that, the officials said : " From what you say, 
 it is clear that Denzo was angry and felt himself in 
 such danger that he determined to save himself by 
 arresting Matsusuke at once. If he had been arrested 
 in the ordinary way, his case would have been brought 
 before us first. Our best plan is to write a petition 
 praying that mercy may be shown him. At the same 
 time, he can tell just how it all happened; so that, if 
 
66 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 the gods graciously lodge in his honest head, he is sure 
 to be set free." They drew up the petition at once 
 and sent it to the Sakura Office but it was refused. 
 
 As soon as Matsusuke was brought in, Denzo had 
 gone to Ikeura, saying : " It will not do to try this 
 fellow. That would only disgrace the District and 
 bring discredit on our lord. The best way is just to 
 imprison him till he dies. When he is dead, we can 
 call the officials together and tell them all about his 
 crime and sentence." Ikeura did not care what was 
 done with him, and so let Denzo have his way. Over 
 three weeks went by, but still there was no notice of 
 the trial, and Matsusuke's wife and children were re- 
 duced to great want. After thinking the whole matter 
 over, Chuzo wrote the following petition, and sent 
 Matsusuke's wife with it to the yashiki in Yedo. 
 
 " I am Miyo, the wife of Matsusuke of 
 Chiba, and beg to inform you that some time 
 ago my husband bought a horse from a man, 
 named Denzo, who last year was made horse- 
 inspector in this District. This horse was 
 stolen by some one on the 20th of July, and 
 was put into a stable at Goimura in Kazusa, 
 belonging to a Mr. Shimbei. He put up a 
 notice saying he wished to give it away, and 
 my husband Matsusuke went to his house 
 and got it. For this, Denzo has had him 
 arrested ; and he has now been more than 
 three weeks in prison, without being tried. I 
 have several times sent petitions to the 
 officials ; but they have all been refused, and 
 
MATSUSUKE'S WIFE PRESENTS A. PETITION. 67 
 
 so I am reluctantly compelled to trouble you. 
 I shall be most happy to furnish any other 
 information you may require, though I am but 
 a woman. Be pleased therefore in your great 
 mercy to receive this my petition, and have 
 my husband brought to trial. I send this in 
 fear and trembling, earnestly beseeching you 
 to hear me." 
 
 The above petition was addressed to Watanabe and 
 Hara, and was endorsed by the chief men of Chiba. 
 Put up just like an ordinary letter, Miyo took it to the 
 gate of the yashiki in Yedo, and delivered it to the 
 porter, who, thinking it was only a letter, took it at 
 once to Watanabe's house. He opened it and read it, 
 and after sending a guide with Miyo to the hotel, 
 took the letter and showed it to Kozuke no Suke, who 
 read it through, and then said : " The affairs of 
 my dominions are all in the hands of the provincial 
 officials. You had better send the letter to them." 
 Watanabe did not see what use that would be ; but, not 
 knowing what was the best course to take, he went to 
 the house of one of the ministers, named Kojima, and 
 conferred with him. After talking the matter over, 
 they concluded that the unjust government of the 
 officers under Ikeura had provoked the petition ; and 
 Kojima went, and proposed to Kozuke no Suke, that 
 an officer should be sent to Sakura to investigate the 
 matter. Kozuke no Suke was quite willing, and at 
 once ordered Watanabe and Hara to decide who 
 should go. After conferring together, they resolved 
 to send Takamachi, who, though only a young hand, 
 
68 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 seemed very capable and intelligent, and would they 
 thought soon settle it. Watauabe therefore explained 
 to him the good and bad points of the provincial 
 officials, showed him the dangers that might arise, and 
 then sent him off. 
 
 Matsusuke's wife had received her passport and 
 been ordered to go home at once, so she set out fall of 
 thankfulness, and hurrying on to Funabashi, waited 
 there for Takamachi. As she did not know him by 
 sight, she waited till some one came along, whom she 
 thought was him, and then ran out and told him who 
 she was. Takamachi told her it was awkward to talk 
 there in the road, but promised to see her later. On 
 reaching Chuzo's house, he sent for her and asked her 
 why she had made the complaint, and whether she 
 had been directed to do so by the headman. She 
 answered : " Numerous petitions had already been 
 sent to the Sakura Office by the village officials, but 
 they had all been refused. I was very poor, and 
 though I worked incessantly, could not earn enough for 
 food. My aged mother is not strong, and when I saw 
 how she suffered, I could bear it no longer, and de- 
 termined to go to Yedo and present a petition t'o Mr. 
 Watanabe. I am extremely grateful to you for having 
 so kindly come, and hope you will do your best for me." 
 
 Takamachi, thereupon called Chuzo, and said : " If it 
 is as Miyo has just stated, there must have been some 
 grievous mismanagement on your part. Stealing is a 
 serious crime, and it is monstrous to leave a man ac- 
 cused of such a crime so long untried. Besides, some 
 say that he is really innocent and has been wrongly 
 
TAKAMACHI GOES TO SAKURA. 69 
 
 arrested. The trial must take place early to-morrow, 
 so write out this petition at once, and address it to 
 the Examiner's Office, and add your name and that of 
 the District Officer as the petitioners. Chuzo assent- 
 ed ; and after rewriting it, gave it back to Takamachi, 
 who took it the following day to Sakura, and asked 
 the officials there about it. 
 
 Having heard of his coming, Ikeura, coward that he 
 was, stayed at home, pretending to be ill. The other 
 officials had heard indeed of Matsusuke's imprisonment, 
 but knew nothing of Denzo's doings, and so could 
 make nothing of Takamachi 'a questions. Ikeura was 
 much vexed that he had come and sent him word 
 through Kanazawa, saying : " I am the governor here. 
 There is no reason for you to come all the way from 
 Yedo to superintend this trial. It is my duty to see 
 to it, so you had much better go home at once." 
 Takamachi replied : " The affairs of our lord's domi- 
 nions are indeed entrusted to you. What is the reason 
 for the long delay there has been in this case ? There 
 has been time already for two or three trials, so I 
 have been sent to take charge of it." Turning to 
 Kanazawa, he then asked him for the particulars 
 about Matsusuke, the Chiba horse-stealer, and on 
 whose accusation he had been arrested. Fearino- 
 
 o 
 
 to incriminate himself or Ikeura if he mentioned 
 Denzo's name, Kanazawa said : " The foot-soldiers 
 arrested him." On that, Takamachi asked for the 
 official papers they had. Kanazawa knew there 
 were none, and so was in a fix how to reply and hung 
 his head. 
 
70 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 Takamachi, suspecting he bad not got to the bottom 
 of it, summoned the captain of the foot-soldiers and 
 the four men who had arrested Matsusuke. When 
 they arrived, he said to them : " I hear you arrested 
 a horse-stealer at Chiba recently, named Matsusuke. 
 On whose accusation was he arrested, or was he taken 
 simply on suspicion? Was he examined by the Chiba 
 officials before being brought here? Tell me all about 
 his arrest, and whether there were any official papers." 
 The captain replied : " Well, 1 arrested him by Mr. 
 Kanazawa's directions and was told to mind and make 
 no mistake about it as the governor had ordered it 
 done." Turning to Kanazawa, Takamachi said : "So: 
 .you gave the order, did you ? You must have had some 
 reason for doing so. The trial will take place to- 
 morrow in the grounds of the prison, and I hope you 
 will go with me, and advise me how to act." 
 
 Kanazawa could hardly collect his thoughts, he was 
 so perplexed ; but, feeling that his only chance of escape 
 lay in putting all the blame on Ikeura, he said : " Just 
 now, when I spoke to the governor, he said that he 
 thought you had much better go back home. As he 
 hesitates to arrange for the trial, I can do nothing." 
 Takamachi said : " No, no, not so. Don't make such 
 trifling excuses. Is not Matsusuke under your special 
 jurisdiction ? I have come here to attend this trial, 
 and cannot possibly consent to postpone it simply 
 because the governor refuses to give me any informa- 
 tion as to the rights and wrongs of the case. Re- 
 member that it is to take place to-morrow." Kana- 
 zawa was silent, thinking it useless to say more ; but 
 
DENZO HIGHLY HONOURED. 71 
 
 Kanzaki, who was sitting on one side, seeing his 
 difficulty, said : " As Mr. Kanazawa does not wish 
 to act with us, let us take Mr. Ono instead ; and as 
 the trial is to take place to-morrow, let us go home 
 now." On hearing these peaceable words, Kanazawa, 
 fortunately for himself, left the Office without further 
 parley. 
 
 CHAPTEK X. 
 
 DENZO is BANISHED AND MATSUSUKE SET FREE. 
 
 When Matsusuke was arrested, nearly all the officials 
 at once concluded he was guilty ; and, not only did 
 they praise D.enzo loudly for his skill in catching such a 
 scoundrel ; hut they actually refused to rest until they 
 had obtained leave for him to wear a sword. More- 
 over, Ikeura arranged for him to work under Kanazawa 
 so as to give more authority to his acts ; but though a 
 bat has wings and can fly like a swallow, it can never 
 become a bird : and so, though Denzo wore two swords 
 like a warrior, his character had not improved at all ; 
 but he behaved just as he did when only a horse-dealer. 
 Very proud indeed did he feel of his new honours, and 
 thought that now at any rate, he would find no difficulty 
 in extorting from Sogoro the tax on the horse he was 
 said to have bought. He would thus not only gain 
 some money for himself, but would also curry favour 
 with Kanazawa, who felt, he knew, not a little vexed 
 with Sogoro for having stopped his journey through 
 the villages and would be glad to see him worsted. 
 
72 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 With these thoughts, he went at OUCH to Sogoro's 
 house, and hegan as usual boasting how he had been 
 appointed horse-inspector, and was terribly wild when 
 Sogoro flatly refused to pay him any taxes at all. As 
 they talked, the farmers collected in crowds, becoming 
 more and more excited as time went on. Seeing them, 
 Sogoro glared fiercely at Denzo, and said roughly : 
 1 You are certainly an impostor. If you had been sent 
 from the Sakura Office, they would have sent me word 
 first. If this tax is in order, I am the one who should 
 collect it, not you. I will have you arrested." As he 
 said that, the farmers rushed out and seized Denzo's 
 sword and books; and, binding him with a rough 
 rope, dragged him off to Sakura. 
 
 That same morning, Takamachi had gone quite early 
 to the Office to see about Matsusuke's trial ; but had 
 had to wait some time for the other officials, who came 
 in one by one later. Hardly had he begun conferring 
 with them, when one of them said an accusation had 
 come in from Sogoro of Upper Iwahashi. On enquiry 
 he found that Sogoro had sent word that he had an ac- 
 cusation to make and was coming to the Office. He 
 arrived soon after, and Kanazawa at once asked him 
 what he had come about. He replied : " Some time 
 ago I heard it said that Denzo, the horse-dealer, 
 was going round imposing on the people, and boasting 
 that he had been ordered to raise taxes from all the 
 villages in the district, but I paid no attention to these 
 reports. A few days since however, to my great sur- 
 prise, I heard that he had been given the Office Seal 
 and Register, and allowed to wear a sword. He came 
 
SOGOEO TAKES DENZO TO SAKURA. 73 
 
 to my house yesterday and tried to extort some money 
 from me, so I seized him and have brought him here, 
 and respectfully ask that he may be tried." 
 
 Hearing that, Kanazawa turned pale and waited 
 some time wondering how he could possibly escape from 
 this new difficulty. At last he said : " Matsusuke, 
 who was arrested some time since at Chiba, is to be 
 tried to-day. We are all very busy and cannot now 
 attend to your case ; you must take charge of your 
 prisoner yourself for the present." Sogoro was always 
 inclined to be too yielding ; so, though he did not at 
 all like the idea, he said : " If you will give me an order 
 for his imprisonment, I will take him and bring him 
 some other time when you have more leisure. I should 
 however much prefer that you took charge of him as I 
 have no place suitable, and am afraid the farmers will 
 let him escape." Thinking how convenient that would 
 be, Kanazawa said : " You would not be blamed if he 
 did run away." Hearing that, Takamachi, who was 
 sitting by, thought : " That sounds suspicious. Pro- 
 bably this is the way he always acts. As I passed 
 through Chiba, I heard the people talking about this 
 Denzo as if he was one of Kanazawa's followers. If 
 he is, we shall have hard work to find out the truth 
 about the horse-stealing. I will try him first." 
 Turning to Kanazawa, he said : " Mr. Chuzo told me 
 something about this fellow. He has, it seems been 
 going, about through the country, extorting taxes on the 
 horses, taking it is said, as much as three momme on 
 each one. Say what you will, horse-dealers are often 
 horse-stealers. Order him taken to the prison at once. 
 
74 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 I have made up my mind to try him and Matsusnke 
 together." 
 
 At that, the perspiration stood out on Kanazawa's 
 forehead, and he replied : " I will try Denzo myself; 
 but Matsusuke, whom you are concerned about, must 
 be tried first." Takarnachi said : " Are not the two 
 cases connected in some way ? There has been great 
 negligence somewhere or I should not be here. 
 Denzo's case may be very difficult to settle as he has 
 been going about through the country with a forged 
 Office Seal. In any case they must both be tried at the 
 same time, and in the same room." Kanazawa said : 
 '* Did not you entrust the whole matter to Mr. Ono, 
 and now you say that they must both be tried in the 
 same room ? " Takamachi replied : " Mr. Ono is to 
 attend to Matsusuke's trial. Denzo's trial is a separate 
 matter. It is quite easy to arrange to have them 
 both in the same room ; you are afraid of something, 
 and are only injuring yourself by your efforts to escape. 
 I will go to Mr. Ono. Send Mr. Sogoro to me." 
 
 Sogoro had gone to the Office in ignorance that any 
 petition had been sent to Yedo ; but on seeing Taka- 
 machi, he understood at once that he had come to try 
 Matsusuke. He had arrested Denzo and brought him 
 to the Office, simply to save the farmers having to pay 
 taxes on their horses, and not with any desire of having 
 him punished. But he saw clearly that if Denzo was 
 tried by Takamachi, he would confess everything and 
 would thus bring Ikeura and Kanazawa into trouble 
 as well. As he was racking his brains, trying to 
 devise some way by which all three of them could 
 
SOGOEO ACCUSES DENZO. 75 
 
 escape, Takarnachi called him, and asked him what 
 Denzo had said, and how he had hehaved when he 
 called at his house. 
 
 Sogoro replied : " He called to see me about a 
 horse he heard I had bought, and told me to pay him 
 three momme in silver. I could not understand his 
 demand at all, and thought he was imposing on me, as 
 I had never heard of such a tax before. On looking at 
 the Register he had with him, I saw on the front cover 
 the words, " Register of Cattle and Horses "; and on 
 the back cover, " Sakura Office." In addition to this, 
 it was stamped with the great seal, but only the one 
 word " Denzo " was written at the side without any 
 surname. Thinking this looked suspicious, I began 
 questioning him ; and while I was doing so, several of 
 the farmers came up, and said : " That is Denzo, the 
 horse-dealer. He spends his time going round the 
 country, cheating people. He is a regular swindler." 
 On considering the matter carefully, I could see no 
 reason why horses should be taxed, as all the farmers 
 use them in order the better to support their families. 
 I therefore arrested him and brought him here as I 
 thought if I did not, he would go on cheating others. 
 I therefore ask you to hand him over to me, and 
 authorize me to issue a notice about him to set the 
 farmers' minds at rest." 
 
 Takamachi did not himself care to go into it further 
 than he need for fear of discovering more crimes, and 
 so turned to the other officials and asked what they 
 thought of Sogoro's request. Not knowing how they 
 might themselves fare if it was investigated further, 
 
76 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 they clenched their hands till the sweat came, and said 
 it was best to leave it to Sogoro. How fortunate it 
 was for them that Sogoro had proposed such a thing ! 
 And how wonderfully relieved they all felt when Taka- 
 machi decided to follow his suggestion, and told him 
 to write a proclamation and have it sent out at once ! 
 Accordingly he wrote as follows : 
 PROCLAMATION. 
 
 During the last few months a horse-dealer, 
 named Denzo, has been going about through 
 this District with the Register of Cattle and 
 Horses, extorting a tax of three momme in 
 silver from every one who had bought any 
 horses. He has just been arrested at Upper 
 Iwahashi and has been brought here by 
 Sogoro. If he were brought to trial, he would 
 certainly be severely punished for his crimes ; 
 but at Sogoro's request, he is handed over to 
 him. If however he should ever again venture 
 into this District, he is to be seized and 
 brought to this Office at once. 
 
 SAKURA OFFICE. 
 
 Takamachi approved of the above proclamation and 
 had it copied and sealed with the Office Seal, and then 
 gave it to Sogoro. As the news spread through the vil- 
 lages, how the eyes of all the farmers glistened with 
 joy ! And how the people did praise Sogoro, not only 
 for the intelligence and bravery he had shown, but 
 also for the way in which he had let both Ikeura and 
 Kanazawa escape and saved even Denzo's life ! That 
 day had all been spent in attending to Sogoro's com- 
 
F 
 
 &*' 
 
 %&? 
 & 
 
 .< jt 
 
 fiC 
 
 Vr-~ 
 
 u^: , 
 
 -mr as 
 
 f^F* ' ^C^\ ' 
 
 |l. 
 
 psfiS^* -^ * 
 
DENZO BANISHED. 77 
 
 plaint, so Matsusuke's trial was put off till the next, 
 and every one left the Office. 
 
 After confiscating Denzo's swords and register, 
 Sogoro showed him the proclamation, and said : " No- 
 body at the Office seems to know anything about this 
 register that you said they gave you. As soon as I men- 
 tioned it, they all said it was forged and were very 
 angry with you. They were just deciding to try you, 
 when I, knowing you would be condemned to death, 
 asked them to hand you over to me ; and this, fortu- 
 nately for you, they at last decided to do. You must go 
 away from here, but you can live wherever you like, so 
 long as you keep out of this District ; and lucky indeed 
 you may think yourself to escape so easily." Almost 
 beside himself with vexation, Denzo ground his teeth, 
 saying : " Ikeura might have told them about me and 
 saved me this disgrace. He has duped me terribly." 
 
 Sogoro took no notice of his anger, but calling the 
 town officer and some coolies, told them to take Denzo 
 to the frontier and banish him. Very glad to hear 
 that, they lost no time in setting to work. The 
 children ran after him beating the ground with split 
 bamboos, and some who were fond of fun picked up old 
 horse-shoes and put them on his head for a crown, 
 while others hung rotten mats on his shoulders for a 
 robe. One made him hold an old horse bone in his 
 hand as a sceptre, and another fastened a horse rib 
 curved like a sword to his girdle, and all of them 
 shouted : " What province are you banished to, you 
 poor nobleman ? We do feel so sorry for you ! " 
 Then they ran home laughing. 
 
78 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 The people at the next village had hated him in- 
 tensely for a long time, and threw stones at him as soon 
 as they saw him coming. As he passed, they also spat in 
 his face ; so that the officials hardly knew what to do, 
 and threatened to arrest them if they did not stop. 
 After this they were less violent, and continued becom- 
 ing quieter the further he went ; but as he reached the 
 frontier and was being unbound, a crowd gathered 
 round, saying : "Do cut off both his anus before you 
 let him go, otherwise he is sure to steal again." The 
 attendants had not a little difficulty in protecting him, 
 but at last they drove the crowd back, and thus 
 enabled him to escape across the frontier. 
 
 When Sogoro took the things he had taken from 
 Denzo to the Office, it was seen that the seal on the 
 Register was the proper seal and that the writing on 
 it was Mitsuhashi's. As he was working under Kana- 
 zawa, it was clear that Denzo had been employed by 
 Kanazawa. The officials however said nothing, 
 knowing what a row there would be if it was closely 
 investigated. 
 
 That morning, Takamachi had gone to the prison 
 with Ono to try Matsusuke. On their asking him if 
 he knew why he had been arrested, he told them 
 about his horse, and added : " Denzo was, I know, 
 very angry at the way he was treated, and that I think 
 is the reason he had me arrested. I therefore beg 
 that he may be summoned and tried." Takamachi 
 replied : " He has already been arrested and banished, 
 so I do not know where he is now." Matsusuke 
 ground his teeth at hearing that, and said : " To think 
 
MATSUSUKE LIBERATED. 79 
 
 that he should have kept me in prison all this time, 
 and now I cannot punish him ! " Ono said : " He is 
 no rohher. He has been imposed upon hy Denzo. It 
 is better to hand him over to the Chiba officials for the 
 present." Takamachi approved of that and summoned 
 Genzo at once. In reply to their enquiries, he said : 
 " When Denzo brought back the horse I had lost, he 
 did not say where he had found it; but only, that the 
 one in my stable belonged to Mr. Shoemon of Daikata 
 in Kazusa, and that he would take it back to him if I 
 paid him three ryo for his expenses." 
 
 Hearing that, one of the under officers went at once 
 to Daikata and learned from Shoemon that, on his pay- 
 ing three ryo his own horse had been brought back, 
 and he had been told that the one that had been put 
 in its place belonged to some one in Amatsubo. The 
 officer therefore went on to Amatsubo, and found that 
 three ryo had also been extorted from there. Thus he 
 clearly understood that the horses had been changed 
 in three different places, and took written declarations 
 from both places back to the court. 
 
