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THTTlBRXRT 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG  U!  IViiKSlTv 

PRO  VO,  UTAH 


/UK 

vo, 


SHIZUKA-GOZEN  DANCES  THE    HORAKU   AT   TSUBU-GA-OKA. 


SAITO 

MUSASHIBO  0 

BENKEI. 

(TALES  OF  THE  WARS  OF  THE  GEMPEl) 

T^ftlrttf   tlie  Story  ^f  the  Lives  and  Adventures  of  lyo-no-Kami  ^ 

;inamo(o  Knro  Yoshitsun^  and  Saito  Musaslii-bo 
'enk(f?i  the  Warrior  Monk. 


jA;>ir^^ 


DTMMr'JTT  r  V 


Volumes    II. 


*'  It  was  a  It  t>M.'  'ui  v.r'.w_- 
•*  A  friar  of  Riabygill  : 
"  />  iwoodi  tre< 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUi'HOK 

YOKOHAMA 
1910 


SAITO 

MUSASHI-BO 

BENKEI. 

(TALES  OF  THE  WARS  OF  THE  GEMPEI) 

Being   the  Story  of  the  Lives  and  Adventures  of  Ijo-no-Kami 

Minamoto  Knro  Yoshitsune  and  Sait5  Musashi-bo 

Benkei  the  Warrior  Monk. 


BY 


JAMES  S.  DE  BENNEVILLE 


^Volu-me    XI. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

YOKOHAMA 
1910 


m 


"  It  was  a  friar  of  orders  free, 

"  A  friar  of  Rubygill  : 

"  At  the  greenwood,  tree  a  vow  made  he,  /jj^T 

'«  But  he  kept  it  very  ill." 

(Maid  Marian) 


1910  By 


JEVILLE. 


V 


THE    LIBRARY^ 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNIVFRcitv 
PROVO,   UTAH  ' 


DEDICATED 


TO    THE     MEMORY    OF    MY     LITTLE    CHILDREN 


|am£s  anb  ||lariaix 


ANKa  CHAN  AND  BOBO'  CHAN 


CONTENTS 


PAET  II. 

KiSING   OF   THE   GeNJI. 

PAGE* 

Chapter  VII. — Yoritomo  moves  on  the  Taira 1 

§  1 — Kiyomori  Jokai  Nyudo  (and  Neko)    1 

§  2 — Yorimasa  redivivus  :  The  Battle  of  Uji :  The 

Court  removes  to  Eokuhara 10 

§  3— Yoritomo  procreates  and  cogitates  in  Izu    ...       18 
§  4 — The   Battle   of  Ishibashiyama  :     Yoritomo, 
with    a    reservation,    leaves    selection    to 

others 25 

§  5 — Politics  local  and  general :  The  Battle  of  the 
Fujikawa :  Military  movements  of  1181- 

1184  A.D. :    The  Taira  leave  Miyako 33 

Chapter  VIII. — ^Yoshitsune  and  Yoshinaka    52 

§  1 — The  meeting  of  Yoritomo  and  Yoshitsune  ...       52 
§  2— Yoshinaka  in  Miyako  :    Diversions  of  Yoshi- 
naka :    Second    Battle    of  the    Ujikawa : 
Yoshitsune  at  the  Gosho :  Death  of  Yoshi- 
naka and  Kanehira 62 

Chapter  IX.— The  Battle  of  Ichi-no-tani    95 

§  1 — **  Lo  the  dreamer  cometh  " 95 

§  2 — The  Battle  at  Mikusayama  :   Benkei's  torch.     100 

§  3— Benkei  finds  Washiwo  Saburo    106 

§4 — The  Capture  of  Ichi-no-tani     115 

Chapter  X  —The  Battle  of  Yashima  122 

§  1 — Noriyori  muddles  and  the  Hoo  meddles 122 

§  2— Kajiwara  invents  an  oar  for  rowing  back- 
ward :   The  quarrel  with  the  Hang  wan  ...     132 
§  3 — The   passage  to   Shikoku :     The  Battle  of 
i  Katsuura  Bay 136 


II  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

§  4 — The  Battle  of  Yashima  :  Yoichi   Munetaka 
and   the    Lady    Tamamushi :     Moritsugi 

and  Muneyuki :  Death  of  Sato  Tsuginobu.  140 

Chapter  XI. — Dan-no-ura  and  its  After-math    157 

§  1— The  Battle  of  Dan-no-ura    157 

§  2 — The  Koshigo3-Jo  (Letter  from  Koshigoe)   ...  170 

PAET  III. 

Intee  Featres. 

PAGE. 

Chapter  XII. — Tosabo's   Venture :    Shizuka-Gozen.  183 
§  1 — ^Yoshitsune,    lyo -no-Kami :    Horikawa    and 

Shizuka-gozen   183 

§  2 — Tosabo  Shoshun  speculates  in  cereals :  The 
epic   of  Y'ada   Ganzo :     Benkei  embraces 

Tosabo  Ny udo  —twice  188 

Chapter  XIII.— Yoshitsune  leaves  Miyako 212 

§  1— The  Battle  of  the  Kawajirigawa 212 

§  2— The  Taira  Vengeance 219 

§  3 — The  parting  of  Shizuka  and  Yoshitsune 224 

§4 — Tadanobu   at   Yoshino:    ** Go-ban"   Tada- 

nobu  230 

Chapter  XI V.— The  Story  of  Shizuka    239 

§  1 — The  sufferings  of  Shizuka 239 

§  2 — Shizuka  dances  the  Horaku  at  Tsuru-ga-oka.  247 

§  3 — De  Profujidis    ._^ 255 

Chapter  XV.— The  flight  to  Oshu  261 

§  1 — Wanderings  in  Yamato  :  Tajima-hoshi  261 

§  2 — Tokugyo's  exodus  to  Kamakura 269 

§  3 — The  Kitanokata  meets  some  yamabushi 273 

Chapter  XVL — The  misadventures  of  Yoshitsune...  282 
§  1 — Marital   difficulties    of    Otsu    Jiro  :  Benkei 

outwits  the  guard  of  Sannoguchi  barrier...  282 
§  2 — Yoshitsune   visits   Heisenji :    Meeting    with 

Inouye  Sayemon   293 

Chapter  XVII.— Benkei  the  Priest 305 

§  1 — Benkei  and  Togashi  Masahiro :  The  Ataka 

barrier    305 


CONTENTS.  Ill 

PAGE. 

§  2 — Shaka-no-Kisho   (En-no-Shokaku)  :    Benkei 

reads  the  Kwanjincho  316 

§  8 — Benkei  beats  Yosbitsune  323 

Chapter  XVIII. — Gathering  shadows     325 

§  1 — Benkei  and  Yosbitsune  :  The  ferry  of  Taka- 
no-hama,  Sugime's  downfall :  The  puri- 
fication  and   education   of    Gon-no-Kami 

Kamizuki :   The  storm  off  Noto  325 

§  2 — The  Mogamigawa  :  111  omened  birth-rites...     336 

Cho^^tev  XlX.—HicJacet    342 

§  1 — Hidehira  of  Oshii :    Benkei's  epic    342 

§  2 — Yoritomo  makes  inquiries,  Hidehira  hedges : 

Li  Memoriam  :  The  Gembuku  of  the  Sato.     349 
§  3 — The  Hunt  on    Kitagamiyama  :    Hitachi-bo 
wanders :      The    battle    of    the    Yanagi- 

Gosho :    Hie  Jacet   355 

Epilogue — ^Yasuhira   reaps   his   sowing :    Yoritomo 
distributes  rewards :  Yosbitsune  and  Yoritomo : 

Yosbitsune  and  Benkei 372 

Appendix  A — Mongaku-Shonin   and   the   Story   of 

Kesa-Gozen    387 

Appendix  B — ^Yoritomo  as  Statesman 403 

The  Benkei  Monogatari    420 

Notes — Chapter  VII  to  Epilogue    423 

Memoranda 448 

Addenda    452 

Sources  of  the  Contents    455 

Map  of  Japan  


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Shizuka-gozen  dances  the  HoraJcu  at 

Tsuru-ga-oka    Frontispiece 

PAGE. 

The  exit  of  Gensammi  Minamoto  Yoriixiasa  15 

Mongaku  Shonin  and  Yoritomo  27 

Yoritomo  at  the  battle  of  Ishibashiyama . . . , 30 

In  days  of  old — on  guard 43 

Yoritomo  meets  Yoshitsune 60 

The  Kiso  bushi  in  Miyako    65 

The  race  of  Sasaki  Takatsuna  and  Kajiwara  Genda 

attheUji  Eiver 79 

Tomoe-gozen  at  the  battle  of  Awazu  87 

Benkei  finds  Washiwo  Saburo 109 

The  descent  of  the  Hiyodorigoye 113 

The  capture  of  Ichi-no-tani  castle    116 

Naozane  summons  Atsumori  to  single  combat    118 

The  quarrel  with  Kajiwara  Kagetoki 135 

To  Yashima :    Benkei  persuades  the  Sencho  ^  138 

Yoichi  answers  the  Lady  Tamamushi*s  challenge  ...  148 

The  helmet  pulling  of  Moritsugi  and  Muneyuki 152 

The  death  of  Sato  Tsuginobu  154 

u  Tiiere  is  a  palace  by  Mimosuso's  shore  "  167 

The  Hasso-tobi :   Kenreimon-in  and  Munemori 168 

Yoshitsune  dictates  to  Benkei  the  Koshigoe-jo    176 

Tosabo  arrives  at  the  Capital 197 

Tosabo  accompanies  Benkei 200 

Shizuka  arouses  Yoshitsune 204 

The  battle  at  Borikawa    209 

The  battle  at  Kawajiri :  Sato  Tadanobu's  wonderful 

shot     218 

The  storm  off  Shosha-san  :    Benkei  prays  221 


VI  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

The  farewell  of  Yoshitsune  and  Shizuka 229 

Tadanobu    defends    the    Go-ju-no-to    (pagoda)    of 

Yoshino-yama    233 

''Go-ban"  Tadanobu  236 

"  Bear  it  to  some  remote  and  desert  place  "  :   The 

Exposure    257 

Yoshitsune  crops  the  ears  of  the  Nara  hoshi  267 

Tokugyo-Shonin  before  Kamakura-dono 270 

The  Kitanokata  entertains  yamabuslii 280 

The  domestic  difficulties  of  Otsu  Jiro   287 

Benkei  passes  the  San-no-guchi  barrier   290 

The  concert  at  Heisenji 297 

Benkei  reads  the  Kwanjincho  322 

Benkei  beats  Sugime  at  the  Nyoi  ferry    328 

Gon-no-Kami  Kamizu,  Doctor  of  Theology    331 

The  birth-rites  on  Kamewari-yama 340 

Hidehira  receives  lyo-no-Kami  at  Hiraizumi 343 

Junction  of  the  Kitakamigawa  and  Koromogawa  : 

Hangwan-kwan     345 

The  gembuku  of  Yoshinobu  and  Yoshitada 354 

Hitachibo  Kaison  learns  senjutsii     360 

Benkei's  last  battle    364 

Hiraizumi-mura  and  its  vicinity  436 

The  Benkei-do  444 


PART   II. 

EISING  OF  THE  GENJI. 


*'  My  sentence  is  for  open  war.     Of  wiles, 
*'  More  unexpert,  I  boast  not ;  then  let  those 
"  Contrive  who  need,  or  when  they  need,  not  now." 

Paradise  Lost — Milton. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

YORITOMO  MOVES  ON  THE  TAIRA. 


"  AVhistling  they  came,  and  free  of  heart ; 

"  But  soon  their  mood  was  changed. 
"  Complaint  was  heard  on  every  part, 

"  Of  something  disarranged. 
"  Some  clamoured  loud  for  armour  lost ; 
"  Some  brawl'd  and  wrangled  with  the  host ; 
"  '  By  Becket's  bones ',  cried  one,  *  I  fear 
"  ' That  some  false  Scot  has  stolen  my  spear  I'  " 

Marmion. 


1. 


Every  time  and  every  person  has  its,  or  his,  or  her 
peculiar  difficulties.  In  that  particular  respect  the  end  of 
the  twelfth  century  did  not  differ  in  the  least  from  the 
beginning  of  this  tv^entieth  century.  Nor  has  such  been 
the  case  in  the  intervening  centuries  ;  nor  will  it  be  in 
those  to  come.  Living  in  the  midst  of  our  own  troubles 
we  regard  them  as  infinitely  more  important  than  any 
"  that  ever  have  been,  or  will  be,  world  without  end, 
Amen  ".  Thus  in  these  apparently  halcyon  days  of  the 
Heishokoku,  Taira  Kiyomori  Jokai  Nyudo,  although  the 
latter  had  stuffed  the  public  service,  practical  and  orna- 
mental, with  relatives  in  the  first  place  and  adherents  in 


2  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  overflow,  the  ones  thus  on  top  of  the  heap  of  simmer- 
incy  mass  below  felt  aggrieved  because  the  returns  were 
not  as  great  as  they  ought  to  be.  (In  their  opinion  the 
cow  seemed  to  run  dry  on  milk — i.e.  allowing  for  the  fact 
that  the  Japanese  did  not  use  milk  in  those  days,  it  being 
strictly  ''  food  for  babes.")  Naturally  those  below,  in  their 
different  gradations,  were  proportionately  displeased  for 
diametrically  opposite  reasons  and  points  of  view.  And 
between  lay  the  threatening  mass  of  Minamoto  adherents, 
merely  waiting  the  opportunity  to  raise  their  heads.  To 
conciliate  this  ripening  mass  of  discontent  the  Taira  did 
nothing.  Rather  they  did  the  reverse,  for  their  object 
seemed  to  be  to  sharpen  it,  if  insolence  and  luxury  flaunted 
in  the  face  of  misery  can  thus  act  as  spur  to  rebellion.* 

One  useless  and  expensive  operation  is  worth  describing. 
It  shows  up  Kiyomori  rather  as  an  expert  manipulator  of 
men  than  things,  wherein  he  displays  an  ignorance  of 
legend  or  of  its  power  over  men's  thoughts,  not  to  be 
expected  in  so  astute  a  politician  ;  unless  it  was  true,  as 
rumour  had  it,  that  he  was  no  true  Taira  but  really 
the  son  of  Shirakawa  Tenno.t  When  Kwammu  in  the 
eighth  century  had  established  his  good  city  of  Heian  or 

*  Famine,  pestilence,  thieves  roaming  in  bands,  violence,  described 
in  the  chronicles  and  romances  of  the  time,  give  support  to  Professor 
Ariga's  description  of  this  time  as  a  very  bad  one  for  the  people  at 
large.     That  they  had  a  worse  one  ahead  of  them  is  no  consolation. 

t  Shirakawa  gave  to  Taira  Tadamori  a  favorite  concubine.  It  was 
said  that  she  was  pregnant  at  the  time,  and  thus  Kiyomori,  genealo- 
o-ically  speaking,  was  not  a  Taira  at  all.  This  is  a  matter  of  less 
importance  in  Japan,  where  the  name  counts  for  more  than  the  blood, 
and  "adoption"  is  the  alchemist's  "  powder  of  transmutation." 

Professor  Ariga  tells  this  story  as  follows  : — "  The  Ho5  [Priest-Tenno] 
had  a  beloved  concubine  who  was  living  near  the  Gion  Shrine.  One 
evening,  when  on  his  way  privately  to  visit  her,  he  was  overtaken  by 
a  rain  storm  before  he  could  reach  her  house.  Blocking  the  road, 
moreover,  he  saw  a  phantom,  the  hairs  of  which  were  bristlingly  rough 
like  a  porcupine's  and  which  gave  out  a  mysterious  light.  All  his 
train  were  frightened  at  the  sight.  The  Hoo  ordered  Tadamori  to 
drive  it  away.  Believing  it  to  be  fox  or  badger  Tadamori  determined 
to  catch  it  alive  instead  of  shooting  it.  On  seizing  the  object  he  fovind 
it  to  be  an  old  man  with  a  straw  head-covering  instead  of  an  umbrella, 
and  who  was  on  his  way  with  a  fire-vessel  to  light  the  lanterns  in  the 
shrine.  The  H5o  admired  the  dauntless  courage  of  Tadamori,  and 
afterwards  gave  him  one  of  the  uneme  of  his  train.  This  was  the 
mother  of  Kiyomori."     Dai  Nihon  Eekishi  II.  8. 


YOEITOMO  MOVES  ON  THE  TAIRA.  6 

Miyako,  and  built  his  palace,  the  Heianjo,  he  had  as  we 
have  seen  erected  a  mound,  the  Sh(3gun-zaka,  on  which 
had  been  set  the  statue  of  the  warrior  god.*  To  this 
Kwammu  attached  a  curse  on  all  and  every,  and  their 
posterity,  who  should  remove  the  capital  from  this  esta- 
blished spot.  Now  all  the  work  of  this  worthy  monarch 
had  been  directed  to  the  advantage  of  his  beloved  child- 
ren. It  was  to  one  of  these  that  he  had  granted  the 
surname  of  Heike  (the  mori  ^  so  common  in  the  family 
names  meaning  "  prosperity.")  Minamoto  interests  had 
largely  prevailed  ever  since  in  palace  circles,  until  the 
Heike  began  to  gain  ground  in  the  second  quarter  of  the 
twelfth  century,  to  become  supreme  after  the  battles  of 
Hogen  and  Heiji.  And  now  it  remained  for  the  Taira 
prince  and  House-head  to  come  forward  with  the  proposi- 
tion to  remove  the  capital  to  Fukuhara  (the  site  of  Hyogo 
or  Kobe) .  Kiyomori  early  brought  forward  this  proposi- 
tion, which  later  the  uneasy  state  of  the  country  made  all 
the  more  pressing.  When  presented  to  the  Tenno  (which 
is  to  say,  to  the  Joko)  and  the  kuge  it  met  with  emphatic 
and  angry  rejection.  To  thus  disobey  the  injunction  of 
the  founder  of  Miyako  was  to  invite  disaster;  and  if  a 
Tenno  drew  back  from  such  an  idea,  much  more  was 
it  impossible  to  a  subject.  Everything  comes  to  him 
who  w^aits,  bnt  Kiyomori  was  more  surprised  to  find 
opposition  ia  his  own  household  which  was  disposed  to 
support  his  son  Komatsu  Shigemori.  When  years  before 
Kiyomori  had  built  this  expensive  establishment  at  Fuku- 
hara, this  golden  tempered  youth,  his  father's  right  hand 

Ariga  gives  this  little  list  of  Taira  preferment  to  fat  jobs  :  Princess 
Tokuko,  daughter  (Ken-rei-mon-in),  kogd\  Tsnnemori  and  Norimori, 
brothers,  councillors ;  Yorimori,  brother,  Gon-Dainagon ;  Shigemori, 
son,  minister  of  home  affairs ;  Munemori,  son,  commander  of  the 
Tenn5's  guards ;  Tomomori,  son,  councillor ;  Shigehira,  son,  Sakonye- 
no-Gon-no-Chuj5 ;  altogether  sixteen  of  the  highest  court  positions 
were  held  by  brothers,  sons,  or  nephews  of  Kiyomori.  Thirty  held 
Denjo-bito  rank  (with  right  of  audience  at  Court).  Of  governors  and 
lordships,  the  Taira  held  sixty  of  these  profitable  positions.  They 
ruled  thirty  out  of  the  sixty-six  provinces,  and  held  five  hundred 
manors,  a  match  for  the  Tennd's  domain ;  loc.  cit.  II.  41-2. 

*  Cf.  Introduction  p.  109.  Yamada,  the  romancer  says  "  buried  it 
within  the  mound  ".  "  Set  up  "  is  the  ambiguous  term  used  by  the  old 
chronicles.       But  the  statue   could   be  seen  in  the  seventeenth  century. 


4  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

man  and  the  great  warrior  and  captain  of  the  clan,  ahnost 
with  tears  besought  his  father  to  reconsider  the  project. 
Taking  up  the  plan  to  reclaim  the  land  near  Cape  Wada, 
which  jutted  out  into  the  bay  of  Naniwa  from  Settsu, 
Shigemori  not  only  spoke  of  the  expense,  enormous  enough 
to  sink  even  the  great  revenues  of  the  clan,  but  he  went 
into  the  unfortunate  history  of  the  chosen  spot.  When 
Kahakami  was  in  rebellion  against  Keiko,  and  had 
assembled  his  fleet  in  Matsuura-wan  in  Kyushu,  it  was 
from  Oye  that  Take-uchi-no-Sukune  had  set  sail,  to  be 
wrecked  off  Hyogo.  Later  the  same  experience  happened 
to  Jine^o  liogo,  otherwise  so  fortunate.  The  fleet  she  had 
collected  anchored  for  the  night  off  Wada  Point.  At  the 
hour  of  the  dog  (night-fall  7  p.m.)  all  were  aroused  by  the 
clamour  of  the  storm  which  burst  upon  them.  The  next 
day  seventy  vessels,  out  of  the  hundred  collected,  had  dis- 
appeared in  the  sea  depths.  Warned  by  the  deity  of 
Sumiyoshi  the  hogo  transferred  her  operations  to  Harima. 
On  her  return  in  triumph  the  head  of  one  Chinriki  was 
laid  on  the  god's  shrine  as  a  punishment  for  his  bad 
advice,  a  warning  to  others,  and  a  sacrifice  to  the  gods. 
''  Then  she  erected  here  a  shrine  surrounding  it  with  a 
grove  of  pines  like  unto  a  fence."  For  Naniha,  place  of 
bad  reputation  (Hard  Waves)  she  did  all  she  could.  The 
name  was  changed  to  Wada  (Peace-Farm),  and  she 
herself,  worshipping  the  deity  of  Sumiyoshi  at  Tosato- 
tsumori,  changed  the  name  to  Gozen-no-saki.  Later  she 
erected  a  subsidiary  shrine  at  Takasago.  All  this  she  did 
to  obviate  the  evil  influence  of  the  place.* 


*  Concerning  Keiko  and  Jingo,  the  above  is  apocryphal.  These  tales 
are  found  in  neither  the  Kojiki  nor  Nihongi — the  only  authorities.  The 
Kojiki  by  implication  grants  Jingo  a  previous  residence  in  Yamato. 
The  Nihongi  lias  her  early  summoned  down  to  Kyushii,  and  then  the 
scene  never  changes.  She  never  saw  Yamato  again  until  she  is  sup- 
posed to  reconquer  it.  This  Take-uchi-no-Sukune  is  the  banner  old 
man  of  Japanese  or  any  other  literature  (except  Methusalah).  In  95 
A.D.  Keiko  sends  him  to  report  on  the  Yemishi.  In  201  A.D.  he  is 
Jingo's  general,  and  defeats  her  step-sons.  In  213  A.D.  he  composes  a 
song.  In  278  A.D. !  his  younger  brother,  Umashi  no  Sukune  slanders 
him  to  Ojin.  Take-uchi  wms  in  the  hot  water  trial  (no  wonder),  and  is 
about  to  slay  Umashi,  but  Ojin  orders  the  guilty  man  to  be  made  a  slave. 
Take-uchi  died  aged  315  years.   Take-uchi  (Kojiki) ;  Takechi  (Nihongi). 


YORITOMO   MOVES   ON   THE    TAIEA.  0 

Much  to  the  regret  of  all  concerned,  who  carried  away 
by  their  own  feelings  and  misgivings  had  heard  the 
address  of  Shigemori  with  great  approval  as  expressing 
just  their  own  thoughts  on  the  subject,  Kiyomori  brushed 
it  aside  with  a  laugh.  Besides  he  wanted  to  give  a  lesson 
to  this  hulking  meddlesome  youth,  who  was  entirely  too 
free  with  his  advice  and  interference.  Kiyomori  had  never 
been  himself,  and  had  no  use  for,  a  "  good  boy  "  in  the 
family.  *'  You  are  like  the  fish  of  Totomi,"  he  said.  (This 
was  a  carp,  with  the  head  of  a  tai  or  sea-bream,  and  with  a 
long  fringe-like  beard  and  feathery  plumy  fins  something  like 
the  pond  carp  or  Japanese  gold-fish).  "  It  shone  like  gold, 
and  was  good  for  nothing.  As  a  human  being,  with  blood 
in  my  veins,  I  like  change.  Nature  fixes  us  in  too  tight  a 
mould,  and  these  two  tendencies  struggle  within  us.  We 
must  take  things  as  we  find  them  in  life,  get  all  out  of 
them  we  can,  and  trust  something  to  luck.  Besides,  there 
are  reasons  of  policy  behind  my  plan.  We  are  strong  in 
the  West  and  South,  but  we  are  very  uncertain  as  to  the 
North.  The  present  position  of  a  retired  Tenno  exercising 
greater  influence  than  the  Tenno  on  the  throne  is 
abnormal.  If  the  Court  should  fail  us  we  will  be  in  a 
much  stronger  position  if  established  with  a  fortress  at 
Fukuhara.  Backed  by  Kyushu  and  Chugoku,  and  with 
the  command  of  the  sea,  we  can  defy  any  combination  of 
our  enemies.  My  idea  is  to  make  an  artificial  harbour  at 
Hyogo,  and  to  reclaim  the  land  and  make  an  island 
at  Kyo-no-shima  (Tsukijima) .  By  erecting  works  to  secure 
deposition  by  the  rivers  flowing  into  the  head  of  the  bay  of 
Naniha  much  land  can  be  reclaimed  to  great  profit." 
Then  he  peremptorily  dismissed  the  subject  and  the 
assembly.* 

His  plans  were  made,  and  he  proceeded  at  once  to  their 

*  This  reads  like  a  land  deal  with  modern  improvements.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  Kiyomori  did  start  a  little  land  boom,  and  general  atten- 
tion was  directed  to  the  possibility  of  making  more  use  of  koden  (gift 
land,  free  of  taxation)  and  getting  settlers  thereon.  Naturally  the 
prevailing  interests  looked  more  to  the  South  and  West  in  such  deve- 
lopments. The  idea  was  not  new-  Palace  financial  necessities  had 
resulted  in  large  grants.  But  men's  minds  were  turned  more  and  more 
away  from  the  Capital. 


b  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

execution.  Konomi-no-Jiro  and  Kino  Shiro  Kagenori  were 
placed  in  charge  of  the  work  which  was  under  way  by  the 
first  year  of  Oho  (3161  A.D.).  From  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  forced  labour  was  secured.  Hida,  Etchu, 
and  other  provinces  furnished  the  materials  in  stone,  wood, 
and  their  transportation.  The  others,  not  called  on  in 
this  way,  paid  their  quota  in  increased  taxation.  The 
whole  country  groaned  under  the  burden.  Of  this  Kiyo- 
mori  made  little  account.  Everything  had  been  taken 
into  consideration  except  Nature,  and  this  lady  took  a  hand 
early  in  the  project.  What  was  erected  she  destroyed  by 
storm  ;  to  repeat  the  operation  in  the  face  of  Kiyomori's 
obstinacy.  "  To  save  my  face  this  thing  must  go  through 
at  any  cost,"  said  Kiyomori.  In  1173  AD.  Awa  Mim- 
bu-no-jo  Shigetada  took  charge  of  the  work  with  no  better 
success  than  his  predecessors.  Then  Tanouchi  Sayemon 
appeared  before  Kiyomori.  ''  He  told  him  the  tale  of  the 
wars  between  Go  and  Yetsu,  when  Fusa  king  of  Go 
refused  to  listen  to  the  advice  of  his  faithful  retainer  Go- 
Shisho,  putting  him  to  death  and  casting  him  into  the 
river  Setsu.  Every  year  the  angry  ghost  of  the  innocent 
victim  returned  to  devastate  the  land,  until  the  people,  on 
the  suggestion  of  a  wise  man,  assembled  and  shot  thous- 
ands of  arrows  into  the  waves."  It  was  some  such  proce- 
dure that  was  wanting  in  the  present  case.  Kiyomori 
grasped  at  the  suggestion.  He  fee'd  the  priests  heavily. 
Every  stone  that  was  cast  into  the  sea  had  cut  into  it 
a  character  from  the  Hokkekyo,  and  wonderful  to  say 
they  now^  stuck  where  they  sank.  The  cost  came  a  little 
high,  but  Kiyomori  was  paying  it  by  proxy. 

Nor  did  he  retrench  in  other  direction^.  "  In  magni- 
ficence his  course  of  life  surpassed  that  of  Omo  and  Totaku 
in  China.  His  career  was  one  of  luxury,  disloyalty,  and 
extortion.*  The  Jcuge  were  held  in  complete  contempt, 
and  outside  the  shadow  of  the  Taira  clan  others  were 
treated  as  beasts."  It  was  such  exasperating  conduct 
that  inspired  the  conspiracy  of  the  Dainagon  Narichika, 

*  This  is  a  little  ebullition  of  dislike  against  the  Taira  (Yamada). 
Kiyomori  learned  luxury  and  extortion  at  the  Court-  He  was  cer- 
tainly no  worse  than  some  of  his  successors. 


YOEITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIEA.  7 

with  Tamba  Shosho  Naritsune,  Hei-hangwan  Yasunori, 
Shunkan  the  priest,  and  others.*  Unfortunately  for  them 
there  was  a  traitor  in  the  midst,  Tada  Kurando  Mina- 
moto  Yukitsuna.  The  conspirators  met  at  Shishi-ga-tani ; 
to  be  fallen  upon  by  Kiyomori  and  scattered  to  the  winds. 
Then  the  old  Nyudo  turned  his  attention  to  the  Court  and 
his  quondam,  associate  the  Jokd.  He  gathered  samurai 
with  every  intention  of  using  force  to  scatter  the  court 
circle  and  imprison  the  Joko.  Shigemori  protested  with 
tears  against  such  disloyalty.  All  greatly  admired  his 
conduct,  especially  as  he  made  evident  his  intention  to 
back  it  up  with  force  when  it  had  no  visible  effect  on  Kiyo- 
mori. Then  the  son  took  more  effective  measures.  He 
summoned  guards  to  protect  the  gosho.  They  flocked  to 
his  standard,  some  of  them  from  Kiyomori's  recruits.  Son 
against  father,  Shigemori  was  the  stronger  of  the  twain 
and  the  greater  captain.  Kiyomori  yielded  for  the  time, 
but  from  this  year  1177  A.D.  Shigemori  was  in  disfavour, 
and  displaced  from  his  high  administrative  offices.!  Besides 
he  was  failing  in  health.  He  already  possessed  a  halo, 
due  to  the  pious  gift  of  three  thousand  ounces  of  gold  sent 
to  Jnosan  in  China  for  prayers  in  behalf  of  the  Taira  dead. 
In  the  early  summer  of  1179  A.D.  he  visited  Kumano  to 
pray  the  Gongen  of  San-Zan  to  favour  the  Taira  and 
direct  his  father's  heart  in  the  right  and  loyal  path.  To 
him  life  seemed  no  longer  worth  living.  On  his  return  to 
Miyako  he  found  things  if  anything  worse  than  ever.  To 
add  to  other  ailments,  mental  and  physical,  he  was  taken 
down  with  fever.  This  wasted  him  from  day  to  day, 
and  he  seemed  to  be  without  hope  or  wish  for  recovery. 

*  Saiko  is  the  priest's  name — ^Arij^a,  II.  43. 

t  He  did  not  resign,  Kiyomori  simply  ousted  him,  not  even  taking 
the  trouble  to  kick  him  upstairs.  To  bolster  up  Shigemori's  rebellion 
against  his  father  the  romancers  take  refuge  in  the  same  successful 
means  used  "by  Ikuho  the  retainer  against  King  Bun  of  T'sin  in 
China."  Professor  Ariga  notes  an  important  distinction  between  the 
methods  of  Kiyomori  and  Yoritomo  in  the  government  of  Court  and 
Country.  Kiyomori  acted  throughout  through  his  Court  position  and 
its  influence  on  the  Buke.  Yoritomo  radically  severed  the  two,  and 
acted  as  military  commander  on  rights  granted  by  the  Court.  Until 
the  Shogun  laid  down  his  commission,  it  was  in  force.  The  commis- 
sion was  laid  down — in  1868  A.D.  For  Kiyomori  vs.  Shigemori.  Cf. 
Ariga,  loc.  cit.  II.  45-6. 


8"  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

Summer  was  waning  when  he  shaved  his  head,  and  took 
to  himself — a  posthumous  name.  All  the  best  element  in 
the  Taira  clan  were  overwhelmed  with  sorrow  and 
aghast  with  dismay,  when  in  the  early  fall  (1179  A.D.) 
he  died  in  his  bed  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  Kiyo- 
raori  took  his  translation  as  well  as  anybody,  although  it 
is  only  fair  to  say  that  in  practical  ways  he  showed  his 
paternal  solicitude,  and  urged  every  remedy  to  secure 
recovery.  Says  the  compiler: — "  Shigemori  was  the 
greatest  man  in  our  history  ;  soldier  and  statesman,  a 
model  of  loyalty  and  filial  conduct,  and  much  to  be  re- 
gretted." Now  this  is  merely  the  judgment  of  Tokugawa 
leyasu,  and  as  such  commands  respect.  It  would  be  one 
of  the  mysteries  of  Japanese  judgment  on  their  own 
history,  unless  there  was  more  than  a  suspicion  that 
Shigemori's  ability  was  largely  enhanced  by  his  father's  evil 
reputation  to  those  who  make  history.  Besides  leyasu, 
who  was  engaged  on  the  pulp  and  was  leaving  the 
core  of  the  apple  to  the  other  fellow,  could  well  hold  up 
observance  of  all  ceremony.  However,  at  the  time  people 
now  looked  forward  to  the  early  downfall  of  the  Taira. 

Even  far-seeing  men  ainong  the  Taira  had  the  same 
thought.  Said  Taira  Tokitada  : — "  unless  one  belongs  to 
the  Heike  he  can  hold  no  position  of  importance.  This  is 
one  way  of  acquiring  influence.  But  administration  alone 
is  a  poor  business.  The  idea  of  rebellion  is  not  taken  into 
consideration.  The  Heike  were  only  real  soldiers  when 
they  combined  the  huslii  with  the  kuge."  Men  clad  in 
silken  robes,  and  with  their  minds  on  powdering  their 
faces  and  blackening  their  teeth,  hardly  filled  the  hiishi 
part  of  the  role.  But  there  were  other  portents.  The 
Shogunzaka,  the  mound  to  the  ease  of  the  palace,  began 
to  give  out  bellowing  and  muttering  sounds,  and  the 
superposed  image  began  to  take  threatening  positions  with 
outstretched  bow.  It  was  well  understood  that  such  por- 
tents meant  a  radical  change  in  the  political  administration. 
The  Tenno  and  the  Hoc  were  greatly  alarmed,  as  the  ones 
who  were  between  anvil  and  hammer,  and  were  likely  to 
suffer  by  change.  So  messengers  were  sent  to  Iwashimizu 
at  Ise,  to  Kamo,  to  Kasuga,  and  to  other  great  shrines  to 


YORITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIRA.  9 

learn  the  meaning  and  to  offer  prayers  ;  just  why  it  is 
hard  to  see,  for  certainly  any  change  from  Kiyomori 
should  have  been  welcome.  Then  a  diviner  was  summon- 
ed by  the  Tenno's  order,  and  he  came  to  give  the  popular 
and  unpleasant  view  of  these  matters,  and  perhaps  to 
receive  in  fee  some  of  the  now  scanty  wardrobe  of  the 
closely  kept  and  closely  cropped  huge.  This  was  all  very 
cold  comfort  for  those  who  only  asked  for  peace  and  quiet. 
With  much  misgiving  the  antics  of  the  Taisho  Shogun 
(the  iron  image)  were  now  watched.  Eub  and  polish 
him  as  they  would  {kai-kai  in  children's  parlance  as 
remedy  for  itching)  he  seemed  afflicted  with  a  very  St. 
Vitus'  dance.  People,  already  nervous  over  the  great 
hurricane  of  July  which  destroyed  many  houses  in 
Miyako,  were  made  more  so  by  a  severe  earthquake 
in  the  first  month  of  1180  A.D.  (February).  This 
shook  the  palace  very  badly,  and  even  the  Rokuhara 
officials.  Then  Abe  Yasuchika,  greatest  of  diviners, 
always  hitting  the  nigger's  head  and  bagging  his  coin, 
direct  descendant  of  the  famous  Abe  Seimei  (being  his 
son),  came  to  court — merely  to  tell  them  what  they  had 
already  heard.*  But  indeed  there  was  no  division  over 
the  matter,  except  as  to — who  would  bell  the  cat.  Some- 
how this  distrust  of  his  pet  project  and  expensive  land 
operation  came  to  Kiyomori  at  Fukuhara.  The  cat 
(Kiyomori)  came  to  Miyako,  and  with  a  shake  or  two 
settled  affairs  to  his  satisfaction.  The  Hoo,  Go-Shirakawa, 
went  to  the  Toba  palace,  and  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
to  jail,  with  one  old  nun  as  company.  Morofusa  was 
exiled  to  Bizen.  Moronaga  the  dajo-ciaijiji  (of  Bensho 
legendary  fame)  went  to  Owari  on  the  same  terms. 
Forty  three  other  huge  were  deprived  of  rank,  and  therefore 
pension,  and  allowed  to  the  try  the  unusual  task  of  making 
a  living.  The  court  clique  thus  thoroughly  scattered,  Chujo 
Motomichi,  Kiyomori's  son-in-law,  was  made  dajo-daijin 
to  watch  the  court  circle.      Munemori  was  put  in  com- 

*  Anybody  who  has  tried  to  get  a  Japanese  to  do  what  he  has  never 
done  before  can  understand  all  this  backing  and  filling  before  a  sharply 
defined  situation.  Thus  they  use  awkward  bamboo  poles,  instead 
of  the  simple  clothes-line. 


10  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

mand  of  Miyako.*  Kiyomori  returned  to  Fukuhara 
beatifically  smiling,  with  an  added  reputation  of  being  a 
real,  bad,  nasty  man,  and  a  particularly  tough  customer 
to  handle.  The  Japanese  romancer  of  the  nineteenth 
century  wags  his  head  over  him  : — "  he  was  certainly 
an  atrociously  wicked  fellow,  thus  to  dare  to  use  force 
toward  the  imperial  person,  to  imprison  the  Tenno,  and 
deprive  so  many  huge  of  their  court  rank.  Heaven  surely 
sought  his  punishment."  The  practice  became  as  common 
as  beans,  and  Kiyomori  veas  a  mere  bungler  compared  to 
more  skilled  successors.  Mr.  Pickwick  had  a  Sam  Weller 
in  the  Fleet.     The  Tenno  had  none. 


We  have  already  several  times  had  occasion  to  speak  of 
Gensammi  Minamoto  Yorimasa,  he  v^ho  in  former  days 
had  slain  "  the  Jabberwock  with  eyes  of  flame,"  which 
"  came  whiffling  through  the  tulgy  wood  (thatch)  and 
burbled  "  as  it  tried  to  scratch  its  way  into  the  apartment 
of  Konoe  Tenno,  frightened  into  an  insomnia.  Having 
slain  this  Nouye  bird,t  having  married  the  fair  Miss  Iris 
{Ayame),  and  having  slipped  through  the  troubles  of  Hogen, 
Heiji,  and  matrimony,  Yorimasa  had  settled  dow^n  to  bask 
all  these  years  in  the  sun  of  favour  at  the  Ten  no's  court, 
and  to  make  poetry  and  procreate  children,  at  both  of 
v^hich  pursuits  he  was  an  earnest  and  not  unskilful  hand. 
Nov7  as  we  have  seen,  Yorimasa  at  the  critical  moment 
had  deserted  Yoshitomo  and  taken  sides  with  the  Taira  in 
the  battle  of  Heiji.  Years  later,  in  1177  A.D.,  we  find  him 
standing  guard  with  Shigemori  over  the  Tenno's  palace, 
and  with  fair  words  turning  over  to  the  latter 's  shoulders 
the   unpleasant   but  necessary    drubbing   of  the   monks, 

*  Munemori  in  ways  of  thinking  was  a  chip  of  the  old  block,  and 
hence  Kiyoraori's  favourite. 

t  Klaproth.  ^,  nui  is  the  Japanese  term.  The  story  is  told  in  Chap. 
III.  Kaoyo-gozen  in  the  Me-Enshii. 


YORITOMO    MOVES    ON    THE    TAIRA.  11 

descending  in  wrath  and  arms  with,  their  Shinboku  {dasJii 
or  coffer  containing  relics)  to  emphasize  their  just  com- 
plaints. It  is  much  to  the  credit  of  Kiyomori  that  he  man- 
fully stood  by  this  solitary  adherent  of  the  rival  house. 
As  late  as  1179  A.D.  it  is  his  influence  that  backed 
Yorimasa  against  a  Fujiwara  in  an  important  squabble 
over  an  empty  post  at  court  (empty  in  real  administrative 
importance  also),  and  secured  to  the  former  the  desired 
petty  honour.  But  there  were  irritating  elements  else- 
where. Munemori  heard  about  a  much  prized  horse 
belonging  to  Nakatsuna,  son  of  Yorimasa.  He  asked  to 
see  it,  and  repeated  the  request  which  Nakatsuna  was  not 
willing  to  grant,  as  delivery  in  this  case  was  next  door  to 
giving.  Yorimasa  interfered,  and  "  Konoshitakage  "  was 
sent  to  Munemori's  stable.  As  the  horse  did  not  reappear 
with  the  passing  of  time  Nakatsuna  sent  for  it.  In  a 
rage  Munemori  had  it  branded  on  both  buttocks — ■"  Naka- 
tsuna ;  "  and  whenever  he  had  visitors  he  gave  orders  to 
"  drive  out  Nakatsuna  "  for  inspection.  This  came  to  the 
ears  of  Yorimasa  and  his  son,  and  made  them  veiy  angry. 
But  the  essential  point  was  this — Yorimasa  was  the  Japan- 
ese "Vicar  of  Bray."  He  too  was  carefully  noting  the 
rising  tide  of  the  Genji.  Our  Japanese  chroniclers  draw  at 
this  point  with  correctness. their  sketch  of  the  psychology 
of  this  interesting  person.  Yorimasa  argued  much  in  this 
way  :  "  the  Minamoto  will  soon  make  their  appearance  as 
victors  in  Miyako.  Now  what  sort  of  a  face  will  I  present, 
living  all  these  years  in  Miyako,  and  found  by  them  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Taira  enemy."  To  this  he  added  divers 
reflections  on  the  disloyalty,  luxury,  extortion  of  the  Taira  ; 
a  discovery  he  made  very  late  in  the  day.  In  his  main 
conclusions  he  was  entirely  right.  His  error  lay  in  cal- 
culating the  date  of  the  Taira  Hegira.  Not  an  important 
one  for  him,  for  he  had  lived  his  pleasant  life  of  seventy 
five  years.  Bat  it  was  a  fatal  mistake  for  his  promising 
issue  by  the  fair  and  now  wrinkled  Ayame  (and  others).* 
He  cast  around  for  the  proper  seed  and  personage  to 
sow  it  with  effect.  This  was  found  in  Prince  Mochihito, 
called  Takakura  from  the  name  of  his  palace.     This  prince 

*  As  to  the  horse,  cf.  Ariga  XL  50;  as  to  Yorirnasa's  age,  IT.  53. 


12  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

was  the  Tenno's  elder  brother,  but  by  a  secondary  wife. 
He  and  Yorimasa  were  very  intimate,  and  during  the 
ordinary  course  of  conversation  the  prince  spoke  with 
regret  of  the  harsh  treatment  and  unpleasant  position  of 
the  Hoo  thus  confined  to  the  Toba-den.  But  for  aid  or 
remedy  there  seemed  no  place  to  look.  At  this  opening, 
thus  voluntarily  presented,  Yorimasa  doubled  himself 
with  reverence  and  joy.  He  followed  the  lead  so  effec- 
tively that  the  two  were  soon  engaged  in  composing  songs 
and  a  fast  ripening  conspiracy  against  Kiyomori.  The  pre- 
liminaries arranged  so  that  the  credit  due  would  not  go 
astray  and  the  lightning  of  favour  fall  on  the  wrong 
heads  ;  that  is,  the  record  being  made  duly  clear,  or  unduly 
so  as  it  turned  out ;  a  messenger  was  selected  to  carry  the 
news  and  command  under  the  own  sign  manual  of  the 
prince  to  all  the  Minamoto  adherents.  The  person  selected 
was  Mutsu  Yoshimori,  youngest  son  of  Tameyoshi.  Yoshi- 
mori  so  soon  took  the  name  of  Yukiiye  that  we  need  not 
bother  about  this  preliminary  name.  Now  Prince  Taka- 
kura,  by  the  necessity  of  the  case,  thus  had  to  commit  the 
imprudence  of  putting  himself  down  in  black  and  white  on 
paper.  Yukiiye  duly  went  through  Omi,  Mino,  and 
Owari,  to  drum  up  recruits.  He  thus  reached  Izu  in  the 
•course  of  time.  Whatever  was  his  reason  the  astute 
Yoritomo  received  the  mission  respectfully  and  dismissed 
him  coldly,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  there 
was  something  wrong  in  the  movement  and  its  manage- 
ment.* The  messenger  seems  to  have  been  an  impru- 
dent and  leaky  vessel.  He  stopped  at  Nachi  in  Kumano 
to  enlist  the  aid  of  his  brother-in-law,  Kyoshin  Betto. 
Here  they  talked  and  acted  so  openly  that  the  place 
was  rife  with  talk  of  the  rising  against  the  Taira. 
Thus  the  news  soon  came  to  the  ears  of  Oye  Ho- 
gan  who  guarded  Taira  interests  in  that  quarter.  He 
marched  with  three  thousand  men  on  Nachi ;   and  Tanso, 

*  That  YoritoiDO  gauged  the  state  of  affairs  accurately  is  sliown  by 
his  raising  his  standard  at  Ishibashiyama  with  only  300  supporters. 
His  hand,  however,  was  forced.  It  was  warning  from  Miyako  friends, 
that  his  head  was  wanted  on  account  of  Yorimasa's  attempt,  that  put 
him  in  motion. 


YOEITOMO  MOVES  ON  THE  TAIKA.         13 

who  was  as  yet  on  the  fence,  sent  the  news  to  Kiyomori. 
This  latter  was  never  slow  in  coming  to  a  decision  and 
acting  on  it.  He  went  at  once  to  the  gosho,  and  of  course 
emerged  in  short  order  with  the  commission  of  the  Ten  no, 
duly  signed  and  sealed,  calling  on  him  to  banish  the  prince 
to  Tosa  and  the  company  of  its  long-tailed  fowls,  and  to 
punish  his  wicked  adherents.  A  full  judicial  commission, 
with  attendant  officials,  hangmen,  and  military  (as  cons- 
tables) was  at  once  got  together.  Kanetsuna,  another  son 
of  Yorimasa,  was  one  of  those  sent  to  judge  and  jail 
the  persons  engaged  in  this  unhappy  movement  against 
the  powers  that  be.  That  Kiyomori  was  one  without 
guile  cannot  be  claimed,  but  the  course  of  this  affair  shows 
him  pure  in  friendship.  This  name  of  Kanetsuna  shows 
that  he  had  no  suspicion  of  the  old  man's  deceit.  Taka- 
kura  of  course  was  warned  at  once,  and  Yorimasa  spirited 
him  away  to  the  Onjoji  (Miidera),  whence  a  mission  was 
sent  out  to  Hieisan  and  the  Kofukuji  of  Nara  to  appear  at 
once  with  their  levies.  Kanetsuna  made  a  spirited  attack 
on  the  prince's  house  in  Miyako.  Many  were  killed,  and 
the  balance  of  the  retainers,  lead  by  Uhyoye-no-jo  Hasebe 
Nobutsura,  were  made  prisoners.  The  game  was  up,  how- 
ever, and  Yorimasa  and  his  sons  joined  Prince  Takakura. 
The  Hieisan  levies  not  only  failed  them,  but  threatened  an 
attack.  Kiyomori  had  won  them  over  by  a  large  bribe  of 
rice  and  silk.  He  recognized  now  the  importance  of  at 
once  crushing  this  movement.  It  was  headed,  not  by  a 
mere  princelet,  but  by  one  of  the  few  men  of  the  Mina- 
moto  with  whose  name  and  reputation  as  a  captain  they 
could  conjure  .forth  an  army  in  revolt.  And  Yorimasa 
upheld  it.  "  We  are  the  weakest.  We  will  make  a  great 
display  of  our  inferior  levies  on  the  hillside  to-night,  but 
the  real  movement  in  such  case  is  to  fire  the  city.  The 
Taira  will  sally  out  to  extinguish  the  flames.  They  can 
be  drawn  farther  and  farther  by  a  feigned  retreat.  With 
picked  men  we  will  vigorously  assault,  capture,  and  fire 
Eokuhara."  With  this  blow,  formidable  in  itself,  he  ex- 
pected to  bring  over  the  large  body  of  waverers  to  the 
side  of  revolt.  After  a  long  discussion,  in  which  a  priest 
influential   in  the   Onjoji,   one   Shinkai  by  name  and  a 


14  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

partisan  of  the  Taira,  put  every  obstacle  in  the  road,  the 
movement  v^as  decided  on.  It  v^as  made,  however,  so 
late  that  the  divisions  were  not  in  position  until  dawn. 
One  thousand  men  on  Nioiyama,  and  Nakatsuna  with 
seven  hundred  more  at  Yamashina,  saw  the  sunrise  and 
the  Taira  ready  to  march  in  force  against  Miidera.  They 
wished  to  turn  their  rage  and  attention  on  Shinkai,  but  he 
had  fled  to  Miyako.  Yorimasa  saw  that  he  could  not  hold 
such  a  position  with  his  small  force.  He,  therefore,  with 
three  hundred  men  and  the  prince,  retreated  over  the 
Kigoshitoge.  Taking  boat  at  Soya  he  rowed  down  the 
Setagawa*  and  passing  Kurotsu  and  Tagami  thus  reached 
Uji.  With  a  considerable  and  rapid  stream  in  front  of  him 
he  sent  the  prince  on  toward  Nara  and  himself  remained 
to  defend  the  river  against  the  Taira  army  now  close  at 
hand.  Sa-Hyoye  no  Suke  Tomomori,  and  Kurando  no 
Kami  Shigehira  are  variously  estimated  to  have  had  from 
10,000  to  20,000  men  in  their  command. 

Yorimasa  made  things  as  easy  for  his  little  band,  and  as 
difficult  for  the  enemy  as  he  could.  He  did  not  break 
down  the  bridge,  but  he  removed  the  flooring  which  made 
it  next  to  useless.  There  was  a  thick  fog,  and  galloping 
recklessly  forward  it  is  said  that  some  two  hundred  of  the 
Taira  hiislii  rode  off  into  the  river,  to  be  swept  down  in  their 
armour  by  the  swift  current.  Drawn  up  on  the  opposite 
bank  the  spears  of  the  opposing  force  were  mingled  and 
confused  with  the  spear  like  bamboo  lining  the  banks. 
Tsuitsui  Shun-ichi  and  Ichirai  Hoshi,  two  soldier-priests, 
met  all  comers  who  tried  to  force  a  passage.  These  two 
men  distinguished  themselves,  and  killed  eighty  men  before 
they  were  put  hors-de-combat.  Yorimasa  then  replaced 
them  with  a  division  under  one  his  captains,  Watanabe. 
Not  satisfied  with  merely  holding  the  outlet  at  the  broken 
bridge,  thirty  of  these  men  dashed  forward  and  put  to 
flight  ten  times  their  number  under  Fajiwara  Tadakiyo. 
The  Taira  hesitated  to  cross  the  stream  in  the  face  of  the 

_*  Where  it  leaves  the  lake  (Bivva)  this  river  is  called  Setagawa;  at 
Uji,  Ujigawa;  below  Fushimi,  Yodogawa;  at  Oiaka  and  Naniha  bay  its 
many  mouths,  now  at  least  five,  take  different  names  between  the 
Kanzakigawa  to  the  West,  and  the  Kiztigawa  to  the  South. 


THE  EXIT  OF  GENSAMMI  MINAMOTO  YOP.IMASA. 


YOEITOMO  MOVES  ON  THE  TAIRA.         15 

opposing  archers  who  "  shot  arrow  after  arrow  like  falling 
rain."  Now  in  the  Taira  army  was  one  Tawara  Taro 
Tadatsuna,  eldest  son  of  Ashikaga  Yoshitsuna.  Being 
only  seventeen  years  of  age  it  was  hardly  his- place  to  break 
the  ice,  but  the  circumstances  were  excusable.  It  was  now 
high  summer  (the  beginning  of  June) .  The  season  for 
river  bathing  was  a  little  early  (for  Japan),  but  the  water 
was  tempting.  Just  what  was  on  the  other  side  he  did 
not  know,  but  in  he  went  armour  and  all,  and  three 
hundred  hushi  followed  after.  They  were  boldly  met 
on  the  other  side,  but  the  thousands  were  now  follow- 
ing them.  The  Minamoto  fell  where  they  stood,  leaving 
a  heap  of  dead  around  them.  Kanetsuna,  the  ex- 
commissioner,  fell  dead  at  his  father's  side.  Ashikaga 
Tadatsuna  was  hot  foot  after  Prince  Mochihito.  Naka- 
tsuna.  Prince  of  Idzu,  with  a  few  men  threw  himself 
across  the  line  of  attack,  and  he  and  his  men  fought  to  the 
death.  The  day  was  lost.  The  old  man,  Yorimasa, 
calmly  sought  the  cool  halls  of  the  Byodo-in.  On  his 
gwisen  (warrior's  fan)  he  wrote  a  few  lines,  his  last  effort 
in  poetry  : — "  wretched  has  been  my  life,  as  that  of  a  plant 
still  hidden  in  the  earth,  and  which  has  not  had  time  to 
bloom."*  The  sentiment  seems  somewhat  strained  for 
one  who  had  rubbed  through  seventy  five  years  of  an 
Epicurean  existence,  especially  during  the  last  twenty 
years.  However,  his  end  was  that  of  the  warrior.  Seat- 
ing himself  on  the  mats  he  cut  open  his  belly  in  the  shape 
of  a  cross  -f-  .  Thus  died  Gensammi  Minamoto  Yorimasa, 
son  of  Hyogo-no-Eami  Nakamasa,  third  son  of  Tada 
Sayemon  Yoritsura,  and  so  on  down  to  Minamoto  Eaiko, 
the  illustrious  and  almost  fabulous  knight,  his  great-great- 
big-grand  father  to  use  true  "Princess  and  Curdie  "  style. 
He  had  got  out  of  life  all  a  man  could  reasonably  expect ; 
infinitely  more  than  the  two  promising  young  n^en  so 
rashly  x^lunged  in  death.     Indeed  Yorimasa's  luck,   (up  to 


"  Umoregi  no, 
Hanasaku  koto  mo, 
Nakarishi  ni, 
Minoranu  hate  zo, 
Aware  narikeri."     Cf.  Ariga,  loc.  cLt.  II.  53. 


16  SAITO    MTJSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  close  of  this  June  day  of  1180  A.D.)  was  extraordi- 
nary. The  only  remaining  great  captain  of  the  Minanioto, 
with  all  his  contemporaries  lying  headless  under  the  sod, 
his  life  career  speaks  volumes  for  the  consideration  of 
Kiyomori.  The  man  who  was  to  succeed  to  power,  Mina- 
moto  Yoritomo,  showed  no  such  tenderness  of  bowels.  As 
far  as  the  rival  house — that  of  Kiyomori  and  the  Ise- 
Heishi  was  concerned  he  stamped  it  out.  Yorimori,  whose 
spouse  Ike-no-zenni  had  once  saved  Yoritomo's  life,  alone 
walked  in  the  open.  As  to  the  present  little  affair.  Prince 
Takakura,  the  surviving  conspirator,  fled  toward  Nara  as 
fast  as  his  wearied  horse  and  later  his  own  more  tired  legs 
permitted.  Overtaken  on  Komyosan,  a  stray  arrow 
settled  him  ;  and  the  soldier  Taira  Kagetaka  struck  off  his 
head  and  carried  it  back  to  Miyako.  The  monks  of  the 
Kofukuji,  thirty  thousand  in  numbers  (it  is  said),  and  on 
their  way  to  Miyako,  learning  of  the  result  of  the  battle  of 
Uji  marched  back  to  Nara. 

Kiyomori  no  longer  delayed  putting  his  plans  of  migra- 
tion in  operation.  The  recent  event  furnished  the  excuse. 
If  the  Tenno  remained  any  longer  in  Miyako,  he  could 
not  pretend  to  guarantee  his  safety  ;  the  term  "  his  "  being 
here  left  in  desirable  ambiguity.  So  in  the  twelfth  month 
of  1180  A.D.  it  was  formally  decided  that  court  and  huge 
should  remove  to  Fukuhara.  In  March  1180  A.D. 
Takakura  Tenno  had  been  forced  to  abdicate.*  Visits  to 
Itsukushima,  (Miyajima)  the  pet  shrine  of  Kiyomori,  did 
not  offset  his  obvious  sympathy  with  his  father,  Go-Shira- 
kawa.  Besides,  he  was  far  too  old  for  his  high  position 
and  Kiyomori's  plans,  having  reached  the  ripe  age  of 
twenty-one  years.  At  thirteen  years  Kiyomori  had  married 
him  to  his  thirteenth  child  and  daughter,  Princess  Tokuko, 
known  in  the  palace  as  Kenrei-mon-in.  At  first  concubine 
she  was  later  made  Icogo.  When  Takakura  was  seventeen, 
her  pregnancy  was  announced.  She  was  then  removed 
from  the  goslio,  again  to  dwell  within  the  Taira  circle.  Here 
she  gave  birth  to  a  male  child,  who  took  his  father's  place 
as  Antoku  Tenno  when  he  reached  the  age  of  three  years. 

*  Norihito.     His  brother  Mocliihito  we  have  just  disposed  of,  at  the 
age  of  thirty  years.    Both  took  the  name  Takakura  from  their  residence. 


YORITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIEA.  17 

Antolm  and  the  plum  flowers  blossomed  out  together  in 
the  second  month  "(1181  A.D.).     In  other  words  he  was 
then  crowned  Tenno.     Then   came  the  question  of  the 
exodus  to  Fukuhara.     Urabe  Sukune,  the  official  diviner 
for  the  Taira,  had   selected   July    16th.     There   was  no 
precedent  for  choosing  a  moving  day  for  the  capital.     The 
Tenno's  journeys  had  been  often   exciting  and  on  short 
notice,  but  they  had  been  within  the  city.     Urabe  had  to 
do  the  best  he  could  with  the  case  ;  and  incidentally  he 
made  a  mess  of  it.     It  was  a  handsome  procession.     In  it 
were  a  Tenno,  a  Hoo,  and  a  Shin-in   (Takakura)  ;  three 
personages  seated  or  once  seated  on  the  throne  destined 
for  the  Son  of  Heaven.     It  took  its  way  amid  tears  shed 
by  those  thus  leaving  the  city,  and  by   the   abandoned 
population.     All  was  gloom  within  ;  and  soon  it  was  so 
without.     Near  Nishi-no-miya  (close  to  Hyogo)  the  clouds 
gathered  in  the  clear  sky.     Thunder  rolled  and  torrents  of 
rain  fell.     The  axles  of  the  carriages  were  almost  afloat. 
The  cortege  gathered  around  the  Tenno  to  seek  and  give 
protection.     Then  they  prayed  for  "  their  imperial  master 
whose  lineage  had  never  been  broken  since  the  Age  of  the 
gods."     And    they   clapped    their   hands,    as   thoroughly 
frightened   men  as  ever  had  been.     The  summer  storm 
soon   passed.     The  wind   drove  the  clouds  from  the  sky, 
but  they  took  it  as  an  omen  of  the  ineffable  efficiency  of 
their   sacred    charges  in  governing  the   weather   bureau. 
x\t  Nishi-no-miya  they  stopped  for  rest  and  the  night,  a 
thoroughly  draggle-tailed  lot.     When  they  reached  Fuku- 
hara thfey  found  things  in  very  bad  shape.     The  storm 
had  there  also  done  much  damage.     The  buildings  were 
flooded  and  partly  washed  out.     Lightning  had  set  them 
on  fire,  and  much  had  been  thus  destroyed.     However, 
Kiyomori  knew  his  own  mind,  and  cared  little  for  that  of 
anyone  else.     The  Tenno  was  kept  under  his  own  eye 
and  in  his  own  house.     The  Shin-in  and  Hoo  were  given 
into  the  immediate  charge  of  Norimori.     Nor  was  their 
lot  made  particularly   pleasant.     Their  eyes  and  sleeves 
were  wet  with  their  tears.     Their  train  was  still  worse 
off.     They  were  left  to  shift  as  they  could  in  the  ruined 
buildings.     And  the  failure  was  all  the  more  pronounced 


18  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 

from  the  material  involved.  As  in  the  famous  emigration 
of  the  Tarasconese,  there  v^ere  too  many  "  gents  "  engaged 
therein,  too  few  of  the  "  horny-handed  "  available  to 
make  things  comfortable  by  a  little  vulgar  but  necessary 
manipulation.  All  grumbled  loudly  at  the  daring  of  a 
subject  in  thus  removing  the  capital.  A  wag  plastered  up 
on  the  walls  of  Fukuhara  the  following  song  : 

"  Kaminari  mo, 

''  Naruw^o  no  saki  ni 

"  Ochitareba  ; 

"  Kage  fukuhara  ni, 

"  Heike  yabururu.'* 

Which  being  interpreted  means  : — "  when  thunder  crash- 
ed around  the  cape,  the  wind  broke  down  the  walls  of  the 
houses."  Now  Naruwo  can  mean  a  roaring  sound  o?-  the 
name  of  the  place ;  fukuhara,  blowing  over  the  plain  or 
the  name  of  the  palace  ;  heike,  the  Taira  or  w^alls  and 
houses.  These  complaints  were  re-echoed  more  loudly  at 
Miyako,  for  the  merchants  in  the  big  city  were  much 
affected  by  the  absence  of  the  court.  For  all  this  Kiyo- 
niori  cared  very  little,  but  other  influences  showed  him 
the  unwisdom  of  his  last  step  in  thus  arousing  on  all  sides 
the  latent  hostility  to  his  House.* 


3. 


It  is  now  necessary  to  turn  for  a  little  while  to  the  early 
career  of  the  man  who  stands  out  as  one  of  those  remarka- 
ble men  of  genias  in  civil  and  political  administration, 

*  His  reasons  for  moving  were  excellent.  In  Miyako  he  was  in 
constant  danger  of  being  caught  by  a  simultaneous  movement  from 
Hieisan  and  the  Onjdji,  and  from  the  Nara  KSfukuji.  The  exodus  of 
course  ruined  many  merchants,  and  also  court  attendants  unable  to 
abandon  their  homes,  and  with  no  means  to  provide  new  ones  at 
Fakuliara. 


YOEITOMO    MOVES    ON    THE    TAIKA.  19 

and  who  have  given  a  twist  to  the  political  life  of  a  people, 
the  effects  of  which  are  still  felt  to  day  and  perhaps  always 
will  be.  Yoritomo's  work,  as  far  as  the  immediate  in- 
terests of  his  family  were  concerned,  was  very  evanescent. 
It  was  not  his  fault,  but  his  misfortune,  that  his  son  and 
heir  Yukiiye  should  turn  out  a  coarse  debauche  and  a  fool, 
and  that  in  his  other  issue  he  fared  little  better.  As  far  as 
his  stock  did  last  it  quickly  passed  into  that  tutelage  which 
was  so  easy  under  the  substitution  process  in  Old  Japan  ; 
and  which  in  this  particular  case  put  t  he  Hojo  regents  in 
the  seat  of  Government.  The  House  of  Minamoto  was 
soon  supplanted  by  puppets  drav/n  from  the  princelets  of 
the  reigning  house  or  by  old  Fujiwara  stock.  But  Yori- 
tomo's main  work,  the  establishment  of  civil  government 
on  military  lines  and  under  the  direction  in  the  last  resort 
of  the  military  power,  endured  and  endures  to  the  present 
day.  The  line  of  the  Shoguns  or  their  agents,  governing 
instead  of  the  Tenno  and  his  agents,  remained  unbroken 
until  the  changes  of  1867  A.D.  ;*  and  at  that  time  it  was 
the  Tenno,  now  Emperor,  who  took  the  place  of  the 
Shogun,  to  continue  an  administration  really  based  to-day 
on  the  lines  laid  down  originally  by  the  Minamoto  chief. 
Euling  houses  changed,  but  not  method s.t 

Yoritomo  was  a  liar,  a  bigot,  a  fool,  a  hypocrite,  a  coward, 
a  seducer  and  no  woman  within  reach  was  safe  from  him. 
At  least  a  good  many,  in  these  his  early  days,  were  so  con- 
vinced. That  they  should  think  so  he  did  not  object  in 
the  least.  They  paid  in  the  end  for  such  mistaken  views. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  a  cold,  astute,  unscrupulous, 
near-sighted,  far-sighted  man.  Few  have  shown  such 
grasp  of  detail  in  the  methods  used  for  forwarding  his 
plans  ;  and  few  have  shown  a  wider  outlook  in,  and  a  more 

^  Go-Daigo's  effort  in  1333  A.D.  was  unsuccessful.  Ashikaga  re- 
placed H5j  5;  and  if  the  reigning  Tenn5  was  refractory  they  replaced 
him  by  another- 

t  Referring  foreigners  to  a  supposed  dominating  power  in  Miyako 
was  simply  a  subterfuge.  The  Tenno  for  centuries  had  not  possessed 
the  right  to  interfere  in  administration — until  the  Tokugawa  chief 
gave  it  to  him.  Facing  an  impossible  situation,  and  seeking  to  shift 
the  burden,  the  Bakuf«  made  a  fatal  mistake  in  bringing  the  Tenno 
into  the  question.     It  was  so  recognized  at  the  time. 


20  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

comprehensive  plan  to  which,  these  methods  were  to  be 
directed.  The  machine  literally  ran  on  by  itself,  in  spite  of 
men  whose  ideas  did  not  reach  beyond  a  narrow  feudalism. 
Separation  of  Church  (Court)  and  State,  the  civil  govern- 
ment based  on  and  subordinate  to  military  direction,  these 
simple  broad  principles  stood  out  in  full  view  through  all 
the  succeeding  ages ;  while  little  men — Hojo,  Ashikaga, 
and  others — w^ere  strugghng  to  put  them  into  effect  to 
secure  the  flesh-pots.  A  white  light  began  to  dawn 
v/ith  the  appearance  of  Oda  Nobunaga.  In  Hideyoshi  we 
reach  full  daylight,  an  approaching  possibility  of  centra- 
lized powTr  in  the  Tenno,  if  the  huge  of  that  day  had  been 
good  for  anything,  for  Hideyoshi's  birth  rendered  perma- 
nency in  his  issue  an  impossibility.  The  Tiuge  were  an 
impossibility  then  ;  just  as  they  were  in  1867  A.D.,  for  in 
the  nineteenth  century  it  was  the  samurai,  not  the  huge, 
that  took  the  centralizing  movement  in  hand.*  In  1600 
A.D.  another  administrative  and  military  genius  took  the 
task  in  hand.  Tokugawa  lyeyasu  changed  nothing.  He 
drilled  and  organized  the  huslii  into  a  carefully  centralized 
feudahsm.  The  doctrines  laid  down  by  the  Minamoto 
chieftain  of  the  twelfth  century  were  accepted  without 
change  by  the  Tokugawa  captain  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  in  the  same  way — for  the  benefit  of  his  own 
family.  The  difference  between  the  two  lay  in  the  fact 
that  four  hundred  years  of  an  organizing  warfare  lay 
between  them.  lyeyasu  had  inherited  from  Hideyoshi 
an  opposition,  in  which  the  last  effective  member — the 
Satsuma  clan — had  been  pretty  thoroughly  disciplined. 
His  ov/n  supremacy  once  for  all  determined  at  Seki-ga- 
hara  (21  October  1600  A.D.),  he  could  re-organize  the  fiefs 
and  centralize  this  feudalism  according  to  his  own  ends. 

*  The  distinction  between  huge  and  samurai  is  easy  to  understand, 
and  not  easy  to  parallel.  The  kuge  depended  on  court  (hereditary)  rank. 
There  were  military  men  who  held  court  rank,  usually  not  of  high 
grade,  and  the  genuine  kuge  looked  down  on  them  ;  even  on  a  Shogun 
who  held  them  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand.  Thus  the  exclusive  rotten 
corporation  went  from  bad  to  worse.  The  best  comparison  is  between 
the  French  court  and  the  country  nobles.  The  Huguenots  might  have 
renovated  the  court.  As  it  was,  it  progressed  to  its  destruction.  The 
samurai  and  Huguenot  spirit  had  something  of  kin — the  basis,  however, 
difiered. 


YOKITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIEA.  21 

He  thus  left  behind  at  Yedo  a  thoroughly  established 
Bureaucracy,  to  which  the  existing  Bureaucracy  suc- 
ceeded, lyeyasu  was  fortunate  in  his  immediate  des- 
cendants. Hidetada  was  a  blockish  fellow,  but  he  was  a 
fighter  and  a  good  captain,  although  he  nearly  played  the 
part  of  a  Japanese  Grouchy  on  one  critical  occasion 
when  father  was  having  "  rough  house "  at  the  front, 
lemitsu,  the  grandson,  reproduced  the  genius  of  lyeyasu 
as  far  as  attention  to  petty  detail  in  administration  went. 
The  three  necessary  generations  set  the  whole  work  on 
such  a  firm  basis  that  only  outside  influences,  unusual  and 
hence  unexpected,  could  give  the  signal  for  its  disruption — 
act  as  the  detonator  of  the  smouldering  discontent  unable 
to  move  out  of  the  net  of  custom.  This  is  very  effective 
work  ;  and  to  be  traced  to  the  founder  of  the  Kamakura 
Shogunate. 

Yoritomo's  career  at  starting  was  not  promising.  Inthe 
retreat  from  the  battle  at  the  Eokuhara  (Heiji  1160  A.D.) 
he  was  lost,  and  only  succeeded  in  rejoining  his  father 
and  brothers  at  Aoba  with  some  difficulty.  After  his  father 
was  killed  in  Owari,  he  wandered  in  that  province,  in 
Omi,  and  in  Mino.  At  a  town  called  Okura  he  got  into  a 
dispute  with  a  saimcrai  and  killed  him.  This  brought  on 
him  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  Taira,  and  Kiyomori's  particular 
sleuth,  Munekiyo,  ran  him  to  earth  at  Aoba  in  Mino.* 
Then  followed  his  condemnation  and  reprieve  through  the 
intercession  of  Ike-no-zenni  and  Komatsu  Shigemori.  He 
was  banished  to  Hirugashima,  in  Idzu,  and  put  under  the 
supervision  of  Ito  Sukechika  and  Hojo  Tokimasa.  Now 
Sagami,  Hitachi,  Musashi,  all  the  Kwanto  provinces,  were 
the  particular  stamping  ground  of  the  Minamoto  since  the 
days  of  Yoriyoshi  and  Yoshiiye.  People  said  "  that  the 
exile  was  hke  a  tiger  taken  from  his  cage  and  let  loose  on 
the  plain."  Kiyomori,  holding  by  the  principle  that 
"  blood  is  thicker  than  water,"  made  little  account  of 
differences  due  to  sectional  feeling  of  North  against  South, 
and  to  the  material  interests  involved.  Yoritomo  is  not  to 
be  represented  as  a  monster  of  ingratitude  for  the  favour 

*  Ishiyama  says  another  account. 


22  SAITO   MUSASHI-EO   BENKEI. 

shown.  He  certainly  owed  nothing  to  Kiyomori.  When 
Shigemori  died  in  1180  A.D.  he  offered  prayers  for  this 
benefactor  of  his  early  days.  It  is  true  that  this  com- 
memoration service,  conducted  on  an  elaborate  scale,  was 
made  the  occasion  for  giving  orders  to  begin  the  movement 
against  the  Taira,  and  that  it  cost  the  life  of  Taira  Kane- 
taka.  People  called  him  a  hypocrite,  but  to  do  so  was  a 
little  strained.  If  the  temple  service  was  necessary  to 
form  a  rallying  point  it  secured  very  small  results  in  the 
shape  of  Yoritomo's  army  at  Ishibashiyama. 

However,  so  far  v^e  have  him  Hirugashima.  Early  in 
the  '70s  things  v^ere  already  stirring  among  the  Minamoto. 
Yoritomo  received  a  visit  from  his  cousin  Kiso  Yoshinaka, 
Prince  of  Etchii,  seeking  to  engage  him  in  a  movement. 
To  this  bright  active  young  v^arrior  Yoritomo  seemed  a 
fool.  His  remarks  v^ere  pointless.  He  hardly  seemed  to 
understand  what  was  said  to  him ;  and  at  the  v^rong  time 
and  the  most  serious  part  of  the  conference  he  broke  into 
boorish  laughter.  Taking  his  leave  Yoshinaka  jeered 
at  him.  "  You  take  arms  against  the  Taira !  I 
doubt  if  your  Minamoto  lineage  is  genuine.  Your 
mother  must  have  been  approached  by  someone  in  the 
dark.  You  are  only  fit  to  do  a  v^oman's  work.  Get  a 
distaff  and  learn  to  spin  and  weave.  Or,  if  you  must 
handle  a  man's  weapon,  seek  nohaji  (farmer's  imple- 
ments), and  dig  and  delve  like  a  peasant."  Yoritomo 
greeted  this  sally  with  a  vacuous  grin  ;  and  Yoshinaka 
as  a  parting  salute  genially  spat  in  his  face.  For  this  the 
rough  mountaineer  was  to  pay  in  his  turn.  Meanwhile 
Yoritomo  was  surrounded  by  Taira  spies  in  his  own 
household,  and  he  knew  it. 

But  even  his  own  adherents  despaired.  Adachi  Tokuro, 
Sasaki  Sayemon,  and  others  had  followed  him  to  Izu,  and 
settled  into  the  life  of  hunters  and  fishermen  where  they 
could  live  near  their  lord,  see  him  and  keep  guard  over 
him.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Yoritomo  was  taken  ill 
with  a  dangerous  fever.  For  forty  days  he  struggled  for 
life.  When  he  came  out  of  it  he  seemed  reduced  to 
idiocy.  His  memory  was  gone  entirely.  He  made  the 
most  stupid  mistakes  in  words  and  actions  ;  especially  in 


YORITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE   TAIEA.  23 

the  latter,  for  these  honest  hearted  men  could  not  under- 
stand one  so  unobservant  of  detail  as  not  to  be  able  to 
cook  his  own  food.  One  day  when  the  rice  in  the  pot 
was  cooking  for  the  meal  the  village  fishermen  summoned 
Tokuro  and  his  companions  to  come  to  their  assistance. 
They  were  much  indebted  to  these  men  for  aid  in  the 
rough  means  of  life,  and  it  was  necessary  to  answer  the 
summons.  An  idler,  when  the  nets  were  to  be  hauled  in, 
was  not  understood  by  these  simple  villagers.  Tokuro 
and  the  others  promptly  responded  to  the  summons  ;  and 
Yoritomo,  who  was  present,  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
boiling  pot  and  dinner.  Like  other  great  statesmen  he 
was  very  earnest  as  to  this  landmark  of  the  day.  He 
realized  its  importance,  but  he  knew  very  little  about 
boiling  rice,  not  a  particularly  easy  task  to  any  neophyte. 
Charcoal  was  piled  high  under  the  pot,  enough  to  stifle 
the  flame.  Yoritomo  sought  a  bamboo  blow-pipe  to  urge 
the  fire.  With  this  he  very  successfully  cooked  one  side 
of  the  pot  From  time  to  time  he  opened  the  lid  to 
investigate  the  progress  of  the  operations.  He  had  it  in 
mind  that  the  watpr  should  be  thoroughly  boiled  away  to 
enter  the  rice  grains.  Then,  when  only  very  little  water 
is  left  in  the  pot,  the  fire  must  be  carefully  smothered, 
and  the  pot  left  in  a  warm  place  for  a  little  while,  an 
operation  known  as  miirasliite.  The  rice  is  then  served 
barely  moist  on  the  outside,  a  condition  much  preferred  by 
the  Japanese  to  the  dry  boiled  rice  of  the  Chinese  where 
every  grain  stands  apart.  Yoritomo  gazing  into  the  pot 
(on  his  side)  considered  that  this  stage  of  the  operation  had 
been  reached.  So  he  carefully  raked  out  the  live  flames 
and  quenched  the  embers  with  water.  While  engaged 
in  this  operation  a  smell  of  burning  reached  his  nose. 
The  smothered  flame  in  the  still  unburnt  fuel,  out  of 
reach  of  his  blow-pipe  and  still  under  the  pot,  burst 
into  flame,  evaporating  the  last  remnant  of  water  and 
burning  the  rice  Yoritomo  ripped  the  pot  off  the 
fire.  It  was  a  very  uneven  job.  "  It  seems  to  me," 
he  said  thoughtfully,  "  that  Tokuro's  rice  is  even,  not 
hilly  and  lumpy  like  this".  He  thrust  his  fingers 
boldly  in  to  level  it  up.      The  sticky  half-cooked  mass 


24  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

on  the  barely  heated  side,  saturated  with  the  boiling 
water,  made  him  howl  with  anguish,  and  the  grains 
clung  in  soggy  masses  to  his  blistered  fingers.  Thus 
he  was  found  on  the  return  of  Tokuro.  Deep  was 
the  disappointment  over  the  unpalatable  meal,  and  heavy 
were  the  sighs  over  the  stupidity  of  their  master.  Pro- 
spects indeed  seemed  poor  with  such  an  ass  for  guide. 
They  forgot  that  to  cook  a  potful  of  rice,  and  one  of 
seething  twelfth  century  politics,  required  very  different 
temperaments  and  accomplishments.* 

Eyes  were  a  little  opened  when  it  was  known  that  the 
fool  had  succeeded  in  reconciling  Ito  and  Kudo,  tw^o  hot- 
headed irreconcileables,  warring  lustily  over  a  boundary 
question,  one  of  the  n:iost  difficult  of  all  matters  to  settle 
peaceably  even  on  the  smallest  scale.  He  who  poaches  on 
a  man's  land,  to  the  extent  of  a  hair's  breadth,  is  to  be 
removed  from  the  surface  of  the  planet,  in  the  twentieth  as 
well  as  in  the  twelfth  century.  This  was  in  1175  A.D., 
and  Kudo  Jiro  Suketsune  became  a  devoted  adherent  of 
Yoritomo.  Ito  also  entered  into  closest  relations,  without 
suspecting  it.  He  had  a  pretty  daughter^  and  the  adjective 
was  necessary  adjunct  to  Yoritomo  whom  the  mere  sight 
of  a  petticoat  (or  its  Japanese  substitute)  set  in  amorous 
flames.  Ito  was  a  grand-father  as  first  notice  of  the  affair. 
Yoritomo  fled  from  his  wrath,  and  sought  refuge  with  Hojo 
Tokimasa  at  Mishima.  Tokimasa  had  two  daughters ; 
Masako  aged  seventeen  years,  Tokiko  aged  fifteen  years. 
In  addition  to  this  capital  he  was  a  very  astute  man,  with 
a  thorough  understanding  of  the  politics  of  his  day  and 
their  probable  outcome.  A  good  understanding  was  soon 
reached  between  Masako  and  Yoritomo,  and  this  jealous 
lady  was  quite  capable  of  protecting  her  younger  sister. 
Hojo  paid  no  attention  to  the  n^atter.  He  and  Yoritomo 
were  hand  in  glove,  but  any  open  family  alliance  w^as 
worth  the  heads  of  both  of  them.  Masako  and  Yoritomo 
disappeared  on  the  eve  of  her  announced  marriage  to  Taira 
Kanetaka.  Hojo  joined  in  the  hunt  for  the  fugitives  who 
were  not  to  be  found.     When  the  standard  of  revolt  was 

*  The  kinship  of  this  tale  to  that  of  King  Alfred  and  others  of  like 
kind  is  obvjous. 


YOEITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIEA.  25 

raised  the  marriage  with  Yoritomo  was  publicly  anDOunced, 
and  Kanetaka's  head  was  a  gage  that  there  would  be  no 
protest  from  him.  In  Masako  there  was  secured  to  Yori- 
tomo a  most  capable  wife ;  and  as  long  as  she  lived  the 
interests  of  his  house  were  secure.  She  was  the  governing 
influence  in  Japan  for  two  generations.  She  was  ''  not 
handsome,  but  massive,"  in  mind  especially.  In  after 
years  she  received,  as  dowager,  the  name  of  Nii-no-ania 
(dowager-general  nun  of  the  second  rank).  Thus  Hojo 
Tokimasa  made  his  modest  entrance  into  the  governing 
power  of  Japan,  to  play  the  part  of  "  wicked  uncle  "  accord- 
ing to  the  view  point  of  the  exasperated  chroniclers  and 
Shinto  ritualists  of  eighteenth  century  Japan. 


4. 


Events  began  to  move  swiftly.  Toward  the  close  of 
1179  A.D.  a  monk  of  Miyako,  called  from  his  learning 
and  holiness  Mongaku  Shonin,  began  to  make  himself 
unpleasantly  conspicuous  by  his  tirades  against  the  Taira. 
He  forced  his  way  even  into  the  precincts  of  the  Hoshoji 
palace  where  he  found  a  frightened  and  unwilling  listener 
in  the  Hoo,  Go-Shirakawa.  Originally  he  had  been  a 
samurai  under  Josei-mon-in,  and  was  then  known  as 
Endo  Morito.  At  that  time  he  was  the  principal  in  a 
very  sad  business.  Inspired  by  passion  for  the  beautiful 
Kesa-gozen,  his  cousin  and  wife  of  Minamoto  Wataru,  he 
threatened  to  kill  her  mother.  The  old  lady  sought  a 
refuge  in  the  honour  of  her  daughter.  Kesa-gozen  seemed 
to  consent,  on  condition  that  her  husband  should  first  die. 
Easy  access  to  the  house  was  to  be  left  to  Morito  to  carry 
out  the  as-assination.  What  followed  was  a  sort  of  Tri- 
boulet  (Kigoletto)  affair.  Kea-gozen  (Gilda)  took  her 
husband's  place,  and  when  Morito  carried  off  the  coveted 
head  to  the  light  of  his  apartment  he  was  confronted  with 


26  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  blood-stained  features  of  his  beloved.  The  blow  was 
sharp  and  overwhelming.  He  donned  the  robe  of  priest. 
For  a  year  he  devoted  himself  to  ascetic  practices  and  a 
profound  study  of  the  Buddhist  scriptures.  Then  he  un- 
dertook to  restore  the  Takao  temple  of  Yamashiro.* 
Politics  were  mixed  with  religion,  in  those  days  too,  and 
as  an  earnest  Minamoto  adherent  Mongaku  made  himself 
particularly  obnoxious  in  his  begging  rounds.  He 
succeded  in  accomplishing  his  object  of  geting  into  hot 
water,  and  did  his  best  to  start  the  pot  boiling  and  a  row 
within  the  precincts  of  the  Hoshoji  itself.  For  this  in  1179 
A.D.  Kiyomori  banished  him  to  Izu  and  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Yoritomo.  This  was  the  reward  for  this  particul- 
arly bold  threat  to  resume  his  old  trade  of  samurai  A 

The  eloquent  tongue,  the  wide  spread  and  deserved 
reputation  for  asceticism,  the  real  goodness  of  heart  of 
Mongaku  Shonin  (it  is  well-shown  in  his  bold  attitude 
in  defence  of  Eokudai  the  son  of  Taira  Koremori)  quickly 
brought  him  to  the  notice  of  Yoritomo.  To  the  little  flock 
of  parishioners  gathered  around  him  at  the  Nako  temple 
Mongaku  devoted  himself.  He  taught  them  and  helped 
them,  in  health,  sickness,  or  distress.  His  preaching  at  the 
temple  hall  was  widely  attended,  and  Yoritomo  became 
much  attracted  by  it.  Now  what  Mongaku  was  seeking 
was  not  a  commonplace  interview,  but  real  influence.  His 
object  was  to  stir  Yoritomo  into  a  movement  of  revolt 
against  the  Taira.  In  one  of  their  conversations  after 
sermon  he  began  to  try  and  get  at  Yoritomo's  intentions. 
The  latter  was  not  so  impulsive,  nor  so  quick-witted  as 
Yoshitsune.  He  was  cold  and  cautions,  and  he  suspected 
Mongaku.  Displeased  with  his  reserve  the  priest  sought 
another  method  to  arouse  him.  Securing  an  old  skull 
(they  were  not  hard  to  get  in  those  days)  he  one  day 
confronted  Yoritomo,  the  gruesome  object  in  hand. 
"  You  and  I  pray  for  the  defeat  of  the  Taira  and  the  re- 

*  It  is  close  to  Kyoto,  on  the  north-west,  and  famsd  for  its  maples 
vvhicli  change  colour  in  the  Fall  of  the  year. 

t  Mongaku's  story  is  too  long  to  give  here  more  than  in  sketch.  I 
relegate  it  to  an  appendix  of  this  volume.  The  life  an  I  deatli  of  the 
beautiful  Kesa-gozen  (Koaza-atoma)  is  a  classic  of  Japanese  misfortune. 


MONGAKU  SHONIN  AND  YORITOMO. 


YOEITOMO   MOVES    ON   THE    TAIRA.  27 

storation  of  the  Genji  to  their  former  influence.  Now  here 
is  your  father's  skull.  I  picked  it  up  nearly  twenty  years 
ago,  where  the  head  was  deposited  after  exposure  at 
Togaku,  and  I  have  kept  it  by  me  ever  since.  This  is  all 
that  is  left  of  the  man  who  took  you  on  his  knee,  and  these 
grinning  jaws  once  called  you  Oniwaka  as  he  toyed  in  jest 
with  you,  his  child.  Now  w^hat  have  you  done  to  satisfy 
his  angry  spirit,  and  release  it  from  torment.  When  So 
in  China  saw  his  father  drowning  in  the  river,  and  was 
unable  to  aid  him,  he  preferred  to  cast  himself  into  the 
water  and  perish  also.  A  priest  s  prayers  amount  to 
nothing.  Don  your  armour.  Take  not  too  much 
counsel  as  to  what  may  happen,  but  trust  to  the  Lord 
Buddha  who  detests  the  wickedness  found  among 
men."  Thus  speaking  Mongaku  wept,  and  Yoritomo 
wept  with  him.  Stroking  the  skull  he  said  : — "  Alas  !  I 
have  never  tried  to  seek  you  out  to  give  you  proper  burial. 
I  am  indeed  a  very  worthless  sort  of  person."  Mongaku 
struck  at  once  on  this  vein.  He  failed  to  endorse  Yori- 
tomo's  views  on  this  latter  point.  The  subject  led  to 
ways  and  means,  and  in  the  long  and  earnest  conversation 
the  priest  received  a  very  different  impression  from  that 
popularly  current  as  to  the  young  Minamoto  prince. 

However,  wheii  Yoritomo  did  not  join  the  movement  set 
on  foot  by  Prince  Takakura  he  felt  discouraged.  Yoritomo 
and  Hojo  saw  farther  than  he  did.  Neither  men  nor  ma- 
terial were  of  the  right  kind,  and  it  was  started  too  near  the 
Taira  centre  at  Miyako  to  get  much  headway.  .  Mongaku 
then  betook  himself  to  Fukuhara  where  the  Court  was 
now  lodged.  Here  he  sought  access  to  the  Hoo*,  and  laid 
his  plans  before  him,  with  the  request  for  a  personal 
mandate  against  the  Taira  directed  to  Yoritomo.  Go- 
Shirakawa  was  putting  in  a  very  unpleasant  time  of  it 
under  any  conditions.  As  to  this  young  man,  XJkonye  no 
Suke  Yoritomo,  he  knew  nothing,  but  he  had  personal 
experience    of    Mongaku's    good    intentions  and    robust 

^  He  shaved  his  head  to  beccme  Priest-Emperor  in  1169  A.D.  The 
most  suspicious  point  about  the  skull  story  is  the  failure  to  hold  a  State 
funeral,  then  or  afterwards.  Perhaps  it  got  lost  in  the  hurly-burly 
over  Ishibashiyama. 


