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 3 1924 007 620 937 
 
 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Professor B. S. Monroe 
 
a Cornell University 
 y Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924007620937 
 
THE TALE OF 
 
 mmi sirii leiiis. 
 
 Blf 
 
 A. B. MITFORD, 
 
 WITH ILLUSTEATOINS, 
 
 TOKYO: 
 
 JIUJIYA & COMPANY. 
 
 1892. 
 
TAKTJMI-NO-KAMI'S AS3AULT ON KfiTSUKfi-NO-SUKfi 
 IN THE SHOGUN'S PALACE. 
 
 EXPRESS MESSENGER TO TOE CASTLE OF AK6. 
 
THE TALE OF 
 
 FOURTY SEVEN rOnINS. 
 
 fHE books wliicli have been written of late years about 
 Japati, have either been compiled from official records, 
 or have contained the sketchy impi^essions of passing travel- 
 lers. Of the inner life of the Japanese, the world at large 
 knows but little : their religion, their superstitions, their 
 ways of thought, the hidden springs by which they move — 
 all the^e are as yet mysteries. Nor is this to be wondered 
 at. The first Western men who came in contact with Ja- 
 pau^I am speaking not of the old Dutch and Portuguese 
 traders and priests, but of the diplomatists and merchants 
 of eleven years ago — met with a cold reception. Above all 
 things, the native Government threw obstacles in the way 
 of any inquiry into their language, literature, and history. 
 The fact was that the Tycoon's Governttient— with whom 
 alone, so long as the Mikado remained in seclusion in his 
 sacred capital at Kioto, any relations were maintained — 
 knewthatthelmpM-ial purple with which they soughtto in- 
 vest their chief must quickly fade before the strong sunlight 
 
whicli would be brought upon it 59 soon as there should be 
 European linguists capable of examining their l)oOks and 
 records. No opportunity was lost of throwing dust in the 
 eyes of the new-comers, Avhom, even in. the most trifling 
 details, it was the official policy to lead astray.' Now, 
 however, . there is no •cause for concealment; the Boi 
 Faineant has shaken off his sloth, and his Maire du Palais, 
 together, and an intelligible Government, which need not 
 fear scrutiny from abroad, is the result; the records of the 
 country being but so many proofs of the Mikkado's title to 
 - power, "there is no reason for keeping up any show pi mys- 
 tery. The path- of inquiry is open to all'; and although 
 there is yet' much to be learnt, some knowledge has been 
 attained, in which it may interest those who stay at home 
 to share. 
 
 The recent revolution in Japan has wrought changes 
 social as well as political; and it may be that when, in 
 addition to the advance which has already been made, 
 railways and telegraphs shall have connected the principal 
 points of the Land of Sunrise, the old Japanese, such 
 as he was and had been for centuries when we found him 
 eleven short years ago, will have become extinet. It has 
 appeared to me that no better means could be choseii of, 
 preserving a recqid of a curious and fast disappearing civi- 
 lization, 'than' *the tran^ation of some pi the most interest- . 
 ing national legends and histories, to'gether with other 
 specimens of literature bearing upon the same subject. 
 Thus the Japanese may tell their own tale, their translator 
 
— 3 — 
 
 only adding here and there a few words of heading or tag 
 to a chapter, where an explanation or amplification may 
 seem necessary. I fear that the long and hard names 
 will oftgn make my tales tedious heading, but I believe 
 that those who will bear with the difficulty will learn 
 more of the character of the Japanese poeple than by 
 skimming over descriptions of travel and adventure, how- 
 ever bTilliaut. The lord and his retainer, the warrior 
 and the priest, the humble artisan and the despised Eta 
 or pariah, each in his turn will become a leading charac- 
 ter in my budget of stories ; and it is out of the mouths 
 of th«se personages that I hope to show forth a tolerably 
 complete picture of Japanese society. 
 
 Having said so much by way of preface, I beg my 
 readers to faiicy themselves wafted away to the shores of 
 the Bay of Yedo — a fair, smiling landscape : gentle slopes, 
 crested by a dark fringe of pines and firs, lead down to 
 the sea; the quaint eaves of many a temple and holy 
 shrine peep out here and there from the groves ; the bay 
 itself is studded with picturesque fisher-craft, the torches 
 of which shine by night like glow-worms among the out- 
 lying forts ; far away to the west loom the goblin-haunted 
 heights of Oyama, and beyond the twin hills of the Hako- 
 ne Pass — Fuji-Yama, the Peerless Mountain, solitary 
 and grand, stands in the centre of the plain, from which 
 it sprang vomiting flames twenty-one centuries ago. For 
 a hundred and sixty years the huge mountain has been 
 at. peace, but the frequent earthquakes still tell of hid- 
 
— 4 — 
 
 den fires, and none can say when the red-hot stones and 
 ashes may once more fall like rain over five provinces. 
 
 In the midst of a nest of venerable trees in Takanawa, 
 a suburb of Tedo,, is hidden Sengakuji, or the Spring-hill 
 Temple, renowned'thrbughout the length and breadth of 
 the. land for its cemetery, which contains the graves of 
 the Forty-seven Konins, famous " in Japanese history, 
 heroes of Japanese drama, the tale of whose deeds I am 
 about to transcribe. 
 
 On the left-hand side of the main court of the temple 
 is a chapel, in which, surmounted by a gilt figure of 
 Kwanyin, the goddess of mercy, are enshrined the im- 
 ages of the forty-seven m6n, and of the master whom 
 they loved so well. The statues are carved in wood, the 
 faces coloured, and the dresses richly lacquered ; as works 
 of art they have great merit^ — the action of the heroes, 
 each arroed with his favourite weapon, being wonderful- 
 ly life-like and spirited. Some are venerable men, with 
 thin, grey hair (one is seventy-seven years old); others 
 are mere boys^ of sixteen. Close by the charpel, at the 
 side of a path leading up the hill, is a little well of pure 
 water, fenced in and adorned with a tiny fernerj', over 
 which is an inscription, setting forth that " This is the 
 well in which the head was washed ; you must not" wash 
 your hands or- your feet here." A little further on is a 
 stall, at which a poor old man earns a pittance by sell- 
 ing books, pictures, and medals, commemorating the 
 loyalty of the Forty-seven; and higher up yet, shaded 
 
1^ 
 to 
 
 W- 
 
 o 
 
 M 
 
 <s 
 a 
 
 !> 
 
 W 
 fe?) 
 