 Takamachi and Ono were both much astonished 
 at his story, and were amazed at the daring acts of 
 Denzo. Fully convinced now of Matsusuke's inno- 
 cence, they ordered the Chiba officials to escort him 
 home. Then summoning the captain of the foot- 
 soldiers, they ordered him to send the four men who 
 had arrested Matsusuke to prison for fifty days ; but 
 he demurred, saying : " They only 'obeyed Mr. Kana- 
 .zawa's orders and deserve to be rewarded rather than 
 punished." 
 
80 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 Hearing that, Takamachi turned to Kanazawa, and 
 said : " We have just been informed that you gave 
 the order for Mr. Matsusuke's arrest. On what grounds 
 did you do so?" Kanazawa broke out into a hot 
 sweat all over and was speechless. Ono urged him to 
 answer, telling him how very impolite it was of him to 
 hesitate as he was doing, so at last he said : "I cannot 
 explain it. I did not give the order on my own 
 authority, but was directed to do so by Mr. Ikeura." 
 " Then go," said Ono, " and ask him about it." As there 
 was no way of escape, Kanazawa rose slowly from the 
 table and went. Greatly surprised was Ikeura to hear 
 that things had taken such a serious turn ! Far too 
 cowardly to show himself, he told Kanazawa to say 
 that he was extremely ill and quite unable to attend to 
 anything. 
 
 On hearing that, Takamachi said : " As nothing can 
 be done now, I shall go back to Yedo and come back 
 again as soon as I hear the governor has recovered. 
 You must be confined to your house till my return." 
 These orders he gave, thinking : " Ikeura will be too 
 much afraid ever to let it be known that he has re- 
 covered from his present pretended illness ; so, if 
 Kanazawa is kept in confinement till then, neither one 
 of them will be able to trouble the District any more." 
 With these thoughts, he went back to Yedo with an 
 easy mind. 
 
KANAZAWA SENDS FOE MITSUHASHI. 81 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 IKEURA EECOVERS AND GOES TO YEDO, WHERE HE 
 
 OBTAINS KOZUKE NO SUKE'S SANCTION 
 
 TO THE EXTRA TAXES. 
 
 The song says : " It is easier to follow the lion's 
 head than to blow the flute or heat the drum "; and 
 so those, who have only light duties, are not usually 
 troubled with anxiety. Ikeura filled the post of 
 governor in a large district, and Kanazawa was the 
 next in authority ; yet, as recorded in the last chapter, 
 Ikeura pretended to be ill, and Kanazawa would riot 
 answer Takamachi's questions, but behaved in a most 
 unseemly manner. Mitsuhashi, who was working under 
 Kanazawa, had considerable ability and could have 
 helped him ; but as his advice was not asked, he left 
 his master to do the best he could. 
 
 After the trial, Kanazawa sent for him, and told him 
 what had taken place, and added : " The writing on the 
 cover of the Eegister was yours, and Mr. Takamachi 
 has taken it with him to Yedo, and intends coming 
 back as soon as he hears the governor is able to attend 
 to business. The Governor however dreads his return, 
 and will most likely resign, but I do not know what 
 to do. Haven't you a good plan to propose?" 
 
 Mitsuhashi clenched his fists, and replied : " What 
 a silly you are ! You have brought all this trouble on 
 
82 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 yourself by your stupidity ; and now you act like a 
 man, who, on hearing the baby cry, regrets that he had 
 no opportunity of using anything to hasten delivery. 
 Why did you not tell me about this before ? If you 
 had only done so, I could have shown you a way out 
 of your difficulty. With what pleasure you must now 
 look forward to the governor's recovery ! You girded 
 on your sword this morning with the spirit of a war- 
 rior, didn't you ? " 
 
 Even these words failed to rouse Kanazawa, he was 
 so chicken-hearted. Very unkind indeed did he think 
 it of Mitsuhashi to speak to him as he had done. 
 Indeed, he felt like a man who had gone out to buy 
 some medicine, and had been given a poisonous snake 
 instead. Seeing his downcast looks, Mitsuhashi 
 concluded he was a coward and left him to himself, 
 thinking an attempt to rouse him would be like trying 
 to sound a gong by striking it with a straw. 
 
 Going at once to Ikeura's house, he sent in word 
 that he wished to see him privately. Ikeura guessed 
 what he had come about and invited him into his 
 room. Mitsuhashi said : " I have just come from Mr. 
 Kanazawa's house, we have been talking about the 
 position matters are in at present. If he had only told 
 me as soon as Denzo was arrested, this trouble would 
 never have happened. When the governor of a large 
 district like this is so narrow-minded and stupid, and 
 acts so like a coward, he cannot help making a great 
 many blunders. Even though my writing is on the 
 Register, I had nothing at all to do with taxing the 
 horses. I had heard that there were a great many 
 
MITSUBISHI'S ADVICE TO IKEURA. 83 
 
 horse-stealers about ; and so, when Denzo asked for 
 the Kegister, I gave it him at once, and told him that 
 if he acted honestly, I would see that he was allowed 
 regular rations. There was some delay about this, 
 however ; and so, being short of money, he doubtless 
 extorted extra taxes. You had better summon him 
 and give him his rations, and tell him that he 
 must not receive any presents whatever from the 
 farmers. He will be very glad to have the rations, and 
 the taxes will then be his own idea, and he will of 
 course have to bear all responsibility arising from them. 
 If you like, you can also say, that Matsusuke's imprison- 
 ment was all his doing, and leave them to settle it 
 between themselves. If Matsusuke is convicted ; all 
 you have to say is, that if Denzo acts so selfishly, he 
 must cease being horse-inspector. You can then stop 
 his rations and expel him from the District. If you do 
 this, he can feel no ill-will towards you, and Matsu- 
 suke will surely not complain if he is tried and found 
 innocent. Mr. Sogoro simply wishes to put an end 
 to the raising of this tax ; and so, if you tell him that 
 it was all Denzo's doing and has now been stopped, 
 he will be quite satisfied. We will praise Mr. Taka- 
 machi for his skill in conducting the trial, and for the 
 justice of his decision ; and that will please him very 
 much, and no blame will fall on any of the other 
 officials. Such a course would not of course be 
 honest, but you must confess that it would insure the 
 safety of all concerned. Your cowardice in putting off 
 the settlement of this trouble will surely not help 
 you in the end. I cannot stay and drown with you, 
 
84 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 but will escape from this pool of misery to a land of 
 happiness." 
 
 Ikeura did not show how much these words pained 
 him, but simply said : " I do not consider the matter 
 so serious, I have been very ill and am sorry to hear 
 that such things have happened but it cannot be helped 
 now. I intend to resign at once and Mr. Kanazawa 
 will have to do the same ; but I think you had much 
 better go away at once, as I should be extremely 
 sorry if you, with all your wisdom and polite accom- 
 plishments, were ruined by your connection with this 
 affair. Here are ten ryo, and although it is very little, 
 it will perhaps come in useful towards buying an 
 outfit suitable for your new position ; and I hope 
 you will always let me know whenever you need my 
 help, as I shall be only too glad to do anything I 
 can for you." 
 
 Mitsuhashi however refused all his kind offers, saying 
 that he did not need to trouble him. He then went 
 home and fled away with his wife and children that 
 same night. When Ikeura heard of his flight, he 
 laughed in his sleeve, and sent for Kanazawa ; and 
 after telling him about it, said : " Now we must go to 
 the Office and attend to our duties; and tell all the 
 officials that Den zo and Mitsuhashi together plotted the 
 raising of the taxes on the cattle and horses ; and the 
 latter, knowing he could not clear himself, has run away. 
 His escaping thus unpunished is all due to Mr. Takama- 
 chi's uncalled for interference coming here as he did, 
 and attempting to investigate a case, about which he 
 knew absolutely nothing." 
 
IKEURA VISITS KOZUKE NO SUKE. 85 
 
 The rebellion which had broken out in Amakusa 
 was soon stopped, and the country restored to quiet ; 
 but for some time strict search continued to be made 
 for rebels ; and the great military bouses, not only re- 
 doubled their diligence in drilling their cavalry, but also 
 gave money to their retainers for war supplies, so that 
 they might be ready at once in case of emergency. 
 
 Now Hotta Kozuke no Suke was just thinking of 
 doing likewise, when Ikeura arrived from the province 
 and asked to see him. Being naturally very proud, 
 he readily believed all Ikeura told him about the tax- 
 ing of the cattle and horses, and the horse-stealing 
 being all Mitsuhasni's doing. When he had finished 
 his story, Kozuke no Suke asked him what he thought 
 about furnishing the retainers with war supplies. At 
 that Ikeura was very glad, and said : " I am but one 
 official, but it seems to me that though the country is 
 now free from war, the rebels are only hiding waiting 
 their opportunity to rise. I do not think you should 
 rest satisfied until your store-houses are filled with 
 money for military supplies, and all your retainers are 
 supplied. Now your father governed so humanely 
 that Heishichi of Kamio and Yoshimatsu of Sakura 
 gave me some time since small sums of money as 
 thank-offerings for his kindness. They were given 
 before your father's death, and so I do not suppose 
 you ever heard of them ; but I now mention them to 
 show you that, if all who build houses, become sons- 
 in-law, or are adopted as sons had to pay a trifle, 
 your treasury would be kept supplied and your 
 retainers would be enabled to go rapidly forward with 
 
8b LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 their preparations." Kozuke no Suke was not a little 
 pleased and almost without thought told him to do as 
 he thought best. 
 
 Ikeura went back immediately to Sakura. and told 
 Kanazawa what he had done. Kanazawa's joy knew 
 no bounds, indeed he felt like another man and lost no 
 time in again taking up his duties. The two at once 
 gave orders to the headmen in the District that all those 
 who built houses, became sons-in-law, or were adopted 
 as sons must pay taxes. All the money that Ikeura had 
 before extorted for thank-offerings he had used for 
 himself; but he now replaced part of it, and sent it to 
 Kozuke no Suke, who was much pleased to receive it 
 and thought what a faithful servant Ikeura was. How 
 sadly he was deceived ! 
 
 When Ikeura next went to Yedo and Kozuke no 
 Suke praised him for his faithfulness, he shed hypocrit- 
 ical tears, and said, " Oh ! how unworthy I am to be 
 honoured with your thanks! To your exceeding 
 kindness alone is it "due that I and in fact all your 
 retainers are favoured to live in peace. I am ashamed 
 that you should praise me for such an insignificant 
 service. The farmers were very thankful to hear of 
 your great generosity, and have worked their utmost, 
 hoping to send you some money ; but we must re- 
 member that bad crops will be coming some time, and 
 the tenant farmers will then require assistance what- 
 ever may be the state of your treasury at the time. 
 What do you wish to do about this ? " Hearing that, 
 Kozuke no Suke became impatient, and said : " Is not 
 that your business ? You need not trouble me about 
 
KOZUKE NO SUKE GIVES IKEUKA A FREE HAND. 87 
 
 that ; you have charge of the District. The people 
 must of course be helped in some way or other." 
 
 This order was to Ikeura like telling a monkey to 
 climb trees. Much pleased, he hastened back to 
 Sakura, and said to Kanazawa : " As there will probably 
 be a famine some time in the District, and the farm- 
 ers will then be in great trouble ; our lord wishes us 
 now to make preparations to help them, by making 
 them pay larger taxes whenever they have good crops. 
 You must therefore do your utmost to carry out his 
 wishes, not only for his sake, but also for the sake 
 of the farmers themselves." Kanazawa thought it 
 was really their lord's orders ; and so carefully 
 considered the matter, and examined into the con- 
 dition of the fields and lands, belonging to the different 
 villages ; but as they were all taxed in proportion 
 to their value, he found it impossible to tax one 
 more without taxing all; so he made a general 
 increase all round, amounting altogether to 14,400 
 koku, or in other words ' 36,000 bales of rice. On 
 seeing what a difference it made, Ikeura for the first 
 time really realized the vastness of the District, 
 and said : "I will leave you to do as you think best. 
 If however we give notice of the intended increase, 
 the farmers will raise objections and it will then be 
 hard work to induce them to agree to it ; but if we 
 give the order suddenly, just before the taxes have 
 to be collected, the headmen will all be busy and 
 will have no time for consultation and will have 
 to give in. We had better leave it therefore till 
 later. 
 
88 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 " We will now arrange for the relevying of the tax, 
 which Denzo began to raise on the cattle and horses. 
 Order the headmen to collect it. It ought to bring in 
 a large amount ; and if we are called to task for raising 
 it, we can say that we did it to obtain money for 
 military stores because the country is in such a 
 disturbed state." Kanazawa being exceedingly avari- 
 cious, lost no time in sending the necessary orders to 
 the headmen. He also taxed the spinning and winding 
 wheels that the farmers' daughters used, and the carry- 
 ing poles ; and he directed that they should be branded 
 every year with a different stamp. 
 
 At the busiest time of the year, Kanazawa took the 
 opportunity of levying the increased annual taxes. He 
 made a special register of the amounts due, and sent 
 it to each of the villages, saying that the increase was 
 to be kept to help the poor and feed them when their 
 crops failed. The farmers were in great straits, and 
 wished to confer together ; but as Ikeura had foreseen, 
 they had not time to do so before the taxes had to be 
 paid ; so that year they, paid them in full. In addition 
 to this, they were made to do a large amount of forced 
 work for the government ; and so it came to pass that 
 their children when they married nearly always moved 
 to some other district, and thus the neighbourhood 
 became all the time poorer and poorer. 
 
SAZAEMON'S THREE DAUGHTERS. 89 
 
 CHAPTEK XII. 
 
 THE FARMERS ARE DRIVEN TO EXTREMITIES AND 
 PRESENT A PETITION TO IKEURA. 
 
 Now there was a farmer, named Sazaemon, living in 
 Shushui, who had three daughters. The eldest had 
 been married three times, hut her two first husbands 
 had left her ; and the last one had taken her to his 
 native place, as he thought it quite hopeless, on ac- 
 count of the heavy taxes and the large amount of 
 forced labour to try to live with her parents. The 
 second daughter had been married twice, but had both 
 times been deserted in the same way as her sister ; and 
 so at last she ran off with another man, and went to 
 live at Ichinomiya in Kazusa. 
 
 Knowing how her sisters had fared, the youngest 
 refused to be married, saying that it was no use as she 
 should only be divorced directly, and would thus bring 
 still further dishonour on her family. Hearing this, 
 her father and mother said : " How our conduct in a 
 previous state of existence does hamper us ; for though 
 we have had three children, we have no one to look to 
 for support ! " 
 
 The daughter replied : " I am not the proper heir of 
 this house and I should be extremely sorry to have to 
 support you in such poverty. You have paid thank- 
 offerings five times now for my two older sisters ; but 
 have lost them both, just because we live in a district 
 
90 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 of such oppression, I have therefore made up m\ 
 mind to leave and take you hotli to some other place." 
 
 When their two Other daughters were divorced, the 
 parents thought it was all because of their poverty; 
 but now, when the youngest spoke as she did, they 
 frit something must be done, and so made up their 
 minds to move to another district. Packing up their 
 things therefore, they set out for Yodo without letting 
 anybody know; but by the time they reached Senju 
 the night had set in, so finding then; a hotel with a 
 very kind landlord, they stopped at it. In the middle 
 of the night, a woman near by was taken ill. Sazae- 
 mon's wife went to try and help her and was so 
 successful that the family begged her to stay for a 
 month or so. As Sazaemon had nothing special to 
 hurry him, he consented ; and so his wife nursed the 
 woman, while her daughter helped in the cooking. 
 
 The potatoe seller whom we mentioned in a, previous 
 chapter, as having quarreled with Sogoro's grand- 
 father, had settled in the same village many years be- 
 fore this time. Becoming quite rich, he had bought 
 some land and built himself a comfortable house. He 
 had a son named Shoemon, who was as honest and 
 diligent as his father, and so the family lived together 
 iu great harmony. But it is said that every one who 
 is born must die some time ; so at last the old man 
 died, full of years, and his son Shoemon succeeded him. 
 
 At the time of our story, Shoemon's son Shotaro was 
 just eighteen ; and he, seeing that Sazaemon's daughter 
 was such a useful woman, made her an offer of 
 marriage. Her parents were much pleased, and after 
 
THE PETITION IMJAWN II 1 . l .M 
 
 the. NNedding. their son-iu-l;i\v set them up in business. 
 This answered so well that many of their native towns- 
 men, calling in on their NY ay to and from the eapital 
 ami seeing their prosperity, followed their example 
 and moved to some district where they could live more 
 comfortably than in Sakura. In this way, numbers of 
 houses were left untenanted and a largo amount of 
 land Yvent out of cultivation. Seeing this the headmen 
 met together and drew up the following petition : 
 
 PETITION FROM TIN. l;u> VILLAGES. 
 
 W villages in the Soma Pistriet in this Province. 
 f>0 ,, ,, Imba do. 
 
 IP ,, ,, rhiha do. 
 
 7 ,, Musa District in Ka/usa. 
 
 The heailmen and other officials of the above villages 
 respectfully present the folloNving petition : 
 
 Tlu 1 tax on first class land, belonging to the 
 villages mentioned above, has always been 
 very high, and its collection has invariably 
 caused great hardship. More than half of the 
 high land is even worse off than this, and the 
 same is true of the middle and lower class 
 lands where the produce is less, and also of 
 the bad land and mulberry plantations ; while 
 those who try to cultivate grain of an\ kind are 
 all in trouble, whether their land is high, low, 
 or middle class. 1 hiring the recent drought, 
 the people went out and gathered grasses on the 
 hills for food, and thus kept themselves alive. 
 
92 LIFE OF SOGOBO. 
 
 In spite of the general poverty however, the 
 taxes have been increased 24% since last year. 
 
 All the people have worked their hardest 
 and have done their utmost ; but as the crops 
 cannot possibly yield enough to pay the an- 
 nual taxes, the young men are going away to 
 other provinces, and working there for farm- 
 ers, and sending the money they earn back 
 here to buy rice, so as to enable their families 
 to pay the taxes. Some one has gone from 
 nearly every house in the District, and those 
 who are left behind are mostly either very old 
 or so crippled as to be quite unable to culti- 
 vate their land properly, and thus it is con- 
 stantly deteriorating ; and this compels more 
 and more to go away. Those who have land 
 are trying to dispose of it, but no one in the 
 District is rich enough to buy it, as the people 
 have exhausted all their means paying the 
 taxes. 
 
 Land, which produced more than 6,000 
 koku four years since, has deteriorated till now 
 it only produces 1,000 koku. Large numbers 
 of people have been reduced to beggary ; and 
 1734 have taken their families and moved to 
 other provinces : 885 houses have been left to 
 go to ruin, and eleven temples have been 
 deserted, and though there are fertile fields 
 round them, no one will cultivate them. 
 
 It is particularly noteworthy that the ones 
 who have moved away were the best farmers, 
 
THE PETITION PRESENTED. 93 
 
 and the ones who were the most honest ; but 
 they will come back at once if our prayer is 
 granted, and the extra taxes and the other com- 
 pulsory services are done away with ; and this 
 District will slowly become rich again and will 
 redound to the praise of our lord. Being 
 firmly persuaded of this, we present this peti- 
 tion. 
 
 Be graciously pleased in your great mercy 
 to remit the extra taxes and the other com- 
 pulsory services ; and then the people great 
 and small will thank you, and will never for- 
 get your mercy. We humbly prostrate our- 
 selves before you, and beseech you to con- 
 descend to consider this our petition, and 
 graciously to give orders that it may be 
 granted. 
 
 August, 20th. year of Kwanei (1643.) 
 
 When they had written out the above petition, five 
 of the headmen went with it to the Sakura Office, while 
 the others spread their mats on the ground, and waited 
 at the outskirts of the town to hear the result. 
 
 The five who went to the Office, found Kanzaki there 
 and handed him the petition. He took it and after 
 reading it to the other officials, he said : " This is not 
 the first time the farmers have troubled us : they have 
 been at it ever since the year before last ; so if we let 
 them go on, there is no saying what the result will be. 
 In the insurrection in Amakusa, we have had an exam- 
 ple of what they can do, and there is no reason why 
 
94 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 they should not do the same here. Ants are but small 
 insects ; but when they unite together, they can easily 
 destroy even the largest trees : so before the farmers 
 become too excited, it seems to me that it is best to 
 summon their five representatives, and tell them that 
 their petition is granted. What do you all think of 
 this ? " 
 
 The others however said nothing, but turned to 
 Ikeura, who said : " This tax has been imposed by 
 our lord's orders, received through the District Super- 
 intendent ; so I do not think it would do for us to 
 grant the petition. When I have a little leisure, I 
 intend going to Yedo again, and will then ascertain 
 how our superiors regard it ; till then the petition 
 must be rejected. They are only farmers and can do 
 us no harm." 
 