28  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

methods,  and  nothing  could  be  worse  than  his  present 
wet  and  drafty  surroundings.  Like  an  old  war-horse 
he  fairly  snorted  for  joy : — "  the  royal  person  was 
greatly  pleased,"  says  the  Japanese  chronicler  mo- 
destly. He  at  once  wrote  an  order  to  Yoritomo  to 
raise  the  Kwanto  against  the  Taira.  The  order  was 
thus  made  catholic  yet  specific,  as  a  direct  mandate  to  all 
concerned.  With  this  order,  dated  21  August,  1180  A.D. 
Mongaku  betook  himself  to  Izu  and  the  house  of  Hojo 
Tokitnasa  at  Kamimuna.  Yoritomo  and  Hojo  were  about 
ready  to  move  anyhow.  The  attempt  of  Takakura  and 
Yorimasa  had  stirred  up  the  Taira.  Miyoshi  Yasunobu 
wrote  from  Miyako  that  Yoritomo  must  flee  to  Hidehira. 
His  head  was  wanted.  On  learning  of  Mongaku's  mis- 
sion* Yoritomo  first  bathed  and  then  arrayed  himself  in 
fresh  garments  to  receive  the  Hoo's  letter  of  command. 
He  had  a  memorial  service  on  hand  for  Shigemori, 
deceased  a  few  months  before.  This  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Ona  Mosajiro  Tokitomo,  a  cousin  of  Hojo  Toki- 
masa.  Messengers  were  sent  out  to  the  neighbouring 
Minamoto  adherents  to  meet  at  Ishibashi-yama.  Mean- 
while a  force  was  despatched  at  once  against  Taira  Kane- 
taka.  He  was  governor  of  the  distdct  {mohiidai),  and 
lived  near-by  at  Yamaki.  Miura  Yoshizumi,  Chiba  Tane- 
yori,  Goto  Shigemitsu,  Doi  Sanehira  (the  good  Taira 
names  here  must  have  given  Yoritomo  great  confidence) 
advised  this  movement  strongly,  and  Yoritomo  had  per- 
sonal reasons  for  agreeing.  Hojo  Shiro  Tokimasa,  Ema 
Koshiro  Tokiyoshi,  Adachi  Tokuro  Morinaga,  Kato  Kage- 
yasu,  Sasaki  Taro  Sadatsuna,  Sasaki  Jiro  Takatsuna, 
Sasaki  Saburo  Noritsune,  Hori  Chikayoshi,  were  promi- 
nent in  this  raid  and  scalping  affair.  The  governor  was 
unsuspecting.  The  attack  was  sudden.  After  setting 
■fire  to  the  house  they  returned  to  Yoritomo  with  Kane- 
taka's  head. 

*  Mitsunobu  Sammi,  under  date  of  21  August,  1180  A.D.,  signs  the 
order  given  to  Mongaku  at  Fuknhara.  The  other,  and  perhaps  better 
account,  sajs  (Ariga)  that  Yoritomo  put  forward  the  old  pretext  of  an 
order  from  Prince  Takakura  against  Tomochil^a,  mikuri  of  Gamaya, 
charged  with  extortion,  and  replaced  by  Yoritomo.  This  date  is  8th 
,  month  (end  of  August,  beginning  of  September— loc.  cit.  II.  58.) 


YORITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIEA  29 

This  was  on  the  l'2tTa  of  September,  1180  A.D.     Saga- 
mi-no- Jo  Suyenaga,  uncle  of  Kanetaka,  heard  this  unplea- 
sant piece  of  news  and  that  of  the  raising  of  Yoritomo's 
standard  at  Ishibashiyama  in  Hakone.     He  was  tender 
about  calling  on  the  Kwanto  for  aid.     He  feared  treachery 
as  the  Minanioto  interest  was  strong.     The  forces   imme- 
diately at  hand   under   Oba   Kagechika   were,    however, 
ample  to  destroy  the  little  force  of  three  hundred  men,  for 
only   this  meagre  number   answered  to  Yoritomo's  call. 
Many,  however,  in  his  own  camp  were  secret  adherents  of 
Yoritomo.     Wada,  Doi,  Ito,  Oba,  Hatakeyama,  Kumagai, 
Satomi,  Kajiwara — most  of  them  were  later  conspicuous 
figures.   .The  Miura  summoned  by  him  to  the  fray  were 
on  their  way  at  once  to  attack  him,  and  it  was  soon  learn- 
ed that  only  the  swollen   Sakawa  prevented   their  joining 
Yoritomo.     They    could    and    did    attack  and    burn  the 
stronghold  of  Oba  Saburo  Kagechika,   the  captain  of  the 
Taira  forces,  which  was  a  clear  indication  of  where  their 
sympathies  lay.     Kagechika,  whose  brother  was  in  Yori- 
tomo's army,  ordered  an  attack  on  the  camp  at  Ishibashi- 
yama.    The  numbers  are  beautifully  symmetrical.     Yori- 
tomo had  300  men  ;   Kagechika  had    3000  men  ;  and  Ito 
Sukechika,  the  most  earnest  of  the  lot,  came  with  300  more 
to  take  Yoritomo  in  the  rear — as  this  worthy  young  man 
(now  thirty  four  years  old)  had  done  to  him  years  before. 
Conspicuous  among  these  assailants  were  Kajiwara  Heizo 
Kagetoki    and    his   sons,    Hatakeyama    Jiro    Shigetada, 
Kumagai  Jiro   Naozane,  all  later  earnest  in   Yoritomo's 
interest.     It  was  night,   and  stormy  at  that,  when  the 
enemy   took   position   to   attack  the   little  camp.      This 
was  no   particular  disadvantage   to    the  Minamoto,    for 
many  on  the  Taira  side  could  secretly   betray  their  cause, 
and    much  confusion   was    caused    by  these  unexpected 
enemies.     Valorous  deeds  were  performed.     Thus  Sanada 
Yoichi  Yoshitada  boldly  sought  out  the  camp  and  tent  of 
Kagechika  in  order  to  kill  him.     Yajiro  and  Okabe,  his 
worthy  attendants,  he  killed.     He  was  met,  however,  by 
Kawamura  Matano  Goro  Kagehisa.    G-rappling  with  each 
other  both  knights  fell  from  their  horses.     Sanada  was 
the  stronger,  and  was  in  a  fair  way  to  make  his  enemy  a 


30  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

head  shorter,  but  rescue  came  to  Matano  in  the  persons 
of  Shin  Roku  and  Shin  Nagano,  and  instead  Sanada  bit 
the  dust  and  the  other  side' took  the  pennant.  Bunzo,  the 
faithful  retainer  of  Sanada,  fought  to  the  death,  and  his 
bravery  secured  him  passing  mention  in  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki.  The  httle  band  of  three  hundred  men,  however, 
even  with  secret  aid  could  not  keep  up  the  pace.  They 
were  worn  out  and  scattered.  Sasaki  Takatsuna  covered 
the  retreat.  "Gome!  I  am  Yoritomo.  You  fellows 
should  be  fighting  with  us,  as  true  Minamoto  men.  Kill 
me  and  get  your  reward.'*  Indeed  the  swollen  Sakawa 
played  a  double  part,  for  it  prevented  Kajiwara,  Kumagai, 
and  others  from  forming  a  junction  with  the  Miura.  At 
dawn  there  remained  nothing  to  do  but  to  hunt  out  the 
fugitives.  Sasaki  and  Hojo  had  fled  to  Hakone  in  an 
attempt  to  reach  Awa.  Yoritomo  with  only  seven  men 
reached  Sugiyama.  Here  he  made  a  stand,  and  displayed 
his  own  skill  with  the  bow.  It  was  merely  a  matter  of  time. 
On  the  advice  of  Doi  Sanehira  all  the  others  were  dis- 
missed, and  Yoritomo  and  Sanehira  sought  refuge  in  a 
hoUow'  tree.  Here  it  is  said,  they  were  found  by  Kaji- 
wara  Kagetoki.  His  enemies  said  that  Yorimoto  was  so 
frightened  that  he  could  not  speak,  but  could  only  clasp 
his  hands  in  a  beseeching  attitude.  Kajiwara  had  sized 
up  the  political  situation.  The  future  lay  with  the  Mina- 
moto, and  not  wdth  the  Taira.  When  Oba  Saburo 
Kagechika  came  up  he  declared  that  the  enemy  was 
cleared  out  of  the  neighbourhood,  and  when  the  latter 
proposed  to  investigate  the  hollow  tree  more  closely  he 
grasped  his  sword  in  high  dudgeon.  "  Why,  look  here  !  " 
and  he  thrust  his  spear  into  the  trunk.  Two  doves  flew 
out  Kagechika  expressed  himself  as  satisfied,  which  he 
would  not  have  done  if  he  had  known  his  own  head  was 
at  stake,  and  unwilhug  to  quarrel  he  took  himself  off. 
"  Others  may  come  ",  conjectured  Kajiwara,  "  and  not  be 
so  easily  satisfied."  Whistling  he  called  up  his  men,  and 
under  their  escort  Yoritomo  reached  Manazuru-ga-saki  in 
Izu.  Here  several  more  of  his  company  w^ere  found,  and 
together  they  took  a  boat  to  cross  the  bay  to  Awa.* 

*  So  runs  the  tale  of  the  Gempei  Seisuiki.    The  commente  of  the 


j^Uiii^m^imiiSSa 


MINAMOTO  YORITOMO  AT  ISHIBASHI-YAMA. 


YOEITOMO   MOVES    ON   THE   TAIRA.  31 

Thus  these  Japanese  "  wise  men  of  Gotham  "  set  sail 
in  their  tub  for  the  distant  blue  line  of  the  little  peninsula 
which  covers  the  now  Tokyo  bay  on  the  Pacific  side.  It 
was  partly  a  coasting  trip  across  the  Sagami  bay,  with  the 
chance  to  run  for  it  in  all  the  ten  directions  of  space  if 
the  wind  blew  too  hard.  A  difficulty,' however,  arose  as 
soon  as  they  got  fairly  afloat.  Some  busy-body  discovered 
that  they  had  eight  in  the  boat.  To  the  twelfth  century 
Japanese  (or  twentieth  century)  this  was  as  bad  as  a 
''  thirteen  party."  Furthermore  he  was  a  gossip  and 
could  not  keep  the  discovery  to  himself.  Argued  this 
wise-acre  : — "  we  know  that  in  the  history  of  our  country 
there  is  no  instance  of  a  safe  and  fortunate  escape 
effected  by  a  party  consisting  of  eight  men ;"  and  he 
clinched  the  mattter  by  a  most  unfortunate  reference  to 
Tametomo  the  archer,  king  of  Vries  Island  (Oshima) 
smoking  away  before  their  eyes,  conqueror  of  Lfi-Chu  and 
the  Moon,  and  uncle  of  Yoritomo.  He  had  started  with 
eight  men  when  he  left  Izu.  Now  Yoritomo  did  have 
one  failing.  He  was  superstitious,  and  this  made  him  a 
little  nervous  over  all  due  and  proper  attention  to  the 
divine  susceptibilities.  He  thus  took  every  opportunity  to 
administer  pills  and  purges  in  the  shape  of  offerings 
against  any  celestial  constipation  which  would  prevent 
the  flow  of  benefits.  This  secured  to  him  the  reputation 
of  being  a  bigot  of  the  first  water,  but  it  was  more  due 
to  scare  than  to  any  deep  contemplative  religious  feeling. 
Even  a  buck-rabbit  has  his  moments  of  sober  thought, 
and  Yoritomo  and  Henry  IV.  (at  Cahors)  can  be  excused, 
if  sometimes  the  smooth  evenness  of  their  temperament 
ruflled  a  little  in  this  trifling  way.     Anyhow,  Yoritomo's 

romancers  are  amusing  and  impossible.  Shinshinsai  gives  Yoritomo 
500  men  against  100000.  "Big  odds,  but  the  defence  lasted  three 
days  through  the  luke-warmedness  of  the  enemy."  Yamada  tries 
to  save  Yoritomo's  face  and  military  reputation  by  saying  that  he  had 
already  gone  to  Awa  and  did  not  command  at  Tshibashi-yama.  He 
waxes  very  indignant  over  the  tree  episode.  Another  tale  converts 
the  doves  into  a  spider's  web  woven  across  the  entrance.  The  histories 
give  Oba  Kagechika  8000  men,  and  the  account  in  the  text  is  based 
on  them.  What  really  saved  Yoritomo  was  the  action  of  lida,  a 
fief-holder  of  Oba.  In  the  pursuit  he  turned  against  his  side  and 
effectually  held  them  up,  enabling  Yoritomo  to  get  clear  of  the  field. 


32  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKBI. 

decision  was  quick  and  to  the  point.  "  Out  goes  some- 
body, and  it  is  not  I.  With  this  reservation  I  leave  the 
selection  to  the  rest  of  you." 

This  was  embarassing.  No  one  was  ambitious  of  the 
role  of  Jonah.  Hojo  was  known  to  have  fled.  Eefuge 
might  be  found  in  his  lands,  but  between  lay  the  whole 
mass  of  the  Taira  army,  eagerly  beating  up  the  country  for 
their  game.  The  chance  of  reaching  friendly  territory  was 
nil,  and  to  be  put  ashore  seemed  to  mean  certain  death. 
Of  what  was  going  on  to  the  north,  the  Miura  fighting 
Hatakeyama  who  was  holding  up  the  Taira  interests,  they 
knew  nothing.  The  discussion  was  a  lively  one  as  they 
drifted  along  the  shore.  The  general  disposition  was  to 
pitch  on  Shiro  Okazaki  as  getting  old  and  useless.  It 
would  make  no  difference  to  anyone  but  himself,  and  his 
opinion  they  were  not  disposed  to  accept  as  good  argument 
in  the  case.  Eeplied  Okazaki  ''  Not  so  :  take  some  one 
possessed  of  two  souls,  who  can  return  to  the  Saha 
world."*  But  all  were  tolerably  sure  that  they  had  a  like 
meagre  supply.  Said  one: — "as  for  me,  double  are  the 
celestial  spheres  ;  but  even  though  a  man  can  vouch  for  the 
plenitude  of  the  sources  of  life  and  the  virility  of  his 
person,  of  the  nature  of  his  soul,  whether  one  or  many,  he 
can  answer  naught,"  And  "naught"  they  all  replied.! 
This  seemed  a  good  counter,  and  the  fate  of  Okazaki  ap- 
peared fixed  as  they  slowl}^  came  near  shore.  He  played 
his  last  card,  and  an  effective  one  with  the  Japanese,  so 
often  the  reverse  of  western  thought.  "  My  son,  Sanada 
Yoichi,  was  killed  in  the  battle.  Now,  therefore,  let  Doi 
Jiro  Sanehira  or  his  son  go  ashore."  Doi  met  this  pro- 
position promptly.  More  Japonico  he  threw  his  boy 
ashore  at  a  good,  bare,  soft,  sandy  spot.  Loud  were  the 
outcries  as  the  party  pulled  away,  now  in  earnest  bound 
for  Awa  and  safety.  Yoritomo  and  the  others  wrapped 
themselves  in  a  selfish  deafness  to  the  entreaties  of  the 
marooned  victim,  Yataro   Tomohira   aged    fifteen   years. 

*  A   Buddhist   term   for  the  existing  Universe  as  we  earthly  beings 
know  it. 

t  Says   Shinshinsai  in  telling   this  story  of  Yoritomo's   hegira  :     ~f, 


YORITOMO    MOVES    ON    THE    TAIRA.  33 

There  seemed  to  be  nothing  in  front  of  him  but  to  commit 
harakiri,  much  to  be  preferred  to  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy.  As  did  Mr.  Snodgrass  so  much  later  in  the 
classic  battle  of  Ipswich,  he  was  too  slow  and  demonstra- 
tive in  his  movements.  While  engaged  ruefully  in  the 
task  of  stripping  off  his  armour  and  properly  arranging 
the  scene,  the  enemy  burst  from  the  bushes  and  carried 
him  off  a  prisoner.  Brought  before  the  commander  the 
recognition  was  mutual.  "  Ya-a~a,  Ojisan  (uncle)!" — 
"Ha-a-a,  Tomohei !  "said  Wada  Yoshimori.  To  the 
nephew  harakiri  seemed  the  proper  caper.  But  these  were 
not  yet  the  days  of  one  only  and  prevalent  Government 
in  Dai  Nippon.  Answered  Wada: — "Nonsense!  Now 
where  is  your  father,  and  where  is  Yoritomo  ?  "  and  he 
*'  winked  the  other  fin,"  Hke  the  whale  of  sad  story. 
Tomohira  felt  no  inclination  to  be  secretive  before  such  a 
kind  uncle  and  untoward  circumstances.  He  elo.|uently 
glanced  seaward.  With  plenty  of  rowers  Wada  Yoshi- 
mori started  after  the  fugitives.  He  made  it  plain  that  an 
interview,  not  a  fight,  was  the  object.  Yoshimori  and 
Doi  had  a  little  talk  together,  in  which  Yoritomo  received 
a  much  more  encouraging  report  of  conditions  than  he 
had  suspected.  Yoshimori  returned  to  shore  and  his 
nephew,  while  the  seven  wiser  men  continued  their  course, 
•soon  to  land  on  the  hospitable  shores  of  Karishima  of 
Awa. 


5. 


This  fall  of  1180  A.D.  brought  very  disturbing  news  to- 
Kiyomori.  To  the  bad  tidings  and  the  inefficiency  of  his 
-captains  there  seemed  no  end.  He  rejoiced  over  the  result 
at  Ishibashi-yama  and  the  death  of  Yoritomo,  promptly 
forwarded  by  Oba ;  only  to  learn  that  Yoritomo  had 
-escaped  to  Awa,  in  which  the  bicshi  were  flocking  to  his 
standard   with  utter  disregard  of  blood-ties.     This  news 


34  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

was  most  disquieting.  In  the  Kwanto  the  Minamoto 
were  in  arms  as  in  the  days  of  Yoshiiye,  and  the  scanty 
force  of  the  Taira  captains  daily  grew  less  through  disaffec- 
tion and  desertion.  Ishibashi-yama  was  a  small  affair, 
promptly  handled.  But  the  Miura  matter  was  a  more 
difficult  business.  While  Yoritomo  was  in  flight  acfoss 
the  bay  to  Awa,  Yoshiakira,  his  son  Yoshizumi,  and  his 
grandson  Wada  Yoshimori  had  met  the  Taira.  Starting 
out  from  Miura  they  had  heard  of  the  defeat  at  Ishibashi- 
yama.  On  their  return  they  met  Hatakeyama  Shigetada, 
then  in  the  Taira  interest,  and  had  given  him  a  bad  beating. 
Yoshimori  had  crowed  a  little  early  to  Yoritomo,  for  the 
capable  Hatakeyama  received  reinforcements.  With  these 
he  attacked  and  captured  Miura  castle*,  and  in  the  battle 
the  old  Yoshiakira,  aged  eighty-nine  years,  was  killed. 
Sons  and  grandsons  then  joined  Yoritomo  in  Awa,  where 
we  can  leave  them  for  the  present. 

Reports  from  other  districts  were  no  better.  The  day 
after  this  unpleasant  news  came  from  the  Kwanto,  came 
the  message  that  Tanso,  Betto  of  Kumano,  had  mustered 
his  monks  in  the  Minamoto  interest.  Only  seventeen 
days  later  Kikuchi  was  in  arms.  At  the  close  of  the  year 
there  was  a  general  rising  in  Mino,  followed  four  days 
later  by  one  in  Omi.  The  grumbling  in  the  Taira  ranks 
was  too  much  even  for  Kiyomori.  These  misfortunes 
were  universally  attributed  to  the  unhappy  move  to  Eoku- 
hara.  Kiyomoii  yielded.  He  "who  would  tear  paper 
crosswise,"  (not  an  easy  thing  with  Japanese  paper),  at 
last  ordered  that  the  question  should  be  considered.  This 
was  a  solemn  farce  to  save  his  face.  The  councillors 
timidly  pointed  out  that  the  great  festivals  could  not  be 
properly  conducted  apart  from  Miyako.  Hence  the 
expense  was  enormously  increased,  for  the  dignity  and 
reverence  to  gods  and  Tenno  must  be  on  a  proper  scale. 
For  this  reason  the  Tenno  (or  Hoo)  had  refused  to 
consider   the    question,    and    the    Taishoye    festival    had 

*  Shiro  (castles)  were  then  primitive  affairs.  The  mediaeval  castle 
as  found  at  Nagoya,  Osaka,  Kumamoto,  is  due  to  study  of  European 
works  on  fortification  brought  in  by  the  Portuguese  in  the  middle  of 
thesixteenth  century. 


VORITOMO    MOVES    ON   THE   TAIRA.  35 

not  been  held.  Meanwhile  the  monks  of  Hieisan  and 
Miidera  were  raising  a  very  threatening  racket  over 
the  Tenno's  absence.  Kiyomori  spoke  mildly  on  the 
matter,  saying  that  convenience  of  situation,  not  the 
wish  of  the  popular  mind,  should  govern  choice  of  the 
capital.  Fujiwara  Nagakata  caught  the  ball  on  the 
bound,  and  his  fellow-councillors  gasped  as  in  unmeasur- 
ed terms  he  denounced  the  whole  matter  of  original 
removal.  The  grounds  of  complaint  given  in  the  Hojoki* 
are  interesting  as  showing  the  ideas  of  the  Japanese  of 
that  day.  "  At  the  time  the  writer  had  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  the  new  capital.  The  site  was  not  spacious  enough 
to  allow  the  laying  out  of  broad  streets  and  wards  as  had 
been  the  case  in  the  old  capital.  The  ground  too  was 
very  uneven,  rising  sharply  on  the  high  hills  to  the  north, 
and  falling  as  sharply  to  the  sea  on  the  south.  The  noise 
of  rolling  breakers  disturbsd  the  quietness  of  the  city, 
through  which  blew  the  salt  sea  wind.  The  new  palacs 
of  the  Tenno  was  thus  set  among  mountains,  and  was 
built  of  rough  logs.  It  reminded  one  of  the  log-palace  of 
olden  time.  What  a  strange  sight  the  city  was !  An 
enormous  number  of -logs  were  floated  down  the  river  to 
the  new  capital,  perhaps  with  the  intention  of  building 
houses  and  mansions.  With  all  this,  however,  there  was 
a  vast  extent  of  land  on  which  no  human  habitation  was 
to  be  seen,  and  yet  the  number  of  houses  built  was 
wretchedly  insufficient."  And  he  goes  on  to  tell  the  tale 
of  the  grave  dilapidation  which  befell  the  old  houses 
abandoned  in  Miyako.  In  the  opinion  of  this  writer  of 
ancient  days,  this  dilapidation  extended  to  manners.  The 
court  people  "  rode  on  horseback  instead  of  in  a  hasJia 
(carriage).  Those  who  ought  to  have  had  on  Jiol  (ceremo- 
nial robe  for  common  people)  were  seen  wearing  shitatare 
(the  gauze  court-robe).  All  graceful  and  elegant  customs 
and  manners  of  the  old  capital  had  disappeared,  and  the 
men  of  the  new  town  looked  like  rough  bicsJii,'"  Present 
day  Japanese  seem  to  care  little  for  the  mountains,  except 
in  their  o-mairl  (shrine  pilgrimage)  jaunts.  They  have 
in  these  days  of  Meiji  taken  better  to  the  idea  of  sea-shore 

*  Ariga  gives  a  long  quotation.     II.  pp.  56-58. 


36  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

resorts.  The  chief  complaint  of  the  twelfth  century  writer 
is  against  the  sea-air  and  the  sound  of  the  waves,  and  to 
the  dishevelled  appearance  of  this  boom-town.  His  opi- 
nion of  the  town  site  of  the  present  Kobe  is  anything  but 
flattering.  From  the  mention  of  narrow  space  and  high 
tides  it  is  likely  that  the  land  shelf  was  still  narrower  than 
at  present. 

The  old  houses  abandoned  in  Miyako,  from  time  to 
time  "  seen  floating  down  the  Yodogawa,"  probably  in- 
fluenced Kiyomori  very  little.  He  had  made  up  his 
mind  that  it  was  bad  politics  to  stay  where  they  were. 
For  the  festival  of  the  New  Year  they  were  all  back  in 
Miyako.  The  buildings  were  in  too  bad  shape  to  use. 
The  Tenno  was  therefore  lodged  in  the  Gojo  temple,  and 
the  Hoo  and  Shin-in  were  kept  at  Eokuhara  and  Ikedono. 
The  huge  found  temporary  refuge  where  they  could  in  the 
surrounding  ecclesiastical  establishments  at  Yahata,  Uzu- 
masa,  Nishiyama,  Higashiyama,  and  the  other  many 
temples  of  the  suburbs.  Kiyomori  gave  Go-Shirakawa 
the  Hoo  most  unjustifiable  license,  for  he  was  made  free 
of  bread  and  butter  and  Miyako.  Sanuki  and  Mino  were 
given  into  his  charge,  and  once  more  he  was  consulted  in 
public  affairs.  This  was  all  done  to  recover  lost  favour. 
The  Court  accepted  these  substantial  gains  with  the  fixed, 
but  unexpressed,  intention  of  awaiting  the  long  delayed 
march  of  the  Minamoto  on  Miyako.  Out  of  the  frying 
pan  into  the  fire.  The  days  of  Ojin  and  Yuriaku  had  long 
passed  away — from  everywhere  but  the  confined  and  con- 
fused little  circle  in  the  goslio  of  Miyako. 

Meanwhile  Yoritomo  was  by  no  means  the  idlest  man 
in  Nippon.  He  had  first  to  settle  matteis  with  the  local 
Taira  interest.  He  left  Awa  with  a  respectable  little  army 
gathered  together  at  his  headquarters  in  Kazusa  with 
Anzai  Saburo  Kagemasu.  Koyama  Tomomasa  and 
Shim  oka  wabe  Yukihira  had  promptly  responded  with 
their  local  contingents.  The  stand  of  Kazusa-no-Suke 
Taira  Hirotsune  was  doubtful,  and  much  depended  on  him. 
Chiba  Tsunetane,  with  three  hundred  men,  responded 
promptly  to  the  call  of  his  hereditary  chief,  but  Hirotsune 
was  very  slow  in  balancing  probabilities.     When  he  ap- 


YORITOMO    MOVES    ON    THE    TAIRA.  37 

peared  at  the  camp  pitched  by  the  Sumidagawa,  Yoritomo 
refused  to  see  him  and  told  him  to  take  command— of 
the  rearguard.  Hirotsune  is  said  to  have  brought  with 
him  20,000  men,  double  the  number  in  Yoritomo's 
camp.*  He  was  much  impressed  with  this  treatment,  and 
gave  in  an  earnest  and  hearty  adherence  which  afterwards 
was  much  to  Yoritomo's  advantage,  especially  at  the  council 
board.  Yoritomo's  old  opponents  at  Ishibashiyama  were 
now  in  his  ranks.  Kajiwara  Kagetoki  was  in  a  fair  way 
to  become  his  left  hand  man  ;  Hojo  Tokimasa  occuping 
the  prior  position.  Of  his  brothers,  the  priest  Zenseif  had 
joined  him  in  October.  Messengers  were  sent  out  to 
Kotsuke,  Shimotsuke,  Musashi,  to  call  up  the  Minamoto 
men.  Hojo  Tokimasa  was  sent  into  Kai  to  join  the 
Takeda,  and  thus  create  a  diversion  in  favour  of  Kiso  Yoshi- 
naka.  This  latter,  on  the  news  of  Yoritomo's  movement, 
had  promptly  gathered  his  forces,  and  after  fighting  a 
pitched  battle  had  driven  Ogasawara  Yorinao  out  of 
Shinano.  Hatakeyama  Shigetada  now  joined  Yoritomo, 
an  acquisition  of  the  first  importance.  This  was  the  result 
of  the  advice  of  Hirotsune.  It  was  known  that  an  army 
was  on  the  march  from  Miyako.  Yoritomo's  idea  was  to 
wait  for  the  levies  from  the  North.  Hirotsune  advised 
entering  Sagami  and  crossing  the  Ashigaratoge  before  the 
Taira  men  of  Sagami  could  or  would  join  the  southern  army. 
The  re=^ult  was  excellent.  Kasai  Kiyoshige,  Adachi  To- 
moto,  Kawagoye  Yorishige,  Edo  Shigenaga,  Hatakeyama 
and  others  joined  him  on  his  march.  Hatakeyama  was 
sent  to  establish  a  camp  at  Kamakura.  This  was,  and  is, 
a  little  fishing  village  nestled  in  the  hills  at  the  base  of  the 
Sagami  peninsula,  and  facing  the  open  sea.  A  great  city 
was  to  spring  up  here  like  a  mushroom  town.  Here  was 
a  shabby  temple  to  Hachiman  Daibosatsu,  the  special  cult 
of  the  Minamoto,  built  on  the  Yuigahama.  Yoritomo  was 
to  rebuild  it  in  far  more  splendid  style  near  the  Kobayashi 

*  Yoritomo  could  well  have  been  indifferent,  if,  as  Shinshinsai  ro- 
mances it,  he  had  had  an  army  of  800000.  /\.~\'  7l  ]  there  is  no  getting 
out  of  it. 

t  Or  Zenj5,  Bishop  of  Ano,  killed  in  battle  by  Hatsuta  Tomoiye. 
[Murvloch  states  he  left  a  son  Tornotoki,  put  to  death  by  H5jo  Yo- 
shitoki  for  rebellion.] 


88  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

bridge,  on  Tsara-ga-oka.  Numbers  flocked  into  the  new 
city.  Temples  and  houses  went  up  in  every  direction  as 
Yoritomo's  power  grew,  and  an  active  hardy  peasant 
population  fattened  on  the  barons  and  trains  of  samurai 
pouring  in  from  all  the  North  district. 