OISHI'S RIOIEPT OF A SECRET LETTER FKOM KAOTO, 
 KVDXYXJ, THE TRAITOR READING THE SAME BY STEALTH 
 
 OISHI'S DISSOLUTE LIKE WITH HARLOTS AND 
 GEISHAS AT lOHIRIKI, GION, KIOTO. 
 
— 5 — 
 
 by a grove of stately trees, is a neat inclosure, kept up 
 as a "signboard announces, by voluntary contributions, 
 round which are ranged forty-eight little tombstones, 
 each decked with evergreens, each with its tribute of 
 water and incense for the comfort of the departed spirit. 
 There were forty-seven Eonins; there are forty-eight 
 tombstones, and the story of the forty-eighth is truly 
 characteristic of Japanese ideas of honour. Almost 
 touching the rail of the graveyard is a more imposing 
 monument under which lies biiried the lord, whose death 
 his followers piously avenged. 
 And How for the story. 
 
 At the beginning of the, eighteenth centui;y there lived 
 a daimio, called Asano Takumi no Kami, the Lord of 
 the castle of Ako, in the province of Harima. Now it 
 happened that an Imperial ambassador from the Court 
 of the Mikado, having been sent to the Shogun at Yedo, 
 Takumi no Kami and another noble called Kamei Sama 
 were appointed to receive and feast the envoy ; and a 
 "high official, named Kira Kotsuke no Suke, was named 
 to teach them the proper ceremonies to be observed upon 
 the occasion. The two nobles were accordingly forced 
 to go daily to the castle to listen to the instructions of 
 Kotsuke no Suke. But this Kotsuke no Suke was a man 
 greedy of money ; and as he deemed that the presents 
 which the two daimios, according to time-honoured 
 custom, had brought him in return for his instruction, 
 
— 6 — 
 
 were mean and unworthy, he conceived a great hatred 
 against them, and took no pains in teaching them, but 
 on -the contrary rather sought to make laughing-stocks 
 of them. . Takumi no Kami, restrained by a stern sense 
 of duty, bore his insults with patince ; but Kamei Sama, 
 who had less control over his temper, was violently in- 
 censed, and determined to kill Kotsuke no Snke. 
 
 One. night when his duties at the castle were ended, 
 Kaiaei Sama returned to his own palace, and having 
 summoned his councillors to a secret conference, said to 
 them : " Kotsuke no Suke has insulted Takumi no 
 Kami and myself during our service in attendance on the 
 Imperial envoy. This is against all decency, and I was 
 minded to kill him on the spot ; but I bethought me that 
 if I did such a d«ed within the precincts of the castle, 
 not only would my own life be forfeit, but my family 
 and vassals would be ruined: so I stayed my hand. Still 
 the life of such a wretch is a sorrow to the people, and 
 to-morrow wh€(n I go to Court I will slay him : my mind 
 is made up, and I will listen to no remonstrance." And 
 as he spoke his face become livid with rage. 
 
 Now one of Kamei Sama's councillors was a man of 
 great judgement, and when he saw from his lord's man- 
 ner that remonstrance would be useless, he said : " Your 
 lordship'^ words are law; your servant will make all pre- 
 parations accordingly ; and to-morrow, when your lord- 
 ship goes to Court, if this Kotsuke no Suke should again 
 be insolent, let him die the death." and his lord was 
 
— 7— 
 
 pleased at this apeach, and waited with, impatience for 
 the day to break, that he might return to Court and kill 
 his enemy. 
 
 But the councillor went home, and was -sorely Ijroubled, 
 and thought anxiously about what his prince had said. 
 And as he reflected, it occurred to him that since Kotsu- 
 ke no Suke had the reputatiion of being a miser he would 
 certainly be open to bribe, and that it was better to 
 pay any sum, no matter how. great, than that his lord 
 .and his house should.be ruined. So he collected all the 
 money he could, and, giving it to his servants to carry, 
 rode off in the night to Kotsuke no Suke's palace, and 
 said to his retainers : " My master, who is now in attend- 
 ance upon the Imperial envoy, owes much thanks to my 
 Lord Kotsuke no Suke, who has been' at so great pains 
 to teach him the proper ceremonies to be observed dur- 
 ing the reception of the Imperial envoy. This is but a 
 shabby present which he has sent by me, but he hopes 
 that his lordship will condescend to accept it, and com- 
 mends himself to his lordship's favour." And, with 
 these words, he produced a thousand ounces of silver 
 for Kotsuke no Suke, and a hundred ounces to be dis- 
 tributed among his retainers. 
 
 When the latter saw the money, their eyes sparkled 
 with pleasure, and they were profuse in their thanks; 
 and begging the councillor, to wait a little, they went 
 and told their master of the lordly present which had 
 arrived with a polite message from Kamei Sama. K6- 
 
tsuke no Suke in eager delight sent for ihe councillor 
 into an inner chamber, and, after thanking him, pro- 
 mised on the morrow to instruct his master carefully 
 in all the different points of etiquette. So the council- 
 lor, seeing the miser's glee, rejoiced at the success of his 
 plan ; and having taken his leave returned home in high 
 spirits. But Kamei Sama, little thinking how his vas- 
 sal . had propitiated his enemy, lay brooding over his 
 vengeance, and on the following morning at daybreak 
 went to Court in solemn procession. 
 
 When Kotsuke no Suke met him, his manner had 
 completely changed, and nothing could exceed his cour- 
 tesy. " You have come early to Court this monaing, my 
 Lord Kamei," said he. " I cannot sufficiently admire your 
 zeal. I shall have the honour to call your attention to 
 several points of etiquette to-day. I must beg your lord- 
 ship to excuse my previous conduct, which must have 
 seemed very rude ; but I am naturally of a cross-grained 
 disposition, so I pray you to forgive me." And as he 
 kept on humbling himself and making fair speeches, the 
 heart of Kamei Sama was gradually softened, and he 
 renounced his intention of, killing him. Thus, by the 
 cleverness of his councillor, was Kamei Sama, with all 
 his house, saved from ruin. 
 