 Kanzaki felt that if it was not attended to, it would 
 prove the beginning of an insurrection ; but not 
 liking to oppose Ikeura, he called Kanazawa and 
 asked him to take the petition back to the farmers. 
 Kanazawa thereupon summoned the five representatives 
 to his house ; and when they came, stood a while 
 glaring at them with his hand on his sword : then 
 drawing himself up to his full height, he said : " Why 
 have you brought such a foolish petition ? It is per- 
 fectly ridiculous the way you state that some of the 
 people in this District have been reduced to beggary 
 and have moved away. I will tell you the reason of 
 the increased taxation, it is to make provision before- 
 hand for years of bad crops. All the people will then 
 be starving, and will have no one but their lord to help 
 
THE PETITION RETURNED. 95 
 
 them ; and so he has ordered us to lay by rice, when- 
 ever the crops are good. Do you regard 'him as your 
 enemy, simply because he wishes to save you from 
 trouble hereafter? And you say too that there are 
 people actually leaving the province. They are dis- 
 loyal and great criminals to do so, and they bring 
 great discredit on their family name ; so how can they 
 expect to find any happiness where they go ? Their 
 being reduced to beggary is clearly the direct punish- 
 ment of Heaven, and in the end they will certainly 
 become thieves and be beheaded : and yet you say that 
 they are deserving of pity. In making such a state- 
 ment you make yourselves sharers in their guilt. To 
 my idea they must be scoundrels. I certainly feel no 
 pity for them. Begone instantly with your petition. 
 I will let you off this time, but if any of you dare to 
 come here again, I shall have you arrested and thrown 
 into prison." With these words he flung down the 
 petition. 
 
 The five men had not dreamt of being given such a 
 reception, and were so surprised that none of them 
 could say a word. Chuzo, the headman of the Chiba 
 District, who was with them therefore stepped forward 
 and said : " I humbly ask you to allow me to say a 
 few words. Why do you extort money from us to lay 
 by for years of bad crops, and thus drive so many out of 
 the District ? Your kindness in making provision for 
 the distant future, does not help us out of our present 
 difficulties. What an arrangement ! Bad crops may 
 come in the course of nature, but they will never make 
 us feel ill-will towards our lord. If however we starve 
 
96 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 now in consequence of the severity of your regulations, 
 those who are ignorant will become disaffected. This 
 is the point I want you to consider carefully." Kana- 
 zawa was extremely angry at that, and said : " What 
 a talkative rascal you are ! I will call the guard and 
 have you arrested." 
 
 As he looked so threatening, Chazo and his com- 
 panions saw it was useless to press the matter farther ; 
 so they went away, and told the other headmen how 
 they had fared. They decided that it was no use to 
 bother Kanazawa any more, but went at once in a 
 body to Ikeura's house ; and, putting the petition on 
 the end of a bamboo about nine feet long, set it up in 
 front of the door and stood round it crying with all 
 their might: "The headmen of the villages in the 
 District are waiting here to present a petition to you. 
 Please open and read it, and graciously condescend to 
 grant our huinble request." They cried out thus at 
 the top of their voices for more than two hours, but 
 there was not the least sound in reply from Ikeura's 
 house. 
 
 At last however a young man about twenty, named 
 Kagawa, appeared at the door, and said : " 1 hear you 
 have a petition to present, and am very sorry to have 
 given you so much trouble. My master, Mr. Ikeura, 
 said if you had come with a petition, it would not 
 do to turn a deaf ear to you, though seeing it is really 
 Kanazawa's duty as District Superintendent to hear 
 your complaints, we cannot open it here. If however 
 there is anything you wish to say, let Messrs. Heijuro 
 and Hanjuro both come inside and speak for the rest." 
 
HANJURO'S NARROW ESCAPE. 97 
 
 As that was just what Hanjuro had been wanting, 
 he at once called out : " I am Hanjuro and am ready 
 to come if you wish. Please lead the way." 
 
 As he thus spoke, Chuzo made a sign to him, and 
 said : " How you do joke ! Mr. Hanjuro was taken ill 
 in the street on the way here, and we had to leave him 
 behind. Mr. Heijuro went with us to the Office, but was 
 taken so severely to task by Mr. Kanazawa that he went 
 straight home at once. That man therefore did not 
 speak the truth when he stated that he was Mr. Hanjuro 
 and acted very improperly. We will go now and 
 consult the two you spoke of, and do what we can to 
 induce them to go to the governor's house." 
 
 Hanjuro, guessing what was passing in his mind, 
 said : " In the excess of my joy at thinking our 
 petition would be received, I spoke unadvisedly and 
 now withdraw what I said." Heijuro was also stand- 
 ing near, but did not make himself known. As Kagawa 
 did not know either of them by sight, he thought they 
 were not present, and so did not trouble to make 
 further inquiries. In after days they used often to 
 call to mind how Chuzo's quickness had saved them 
 both as from the very mouth of the crocodile. 
 
 Kagawa said : " The governor ordered me to bring 
 those two men before him ; but as they are neither of 
 them here, it cannot be helped. Leave this place at 
 once and send your petition here again by the two I 
 have mentioned, after you have talked it over together." 
 
 He then started to go inside the door ; but Chuzo 
 caught hold of his sleeve, saying : " Please wait a little. 
 As we are so numerous and have stood in front of the 
 
98 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 door blocking the way, you must think that we have 
 come prepared to enforce our complaint, but the fact 
 is that the farmers in the District are taxed so heavily 
 that they are unable to exist. Again and again have 
 we sent in petitions, only to have them always rejected ; 
 and as we feel that this cannot go on, we have come 
 to implore you to have pity on us." 
 
 As he said this, he presented the petition to him 
 just as it was on the bamboo ; but Kagawa pushed it 
 away, saying : " It is useless. If I received it contrary 
 to the governor's orders, I should be blamed terribly." 
 
 " Allow me then to say," continued Chuzo, " that if 
 this matter brings you into trouble, the headmen of 
 the 136 villages will be only too glad to bear the 
 blame. Can you forget how ready the world is to 
 reward the benevolent, and to feel grateful to the 
 virtuous ? Humanity teaches us to spare the life of 
 even an insect ; how much more then should you do 
 what you can to help the scores on scores of people, 
 who are now standing here, earnestly begging for your 
 assistance. We beseech you to reconsider your deci- 
 sion and help us, as we have no one else to look to." 
 
 After thinking a little, Kagawa said : " The rations 
 that are given me by my lord are very small, but I 
 suppose they must come in the first place from you 
 farmers ; and so, to abandon you, would be like forget- 
 ting the fountain head. I will therefore do what I can 
 to help you but you must not stay here. Go and wait 
 in the town for orders. I know very well that this peti- 
 tion will result in nothing. I only receive it because 
 I cannot bear to see your deep sorrow, but you must 
 
KAGAWA EECEIVES THE PETITION. 99 
 
 not think I can do anything." As he finished speak- 
 ing, he went inside the doorway ; and the headmen all 
 withdrew at once to the town, and there waited to 
 hear from him. 
 
 As for Kagawa, he took the petition and begged 
 Ikeura to condescend to open and read it. " Why did 
 you receive that petition ? Send it back to the farm- 
 ers at once," said Ikeura, almost beside himself with 
 anger to think that his orders had been disregarded. 
 " I took it," replied Kagawa, " because I thought that 
 in so doing, I was showing my loyalty not only to my 
 country, but also to you, my master ; so please con- 
 descend to read it. We can easily return it after- 
 wards if you wish." 
 
 Hearing that, Ikeura became still more angry and 
 said : " I am your master, and yet you do not seem to 
 think you have acted at all disloyally in disobeying 
 my orders. It is ridiculous to hear you talk so spe- 
 ciously about your loyalty, and say you have acted for 
 the good of the country. How do you imagine that 
 such conduct can possibly help the country ? " 
 
 "Your anger," said Kagawa, "is most just; but if 
 you will read this petition, you will understand the 
 position of affairs in the District." Ikeura however 
 would not take it, but said : " My ears are open to hear 
 it if you must read it ; but why should that filthy 
 petition touch my hands?" Thereupon without 
 more ado Kagawa began reading it to him. 
 
 When he came to the place where it said that if the 
 petition was received, the people who had been reduced 
 to beggary would return ; and that therefore the coun- 
 
100 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 try would become richer and richer, and flourish more 
 and more, he read it over three times and then said : 
 " That would certainly benefit the country." 
 
 Ikeura replied : " Their becoming beggars is all 
 their own fault. If it is known however that they 
 became so by going to other provinces ; it will be a 
 warning to others who may be inclined to follow their 
 example, and thus may benefit the country. What 
 possible benefit could it be to the country for those 
 to return, who have disgraced the names of their 
 ancestors by leaving the District, and have after- 
 wards been reduced to beggary. It is absurd to 
 say that there would be no more beggars if the extra 
 taxes were remitted. You surely cannot believe such 
 nonsense !" 
 
 Kagawa said : " It is most important to reduce the 
 annual tax ; for the famous sage said : ' The officer 
 who lays up treasure for himself wrongs his master, 
 let us beat the drum and bring him to punishment '; 
 and again, ' Farmers cannot be rich when their lord is 
 not so ; nor can the lord be rich when the farmers are 
 not so.' Think carefully about the present destitution 
 of the farmers and remit the extra annual taxes : for 
 when the foundations of the country are firm, the 
 country is secure. All the affairs of this large district 
 are under your control as governor ; so be pleased 
 carefully to consider this matter." 
 
 Ikeura was silent for a time, unable, avaricious as he 
 was, to gainsay the teachings of the sage. At last he 
 said : " As our lord ordered these taxes to be raised, I 
 cannot decide about them now ; but will try and do 
 
THE PETITION AGAIN RETURNED. 101 
 
 something later. Now however, the petition must be 
 sent back." 
 
 Utterly disgusted, Kagawa put the petition in his 
 bosom, and thought to himself as he went out : " From 
 time immemorial, states have always risen or fallen 
 according as they benefited or oppressed the people. I 
 cannot stay here in such a disturbed place." Giving 
 the petition back to the farmers, he left the country. 
 
 On seeing their petition returned, the farmers felt 
 thoroughly disheartened, and conferred together 
 what to do next. Hanjuro said : " It is very plain 
 to me that our petition will never be received here ; 
 but it has been signed and sealed by the headmen of 
 the 136 villages, and we have all sworn to lose our lives 
 rather than give up. Let us therefore consult Mr. 
 Sogoro, and then take our petition to the yashiki in 
 Yedo : it will surely be received there." 
 
 The other headmen all approved of this, and so two 
 of their number went to Sogoro's house, and told him 
 how they had been to the Sakura Office and then to 
 Ikeura's house, and how finally they had determined 
 to go to Yedo, and they added : " If the officials at 
 the yashiki there will not receive it, we intend to pre- 
 sent it to the Shogun ; but as we are not familiar with 
 the customs of the court, we have come to ask you to 
 go with us and direct us what to do." 
 
 Sogoro replied : "I see it is going to be extremely 
 difficult to induce the authorities to receive this peti- 
 tion : we shall never succeed unless we are all like 
 adamant. I kept quiet just to see what you would do, 
 and am very thankful indeed that you have decided 
 
102 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 not to give in. I sball be glad to go to Yedo with you, 
 but it is no good to start yet : if we go about 
 the middle of November, it will be quite early 
 enougb. It will tben take tbe officials tbe rest of tbe 
 year' to settle tbis matter ; and as we sball all be away 
 just wben we ought to be collecting the taxes, the 
 farmers will escape paying anything this year. Go back 
 now and tell the others to go home, and wait till they 
 hear from me." 
 
 When the other headmen heard what Sogoro had 
 said, they all admired his sagacity and insight, and 
 withdrew from the castle town and waited to hear 
 from him. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE PETITION is PRESENTED IN YEDO AND EEFUSED. 
 
 At the beginning of November, Sogoro sent a notice 
 round to the headmen of the 136 villages, asking them 
 all to be at the Kikiyoya Hotel in Funabashi by the 
 13th of the month. Accordingly early that morning, 
 they all assembled and waited the whole day for 
 Sogoro. To their great surprise, he did not come, so 
 two of them set out the next morning to go to his 
 house, reaching there the same afternoon. On seeing 
 them, Sogoro said : " I have been quite ill, but am 
 now much better, and hope in two or three days to be 
 able to join you. Go back now to Funabashi, and let 
 
THE FARMERS GO TO THE YEDO YASHIKI. 
 
 103 
 
 all the headmen go together to the yashiki in Yedo, and 
 there stand continually before the door day and night 
 until their petition is received." 
 
 The next day therefore which was the 15th, the two 
 men went back to Funabashi, and told the others what 
 Sogoro had said ; and as all approved, they went the 
 next day to Yedo, and arranged to lodge at seven 
 different hotels, twenty of them going to each place. 
 
 The following day, meeting near the Kanda Bridge, 
 they fixed their plans. As soon as the hour of the 
 horse (noon) struck, they separated and entered the 
 castle enclosure from three different sides ; and, going 
 to the yashiki in Nishi-no-Maru, occupied all the space 
 in front of the door, and called out in a loud voice, 
 saying : " The headmen of the 136 villages in your 
 dominions have come with a petition, and will feel 
 greatly obliged if you will have pity on them arid 
 graciously condescend to receive it." 
 
 The gate-keeper was much terrified to see them, and 
 so also were all the other officials. Indeed so alarmed 
 were they, that one of them, named Shinagawa, at 
 once went into Kozuke no Suke's presence, and said : 
 " If we give these farmers time, this will prove to be 
 the beginning of an awkward disturbance ; and in any 
 case, as they have come here inside the castle enclo- 
 sure, it will injure your reputation, and you will be 
 blamed by the Shogun. I will therefore go out, and 
 try and induce them to go away." 
 
 As soon as the headmen caught sight of him, they 
 said : " Look ! Look ! there comes one of the officials. 
 Won't he receive our petition ?" So eager were they 
 
104 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 that they had great difficulty in restraining themselves. 
 When they had become a little quiet, Shinagawa 
 addressed them as follows : " We are much obliged 
 to you for having troubled to come here with your 
 petition, and we ought to receive it ; but unfortunately 
 our superiors object to our doing so, so we are much 
 troubled. You must all go away from here now and 
 come to-morrow at 11 o'clock to the lower yashiki at 
 Aoyama, and your petition will then be inquired into.'* 
 As he spoke very kindly, the farmers had nothing to 
 complain of; and at once to the great relief of the 
 officials returned to their hotels. 
 
 After they had gone, Takamachi went to Kozuke no 
 Suke, and said : " As you know, the headmen from 
 Sakura have just been here with a petition. When I 
 was there last year, I found that the Governor and 
 the District Superintendent did not care at all how 
 much the farmers suffered, so it is clear that they have 
 sent this petition because they cannot live. I ask you 
 therefore to send me to Sakura, and give me authority 
 to examine into it minutely ; so that we may arrive at 
 the truth, and find some way of settling it." 
 
 " Oh ! that is quite unnecessary," said Kawamura, 
 " it has not come to that yet. To think that such a 
 crowd of silly unlearned farmers should come here in 
 their straw rain-coats, and stand shouting, blocking up 
 the entrance, without minding how much they injure 
 your reputation ! The foolish fellows cannot hurt us 
 if we leave them alone. If they come to-morrow to 
 the lower yashiki, the best thing to do is to send them 
 back to the province." 
 
TAKAMACHl'S WISE COUNSEL REJECTED. 105 
 
 " Excuse my differing from you," rejoined Taka- 
 machi, " but it does not do to slight even foolish people : 
 for though one green tree may not burn by itself, if 
 several are heaped together, they burn so strongly that 
 it is almost impossible to put them out ; and in like 
 manner, even foolish people can cause no end of trouble 
 when a great many of them are united together. 
 When small, difficulties are easily settled ; but if left to 
 grow, they will quickly ruin the strongest country. 
 These farmers may be very ignorant ; but they are 
 also very determined, and have provided themselves 
 with straw rain-coats and bags full of boiled rice, to 
 show us that they have fully made up their minds not 
 to give up until their petition is granted, whatever 
 difficulties they may meet with. You had therefore 
 better decide whether to enquire into their petition at 
 the lower yashiki, or send some one to the province to 
 examine into it there. ' You will have to adopt one or 
 other of these plans : for it is no good at all to send 
 them away as they are." He thus exhausted language 
 in vain endeavours to impress his hearers with some 
 idea of the gravity of the situation ; and only gave up 
 and left the Office, when he saw he was producing no 
 effect. 
 
 After he had gone, Kawamura said : " If we examine 
 into this matter now, it will be sure to bring trouble to 
 some of us. We had much better leave the provincial 
 officials to settle it themselves." To this, all the others 
 agreed and the following day sent Kawamura's son 
 Kaheiji to the lower yashiki, with sixteen foot-soldiers 
 all armed with sticks. 
 
106 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 The headmen had assembled very early in the morn- 
 ing, and when Kaheiji arrived, he found them already 
 standing before the door. He had his clothes tucked up, 
 and did his best to look brave ; but he carefully kept 
 guards at his side -all the time, and thus showed how 
 frightened he really was. He said : " As you are all 
 farmers, your petition is doubtless about some local 
 matter, and should have been presented to the District 
 Superintendent or the Governor. You have however 
 come here even to the Official Yashiki ; and have 
 crowded together before the door, without any regard 
 at all to the dishonour your conduct might bring on 
 your lord. You have also greatly annoyed the officials 
 by your most insolent conduct, and by good rights you 
 deserve to be well punished ; but I have been sent 
 here to forgive your crime. You must however leave 
 here at once, you insolent scoundrels." 
 
 He thus scolded them, but the headmen remained 
 determined as ever, and said : " Much as you may 
 wish us to do so, we cannot go back as none of the 
 provincial officials will receive our petition. We had 
 therefore no way but to bring it here ; and we shall be 
 extremely thankful if, in your great mercy, you will 
 graciously condescend to receive it. The particulars 
 are all given inside, so please open and read it." 
 
 At that, Kaheiji burst out laughing, and said : " Be- 
 cause the provincial officials to whom it relates have 
 refused it, that is no reason at all why we should 
 receive it here, you stupid fellows ! You have broken 
 your bones in vain ; your travelling expenses are all 
 thrown away ! In any case not more than one of you 
 
UNAVAILING EFFOKTS. 107 
 
 should have come. By coming in such numbers you 
 must have intended to use force, and terrify the officials 
 into agreeing to your petition. It is very difficult 
 however to frighten a warrior, as he is like adamant ; 
 so run back at once to your work of cutting rushes and 
 making ropes." 
 
 As he finished, he looked all round fiercely and 
 made as though he would go back into the house ; but 
 Saburobe, seizing the petition fastened as it was on the 
 end of a split bamboo, pushed it suddenly in front of his 
 face. Completely taken by surprise, Kaheiji started and 
 said : " Do you dare to stop me, you scoundrel ? " 
 
 Saburobe replied : " Not so. We have however 
 not the smallest intention of going back to the province 
 until our petition has been received, so please take it 
 and consider it." Kaheiji however ran inside without 
 a word. As there was no help for it, Saburobe set up 
 the petition where it had been before. For several 
 hours all the headmen stayed there, calling out at the 
 top of their voices, but none of the officials ventured to 
 show themselves again ; and so, after waiting till it 
 was quite dark, the headmen took the petition and 
 went back to their hotels. 
 
 Sogoro having reached Yedo that day, had taken up 
 his quarters in lidamachi, and was waiting there to 
 welcome the others. They all went to see him, and 
 told him how they had been trying to get their petition 
 received since the day before ; and asked him how he 
 thought they ought to proceed. 
 
 After thinking a while, he said : " I have all along 
 thought it would not be an easy thing to accomplish, 
 
108 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 however his Lordship Kuse Yamato no Kami, goes 
 quite often to the Shogun's court. Let us present our 
 petition to him some time when he passes. I feel 
 sure he will receive it." 
 
 As all approved this proposition, they wrote out a 
 new petition, and on the 26th, hearing his Lordship 
 was to pass, several of their number watched for him. 
 As soon as he came near, they went up and tried to 
 present their petition ; but the people round him pushed 
 it away again and again, and said it was impolite to 
 hinder him with it. Sogoro however managed to go 
 close up, and said : " This is a matter on which 
 depends the welfare of a large number of farmers ; so 
 please excuse my detaining you to present a petition 
 about their troubles. I implore you in your great 
 mercy graciously to condescend to receive it." 
 
 Hearing that, Yamato no Kami, moved with compas- 
 sion, ordered the petition to be received, so one of his 
 attendants took it and handed it to him ; while another 
 asked the farmers where they were staying. They 
 replied, at the Omiya Hotel in Mikawarnachi, and' then 
 went home. 
 
 The other headmen, who were looking on at a 
 distance, were much relieved to see their comrades so 
 successful ; and, after congratulating them, they all 
 went together to the Kyogoku tea-house. Then send- 
 ing two of their number to the hotels where the others 
 were staying, they summoned them all to the tea- 
 house. As soon as all had assembled, Sogoro said : 
 " Although His Lordship Kuse Yamato no Kami has 
 most kindly received our petition to-day ; we cannot tell 
 
THE PETITION AGAIN EETURNED. 109 
 
 at all when the matter will be decided. Under these 
 circumstances, it is quite needless for so many of us to 
 stay here, besides being a great expense. Most of you 
 therefore had better go back home at once, but let five 
 of your number stay here with me. We do not value 
 our lives at all if we can benefit the inhabitants of the 
 136 villages, so let us do whatever has to be done. 
 The expenses however that we incur, ought to be 
 borne by all ; a collection must therefore be made from 
 all who signed the petition, and must be sent us, so 
 that we may not run short." They then had a feast 
 together and separated with many bows. 
 