Neither  Kiyomori  nor  Yoritomo  could  treat  the  forces  set 
in  motion  with  indifference.  Yoritomo  prepared  to  direct 
his  host  in  person.  Kiyomori  had  sent  an  army  northwards 
under  the  command  of  Ukonye-no-Gon-no-Shosho  Ko- 
remori.  Satsuma-no-Kami  Tadamori  and  Mikawa-no- 
Kami  Tomomori  were  under  him.  Saito  Sanemori,  ex- 
tactician,  commanded  the  rear-guard.  They  left  the 
capital  with  30000  men,  but  at  the  Fujikawa  they  are 
said  to  have  had  nearly  double  that  number.  Yoritomo 
was  camped  on  the  opposite  bank  with  27000  men,  but 
Hojo  Tokimasa,  Takeda  Yoshinobu,  and  other  captains, 
had  driven  the  Taira  out  of  Kai  and  were  operating  on 
their  left  flank.  Oba  Kagechika  and  a  thousand  men  were 
cut  off  in  this  movement  from  the  advancing  Taira  force. 
He  took  refuge  in  the  difficult  country  around  Mount 
Kawamura.  He  and  Kawamura  Saburo,  however,  were 
compelled  to  surrender.  Goro  Matano,  the  prominent 
figure  in  the  battle  of  Ishibashiyama,  and  a  younger 
brother  of  Kawamura,  presented  himself  alone  in  the 
Taira  camp.  At  the  camp  on  the  Kisegawa  the  heads  of 
Kagechika  and  Kawamura  were  later  struck  off,  to  the 
edification  and  warning  of  all  recalcitrants  to  the  Minamoto 
House.  They  merely  suffered  the  fate  of  Osada  Nyudo 
and  his  son.  Tachibana  Toshige,  governor  of  Suruga, 
remained  a  prisoner. 

Thus  the  armies  lay  facing  each  other  with  the  swift  river 
between  them.  The  Taira  captains  were  much  discourag- 
ed by  the  pessimistic  views  of  Saito  Sanemori.  To  advance 
into  the  Kwanto,  where  they  could  not  tell  friend  from 
foe,  was  madness  without  more  formal  preparation  of  a 
base.  However,  they  seemed  safe  from  a  flanking 
movement,  and  as  they  could  not  divorce  themselves 
entirely  from  the  diversions  of  Miyako  there  were  plenty 
of  singing  girls  in  the  camp  and  abundance  of  sake. 
While  they  were  engaged  on  these  one  night,  the  possibility 


YOEITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIRA.  39 

of  a  flanking  movement  came  into  the  head  of  Takeda 
Yoshinobu.  He  knew  that  thousands  of  wild  geese  har- 
boured in  the  marshes.  These  should  add  their  clamour 
to  his  scanty  numbers.  One  night  he,  with  six  hundred 
of  his  men,  made  their  way  to  the  swamp,  and  thoroughly 
beat  it  up  to  rouse  the  feathered  inmates.  The  Taira,  in 
their  turn  aroused  by  the  confusion,  thought  that  the 
Minamoto  men  were  crossing  the  river,  and  incontinently 
they  took  to  flight.  Yoshinobu's  strategem  succeeding 
beyond  all  expectation,  he,  his  father  lida  Goro  lyeyoshi, 
and  their  men,  boldly  attacked  the  camp.  The  Minamoto 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river  at  once  pushed  out  the  rafts, 
lying  idle  for  the  forward  movement.  The  pursuit  was  hot. 
Kazusa  Tadakiyo  and  Saito  Sanemori  tried  to  stop  the 
flying  masses,  but  were  carried  away  with  them.  Only 
Ito  Jiro  Musha  of  Ise  stepped  aside  from  the  fugitives  to 
challenge  the  pursuers.  lida  Goro  was  killed  by  one  of 
his  arrows,  but  his  son  Yoshinobu  sprang  on  Ito  and  ran 
him  through  with  his  sword.  His  head  was  duly  taken 
to  Yoritomo.  He  examined  it,  weighed  it  (mentally), 
appraised  the  feat  and  praised  the  slayer,  while  sympathi- 
sing for  the  loss  of  the  parent.*  Takeda  Yoshinobu  was 
then  rewarded  in  more  substantial  form  for  his  strategem. 
Yoritomo  was  all  for  instant  pursuit.  Here  again  his 
captains  interposed ;  notably  Hirotsune,  Hatakeyama, 
and  Ivliura.  They  pointed  out  the  necessity  of  first 
reducing  to  submission  Satake  Hideyoshi  of  Hitachi  and 
the  Nitta  of  Echigo.  To  leave  such  openly  hostile  factors 
in  his  rear  was  out  of  the  question.  The  argument 
was  good.  His  recalcitrant  relatives  were  ear-marked  as 
his  own  particular  affair,  and  he  did  not  dare  to  leave  the 
Kwanto  until  the  question  was  settled,  and  this  took 
some  years.  Meanwhile  Yasuda  Yoshisada  was  sent  into 
Totomi,  and  quickly  secured  this  province  for  Yoritomo. 
Taira  Koremori  wanted  to  gather  together  the  fugitives 

^  This  liead  ceremony  was  no  trifling  affair.  There  was  a  regular 
"head-box"  for  formal  presentation.  The  Japanese  attached  so  much 
importance  to  it  that  one  can  conjecture  there  is  a  touch  of  the  old 
head-hunter  superstition,  still  found  lingering  among  some  of  the 
island  aborigines  in  Formosa,  the  Philippines,  and  the  Malay  States. 


40  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and  make  a  second  attempt,  but  Tadakiyo  pointed  out  to 
him  the  necessity  of  much  more  serious  preparation  of  a 
base.    The  Kwan to  could  not  be  relied  od.    That  was  plain. 

Surprised  as  the  Taira  of  Miyako  were  at  the  news  of  a 
retreat  without  a  pitched  battle,  they  had  to  meet  more 
threatening  movements  near  at  hand.  Kiso  Yoshinaka 
headed  the  most  important  of  these  He  was  practically 
master  of  Shinano  and  Kotsuke.  Ashikaga  of  Shimotsuke, 
Takeda  of  Kai,  Nawa  of  Kotsuke,  and  others  now  flocked 
to  him  with  their  hushi.  However,  he  showed  no  sign 
of  immediate  movement  until  in  July,  1181  A.D.,  Jo  no 
Nagashige  of  Echigo  threw  himself  on  Shinano  (with 
60000  men,  it  is  said).  Yoshinaka  was  beaten,  and  things 
looked  very  gloomy  in  the  camp  on  the  Yokatagawa. 
However,  Inouye  Yoshimoto  was  pushed  forward  display- 
ing Taira  banners,  and  Yoshinaka  with  a  small  picked 
force  crossed  the  river  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  camp. 
The  new-comers  were  received  with  open  arms,  and  the 
result  was  that  Nagashige  fled  to  Dewa  by  anything  but 
the  highway.  To  meet  this  Munemori,  who  had  the 
direction  of  affairs,  sent  to  Echizen  and  the  west  coast, 
Chujo  no  Suke  Michinori  and  Tajima  no  Kami  Tsunemasa, 
both  Taira  chiefs.  More  honours  were  distributed.  Hidehira 
was  made  Mutsu  no  Kami.  In  a  court  sense  this  was  hy 
no  means  displeasiug.  In  the  practical  sense  Hidehira 
was  lord  of  Mutsu  as  no  one  alse  could  pretend  to  be — 
in  his  own  right.  Nagashige  was  made  Echigo-no-kami. 
Perhaps  on  the  hope  that  the  name  would  whistle  the 
province  out  of  Yoshinaka's  strong  grasp.  The  campaign 
ended  with  Michinori  shut  up  tight  in  Tsuruga.  "As 
victor  all  the  husJii  of  Echizen,  Etchu,  and  Echigo " 
flopped  to  Yoshinaka.  Which  means  that  Hid  a,  Kaga, 
and  Noto  also  were  in  his  power. 

Matters  nearer  home  were  more  favourable.  With  Yoshi- 
naka threatening  an  advance  from  Shinano  into  the  south 
there  had  been  a  rising  in  Omi.  Yamaki  Yoshitsune,  Kaga 
Nyudo,  Yamamoto  Hyoye,  and  other  magnates  were  en- 
gaged in  this.  At  the  end  of  December  1180  A.D.  Kiyo- 
mori  had  sent  a  considerable  force  into  the  province. 
While  Tomomori  suppressed  this  rising,  Kiyomori  turned 


YORITOMO    MOVES    ON   THE   TAIRA.  41 

his  attention  to  the  restive  monks  Kiyofusa  hurnt  the 
Onjoji  Miidera)  to  the  ground,  and  drove  out  the 
monks  kilHng  many  of  them.  The  Todaiji  of  Nara 
suffered  the  same  fate.  Shigehira  killed  two  hundred  of 
these  priestly  and  holy  men,  and  in  the  fire  many  Bud- 
dhist relics  and  volumes  of  the  Sutras  were  destroyed. 
One  piece  of  good  fortune  attended  Kiyomori.  Taka- 
kura-Shin-in  died,  and  thus  one  hostile  influence  was 
removed  ;  an  oppressed  object  always  before  men's  eyes. 
ISfot  a  murmur  could  now  be  raised  against  the  legitimacy 
of  the  position  of  little  Antoku.  The  ex-Tenno  was 
duly  and  decently  buried  at  the  Seikanji-dera.  And 
thereby  hangs  a  tale.  Among  the  U7ieme  of  Taka-kura- 
there  was  a  maiden  named  Kogo-no-Tsubone.*  The 
Tenno  was  much  struck  by  her  beauty,  and  Kiyomori 
came  to  regard  her  as  his  daughter's  rival.  He  had 
decided  to  have  her  poisoned,  but  the  lady  sought  refuge  in 
flight.  The  Tenno,  much  distressed,  ordered  a  search  to 
be  made  everywhere  for  the  missing  girl.  Nakakuni,  of 
his  train,  finally  located  her  and  brought  her  back  to  the 
palace.  She  was  now  pregnant,  and  more  radical  action 
would  have  attracted  attention  in  this  already  too  cons- 
picuous affair.  Kiyomori  niade  her  turn  nun  and  enter 
the  Seikanji  temple.  It  had  been  Takakura's  wish  to  be 
buried  there ;  and  this  much  was  done  for  his  former 
amour. 

There  was  some  attention  to  be  paid  to  a  movement 
close  at  hand.  Yukiiye  had  wisely  stuck  to  Kumano. 
At  the  end  of  January  (1181  A.D.)  he  now  appeared  and 
overran  Mino  and  Owari.  Kiyomori,  who  was  "  getting 
ready,"  launched  on  him  a  force  more  formidable  for  its 
list  of  generals — Tomomori,  Michimori,  Kiyotsune,  Tada- 
nori — than  its  numbers  (3000  it  is  said)  of  fighting  men. 
They  were  enough,  however,  to  down  Jonah  and  shut 
him  up  in  Itakura.  Eor  the  first  and  last  time  in  his  hfe 
Yoritomo  dealt  with  his  uncle.  He  sent  his  brother  Gien 
with   a  thousand  huslii   to  extricate  him.     Yukiiye  soon 

*  Visitors  to  Ky5to  will  remember  the  Kogo-no-tsubone  tsuka.      I 
take  it  as  a  name.     Yamada  says — ®  f|  ^  ^  H*  iC  i-  ''h  '^  ^-^  ^  ^  ^ 


42  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

appears  as  hanging  around  Kamakura.  But  Yoritomo 
really  had  little  time  to  attend  to  him.  The  Nitta,  after 
grumbling  and  sulking — Nitta  Yoshishige  came  to  Kama- 
kura and  refused  to  go  near  him — finally  came  into  camp. 
Against  Satake  Hideyoshi  he  had  to  enter  on  a  campaign 
in  which  he  figures  as  actual  leader  of  his  army ;  one  of 
the  few  times  in  which  he  does  so.  The  history  of  this 
little  affair  is  so  typical  of  conditions  now  and  later  that  it 
is  worth  sketching.*  The  Hitachi  Minamoto  were 
descended  from  Yoshimitsu.  This  hero  (944-1021  A.D.) 
distinguished  himself  in  his  day  impartially  by  the 
slaughter  of  bandits  and  a  fox,  predecessor  of  the  ill- 
fated  nouye  bird  in  the  scratching  business.  His  des- 
cendants had  waxed  exceedingly  numerous,  and  being 
settled  more  particularly  in  the  Satake  district  had  taken 
this  as  their  distinguishing  name.  Being  of  the  Seiwa 
Genji  they  were  a  hard  fighting  obstinate  stock,  and  pro- 
posed to  prove  it  to  Yoritomo.  Taira  Hirotsune  was  the 
latter 's  good  angel  in  this  affair.  At  the  end  of  November 
1180  A.D.  Yoritomo  marched  a  large  army  into  the  pro- 
vincial town  of  Hitachi.  A  council  decided  that  the  sleek 
tongue  of  Hirotsune  should  be  set  to  work  on  Hideyoshi 
and  his  son  Yoshimasa.  The  latter  quickly  came  to  terms 
and  foolishly  came  to  camp.  Yoshitaka,  father  of  Hideyo- 
shi, would  have  none  of  this  young  Kamakura  upstart  and 
Hideyoshi  went  with  him.  As  usual  Yoritomo  comfort- 
ably established  himself  in  town,  and  sent  Shimokawabe, 
Doi,  Wada,  Hirotsune,  and  others  to  attack  the  recalci- 
trants. Yoshimasa's  head  went  along  packed  in  salt.  The 
fortress  of  the  Satake  was  on  the  top  of  a  steep  and  isolated 
hilU  The  besiegers  gained  nothing  and  lost  heavily. 
Hirotsune  suggested  that  he  be  allowed  a  chance  to  talk — 
with  Yoshihiro,  uncle  of  Hideyoshi.  This  latter  got  the 
promise  of  his  nephew's  fief.  Yoshihiro  appeared  in  the 
rear  of  the  castle,   was  well  received,  and  in  return  raised 

*  Says  Dr.  Ariga — "  It  was  in  this  period  (of  Yoshiiye  1041-1108 
A.D.)  that  respect  for  one's  faith  and  honour  bsgan  to  be  considered  an 
essential  element  in  the  character  of  military  men."  The  exceptions 
make  the  rule,  and  now  and  later  they  are  so  numerous  that  it  is  hard 
to  detect  the  rule — outside  of  books  on  Chinese  ethics. 


IN  DAYS  OF  OLD-ON  GUARD, 


YORITOMO   MOVES    ON    THE    TAIRA.  43 

his  war-cry  and  suddenly  attacked  the  garrison  within  the 
precincts  itself.  The  garrison  and  Hideyoshi  fled  to  Oshii 
and  Hidehira.  The  fief  was  divided  up  among  the  im- 
portant men  of  the  leaders.  Iwase  Taro,  a  devoted 
retainer  of  Yoshimasa  one  day  bearded  Yoritomo  in 
person,  and  severely  dressed  him  down  for  his  merciless 
treatment  of  his  own  family.  Yoritomo  heard  him 
through,  recognized  the  point  of  bad  policy  at  the  present 
juncture  of  affairs  that  Iwase  made  prominent,  and  restored 
Hideyoshi  to  favour  and  his  fief.  But  the  sense  of  dis- 
affection kept  Yoritomo  uneasily  nailed  to  the  Kwanto  for 
many  months.     He  did  not  dare  to  leave  it  to  itself  * 

He  had  good  reason  for  this  couise.  A  lively  struggle 
was  going  on  to  the  south.  Shigehira  and  Kore- 
mori  had  marched  north  with  13000  men.  Wada 
Yoshimori  was  sent  to  aid  Yasuda  Yoshisada  in  holding 
Totomi.  With  different  operations  Kamakura  was  pretty 
well  stripped  of  any  garrison.  Shinoda  Yoshihira  raised 
a  large  force  (30000  men  it  is  said),  and  with  Ashikaga 
Tadatsuna  marched  on  the  town.  Koyama  Tomomasa 
and  his  brother,  with  Noriyori  younger  brother  of  Yori- 
tomo, .threw  themselves  between,  and  throughly  beat  them. 
Yoshihira  fled  to  Yoshinaka,  and  Tadatsuna  turned  towards 
Miyako.  And  here  again  came  in  Yoshinaka.  At  a  battle 
fought  at  the  Kuromatagawa,  in  which  Gien  was  killed, 
Yukiiye  beaten  had  to  fall  back  on  Mikawa.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  Yahagigawa  he  received  reinforcements  from 
the  Nukate  district  Then  he  sent  an  old  farmer  across 
the  river  to  loudly  proclaim,  wherever  he  passed,  the 
large  numbers  of  the  huslii  assembled  on  the  other 
side.  At  this  the  Taira  thought  it  prudent  to  retire. 
Yukiiye  also  loudly  proclaimed  that  those  who  were 
not  for  him  were  against  him.  The  country-side  took 
the  Japanese  Dowler  at  his  word,  and  as  his  forces 
were  on  the  ground  and  could  make  things  unpleasant 
for   them,    they  rose   on    every    Taira   in  sight.       Then 

*  Ariga  says — and  the  chronicles  bear  him  out — that  Yoritomo  was 
afraid  of  Hidehira.  Loc.  cit.  II.,  103,  Hidehira's  reputation  as  a 
general  was  of  the  highest.  This  fear  was  without  doubt  a  spur  to 
Yoritomo's  later  hatred  of  the  old  man's  favourite — Yoshitsune. 


44  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yukiiye  lit  out  to  Kamakura  ;  to  report  and  get  his 
reward.  Yoritomo  knew  far  more  about  his  actual 
value  than  we  can  know  to-day.  He  received  Yukiiye 
with  the  cold  advice  to  go  and  carve  out  his  own  fief.  If 
he  meant  fi-om  Hidehira's  land  in  the  north,  Yukiiye  knew 
better.  He  left  in  high  dudgeon  and  with  a  considerable 
band  of  hushi — to  join  his  nephew  Yoshinaka  This  was 
the  last  straw.  Nobumitsu,  son  of  Nobuyoshi  of  Kai  had 
wanted  to  marry  his  daughter  to  Yoshitaka,  son  of  Yoshi- 
naka. The  latter  had  refused,  so  Nobumitsu  maligned 
Yoshinaka  to  Yoritomo,  saying  that  the  Etchu  prince 
wanted  to  form  an  alliance  between  his  son  and  a 
daughter  of  Shigemori.  In  April,  1183  A.D.,  Yoritomo 
left  Kamakura  with  a  large  army  (100009  men  it  is  said), 
and  marched  over  the  Usuitoge  (near  Karuizawa)  into 
Shinano.  The  mountaineers  were  earnest  to  fight. 
Yoshinaka  would  have  none  of  it  "  Disunion  has  been 
the  curse  of  the  Minamoto  ",  he  said.  He  ordered  a 
retreat  into  Echigo.  All  this  came  to  Yoritomo's  ears, 
and  he  halted  his  own  movement.  "■  Why  do  you  protect 
my  ill-wishers,  such  as  Yukiiye  and  Shinoda  ;  and  what 
pledge  will  you  give  of  your  good  intentions  ?  "  .  Thus 
inquired  Yoritomo.  Yoshinaka  dodged  the  first  question, 
and  answered  the  second  by  sending  his  son  Shimidzu 
Kwanja  Yoshitaka  as  hostage.  Yoritomo  withdrew  his 
army,  received  Yoshitaka  in  Kamakura,  and  subsequently 
married  him  to  his  daughter.  Thus  peace  was  made  be- 
tween the  different  Minamoto  chiefs — for  the  time  being. 

From  the  start  Kiyomori  laid  great  stress  on  the  move- 
ment of  Yoshinaka.  The  mountain  chief,  concealed 
behind  his  hills,  could  fall  from  the  clouds  on  their  heads. 
Yoritomo  had  a  long  march  on  the  Tokaido.  Kiyomori, 
however,  hated  him  the  more  heartily,  for  the  Kwanto  after 
all  was  the  back-bone  of  the  north,  and  never  easily  handled 
from  Miyako.  Munemori  and  a  large  army  was  to  start 
against  Kamakuradono,  under  which  name  Yoritomo  now 
figured.  But  Kiyomori  no  longer  was  to  have  the  direc- 
tion of  Things  Japanese.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  bustle  of 
preparation  he  was  taken  down  with  a  sharp  fever.  He 
"  writhed  and  twisted  as  in  the  fires  of  Hell."    And  for  him 


YORITOM.O  MOVES    ON   THE   TAIEA.  45 

there  was  but  one  cure: — "  let  me  see  the  head  of  Yori- 
tomo."  Every  other  enemy  was  forgotten  except  this  ex- 
ample of  mistaken  clemency.  No  other  offering  at  his  tomb 
was  needed  or  wanted.  Yoritomo  had  every  reason  to 
refuse  to  forward  this  unreasonable  request.  It  was  an  e?c- 
cellent  head-piece,  and  necessary  for  his  own  purposes. 
So  Kiyoniori  died  in  March  1181  A.D  ,  unsatisfied  and  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  "  It  was  as  the  loss  of  his 
cane  to  a  blind  man,  or  of  his  light  by  one  travelling  a 
dark  and  dangerous  road."  The  Taira  were  left  without 
head  and  heart.  Now  at  this  time  Yoritomo  made  the 
first  of  those  propositions,  which  it  is  not  easy  to  decide 
whether  they  were  meant  to  be  taken  seriously  or  not. 
He  disclaimed  to  the  Hoo  any  intentions  hostile  to  the 
Tenno's  interests.  His  quarrel  was  entirely  with  the 
Taira.  However,  if  the  Tenno  wished  both  clans  to 
assume  their  former  and  usual  position  at  Court,  he  was 
ready  to  share  with  his  opponents  the  former  duties.  Of 
course  this  meant  a  tremendous  come-down  for  the  Taira. 
The  spoil  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  would  have  to  be 
disgorged.  Munemori  refused  on  the  ground  of  duty  to 
his  family  ancestors,  but  he  certainly  had  the  voice  of  his 
clan  in  the  office  holding  line  behind  him.  It  was  not  a 
matter  that  could  be  settled  peaceably,  and  Yoritomo 
knevv^  it.  He  got  the  credit  for  his  great  moderation 
without  having  to  exercise  it. 

Very  little  was  done  during  the  year  1182  A.D.  The 
Minamoto  chiefs  were  settling  matters  among  themselves, 
and  the  I'aira  interfered  very  little  with  them.*  At  the 
beginning  of  1183  AD.  the  Taira  directed  their  final  effort 
of  this  stage  against  Yoshinaka.  It  is  said  that  an  army 
of  100000  men  lefc  Miyako  under  the  command  of  Kore- 
mori  and  Michimori  at  the  end  of  April.  Yoshinaka,  who 
does  not  seem  to  have  anticipated  the  move,  shut  Nishima 
Morihiro  and  Hayashi  Mitsuakira  into  the  strong  fortifica- 

*  Mr.  Murdoch  attributes  this  inaction  to  the  prevalence  of  pest  and 
famine.  This  would  be  an  excellent  reason  for  the  Taira  inaction,  and 
Yoshinaka  had  enough  on  his  hands  with  Yoritomo.  Cf.  "  History  of 
Japan."  Vol.  I,  page  344.  Cf.  Aston's  "Japanese  Literature"  pp.  149- 
151. 


46  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

tion  of  Tsuiyama  in  Echizen,  and  which  commanded  the 
Hokurokudo  (sea  road  of  the  West) .  The  Taira  would 
have  been  effectually  held  up.  Treachery  played  its  part, 
and  Mitsuakira  with  another  commander,  Togashi,  were 
beaten  in  several  encounters  and  driven  out  of  Kaga  also. 
Koremori  divided  his  army  sending  30000  men  to  Noto, 
and  himself  advancing  to  the  Tonamigawa  with  70000 
men.  Yoshiuaka  with  50000  men  from  Echigo  and 
Etchu  was  camped  at  Kurosaka.  Not  far  off  was  Kore- 
mori at  Sarugababa.  The  opportunity  was  too  tempting 
for  one  of  this  dashing  mountain  chieftain's  night  attacks. 
Attaching  fat  pine  faggots  to  the  horns  of  cattle,  the  wood 
was  fired  and  the  animals  stampeded  into  the  enemy's 
camp.  Yoshinaka's  choicest  men  were  hot  on  their  trail. 
A  fearful  rout  ensued.  ''  Eighteen  thousand  men  were 
said  to  have  been  driven  over  a  mountain  precipice,  their 
bodies  forming  a  mound  like  a  hill."  This  of  course  is  a 
wild  exaggeration,  but  it  is  the  tale  of  a  complete  disaster. 
Yukiiye  had  been  sent  to  Shioyama  in  Noto  and  had  receiv- 
ed a  thrashing.  But  Yoshinaka  and  40000  men  came 
at  once  to  his  relief.  Taira  Moritoshi  had  to  retreat  to 
Saragadake  in  Kaga  where  Koremori  had  rallied  his 
beaten  troops.  Yoshinaka  and  Yukiiye  entered  Kaga. 
As  a  leader  Yukiiye  was  most  unfortunate,  but  against 
his  personal  bravery  nothing  was  ever  said.  Under  the 
brilliant  young  commander,  his  nephew,  he  fought  well. 
The  united  command,  under  Yoshinaka,  crossed  the  Ataka 
river,  and  a  desperate  battle  was  fought  at  Shinobara. 
The  Taira  saved  nothing  but  their  horses.  Weapons, 
furnitiu^e,  even  clothing,  were  thrown  away  in  the  rush 
for  the  capital,     Saito  Sanemori  was  killed  in  the  battle. 

In  Japan  at  this  date  no  military  reputation  stood  as 
high  as  that  of  Yoshinaka.  Backed  by  his  Four  Celestial 
Kings  (attendant  knights)  in  battle  he  seemed  invincible. 
He  was  not  only  a  fine  tactician,  but  a  great  general.  He 
followed  up  his  advantage  at  once.  He  marched  by  the 
Hokurokudo,  and  Yukiiye  by  the  Tosando.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  August  he  was  in  Omi,  and  Y^ukiiye  was  in 
Yamato.  Yoshinaka  at  first  camped  at  Seta.  Later  he 
extended  his  lines  to  Hieisan,   in  order  to  overlook  the 


YORITOMO   MOVES    ON   THE    TAIEA.  47 

Taira  in  the  capital.  Now  if  there  is  anything  uncom- 
fortable in  the  mundane  sphere,  it  is  to  go  about  one's 
business  in  Hfe  under  the  constant  cold  and  critical  gaze 
of  ill-will  or  indifference.  It  is  only  the  vulgar  and 
unwashed,  the  socialist,  the  red  liberty-capped  "  citizen  ", 
and  eighteenth  century  royalty  (and  they  had  to,  without 
liking  it),  who  make  a  point  of  dining,  washing,  and 
conducting  other  little  operations  of  daily  life  in  public. 
They  did  it,  and  do  it,  from  a  vulgar  love  of  rubbing 
their  bacon  with  their  kind,  or  an  equally  vulgar  suspicion 
as  to  what  their  next  door  neighbour  may  think  of  their 
habits  or  thoughts.  The  Taira  felt  no  more  liking  for 
Yoshinaka's  espionage,  than  does  the  average  decent 
citizen  who  prefers  the  quiet  and  seclusion  of  feasting  wdth 
the  few  dear  and  chosen  ones.  But  they  could  not  help 
themselves.  To  drive  Yoshinaka  from  his  stronghold  on 
the  hills  was  beyond  their  powder.  Munemori  watched 
with  misgivings  his  sadly  dwindled  ranks.  Enryaku-ji 
(Hieisan)  was  made  the  place  of  Taira  family  worship  ; 
ditto,  other  shrines,  such  as  the  Hiyoshi.  The  monks 
rapidly  recruited — to  join  their  ranks  to  those  of  Yoshi- 
naka. Then  the  worst  news  of  all  came.  Settsu  and 
Kawachi,  at  the  head  of  Naniwa  Bay,  Osaka,  had  risen 
under  the  leadership  of  Tada  Kurando  Yukitsuna  (he  of 
the  early  Shishi-ga-tani  conspiracy).  Ashikiyo  in  Tamba 
was  getting  ready  to  march  on  Miyako.  These  movements 
threatened  to  get  control  of  the  line  of  the  Yodogawa,  and 
thus  to  cut  off  retreat  to  the  West.  There  was  but  one 
thing  to  do — to  beat  a  retreat  from  Miyako ;  or,  as  the 
grim  Tomomori  advocated,  die  there  like  soldiers. 

Matters  were  put  in  train.  There  was  no  need  to 
concentrate.  The  occupation  of  Hieisan  had  already 
forced  that  move.  Tomomori  and  Shigehira,  from 
Yamashina  ;  Michimori  and  Noritsune,  from  Uji ;  Yuki- 
mori  and  Tadamori,  from  Yodo ;  all  were  drawn 
in  close  to  the  city.  Then  Munemori  and  the  Court 
officials  of  Eokuhara  and  the  gosho,  all  in  their  cere- 
monial robes  and  surrounding  the  carriage  of  the 
Ten  no,  started  in  procession  to  leave  the  city,  behind 
the    lines  of  hushi   thrown    out   to    face  Yoshinaka    on 


48  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  hills  of  Hieisan.  The  throne  was  nothing  like  so  well 
represented  as  on  the  previous  exodus.  Takakura  Shin-in 
was  dead.  Go-Shirakawa,  taking  advantage  of  the  near-by 
lines  of  Yoshinaka,  on  August  13th  had  lightly  made 
tracks  to  Hieisan  and  the  "  protection  "  of  this  redoubtable 
captain,  a  visit  of  the  Tenno  to  the  Hojuji  giving  him  the 
opportunity.  As  to  the  Tenno,  the  Taira  head  never  had 
paid  much  attention  to  what  he  said  or  did.  Even  his 
own  mother  was  much  amused  at  the  antics  of  the 
present  one,  and  equally  disregarded  his  wishes — for  his 
own  good.  Antoku  was  a  lively  and  inconsiderate  baby 
of  three  years  old.  Poor  little  fellow  !  He  had  some  hard 
lines  in  front  of  him,  and  a  most  unfortunate  ending. 