 Shortly after this, Takumi no Kami, who had sent 
 no present, arrived at the castle, and Kotsuke no Suke 
 turned him into ridicule even more than before, provok- 
 ing him with sneers and covert insults ; but Takumi no 
 
— 9 — 
 
 Kami affected to ignore all this, and submitted himself 
 patiently^ to Kotsuke no Suke's orders. 
 
 This c8K3uct, so far from producing a good effect, 
 only made Kotsuke no Suke despise him themore, until 
 at last he said haughtily : " Here, my Lord of Takuml 
 the ribbon of my sock has come untied; be so good as to 
 tie it up for me." 
 
 Takumi no Kami, although burning with rage at the 
 affront; still thought that as he was on duty he was 
 bound to obey, and tied up the ribbon of the sock. Then 
 Kotsuke no Suke, turning from him, petulantly exclaim- 
 ed : " Why, how dumsy you are ! You cannot so 
 much as tie up the ribbon of a sock properly ! Any one 
 can see that you are a boor from the country, and know 
 nothing of the manners of Tedo." And with a scornful 
 laugh he moved towards an inner room. 
 
 But the patience of Takumi no Kami was exhausted 
 this last insult was more than he could bear. 
 
 " Stop a moment, iny lord," cried he, 
 
 "Well, what is it?" replied the other. And, as he. 
 turned round, Takumi no Kami drew his dirk, and aimed 
 a blow at his head ; but Kotsuke no Suk4 being protect- 
 ed by the Court cap which he wore, the wound was but 
 a scratch, so he ran away ; and Takumi no Kami, pursu- 
 ing him, tried a second time to cut him down, but mis- 
 sing his aim, struck his dirk into a pillar. At this 
 moment an officer, named Kajikawa Yosobei, seeing the 
 affray, rushed up and holding back the infuriated noble. 
 
— 10 — 
 
 gave Kotsukano Suke time to make" good his escape. 
 
 Then there arose • a great uj)roar and confusion^ and 
 Takumi no Kami was arrested and disarmed, and con- 
 fined in one of the apartments of the palace under the 
 care oJ the censors. A council was held, and the pri- 
 soner was given over to the safeguard of a daimio, called 
 Tamura Ukiyo no Daibu, who kept him in close custody 
 in his own' house, to the great greef of his wife and of 
 his retainers ; and' when the deliberations of the council 
 were cdmpleted, it was decided -that, as he had commit- 
 ted an outrage and attacked another man within the 
 preciiicts of the -palace, he must perform Jmra Tdri, — 
 that is, commit suicide by disembowelling; his goods 
 must be confiscated, and his family ruined. Such was 
 the law. So Takumi no Kami performed liara Mri, his 
 castle of Ako was confiscated, and his retainers having 
 become TJonins, some of them took service with other 
 daimios, and other became merchants. 
 
 Now amongst these retainers was his principal coun- 
 cillor, a man called Oishi Kuranosuke, who, with 
 forty-six other faithful dependants, formed a league 
 to avenge their masW's death by killing Kotsuk^ no 
 Suke, This Oishi Kuranosuke was absent at the castle 
 of Ako at the time of the affray, which, had he been 
 with his prince, would never have occurred ; for, being 
 a wise man, he would not have failed to propitiate K6- 
 tsuke no Suke by sending him suitable presents ; while 
 the oounoillbr who was in attendance on the prince at 
 
— 11 — ' 
 
 5eclo was a dullard, who neglected this precaJition, and 
 so caused , the death of his master and the ruin of his 
 house. 
 
 So Oishi Kurauosuke aijd . his forty-six companions 
 began to lay their plans of vengeance against, Kotsuki^ , 
 no Suke ; but the latter was so well guarded by a body 
 of men lent 'to him by a daimio called Uyesugi Sanaa, 
 whose ^ughter he had married, that they saw that the 
 ; only way of attaining their end would be to throw their 
 enemy oJBf his guard. With this, object they separated 
 and disguised themselves, some as carpenters or crafts- 
 men others as merchants ; and their chief, Kuranosuk^, 
 went to Kioto, and built a house in the quarter called 
 Tamashina, where he took to frequenting houses of the 
 worst repute,- and gave himself up to drunkenness and 
 .debauchery, as if nothing were further from his mind 
 than revenge. Kotsuke no Suk^, in the meanwhile 
 ^,8^^specting that Takumi, no Kami's former retainers 
 would be scheming against his life, secretly sent spies 
 to Kioto, and caused a faithful account to be kept of alj 
 that Kuranosuke did. The lattpr, however, 'determined 
 thoroughly to delude the enemy into a false security; 
 went on leading a dissolute life with harlots and winebib- 
 bers. One day, as he was returning home drunk from 
 some low haunt, he fell down in the street and went to 
 sleep, and all the passers-by laughed him to scorn. It 
 iiappehed that a Satsuma man saw this, and safd: "Is 
 not this Oishi Kuranosuke, who was a councillor of Asa- 
 
— 12 — 
 
 no Takumi no Kami and who, not having the heart to 
 avenge his lord, gives himself up to women and wine? 
 See how he lies drunk in the public street!" Faithless 
 beast! Fool and craven! Unworthy the name of .a 
 Samurai ! " 
 
 And he trod on Kuranosuke's face as he slept, and 
 spat upon him ; but when Kotsuke no Suke's spies re- 
 ported all this at Yedo, he was greatly relieved at the 
 news, and felt secure from danger. 
 
 ' One day Kuranosuke's wife, who was bitterly grieved 
 to see her husband lead this abandoned life, went to 
 him and said; " My lord, you told me at first that your 
 debauchery was but a trick to make your enemy relax 
 in watchfulness. But indeed, indeed this has gone too 
 far, I pray and beseech you to put some restraint upon 
 yourself." 
 
 "Trouble me hot," replied Kuranosuke, "for, I will 
 not listen to your whining. Since my way of life is 
 displeasing to you, I will divorce you, and you may gd 
 about your business ; and I will buy some pretty young 
 girl from one of the public-houses, and marry her for 
 my pleasure, I am sick of the sight of an old woman 
 like you about the house, so get you gone — the sooner 
 the better." 
 
 So saying, he flew into a violent rage, and his wife, 
 terror-stricken, pleaded piteously for mercy. 
 
