FOOTNOTES:
[1] Benincasa hispida (Brinkley).
[2] Of about fifteen dollars in terms of present money.
[3] Comments the scribe of Nippon (Matsubayashi Hakuen)—"This kind is not the animal known as fox. There are foxes in human shape which extort money. They dwell round about Yoshiwara and Shinagawa. These are found in the Shin-Yoshiwara. In Meiji 33rd year 8th month liberty was granted to give up their occupation. Blowing wide cast a fox fever, the brothels of the Yoshiwara displayed a magnificent confusion. In round terms Tokyo town was in an uncontrolled disorder. Among these human foxes there was a guild, and this was the source of the tumult."
[4] Mizuno Jurōzaémon Shigemoto, son of Hiuga no Kami Katsunari. He was ordered to commit seppuku (cut belly) for the assassination of Bandzuin Chōbei: Kwanbun 4 year 3 month 27 day (22 April 1664).
[5] Kokorozashi wa matsu no ha to moshimasu.
[6] Second daughter of Hidétada; wife of the Prince of Echizen.
[7] At the severest cold, clad in breech clout, or thinnest of white linen, the pilgrim after sunset makes his round of the temples for worship.
[8] The Pluto of Indian (Yama), Chinese and Japanese (Emma) mythology. Dai-Ō (Great King). Cf. Eitel's "Chinese Buddhism," p. 207.
[9] Other accounts say that these heroes used—pith bullets.
[10] He was of great strength, and is said to have carried the Shōgun in his palanquin on his shoulders himself back to Edo in the flight from Suzume no Miya. With the approval of Iyemitsu he forced his way into the castle gate, thereby incurring official censure and banishment to an island—to Hitotsu no Jima, or the present Ishikawa Jima at the mouth of the Sumidagawa! The sentence was purely formal. His favour with Iyemitsu was very high owing to this Tsuritenjō (hanging ceiling) affair.
[11] These stories were not likely to be published under a paternal Government; except in the mouths and tales of the people. Too many scandals have been "excerpted" from the official histories and records of Nippon to have a robust confidence in what is left. The kōdan lecturers and writers make the Senhimégimi, eldest daughter of Hidétada, the heroine of the scandals emanating from the Yoshida Goten. History refers them to the Takata no Kata. But this lady left powerful issue. Not so the Senhimégimi (Princess Sen), in ways a splendid woman. Better known as the Tenju-in-Den she lies buried under a most imposing monument at the Dendzu-in in Tokyo. Tenju-in-Den lived to over eighty years; the Takata no Kata died, aged seventy-two years.
[12] Itsuwari to omoi sutenaba ikani sen; Sue kakete chigiri mo aru wo afu yo sae; Iku sue to fuku chigiru makoto wo. (1) Hedatsu koro mono urami to zo omou. (2)
[13] Burned down a few years ago: a fire disastrous to the temple records.
[14] Dosanbashi is the site facing the castle and lying just north of the wide avenue facing the main entrance to Tōkyō station. It ran north to Kanda bridge. It formed part of the Daimyō-koji, which extended from Kandabashi to the Hibiyabashi and the Sukiyabashi at the south. Roughly speaking this Daimyō-koji was the district between the inner and outer moat and the bridges mentioned, now traversed by the elevated railway from Shimbashi to the Tōkyō station. The Dosan bridge crossed a wide canal which connected the inner and outer moats with the Sumida river. The street running from Gofukubashi to the castle moat covers the site of this canal, and the bridge itself was about where the spur of the elevated railway crosses the present highway (1916). The Embukasané inspired the famous tale of Enchō—the "Shinkasané-ga-fuchi"—and, like many Nipponese stories, is founded on actual occurrence.
[15] Also called, Naomori, or Narimasa, or Nariyuki.
[16] There was great opposition to the introduction of Kugé (court noble) influence into the Shōgun's household at this time. The same reasons of course did not apply to marriage of Tokugawa women into the Kyōto circle. The Shōgunal Court was to be ruled by samurai code and influence.
[17] Marriages at that date were performed in daytime. Note in the original.
Ume ka ka wo sakura no hana ni motase tsutsu;
Yanagi no eda ni sakashite zo min.
[19] Momogawa Jōen: kōdanshi differ in their treatment of such detail. Some emphasize it, after the manner of the chronicle; others do not.
[20] The Daikwan was the chief representative of the feudal lord in the particular circumscribed district. His authority rarely passed beyond a few miles. Note the Daikwanzaka and the site of his yashiki in Yokohama (Motomachi).
[21] Momokawa Jōen.
[22] Shukké, one who has left the world—turned priest—"Honoured Mr. Recluse."
[23] The Nipponese "watches" covered two hours. Hence he had been aroused between 3-5 a.m., not 5-7 a.m. as expected.
[24] Dentatsu—"Jimbei, mata 'fukeru' to itta na. Nan no kotta (kotoba) sono 'fukeru' to iu no wa." Jimbei—"Yai! Yai! Bōzu" etc. To the erudite is left closer approximation to fukeru (in kana). This story is told, following the details of Koganei Koshū ("Yui Shōsetsu"). Gion, equally known for its hetairai.