It  was  the  fourteenth  of  August  in  this  second  year  of 
Ju-ei  (1183  x4..D.)  that  the  stately  procession  streamed 
from  along  the  Shichijo*  to  the  West.  Turning  South 
to  the  Shujaku-mon,  officials  closely  massed  about  the 
Tenno's  carriage,  hushi  closely  massed  about  them,  they 
took  their  way  in  the  early  morning.  Even  the  hostile 
romancer  breaks  into  laixientations,  his  Japanese  heart 
wavering  in  spite  of  himself  before  the  divided  claims  of 
the  undoubtedly  legitimate  Antoku  driven  from  his  capital 
with  all  the  regalia,  and  the  shadow  of  the  coming 
Go-Toba,  thrown  from  the  hills  of  Hieisan,  and  who  was 
to  possess  none  of  them.  He  says : — "  It  was  a  pitiful 
sight  to  see  them  leave  their  long  accustomed  capital,  and 
take  their  way  with  no  fixed  resting  place.  Could  such 
vicissitudes  take  place  anywhere  but  in  a  dream."  Then 
he  turns  to  the  city,  with  the  mansions  of  these  great 
nobles  abandoned  to  the  flames.  "  We  can  imagine  how 
desolate  was  Kosodai,  after  the  downfall  of  the  power- 
ful Go  in  China  ;  and  how  easily  the  stately  palace  of 
Kan  jo  was  reduced  to  ashes  when  the  influence  of  Tsin 
waned  " ;  which  is  decidedly  overdrawing  it.  The  Ike- 
dono  in  which  the  Tenno  had  resided  (in  West  Hachijo), 
the  Komatsu  palace,  the  Senden,  many  houses  of  the 
nobles  were  destroyed.     The  fire  did  spread  to  the  neigh - 

*  This  street  to-day  parallels  the  railway,  to  Osaka,  a  little  to  the 
north. 


YOEITOMO   M07ES   ON   THE   TAIEA.  49 

bouring  houses,  but  the  citizens  promptly  set  to  work  to 
quench  the  flames,  aided  by  men  sent  from  Yoshinaka's 
army.  So  that  "  all  the  houses  of  the  capital  and  the 
Shirakawa  suburb  "  were  not  reduced  to  ashes.  Yoshi- 
naka  was  taken  by  surprise.  He  had  no  idea  of  the 
desperate  straits  to  which  Munemori  was  reduced.  In 
fact  the  whole  procession  of  court  and  army  numbered 
barely  seven  thousand  persons.  The  concentration  had 
been  quickly  and  only  too  easily  accomplished,  and  it 
was  the  flames  rising  in  the  city  that  gave  Yoshinaka 
notice  of  the  retreat.  Then  he  only  ventured  cautiously 
to  test  the  ground.  He  found  some  to  welcome  him. 
Taira  Yorimori,  uncle  of  Munemori  and  husband  of  Ike- 
no-zenni,  felt  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  Yoritomo, 
and  he  was  on  bad  terms  with  his  nephew.  Fujiwara 
Motomichi,  the  kwampaku,  dutifully  lined  up  as  the 
procession  started  along  Shichijo-dori.  His  retainers  gave 
him  the  hint  that  the  Hoo  had  fled  to  Hieisan, '  and  he 
stayed  where  he  was.* 

Meanwhile  the  chronicler  proceeds  with  his  crocodile 
lamentations  over  the  Heike.  "  From  being  like  a 
dragon  which  causes  the  rain  to  fall  from  the  clouds 
and  fertilize  the  earth,  the  Taira  had  become  like  to 
a  fish  in  the  fisherman's  net,  without  a  drop  of  water. 

: Alas !     Once  flowers  in  bloom  they  were  now 

but  as  autumn  lea  vest *  High  birth  and  riches  are 

without  substance  and  permanency  ;  a  hundred  years  of 
life  is  but  a  glittering  candle  blown  by  the  wind  and  soon 
consumed.'  "  Thus  with  his  wailings  he  accompanies  the 
seven  thousand  to  the  Sekido  at  Yamazaki.I  Here  Taira 
Tadasato  affords  him  copy  and  amusement.     Turning  his 

*  Accounts  vary.  Another  says  he  fled  with  the  H65  to  Hieisan. 
Properly  speaking  at  this  exact  time  he  was  Sessho,  but  he  rapidly 
oscillated  for  years  between  being  in  and  out  of  office,  up  and  down 
stairs,  under  the  booting  process.  Kwampaku  was  the  Regent  of  all  and 
everything.  Sessho  was  plain  Regent  of  the  Court.  Kwampaku-Sessho 
was  the  highest  office.  The  Tenno  alone  gave  him  orders.  He  could 
listen  to  the  Council  if  he  wished. 

t  Could  Mr.  Gilbert  have  had  Yamada's  tome  before  him  when  he 
wrote  that  beautiful  and  affecting  song  of  Kok5  in  "  The  Mikado  "  : — 
"  The  flowers  that  bloom  in  the  spring,  trala." 

t  A  town  of  some  importance  to-day  on  the  Yodogawa  near  Kyoto. 


50  SAITO    MUSASHl-BO    BENKEI.       ^ 

gaze  to  the  temple  of  Hachiman  on  Ofcokoyama,  un-' 
certainly  outlined  in  the  distance,  he  burst  into  tears  and 
poetry  : — ■ 

"  Hakanashi  ya  (is  pitiful) 

*'  Nushi  wa  kumoi  ni  (master  or  Tenno  in  the  clouds) 

"  Hedatarite  (kept  at  a  distance) 

''  Yado  wa  kemuri  to  (house  in  smoke) 

*'  Tachi  noboru  kana  (rises)." 

Which,  being  interpreted,  meaneth  : — "  The  Tenno,  kept 
far  away  in  the  enshrouding  haze,  his  palace  lost  to  view 
in  rising  smoke  :  how  pitiful !  "  Whether  his  efforts  were 
applauded  or  not  history  does  not  say.  The  party 
were  mournful,  and  in  a  hurry  to  get  away  before 
Yoshinaka  and  his  thousands  were  on  their  backs.  But 
for  some  reason  there  does  not  seem  to  have  been  any 
earnest  .pursuit.  At  Yamazaki  they  took  boat,  just  as 
people  did  way  back  in  the  days  of  which  the  Nihongi 
tells  ;  just  as  they  can  do  to-day.  Fukuhara  was  reached, 
and  Munemori  spent  the  night  in  prayer  at  the  tomb  of 
Kiyomori.  The  place  was  too  near  the  concentrated  forces 
of  the  enemy.  Fukuhara  was  given  to  the  flames,  and 
the  company,  with  the  infant  Tenno  and  his  train,  took 
boat  down  the  Inland  Sea  on  the  long  trip  to  Dazaifu 
in  Tsukushi,*  which  somehow  seems  fated  in  Japanese 
literature  always  to  play  its  role  as  the  resort  of  exiles, 
voluntary  and  involuntary.  Here  the  Tenno  was  lodged 
in  the  Anrakilji.  And  here  for  the  present  we  will  leave 
them  to  the  moon,  sadness,  and  solitude — as  does  not  the 
chronicler  ;  for  with  fine  disregard  to  unity  of  time  and 
place  he  pursues  them  up  to  their  final  fall  two  years  later. 
On  the  day  following  the  evacuation  Yoshinaka  entered 
the  city  in  full  force.  For  a  time  he  was  to  hold  high 
carnival.  Meanwhile  Yoritomo  sported  with  his  infant  son, 
Yoriiye,  born  to  Masako  at  the  close  of  1182  A.D.  (Sep- 
tember). But  one  eye  this  fond  parent  kept  grimly  fixed 
on  Shimidzu  the  son  in  Kamakura  ;  and  the  other  eye  was 

■^  In  Chikuzen,  Kyushu;  easily  reached  from  Hakata  by  way  of 
Futsukaichi. 


YORITOMO    MOVES    ON   THE    TAIRA.  51 

fastened  on  Yoshinaka  the  father  and  his  doings  in  the 
good  city  of  Miyako ;  Heianjo  the  "  City  of  Tranquil 
Peace,"  Kyoto  the  Capital.* 

*  In   this  chapter  and  elsewhere  I  am  very  dubious  as  to  the  figure 
in  dealing   with   the   military  forces   operating   in  these  wars  of  the 
Gempei.     The  enormous  forces  set  in   motion  are  more  than  doubtful. 
From   1721  to  1846   A.D.,  in  the  peaceful  days  of  tlie  Tokugawa,  the 
population  averaged   26  million   people,  supporting  an  array  of  So'^OOO 
samurai  with  a  service  of  1050000.     [Droppers.  T.  A.  S.  J.  XXII  261-2. 
He  cites  "  Count  Katsu,  an  excellent  authority  "].     In  the  eleventh  and 
twelfth  centuries  these  numbers  must  have  been  much  smaller,  and  as 
a  rule  the  fighting  monks  are  not  to  be  included.     Probably  to  halve 
the   figures   would   still   leave  a  very  generous  estimate.      When   we 
consider   the  actual   amount  of  supplies  necessary  to  feed  an  army  of 
100000  men,  on  campaign  at  long  distances — and  Yoritomo's  leaders,  as 
Noriyori,  looked  to  the  Kwant5  for  supplies — the  inclination  to  reduce 
all  these  operating  forces  to  easily  handled   numbers  of  10,20,30  thou- 
sand men  is  very  strong.     However  there  is  one  ])Ositive  estimate.     In 
the  tenth  intercalary  month  of  1183  A.D.  (which  began  on  17th  Decem- 
ber)  the  Taira   leaders   gave   the   Minamoto    under   the    captains    of 
Yoshinaka    a   thorough  thrashing  at   Midzushima.     Here   7000  men 
in   200  boats   were   the   Taira   operating    force.       Yoshitsune    landed 
in  Awa   (before   Yashima)  with  150   men   transported    in  five   boats. 
From  this  it  could    be  said  that   the  Minamoto    had    25000   men  in 
action  at  Dan-no-ura  against   18000   men  on  the  Taira  side.     The  latter 
lost  half  their  number  by  the  (reachery   of  Taguchi  Nariyoshif  who 
deserted  and  joined    the  attacking  force  in  the  middle  of  the  battle. 
Noriyori  watched    the  battle  from   the  Kyushu  shorcr      He  is  said  to 
have  had  30000  men.     Whether  any  of  these   were  drafted  into  Yoshi- 
tsune's   fleet   is  doubtful.     Centuries   before,  in   the   reign  of  Temmu, 
thirty  houses  (later  fifty)  were  taxed   to   support   one  coolie,  and  one 
hundred  houses  were  required   to  furnish  a  horse  for  the  post  service. 
Life  was  certainly  simpler  then  as  compared  with  the  twelfth  century. 
Whether  there  is  much  distinction  to  bs  drawn  between  modern  and 
ancient  times  is  debatable.     If  war  and  the  support  of  modern  forces  is 
much  more  costly,  increased  resources  have  kept  pace  with  the  expense. 
The  early  estimates  and  the  latest  are  based  on  the  size  of  a  man's  belly, 
and   that  does  not  change.     If  resources  in  other  directions  do  not 
increase  then  nations  must  either  beg,  borrow,  or  steal.    When  it  is  said 
that  Yoritomo  led  280000  men  against  Yasuhira  in  1189  A.D.  it  looks 
very  much  as  if  he  had  not  left  a  "  man  Jack  "  to  hold  the  fort  any- 
were  else.     Modern  standing  armies  approximate  closely  to  1 :  100  in 
units  of  population.     The   Japanese   armies  never    were   elastic.     The 
fighting   bushi  were  a  caste.     In   Yoritomo's   280000,  we   must  at  best 
count  every  hanger-on  and  camp  follower.      As  to  Yoshinaka  versus 
Yoritomo  in  1183  A.D.,  peaceful  settlement  was  doubtless  aided  by  the 
Taira  pressure. 

t  Or  Shigeyoshi  (Gempei  Seisuiki). 


CHAPTER  VIII, 

YOSHITSUNE  AND  YOSHINAKA. 


"  Do  you  (mil  those  things  good  theu  for  the  reason,  that  they 
"  afford  us  at  the  moment  the  utmost  pain  and  annoyance, 
*'  or  because  their  after  results  are  the  health  and  good  condition 
"  of  bodies,  the  safety,  empire,  and  wealth  of  states  ?     For  the 
"  latter  reason  would  be  tlieir  answer,  I  think." 

Protagoras  of  Plato. 


1. 


The  weeks  and  months  bad  passed,  and  Yoshitsune  in 
Takadachi,  with  Benkei  and  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori,  the 
conspicuous  leaders  of  the  little  band  of  samuj-ai  slowly 
increasing  in  number,  passed  his  time  mainly  in  warlike 
exercise  and  the  study  of  tactics.  Then  came  one  day  the 
news  of  the  battle  of  Ishibashiyama,  and  the  rising  of  the 
Genji  in  the  Kwanto.  Yoshitsune's  first  idea  was  to  fly  to 
the  aid  of  his  brother,  but  he  found  old  Hidehira  as 
obdura  te  as  ever.  Without  his  aid  he  could  hardly  present 
himself  before  Yoritomo  in  a  fitting  manner.  Not  only 
this,  but  the  old  man  made  no  positive  refusal.  He 
diplomatically  edged  the  time  along.  Yoshitsune  chafed 
under  this  wise  restraint.  Yoritomo,  it  was  known,  with 
a  large  army  had  advanced  to  the  Fujikawa.  A  great 
battle  would  be,  perhaps  had  been,  fought.  He  tried  one 
last  effort  with  the  old  man,  who  this  time  gave  his  reasons 


YOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  53 

in  the  plainest,  flattest,  and  kindliest  terms  to  the  youth 
of  barely  twenty  years.  Quizzically  survey  Id  g  Yoshitsune 
he  spoke  in  slow  and  measured  tones,  so  that  every  word 
should  sink  into  the  listener's  mind.  As  they  did,  to  return 
vividly  a  few  years  later. 

"  You  have  asked  me  for  three  hundred  men,"  said 
Hidehira.  '*  I  would  gladly  give  you  ten  times  the  num- 
ber, but  I  think  your  action  at  the  present  time  still  pre- 
mature. The  strength  of  the  Taira  is  much  under-rated. 
They  occupy  a  despicable'  position  in  the  minds  of  people 
here,  but  in  Saikaido  and  Nankaido  (tlie  provinces 
bordering  the  Inland  Sea,  and  Kyushu)  the  moral  influence 
of  the  virtuous  Komatsu  Shigemori  is  worth  a  great  army 
in  itself,  and  they  will  get  it.  Yoshinaka  will  drive  them 
out  of  the  capital,  and  will  revel  and  riot  in  Miyako.  Your 
brother,  Yoritomo,  suspects  and  distrusts  his  intentions, 
and  will  make  no  effort  to  aid  him.  He  will  allow  Yoshi- 
naka and  the  Taira  to  destroy  each  other.  Then  he  will 
fall  on  the  remnants  of  the  winner.  At  present,  however, 
he  would  not  dare  to  leave  the  Kwanto.  There  are  many 
recalcitrants,  and  his  power  is  not  consolidated.  He  would 
be  very  glad  to  see  you,  and  when  the  order  is  received  from 
the  Tenno  to  come  up  to  Miyako  and  destroy  Yoshinaka, 
you  certainly  will  be  selected  to  lead  his  army.  But  this 
is  in  no  way  to  your  advantage.  If  you  succeed,  you  will 
secure  nothing  but  envy  and  jealousy — and  death.  If  you 
lose  in  this  difficult  undertaking,  you  will  get  nothing  but 
a  small  fief  and  contempt.  Stay  here  for  a  few  years, 
during  w^hich  we  can  consolidate  for  you  a  great  fief  in  this 
north  country.  Against  too  intimate  contact  with 
Yoritomo  I  must  warn  you.  A  collected  mind  and  reserved 
conduct  are  all  to  your  advantage.  Eash  and  hasty  move- 
ments inspired  by  a  loyal  devotion  will  meet  w^ith  no  return, 
and  will  be  your  destruction.  He  will  squeeze  you  like 
an  orange,  and  then  throw  you  away." 

It  was  with  deep  disappointment  that  Yoshitsune  heard 
this  good  advice,  part  of  the  truth  of  which  he  felt,  and 
for  which  he  had  no  effective  answer  except  his  loyal 
devotion  to  the  brother  he  had  never  seen,  the  Head  of 
the    Minamoto   Clan.     His   inclination    doubtless    would 


54  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI.' 

have  carried  him  off  his  feet.  He  was  totally  unable  to 
look  at  the  matter  in  the  cold  and  even  light  as  did 
Hidehira,  or  as  Yoritomo  was  to  do.  Where  personal 
feeling  was  concerned  Yoshitsune  was  obstinate  and  rash. 
As  a  great  captain  he  was  unmatched  in  the  Japan  of  his 
day.  For  the  finessing  of  political  life  and  intrigue  he 
was  entirely  too  frank  and  open.  On  this  occasion* 
he  was  still  furthei*  stirred  up  by  a  visit  from  Fukasu 
Shigeyori.  This  worthy  knight,  himself  chafing  at  delay, 
came  down  with  the  news  of  the  latest  stirring  events. 
Yoritomo  had  driven  the  Taira  in  headlong  flight  from 
the  Fujikawa.  His  army  was  probably  already  on  its 
march  to  the  South.  "  You  must  make  up  your  mind  to 
join  your  brother  at  once.  Otherwise  the  Minamoto  will 
think  you  a  coward  and  not  a  genuine  branch  of  the 
stock."  Yoshitsune  repaired  at  once  to  Sagime  Yukinobu, 
and  together  they  sought  oat  Sato  Shoji  Motoharu. 
Yoshitsune  asked  for  three  hundred  men,  and  told  the 
substance  of  his  conversation  with  Hidehira.  With  this 
they  both  heartily  agreed,  and  it  was  only  after  much 
pleading  that  they  consented.  In  fact  it  was  with  Hide- 
hira's  full  knowledge.  He  had  placed  every  obstacle  in 
the  way  that  he  could,  and  now  gracefully  and  indirectly 
he  yielded.  As  Motoharu  was  too  old  his  two  sons  went 
in  his  stead — Saburo  Hyoye  Tsuginobu  and  Shiro  Hyoye 
Tadanobu.  With  the  two  Kamada,  Morimasa  and 
Mitsumasa,  they  formed  the  "  Four  Celestial  Kings,"  the 
Shi-Ten-no,  of  Minamoto  Yoshitsune.f 

It  was  at  Motoharu's  house  on  Maruyama  that  the 
expedition  assembled.  The  Sato  Kyodai  (brothers), 
Sugime    Koiaro    Yukinobu,     Ban     Hachiro    Harutomo, 

*  The  romancer  Yamada  postpones  the  meeting  of  the  brothers 
until  the  time  when  Yoritomo  had  gathered  an  army  to  advance 
against  Yoshinaka.  This  is  romancing  history  with  a  vengeance. 
The  brothers  met  at  Yoritomo's  camp  at  the  Kisegawa  in  1180  A.D., 
before  Yoritomo  disbanded  his  army  after  the  battle  at  the  Fujikawa. 

t  That  is  the  knights  in  personal  attendance  on  their  chief  in  battle. 
In  modern  parlance,  aide-de-camp.  They  were  so  called  from  the 
supposed  guardians  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  heavens — the  four 
"Deva  Kings"  or  "Shi-Ten-n5  ".  These  were,  Jiroku  (Dhritarashtra) 
on  the  East;  Komoku  (Virupaksha)  on  the  South;  Z5cho  (Virudhaka) 
on  the  West;  Tamon  (Vaisravana  or  Kuv^ra  on  the  North.) 


YOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  55 

Kongo  Jiro  Hidekata  were  more  notable  Mutsu  leaders. 
Of  Yoshitsune's  more  immediate  retainers  there  were  Ise 
Saburo  Yoshimori,  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  Hitachi-bo  Kaison, 
Hori  Yataro,  Yada  Genzo,  Kamei  Eokuro,  Suruga  Jiro, 
Kataoka  Hachiro,  Onisata,  and  Kisata.  With  men  at 
arms  the  party  altogether  numbered  nearly  five  hundred 
men.  Then  Motoharu  asked  Yoshitsune  for  a  private 
interview.  At  this  no  one  else  was  present  except  Benkei 
and  Yoshimori,  the  two  shadows  of  their  leader.  The  old 
warrior's  eyes  were  moist  as  he  spoke.  "  You  have  heard 
of  Tawara-Toda  (Fujiwara  Hidesato),  he  who  slew  in 
single  combat  that  daring  rebel  Taira  Masakado.  Bear 
well  in  mind  his  excellent  maxim — a  general's  first  duty 
is  to  be  the  mind  of  his  soldiers  ;  for  them,  the  only  duty 
is  obedience.  In  your  contact  with  your  brother  do  not 
be  eager,  forward,  or  boastful.  Always  remember  your 
birth,  that  your  brother  Yoritomo  is  the  child  of  the  wife, 
you  of  the  concubine.  Keep  back  any  display  of  your  really 
great  gifts  as  soldier  and  tactician.  It  will  be  the  better 
for  you.  Make  him  urge  his  mission  on  you  several  times 
before  accepting,  pleading  your  indifferent  abilities.  He 
will  get  the  Tenno's  order  to  come  up  to  Miyako  and 
crush  Yoshinaka.  Avoid  if  possible  any  prominent  posi- 
tion, or  at  least  thus  make  him  press  it  on  you.  Of  all 
his  court  keep  your  eye  carefully  on  Sasaki  and  Kajiwara. 
The  first  named,  with  his  brothers,  has  long  had  the  key 
to  Yoritomo's  mind.  Kajiwara  is  base  and  spiteful,  and 
now  has  greatest  influence  with  him.  But  make  friends 
freely  with  Miura,  Kazusa,  and  Hatakeyama.  Amano, 
you  will  find  the  greatest  expert  with  the  bow  ;  Shimo- 
kawabe  in  ceremonial,  so  essential  at  the  Kamakura  court. 
They  too  can  be  freely  sought  for  advice.  With  Hojo, 
Utsunomiya,  and  Y^uki,  never  open  your  mouth  except  to 
breathe."  He  was  silent  in  thought  for  a  few  minutes,  as 
if  somewhat  uncertain  whether  to  probe  further  into  the 
future,  perhaps  uselessly.  Then  moving  his  shoulders 
forward  a  little  and  gazing  abstractly,  half  into  the  sky 
and  half  into  the  little  garden  in  front  of  them — "  Yes, 
you  are  certain  to  be  sent  on  this  mission  against  Yoshi- 
naka as  soon  as  he  is  iu  control  of  Miyako,  and  that  will 


56.  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

be  in  the  couise  of  a  few  months.  Be  in  no  haste,  and 
keep  in  the  background,  if  you  can."  The  old  man's  eyes 
flashed  as  he  got  on  his  favourite  subject.  "  Seta  and 
Uji  are  the  strategic  points.  Secure  Uji  and  you  have 
Yoshinaka's  head.  The  Taira  you  will  have  to  attack  by 
sea  rather  than  by  land.  Until  you  drive  them  from  the 
water  they  will  slip  beneath  your  fingers.  They  know 
that,  and  there  you  will  have  to  meet  them.  The  tactics 
and  strategy  you  have  learned  from  me  will  be  of  little 
assistance  to  you.  You  alone  can  devise  others.  For  the 
rest — before  you  leave  for  the  West,  will  my  lord  return 
to  me  my  sons  "  ;  and  at  the  idea  of  the  two  young 
men,  going  from  him,  perhaps  forever,  and  leaving  him 
in  his  old  age  he  hid  his  head  in  his  sleeves  and  wept. 
Yoshitsune's  eyes  were  moist.  Benkei  and  Yoshimori, 
who  had  listened  with  absorbed  attention  to  all  this 
discourse  on  war  and  politics,  glanced  at  each  other. 
They  were  getting  a  noble  lesson  on  the  duty  of  the 
samurai  to  his  lord,  not  only  in  fighting  for  his  person, 
but  in  guarding  his  interests  at  the  risk  of  his  displeasure. 

Thus  they  set  out,  to  find  awaiting  them  fifteen  hundred 
men  from  Hidehira.  The  old  man's  message  was  laconic. 
"  If  you  get  into  trouble  at  any  time  in  your  career,  make 
your  way  back  to  Oshfi.  Here  you  will  always  find 
safety  and  support."  Still  more  valuable  was  the  promise 
of  a  strong  contingent  when  a  forward  movement  was  to 
be  undertaken  against  the  Taira.  Yoshitsune  realized 
that  in  these  two  old  warriors,  Hidehira  and  Motoharu, 
he  had  no  mere  fair-weather  friends.  Indeed  their  whole 
hesitation  was  because  they  knew  the  natures  of  the  two 
brothers  so  well.  Hidehira  and  his  right  hand  man 
and  cousin  had  studied  Yoritomo  carefully  in  their  own 
interests  as  well  as  those  of  Yoshitsune.  They  felt  that 
the  elder  brother  would  be  too  much  for  Yoshitsune's 
frank  and  hasty  disposition.  "In  three  years  Yoritomo 
will  crush  the  Taira."  Answered  Yoshitsune  to  this 
remark  of  Hidehira : — "  He  will  not  do  it  in  a  hundred  " 
- — — "  And  all  the  better  for  you  ",  thought  the  Fujiwara 
chieftain. 

Thus  with  nearly  two  thousand  men  at  his  back  Yoshi- 


YOSHITSUNE   AND   YOSHINAKA.  57 

tsune  set  out.  Set  free,  so  to  speak,  he  urged  forward 
bis  courser,  Tayugoro,  with  whip  and  spur.  The  main 
body  were  to  follow  more  slowly.  Yoshitsune  with  three 
hundred  in  his  immediate  train  pushed  rapidly  south- 
ward, with  the  idea  of  getting  into  the  campaign  as  soon 
as  possible.  All  followed  him  at  the  risk  of  foundering 
their  horses.  Nakayama  in  Atsugashi,  Ozeki  in  Adachi,. 
Namekata — these  places  were  passed  at  a  mad  gallop. 
When  Yoshitsune  drew  rein  at  Kisata  he  found  but  half 
his  company  with  him.  "Ten  will  be  enough,"  said  he, 
and  he  continued  his  flight  southward.  Crossing  the  Kisa- 
razugawa,  passing  Sagahashi,  fording  the  Kinugawa, 
making  the  merest  pretence  of  an  obeisance  to  the  Utsu- 
nomiya  shrine,  with  a  glance  at  Muro  no  Yashima,  he 
reached  Ogawaguchi  for  the  night's  rest.  Of  his  company 
only  eighty-five  remained.  A  few  straggled  in  during  the 
night,  half  disgruntled,  wholly  enthusiastic  at  the  active 
rapidity  of  their  young  captain.  Under  him  they  were 
sure  at  all  events  to  be  in  the  running.  Thus  the  little 
band  moved  rapidly  forward.  Through  Itabashi,  Kokufu 
the  old  provincial  town  of  Musashi,  and  Hiratsuka.  Here, 
sadly  reduced  in  numbers,  they  were  in  Sagami,  to  learn 
that  Yoritomo  with  his  army  was  camped  at  Ukishima- 
gahara  in  Suruga.  Thither  they  turned  the  head  of  their 
horses,  and  crossing  the  Ashigaratoge,  on  the  eleventh  da}^ 
after  leaving  Takadachi  they  reached  the  encampment, 
thrown  in  three  lines  about  the  headquarters  of  Kama- 
kura-dono.  This  was  on  an  elaborate  scale — a  square 
of  180  clio  to  the  side.*  It  was  a  great  and  victorious 
host  amid  which  they  sought  a  place  to  encamp. 

Yoritomo  standing  in  front  of  his  pavilion,  and  thinking 
more  of  winter  quarters  and  disbandment  than  of  new 

*  To  reduce  this  to  English  long  measure,  the  Japanese  cAo=5.42 
chains  (jResMjne  Statisqup.  Jap.  Gov.).  There  are  22  yards  to  a  chain. 
180  cAo=975  chains=21450  vards=12.130681+  miles.  A  good-sized 
tent !  Textually-;^  ^  W  A  I&  W  I'  Bl  ^  13  A  ^'H  O  -^  ^>  ^,  etc. 
The  glitter  of  all  these  Kwanto  ^Ulaimyo  and  shomyo"  seems  to  have 
dazzled  Yamada's  eye  measure.  To  use  square  measure  would  he 
infinitely  worse  as  the  square  ch5=:2.45  acres.  And  to  give  the  tent  a 
total  long  measure  on  all  four  sides  is  still  far  too  generous — three 
miles.  November  tenth  1180  A.D.  is  the  date  of  the  interview.  Azu- 
raa  Kagami.     As  to  "  tent,"  however,  cf.  the  illustration. 