 "Oh, my lord! unsay those terrible words! I have 
 been your faithful wife. for twenty years, arcd have borne 
 
KONAMI'S DEVOTION TO HER BETROTHED, 
 HUSBAND OHIKARA, 6lSHI'S SON. 
 
 OlSHI LEAVING THE OASTLE OP.AKS, WHICH HAS BEEN 
 CONFISCATED BY ORDER. 
 
-T- 13 — 
 
 you three children; iu sickness and in sorrow I have 
 been with you; you cannot be so cruel, as to turn me, out 
 of doors now. Have pity ! have pity!" 
 ' "Cease this useless wailing. My. mind is made' up, 
 and you must go; and as the children are in my way 
 also, you are welcome to take them with you." 
 - "When she heard her husband speak thus, in her grief 
 she sought her eldest son, Oishi Chikara, and begged 
 him to plead for her, 'and pray that she might be paj- 
 doiied. But nothing would turn Knranosukesfrom his 
 purpose, so his wife was ; sent away, with ,the two young- 
 er chilidren, and went back to her native place. But* 
 Oishi Chikara remained with his father. 
 
 The spies communicated all this without fail to K6- 
 tsuke no Suke', and he, when he heard how Kurauosuke, 
 having turned his wife and children out of doors and 
 bought a concubine, was grovelling in a life of drunken- . 
 ness and lust, began to think that he had no longer 
 liinything to fear from the retainers of Takumi no Kami; 
 .trho must be cowards, without the courage to avenge 
 their lord. So by degrees he began to keep a less strict 
 .watch, and sent back half of the guard which had been 
 lent to him by his father-in-law, Uy^sugi, Sama. Lit- 
 tle did he think how he was falling into the trap laid 
 for him by Kuranosiike, who, in his zeal to slay his 
 lord's enemy, thought nothing of divorcing his wife and 
 siending away his children! Admirable and faithful 
 man ! 
 
- ■ — M ^ " 
 
 In this way Ku-ranosuke continued to throw dust in 
 the , eyes of his ioe, by persisting in his apparently 
 shameless conduct; but his associates all wentto Yedo, 
 and, having in their several capacities as Workmen and 
 ' pedlars contrived to gain access to Kotsuke jxa Suke's 
 house, made ■ themselves familiar with, the plan of the 
 building and the arrangement of the different rooms* 
 and ascertained the character of the inmates, who were 
 brave and loyal men, aiid who w6re cowards ; upon all 
 of which , matters they sent regular reports to Kurano- 
 suke. And when at last it became evident from the 
 letters which arrived from Yedo that Kotsuke no Suke 
 was -thoroughly off his guard; Kuranosuke rejoiced that 
 the day of vengeance was at hand ; and, having appoint- ' 
 ed a trystihg-place at Yedo, he fled secretly irom Kioto, 
 eluding the vigil^ance of. his enemy's spies. Then the 
 forty-seven men, haying laid all their plans, bided their 
 time patiently. 
 
 It was now mid- winter, the twelfth month of the year, 
 and the pold was bitter. One night, duriixg a heavy 
 fall of snow, when the whole world was hushed, and. 
 peaceful men were stretched in sleep upon the mats, the , 
 Eonins determined that no more favourable opportunity 
 could occur for carrying out their .purpose. So they took, 
 counsel together, and, having divided their band into 
 two parties, assigned to each man Ms post. One band,.' 
 led by Oishi Kuranosuke, was td attack the front gate,; 
 and the other, under his son Oishi Chikara, was to at- 
 
— 15 — 
 
 tack the postern of Kotsuke no Slike's house; but as 
 Ghikara was only sixteen years of age, Yoshida . Chiu- 
 zayemon was appointed to. act as his guardian. Further 
 it was arranged that a drum, beaten at the order of 
 Kuranoguke, should be the -signal for the simultaneous 
 attack ; and tliat if any one slew Kotsuke no Suke and 
 cut off his head he should blow" a. shrill whistle, as a 
 signal to his comrades, who would hurry to" the spot; . 
 and, ha-ving identified the head, carry it ©ff tothe temple 
 called Sengakuji, and lay, it as an offering before the 
 tomb of their dead lord. Then they must report their • 
 deed, to the Government, and await the . sentence of 
 dearth which would surely be ;passed upon them. To 
 this the Eonins one a.nd all pledged themselves. Mid-: 
 night was fixed upon as the hour, and the forty-seven 
 comrades, having made all ready' for the attack, partook 
 of last farewell feast together, for on the morrow they 
 mu.st die. Then Oishi Kuranosuk^ addressed the band, 
 g;nd said: — 
 
 " To-night we -shall attack our enemy in his palace ; 
 his retainers will certainly resist us, and we shall be 
 obliged to kill them. " But to slay old men -and women 
 and children is a pitiful thing; therefore, I pray you 
 each one to take great heed lest you kill a single helpless, 
 'f ersop." His conirades all applauded this -speecli, and 
 so they remained, waiting for the, hour of midnight to ' 
 arrive. . . . ,. - '" ' .... 
 
 1?rhen the appointed hour came, the Eonins set forth. 
 
— 16 — 
 
 The -wind iowled fiiriously, and the driving suovit beat 
 in their faces ; but little cared .they' for wind or snow as 
 they hurried on their road, eager for revenge. At last 
 they reached Kotsuk^ no Suke's- house, and divided 
 themselves into two bands-; and Chikara, with twenty-- 
 three men, went round to th^ back gate. Then four 
 men, by means of a ladder of ropes' which they hang on 
 to the roof of the porch, effected an entry into the court- 
 yard; and, as they saw signs that all the inmates of 
 the house were afeleep, they went jnto the porter's lodge 
 where the guard slept, and, before the latter had time- 
 to recover from their astonishment, bound them. . The 
 terrified guard prayed hard for mercy, that their lives 
 might be spared; and to this the Eonins agreed on 
 condition .that the keys of then gate should be given up . 
 but the others tremblingly said that the key.s were kept 
 in the house of one of their officers, and that they had 
 no means of obtaining them.' Then the. Ronins lost 
 patience, and with .a hammer dashed in pieces the big 
 wooden bolt which secured th»gate, and the doors flew. 
 op6u to the right and to the left. At the same time; 
 Ohikara and his party broke in by the back gate. 
 