 The next day, the six men, who stayed in Yedo, 
 received a written summons from my lord Kuse 
 Yamato no Kami. They went at once to his house, 
 and were received by two of his officers. " Are you 
 the fellows," said they, " who dared to insult our 
 master the other day by forcing on him your wretched 
 petition, as he was going to the court? Your offence 
 is a most serious one, but it is his will to regard it with 
 special favour. If however, you persist in again annoy- 
 ing him, you will be severely punished." 
 
 Bowing very low, Sogoro said : " Please allow me 
 to say a few words. You must not think that this is 
 the first time we have tried to present this petition : 
 we have presented it several times before, but it has 
 been returned each time. The farmers in the villages 
 are taxed so heavily that they are quite unable to make 
 a living ; so as we had no other way and were unable 
 to bear the sight of their terrible sufferings, we pressed 
 forward with our petition, without thinking how much 
 
110 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 we might be injuring your master's reputation, and we 
 implore you graciously to receive it." 
 
 " That is quite impossible, so be quick and take it 
 it away," replied the officers, as they wrote down the 
 names of the six headmen. Seeing no other way to 
 do, Sogoro took back the petition, and he and his com- 
 panions then returned to their hotel. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SOGORO KESOLVES TO LAY DOWN His LIFE, AND TAKES 
 LEAVE OF His WIFE AND CHILDREN. 
 
 After the events recorded in the last chapter, Sogoro 
 and his companions felt very anxious, and for a time 
 could see no way of inducing the officials to receive 
 their petition. At last Sogoro said : "I have thought 
 the matter over very carefully, and see clearly that it 
 is well nigh impossible for us to accomplish our pur- 
 pose. If however we give up now, all the people will 
 suffer terribly from hunger and thirst, and great num- 
 bers of them will certainly die lingering deaths from 
 starvation. This I can hardly bear even to think of, 
 much less to see ; and I have therefore made up my 
 mind to give my life for them, and appeal direct to the 
 Shogun." 
 
 His five companions were unanimous in praising his 
 generosity, and said : " We five have already sworn 
 never to return to our homes if our expectations are 
 
SOGORO EESOLVES TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE. Ill 
 
 not fulfilled ; but our oath will be broken if you alone 
 are put to death, and our lives are lengthened out ; so 
 if we decide to appeal direct, we will all go together 
 and do it." 
 
 Sogoro however was not willing for them to do this, 
 but said : "At first sight that seems like a generous 
 decision ; whereas, in reality it would be a very foolish 
 thing to do. It is quite enough for one of us to have 
 to lay down his life, and is not necessary that all six of 
 us should die. There is only one petition to present ; 
 so I will present it, and leave you to lengthen out your 
 lives." 
 
 As he was firm, and did not look as though anything 
 they could say would move him, they were all silent 
 for a time, utterly overcome with grief at the thought 
 of having to part so soon from him whom they loved 
 so dearly. Chuzo then stepped forward, and said 
 through his tears : " Oh ! how generous it is of you to 
 be so willing to lay down your life ! " 
 
 " I can but rejoice," replied Sogoro " that I am able 
 to do so, and thus help those who are suffering so ter- 
 ribly ; but I should much like to see my wife and 
 children once more before I die. If I could do this, I 
 should have nothing else to trouble me in this world." 
 
 Seeing these words sprung from his family affection, 
 the five men said : " As we quite understand your 
 feelings, go back secretly to your home and take leave 
 of your family. We shall stay here until you return ; 
 but please be careful of yourself on the way, as we hear 
 the governor has a great many spies out now, watching 
 the roads ; and it is said that they wish very much to 
 
112 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 catcb you as their master hates you intensely and 
 regards you as the one who originated the petition." 
 
 Sogoro, after thanking them for their kindness, took 
 leave of them all for a short time ; and hastened 
 towards Sakura, pondering as he went along, how he 
 could best succeed in presenting the petition. All at 
 once looking up, he saw three children, sitting at the 
 side of the road with their mother. They wore straw 
 mats over their rags ; but even so, their skins peeped 
 out in many places. As soon as they saw him, they ran 
 up, saying: "Excuse our troubling yon, but please 
 be so kind as to assist a poor mother and her children." 
 
 Sogoro wept as he thought to himself: " I left four 
 children at home with my wife ; if they should be 
 banished after my death, they may come to just such 
 a condition as this." Wiping away his tears, he gave 
 them a great many coppers. These the children gladly 
 received, and seeing this, his pity increased and he 
 thought : " I shall have to suffer death for my fault, 
 but there is no reason why my wife and children should 
 die too. If I divorce my wife now, their punishment 
 will be very slight : I will talk this over with her." 
 
 With thoughts like these, he hurried on towards 
 home, watering the way with his fast falling tears. 
 Before long the sky clouded over ; and the white snow 
 which could not understand his sorrow began falling, 
 gently covering up his footprints, and lying so thick 
 that the road soon became quite white. He thought 
 to himself: "If I go by the main road, the secret 
 police will be sure to catch me, so I will go by way of 
 the Hirakawa Ferry, spending the day on the road and 
 
HIS SNOWY JOURNEY. 113 
 
 reaching home in the middle of the night." Fortun- 
 ately Heaven favoured him ; moreover the snow fell so 
 fast that all the houses he passed had their doors shut, 
 and the road was almost deserted. He pushed on 
 through the deep snow; but the days are short in 
 winter, so that the day soon closed in ; and about sun- 
 down, the snow began to fall more and more thickly, so 
 that the standing trees were soon covered with white 
 caps like cotton ; and the mountains, fields, and villages, 
 and in fact everything, became white ; so that it looked 
 like a silver world. Sogoro had been lamenting over the 
 dark journey he expected to have to take ; and was 
 therefore very glad of the light of the snow, and 
 hastened on towards the Ferry which he soon reached. 
 Now the ferryman Tahei had been regretting that he 
 had made no return to Sogoro for the great favours, 
 which both he and his father had received from him. 
 He had heard of his having gone to Yedo to help the 
 farmers ; and so, every morning and evening, he bowed 
 towards Sogoro's house with folded hands. Sogoro 
 did not know whether he was in ; and so stopped out- 
 side when he reached the house. Peeping in, he saw 
 Tahei by the fire, drinking hot wine and trying to warm 
 himself, talking to himself the while and saying how 
 weary he was of the world. 
 
 Looking round stealthily to see that no one was 
 about, he called in a low voice : " Mr. Tahei." He, 
 hearing some one call him, grunted out : " Whoever 
 can have ventured to come on such a stormy night as 
 this ? ' Instead of replying, Sogoro opened the straw 
 door and went in. Greatly surprised to see him, Tahei 
 
114 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 was going to call out, but Sogoro stopped him, 
 saying : " I am on my way home on important busi- 
 ness, so please ferry me across." Tahei's eyes filled 
 with tears, and he said: "To think of your coming 
 all this way on such a snowy night, and giving your- 
 self endless trouble and suffering to try and help the 
 farmers ! You are like a snowy heron that with 
 feathers all drenched, tries to break the ice, longing to 
 reach the water that it sees below. I am very much 
 obliged to you and thank you ten thousand times." 
 He then asked him about the petition. Looking care- 
 fully all round, Sogoro put his mouth to Tahei's ear, 
 and said : " We have had many difficulties to contend 
 with, but at last Heaven has favoured us, and we have 
 received private information from our lord which has 
 raised our hopes. Perhaps you may soon see the day 
 of reform, but be sure not to speak to anyone else 
 about it." 
 
 Sogoro spoke as he did because he could not bear to 
 tell him the real truth. Tahei had of course -no idea 
 of this, but was filled with rejoicing, and thanked him 
 again and again. They then went out together into 
 the snow. 
 
 On coming to the place where the boat usually 
 started from, Sogoro was much surprised to see it was 
 fastened with a chain, and asked Tahei the reason. 
 He replied : " The officials have chained it in that 
 way to prevent people crossing the Ferry without 
 special permission. That however shall not hinder 
 you. I will soon break it loose." With these words, 
 and in spite of all Sogoro could say to stop him, he 
 
TAHEI FREEING THE BOAT. 
 
 Page 115. 
 
HE BEACHES HOME. 115 
 
 struck again and again at the chain, and at last suc- 
 ceeded in freeing the boat. They then both stepped 
 in, and Tahei taking the pole soon sculled them across. 
 Landing at once, Sogoro told Tahei he should be 
 back soon and then hurried off, thinking : " I arn 
 almost home now and can be there directly." He 
 sighed every time he noticed how many of the houses 
 he passed were unoccupied and going to ruin, and how 
 the path had gone out of repair through disuse. On 
 reaching his own house, he stood outside a little while 
 under the eaves, and looked in. His men and women 
 servants had all been dismissed, so his wife Okin had 
 been taking care of her four children single-handed, 
 and looked much worn : her hair too was all dishevel- 
 led. Being unable to sleep for anxiety about her 
 husband, she was sitting up sewing, heaving a great 
 sigh every few stitches. When Sogoro knocked, 
 she was quite taken by surprise, but went on with her 
 work, thinking to herself: " It must be a badger or 
 something of the kind knocking at my door such a 
 snowy night, I will let it be." As the knocking con- 
 tinued and became louder and louder all the time, she 
 at last, guessing who it was, rose, and going to the 
 door, asked: "Who is there!" "Is that Okin?" 
 came back in a whisper. Trembling with delight as 
 she recognized her husband's voice, she drew back the 
 door quickly and waited for him to enter. Sogoro 
 shut the door directly he had gone in, and said : " Is 
 anyone in?" "No," replied Okin, "no one is here 
 now but our children. Since you went away, there 
 have been so many spies about that all those who used 
 
116 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 to call have given up coming. The ferryman Tahei is 
 the only one who ever comes round now ; he has been 
 several times ; but the last few days he has not been, 
 prevented I suppose by the heavy snow-storm we have 
 been having. Why did you come back through all this 
 snow ? It is most delightful to see you, but I am an- 
 xious to hear what has brought you back so soon. 
 But you must be very cold." So saying, she took the 
 kettle and pouring some hot water into a basin, she 
 gave it to him to wash his feet with, and then made 
 him go into one of the rooms. 
 
 Though Sogoro had reached home, he was still think- 
 ing about the petition, and so his face was unusually sad. 
 Noticing this, his wife Okin moved close opposite him, 
 and said : " It seems to me you look very thin, but 
 as it is^so dark I cannot be quite sure, perhaps however 
 you have something on your mind, if so let me hear it. 
 The children are all fast asleep and do not know of 
 your return. How glad they will be when they wake 
 up ! Every morning when they get up, they ask me 
 whether you will not be coming back during the day ; 
 and in the evening they say : " Father will surely 
 come back to-morrow, won't he, mother ? " 
 
 " Our petition," replied he, " has not been received 
 yet, but we cannot give up, for if we do ; numbers of 
 people will die of starvation on account of the oppres- 
 sive government of our lord. Over 1700 people have 
 already left the country and more than 800 houses are 
 deserted. The authorities are fearfully angry about 
 this, and say it is the fault of the village headmen. 
 Mr. Ikeura has all along hated me very much, and if 
 
OFFERS HIS WIFE THE LETTER OF DIVORCE. 117 
 
 he hears that I have come back, he will at once have ine 
 put out of the way. As I think therefore that I have 
 no chance of life any way, I intend to present the 
 petition to the Shoguu. If I do this, I know that I 
 shall be put to death, and my wife and children will 
 also be endangered. I have therefore come back to- 
 night to give you this letter of divorce. You will thus 
 escape death and be able to support our children, even 
 though you may have to leave this District. At this 
 point, his voice became so hoarse with sorrow that he 
 was quite unable to continue. 
 
 Okin had been weeping all the while, but had tried 
 to stifle her sobs by biting her handkerchief. After 
 drying her tears, she said : " You are not the man to 
 listen to a woman's advice ; but 1 am your wife and 
 we have children ; and as husband and wife, we are 
 united in both worlds, so it is like cutting a living 
 tree in two to sever this relationship. How could I 
 live after seeing you arrested and condemned to death? 
 I would far rather be cut to pieces than suffer the far 
 greater pain of having the bonds which unite us 
 severed. It is very kind and thoughtful of you to pro- 
 pose it, but I cannot think of taking the letter of 
 divorce. With you I should be happy anywhere, 
 even among the mountains : so if we cannot continue 
 to live here, we had better take our children and go 
 and hide somewhere. Don't you wish to do this ? " 
 So saying, she wept again. 
 
 Sogoro's heart was full as he looked at his wife's 
 face, and he pitied her more and more, but tried to 
 hide his falling tears with his sleeve, and said : "It 
 
118 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 would as you say be very easy for us to go away and 
 hide ourselves somewhere ; but all the people of the 
 136 villages are looking to me for assistance, and if I 
 leave them now when I have the chance of helping 
 them and go away and hide myself, they will certainly 
 point their fingers at me in scorn : whereas, if I take 
 their place and petition direct and am then put to death, 
 I shall have the glory the sage referred to when he 
 said : ' When tigers die, they leave their skins be- 
 hind ; and in like manner, when men die they should 
 leave famous names behind them.' It is impossible to 
 make me change my mind, so don't say any more 
 about it, but take this letter of divorce and bring up 
 our four children." 
 
 So saying, he took the letter from his bosom and 
 offered it to his wife; but she pushed it away, saying: 
 " I have been told that the relation between husband 
 and wife is for both worlds and not only for this. We 
 may indeed be condemned to death, but if we meet our 
 end together, we shall be able to rejoice even in the 
 midst of our sufferings. In any case however, I have 
 sworn whatever you may say never to accept that letter 
 of divorce." 
 
 Overcome with admiration at her courage, Sogoro 
 said : " You are indeed a woman fit to be my wife ; 
 and so, though we go to the next world, we will not 
 change our minds nor sever the ties that bind us 
 together." At that, Okm was very glad in spite 
 of the sorrow which filled her breast sorrow in- 
 deed too great for the righteous and faithful woman to 
 bear. 
 
HIS FAMILY AFFECTION. 119 
 
 Just then, the cocks in all the houses informed them 
 that the morning was coming. Much surprised to 
 find it was so late, Sogoro rose to go, saying: "I 
 came here secretly and must go back before it is light 
 or I shall be seen." 
 
 Then indeed could his wife Okin contain her sorrow 
 no longer, but wept so loudly that the noise woke 
 their four children, and Sohei and Gennosuke jumped 
 up and seized hold of their father, saying : " Father 
 has come home !" On that, Kihachi and Eokunosuke, 
 young as they were, were so transported with joy that 
 they seized hold, the one of his father's knees and the 
 other of his neck ; and all four of them jumped about, 
 screaming: "Oh! father has come back! Father 
 has come back ! What joy we shall have from to- 
 morrow ! " Patting them on the back and stroking 
 their heads, Sogoro said : "Be good children and 
 after to-morrow I shall never go away again." His 
 heart however was well nigh bursting with pity and 
 love for his charming children, and he shed tears of 
 blood, and his iron will was weakened by the pain of 
 severing these close ties of affection. His wife Okin, 
 utterly overcome with grief, lay on the ground weeping. 
 
 Again across the deep snow came the crowing of the 
 cocks ; and Sogoro, knowing he must delay no longer, 
 hurriedly tied on his straw sandals, and with a few 
 last words of exhortation to his wife and loving fare- 
 well to his children, started to go ; but his children 
 wept loudly and seizing him round the waist, would 
 not let go, saying: "Father where are you going? 
 Please take us with you." At last making a mighty 
 
120 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 effort, he tore himself away and harried off towards 
 Yedo. 
 
 Now Denzo had not improved at all since he had 
 been banished, but had wandered about through the 
 country adding crime to crime. Being hated by every 
 one, he was left entirely to himself, for the proverb says : 
 ' Wickedness travels a thousand miles '; and so, go 
 where he would, his wickedness was well known. He 
 heard with pleasure how the people in the Sakura 
 District had been reduced to poverty by the cruel 
 government of Ikeura and his associates and had sent 
 a petition to Yedo ; and nodded to himself, thinking : 
 " Now is the time. If I can only manage to catch 
 Sogoro, I am sure to be well rewarded. I will become 
 one of Ikeura's spies." With these thoughts he went 
 to Ikeura, who was very glad indeed to see him, and 
 engaging him at once, sent him to watch the main and 
 private roads between Sakura and Yedo. 
 
 As for Sogoro, after parting from his wife and 
 children he hurried on through the snow to the Ferry. 
 There he found Tahei waiting for him and was soon 
 rowed across. Stepping ashore, he took hold of 
 Tahei's hand and raised it for a moment to his head. 
 Much astonished at that, Tahei said : " Sogoro, my 
 master, it is not right for you to do so ! " Overhear- 
 ing this, Denzo who happened to be just passing, 
 thought : " How lucky I am to find Sogoro here ! 
 Heaven favours me at last. I will arrest him and take 
 him to Sakura." He therefore hid himself in a grove 
 near by, and when Sogoro suspecting no danger came 
 along a few minutes later, he crept up silently through 
 
DENZO'S DEATH. 121 
 
 the snow and seized him suddenly from behind. 
 Quickly freeing himself, Sogoro looked to see who 
 had attacked him. Much surprised to find it was 
 Denzo, he at once prepared to defend himself, and 
 said : " Denzo, you exile ! You are an insolent rascal 
 to dare to attack me." Denzo replied : " Though you 
 are a headman and have received great benefits from 
 the authorities, you complain of their oppressive govern- 
 ment and have actually made a forcible complaint about 
 the wickedness of your lord, so Mr. Ikeura has ordered 
 me to arrest you. I have therefore been inquiring for 
 you all round and have now found you at last, so come 
 with me : for you cannot escape." With that, he 
 rushed at him in a fury. Sogoro struggled to escape 
 but all at once his foot slipped and he fell down in the 
 snow. Denzo, thinking he had him, pressed him down 
 and took out a rope to bind him. 
 
 Now Tahei, after parting with Sogoro, had stayed 
 outside his house watching him, and bowing even after 
 he had gone out of sight. Hearing sounds of quarrel- 
 ing, he seized his pole and rushed to see what was the 
 matter. When he saw that Denzo had Sogoro down 
 and had begun to tie his arms together, he at once lifted 
 his pole and struck Denzo on the head so hard, that 
 his skull was broken, and he fell dead at once without 
 a word. Sogoro was much surprised, and said : " As 
 he was an outlaw, there ought not to be any strict 
 investigation into the circumstances of his death. In 
 case however, Mr. Ikeura had really engaged him and 
 should hear about it, it will bring you into trouble. I 
 have already resolved to petition direct, and cannot but 
 
122 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 rejoice to give my life for so many thousands of my 
 countrymen ; but it would be a great pity if you were 
 condemned to death on account of this unhappy act. 
 Escape from this place and hide somewhere for a time. 
 I will tell Mr. Chuzo and the others about you, and ask 
 them to help you and am sure they will do so, but you 
 have no time to lose if you wish to escape. Be quick ! 
 Be quick ! " Tahei shook his head, and said : " I am 
 very much obliged to you for all your kind care, but 
 please don't trouble yourself about me, as I am worth 
 no more than a cat or dog. Your life however is of 
 great importance just now. You had better be quick 
 and leave here." Sogoro replied : "I will go now 
 and so must part with you for the last time. I shall 
 never forget your kindness and hope you will pass the 
 rest of your life in peace." Then brushing off the 
 snow that had accumulated on his clothes, he hurried 
 off towards Yedo. 
 
 As Tahei watched him, he said to himself : " Oh, the 
 benevolence, and bravery, and goodness of Sogoro, the 
 headman of Iwahashi ! To think of his bearing so 
 much suffering for others ; and now, not content with 
 this, joyfully preparing to lay down his life to save 
 them from poverty and hardship ! How much have I 
 been longing for an opportunity to repay him for all 
 the kindness I and my father have received from him ; 
 and now at last, I have had the good fortune to come 
 to his rescue and finish that wretch Denzo ! It is no 
 use for me to live any longer. I had better kill my- 
 self before Ikeura hears of his death." He therefore 
 hung himself with a rope, and sad to say died there. 
 
THE MEMORABLE DAY. 123 
 
 As soon as the report of this occurence reached the 
 Sakura Office, the officials went to examine into the 
 matter. They saw the two corpses, but could find out 
 nothing further ; and so concluding that Tahei had 
 killed Denzo, and then hung himself, they made no 
 further enquiry. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SOGORO PRESENTS THE PETITION TO THE SHOGUN 
 AND is CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 
 
 On reaching the hotel in lidamachi, Sogoro, with 
 the help of the other five headmen, wrote out a fresh 
 petition ; and then made his preparations for present- 
 ing it to the Shogun. Knowing that he always visited 
 Toeizan on the 20th. of the 12th month, they planned 
 to present it to him then. Sogoro asked the others to 
 look after his wife and children after he was gone ; 
 and they, admiring his patriotism and courage, will- 
 ingly consented to do what they could and parted from 
 him with tears of blood, and hearts bursting with 
 sorrow 7 . Not liking however to leave him to carry out 
 alone a service which so nearly concerned them all, 
 they decided to remain in Yedo and see how matters 
 went. 
 