SB  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI.  ; 

contingeDts  noted  a  white  banner  floating  from  a  near-by 
knoll.  This  was  marked  with  a  circular  bamboo  leaf. 
The  banner  was  that  of  a  Minamoto  chieftain,  but  the 
arms  were  new  to  this  expert  in  the  family  genealogy. 
There  were  some  fifty  horsemen  gathered  under  the 
standard.*  "  Who  can  that  be  ?  "  said  Yoritomo.  ''  Do 
you  go  and  find  out."  Thus  ordered,  Hori  Toji  Chikaiye 
galloped  off  tow^ard  the  new-comers  "  Here  !  You  ! 
Who  are  you,  and  where  do  you  come  from?  "  At  this 
rough  salute  Yoshitsune  slowly  rode  forward.  In  his 
court  robe  of  red  brocade,  his  armour  sewn  with  purple 
thread,  w^ith  skirt  of  the  same  colour  decorated  in  silver, 
his  helmet  adorned  with  star  markson  the  dragon  frontlet, 
a  quiver-full  of  large  black  spotted  feathered  arrows  on  his 
back,  and  a  gold  ornamented  sword  at  his  side,  he  was 
totally  unlike  the  product  of  mankind  for  which  Mutsu 
had  a  rather  rough  reputation.  He  had  his  bow  under 
his  arm,  and  bestrode  a  fine  war-horse,  a  powerful  beast  of 
high  breeding,  which  however  did  not  make  the  observer 
forget  the  handsome  saddle,  a  marvel  of  ornamentation 
in  gold.  Hori  Toji's  insolent  manner  changed  even  before 
Yoshitsune  began  to  speak.  "  I  am  Ushiwaka,  also  known 
as  Shanawo,  and  now  my  name  is  Kuro  Yoshitsune, 
eighth  son  of  Sama-no-Kami  Yoshit  j»mo.  I  will  ask  you 
to  announce  my  name  to  my  brother."  Hori  Toji  at 
once  dismounted  and  bowed  to  the  ground.  "Will  your 
lordship  please  excuse  my  rudeness.  It  was  very  stupid 
of  me  not  to  recognize  you.  I  shall  at  once  go  to  my 
lord's  tent  to  announce  your  arrival."  This  he  did, 
returning  in  great  haste  with  this  unexpected  news  of 
the  new  recruit.  Yoritomo  was  in  some  doubt.  *'  Ah  ! 
I  remember.  Tokiwa  was  my  father's  concubine  and 
had  several  children.  This  is  the  youngest,  and  even 
Zenjo  hardly  knew  what  had  become  of  him  in  recent 
years.  What  sort  of  an  equipment  has  he  ?  It  is  good  to 
see  some  sign  of  movement  in  Oshil."  On  the  point  of 
equipment  both  Hori  Toji  and  Wada  Yoshimori  could  re- 

*  By  others  he  is  only  credited  with  twenty  followers  when  he  joined 
his  brother.  The  Adzuma  Kagarai  states  thit  it  was  under  Hidehira's 
orders  that  the  Sato  kyodai  followed  Yoshitsune. 


YOSHITSUKE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  59 

assure  him.  His  brother  was  a  credit  in  every  waj^ 
Wada  had  met  the  httle  band  as  it  gaily  and  boldly  rode 
into  the  camp,  a  formidable  looking  body  of  knights, 
every  one  of  them.  It  v^as  arranged  that  Wada  should 
introduce  Yoshitsune  in  all  due  form,  and  a  notice  was  sent 
to  him  that  his  brother  was  ready  to  receive  him.  Nori- 
yori  was  also  summoned  to  be  present  on  this  gracious 
occasion. 

It  was  a  fine  sight  as  the  procession  moved  forward  into 
the  headquarters.  This  swarmed  with  knights  and 
men-at-arms.  In  the  pavilion  Yoritomo  was  seated  on  a 
dais  covered  with  bear  skins.  His  court  officers  surrounded 
him,  and  huslii  of  high  rank  lined  the  sides.  The  glitter 
of  armour,  set  out  with  the  gayly  corded  linings,  the  hang- 
ing standards,  the  pennants,  gave  lively  colour  to  the  scene. 
Through  the  three  camps  Yoshitsune  slowly  proceeded. 
*'  His  armour  was  sewn  with  thread  of  indigo  colour.  He 
had  on  his  head  a  helmet  decorated  with  a  golden  spade- 
shaped  frontlet,  marked  with  the  pattern  of  the  circular 
bamboo  leaf.  His  sword,  made  by  the  famous  smith 
Tomonari,  was  sheathed  in  deer  skin.  In  his  right  hand 
he  carried  a  baton  make  of  sixty-six  long  narrow  strips  ot 
sheet  gold.  On  his  back  was  a  quiver  in  which  was  a 
magnificent  set  of  arrows.  Hitachibo  Sonkai  carried  his 
court  dress  of  red  silk  richly  embroidered."*  Walking 
close  behind  Yoshitsune  were  Sugime  Kotaro,  Kumai 
Taro,  the  Sato  Kyodai  (brothers),  Izumi  Saburo,  Saito 
Musashi-bo  Benki,  Ise  Saburo,  Kataoka  Hachiro,  Kamei 
Hokuro,  Kazama  Jiro,  and  others  of  the  company.  All 
present  were  deeply  impressed  as  the  procession  entered 
the  pavilion.  They  bowed  reverentially.  Yoritomo  nearly 
got  up  himself. 

When  still  at  some  distance  Yoshitsune  stopped  and 
bowed  respectfully.  Pulling  out  a  skin,  Yoritomo  signed 
for    him   to  come   and   seat  himself  beside  him.     Twice 

*  These  long  descriptions  of  dress  can  be  forgiven  the  romancers. 
They  are  very  interesting  even  if  interjected  in  the  middle  of  a  hot  and 
critical  bit  of  fighting.  They  are  taken  from  the  Heike  Monogatari 
and  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  which  also  delight  in  long  genealogies  to  the 
twentieth  generation. 


60  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yoshitsuiie  respectfully  declined.  Finally  he  moved  for- 
ward to  take  the  prof  erred  seat.  There  were  tears  of 
emotion  and  happiness  in  the  eyes  of  the  brothers  as  they 
met.  "  So  yon  are  Shanawo  !  "  began  Yoritomo.  "  Much 
have  I  heard  of  you  in  forjner  days,  but  circumstances 
have  not  been  such  that  we  could  see  each  other.  Miyako 
has  been  forbidden  ground  to  me — as  yet."  He  smiled  a 
little  grimly,  in  which  Yoshitsune  politely  joined.  "  Since 
our  father's  death  our  lot  in  life  has  been  a  harsh  one,  thus 
scattered  to  the  winds  of  heaven.  Only  the  intervention 
of  Ike-no-zenni  and  Komatsu  Shigemori  sav6d  my  life,  and 
sent  me  into  exile  in  Izu.  But  throughout  I  have 
never  ceased  to  think  of  you.  Eecent  events  have  crowd- 
ed everything  else  out  of  view.  Surely  it  must  be  the 
spirit  of  our  father  which  has  brought  us  together. 
Mysterious  is  the  world  of  spirits."  He  almost  dreamed 
off  in  his  religious  earnestness.  "  In  his  early  days,  when 
fighting  the  barbarians  in  the  north,  he  was  in  great  dif- 
ficulties at  the  Kuriyagawa,  (1087  A.D.) .  Defeat  seemed  to 
stare  him  in  the  face,  and  he  prayed  earnestly  to  Hachiman 
Daibosatsu.  Now  just  at  that  time  Shinra  Yoshimitsu 
became  very  uneasy  as  to  how  affairs  were  going  on  in 
Oshu.  Gathering  together  two  hundred  knights  he  left 
Miyako  for  the  north.  He  found  his  brother  Yoshitomo 
with  three  thousand  men,  lords  and  retainers,  and  the 
enemy  were  easily  crushed.  Hachiman  rejoiced  greatly. 
Thus  I  feel  at  the  present  moment,  and  my  gladness  of 
spirit  cannot  be  understand."  Yoshitsune  drank  in  this 
tale  with  frank  and  simple  belief.  He  told  the  story  of  his 
own  trials,  from  early  babyhood  to  childhood  and  youth 
at  Kurama.  "  My  aim  also  was  vengeance  and  to  raise 
an  army  of  righteousness,  and  so  I  made  my  way  to 
Hidehira  in  Dshu.  At  Ishibashiyama  I  was  much 
ashamed  not  to  join  you,  and  can  only  ask  you  to  excuse 
me,  and  allow  me  to  join  your  army  even  at  this  late 
date.     My  sole  aim  is  to  please  you." 

Yoritomo  revelled  in  this  simple  straight-forwardness, 
which  fairly  stripped  its  soul  for  his  inspection.  He  was 
not  long  in  turning  Yoshitsune  inside  out— as  a  glove  ;  his 
confidence  and  youthful  pride  in  fencing  and  his  know- 


YORITOMO  MEETS  YOSHITSUNE. 


YOSHITSUNE   AND  YOSHINAKA.  61 

ledge  of  tactics,  his  obstinacy  and  perseverence  in  anything 
he  undertook.  It  was  not  done  in  an  unkindly  way, 
nor  with  ill-intent.  Yoritomo  did  not  thus  anticipate  the 
great  man  in  the  youth  conversing  with  him.  The 
mature  man  of  thirty-five  years  amused  himself  more 
than  anything  else  in  thus  probing  the  brother  but  little 
more  than  half  his  age.  Noriyori  was  summoned  to  the 
conference,  wine  was  ordered,  and  the  brothers  made 
merry  together.  "  So  these  are  your  retainers  ?  "  asked 
Yoritomo,  waving  his  hand  toward  the  band,  massed  at 
the  side  near  Yoshitsune.  "  Yes,"  replied  the  knight. 
"  These  two  are  the  sons  of  Sato  Shoji  Motoharu  ",  and 
he  indicated  them  to  the  approving  nod  of  Yoritomo 
at  the  old  warrior's  name,  celebrated  in  the  Kwanto. 
Continued  Yoshitsune  : — "  This  one  is  Hitachibo  Kaison, 
once  a  priest  of  Miidera  ".  Yoritomo  winked  a  little. 
The  "  priests  "  of  Miidera  were  known  from  one  end  of 
Nippon  to  the  other  for  their  riotous  conduct.     It  was  a 

certificate  of  bad  character.     ''This  next ".     But 

"  this  next "  answered  for  himself.  Besides  he  was 
frowning  a  little.  He  felt  that  Yoshitsune  was  too  open 
in  this  close-mouthed  assembly.  "  I  am  Saito  Musashi-bo 
Benkei,  the  wicked  priest  of  Hieisan,  and  known  as  the 
Tengu-bozu  of  Miyako."  This  was  bellowed  and  roared 
at  the  full  rumble  of  Benkei's  vigorous  lungs.  So  much 
so  that  Yoritomo  was  startled  into  dropping' the  fan  which 
he  used  as  pointer,  and  with  it  the  line  of  discourse.  All 
the  company  looked  with  curiosity  and  interest  at  the 
giant,  clad  in  his  sombre  black  armour,  with  the  white 
toki/i  thrown  around  his  head.  The  tales  of  the  Tengu- 
bozu,  and  the  havoc  wrought  in  the  armoury  of  the 
Miyako  Taira  were  a  source  of  merriment  and  wonder 
to  the  biisJii  throughout  the  land.  Benkei's  reputation 
already  outstripped  his  huge  proportions.  Yoritomo  passed 
on  to  other  subjects.  He  broached  what  was  in  every 
man's  mind.  "  To  pursue  my  expedition  further  was  not 
advisable.  The  Taira  will  soon  have  Yoshinaka  on  their 
hands,  for  he  is  evidently  aiming  at  Miyako.  I  would 
not  care  to  have  him  on  my  rear.  It  remains  to  be  seen 
how   such   a     wild   character    will   behave   toward     the 


62  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

interests  of  the  Tenno.  The  end  more  than  likely  will  be 
that  he  will  not  only  oust  the  Taira,  but  fill  their  role. 
In  such  case  I  shall  get  an  order  to  attack  him,  for  the 
purity  of  my  own  intentions  are  well  advertised.  As  it 
would  be  Minamoto  against  Minamoto  I  should  much 
dislike  to  have  to  do  so  in  person.  The  question  is,  how  to 
go  about  it  if  such  contingency  should  arise."  This  he 
said  to  probe  Yoshitsune's  disposition.  He  was  not  left  in 
much  doubt  as  to  its  impulsiveness.  "  Action  depends  on 
the  attendant  conditions.  If  you  will  leave  the  matter  to 
me  I  will  try  to  please  you  by  carrying  out  your  wishes." 
Thus  spoke  Yoshitsune,  forgetting  that  Hidehira  had 
warned  him  against  expressing  himself  with  pride  or 
confidence.  Yoritomo  was  a  little  surprised  at  both,  and 
at  his  readiness  to  undertake  such  a  difficult  task.  "  The 
occasion  may  arise  ",  he  added  thoughtfull}^  as  the  inter- 
view was  brought  to  a  close.  Thus  destiny  was  working 
its  way.  *'  The  elder  brother  idles  ;  the  younger  brother, 
painstakiDg,  does  the  work."  The  Japanese  proverb, 
thinks  the  native  romancer,  finds  its  application  in  Yori- 
tomo and  Yoshitsune.  But  Yoritomo  did  anything  but 
idle.  He  could  strike  hard  himself,  and  he  could  weave 
the  spider  nets  of  intrigue  to  entangle  others.  Neither 
Noriyori  nor  Yoshitsune  suspected  how  Iccse  their  heads 
were  on  their  shoulders. 


2. 


Thus  Yoritomo  and  Yoshitsune  met  for  the  first  time. 
When  the  latter  broke  up  the  camp  at  the  Kisegawa,  to 
return  to  Kamakura  and  his  posture  of  watchfulness, 
Yoshitsune  accompanied  him.  He  had  not  come  empty- 
handed  to  his  brother.  The  necessity  for  the  larger  contin- 
gent had  passed,  and  this  was  turned  back,  but  still  he  had 
his  gaily  caparisoned  train  of  hiishi  and  accompanying 


YOSHITSUNE    AND    TOSHINAKA.  63 

men-at-arms,  which  in  martial  figure  were  surpassed  by 
none.  Yoritomo  was  equally  pleased  at  the  excellent 
figure  made  by  his  brother,  and  by  this  connection  with 
the  powerful  lord  of  Oshu,  a  substantial  indication  of 
friendhness.  Then  came  a  period  of  waiting  for  all. 
Yoritomo  was  active  in  person  and  intrigue  all  through 
the  North,  Cousins  Satake  and  the  Nitta  had  to  be 
brought  into  line.  The  motives  of  Yoshinaka  at  close 
range  had  to  be  brought  to  sharper  definition.  With  the 
delivery  of  the  son  as  hostage,  and  the  march  of  the 
father  on  Miyako  matters  at  this  point  were  arranged 
for  the  time.  Yoritomo_carefully  consolidated  his  power 
which  extended  from  Oshfi  to  the  further  confines  of 
Totomi.  The  interior  country  was  very  uncertain  ground, 
in  the  hands  of  this  dubious  cousin  and  ally,  Yoshinaka  ; 
but  after  all  the  real  support  of  the  latter  lay  in  his  Kiso 
mountaineers.  Men  like  the  Takeda  of  Kai  were  always 
ready  to  fall  away  from  him,  as  were  the  fighting  hiishi 
of  Shinano.  The  Koshi  provinces  would  follow  the 
victor.  The  allies  of  Yoshinaka  were  almost  as  powerful 
as  himself.  Yoritomo  could  afford  to  wait,  and  watch 
him  cutting  a  wide  swathe  in  the  Taira  strength.  The 
two  years  following  were  largely  spent  in  organization. 
Yoshitsune  and  Benkei  were  lost  in  the  gay  and  busy  life 
of  the  new  capital,  in  these  marchings  and  counter- 
marchings  of  local  strife.  During  this  period  Yoritomo 
had  ample  opportunity  to  become  well  acquainted  with 
his  brother's  ability.  He  was  not  the  man  to  give  an 
important  command  to  an  incompetent,  or  to  a  totally 
untried  brother,  as  the  native  romancers  fondly  represent. 
That  he  had  a  good  captain  to  hand  he  knew  well.  That 
Yoshitsune  was  a  military  genius  could  only  be  ascertained 
in  a  set  campaign  on  a  large  scale,  and  in  the  very  real 
problem  against  the  Taira  chiefs  who  possessed  natural 
advantages  in  holding  the  West  and  South.  Even  piracy 
always  had  furnished  a  very  difficult  task  in  that  quarter. 
For  the  present  Yoritomo  had  no  reason  not  to  favour  his 
brothers.  A  characteristic  story  is  told  of  his  method  of 
selection. 

All  his  half-brothers  had  now  found  their  way  to  Kama- 


64  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKBI. 

kura.  In  following  out  the  thought  in  his  mind  Yoritomo 
contrived  it  so  that  Zenjo  (Iniawaka),  Noriyori,  and 
Yoshitsune,  all  three  being  present,  v/ould  be  the  ones 
close  to  hand.  Brother  Gien  (Otowaka)  was  campaign- 
ing with  Yukiiye  in  the  South.  Yoritomo  asked  that  a 
brass  basin  filled  with  boiling  water  be  brought  to  him. 
Zenjo  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  left  the  call  to  be  ans- 
wered by  one  of  the  other  two.  This  did  not  grieve 
Yoritomo.  There  was  not  too  much  love  lost  between 
them.  Zenjo  was  now  near  thirty  years  of  age,  a  man  of 
formed  character,  and  that  none  of  the  best,  for  the  early 
boyhood  and  youth  had  been  very  wild.  Eesident  in  the 
Daigo-dera  near  Miyako,  he  became  known  as  "  the  wicked 
priest  of  the  Daigo  temple."  Noriyori  and  Yoshitsune  were 
nearly  of  an  age.  The  former  boldly  advanced  and  seized 
the  vessel.  Now  brass  is  an  excellent  conductor  of  heat, 
and  he  dropped  it  so  quickly  that  he  did  not  even  have 
time  to  spill  it.  Then  Yoshitsune  came  forward.  Taking 
the  heated  caldron  in  his  bare  hands  he  slowly  crossed  the 
tent  (the  test  took  place  on  one  of  Yoritomo's  many  hunting 
parties  at  the  base  of  Fujisan) .  Just  as  slowly  and  care- 
fully he  placed  it  before  Yoritomo,  without  sign  of  pain 
and  with  full  observance  of  etiquette.  It  is  said  that 
Yoritomo  then  and  there  made  up  his  mind  that  he  had 
found  in  Yoshitsune  the  leader  tenacious  as  well  as  capable. 
This  is  decidedly  apocryphal.  He  was  not  a  man  to 
choose  a  captain  on  Ingio's  hot  water  principles.  As  to 
his  brothers,  Zenjo  relieved  him  of  any  trouble  by  joining 
the  army  of  Yukiiye  and  Takeda  Nobumitsu  at  Kennin- 
chfi.  Zenjo  was  killed  in  battle  by  Hatsuta  Tomoe. 
Gien  had  been  sent  by  Yoritomo  to  the  assistance  of 
Yukiiye,  whom  the  Taira  had  managed  to  trap.  In  the 
campaign  which  followed  the  two  armies  were  facing 
each  other  across  the  Sunomatagawa.  One  night  Gien 
determined  to  make  his  entry  into  the  Taira  camp. 
Swimming  his  horse  across  the  river  he  was  detected  by 
the  sentinels.  Unable  to  land  he  was  swept  down  by  the 
swift  flood  of  the  river,  finally  carried  under,  and  drowned. 
This  was  at  the  end  of  April  1181  A.D.  Noriyori  was 
always  the  favoured  captain  of  Yoritomo.     When  Kama- 


THE  KISOi  BUSHI  IN  MIYAKO. 


YOSHITSUNE  AND  YOSHINAKA.  65 

kura  was  in  great  danger  from  the  attack  of  Shinoda 
Yoshihira  and  Ashikaga  Tadatsune,  Noriyori  had  thrown 
himself  between  them  and  the  threatened  city,  and  beaten 
them  off. 

Notable  were  the  doings  going  on  in  the  ancient  city  of 
Miyako,  at  last  in  the  clutches  of  Kiso  Kwanja  Yoshinaka. 
Minamoto  Yoshinaka  was  the  son  of  Yoshikata  (also  called 
Tatewaki).  This  latter  creating  trouble  in  the  Kwanto, 
Akugenda  Yoshihira  was  commissioned  by  his  father  to 
suppress  him.  This  twelfth  century  Yamato-take  inter- 
preted the  command  literally.  In  December  of  1155 
A.D.  he  "  clutched  "  him  at  Okura-yatsu  near  Kamakura. 
Of  course  the  idea  of  those  days  was  extermination.  Hav- 
ing thus  buried  his  uncle,  Akugenda,  who  was  particularly 
thorough  in  everything  he  did  in  that  Hne,  turned  to  the 
issue  in  the  line  male.  Saito  Sanemori,  however,  con- 
cealed in  his  kimono  the  two  year  old  infant  boy  of 
Tatewaki.  The  child  was  soon  passed  on  to  Nakahara 
Kiso  Chujo  Kaneto.  This  latter  brought  him  up  among 
the  rough  soldiers  of  Mount  Kiso.  Almost  the  first  news 
the  Taira  had  of  his  existence  and  pedigree  was  when  he 
raised  Shinano  in  rebellion,  and  unceremoniously  kicked 
Ogasawara,  the  Taira  governor^  out  of  the  province.  In 
the  parlance  of  the  Japanese  scribes,  he  swept  the  place 
clean  "  as  a  gale  of  wind  does  the  mats."*  Brought  up  in 
the  recesses  of  a  rough  mountain  district  Yoshinaka's  man- 
ners were  on  a  kindred  scale.  This  was  the  man  brought 
suddenly  into  contact  with  the  timid  luxurious  courtiers  of 
Miyako,  so  overloaded  with  etiquette.  And  the  men  of 
Yoshinaka  were  as  rough  as  their  master.  When  not 
mountaineers  of  Kiso,  they  were  ronin,  or  still  worse. 
Let  loose  on  Miyako  they  treated  it  as  a  city  taken  by 
storm.  Murder  and  robbery  were  carried  out  at  will. 
They  entered  the  house  of  citizen  or  noble,  violated  the 
women,  or  carried  them  off  and  sold  them.  The  huge 
were  victims  as  well  as  those  of  more  modest  caste.  The 
temples  also  suffered  from  the  hands  of  these  bandits,  and 

"*  Either  in  tlie  household,  or   the   natural  winnowing  so  often  seen 
in  the  country  districts. 


66  SATTO   MUSASHT-BO   BENKEI. 

from  all  sides  went  up  a  chorus  of  complaints.  The  people 
wondered  how  long  the}^  would  have  to  suffer.  "  Intelli- 
gence is  needed  to  conduct  an  army.  Virtue  and 
benevolence  to  rule  a  nation."  Yoshinaka  undoubtedly 
had  the  first  named.  To  date  he  was  the  brilliant 
captain  of  the  day.  But  the  task  immediately  in  front  of 
him  had  to  do  with  the  second  named  qualification.  The 
people  began  to  consider  him  doomed ;  his  fall  merely  a 
matter  of  time. 

Now  Yoshinaka  had  a  reason  for  his  indifference  to 
"  virtue  and  benevolence  ;  "  or  rather  he  considered  that 
the  other  side  (the  Court)  should  also  exercise  these  amiable 
qualities.  A.  new  Tenno  was  now  seated  on  the  throne. 
But  how  did  he  get  there  ?  Ordinarily  in  those  days  the 
military  leaders  interfered  little  with  actual  choice  except  in 
this  practical  way  :  that  the  candidate,  in  these  days  of 
short  lives,  should  in  the  course  of  Nature  have  most  of  his 
career  yet  to  run.  In  this  selection  of  juveniles  the  Hoo 
— Go-Shirakawa,  who  himself  for  his  own  reasons 
thoroughly  endorsed  the  principle — summoned  before  him 
his  two  grandsons,  Takanari  aged  four  years,  and  Toki- 
no-Sadamori  aged  five  years.  When  he  took  Toki  on  his 
knee,  the  youngster  wept  and  fought.  "When  hi^  turn 
came  Takanari  laughed  and  climbed  all  over  the  Hoo,  and 
so  into  the  Tenno's  chair,  under  the  title  of  Go-Toba 
(1184-1198  A.D.).  It  is  sad  to  have  to  puncture  this 
affecting  tale  of  the  nursery.  As  a  matter  of  fact  a  vulgar 
intrigue  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole  affair  and 
Y^oshinaka's  consequent  anger.  This  latter  stood  by 
Prince  Hokuriku,  son  of  the  Prince  Takakura  who  was 
mixed  up  in  the  rising  of  Gensammi  Yorimasa.  He  was 
of  riper  years  than  the  nursery  products ;  and  besides 
Y^oshinaka  thought  that  "  Prince  Sanjo  "  should  receive 
this  recognition  through  his  son.  Another  draw-back  in 
his  opinion  was,  that  the  two  princes  put  forward  by  the 
Hoo  were  younger  half  brothers  of  Antoku-Tenno,  being 
the  children  of  Princess  Fujiwara  IJariko  by  Takakura- 
Tenno.  Whether  it  was  common  sense  or  the  legions  of 
Yoshinaka,  at  all  events  the  general  opinion  at  Court 
backed  the  Captain.     That  the  choice  of  a  Tenno    was 


YOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSEILNAKA.  67 

urgent  was  put  forward  emphatically  by  Fujiwara 
Kanezane,  the  Udaijin.  He  advanced  three  good  reasons — 
that  the  Taira,  with  a  Tenno  in  charge  and  the  regaha, 
could  act  under  all  formal  authority  ;  that  Keitai  (507-531 
A.D.)  set  himself  up  as  Tenno,  and  did  not  secure  the 
regalia  or  be  crowned  until  later  ;*  that  without  someone 
on  the  throne  there  would  be  endless  confusion  in  Miyako. 
All  this  advice  was  excellent,  and  urged  the  Hoo  on  to  a 
choice.  Prince  Hokuriku  was  out  of  the  question.  He 
was  a  priest,  and  besides  was  not  likely  to  be  easily  handled. 
Between  the  third  (Sadamori)  and  fourth  (Takanari) 
prince  the  choice  lay — to  the  Hoo's  mind.  For  form's  sake 
he  called  in  diviners.  The  lot  fell  in  favour  of  Sadamori. 
So  it  did  again  and  again.  But  the  Hoc  knew  something 
about  the  turn  of  the  wheel  of  fortune.  He  was  up  on  the 
game,  and  knew  that  if  he  stuck  to  it,  and  his  credit  held 
out,  the  red  was  sure  to  come  topside.  Whether  or  not 
the  diviners  got  a  practical  hint  that  the  Hoo's  favourite 
concubine  was  behind  the  younger  prince  and  the  Hoo's 
obstinacy,  the  lot  did  finally  fall  that  way.  Then  Kane- 
zane was  thrown  overboard  (for  the  time  being),  his 
croakings  about  precedent  disrecjarded,  and  Go-Toba 
installed  in  due  form  with  mutilated  rites — minus  the 
regalia.  The  Hoo  revenged  himself  on  all  the  old  men 
and  women  of  Taira  persuasion  within  his  reach,  and  on 
paper  decrees  against  those  out  of  his  reach.  One  hund- 
red and  eighty  Taira  holders  of  court  offices  were  stripped 
of  their  insignia,  and  five  hundred  fiefs  were  also  bagged. 
Of  these  last  he  gave  one  hundred  and  forty  to  Yoshi- 
naka,  now  Iyo~no-Kami  in  place  of  Echigo-no-Kami ;  and 
to  Yukiiye  ninety  fiefs  and  the  charge  of  Bizen-no-Kami 
instead  of  Bingo-no-Kami.  And  still  Yoritomo  had  the 
prize  in  court  rank.  He  held  the  lower  fourth  rank^ 
whereas  Yoshinaka  was  only  granted  the  second  grade  of 
the  fifth  rank.  Apart  for  this  whatever  these  generals 
secured  had  to  be  made  good  with  their  swords.     Yoshi- 

*  This  is  entirely  apocryphal.  There  was  an  interregnum  of  a  few- 
weeks  on  the  death  of  Muretsu.  Keitai  accepted  and  was  crowned,  all 
in  a  day.  For  Kanezane's  argument,  cf.  Ariga — Dai-Nihon-Rekishi  II. 
p.  74.    For  the  fall  of  the  dice,  p.  75. 


68  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

naka  did  get  the  much  prized  privilege  of  entrance  to  the 
court. 

All  this  intrigue  was  at  the  bottom  of  Yoshinaka's 
discontent.  The  Hoo,  having  an  infant  Tenno  on  his 
hands,  felt  his  oats  perceptibly.  He  turned  his  attention 
to  the  Taira.  These  had  undergone  a  variety  of  vicissi- 
tudes since  the  evacuation  of  Miyako.  Safely  arrived  at 
Dazaifu  in  Kyushu  they  found  that  the  Hoo  had  stirred 
up  against  them  Fujiwara  Yorisuke  of  Bungo.  Defeated 
in  battle  they  retreated  to  Hakosaki,  and  then  established 
themselves  at  the  castle  of  Yamaga  (Fujiv^ara  Hideto). 
The  pressure  on  them  never  ceased.  At  this  early  period 
(1183  A.D.)  all  Kyushu  seemed  to  be  against  them.  The 
Miimmoto  steadily  advanced.  Munemori,  with  a  visit  to 
the  Usa  shrine  performed  by  the  nyom  and  infant  Tenno, 
retreated  to  Tomomori's  fief  in  Nagato.  It  was  no  place 
for  them  in  any  sense.  This  country  was  to  be  a  battle 
ground.  In  the  political  sense  they  must  be  nearer 
Miyako.  Aided  by  the  present  of  a  fleet  (one  hundred 
boats)  presented  by  Kino  Mitsusuye,  the  Taira  Court  of 
the  Tenno  was  established  at  Y^ashima  in  Shikoku.  As 
long  as  they  retained  command  of  the  sea  they  were  safe 
from  attack  and  near  Miyako,  ready  for  any  eventuality. 
Then  Munemori  began  to  take  the  offensive.  Shikoku 
seemed  to  promise  well  as  to  support.  Taguchi  Nariyoshi 
appeared  with  a  thousand  huslii.  Norimori  and  other 
captains  were  sent  out  to  capture  all  the  boats.  The 
campaign  was  carried  into  the  Sanyodo,  provinces  border- 
ing the  Inland  Sea  on  the  North.  Two  Tenno  were  in 
open  warfare  for  the  crown.* 

To  some  of  these  events  it  is  necessary  to  return  later. 
A  reference  now  is  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  events  in 
-Miyako.  The  squabble  over  the  succession  had  deeply 
angered  Yoshinaka.  He  expressed  his  regret  in  the 
practical  form  of  letting  his  wild  mountaineers  do  as  they 
pleased.     Besides,   as  he  put  it : — "  we  are  far  from  our 


"^  Says  Dr.  Ariga  "  Japanese  historians  compare  this  period  to  thai 
of  the  North  and  South  Courts"  in  the  fourteenth  century.  This  Nari- 
yoshi figures  also  as  Shigeno.     Nyoin  is  the  dowager  kogo. 