[25] In the vernacular.
[26] The first—Yamaguchi etc.—are place names, from Kyūshū to Ōshū; widely scattered. Otherwise—"Bloody Spear" (Chiyari), "Iron Chin," "Wolf," "Fox-heart," "Iron head," "Monkey hand."
[27] He has played on the ideographs—極醉の宴 and 曲水の宴, kyoku-sui no en; the last meaning—"Winding water entertainment," cf. "Benkei" Vol. II. p. 195.
[28] The yoriki is hard to place—"commanding officer." He was not of the office, yet as of rank was chosen to lead these more dangerous and trying expeditions, or to act in more important arrests.
[29] In the conspiracy of Shōsetsu such did exist, directed to the house of one of his followers, placed not far off in another street. [But recently such a tunnel was discovered under the garden of Baron Sakatani at Haramachi, Koishikawa, Tōkyō; believed to belong to the Hakusan Goten, and dating 250 years back. 20th May, 1917].
[30] Brinkley's Dictionary gives it—Ichiju no kagé ni yadori, ichiga no nagare wo kumu mo, mina kore tashō no en narubeshi.
[31] Shōhō 3rd year the New Year fell on 16th February (1646) of the modern calendar.
[32] Rangiku ya: kitsuné ni no se yō kono sugata. Rangiku = Caryopteris mastachantus.
[33] In Buddhist theology the seventh day is one of the important dates of the hotokés (deceased spirit) sojourn upon Earth.
[34] Pradjna—"highest of the six pâramitâ, principal means of attaining Nirvana, knowledge of the illusory character of all existence." Eitel—p. 119.
[35] The quotation and what follows is from Hōgyūsha Tōkō—"Banchō Sarayashiki." The exactness of these old temple registers in essential dates is worth noting.
[36] Tsunayoshi 1646-1709. A vassal of Akita Danjō killed a swallow. He was executed; his children were executed; and he and his are but one case out of many.
[37] Or son, by the more respectful account. Yanagizawa Yoshiyasu took the name of Matsudaira. His son Yoshishige, said really to be the son of Tsunayoshi by the wife of Yoshiyasu, was to be adopted by Echizen no Kami Tadanao, brother and heir to the Shōgun. Tadanao "removed," left the field open to the success (and succession) of the powerful premier. Yanagizawa as tairō (premier) was an irregularity in itself.
Typographical errors corrected in text:
Page [v]: The modern kanji character has been used for yeast (kōji)
Page [11]: crysanthemum amended to chrysanthemum
Page [22]: masterhand amended to master hand; rotten amended to rotted
Page [26]: embarassment amended to embarrassment
Page [29]: on amended to an
Page [41]: missing /s/ in gesture added
Page [47]: made amended to make; pallour amended to pallor
Page [51]: villanious amended to villainous
Page [57]: dependant amended to dependent
Page [59]: state raft amended to statecraft
Page [63]: circumambiant amended to circumambient
Page [69]: spoken off amended to spoken of
Page [73]: milklivered amended to milk livered
Page [95]: gallopping amended to galloping
Page [102]: herhaps amended to perhap
Page [105] et seq.: superintendant amended to superintendent
Page [132]: preceded amended to proceeded
Page [140]: lead amended to led
Page [143]: Aoyoma amended to Aoyama; embarassment amended to embarrassment
Page [147]: exhilirating amended to exhilarating
Page [169]: astonishly amended to astonishingly
Page [171]: mits amended to mitts
Page [173]: he amended to be
Page [175]: quid amended to squid
Page [176]: multidinous amended to multitudinous
Page [182]: peel amended to peal
Page [192]: exhuberant amended to exuberant
Page [212]: condescenscion amended to condescension; effiminacy amended to effeminacy
Page [213]: icely amended to icily
Page [214]: maccaroni amended to macaroni
Page [221]: conferrence sic, meaning conferring
Page [227]: squshing amended to squishing
Page [232]: yashihi amended to yashiki; impertinance amended to impertinence
Page [239]: Ototsan replaced with Otosan
Page [241]: feint amended to faint
Page [252]: maccaroni amended to macaroni
Page [254]: maccaroni amended to macaroni; apellation amended to appellation
Page [260]: apellation amended to appellation
Where two different spellings occur an equal number of times in the text, both spellings have been retained (Koshigeyatsu/Koshigayatsu; Surugadai/Suragadai).
Where there is an equal number of instances of a word occurring as hyphenated and unhyphenated, the hyphens have been retained: Ban-gashira/Bangashira; fire-ward/fireward; go-kenin/gokenin; Kanda-bashi/Kandabashi; Mita-mura/Mitamura; new-comer/new comer; overlord/over-lord; raincoat/rain-coat; Tayasu-mura/Tayasumura; wheel-wright/wheelwright; yatsu-hōkōnin/yatsuhōkōnin.
The Senhimégimi: Hyphenation and/or word separation, as well as italicisation, is varied. The variations of Sen himégimi, himégimi and Senhimé have been retained as they appear in the text.