 Putting the petition in his bosom, Sogoro started out 
 about 7 o'clock in the morning of the 20th. of the 12th 
 month, in the first year of Shoho (Jan. 7th, 1645) ; and 
 
124 LIFE OF SOGOBO. 
 
 biding himself under the bridge east of Sammaebasbi 
 before one comes to the Ktiromon in Ueno, waited for 
 the Shogun to pass. At length seeing the procession 
 approaching, he quietly crept out greatly to the as- 
 tonishment of the attendants. Paying no attention to 
 them, he advanced to where the Shogun was and pre- 
 sented his petition to him direct. It was received by 
 the side guards who ordered him away ; and he, 
 delighted at having accomplished his object, tried to 
 withdraw, but some of the officials ran up and arrested 
 him : for at that time it was the law that any one who 
 petitioned direct should be imprisoned. 
 
 The complaint which he had presented was re- 
 ceived by His Lordship Tnoue Kawachi no Kami, 
 who seeing chat Sogoro of Iwahashi, in the Dis- 
 trict of Sakura, was the petitioner, handed it to His 
 Lordship Kozuke no Suke, the master of that 
 District. Kozuke no Suke having received it, went 
 back to his yashiki and read it. Greatly surprised to 
 see it had reference to increased rates and taxes .about 
 which he knew nothing, he summoned one of his mini- 
 sters, named Kojima, and said : " See what the 
 meaning of this petition is." When Kojima had 
 finished reading it through, he replied : "As this is 
 certainly due to the selfishness of the provincial officials 
 and to their oppression of the farmers, I think the best 
 way is to send some one to Sakura to make investiga- 
 tions." Kozuke no Suke said : " It may be owing to 
 the harshness of the provincial officials that the farmers 
 brought their petition to the yashiki in Yedo ; but you 
 ought to have received and examined into it then, and 
 
THE PETITION PEESENTED. 125 
 
 thus prevented its becoming known all through the 
 palace as it is now. It will be almost impossible for 
 me ever to wipe out the disgrace of this. The increas- 
 ed rates and taxes must, as the farmers request, be 
 remitted at once and the annual taxes must be collect- 
 ed as they were formerly. As the petition was signed 
 by all the headmen in the District, Sogoro ought not 
 to bear all the punishment, though as he petitioned 
 direct, his offence is much the most serious. We must 
 have him delivered to us by the government, and then 
 he and his wife must be crucified at Sakura, his sons 
 must all be put to death and his house and property 
 confiscated. Rokurobe, Juroemon, Chuzo, Hanjuro, 
 and Saburobe, his five companions must be transported. 
 Mind you attend to this, but pay no attention to the 
 families and possessions of these last five." " Sogoro's 
 crime," replied Kojima, " is indeed very great as he was 
 not only the originator of the petition, but also the one 
 who presented it ; it is reasonable therefore that he 
 should be crucified ; but his wife was in the province 
 at the time, and could know nothing about her hus- 
 band's action. Even if she did, she could not prevent 
 it, as it was for all the farmers. I fear therefore that it 
 is not right to condemn them both ; so I beg of you to 
 show mercy to her and her children." Kozuke no 
 Suke however was much troubled on account of the 
 disgrace that had been brought upon him before the 
 court : moreover he feared the Shogun's displeasure ; 
 and being naturally very quick tempered, and not 
 knowing how the matter would end, his face showed 
 no signs of relenting. 
 
126 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 Seeing this, Kojima continued : " His sons are 
 so young that they could know nothing of their father's 
 crime. You ought at least to spare their lives." 
 Kozuke no Suke said : " Even though they are 
 children, they deserve to die. Their father's offence 
 was so great. They cannot be allowed to escape." 
 Kojima continued : " Even though their father's 
 crime was very great, it seems to me that putting 
 children to death, who do not know the east from the 
 west, will not show you as a humane governor ; so I 
 implore you to spare them." Having thus tried his 
 utmost, Kojima retired to consider what to do. Re- 
 membering all at once that Kozuke no Suke's father 
 had appointed Watanabe and Hara to advise his son in 
 such cases, he went and talked the matter over 
 with them. " Your reasons," replied they, " are much 
 the same as those our late master would have given, 
 and if they have not been accepted, it is not likely that 
 anything we can say will be listened to ; however, we 
 will try what we can do." They thereupon went into 
 their master's presence and spoke together, saying : 
 " As Sogoro has petitioned direct, his offence is great 
 and you have done quite right in sentencing him to be 
 crucified ; but as we have heard that his wife and 
 children have been sentenced to the same punishment, 
 we have come to ask whether you will not reconsider 
 their sentence. To say that these youngsters knew 
 their father was going to present a petition to the 
 Shogun is nonsense, and to put them to death for their 
 father's crime would be barbarous and would injure 
 your reputation more even than Sogoro's action has 
 
KOZUKE NO SUKE'S CRUELTY. 127 
 
 done." Kozuke no Suke said : " Although there is 
 reason in what you say, I cannot consent to spare their 
 lives. Kiyomori saved Yoshitomo's children, and 
 afterwards his family was destroyed by them. Again, 
 Kudo Suketsune spared Ichiman and Hako and then 
 was killed by them while out hunting. In like man- 
 ner, if these children grow up, they will not know 
 what their father's crime was, and so will hate me. 
 The only safe way in such cases is to destroy the root 
 and then the leaves will wither away. Say no more 
 about it." With these words he rose and went 
 into another room, leaving them looking at each 
 other in speechless astonishment. After waiting 
 a few minutes, they withdrew, and as they did so, 
 Watanabe said to Hara : " Oh what cowardly words 
 for our master to say ! He ought not to utter such 
 shameful words even before us. What do you think 
 of it ? The proverb says : ' After remonstrating, 
 leave the province if your advice is not attended to '; 
 and I shall do so, as I have no wish to serve under 
 such a master any longer." He made his preparations 
 the same night ; and, taking his wife and children, re- 
 moved to another province. Truly when the wise 
 men had all died, the Chinese dynasty " In " soon 
 came to an end, and the thoughtful people of the time 
 wondered what would happen next. 
 
 Many exhausted language remonstrating with Ko- 
 zuke no Suke about Sogoro's severe punishment, say- 
 ing that though his offence was indeed great as he had 
 petitioned direct ; yet it was not right to include his 
 wife and all his children in the same punishment ; but 
 
128 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 Kozuke no Suke had made np his mind that the 
 sentence should be executed on them all and so would 
 not listen. Sogoro was therefore delivered over by the 
 Shogunand sent to Sakura and put in prison. 
 
 When Kozuke no Suke next went to court, he con- 
 sulted his colleagues there, saying : " The other day, 
 one of the farmers in my dominions, named Sogoro, 
 presented a petition to the Shogun ; and will- of course 
 receive severe punishment for his insolence. There were 
 however five others associated with him, about whose 
 punishment I wish to consult you, as I think you can 
 help me to decide rightly." My lord Yamato no Kami 
 replied : " Though those five were leaders, their crime 
 is not great. Whenever the lower classes are suffering, 
 they naturally appeal to their lord. Of this there have 
 in the past been many instances, and it must always be 
 so. What then is their crime ? Why punish them at 
 all ? However as Sogoro is to be so severely punished, 
 these five men will not be satisfied to be let off with 
 no punishment at all." " Well then," .asked Kozuke 
 no Suke, " ought they to be banished?" Yamato no 
 Kami replied : "It is not necessary to banish them ; 
 but simply forbid them to come within 25 miles either 
 of Yedo or of your dominions. You have already had 
 Sogoro the chief offender delivered over to you, and 
 have decided on his punishment yourself; so you have 
 no right to banish the others to an island, where they 
 would be under the jurisdiction of the Shogun, parti- 
 cularly as they have not offended against his govern- 
 ment. Understand that this is my private advice to 
 you and is not given officially." Greatly vexed to 
 
HIS FIVE COMPANIONS SENTENCED. 129 
 
 be spoken to in such a way, my Lord Koznke no Suke 
 hardly knew what to do, but finally decided to take his 
 advice. 
 
 Thus the year closed, and the following one, the 2nd 
 of Shoho, on the 25th of the 1st month (Feb. llth 
 1645), the five headmen were summoned and sentenced 
 as follows : 
 
 You, whose names are given below, are the 
 five scoundrels who led the farmers in their 
 petition and most insolently pressed it on the 
 Minister as he was riding along. You were 
 not however present when Sogoro forced his 
 petition on the Shogun ; so the death penalty 
 is remitted in your cases ; but you are forbid- 
 den to come within 25 miles either of Yedo or of 
 the District of Sakura. Your families are un- 
 punished. 
 
 Eokurobe, headman of Oda. 
 Hanjuro do. Koizumi. 
 
 Chuzo do. Chiba. 
 
 Juroemon do. Lower Kazuta. 
 
 Saburobe do. Upper Kazuta. 
 
 The above sentence was written out at the Office 
 in Yedo, as also that against Sogoro and his family. 
 The two were then intrusted to Shinagawa, one of 
 the inspectors. He made ready and went at once to 
 Sakura with four other officials. 
 
 As the provincial officials had not been consulted at 
 all, they were quite in the dark about what had been 
 taking place in Yedo, and felt very uneasy as to what 
 would be the outcome of the visit of these five officials ; 
 
130 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 indeed they seemed like men treading on a tiger's 
 tail. Ikeura, knowing that the difficulty had all been 
 caused by his own avarice, and thinking it would be 
 difficult to give a reason for the extra taxes he had 
 been extorting, pretended to be ill just as he had done 
 the previous November and did not go to the Office. 
 
 The officials from Yedo arrived at Sakura, and on 
 the 4th of the same month they had Sogoro brought 
 from the prison, and summoned all the headmen of the 
 136 villages. Inside the Office there were in all 
 forty-six officials, while the 130 headmen stood out- 
 side in the spacious courtyard. When all were ready, 
 Takamachi took the petition from his bosom ; and 
 opening it, laid it down before him, and addressed the 
 headmen as follows : "I notice you state in your 
 petition that the taxes have been raised 24%. Is this 
 true? Did you really pay that amount?" Heijuro 
 of Lower Iwahashi replied: "It is true." Taka- 
 machi then said : " Who ordered you to pay so much ? 
 Was it not the District Superintendent?" Heijuro 
 replied : " Mr. Kanazawa, the District Superintendent, 
 gave us each a notice and an examining register ; and 
 each of the headmen has the register here that was 
 then given him, so I pray you to look at them." With 
 these words, he took his own from his bosom and 
 handed it to Takamachi, who took it and saw on the 
 front cover the words, " Eegister of Annual Rates and 
 Taxes," and on the back the names of Muramatsu 
 Jimbei and Mitsuhashi Goheiji. He then took four 
 or five from others and on examining them saw they 
 were all alike. He next asked : " What are the 
 
THE UNJUST TAXES KEMITTED. 131 
 
 various other taxes you say you were ordered to 
 pay ? " Heijuro replied : " Those who built new 
 houses had to pay over four momme in silver on 
 every koku of their income, as also those who adopted 
 sons or married. Again every one who bought a horse 
 or exchanged one had to pay a tax of three momme in 
 silver." On hearing that, Takamachi turned to where 
 the provincial officials were sitting, and said : " This 
 is fearful. The sage indeed spoke the truth when he 
 said, ' It is better to have a robber for an official than 
 an oppressor.' How terrible! How terrible!" At 
 these words, the provincial officials turned pale ; and 
 those who had taken part in extorting the unjust 
 taxes, were almost dead with fright. After a long 
 pause, Takamachi turned again to Heijuro and said : 
 "Your petition is granted, and all the extra taxes 
 are remitted. Hereafter you need only pay the same 
 amounts as you did during the period of Kwanei under 
 Oi no Kami." Heijuro replied : " We are greatly 
 obliged to you for your gracious order. As we have not 
 yet paid the taxes for last year, we will pay them at 
 once on the basis you say." " You can do so," 
 replied Takamachi, " taking out the amounts you have 
 already paid for building houses, adopting sons, and 
 marrying, also the duties on horses." On hearing 
 that, all the headmen shed tears of joy, and bowed down 
 to the ground, and did not raise their heads for some 
 time. Though Takamachi had spoken without having 
 consulted the other officials, not one of them raised 
 any objection ; so the headmen were dismissed with 
 hearts overflowing with thankfulness. 
 
132 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 Then Shinagawa, having ordered Sogoro to be 
 brought out in front of the prison, stood up and read 
 his sentence to him as follows : 
 
 Making yourself lender of the farmers, you 
 pushed yourself forward above the others, 
 and insolently pressed your complaint on His 
 Lordship Kuse Yamato no Kami as he was 
 going to the castle. Not content with this 
 you even had the audacity to force it after- 
 wards on the Shogun himself. For this in- 
 solent act, you and your wife are condemned 
 to be crucified, so make your preparations 
 accordingly. Your four sons are to be be- 
 headed. 
 
 The following are the persons referred to in the 
 above sentence : 
 
 Sogoro, the headman of Upper Iwahashi aged 49 
 
 His wife Okin do. 38 
 
 Their oldest son, Sohei do. 13 
 
 Their second son, Geunosuke do. 10 
 
 Their third son, Kihachi do. . 8 
 
 Their fourth son, Eokunosuke do. 4 
 
 On hearing the sentence on Sogoro, Zembei the 
 headman of the village of Sakato was much troubled and 
 sent a letter round to the villages asking all the head- 
 men to meet him at the temple of Zenshoji in Miroku 
 Cho in the castle town. They met at once wonder- 
 ing what had happened. Zeinbei said to them : 
 " The success of our last petition is all due to Mr. 
 Sogoro, who willingly sacrificed his life for our good. 
 And now, not only has he to die, but his wife 
 and his four sons are also going to be put to death. 
 
HE IS SENTENCED TO DEATH. 133 
 
 Thus six people are to die for the sake of the 136 
 villages. Why must we see this ? I feel very sorry 
 too for bis relatives. How do you all feel about it?" 
 Hanyemon, the headman of the village of Kazuta, ad- 
 vanced and said : " Truly it is not right for us to 
 leave it as it is. What would you all think of our 
 writing another petition, and asking that the lives of 
 his wife and children, five in all may be spared ? " 
 To this the headmen of the villages agreed unanimous- 
 ly, saying : " If we had been given the same punish- 
 ment, we would not have minded." Accordingly 
 Heijuro of Lower Iwahashi at once wrote out a peti- 
 tion which read as follows : 
 
 We most respectfully present the following 
 petition : 
 
 The headmen of the villages and all down 
 to the lowest tenant humbly thank you for 
 your gracious order, remitting the increased 
 taxes and other rates and allowing us to pay 
 the same amount of taxes as we did in the 
 old days. Sogoro the headman of the vil- 
 lage of Upper Iwahashi in the Imba District, 
 recently presented a petition to the Shogun. 
 You may have thought that this was his own 
 idea, but that it was not so is proved by its 
 having been signed by all the headmen of 
 the 136 villages. The fact is that none of the 
 other headmen were acquainted with public 
 business ; and so we compelled him to be our 
 leader much against his will. We therefore 
 feel much grieved that our conduct has brought 
 
134 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 him such a heavy punishment. At the same 
 time we know that your sentence on him is 
 most reasonable as he ventured to appeal 
 direct to the Shogun. We are however very 
 sorry for his wife and children, and implore 
 you to show them mercy and hand them over 
 to us. We should all feel very thankful if 
 you would punish us in their stead. Most 
 humbly do we ask you graciously to accept 
 this our petition. 
 
 Zembei, the headman of Sakato. 
 
 Hanyemon do. Kazuta. 
 
 Hanjuro do. Lower Iwahashi. 
 
 representing the 136 villages. 
 
 2nd month of the 2nd. year of Shoho (Feb. 1645.) 
 
 The petition was written as above and presented at 
 
 the Sakura Office, Kanzaki took it and after reading 
 
 it, said : " You have done nobly in offering such a 
 
 petition ; but I can do nothing in the matter as our 
 
 lord himself gave the orders. If you wish to try and 
 
 save the lives of Mr. Sogoro's wife and children, you 
 
 must go to Yedo with the priest of the temple they 
 
 belong to and their relations, and present your petition 
 
 there." Accordingly making ready at once, they 
 
 hastened to Yedo and presented their petition ; but 
 
 Kozuke no Suke was very angry and said to them : 
 
 " Sogoro's act was so audacious that if it had not been 
 
 for my rank I should have been ruined. I cannot 
 
 therefore rest contented with crucifying him alone. I 
 
 will excuse you this time ; but if you come bothering 
 
 me with any more such petitions, I shall put you all 
 
HE TAKES LEAVE OF THE HEADMEN. 135 
 
 to death as well as his wife and children." As there 
 was thus no help they went home. 
 
 On reaching the Sakura Office, they asked to be 
 allowed to take leave of Sogoro before he died ; but 
 were told that it could not be permitted. They were 
 however advised to go to the prison officials and see if 
 they could not accomplish it in some way or other. 
 Accordingly they all went to the prison, and humbly 
 asked the officials who replied : " We are sorry to 
 have to refuse to allow you to see Sogoro, but we will 
 allow you to speak to him." The three men therefore 
 went up to the window of his prison and called out : 
 " Mr. Sogoro : we are Hanyemon, Zembei and Heijuro. 
 In regard to your sentence, we have been petitioning 
 that the lives of your wife and children might be 
 spared ; but we have been refused and so there is 
 nothing more to be done. The farmers of the 136 
 villages have however been relieved from their 
 troubles ; and as this is all due to your kindness, 
 all of them even to the poorest tenant are mourn- 
 ing your loss, and so you may rest satisfied, as 
 we have charged ourselves with performing mass for 
 your whole family." As they thus spoke, their tears 
 blinded them, and Sogoro had hard work to restrain 
 his feelings while he said: "Even in future ages I 
 shall never forget your great kindness. As I am not 
 being punished for wrong doing, I shall neither be 
 blamed for unfilial conduct towards my ancestors, nor 
 leave behind me a bad name for after ages. My life is 
 given for all the people and so I can only rejoice, in 
 fact it has been my life-long wish so to die. Do not 
 
136 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 therefore grieve for rue ; but if you happen to think of 
 these sad days hereafter, I wish you would pray for 
 me. Please remember me to the others." On hear- 
 ing these brave words, the three men clung to the 
 lattice of the prison window, and wept for a little 
 while in silence. Soon however, one of the guard told 
 them that their time was up ; and so they said farewell 
 and went to their homes. 
 
 On the 9th. of the 2nd month in the 2nd year of Sho- 
 ho, (Feb. 22nd 1645), Kanzaki summoned the officials 
 of Upper Iwahashi, and said : " As the day after to- 
 morrow, the llth. is the day fixed for Sogoro's execu- 
 tion, you must deliver his household furniture and all 
 his implements to his two daughters, taking care that 
 nothing is lost. His house and lands, whether rice- 
 fields, hills or woods are placed in your charge until 
 they can be sold later when the money must be paid 
 with the taxes to this Office. His two daughters are 
 already married and so are not affected by his punish- 
 ment. Mind and pay attention to all this." 
 
 Of Sogoro's two daughters, who are here referred to 
 the oldest was named Ohatsu ; and had when nine- 
 teen married Yujiro, the son of Jiroemon, the headman 
 of Kinubashi in the Province of Hitachi in the domi- 
 nions of Matsudaira Mutsu no Kami. She had one son. 
 Her younger sister was named Osen, and had been ad- 
 opted by Gemba, who lived in the Province of Shimosa, 
 under the jurisdiction of Naito Geki. Her husband's 
 name was Tojuro. They had no connection with 
 Sogoro's history because they were under different 
 masters, but they were it is said warm friends and 
 
PREPARATIONS FOB HIS EXECUTION. J 37 
 
 loved each other very much. We cannot however go 
 into particulars here, for fear of being too tedious. 
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 
 
 SOGORO AND HIS FAMILY ARE PUT TO DEATH. 
 
 Now Sogoro belonged to the temple of Toshoji. 
 This temple is still to be seen in the village of Daikata, 
 and at the time of our story, it was the most celebrat- 
 ed in the District more so even than the temple of 
 Butch oji in the village of Lower Iwahashi. On hear- 
 ing of the intended execution, the Toshoji priests went 
 to the authorities and begged them to spare the lives 
 of Sogoro's wife and children ; but they were informed 
 that it was impossible. They then asked permission 
 to bury the bodies. The authorities replied : " Your 
 Keverences can take the bodies of the four children, 
 but the bodies of Sogoro and his wife will have to 
 remain exposed for three days. If however you care 
 to wait on the execution ground till the examining 
 officers have ail gone and then consult the men left on 
 guard, you may perhaps succeed." This therefore they 
 decided to do. 
 
 Xow Kojima had resolved not to have any of the 
 provincial officials to assist at the execution, and so 
 had sent to the yashiki in Yedo, and summoned 
 Ogawa and another inspector, together with a guard 
 
138 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 of twenty-four foot-soldiers. The day having arrived, 
 Kojima went to the execution ground at Ebaradai, 
 dressed in loose hunting trousers ; and with him Shina- 
 gawa and Ogawa and also the guard all armed with 
 sticks. 
 
 As the report of the execution had spread far and 
 wide, crowds of people of all ages, not only from the 
 neighbouring villages but also from all the country 
 side, flocked together until even the large execution 
 ground was rilled to overflowing. Torn with grief at 
 having to part from Sogoro, they pressed and crowded 
 each other not a little in their attempts to secure good 
 positions. Among them were the priests from Toshoji 
 and twelve other temples with four coffins and two 
 litters. 
 