 Then .Oishi Kuranosuke sent a messenger to the; 
 rteighbouring houses, bearing the following message:-^ 
 "We, ihe Eonins who were formerly in the service of 
 Asano Takumi no Kami, are this night about to break 
 into the 'palace of Kotsuke no Suke, to avenge our lord. 
 A,s we are neither iiight robbers nor ruflSans, no hurt 
 
— 17 - 
 
 will be done to the neighbouring houses. We prq,y you 
 to set your, minds at rest." And as Kotsuke no- Suke 
 was hated by his neighbours for his coTetousuess, they 
 did not unite their forces to assist him. Another precau- 
 tion was yet taken. Lest any of the people inside should 
 run out to call the relations of the family to the rescue 
 and these coming in force should interfere with the 
 plans of the Eonins, Kuranosuke stationed ten of his 
 men armed with bows on the roof of the four sides of 
 the courtyard, with orders : to shoot any retainers who 
 might attempt to leave the place. Having thus: laid 
 all his plans and posted his men, Kuranosuke with his 
 own hand beat the drum and gave the signal for attack. 
 Ten of Kotsuke no Suke's retainers, hearing the noise, 
 woke up ; and, drawing their swords, rushed into the 
 front room to defend their master. At this moment the 
 R6uins,' who had burst open 'the door of the front hall, 
 entered the same room. Then arose a furious fight 
 between the two partiesj in the midst of which Ohikara, 
 leading his men through the garden, broke into the back- 
 of the house ; and Kotsuke no Suke, in terror of his life, 
 took refuge, with his wife and female servants, in a 
 closet in the varandah; while the rest of hi^ retainers, 
 who $lep£ in the barrack outside the house made ready 
 to go to the rescue. But the Eonins who had come ni 
 by the front door, and were fighting with the tenretaiil^' 
 ers, ended by overpowering and slaying the latter with- 
 out losing one of their own number ; after wliitfh, forcing 
 
— 18 — 
 
 their .way- beavely towards the back rooms, they were 
 joined by Ohikara and his men, and the two bands were 
 united in one. 
 
 By this time the remainder oi Kotsuke no Snke's men 
 had come in, and the fight became general; and KuranoT 
 ^uke, sitting on a camp-stool, gave his orders and direct- 
 ed the Eronins. Soon the inmates of the house perceived, 
 that' they were no match for their enemy, so they tried 
 to send out intelligence of their plight to Uyesugi Sama, 
 their lord's father-in-law, begging him to come to the 
 rescue with all the force at his command. But the 
 , messengers were shot down by the archers whom Kura- 
 nosuke had posted on the roof. So no help coming, they 
 fought on in despair. Then Koranosuke cried out with 
 a loud voice : " Kotsuke no Suke alone is our enemy ; 
 let some one go inside.and bring him forth dead or alive !" 
 Now in front of Kotsuke no Suke's private room stood 
 three brave retainers with drawn swords. The first was 
 Kobayashi Hehachi, the second was Waku Handaiyu,- 
 and the third was Shimidzu Ikkaku, all good men and 
 true, and expert swordsmen. So stoutly did these men 
 lay about them that for a while they kept the whole of 
 the Ronins at bay, and at one moment even forced them 
 backj When Oishi Kuranosuke saw this, he ground his 
 teeth with rage, and shouted to his men: "What! did 
 not every man of you swear to lay down his life in 
 avenging his lord, and now are you driven back Iry three 
 men? Cowards, not fit to be spoken to 1 to die fighting in 
 
— 19 — 
 
 a /piaster's cause should be the noblest ambition of a 
 rietainer!" Then turning to his own .son Ghikara, he 
 
 : said, "Here, boy ! engage those men, and if they are 
 *0o strong for you, die !" 
 
 Spurred by these words, Chikara seized a spear and 
 gave battle to Waku Handaiyu, but could not hold his 
 ground, and backing by degrees, was driven out into the 
 garden, where he missed his footing and slipped into a 
 pond; but as Handaiyu, thinking to kill him, looked 
 down into the pond, Chikara cut his enemy- in the leg 
 and paused him to fall, and "then crawling out of the 
 water despatched him. In the meanwhile Kobayashi 
 Hehachi and Shimizu Ikkaku had been killed by the 
 other Ronins, aird of all Kotsuke no Suke's retainers 
 not one fighting man remained. Chikara^ seeing this, 
 went with his bloody sword in his hand into a back 
 room to search for Kotsuke no Suke, but he orjy found 
 the son of the latter, a young lord named Kira Sahioye, 
 who, carrying a halberd, attacked him, but was soon 
 woundbd and fled. Thus the whole of Kotsuk^ no 
 Suke's men having been killed, 'there was an end of the 
 fighting ; biit as yet there was no trace of Kotsuke no 
 Suke to be found. 
 
 Then Kuranosuke divided his men into several parties 
 aad searched the whole house, but all in vain; women 
 
 ; and children weeping were alone to be seen. At this 
 the forty-seven men began to lose heart in regret, that 
 after all their toil they had allowed their enemy to escape 
 
— 20 — 
 
 them, and there was a moment when in their despair 
 they agreed to commit suicide together upon the spot; 
 but they determined to make one more effort. So 
 Kuranosuke went into Kotsuke no Suke's sleeping'room 
 and touching the quilt with his hands, exclaimed, " I 
 have just felt the bed-clothes and they are yet warm, 
 and so methinks that our enemy is not far off. He 
 must certainly be hidden somewhere in the house." 
 Oreatly excited by this, the Eonins renewed their search. 
 Now in the raised part of. the room, near the place of 
 honour, there was a picture hanging ; taking down this 
 picture j they saw that there was a large hole in the 
 plastered wall, and on thrusting a spear in they could 
 feel nothing beyond.it. So one of the Eonins, called 
 Yazama Jiutaro, got into the hole, and found that on 
 the other side there was a little courtyard, in which 
 there stood an outhouse for holding charcoal and fire- 
 wood. Looking into the outhouse, he spied something 
 white at the further end, at which he struck with his 
 spear, when two armed men -sprang out upon him and 
 tried to cut him down, but he kept them back until one 
 of his comrades came up and killed one of the two men 
 and engaged the other, while Jiutaro entered the out- 
 house and felt about with his spear. Again seeing 
 something white, he struck it with his lance, when a cry 
 of pain betrayed that it' was a man ; so he rushed up, 
 and the man in white clothes, who had been wounded 
 in the thigh, drew a dirk and aimed a blow at him. 
 