 At the hour of the snake (10 a.m.) Sogoro and his 
 wife were brought out bound to long poles. Their 
 four children bound with ropes sat down on the rough 
 straw. On seeing them, each one in the crowd whe- 
 ther old or young joined his hands and greeted Sogoro 
 as a god, calling out : " Namu Sogoro Daimyojin " 
 (i.e. Save us, oh Sogoro, thou great and famous god!) 
 Not satisfied with this, they also threw rice-bread and 
 cakes to the four children in such quantities that they 
 fell like hail around them. These the foot-soldiers 
 pushed away with their sticks, saying : " The children's 
 hands are tied, so your presents can do them no good. 
 You must not give them anything." The people how- 
 everthrew them as fast as ever, saying : " That makes 
 no difference, these are for them to take to the next 
 world to enjoy there." Oh, it was indeed a sad sight ! 
 
HIS FOUR CHILDREN BEHEADED. 139 
 
 Now when the appointed time had come, the eldest 
 son Sohei was taken first to be put to death ; and 
 no one in the crowd cared to keep his eyes open 
 to behold such a sight. Ogawa stood forward and 
 said : " Your father Bogoro committed a grievous 
 crime in presenting a petition to the Shogun ; and there- 
 fore you are condemned to be beheaded." " Please 
 wait a little," replied Sohei who was just thirteen. " I 
 am most thankful to you for so graciously allowing me 
 to be executed for what my father Sogoro has done ; 
 but I am afraid if I am beheaded in my parents' pre- 
 sence that it will cause them much grief, so I shall be 
 called unfilial : I therefore humbly implore you to 
 punish me after they have been executed." His head 
 fell even before he had finished speaking. 
 
 The next son Genii osuke was then brought to the 
 same spot. He was ten years old and said : " I have 
 a boil on the right side of my neck, so please cut my 
 head off from the left side." Hardly had he said this 
 when his head also fell. The third son Kihachi who 
 was just eight had barely time to utter a sound before 
 his head also fell in the dust. 
 
 The Butchoji priest had been ill, and was still very 
 weak but when he heard it was finally decided that 
 the four children were to be executed, he hurried to 
 the place of execution and reached there just as Roku- 
 nosuke, the fourth son, who was only four was 
 brought out to die. He at once took off his scarf and 
 threw it towards the child but as he was so weak it 
 did not reach Kokunosuke whose head fell at once. 
 Shinagawa seeing what he had done, said : " Why 
 
140 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 did not your Keverence come a little earlier ? " The 
 priest could not reply for bis tears. 
 
 It seemed like a dream, so terrible was it ; and the 
 continuous groans that went up from the crowd sound- 
 ed almost as if a mountain were in eruption. Sogoro's 
 wife Okin burst out into a wild laugh, and said : " Oh ! 
 what noble children. Mind you don't forget what your 
 father told you ! We are ready and willing to lay 
 down our lives but can never forget how our four 
 children have been so cruelly killed, murdered right 
 before our eyes. How sorrowful! How woeful!" 
 As she said this, she gnashed her teeth, her eyes 
 glared, and her whole body trembled with rage. 
 
 Sogoro also laughed loudly, and said : " My wife ! 
 How well you have spoken ! My life-long desire has 
 been to lay down my life for all the people; but it is 
 barbarous to slay our four children right before our 
 very eyes. Our lord by his unjust rule was bringing 
 trouble and death on all the people. He not only paid 
 no attention to their sufferings ; but he refused- our 
 petitions, and thus compelled us to appeal direct to 
 the Shogun. He is therefore the cause of this cruel 
 execution and of all our misery ; and assuredly until 
 our revenge is satisfied he shall have no peace." As 
 he said this, he ground his teeth, and his tears of rage 
 mingled with his blood. 
 
 As he finished, the executioners approached within 
 sight of the wretched couple, brandishing their spears. 
 Sogoro at once closed his eyes, and hardly had he done 
 so, when he was speared on both sides so that the 
 points projected above both his shoulders. Opening 
 
HE AND HIS WIFE CRUCIFIED. 141 
 
 his eyes again, be said to the lookers on : "I am 
 much obliged to you for so kindly praying for me. 
 Farewell now ! Farewell ! " As be said this, bis wife 
 Okin was speared in the same way. Opening her eyes 
 just as her husband bad done, she said: "Farewell 
 all of you." Without pausing to rest, the executioners 
 speared them again and again so that they said no 
 more. At this terrible sight, numbers of the spectators 
 fell down and rolled about on the grass crying out 
 and lamenting, so that the very ground shook. 
 
 Now as soon as Sogoro and his wife were dead, the 
 priests from Toshoji and the other temples went and 
 took the bodies of their four children ; and, amid 
 many lamentations, put them into the coffins they had 
 brought for the purpose. As they were putting in the 
 heads, the Butchoji priest seized Eokunosuke's, say- 
 ing : " I will bury this one at my temple." The 
 Toshoji priest would not however agree to it, maintain- 
 ing that he had a right to bury them all as Sogoro and 
 his family had belonged to his temple. Then the 
 Butchoji priest said : " You can never save the lives 
 of any who have been condemned to death by asking 
 for them before they are brought to the place of execu- 
 tion like the common people do, for warriors are very 
 strict in carrying out their orders. If they once sen- 
 tence anybody to death, they will never let him off. 
 But I hear that the inspector said that he would not 
 save the lives of these four children, even if asked to 
 do so. Why did he say that? Was it not because 
 he hoped some one would ask him ? Having been 
 brought to the execution ground, they were as though 
 
142 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 already executed. Why then did you not throw your 
 scarf to them ? And if that failed, you should have 
 offered to die in their stead ? Why did you stand there 
 staring ; and not try to save them ? And now you 
 say you have the right to bury them. You are far too 
 greedy. You are ignorant of the first duties of a priest. 
 When I threw my scarf, the inspector said it was too 
 late, which certainly meant that he would have given 
 me the child if I had come a little earlier. Had I 
 saved him, I should have made him my disciple ; and 
 though I am grieved to say I was too late, I shall take 
 possession of Ins head." So saying, he seized the 
 head which had already been put into the coffin, and 
 wrapping it in his dress went off. 
 
 At that, the Toshoji priest was furious and called 
 out : " Go some one and bring him back." The peo- 
 ple however had all been much influenced by what the 
 Butchoji priest had said and were reluctant to move, 
 so at last he went himself. The Butchoji priest seeing 
 he was pursued, and feeling sure he should get the 
 worst of it if he was caught, jumped into a large pool 
 near by which forms part of the Imba Marsh, and 
 died. One of the farmers, who had followed intend- 
 ing to help him if the worst came to the worst, saw 
 him jump in ; but was too far off to save him. Not 
 wishing the Toshoji priest to gain possession of the 
 head, he stood on the bank when the priest came up 
 and called oat : " Neither the priest's body nor the 
 child's head are here." This he repeated so often that 
 at last the priest went off, saying he could find neither 
 the body nor the head. Thus they were both left to 
 
THE HEADMEN BUKY THE BODIES. 143 
 
 fertilize the weeds that grew in the marsh ; and to this 
 day, the farmers in that neighbourhood never speak of 
 it without tears. 
 
 Now when the inspector and the officials belonging 
 to the guard had all withdrawn, one of the watch said : 
 " It is nearly dark and we are all going home now. 
 Take down the other two bodies, if you care to, and 
 bury them carefully, but you must leave the posts just 
 as they are." In a short time, all the soldiers had 
 gone and there were only the headmen and the priests 
 left. Two young men at once climbed the poles and 
 soon jumped down each with one of the bodies in his 
 arms. It was then seen that they were Sogoro's two 
 sons-in-law. As they touched the ground their wives 
 rushed forward and embraced the bodies so closely 
 that the villagers could hardly distinguish the living 
 from the dead. Then they rolled about crying and 
 lamenting. The people however hastened to stop them, 
 saying : " Remember we are stealing the bodies 
 secretly, you must not make such a noise." By alter- 
 nate threats and persuasions, they at last succeeded in 
 quieting them and put both the bodies in the litters. 
 The women were so worn out with grief that they 
 would not have been able to walk even to the temple, 
 had not their husbands taken their hands and support- 
 ed them along. The bodies were buried in the pre- 
 sence of all the farmers of the district who flocked in 
 crowds to the funeral. 
 
 Now Zembei, Heijuro and Hanyemon, Sogoro's 
 trusty friends, retired after witnessing his execution to 
 Zenkoji in Shinshiu, and after staying there a short 
 
144 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 time went on to Koyasan. A few months later, Hei- 
 juro was taken ill and died at the early age of forty- 
 seven, heartbroken at having had to separate from 
 Sogoro. 
 
 Hanyemon, who had shaved his head and become a 
 priest, being now called Yushin, went shortly after to 
 Shinagawa in the neighbourhood of Yedo, and there 
 erected a stone image in honour of the god Jizo. He 
 lived there for many years, spending his days and 
 nights in praying for the happiness of Sogoro and his 
 family. He died in 1671, having attained the age of 
 threescore and ten. 
 
 As for Zembei, he, known now 7 as the priest Zensho, 
 had the good fortune to return to his native place 
 and there he lived, thinking constantly of Sogoro and 
 his family, and praying continually for their salvation. 
 He passed away in the 10th month of the 2nd year of 
 Empo (Nov. 1674.) Long years afterwards, the names 
 of these three faithful men were remembered and held 
 in high esteem. 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 
 KOZUKE NO SUKE RECEIVES THE REPORT OF 
 
 SOGORO'S EXECUTION. 
 
 Now Kojirna and Shinagawa, together with the 
 twenty-four foot-soldiers, returned as they had been 
 ordered, direct to Yedo from the execution ground ; 
 
KOJIMA REPORTS TO HIS LORD. 145 
 
 while Asai and Takamacbi waited till the next morn- 
 ing, when they set out early and arrived safely at the 
 yashiki in Yedo the same night. Immediately on 
 arriving, Kojima presented himself hefore his master 
 Kozuke no Suke, who however cruel he might he, yet 
 could not feel comfortable, thinking of the barbarous 
 death of Sogoro and his family. He had put on his 
 official dress ; and when Kojima went in, was sitting 
 erect on the mats. When Kojima bad finished giving 
 him the chief particulars of the execution, Kozuke no 
 Suke said : " It was about the hour of the snake (10 
 a.m.) when they were executed, wasn't it?" Kojima 
 replied : " Yes, a little past." Hearing that, Kozuke 
 no Suke bowed his head in sorrow and was silent for a 
 little while. He then said : " Tell me, did not Sogoro 
 curse me, and say that he should revenge himself on 
 me for all his sufferings ? " Kojima answered : " No : 
 he did not. He and his wife were very quiet and 
 seemed well prepared. They simply asked the spec- 
 tators to pray for their future happiness and then after 
 saying a few words to us they died." Kozuke no Suke 
 again said : " A little after 10 o'clock, my eyes were 
 suddenly blinded, and I seemed to hear a crowd crying 
 out with sorrow. I could not make it out, and so 
 thought it must be caused by Sogoro and his wife 
 cursing and reproaching me ; but if it was as you say, 
 I can rest easy." As he spoke, he looked quite scared. 
 Kojima was greatly astonished and could only bow 
 and retire feeling sure that his master's terror was the 
 result of Sogoro's curse. Just then it struck 7 p.m. 
 and Kozuke no Suke lay down just as he was, without 
 
146 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 even calling for a pillow ; but no sooner did he begin 
 to doze than be beard the cries of Sogoro's ghost and 
 started up at once, saying : " How curious ! How 
 strange ! " Calling some of his courtiers, he asked 
 them whether they had heard the cries ; but they 
 assured him that they had heard nothing. This made 
 him still more confused, and whether he would or no 
 Sogoro's death was constantly present to his mind. 
 
 The next morning, he sent foi' Shinagawa and asked 
 him for full particulars about the execution. Shinagawa 
 was naturally straightforward and so would not use 
 flattery, moreover though not a philanthropist he ut- 
 terly detested all cruelty. Being a man of such a dis- 
 position, he had been much pained by the barbarous 
 punishment of Sogoro ; and on hearing his master's re- 
 quest thought to himself : " How fortunate it is tbat he 
 has asked me," and replied : " Sogoro was a man of 
 greater courage than I had thought. He must have pos- 
 sessed some ability too ; for he managed to save all the 
 farmers in a district yielding 40,000 koku annually and 
 relieved all their troubles when their struggle seemed 
 quite hopeless. Knowing how much they owe him, 
 many thousands of them were present at his execu- 
 tion and each one joined his hands and shouted through 
 his tears : ' Namu Sogoro Daimyojin ! Namu Sogoro 
 Daimyojin ! ' (i.e. Save us, oh Sogoro, thou great and 
 famous god !) Thus you see they really worshipped 
 him as a god even while he was yet alive. 
 His wife was so excited by seeing her four children 
 executed right before her very eyes that she looked 
 almost like a devil as with bloodshot eyes she screamed 
 
SHINAGAWA REPROVES HIS LORD. 147 
 
 out : ' How barbarous an execution is this ! How- 
 ever great their father's crime was, it is barbarous to 
 kill such young children right in front of their parents' 
 eyes. Living or dying, we shall certainly avenge 
 their deaths.' As I listened, my hair stood on end 
 with fear." Hearing this, Kozuke no Suke felt 
 half repentant ; but was vexed at himself for being 
 so and therefore vented all his wrath on Shinagawa, 
 saying : " It is only cowardly fellows like you whose 
 hair would stand on end at that. Sogoro must have 
 been a thoroughly bad man thus to have forgotten his 
 own great crime and cherished revenge towards his 
 superiors ! How can he possibly injure me ? The 
 story you have just told me cannot be true, it is so 
 very different from the account Kojima gave me. You 
 must have made it up." Hearing this, Shinagawa 
 forgot himself, and retorted : " All my life I never 
 once told a lie and even if I told one now, what good 
 would it do as there are thousands of spectators who 
 were there and know all that took place. You had 
 better ask some of them. It is said to be useless 
 to remonstrate about a thing that is already past ; 
 but I wish to say a few words, hoping they may 
 be useful in the future. In heaven and earth there 
 is no affection so strong as that which exists be- 
 tween a parent and his child. Even the birds and 
 beasts love their offspring, much more man. It was 
 very cruel of you to behead Sogoro's four children 
 right before his eyes ; and so he and his wife revenged 
 themselves by cursing and reviling you. By so 
 doing, they in the first place alienated the hearts 
 
148 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 of your subjects from you ; in the second place, they 
 disgraced your country and injured your reputation, 
 and thus will bring misfortune on you and prevent 
 3 r our descendants flourishing. I therefore beseech 
 you strictly to examine the provincial officials 
 who oppressed the people and thus caused them so 
 much suffering. Please be very strict with them. It 
 was only natural that the farmers should call Sogoro a 
 god; and the best way to satisfy them, is for you to 
 establish a temple and enshrine him there as a god. 
 If you do this, you will turn away his curse. Yon 
 ought also to alter your behaviour and treat your sub- 
 jects more mercifully. Your house will then become 
 more and more flourishing, and surely no reward can 
 exceed this. Please consider this matter carefully." 
 
 Kozukrt no Suke was very angry at hearing Shina- 
 gawa's remonstrances, and said: "What a terrible 
 chatterbox you are ! Who said that Sogoro was a 
 god? Was it not his followers and those who had 
 been greatly benefitted by his presenting their petition 
 to the Shogun ; and who, seeing him on the point of 
 being executed, naturally felt bound to flatter him. 
 You are an insolent fellow to dare to presume to 
 teach me, your master, how to examine my subjects." 
 He thus scolded him wildly, but Shinagawa replied : 
 "Please tell me where my fault lies." Kozuke no 
 Suke said : " You did wrong in that though you were 
 sent to the execution as an inspector, you failed to 
 make any report to me on your return. What is the 
 use of such service ?" Hearing this, Shinagawa straight- 
 ening himself up, said : " I thought of coming to you 
 
KOJIMA AND SHINAGAWA PUNISHED. 
 
 last night directly I came in ; but, as it was about lialf 
 past nine Mr. Kojima told me (bat as it was so late 
 you would probably bave retired to rest and so there 
 would be no objection to my waiting till tins morning. 
 He also promised to mention my return to some of the 
 courtiers so that you might hear of it. As such was 
 his wish, I had no choice but to put off seeing you till 
 this morning when I received your summons and so 
 came at once." Still more annoyed at receiving such 
 a reply, Kozuke no Suke said : " You talkative fel- 
 low ! From this time I cannot allow you to come into 
 my presence. Go home and stay there in confine- 
 ment." As there was no help for it, Shinagawa retired 
 crestfallen, lamenting the danger that seemed to threa- 
 ten his lord's house. The other courtiers tried re- 
 peatedly to have him excused, but in vain ; and at last 
 Kozuke no Suke banished him to Sakura. 
 
 As soon as Kozuke no Suke realized how Kojima 
 had deceived him he said such a cowardly soldier was 
 uo use to him and obliged him to retire into seclusion. 
 Kojima was not however a bad man. He only spoke 
 as he did, thinking if lie told his master plainly how 
 angry Sogoro and his wife were, it would trouble him 
 and thus only hasten the misfortune with which they 
 had threatened him ; but he made a mistake in not 
 arranging it first with Shinagawa : perhaps however, it 
 could not even then have been prevented ; for it is said 
 that when a country is about to perish, a remarkable 
 calamity always happens first, and so it was in this case. 
 
 Alter Kojima's dismissal, the other officials met toge- 
 ther at the Yedo Office and spent many hours in 
 
150 LIFE OF SOGOKO. 
 
 consultation. They were unanimous in feeling that 
 the reason for such a disturbance rising then must lie 
 in the avarice and oppression of the provincial officials ; 
 and felt it essential that they should all be carefully 
 examined and properly punished. But as Kojima 
 had just been ordered to resign, and Shinagawa had 
 been banished to Sakura, both of them having incur- 
 red their master's displeasure simply by disagreeing in 
 the verbal accounts they had given him of the ex- 
 ecution, the other officials hesitated to go and ask him 
 to examine the provincial officials knowing well \vhat a 
 cruel and quick-tempered man he was. At last however 
 one of them, named Tanabe, volunteered to go. Enter- 
 ing his lord's presence, he said : " We believe that 
 Sogoro's crime was after all the result of the avarice 
 and oppression of the provincial officials ; and we have 
 therefore been expecting you to order them to be 
 examined, but as yet we have heard nothing. I there- 
 fore ventured to come and ask what you intend doing 
 about it." " Why," replied Kozuke no Suke, " that is 
 your business, it is silly of yon to wait for my orders. 
 Do as you like about it." " What you say," continued 
 Tanabe, "is most reasonable. It is however very dif- 
 ficult for an official to examine any of his colleagues 
 without having received an order from his master." 
 Kozuke no Suke said : " As the petition from the 
 farmers has been granted, and Sogoro has been punish- 
 ed there is nothing else to be done, so let it remain 
 as it is." As there was no help for it, Tanabe with- 
 drew. On hearing what had taken place, the other 
 officials were thunderstruck, and said : " The lord of 
 
THE DISTRICT OFFICIALS TO GO UNPUNISHED. 151 
 
 a castle ought not to act like this. If he only punishes 
 the farmers and pays no attention to the behaviour of 
 his servants, criminals will all the time become more 
 and more numerous." They consulted together for 
 some time but with no result as not one of them was 
 willing to take the risk and boldly remonstrate with 
 his lord. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 KANAZAWA AND IKEURA BOTH COMMIT SUICIDE. 
 
 A few days after the events recorded in the last 
 chapter, my lord Kozuke no Suke went to the palace 
 and told how he had punished Sogoro. When the 
 Shogun lemitsu heard about it, he called Kawachi no 
 Kami, one of his lords, and said : "Kawachi, was that 
 a suitable punishment?" Now, though my lord 
 Kawachi no Kami had read the petition, he did not 
 like, wise though he was, to answer such a question, 
 so he bowed low but said nothing. Seeing his coil- 
 fusion, the Shogun said : " Never mind. Never mind." 
 So the matter ended. 
 
 After leaving the Shogun 's presence, my lord 
 Kawachi no Kami consulted with my lord Kuse Yamato 
 no Kami who had also read the petition. These two 
 lords lamented Kozuke no Suke's neglect in omitting 
 
152 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 to bring to trial his own servants who had by their 
 cruelty driven Sogoro to slight the procession of the 
 Shogun and thus lose his life, and they both felt that 
 it was most unjust to leave it as it was. 
 
 The next day therefore when Kozuke no Suke went 
 to the palace, one of them went up to him and said : 
 " Sogoro, one of the farmers in your dominions 
 certainly committed a grievous crime recently in 
 forcing his petition on the Shogun, but at the same 
 time it is well known that all such petitions have 
 their origin in oppressive government. I do not think 
 you are to blame, but you ought most certainly to 
 examine your servants and see whether the fault does 
 not lie with some of them. It is not really my busi- 
 ness as through the merits of your ancestors the 
 District has come to you ; but in one sense at least 
 the people are Imperial subjects, so I shall be much 
 pleased to hear what you intend doing." 
 
 Kozuke no Suke was greatly perplexed, but remem- 
 bering Tanabe's advice to him only the day before, he 
 said : " It is a great disgrace to me and I hardly know 
 what to do, but there must as you say be some among 
 my servants who are to blame. A few days since 
 therefore I sent two or three whom I could thoroughly 
 rely on to look into the matter and will let you know 
 the result." 
 
 " Why do you not go and examine into it yourself," 
 continued the other? "If you do as you have just 
 proposed, I am afraid that it will never be settled. If 
 you need any help I shall be glad to assist you, so 
 please feel quite free to ask me." 
 
KOZUKE NO SUKE FORCED TO TAKE ACTION. 153 
 
 Blushing with vexation, Kozuke no Suke went home 
 and at once sent for Tauabe and said : " I have thought 
 carefully over what you said the other day about 
 examining the provincial officials and am convinced 
 that it will not do to leave them as they are after 
 having executed Sogoro. They must be examined 
 strictly and those who have done wrong must be 
 brought here and punished. This cannot be accom- 
 plished unless a large number of officers are sent, so 
 select those you think most suitable." 
 
 Hearing this, Tanabe went out and conferred for 
 some time with his colleagues as to who should go but 
 as none of them would undertake the task he at last 
 called Takamachi, and said : " You must go for one, 
 and Ogawa, and Hara, and I will go with you. M 
 
 " When the farmers came before and were sent to the 
 lower yashiki," replied Takamachi, " I asked that the 
 matter might be investigated, but this was refused and 
 so all this trouble has arisen. Now therefore, I would 
 much rather be excused. If however you really wish 
 me to go I must have full authority to punish the 
 guilty ones and even have them put to death without 
 having to consult with any one else. It is not such a 
 difficult job and if you do this I shall need no one but 
 Ogawa." 
 
 Knowing his ability, all the other officials were 
 greatly delighted at his offer, and my lord Kozuke no 
 Suke was much relieved, and summoning Takamachi 
 gave him a dagger, saying : " You have full authority 
 to act just as you think best, but there is one thing I 
 want you to remember. When I was at court yester- 
 
154 LIFE OF SOGOHO. 
 
 day, my colleagues strongly advised me to examine 
 into this matter. I wish you therefore to make a large 
 number of criminals apparently but to have very few 
 in reality." 
 
 Takamachi withdrew saying : " Your orders shall 
 have my attention." The next morning he started 
 before sunrise with Ogawa. On reaching Sakura, they 
 summoned all the officials and spoke to them, saying : 
 " Sogoro was crucified a little while since for having 
 committed an atrocious crime but the reason for his 
 crime must after all be sought in the misconduct of 
 some of you officials. Our lord has therefore ordered 
 us to investigate the matter strictly and punish the 
 guilty ones. But first of all, why is Mr. Ikeura not 
 here to-day, he is the governor of this District and so 
 must know all about such a disturbance as this?" 
 
 Kanazaki replied : " As you 110 doubt remember he 
 was ill when you were over last November and he has 
 not been at the Office since." 
 
 Takamachi then turned to Kanazawa saying: 
 " Everything connected with the farmers is under your 
 direction as superintendent; and yet, when by your 
 oppression you led them to present a petition, you re- 
 fused to receive it, and so not only drove them to take 
 it to Yedo where they made a great disturbance, but 
 also impelled them to present it to his Lordship 
 Kuse Yamato no Kami as he was going to the court 
 and finally to force it on the Shogun. For so doing, 
 Sogoro, his wife and four children have lost their 
 lives ; but as all this was really your doing as super- 
 intendent, it is impossible for you to escape unpunished. 
 
IKEURA'S INSOLENCE TO TAKAMACHT. 155 
 
 You must go to the Yedo Office and if you have any- 
 thing to say, say it there." Speechless with horror, 
 Kanazawa could make no reply. 
 
 The other officials were then examined so strictly 
 that they were all much terrified and could only trem- 
 ble and remain silent. Takamachi then sent a mes- 
 senger to Ikeura, saying : " I have come here hy our 
 lord's orders to examine every one in the Office, so } r ou 
 must come there at once. If you are unable to walk, 
 you can be carried." 
 
 Ikeura made answer, saying : " What nonsense to 
 talk of examining me ! Even supposing you have 
 come here by our lord's orders which I greatly doubt, 
 there is no reason why you should presume to examine 
 me. It is absurd to send a messenger to me while I 
 am ill. If you wish to see me, you must come to my 
 house." 
 
 On receiving this reply, Takamachi immediately sent 
 saying : " Do you dare to disobey our lord's orders 
 simpl} 7 because my rank is low ? This is public busi- 
 ness and I cannot come to your house ; but I assure 
 you that if I go back to Yedo and tell our master how 
 you have treated me, he will certainly summon you at 
 once and then your regrets will all be in vain." 
 
 Ikeura replied : "I cannot understand why a mad- 
 man like Takamachi has been sent from Yedo while 
 Mr. Kojima is there so I have written a letter asking 
 how it is and order you to take it to Yedo at once." 
 
 Hearing that, Takamachi became extremely angry 
 and said : " You cowardly samurai ! You pretend to 
 be ill every time I come ! It is not surprising that 
 
156 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 calamities should happen frequently to a country 
 governed by such a baby. If I go back to Yedo like 
 this, you must look out for the consequences ! " 
 
 With these words, he left Sakura at once and went 
 back to Yedo full of shame that his attempts at ex- 
 amination had failed so utterly and vexed at the injury 
 thereby done to his reputation. On hearing his report, 
 my lord Kozuke no Suke was extremely angry and lost 
 no time in dispatching a messenger to Sakura ordering 
 Ikeura to go to Yedo instantly. 
 
 Now, as soon as Takamachi had left for Yedo, Ikeura 
 sent for Kanazawa secretly, and said : " I sent Taka- 
 machi back as I did not care to be examined by a two 
 year old baby like him. I expect however to be sum- 
 moned to Yedo in a few days ; and so, as there is no 
 way for me to escape, I would commit suicide now if 
 it were not that everybody would then say that I had 
 done it because 1 could not clear myself and that is 
 just what I do not want. I intend going to our lord's 
 presence as soon as he sends for me and shall there 
 kill myself honourably. As for you, if you are brought 
 to trial, you will certainly be ordered to commit hara- 
 kiri, so you had better make up your mind and kill 
 yourself at once, only do not do it until you hear from 
 me again." 
 
 On receiving the summons to go to Yedo, Ikeura at 
 once informed Kanazawa, and added : " As I told you 
 the other day, I know that it is impossible for me to 
 escape with my life, so now is the time for you to kill 
 yourself and I will commit harakiri at the yashiki in 
 Yedo." Kanazawa hearing that, turned pale and 
 
KANAZAWA PREPARES TO DIE. 157 
 
 trembled all over. A.S he went back to his house, he 
 thought to himself: " When Mitsuluishi ran away, 
 Ikeura and I got off scot free by laying all the blame on 
 him. That was all Ikeura's plot and I am quite 
 sure that his object now in wishing me to kill myself 
 is that he may save his own skin by laying all the 
 blame on me. I do not half like it." He racked his 
 brains to try and find some way of defeating Ikeura's 
 plans ; but being naturally very dull and cowardly, he 
 could think of nothing at this crisis in his life ; so call- 
 ing his servant Kiroku, he told him all about the matter 
 and then added : " I know when I am dead the 
 governor means to save himself by laying all the blame 
 of his own crimes on me but this is more than I can 
 put up with. The proverb says : ' When you are in 
 a fix, consult some one even if it be only your own 
 knees.' I wish therefore to consult you about it." 
 
 Kiroku replied : " Indeed sir, the governor doubt- 
 less intends in the bottom of his heart doing as you 
 say ; but after all you have come to a point where you 
 cannot escape, and if you try to do so you will only be 
 laughed at as childish. You had better therefore give 
 me a memorandum with full particulars of everything 
 in regard to the compulsory service and the increased 
 annual taxation : for it is said that a dying bird sings 
 sadly and a dying man speaks the truth. Now that 
 you are so near the end of your life why should you 
 quarrel with the governor ? If however he tries to 
 save himself by laying the blame of ail his crimes on 
 you, I will send your note to the Yedo Office ; but if he 
 kills himself honourably, I shall not send it, so whatever 
 
158 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 happens you can rest assured that all will be right. 
 You can therefore die without anxiety." 
 
 Kauazawa was much perplexed at hearing that there 
 was no way for him to escape hut took pen and 
 paper, and though all of a tremble managed to write a 
 memorandum which he gave to Kiroku. Then going 
 into an inner room, he there put an end to himself by 
 committing harakiri. 
 
 After hearing of his death, Ikeura set out without fur- 
 ther delay for Yedo. On reaching the yashiki there, he 
 tried to shield himself by pretending that he had been 
 ill most of the time, and was too old and feeble to go 
 often to the Office. He stated that he had not known 
 anything of the way the farmers were being oppressed 
 until after Kanazawa's death when he at once saw how 
 it was. All that he acknowledged was his neglect in 
 not having looked into the matter before. 
 
 Kozuke no Suke said : "In this petition the farmers 
 state that they presented it to you first. Why then did 
 you not receive it and examine into their grievances ? " 
 
 Ikeura replied : " As you say, they did come to me 
 first but I was ill in bed at the time ; and when I heard 
 the noise, I sent one of my servants out to see what 
 was the matter. He came back saying that the 
 farmers had come with a petition, so I told him to tell 
 them to go to Kanazawa, and they went away at once. 
 This is all I know about it." 
 
 Kozuke no Suke put several other questions to him, 
 to all of which he replied without in any way incrimin- 
 ating himself. As there was nothing else to be done, 
 he was confined in the barracks and there examined 
 
IKEURA'S TBIAL BEGINS IN YEDO. J59 
 
 by Asai and Takamachi, but they both failed to bring 
 home any crime to him : so at last they sent for the 
 headmen from two or three of the villages in the 
 dominion, and asked them to state what happened 
 when they first presented their petition. 
 
 One of them named Icliinojo said : " We went first 
 of all to the Office and presented our petition there. 
 It was received at first but in a few minutes was 
 returned. We then went in a body to the gate of the 
 governor's house and presented it there. Mr. Kagawa 
 came out and took it in to the governor but soon 
 brought it back again, saying : * The governor is very 
 cruel. He will not receive your petition. 1 cannot 
 serve such a hard master.' He then absconded at once." 
 
 Asai and Takamachi examined Ikeura in con- 
 nection with this statement, but he replied : " That 
 man Kagawa was one of my attendants. I sent him 
 to take the farmers to Kanazawa but he was carried 
 away by his avarice and so accepted bribes from them 
 promising to help them. I scolded him for this and 
 for not taking them to Kanazawa, and as he could not 
 clear himself, he ran away saying what a cruel master 
 I was. What an audacious man Ichinojo is to try and 
 deceive you so ! Bring him here, and I will soon show 
 you he is wrong." 
 
 When the headmen went into Ikeura's presence he 
 glared at them fiercely, and said: "You bribed 
 Kagawa and so enabled him to run away ; and now, not 
 knowing where he is, you have the audacity to try and 
 lay the blame of not receiving your petition on me ; but 
 as you made him run away, you must find him and 
 
160 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 bring him here without delay, otherwise I shall lose 
 my reputation." 
 
 Quite appalled at his rage, Ichiuojo was unable to 
 say a single word in reply but turned to Takamachi 
 and said : " Please allow us to withdraw. We shall 
 want some time for consideration before we can give 
 any more evidence." They were therefore sent back 
 to the ostler's again. 
 
 Now it so happened that Kanazawa's old servant 
 Kiroku, having lost his place on his master's death, 
 had come in his wanderings to Yedo and was staying 
 at the same ostler's as a sort of hanger on, at the same 
 time keeping his eye on Tkeura. 
 
 He overheard the headmen consulting together and 
 said : " Am I right in supposing that Mr. Ikeura is 
 now trying to shield himself by laying all the blame of 
 his own crimes on Mr. Kanazawa, my late master ? He 
 knew he could not escape and so put an end to himself 
 recently b}^ committing harakiri. I have a note here 
 which he wrote just before he died and which -I feel 
 sure will help you." 
 
 The headmen were greatly delighted and taking 
 Kiroku with them went at once to the yashiki. Taka- 
 machi and Asai were much pleased to see them and 
 at once summoning Ikeura, they read the note aloud 
 as follows : 
 
 To Messrs. Takamachi and Ogawa, 
 
 Officers at the Yedo Office. 
 When you were here recently, you said 
 that I was to blame for all the trouble which 
 had been caused by the petition which the 
 
KANAZAWA'S NOTE. 161 
 
 farmers of this District presented last year. If 
 however you will be so kind as to read this 
 note, you will see that I was not acting on 
 my own responsibility at all, but was ordered 
 by Mr. Ikeura to do as I did. 
 
 In regard to the money paid as thank-offer- 
 ings ; an insurrection had broken out in Ama- 
 kusa, and I was told that money must be 
 collected for war preparations as it might be 
 wanted in a hurry at almost any time. Not 
 knowing what to do, I asked Mr. Ikeura ; and 
 he told me that it was to be collected in 
 the form of thank-offerings from those who 
 married, built houses, or adopted sons ; so I 
 went all round the villages in the District 
 collecting it. The insurrection in Amakusa 
 was soon put down ; but, as universal peace 
 did not reign throughout the country, it 
 was determined to continue levying the taxes, 
 pretending that they were to provide cavalry 
 and to furnish the retainers with the neces- 
 saries of war. 
 
 As to the taxes on horses ; Denzo, who had 
 been in Mr. Ikeura's employ before, came one 
 day and asked to be appointed horse-inspector. 
 He stated that horse stealing was very com- 
 mon ; and promised, if appointed, to do his 
 utmost to find any horses that might be stolen 
 from any of the farmers in the District and 
 return them to their rightful owners. Mr. 
 Ikeura therefore appointed him and ordered 
 
162 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 ine to arrange for him to have a daily ration 
 to be provided for by a tax on every horse 
 that was bought or exchanged. He also 
 directed me to prepare a register for him ; so 
 I made one and wrote on its cover, ' Register 
 of Cattle and Horses.' I do not however 
 know anything about the money which was 
 collected as Mr. Ikeura arranged about that 
 himself. When however Matsusuke was 
 arrested, Denzo's true character was dis- 
 covered and he was banished at the request 
 of the headmen of the District ; but the tax 
 having been levied by Mr. Ikeura 1 s orders, was 
 collected as before. 
 
 As to the increase in the annual tax ; the 
 governor told me our lord had ordered him to 
 levy a certain amount of rice annually when 
 the harvest was good and store it up ready 
 to help the people when their crops were 
 bad. When I asked him how much in- 
 crease I should make, he replied 25%. I there- 
 fore made a register putting down an increase 
 of one to and two sho to the koku or about 
 24%. 
 
 In addition to the above ; I levied other 
 duties and exacted compulsory service in 
 accordance with Mr. Ikeura's orders. 
 
 I suspected several times that it was unjust 
 to extort from the farmers the taxes mention- 
 ed above ; but as the governor had ordered me 
 to do so, 1 could not well refuse. I now confess 
 
IKEUBA'S INSOLENT BEHAVIOUR. 163 
 
 that I did wrong in thus yielding. I beseech 
 you however to remember that I never en- 
 riched myself by them in any way whatever. 
 
 Kanazawa Joemon. 
 
 As Takamachi finished, Ikeura seeing the note was 
 not in Kanazawa's own writing burst out laughing, and 
 said : " That is a very suspicious looking letter, let 
 me look at it." Takamachi without the least hesita- 
 tion held it out to him upside down. Ikeura stretched 
 out his hand and seized it, saying : " My old eyes 
 can not read it so far off." He then without waiting 
 a moment tore it all to pieces leaving only the part 
 which bore the signature and put the pieces into the 
 fire, saying : "You are extremely audacious to try to 
 convict me with a forgery like that. I have, as you 
 see, carefully kept the part on which the signature was 
 written. There are sure to be some letters in the 
 house from Kanazawa. Go and bring one and compare 
 it with this. It will be a bad job for you if this is not 
 his signature." "Fortunately," said Asai, " I have a 
 note in my pocket-book which I received from him the 
 other day." He took it out and was horrified to see 
 that the signature on the scrap was not Kanazawa's 
 writing at all. Takamachi however did not seem at 
 all disturbed, but said : " Ikeura ! you ought not to 
 boast so. You have behaved most insolently in thus 
 destroying an important letter. If you persist in 
 alleging that it was forged, you will have an oppor- 
 tunity of proving it in the court. The one you have 
 just destroyed was only a copy. The original is here." 
 
164 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 So saying, he took out another letter and showed it 
 but was very careful not to let go of it. Then roll- 
 ing it up again, he put it back in his bosom, saying : 
 " We are both examining you by our master's orders, 
 but as you are so rude to us we will just go and 
 tell him how you are behaving." So saying, they 
 both left him and told Kozuke no Suke all that had 
 taken place. When he had heard it, he was extremely 
 angry and at once summoned Ikeura and all the other 
 officials. As soon as they presented themselves, 
 Kozuke no Suke handed Takamachi a written order 
 which he ordered him to read at once. He accordingly 
 read as follows : 
 
 As it was reported that you Ikeura had 
 been guilty of many improper acts, you were 
 placed in confinement. You have however 
 shown much obstinacy and self-will during 
 your examination and have not acted at all 
 as became your station. You are therefore 
 deprived of your rank and ordered to take the 
 lowest seat. You are warned too that you 
 must act with more respect during the re- 
 mainder of your trial. 
 
 Ikeura was much astonished at this and turned pale. 
 Takamachi rising, bowed politely to all the other 
 officials and asked them to excuse him as he was only 
 doing his duty. He then said to Ikeura : " You can 
 not disobey your lord's orders. Do as you were 
 ordered and take the lowest seat." Ikeura, proud as 
 he was, rose slowly and reluctantly took the bottom 
 seat. Takamachi then took out Kanazawa's real letter 
 
IKEURA KILLS HIMSELF. 165 
 
 and laying it down in front of Ikeura, said : " How 
 now ? Do you recognize this as Kanazawa's writing, 
 or do you persist in asserting that it is a forgery ? " 
 On seeing it, Ikeura was dumb. At last be replied : 
 11 It would be very easy for me to clear myself but 
 Kanazawa is dead, and so it is no good now to go 
 into tbe rights and wrongs of the case : besides if I 
 did, I should leave a bad name behind me. I will 
 therefore say nothing." " Then," said Asai, " the 
 trial is over. The sentence will be pronounced after 
 we know our master's will in the matter. You can 
 go." Ikeura went to his house guarded by Nomura, 
 and that night he thought over the crimes he had 
 committed, and saw that he had brought his punish- 
 ment on himself and that all regrets were useless. He 
 thought the best way was to put an end to his own 
 life and so escape being laughed at afterwards for 
 having allowed himself to be executed by his lord. 
 Luckily for him, the men on guard were fast asleep; and 
 so, as there was no one to hinder him, he killed him- 
 self. The following was found the next day fastened 
 to one of the wooden doors in front of his house: " A 
 snake named Kanazawa that was in Ikeura's bosom 
 died, but his bones were not picked up." It sometimes 
 happens that three or four who call themselves bosom 
 friends unite together to annoy their neighbours and 
 defy their masters, but they cannot succeed in the end 
 once in ten thousand times. Even those who have been 
 looked upon as the closest friends will, when desper- 
 ate, become as snakes or frogs hurting and devouring 
 one another. This ought to warn us to be careful. 
 
166 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE GHOSTS BEGIN TORMENTING KOZUKE NO SUKE 
 AFTER FIRST KILLING HIS WIFE. 
 
 After Ikeura's death, Asai, Takamachi and Hara went 
 to Sakura and examined the officials there, banishing 
 thirteen and sentencing thirty-nine to other punish- 
 ments some were imprisoned, others were confined to 
 their own houses, while others again were simply 
 degraded. It was said however in the report to the 
 Shogun that eight had been ordered to commit liarakiri. 
 
 When Kozuke no Suke went with this report to the 
 court, he was told that an order had been issued re- 
 quiring him to examine minutely into the decrease in 
 the population of all the 136 villages in his dominions. 
 If it was found that any people had been driven by 
 poverty to remove, they were to be sought out and 
 made to return ; and were to receive five dollars each for 
 repairing their houses, and to be given a plough and 
 all other necessary implements free of charge. He 
 was also informed that if any were not found, he would 
 be held responsible. Certainly this was a most bene- 
 volent order for the fanners. 
 
 Now, towards the end of November, my lord Kozuke 
 no Suke's wife who was jnst twenty-one was suddenly 
 seized with violent pains ; and grew rapidly worse, till 
 by the beginning of December, she was suffering 
 
e fire ari 
 ih untie 
 

 
SUFFEBINGS OF KOZUKE KO SUKE's WIFE. 167 
 
 severely. Kozuke no Suke was in great trouble and 
 called in many famous physicians, but his wife grew 
 steadily worse. Also, wonderful to relate, lights began 
 to be seen moving about her bedroom and sometimes 
 she heard screams and mocking laughter. These ter- 
 rified her and greatly increased her sufferings so that 
 her whole body was bathed in hot sweat and she often 
 had fearful convulsions. Seeing her torments, one of 
 the priests in attendance went to Hara and told him 
 about it. He was much surprised and seizing his 
 sword rushed to the inner court where he was met by 
 my lord Kozuke no Suke who taking him into the next 
 room, said : " My wife says that there are lights flying 
 about her room, and sometimes she also hears screams ; 
 but I can neither see the lights nor hear the voices. 
 Go and look whether you can see anything." Hara 
 cheerfully obeyed ; and going to the room, at once saw 
 two lights flying about the bed : he also heard faint 
 screams. He soon came to the conclusion that the 
 two lights were the souls of Sogoro and his wife, but 
 for a little while was puzzled what to do. One of the 
 nurses had seized the tongs from the fire and looked 
 almost like a maniac, as with sash untied, dress 
 flying, and hair in confusion she rushed about the 
 room vainly endeavouring to catch the lights. Some of 
 the other women were also running about trying to 
 help her in the chase. After watching them a little 
 while, Hara went into the room and spoke to the lights, 
 saying : " You must surely be the spirits of Sogoro 
 and his wife. I know well why you have come here but 
 I ask you to go away just for to-night. I am Hara." 
 