— 21 — 
 
 But Jiutai'6 wrested the dirk from him, and clutching 
 him by the collar, dragged him out of the outhouse. 
 Then the other Konin. came up, and they examined the 
 prisoner attentively, and saw that he was a noMe'-lookjng 
 inan, some sixty years of age, dressed in a white 
 satin sleeping-robe, which was stained by the blood 
 from the thigh-wound which Jiutaro had inflicted. The 
 two men felt convinced that this was no other than 
 Kotsnk^ no Suke, they asked his name, but he 
 gave no answer, so they gave the signal wistle, and all 
 their comrades collected together at the call ; then Oishi 
 Kuranosuke, bringing a lantern, scanned the old man's 
 features, and it was indeed Kotsuke no Suke; and if 
 further proof were wanting he still bore a scar pn^ Ms 
 forehead where their master, Asano Takumi no Kami, 
 had wouned him during the affray in the castle. There 
 being no possibility of mistake, thei^efore, Oishi Kurano- 
 suke went down on his knees, and addressing the old 
 man very respectfully, said : 
 
 " My lord, we are the retainers of Asano Takumi no 
 Kami. Last year your, lordship and pur master quar- 
 relled in the palace, and our master was sentenced to 
 Ihara Mri, and his family was ruined. We have come 
 io-mght to avenge him, as is the duty of faithful and 
 loyal men. I pray your lordship to acknowledge the 
 justice of our purpose. And now, my lord, we beseech, 
 you to perform ?iara Tciri. I myself shall have the 
 honour to act as your second, and when, with all 
 
— 22 — 
 
 iiumility, I shall have received your lordship's head, it 
 is my intention to lay it as an offering upon the grave 
 of Asano Toknmi no Kami." 
 
 Thus, in consideration of the high rank of Kotsuke 
 no Snke, the Eonins treated him with the greatest: 
 eoTlrtesy, and over and over again entreated him to^ 
 perform ha/ra Jdri. But he croucted speechless and 
 trembling. At last Kuranosuke, seeing that it was 
 vain to urge him to die the death of a nobleman, forced 
 him down, and out off his head with the same dirk* with 
 which Asano Takumi no Kami had kilkd himself. 
 Then the forty-seven comrades, elated at having accomT- 
 plished their design, placed the head in a bucket, and 
 pirepared to depart; but before leaving the house they 
 carefully ,eitinguished all the lights and fires in the 
 place, lest by any accident a fire should break out and 
 the neighbours suffer. 
 
 As they were on their way to Takanawa, the suburb 
 in which the temple called Sengakuji stands, the day 
 broke ; and the people flocked out to see the forty-seven 
 men, who, with their clothes and arms all blood-stained, 
 presented a terrible appearance ; and every one praised^ 
 them, wondering at their valour and faithfulness. But ' 
 they expected every moment that Kotsuke no Suke's- 
 father-in-law would attack them and carry off the head, 
 and made ready to die bravely sword in hand. How- 
 ever, they reached Takanawa in safety, for Matsudaira ' 
 Aki no Kamr, one of the eighteen chief daimios of Japan, 
 
. _-23 — 
 
 of whose house Asano Takumi no Kami had been a 
 ■Cadet, had been highly pleased -vvhen he heard of the 
 last night's work, and he had made ready to assist the 
 Bonins in ca^e they were attacked. So Kotsuke no 
 Suk^'s father-in-law dared not pursue them. 
 
 At about seven in"the morning they came opposite to 
 the palace of Matsudaira Mutsu no Kami, the Prince of 
 Sendai, and the Prince hearing of it, sent for one of his 
 ^councillors and said: "The retainers of Takumi no 
 Kami have slain their lord's ehetny, and are passing 
 this way ; I cannbt sufficiently admire their devotion, 
 so, as they must be tired and hungry after their night's 
 work, do you go aiad invite them to come in here, and 
 set some gruel and a cup of wine before them." 
 
 So the councillor went out and said to Oishi Kurano- 
 suke: "Sir, Jam a councillor of the Prince of Sendai, 
 and my master bids me beg you, as you must be worn 
 out after all you ha^ve undergone, to come in and partake 
 of such poor refreshment as we can offer you. This is 
 my message to you from my lord." 
 
 "I thank you, sii/' replied Kuranosuke. "It is very 
 good of his lordship to trouble himself to think of us. 
 We shall accept his kindness gratefully." 
 
 So the forty-seven Ronins went into the palace, and 
 were feasted with gruel and wine, and all the retainers 
 of the Prince of Sendai came and praised them. 
 
 Then .Kuranosuke turned to the councillor alid said. 
 
 Sir, we are truly indebted to you for this kind hos- 
 
— 24 — 
 
 .pitality ; but as we have &till to' hurry to Sengakuji, 
 we must needs humbly take our leave " And, after 
 returning many thanks to their hosts, they left the 
 palace of the Prince of Sendai and hastened to Sen^; 
 ga.kuii, where they were met by the abbot of the mon- 
 astery, who went to the front gate to receive them, and 
 led them to the tomb of Takumi no Kami. 
 • And when they came to their lord's grave, they took 
 the head of Kotsuke no Suk^, and having washed it 
 clean in a well hard by, laid it as an offering before the 
 tomb. When they had done this, they- engaged the 
 priests of the temple to come and read prayers while 
 they burnt incense : first Oishi Kuranosuke burnt incen- 
 se, and then his son Oishi Chikara, and after them the 
 other forty-five men performed the same ceremony. 
 Then Kuranosuke having given all the money that 
 he had by him to the abbot, said : — 
 
 "When we fortyseven men shall have performed Kara 
 hiri, I beg you to bury us decently. I, rely upon your 
 kihdness. JThis is but a trifle that I have to 'offer; suclj' 
 as it is, let it be spent in masses for our soiils !" 
 
 And the abbot, marvelling at the faithful courage of 
 the men, with tears in his eyes pledged himself to 
 fulfil their wishes. So the forty-seven Eonins, with 
 their minds at rest, waited patiently until they should 
 receive the orders of the Government. 
 