168 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 Wonderful to relate, the lights disappeared at once and 
 the cries and laughs were heard no more that night. 
 This must have heen because Hara had treated the 
 people so kindly when he lived at Sakura : indeed, 
 when he moved to Yedo, they were so sorry to lose 
 him that a great many of them went with him as far 
 as Funabashi. 
 
 As Hara was so successful the first night in driving 
 the ghosts away, my lord Kozuke no Suke ordered 
 him to keep watch in the sick-roorn every night. By 
 degrees however, the ghosts became more and more 
 troublesome and refused to go away even at his request. 
 Seeing this, my lord Kozuke no Suke said to him one 
 day: "How is it you were able to drive away the 
 ghosts the first time you tried ? " He replied : " My 
 lord, are you not convinced yet that they are the 
 avenging spirits of Sogoro and his wife whom you put 
 to death so cruelly last spring ? At first they listened 
 to my request and went away, but of late they pay no 
 attention at all to me. I arn very tired and should 
 be so glad if you could let some one else take my place 
 to-night." Kozuke no Suke said : " All right. You 
 are quite wrong in thinking they are the spirits of 
 Sogoro and his wife, and it is quite useless for you 
 to watch with that notion in your head. Go at once 
 and rest." Hara thanked him and withdrew, too tired 
 by far to notice his master's displeasure. 
 
 Now Kawamura's son Kaheiji, whom we mentioned 
 in a previous chapter, was one of Kozuke no Suke's 
 attendants ; but was such a coward that he used to 
 break out into a cold perspiration all over whenever 
 
DEATH OF KOZUKE NO SUKE's WIFE. 169 
 
 be heard the others only talking about the ghosts. 
 Imagine then his terror when he was ordered to 
 keep watch in the room where the ghosts actually 
 appeared. He racked his brains for some way to get 
 out of it, but not finding any, and not daring to disobey 
 his master's orders, he went trembling to the room. 
 That night the ghosts of both Sogoro and his wife ap- 
 peared transfixed with spears, and looking just as they 
 did when they were being crucified. Going close to 
 the sick lady's pillow, they stood there crying : " Woe ! 
 Woe ! " It was a fearful sight. Kaheiji groaned with 
 fright, and at last fell fainting to the floor. The other 
 attendants also lost their heads and rushed about, 
 calling out : " There ! look there ! " While they were 
 doing so, the ghosts seized the sick lady and turning 
 her over, beat her till the sad end came. They both 
 then vanished instantly. When it was known that she 
 was really dead, the excitement in the house increased 
 and spread to the retainers whose agitation and sorrow 
 knew no bounds. Kozuke no Suke went at once to 
 his wife's room, and in the extremity of his grief took 
 hold of her corpse, saying : " It is sad to think of how 
 all through your illness, you were tormented by evil 
 spirits and died such an unmerited death." Then 
 jumping up suddenly and seizing his sword, he cried 
 out : " You evil spirits, you shall not escape ! " With 
 these words, he struck at a maid who was standing 
 near, cutting her right in two. Striking a second 
 blow, he wounded Kuwayama so severely that he 
 had barely strength to crawl away. All this time, 
 Kaheiji had been lying on the floor but in the excite- 
 
170 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 ment some one now trod on him. Up he jumped at 
 once, crying out : " What terrible spirits these are ! 
 Come all of you and let us fight them ! " Kozuke no 
 Suke said : "Is that Kaheiji ? Do not let them 
 escape." Encouraged hy his master's words, he who 
 had heen such a coward before, drew his sword and 
 rushed about brandishing it. 
 
 Now Hara, hearing how Kozuke no Suke's wife 
 had died and how his master had killed one of his 
 servants and wounded another, seized his sword and 
 hastened to the palace. Beaching there he crept 
 into the room and caught Kozuke no Suke from 
 behind. He turned round and said : " Hara, you 
 are too late. I have just seen the ghosts, and am 
 convinced that they are as you said Sogoro and his 
 wife, though I never saw them while they were 
 alive. Sogoro has escaped but I have disabled his 
 wife and am now looking for him with Kaheiji." 
 He spoke very clearly and did not show the least 
 sign of madness. A candle was lighted and the 
 room examined, but nothing could be found except 
 the bleeding body of the maid lying on the floor. On 
 seeing it, Hara asked in surprise what had happened. 
 Kozuke no Suke said : "I thought she was Sogoro's 
 wife. What a pity that I was so stupid ! But who did 
 I take for Sogoro? I felt my sword bite when I hit at 
 him, so he must be wounded too." His remorse was 
 terrible. As the disturbance in the bedroom gradually 
 calmed down, the maidens and the officials who had all 
 run away went back, and were very glad to see that 
 their master had recovered his senses. A great crowd 
 
HIS GHOST APPEARS TO KOZUKE NO SUKE. 171 
 
 followed him to the outer court. The funeral passed 
 off quietly and for more than ten days after there was 
 no sign of the spirits. 
 
 In the following year, that is to say, in the 3rd. year of 
 Shoho, on the night of the 6th. of the 1st. Month (Feb. 
 12th. 1646), a loud voice was heard in the large room 
 of the palace, calling out : " Woe ! Woe ! Cursed ! 
 Cursed ! " The officers on watch lighted their lanterns 
 and searched all over ; but when they looked in one 
 room, they heard the ghosts in another; and when they 
 looked there, sounds of laughter came from the room 
 they had just left. They looked in the drawing-room, 
 the messengers' room, the large central room ; and in 
 all the other rooms, prying into all the corners, but 
 could see nothing, so at last they gave up the search 
 in despair. 
 
 About twelve o'clock the same night, the spirits 
 again appeared and stood by Kozuke no Suke's pillow. 
 He drew his sword and brandished it when they 
 disappeared at once. This would go on ten or fifteen 
 nights in succession and then nothing would be seen for 
 two or three weeks, when the spirits would come out 
 again ; and so it went on for about four years till my lord 
 Kozuke no Suke could hardly sleep at all and looked 
 very sadly. Seeing this, Kara went to him and said: 
 " For four years the spirits of Sogoro and his wife have 
 been tormenting you by appearing at frequent intervals. 
 Though you are not ill, you look most wretched, and 
 your servants are all very much afraid that some great 
 calamity will befall your house. They have therefore 
 sent me to ask you to make Sogoro a god and allow 
 
172 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 the farmers in your dominions to worship him. By so 
 doing, you will please the spirits and thus lessen their 
 hatred, and your house will then enjoy security and 
 peace. If you will allow me to do so, I will send word 
 to the provincial officials to establish a temple at once." 
 " Don't bother yourselves about me ! " replied Kozuke 
 no Sake, " I am not troubled like my poor wife used 
 to be. The ghosts certainly do come sometimes ; 
 but they are such cowards they always go away 
 directly I draw my sword. Many people have been 
 deified for some virtue that they possessed ; but what 
 virtue can any one find in Sogoro, and who would 
 care to worship such a good for nothing fellow even 
 if he were deified ? Let him be and don't trouble 
 yourself about him ! " In fine, so decided did he 
 seem, that Hara had nothing for it but to return to 
 the Office and tell how he had fared. All the officials 
 were very sorry indeed but did not know what to do 
 next, so the days passed in worry and anxiety. 
 
 About three years later, on the llth. of the 2nd. 
 month in the 2nd. year of Keian (March 13th 1649) 
 loud shouts, like the war-cry of twenty or thirty 
 thousand troops rushing on the town, were suddenly 
 heard in Sakura in the middle of the day. The castle 
 shook fearfully and the people rushed out of their 
 houses in terror and were horrified to see a man and 
 woman hanging in the air just above the town. They 
 seemed to be transfixed with spears, and all the people 
 could hear their cries : " How woeful ! How sorrow- 
 ful ! Before this year is over, we shall have taken 
 the revenge we decided on long since and which has 
 
HIS GHOST APPEAKS IN SAKURA. 173 
 
 but increased as the months and years passed by." 
 They then vanished ; and as they did so, it sounded 
 as if all the roofs and ceilings in the place were fall- 
 ing. As was only natural, the people were very 
 much frightened and decided to send some one to 
 Yedo to see what could be done. Kanzaki was 
 chosen and started off at once. Though the officials 
 in Yedo had seen the ghosts so often, they were 
 much frightened to hear they had gone to Sakura, 
 fearing that if they did such horrible things there, 
 they would give still more trouble in Yedo. Even my 
 lord Kozuke no Suke, bold though he was, was much 
 alarmed but as he had opposed the wishes of his mini- 
 sters so long, he was far too obstinate to yield now so 
 he only smiled incredulously, and said : " The ghosts 
 used to come here quite often but they found they 
 could do no harm to me, and so they have gone to 
 Sakura to take leave of you before going back to their 
 home. Let them alone. They will trouble you no 
 more." The officials were not a little encouraged by 
 their master's words and resolved to give up the idea 
 of establishing a temple. In Sakura however, the 
 people were anxiously awaiting the return of the mes- 
 senger feeling sure that he would bring a satisfactory 
 answer. When therefore Kanzaki arrived and told 
 them what had taken place, they were greatly dis- 
 appointed, but Shinagawa who was present advanced, 
 and said : "As the spirits have been so often both 
 here and in Yedo, it is plain that some great misfortune 
 is threatening the house of our lord but he does not 
 comprehend his danger. As they are spirits, we can 
 
174 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 not say anything to them ; and so it seems to me that 
 the only way to appease them is for us to build a temple 
 for them. Our lord is sure not to give his consent if 
 we ask him ; so the best way is for us to do it on our 
 own responsibility, without saying anything to him 
 about it ; and then, if he is angry afterwards when he 
 hears about it, I will bear all the blame." All the 
 other officials gladly agreed to this and chose a place 
 where in old times the palace of Heishin no Masakado 
 had stood and roped it round at once. The temple 
 was finished in a few days, a man named Hojuin made 
 head priest, and Sogoro was duly enshrined under the 
 name of " Sogo Daimyojin." The [building of this 
 shrine perhaps soothed the spirits somewhat: for, after 
 it was finished, they never showed themselves again 
 in Sakura. 
 
 When the officials in Yedo heard that the shrine 
 had been- built, they were all very glad and said : 
 " That is right, it is just what we wanted to do. It 
 is not likely that the spirits will trouble us now." 
 My lord Kozuke no Suke however was not at all 
 pleased at it and summoned Hara, and said : " You 
 have heard, haven't you, how the officials in Sakura 
 have built a temple and enshrined Sogoro there as 
 a god ? Who started it ? You asked me about it 
 some time since but I refused. Surely you did not 
 send to Sakura after all and tell the people there to 
 build it. It is very foolish of them to say that the 
 spirits have stopped their wanderings because Sogoro 
 has been made a god. My high station made it im- 
 possible for them to revenge themselves on me, so 
 
HE IS ENSHRINED AS A GOD. 175 
 
 they took themselves off to Sakura and will not come 
 out any more now. It is absurd to make a temple and 
 enshrine them there after they had been driven away 
 by my good sword. What is the good of preparing 
 swords and spears when the war is all over?" Not 
 a little amazed and annoyed at being spoken to in 
 such a way, Hara said : " I admire your reason- 
 ing, but when you would not allow me to build the 
 temple, I of course had no way but to give up the idea. 
 I think the officials in Sakura must have planned it 
 themselves for I certainly did not authorize them to 
 do it." " Well then," said Kozuke no Suke, " go and 
 destroy it and if you find that any of the officials 
 have had a hand in it, you must punish them severely 
 for such audacious conduct." 
 
 That same night, after Hara had gone, the spirits of 
 Sogoro and his wife again appeared to my lord Kozuke 
 no Suke. He struck at them with his sword and they 
 vanished at once, but after that they appeared every 
 evening, till at last he was quite worn out, and his 
 health began to fail, and his days and months were 
 darkened with vain regrets. 
 
 Now Hara had gone to Sakura by his master's order 
 to ascertain who had had the temple built there in 
 Sogoro's honour. Immediately on his arrival, Shina- 
 gawa advanced and said : " It was all my own doing. 
 I did not consult with the other officials about it at 
 all. I have not been allowed to enter the presence 
 of our lord since I displeased him several years since ; 
 so I shall be very glad if he summons me now and 
 thus permits me to see him once again. I am ready 
 
176 LIFE OF SOGORO. 
 
 to lay down my life for him whenever he requires it." 
 Greatly pleased to hear he was so loyal, Hara went 
 back and told his master all about it. My lord Kozuke 
 no Snke was perhaps somewhat afraid of the spirits 
 as they had appeared to him the very night he had 
 sent Hara to Sakura ; but any way he did not enquire 
 any further about the temple. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 KOZUKE NO SUKE KILLS IWAMI NO KAMI AND is 
 DEPRIVED OF HIS CASTLE AND LANDS. 
 
 The Shogun's birthday was on the llth. of the 10th. 
 month (November 6th. 1649), and on that day an'enter- 
 tainment was given in the palace. To this my lord 
 Kozuke no Suke was invited, and it chanced that as 
 he was going along one of the corridors he met 
 Iwami no Kami, who on seeing him at once bowed 
 low and was stepping aside to let him pass when 
 Kozuke no Suke called out in an angry tone : " You 
 are an audacious fellow to follow me even here in 
 the palace ! I must show you what I can do ! " So 
 saying, he laid his hand on his sword. Iwami 
 no Kami thinking it very strange, said : " Are you 
 crazy?" Hardly had he spoken however when he 
 
KOZUKE NO SUKE FLEES TO SAKUKA. 177 
 
 was cut down and fell to the ground. As it was night 
 and no one was prepared for such an occurrence no- 
 body interfered for a few minutes, but soon there was 
 a great commotion and the cry was heard through all 
 the rooms : " Kozuke no Sake is fighting with Iwami 
 no Kami." This brought Kozuke no Sake to his 
 senses and he saw that he had killed Iwami no Kami 
 and felt great remorse for this his third victim. 
 Thinking it dangerous to stay where he was, he ran 
 out. Every one in the palace was busy attending to 
 Iwami no Kami, and so no one followed him, and he 
 had no difficulty in making his way to the stable. 
 Finding his horse there, he jumped on its back and 
 galloped off as hard as he could go. 
 
 He rode the 12 J ri (about 30 miles) to Sakura in less 
 than three hours and roused the porter at the Gate, who 
 asked who was there. He replied : " I am Kozuke 
 no Sake, the lord of this castle. Be quick and open 
 the gate." Thinking it very strange that he should 
 come so far all alone, the porter instead of letting him 
 in, called the night watchman. He came at once and 
 seeing that it really was his master ordered them to 
 open the gate and going out to meet him, said : " I 
 am surprised to see you here all alone so late. If 
 you will wait a little, I will go and call the guard as 
 no doubt you wish to enter the castle by the main 
 entrance." Kozuke no Suke replied : " I have come 
 all the way here alone. Why should I want a guard 
 now ? Come with me." The porter took hold of the 
 horse's bridle and thus they entered the castle. The 
 retainers were all greatly astonished to see them and 
 
178 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 collected in the large middle room. Kozake no Suke 
 summoned Shinagawa and consulted with him and 
 Kanzaki in his private room. Truly sandal wood can- 
 not be considered the same as other woods even if it 
 is decayed. In the same way such a loyal man as 
 Shinagawa could not but be consulted in preference to 
 others in such an emergency, even though he had been 
 under his lord's displeasure so long. 
 
 His lordship Iwami no Kami only lived a few hours 
 after the fight in the palace ; in fact, he died the next 
 day, the 12th. at the early age of thirty-three. Many 
 had heard him call out when he was attacked : " Are 
 you mad Mr. Kozuke no Suke ? " and it was clear to 
 them that he had not quarreled, but unfortunately 
 he was too severely wounded to speak, and had there- 
 fore in the eyes of the law been quarreling, and so all 
 his dominions were confiscated ; but the Shogun le- 
 mitsu left directions on his deathbed that a dominion, 
 yielding 20,000 koku at Matsuyama should be given to 
 his oldest son. 
 
 As soon as it was known that his lordship Iwarni 
 no Kami was dead, a conference was held at the 
 palace as to why Kozuke no Suke had gone to Sakura. 
 Some said that he meant to rebel and advised that 
 an army should be sent against him. While all the 
 officials were consulting together as to who should 
 lead the army, my lords Settsu no Kami and Yamato 
 no Kami advanced, and said: " If you will leave it all 
 to us, we will arrest him directly and bring him here 
 without delay." As all the others approved, they obtain- 
 ed the necessary authority from the Shogun, and going 
 
KOZUKE NO SUKE ARRESTED. 179 
 
 to Sakura on the 13tb, sawKozake no Sake. Settsu no 
 Kami said to him : " Iwami no Kami who was wounded 
 hy you at the palace died yesterday morning. It was 
 very wrong of you to flee here after having done such a 
 thing, and it was almost decided to send an army 
 against yon ; but as we are your relatives, we asked to 
 he allowed to come and arrest you." Kozuke no Sake 
 replied : " I am much obliged for your kindness, and 
 am very sorry to have given you so much trouble ; but 
 for the last five years, I have had a peculiar disease so 
 that in the evening, I sometimes lose my senses and 
 then people look like devils to me. During the first 
 attack, I killed a maid and wounded a courtier who 
 was a great favourite of mine and whose death I have 
 regretted ever since. The next year I had another 
 attack but I warned everybody to keep clear of me and 
 so that year no harm was done. Since then I have 
 been affected every winter, and recently I had another 
 attack, brought on I think by the cold weather we have 
 been having. His Lordship Iwami no Kami looked to 
 me just like a devil, and so I lost my self-control and 
 wounded him. I know that I am greatly to blame 
 and do not expect to escape punishment, so please do 
 not hesitate to do as you think best." Being his 
 relatives, they knew all about his attacks and so did 
 not need to question him further, but sent a messenger 
 to Yedo, and then began to talk about other matters 
 just as usual. 
 
 The officials in Yedo had just decided to send some 
 others of their number to Sakura to arrest Kozuke no 
 Suke when a messenger arrived from there with the 
 
180 LIFE OF SOGOEO. 
 
 following note : " His Lordship Kozuke no Sake has 
 gone mad so we have put off examining him till he 
 recovers. We have arrested him and shall keep him 
 in custody till we hear from you what to do with him." 
 When the Shogun heard this, he ordered them to 
 hring him to Yedo at once; and so Kozuke no Suite 
 was taken there, and placed in the care of my lord 
 Tajima no Kami. His household was broken up and 
 his retainers dismissed, and my lord Settsu no Kami 
 was ordered to take charge of the castle of Sakura. 
 Thus a nohle military house was destroyed by the 
 enmity of Sogoro and his wife, who had been so 
 cruelly oppressed by it. They had moreover caused 
 the death of my lord Iwami no Kami. 
 
 Some years later, His Lordship Hotta Sagami no 
 Kami, who belonged to another branch of the Hotta 
 family, moved to Sakura from Yamagata ; and at the 
 request of some of his descendants, the Emperor about 
 the year 1760, gave the name " Sogo Daimyojin " to 
 the temple that had been built on Mount Masakado in 
 honour of Sogoro and deified his four children under the 
 name of Yotsu no Miya Gongen ; and that temple has 
 guarded Sakura ever since. Twice every year, in the 
 spring and in the autumn, festivals are held there and 
 are always well attended ; and whenever the lord of the 
 District returns from a journey, he always visits the 
 temple before going to his castle. How true it is that 
 man's worship increases the power of the gods, and the 
 gods' favour increases the happiness of man. Ever 
 since this time the town of Sakura has flourished ; and 
 we are glad to say that evil has decreased and good 
 
*'i$*rat ) 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 181 
 
 fortune has smiled on all the families and households 
 in the District ; and so we believe that Sogoro deserves 
 to be honoured as much now as in the past. 
 
RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 
 
 TO ^ 202 Main Library 
 
 LOAN PERIOD 1 
 HOME USE 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 
 
 1 -month loans may be renewed by calling 642-3405 
 
 6-month loans may be recharged by bringing books to Circulation Desk 
 
 Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days prior to due date 
 
 DUE AS STAMPED BELOW 
 
 MAR 3 1 1980 
 
 
 
 1 \f~\ A 
 
 
 
 UCLA. 
 
 miRLIBRARY LC 
 
 )AH 
 
 
 
 
 
 SENT ON 
 
 ILL 
 
 
 NOV22 
 
 B9* 
 
 
 U. C. BERI 
 
 ELEY 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 FORM NO. DD6, 60m, 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY 
 1/78 BERKELEY, CA 94720 
 
YC 74312 
 
 M114552 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 - : :'--' : S ;: ? f ; " 
 
 ?S^|^felf'^^^