 At last they were summond to the Supreme Court, 
 where the governors of Yedo and the public censors 
 
VERDICT OF "HABAKIRI" PKONOUNCED ON 
 TAKtr-MINO-KAMI BY SHOGTJN'S OPFIOERS. 
 
 TBIAI, OP AMAGAWAYA GIHEI'S PAITHFULLNESS BY 
 
 OISHI AND HIS eOLIiE^GUES IN THE DISGUISE OF 
 
 SHOGUN'S OPFICEBS. 
 
— 25 — 
 
 tad assembled; aud the sentence passed up6n them 
 was as follows: "Whereas, neither respectiiig the 
 ' dignity of the city nor fearing the Oovernment, having 
 leagued yourselves together to slay your enemy, - yoia 
 violently broke into the house of Kira K6tsuk^ no Suke 
 by night and murdered him, the sentence of the Court 
 is, that, for this audacious conduct, yon perform Aa»"a 
 Mri." When the sentence had been read, the forty- 
 seven Eonins were divijJed into four parties, and handed , 
 over to the safe keeping of four different daimiog-; and 
 sheriffs, were sent to the palaces of those daimios in 
 wh^ose presence the Ronins were made to perform 7«ara 
 Jdti. But as * from very beginning they had all made 
 up the minds that to this end they must come,, they 
 met their death nobly ; and their corpses were carried 
 to Sengakuji, and buried in front of the tomb of their 
 master Asano Takumi no Kami. And when the fame 
 of this became noised abroad, the people flocked to pray 
 at the graves of these faithful men. 
 
 Among those who came to pray was a Satsuma man, 
 who, prostrating himself tiefore the grave of Oishi Kura- 
 nosuke, said: When I saw you lying drunk by the 
 roadside at Yamashina, in Ki6to, I knew not that you 
 were plotting to avenge your lord; and, thinking you 
 to be a faithless man, I trampled on you and spat in 
 your face as I passed. And now I have come to ask 
 pardon and offer atonement for the insult of last year." 
 With those words he prostrated himself again before 
 
— -26 — 
 
 the grate, and, drawing a dirk from his girdle, stabbed 
 himself in the belly and died. And the chief jjriest of 
 the temple, taking pity upon him, buried him by the 
 side ■ of the Eonins ; and his tomb still remains to be 
 seen with those of the forty-seven comrades. 
 
 This is the^ end of the story of the forty-seven Eonins. 
 
 A terrible picture of fierce heroism which it is impos- 
 sible not to adm,ire. In the Japanese mind this feeling 
 of admiration is unmixed, and hence it is that the 
 forty-seven Eonins receive almost divine honours. Pi- 
 ous hands still deck their graves with green boughs 
 and burn incense upon them ; the clothes and arms 
 which they wore are preserved carefully' in a fire-proof 
 stare-house attached to the tSmple, and exhibited yearly 
 to admiring crowds, who behold them probably with 
 little less veneration than is accorded to the relics of 
 A,ix-la-Chapelle or Treves ; and once in sixty j'ears the 
 monks of Sengakuji reap quite a harvest for the good 
 of their temple by holdings a commemorative fair or 
 festival, to which the people flock during nearly two: 
 months 
 
 A silver key once admitted me to a private inspection 
 of the relics. We were ushejed, my friend and myself, 
 into a back apartment of the spacious temple, overlook- 
 ing one of those marvellous miniature gardens, cun- 
 ningly adorned with rockeries and dwarf trees, in which 
 the Japanese delist. 
 
— 27 — 
 
 One by, one,- carefully labelled any indexed boxes 
 containing the precious articles were brought ont and 
 opened by the chief priest. Such a curious medley of 
 old rags and scraps of metal and wood! Home-made 
 chain armqur, composed of wads of leather secured 
 together by pieces of iron, bear witness to the secrecy 
 with which the B6ninB made ready for the fight. ' To 
 have bought armour would have attracted attention, so 
 they made it with their own hands. Old moth-eaten 
 surcoats, bits of helmets, three* flutes, a writing-box 
 that must have been any age at the time of the tragedy* 
 and is now tumbling to pieces ; tattered trousers of what 
 once was rich silk brocade, now all unravelled and 
 ;'befruiged; scraps of leather, j)art of an old gauntlet, 
 crests and badges, bits of sword handles, spear-heads 
 and dirks, the latter all red with rust, but with certain 
 patches more deeply stained as if the fatal clots of blood 
 were never to be blotted out: all these were reverently 
 shown to us. Among the confusion and litter were a 
 number of documents, yellow with age and much worn 
 at the folds. One was a plan of Kotsuke no Suke's house, 
 which one of the Eonins pbtained by marrying the 
 daughter of the builder who designed it. tThrS^e of the 
 manuscripts appeared to me so curious that I obtained 
 leave to have copies taken of them. 
 
 The first is the receipt given by the retainers of 
 Kotsuke no Suke's son in return for .the head "of theft 
 lord's father, which the priests restored to the family, and 
 
— 28 — 
 
 runs as follows :— 
 
 "MEMORANDUM:— 
 
 "ITEM. ONE HEAD. 
 
 "ITEM. ONE PAPEE PARCEL. 
 
 " The above artiolea are aoknowledged to have been received-. 
 
 ■I 
 
 Sayada Maoobbi. (Xoc. sigill.) 
 SAIT& KruAi. (Loc. sigiU.) 
 
 " To the priests deputed from the Temple Sengakuji, 
 " His Reverence Sekishi, 
 " His Reverence Ichidon." 
 
 The second paper is a document explanatory of their 
 conduct, a copy of which was found on the person of 
 each of the Jorty-seven men. 
 
 " Last year, in the third month, Asano Takumi no Kami, upon the 
 occasion of the entertainment of the Imperial ambassador, was driven, 
 by the force of circumstances, to attack and wound my Lprd EStsuke 
 no Suke in the castle, in order to avenge an insult offered to him. Havr 
 "ng done this without considering the dignity of the place,. and having 
 thus disregarded all rules of propriety, he was condemned to hara hi/ri, 
 and his property and castle of Ako were forfeited to the State, and were 
 delivered up by Ms retainers to the officers deputed by the Shogun to 
 receive them. After this his followers were all dispersed. At the time 
 of the quarrel the high officials present prevented Asano Takumi no 
 Kami from earring out his intention of kiUing his enemy, my Lord 
 Kotsuk^ no Suke. So Asano Takumi no Kami died without having 
 avenged himself, and this was more than his retainers could endure. 
 It is impossible to remain under the same heaven with the enemy of 
 
— 29 — 
 
 lord or father; for this reason we have dared to declare enmity against 
 a personage of so exalted rank. 
 
 This day we shall attack Kira Kotsuke no Suke^ in order to finish 
 the deed of vengeance which was begun by our dead lord. If any 
 honourable person should find" our bodies after death, he is respectfully 
 requested to open and read this document. 
 " 15th year of Genrokn. 12th month. 
 
 " Signed, Oism Eubanosxiee, Betainer of Asano., 
 Takumi no Icami; and forty-six others," 
 
 The third manusctipt is a paper which the Forty- 
 seven Bonins laid upon the tomb of their master, toge- 
 ther with' the head of Kira Kotsuke, no Suk^:— 
 
 , " The 15th year of Genroku, the 12th month, and 15th day. We haye 
 oome this day to do homage here, Jorty-seven men in all, from Oishi 
 EnranoBuke down to the fpot-soldier, Terasaka Eichiyemon all clieer- 
 fnlfy about to lay down our lives on your behalf . We reverently an- 
 nounce this to the liononredr spirit of our dead master. On the 14th day 
 of the third month of last year our honoured master was pleased to 
 attack Eira EStsuke no Snke, for vrhat reason we know not. Oxir honoured 
 master put an end to his own life, but Eira Eotsuk^ nq Suke lived. ~ 
 
 ^ Although we feax that after the decree insued by the Government this 
 plot of ours will be displeasing to our honoured master, still we, who 
 have eaten of your food, could not without blushing repeat the verse. 
 
 ' Thou shalt not live under the same heaven nor tread the same earth 
 with the enemy of the father oiwlord,' nor could we have dared to leavg 
 hell and present'oxirselves before you in paradise, unless we had carried 
 out the vengeance wjiich you began. . Every day that we waited seemed 
 as three autumns to us. Verily, we have trodden the snow for one day, 
 nay, for two days, and have tasted food but once. The old and decrepit 
 the sick and ailing,- have come forth gladly to lay down their lives. 
 
 Men might laugh at us, as at grasshoppers trusting in the strength of 
 their arms, and thus shame our honoured Iprd ; but we could not halt in 
 
— 30 — 
 
 OUT deed of vengeance. Having taken conncel togethei last night, we 
 have escorted my Lord Kdtsuke no Suke hither to your tomb. This 
 dirk, by which our honoured lord set great store last year, and entrusted 
 to our care, we now bring back. If your noble spirit be now present 
 before this tomb, we pray you, as a sign, to take the dirk, and, striking ' 
 the head of your enemy with it a second: time, to dispel your hatred fori 
 ever. This is the respectful statement of forty-seven men." 
 
 The text, '■ Thou shalt , not live under the same 
 heaven with the enemy of thy father," is based upon 
 the Confucian books. Dr. Legge, in his " Life and 
 I'eachings of Confucius," P. 113, -has an interesting- 
 paragraph summing up the doctrine of the sage upon 
 the subject of revenge. 
 
 " In the second book of the 'LeKe' there is tho following' passage; — 
 ' With the slayer of his father a man may not live under the same heaven 
 against the slayer of his brother a man must never have to go home to 
 fetch a weapon ; with the slayer of his friend a man may not live in the 
 same state.' The Ie» talionis is here laid down in its fullest extent. The 
 'Chow Le' tells us of a provision made against the evil consequences 
 of the principle by the appointment of a minister called ' The Becon- 
 0ilev,' The provision is very inferior to the cities of refuge -v^hich were 
 set apart by Moses for the manslayer to ilee to from the f uiy of the 
 avenger. Such as it was, however, it existed, anditis remarkable'that 
 Confucius, when consulted on the subject, took no notice of it, but 
 affirmed the duty of blood-revenge in the strongest and most unrestricted 
 terms. His disciple, Tsze Hea, asked him, ' What course is to be 
 pursued in the murder of a father or mother?' He replied, 'The son 
 must sleep upon a matting of grass with his shield for his pillow ; he 
 must decline to take office ; he must not live under the same hbaven 
 with the slayer. When he meets him in the market-place or the court> 
 he must have his weapon ijefjdy to strike him ' ' And what is the course 
 
— 31 — . 
 
 in the murder of a brother?' 'The survrang brother must not take 
 office in the same State with the slayer ; yet, if h£i go on Lis prince's 
 service to the State where th6 slayer is, though he meet him, he must 
 not £ght with Jrim.' 'And what is the course in the murder of an uncle 
 or cousin ? 'In this case the nephew or cousin is not the principal. 
 ^ Tf the principal, on whom the revenge devolves, can take it, he has 
 only to stand behiod with his wenpon in his hand, and, support him." 
 
 I will add one anecdote to show the sanctity which is 
 arttached to the graves of the .Forty-se-ven. In the 
 month of September 1868, a certain man came to pray 
 before the grave of Oishi Ohikara. Having finished his 
 pray&rs, he deliberately performed Jiara Mri, and, the- 
 belly wound not being mortal, despatobled himself by 
 cutting his throat. /Upon his person were found papers 
 'setting forth that,, being a Eonin and without means of 
 earning a living, .he had petitioned to be allowed to 
 enter the clan of the Prince of Choshiii, which he looked 
 upon as the noblest clan in the realm ; his petition hav- 
 ing been refused, nothing remained for him but to die, 
 for to be a Ronin was hateful to him and he would 
 serve- no other master than the Prince of Choshiu ; what 
 more fitting place could he find in which to put an end 
 to his life than the graveyard of these Braves? This 
 happend at about two hundred yards' distance- from' my 
 house, ^nd when I saw the -spot an hoUr or two later, 
 the ground was all bespattered with blood, and disturb- 
 ed by the death-struggles of the man. 
 
KAJIKAWA YOSOBEI IN THE ACT OF CUTTING DOWN 
 THE PINE TREE. 
 
 OISHI AND HIS COMPANIONS ON THEIR WAY TO SENGAKUJI 
 UNEXPECTEDLY MEET THE SHOGUN'S OFFICERS 
 AT RIOGOKU-BRIDGE. 
 
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