YOSHITSUNE   AND    YOSHINAKA.  69 

base.  These  store-houses  of  nobles  and  temples  are  over- 
flowing with  grain  and  everything  else  we  need.  They 
must  contribute  to  the  campaign  and  their  protection.  The 
Hoo  sent  to  Yoritomo  asking  him  to  march  up  to  Miyako. 
Yoritomo  finessed.  He  admitted  the  disorderly  condition 
of  the  country.  Let  the  Hoo  issue  an  order  restoring  to 
their  proper  owners  the  fiefs  in  Hokurokudo,  of  which  they 
had  been  deprived  by  the  usurping  Taira.  Now  the  Hoo 
said  "  yes  "  to  this,  but  he  knew  better  than  thus  to  strike 
directly  at  the  pocket-books  of  Yoshinaka  and  Yukiiye  who 
were  largely  interested  in  this  district.  He  had  already 
had  some  difficulty  in  soothing  the  younger  man  with  the 
sop  of  Shinano  and  Kotsuke,  not  unimportant  as  Yoshi- 
naka had  to  make  good  here  in  every  way  against  the 
powerful  Kamakura  interest  which  was  sapping  him.  Just 
at  this  time  a  diversion  was  created  by  the  Taira.  They 
had  got  their  wind  in  these  few  weeks  of  respite.  They 
were  now  strong  in  the  Sanyodo.  Bizen  was  in  their 
hands.  Their  next  move  would  be  on  Miyako.  The  Hoo 
decided  to  get  rid  of  one  of  his  night-mares.  He  pitched 
on  Yukiiye.  Yoshinaka  at  once  objected,  not  on  any 
fancy  ground  of  politics.  This  was  war,  and  here  he 
was  very  practical.  His  presentment  substantially  was 
this.  "  Yukiiye  is  the  finest  and  most  unfortunate 
soldier  that  ever  posed  as  such,  but  as  a  general  he  is 
an  ass."  However  the  unlucky  commander  set  out. 
Yukiiye  met  the  Taira  at  Muroyama,  and  was  theirs. 
He,  of  course,  escaped.  Yoshinaka  fared  no  better.  To 
the  proposition  of  the  Hoo  that  he  take  the  matter  him- 
self in  hand  he  had  assented.  Defeating  the  Taira  he 
was  convinced  was  his  own  particular  business.  He 
cleaned  them  out  of  Tamba  pretty  thoroughly,  and  had 
established  himself  in  Ha  rim  a  with  the  intention  of 
attacking  Yashima.  Then  they  gave  him  a  taste  of 
their  sea-going  qualities.  Shigehira,  Michinori,  and  Nori- 
tsune,  with  seven  thousand  men  and  two  hundred  boats, 
fell  on  his  lieutenants  at  Mizushima.*  The  Minamoto 
left  their  commander  Yoshikiyo  and  twelve  hundred  dead 

*Cf.  Ariga,  loc.  cit.  ir.  p.  78. 


70  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

on  the  scene  of  battle.      This  was  on  the   seventeenth  of 
December  of  1183  A.D.* 

Yoshinaka  would  have  liked  to  carry  out  the  campaign, 
but  affairs  were  more  pressing  in  Miyako.  The  loss  at 
Mizushima  had  been  a  heavy  blow  to  his  available  forces. 
Two  rumours  brought  him,  back  in"  a  hurry.  One,  which 
was  premature,  said  that  Yoshitsune  was  on  the  march 
from  Kamakura.  In  case  of  necessity  Yoshinaka  had 
confided  to  Yukiiye  that  he  intended  to  go  North,  taking 
the  Hoo  with  him.  Once  allied  with  Yoritomo,  this 
worthy  uncle  now  turned  against  nephew  Yoshinaka.  He 
sought  to  ruin  him  in  Miyako,  by  transmitting  these  plans 
to  the  Hoo.  As  to  destroying  Yoshinaka,  ultimately  he 
was  successful — as  was  the  case  with  everyone  he  took 
into  political  partnership.  Yoshinaka,  hearing  of  his  well 
meant  efforts,  promptly  abandoned  camp  for  Miyako. 
Yukiiye  promptly  abandoned  Miyako  for  Harima.  The 
Heike,  already  swarming  into  it,  drove  him  into  Kawachi, 
to  await  fast  ripening  events  and  the  more  favourable 
advent  of  his  nephew  Yoshitsune.  He  did  not  leave  a 
particularly  happy  combination  for  Yoshinaka  to  face.  In 
our  modern  terms  the  Hoo  had  been  "  keeping  the  wires 
hot "  between  Miyako  and  Kamakura,  and  a  second 
appeal  had  just  gone  up  to  Miyako.  Yoshinaka  met  the 
situation  as  best  he  could.  Caught  between  Kamakura  and 
the  Taira  he  sought  the  latter  as  allies.  They  knew  him 
well  enough  to  distrust  him.  (They  played  a  consistently 
bad  hand  throughout  in  the  political  game) .  Munemori 
was  ready  to  accept  Yoshinaka's  request  for  his  daughter's 
hand  and  a  marriage  alliance.  Tomomori  and  the  family 
council  stood  out  against  it,  and  the  offer  was  rejected.! 
Yoshinaka  meanwhile  entered  on  a  series  of  political 
blunders.  He  protested  against  the  advance  of  Yoritomo 
on  Miyako.    To  this  the  Hoo  answered  that  the  Kamakura 


*  The  date  given  by  the  Dai-Nihon-Shi.  This  history  lias  the 
advantage  of  having  been  compiled  by  scholars  who  could  give  conflict- 
ing dates  and  details  a  thorough  sifting  under  less  prejudice  than  the 
older  chroniclers  wrote;  completed  in  1715  A.D.  the  work  being  done 
under  the  orders  of  Chunagon  Mito  Mitsukuni  (1622-1715  A.D.) 

t  Ariga-loc.  cit.  p  81. 


YOSHirSUNE    AND    YOSHINAKA.  71 

chief  was  only  sending  up  the  tribute  from  the  Kwanto. 
Then  he  took  his  own  turn  at  protesting.  He  sent  Iki 
Hangwan  Taira  Tomoyasu  to  enter  his  objection  against 
his  own  forcible  removal  in  a  proposed  flight  to  the  North, 
and  against  the  riotous  conduct  of  Yoshinaka's  samurai. 
Indeed  the  latter  was  commissioned  to  clear  out  these 
disorderly  bands  which  were  making  so  much  trouble  in 
Heianjo,  the  City  of  Tranquil  Peace.  The  messenger  was 
badly  received.  Eebuke  and  insult,  for  himself  and  his 
master,  was  all  he  took  back.  Then  the  Hoo  foolishly 
took  a  warlike  attitude  to  the  trained  soldier.  The 
Hoshoji  was  fortified.  The  sohei  of  Hieisan  and  Miidera 
swarmed  at  the  Hoo's  call,  and  Tomoyasu  was  put  in 
command.  This  was  just  what  Yoshinaka  liked.  Fight- 
ing was  his  business.  Higuchi  Kanemitsu  and  Imai 
Kanehira  advised  him  not  to  break  with  the  Hoo,  but  he 
did  not  listen  to  them.  He  had  a  Tenno  in  charge  ;  a 
Hoo  was  small  addition.  As  to  the  "wicked  sohei,''  he 
made  small  bones  of  them.  With  a  thousand  men  he 
marched  on  the  Hoshoji,  Kanehira  with  three  hundred 
men  guarded  the  rear.  Yoshinaka  with  seven  hundred 
men  attacked  the  front.  With  arrows  dipped  in  flaming 
pitch  Kanehira  fired  the  buildings.  Priests  and  the 
frightened  Court  tried  to  escape  westward  along  the 
Shichijo  road.  Men  and  women,  armoured  priest-soldiers, 
and  silk  clad  courtiers,  were  in  a  welter  of  confusion  amid 
the  smoke  and  flames.  Many  were  killed  by  Kiso's 
mountaineers.  Instead  of  taking  to  his  legs,  and  thus 
securing  some  reasonable  chance  to  escape,  the  Hoo 
solemnly  entered  his  palanquin.  Yoshinaka's  hushi  soon 
replaced  the  once  bearers,  and  carried  off  the  Hoo  to 
imprisonment  at  the  Gojo  Tenjin.  The  next  day  six 
hundred  heads,  surrounded  by  a  neatly  built  bamboo 
fence,  adorned  the  river  bed  in  the  execution  ground  of  the 
Rokujo.*  It  was  a  notable  catch.  Yoshinaka  had  fished 
to  some  effect  on   the  fourth  day  of  January,  1184  A.D. 

*  A  good  map,  especially  in  Kyoto,  gives  a  different  colour  to 
Japanese  place  names  and  temples.  Dingy  enough,  these  latter  are 
crammed  full  of  history,  and  take  on  a  real  interest  apart  from  things 
theological. 


72  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Then  he  began  a  series  of  reforms,  mo7'e  Japonico. 
Tomoyasu  had  escaped,  but  there  were  plenty  of  others 
left.  He  took  a  few  cards  out  of  Kiyomori's  pack. 
Motomichi  (the  Sessho  or  Kegent),  Sanesada,  and  a  long 
list  of  more  than  forty  high  officials  at  court  were  degrad- 
ed and  exiled.  He  found  a  not  unwilling  coadjutor  in 
Fujiwara  Motofusa — Matsudono  or  Bodai-in  Kwampaku. 
Between  the  two  the  daughter  of  Motofusa  became  the 
wife  of  Yoshinaka,  and  the  son  was  made  Kwampaku 
under  the  benevolent  direction  of  his  brother-in-law  the 
Shogun,  Yoshinaka.  This  commission  was  readily  granted 
by  the  Huo.  This  latter  was  granting  everything  with 
the  intention  of  keeping  to  nothing.  An  order  was 
granted  proclaiming  Yoritomo  a  rebel,  directing  Yoshinaka 
to  fall  upon  him,  and  Fujiwara  Hidehira  to  march  on 
Kamakura.  Yoshinaka  had  thus  arranged  matters  nicely 
to  his  satisfaction.  He  was  so  well  pleased  that  he  felt 
sure  everyone  else  ought  to  feel  the  same  way.  Between 
his  wild  feasting  and  drinking,  and  his  wilder  samurai, 
Miyako  had  experienced  a  very  uncomfortable  time  of  it. 
Yoshinaka  now  went  to  the  other  extreme.  Since  support 
was  not  to  be  found  in  the  .Taira  it  was  to  be  found  in  the 
Hoc  who  gave  ear  so  benevolently  to  every  wish.  The 
Hoo  was  released  from  all  espionage,  and  had  full  oppor- 
tunity to  urge  on  the  interference  of  Yoritomo.  The  Court 
officials  were  restored  to  their  ranks  and  pensions.  This 
bad  an  excellent  effect,  and  Yoshinaka  basked  in  the  sun- 
shine of  his  many  titles,  his  position  as  governor  of  the  city, 
and  his  right  of  entry  at  court.  He  did  not  seem  to  see 
that  his  appearance  there  gave  them  all  a  chill — as  of  mice 
before  the  cat.  Captain  of  the  Tenno's  forces  he  felt  safe, 
and  that  Yoritomo's  formidable  advance  could  amount  to 
nothing.  An  order  from  the  Tenno  would  disperse  its  ele- 
ments as  a  snow-storm  before  an  April  sun.  So  he  made 
application  to  the  Tenno  for  the  formal  order  to  disperse 
this  army  which  was  collecting  in  the  North,  and  began 
to  busy  himself  in  the  matter  in  the  same  formal  manner. 

The  long  looked  for  order  came  at  last.  Yoshitsune  and 
his  active  retainers  were  decidedly  tired  of  the  Kamakura 
life,  only  varied  by  the  small  diversions  into  Kai,  Shinano, 


rOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  73 

and  Kotsuke,  and  such  near-by  provinces  ;  diversions  on 
the  business  of  politics  more  than  on  that  of  war.  But 
now  the  command  came  for  the  second  time  from  Miyako. 
Yoritomo  could  not  well  disregard  it ;  nor  did  he  so  desire. 
Yoshinaka  was  coquetting  with  the  Taira.  This  was  em- 
phasized by  the  split  with  uncle  Yukiiye.  It  was  time 
to  crush  him  and  seize  the  capital  city,  preparatory  to  a 
final  move  on  the  real  enemy.  Yoshinaka's  movement 
had  lost  its  ground.  The  Minamoto  clan  in  a  choice 
between  Yoritomo  and  Yoshinaka  would  flock  to  the 
former's  support.  Is  there  any  ground  for  contemporary 
statement,  which  attributes  to  Yoritomo  so  little  knowledge 
of  the  condition  of  affairs  in  Miyako,  that  it  was  only  with 
the  small  train  necessary  to  carry  up  the  tribute  (tax  rice) 
from  the  Kwanto  his  brothers  Noriyori  and  Yoshitsune 
left  Kamakura  ?  Considering  the  repeated  appeal  to 
Kamakura  this  is  difficult  to  believe.  Still  more  difficult 
would  it  be  to  understand  how  the  brothers  could  return  to 
Kamakura  to  find  an  army  of  sixty  thousand  men  ready 
to  their  hand.  Yoshitsune  was  not,  he  never  was,  the 
chosen  commander  of  his  brother.  Noriyori  with  thirty 
five  thousand  men  commanded  the  van  ;  and  Yoshitsune, 
with  Sasakai  Takatsuna  as  second  in  command,  was  in 
command  of  the  twenty  five  thousand  men  forming  the 
rear-guard.  Both  chieftains  had  the  ablest  captains  of  the 
northern  army  in  their  staff.  Yoshitsune  had  with  him 
Hatakeyama  Shigetada,  Kumagai  Naozane  and  his  son 
Hirayama.  The  fly  in  the  ointment  was  that  the  Kaji- 
wara,  father  and  sons,  accom.panied  this  division. 

It  was  the  end  of  winter  when  the  army  started  on  its 
march.  The  wind  blew  coldly  from  the  snow-capped 
Fujisan,  towering  above  them  as  they  wound  around  its 
base.  Once  over  the  mountain  passes  they  streamed  down 
the  Tokaido.  The  chronicler  touches  the  many  places 
with  a  tender  hand.  Thus  he  lingers  long  before  giving 
them  a  fair  start  on  their  journey.  And  indeed  "the  Tago 
no  ura,*  with  Mishima  and   Manazuruf    (famous  for  its 

*  The  strip  of  shore  at  the  base  of  Fuji  and    head  of  Suruga  bay. 
Suzukawa  affords  the  finest  view  of  the  mountain. 

t  Mishima  was  the  seat  of  H5j5  Tokimasa.     Now  it  is  the  junction 


74  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENIvEI. 

reeds,  haunted  by  thousands  of  cranes),  Takenoshita,  of 

immemorial   antiquity,   Hara  with  its  bush  warblers,  and 

Ukishima*  which  seemed  now  a  part  of  the  land,  now 

floating  oti  the  water,   according  to  the  stage  of  the  tide, 

are  chosen  spots  of  legend  and  scenery.     Miko  shaded 

with   its  evergreen   pines,  Kiyomigatat  tender  with  new 

verdure  and  gay  with   spring  flowers,   Okitsaj  spreading 

before  them  its  entrancing  expanse  of  sea  and  land  amid  the 

glowing  tints  of  the  setting  sun,  the  towering  Utsunoyama 

casting  its  reflection   in  the  sea,  all  these  were  landmarks 

of  the  journey.     The  Oigawa  gave  them  a  stiff  job  to  cross 

it  in   the  face  of  the  high    water§.       Passing    Sayono- 

nakayama  (Akita)   its  bells  were  heard  softened  by  the 

distance.     When   they   marched    oat   of   Kikugawa  and 

Ikeda  the  moon  was  seen  hanging  over  Takamorosan." 

Marching  across  the  Hamanabashi  they  were  refreshed 

by  the  cool  sea  breeze  and  the  sound  of  the  surf  thundering 

in   the  distance]  |.     Here  they  entered    Mikawa  province 

and   stopped  to  rest  at  Yahagi,  noted  for  the  number, 

beauty,  and  kindness  of  its  girl  population^f.     Their  chiefs 

could  leave  them  but  little  time  for  the  business  of  love. 

The  army   "  with  heartfelt  regrets  "  said  good-bye,  and 

was  soon  on  its  march  through  Narumi  at  which  they 

were   near   the  borders  of   Owari.     Here  discipline  was 

much  stiffened.   At  the  Atsuta  DaijingQ**  a  stop  was  made 

to  worship  at  the  shrine  so  closely  attached  to  the  Mina- 

moto  interests.     At  last  Fawa  in  Minott  was  reached. 


for  Sliiizenji ;  and  its  pleasant  hot  spring.  Manazura  is  on  the  other 
side  of  Izn. 

^  Already  mentioned. 

t  Seikenji  or  Kiyomidera. 

t  The  Alio-no-Matsubara — ,3cen8  of  "The  robe  of  feathers."  On  the 
latter  paint  and  poetry  has  been  spilled  in  profusion. 

^  On  the  size  of  the  sakele  {pourboire)  depended  whether  the  pre- 
Meiji  traveller  should  reach  the  opposite  shore  dry  or  wet,  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  coolies  or  by  the  river  bed.  The  railroad  now  crosses 
cautiously  in  a  few  minutes. 

il  Haraana  Mizu-umi :  "lake",  really  an  arm  of  the  sea.  It  is  in 
Tot5mi  province. 

If  An  important  ferry  was  at  Yahagi  in  these  days. 

*■*  Home  of  the  Kusa-nagi-no-tsurugi,  the  sword  of  Yamato-take. 

tt  A  barrier  was  located  here.    Fuwa-no-Seki   was  established    by 


YOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  75 

Here  the  leaders  halted  to  take  counsel,  for  here  they 
were  to  separate  ;  Noriyori  to  proceed  through  Omi,  and 
Yoshitsune  through  Ise,  thus  catching  Yoshinaka  between 
two  fires. 

This  latter  up  to  a  very  late  date  had  given  them  small 
thought.  Basking  in  the  favour  of  the  Court,  he  felt 
as  secure  as  Macbeth  inspecting  his  well-rooted  timber  in 
Birnam  Wood.  So  secure  did  he  feel  that  he  began  to 
flatter  himself  that  this  threatening  advance  was  not 
directed  against  himself,  but  against  the  Taira  in  the 
West.  He  began  to  feel  insecure  as  to  his  hard  won 
laurels.  A  large  part  of  his  army  already  had  been 
allowed  to  return  to  their  mountain  homes.  Troops  were 
scarce  in  Miyako,  beyond  the  number  necessary  for 
garrison  purposes  against  any  sudden  raid  from  Harima. 
Yoshinaka  actually  projected  an  expedition  against  the 
Taira,  in  order  to  anticipate  Yoritomo.  He  felt  it  first 
necessary  thoroughly  to  break  up  Yukiiye's  position  in 
Kawachi,  and  so  prevent  that  old  fox  from  descending  on 
Miyako  during  his  absence.  Against  him  Higuchi  Jiro 
Kanemitsu,  with  five  hundred  men,  was  sent;  to  find 
Kurando  Yukiiye  as  slippery  and  evasive  as  ever.  First 
catch  your  flea,  and  Kanemitsu  had  thorough  opportunity 
given  him  to  learn  the  physical  geography  of  this  province 
of  rapid  rivers  rushing  swiftly  between  intricate  hills, 
which  in  turn  melt  into  the  mountainous  backbone  of  the 
peninsula. 

With  an  important  part  of  his  available  force  thus 
scattered  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  nearest  to  Miyako,  the 
truth  was  brought  to  Yoshinaka's  mind  that  this  formid- 
able advance  was  directed  against  no  one  but  himself.* 
What  was  on  everyone's  lips  was  realized  at  last  by  the 
man  most  interested.  His  messengers,  when  not  treated 
as'  spies,  received  the  scanty  courtesy  of  interlopers  in  an 


Temmu  in  673  A.D.     "  Seki-ga-liara "    is  another  name.     Tlie  battle 
which  lyeyasu  fought  in  1600  A.D.  was  close  by  here. 

*  That  Yoshinaka  was  completely  taken  by  surprise  is  without 
question  on  the  face  of  affairs.  A  great  captain  would  not  attempt  to 
hold  a  large  city,  with  only  two  thousand  men  against  sixty  thousand 
of  the  enemy. 


76  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKET. 

enemy's  camp.  Yoshinaka  did  the  best  he  could  against 
an  enemy  already  within  a  long  day's  marcla  of  him. 
Neither  time  nor  position  allowed  him  to  call  for  aid  from 
his  home  province.  His  support  was  cut  off  by  Noriyori's 
division  advancing  rapidly  along  Biwako.  Eetreat  to  the 
West  was  prevented  by  the  Taira.  He  could  take  to 
flight  alone,  and  abandon  his  little  force.  He  was  not 
that  kind  of  a  man.  Evidently  Seta  and  Uji  would  be 
the  crucial  points  on  a  semi-circle  sweeping  from  the  end 
of  Biwako  to  the  south  end  of  Miyako.  Eight  hundred 
men  were  stationed  at  Seta  under  Imai  Kanehira.  To 
Uji  he  sent  Nenoi  Ogata  Yukichika  and  Tate  Chikatada. 
With  five  hundred  men  these  were  to  check  the  advance 
of  Yoshitsune.*  He  himself  with  three  hundred  men 
remained  at  Miyako,  to  keep  the  Court  under  his  eye,  and 
to  throw  this  little  force  wherever  the  exigencies  of  the 
battle  required.  Miwa  Tare  Hirozumi  and  one  hundred 
men  were  placed  on  guard  at  the  Sento  Gosho  (palace). 
If  he  had  to  flee  from  Miyako  he  intended  to  carry  off 
the  Tenno  and  the  Hoo  with  him. 

As  said,  Yoshitsune  and  Noriyori  had  parted  company 
at  Seki-ga-hara.  Yoshitsune's  movement  was  directed  on 
the  southern  line  through  Ise  and  Iga,  the  object  being  to 
hit  Yoshinaka  on  the  right  flank  at  Uji,  and  turn  him 
back  on  Miyako,  thus  catching  him  between  the  two 
armies  as  in  a  vise.  The  Taira  to  the  West,  and  the 
mountainous  country  to  the  North,  prevented  the  escape 
of  his  army.  Incidentally,  any  force  Yoshinaka  had 
operating  in  Settsu,  Kawachi,  or  Izumi,  would  be  cut  off 
from  the  main  body  and  exterminated  at  leisure — if 
Yukiiye  did  not  attend  to  that  end  of  the  business.  Yoshi- 
tsune was  young  enough  not  to  appreciate  the  character 
of  that  intermeddler  as  well  as  his  brother.  When  fairly 
in  the  hills  YosViitsune  on  February  28th  summoned  a 
conference  of  his  followers  Two  things  might  happen, 
and  for  one  of  them  he  wished  to  make  immediate  pro- 
vision.    Said   he  : — "  That  we  will   defeat   Yoshinaka  is 


*  The  Gerapei  Seisuiki  gives  these  figures.     Ditto  the  most  substan- 
tial histories.     Cf.  Ariga,  loc.  cit.  p.  81. 


YOSHITSIJNE   AND   YOSHINAKA.  ,77 

certain.  He  has  no  force  to  take  the  aggressive,  and  yet, 
from  all  accoants,  he  has  divided  v^hat  he  has,  and  will 
meet  us  at  Uji  and  Seta.  However,  what  I  fear  is  that 
when  beaten  he  will  tr}^  to  escape  with  a  few  men  and 
take  the  Tenno  with  him,  perhaps  even  to  join  the  Taira. 
This  must  be  prevented.  No  one  knows  the  capital  as 
well  as  Benkei.  On  the  darkest  night  he  can  find  his 
way  without  a  light,"  (all  grinned),  "  so  with  a  guard  I 
will  have  him  and  Yoshimori  go  to  forestall  BjUJ  such 
movement  on  the  part  of  Yoshinaka.  I  am  sure  you 
will  be  glad  to  see  yoar  old  haunts  again,"  he  continued, 
turning  more  directly  to  Benkei.  "  Kashikomarimashitat 
gladly  will  I  go  to  do  my  lord's  will.  It  will  perhaps  be 
well  to  enter  the  city  by  the  Gojo  bridge  as  more  crowded 
and  less  likely  to  create  notice."  Thus  spoke  Benkei. 
Eeplied  Yoshitsune  in  mischievous  thought : — "  Yes,  I 
believe  it  is  no  longer  haunted  by  bad  characters.  And 
even  if  it  be  you  have  your  legs  to  run  with." — "  And 
your  lordship  can  be  assured  I  can  use  them  well,"  replied 
Benkei.  All  laughed  at  this  exchange,  for  Benkei  made 
open  boast  of  the  first  and  only  time  he  had  to  take  to 
flight.  The  details  were  quickly  arranged.  Benkei  and 
Yoshimori  picked  out  twenty  hushi  on  whom  they  could 
rely  against  great  odds.  Then  in  small  parties  of  twos 
and  threes  this  little  band  made  its  way  to  the  capital ;  no 
matter  of  great  difficulty,  where  the  force  was  so  largely 
recruited  from  roniJi,  men  without  any  lord  to  guarantee 
their  character  as  retainers.  Once  within  the  city  Yo- 
shitsune was  kept  well  informed  of  everything  that  went 
on. 

Meanwhile  their  captain  was  rapidly  advancing. 
Grossing  the  Araigawa  he  passed  Osada  in  Iga.  The  shrine 
at  Ide  was  visited,  and  he  also  prayed  at  Kasagimiya*  for 
the  success  of  the  expedition.  Then  the  army  defiled 
before  the  wooded  slopes  of  Komyosan.  On  March  fourth 
they  were  close  to  the  enemy  at  the  Tonda  ferry  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ujikawa.     A  spy  brought  the  commander  the 

*  It  lies  on  the  Yamashirogawa  above  Kizu.  This  stream  then  is 
called  the  Kizugawa.  At  Yodo  it  unites  with  the  Ujikawa  to  form  the 
Yodogawa. 


78  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

news  of  the  enemy's  position.  The  bridge  at  Uji  had  been 
broken  down,  and  the  bottom  of  the  river  staked  for  a  long 
distance.  This  was  not  a  matter  of  much  importance  as 
the  high  water  of  the  river  was  more  of  a  protection. 
Yoshinaka  here  merely  had  completed  an  old  task  of 
Yorimasa.  Archers  were  stationed  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  well  protected  behind  thick  shields.  "  The 
garments  of  Ashikaga  Matataro  have  barely  had  time  to 
dry.  He  crossed  with  three  hundred  men,  and  none  of 
them  were  superhuman.  Where  he  could  cross,  we  can."f 
Thus  replied  Yoshitsune,  as  he  ordered  the  army  forward. 
Even  the  hardy  warriors  of  the  Kwanto  hesitated  at  the 
sight  of  the  rushing  river,  swollen  by  the  melting  snows 
from  a  recent  fall  on  Hirasan.  The  stream  was  under- 
going one  of  those  sudden  and  violent  freshets  usual  to 
Japanese  rivers,  which  at  other  times  may  be  mere 
rivulets  lost  in  a  wide  stony  bed.  There  was  no  time  to 
lose  if  they  did  not  want  Noriyori  and  his  men  to  enter 
first  into  Miyako.  Bat  those  too  forward  suffered  by 
their  rashness,  and  many  who  appeared  on  the  bank 
with  the  intention  of  entering  the  stream  were  wounded 
by  the  hail  of  arrows.  Hatakeyama  Soji  Shiro  Shige- 
tada  came  forward  to  the  bank.  "  Cross  somehow  we 
must.  This  river  comes  from  the  lake  (Biwa-ko)  and 
the  melting  snows  on  the  hill  make  it  no  less.  Ashi- 
kaga Matataro  Tadatsune  crossed  in  lower  water.  All 
the  more  honour  to  the  Kwanto  biislii  now  to  repeat 
his  feat.  Get  your  horses  well  in  hand."  His  own 
intention  was  forestalled  by  two  knights  of  fame  in 
Kamakura,  Kajiwara  Genda  and  Sayemon-no-jo  Sasaki 
Shiro  Takatsuna.  These  rode  boldly  forward  into  the 
swift  flood.  Between  these  two  men  there  was  the 
greatest  rivalry.  The  long  march  from  the  North  had 
been  spiced  by  their  constant  struggle  to  outdo  each  other 
in  knightly  feats.     Both  were  superbly  mounted  on  horses, 

t  Yoshitsune  refers  to  Tadatsuna  Tawara-Toda.,  son  of  Ashikaga 
Yoshitsuna,  who  crossed  the  stream  in  the  face  of  the  archers  of 
Gensarami  Yorimasa.  The  date  of  the  battle  is  taken  from  the  Gem- 
pei  Seisuiki.  It  mentions  aU  these  followers  of  Yoshitsune  by  name  ; 
Benkei,  Ise  Saburo,  and  others. 


RACE  OF  SASAKI  TAKATSUNA  AND  KAJIWARA  GENDA  AT  THE  UJI  RIVER. 


YOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  79 

the  gift  of  Kamakura-dono.  Sasaki  was  the  son  of  his  old 
and  tried  retainer  of  boyhood  days.  Kajiwara  was  bask- 
ing in  the  fame  that  he  and  his  were  to  retain  as  long  as 
Yoritomo  lived.  He  had  the  best  of  it  at  the  start. 
Seeing  this  Sasaki  cried  oat  to  him  to  look  to  his  saddle 
girth.  "  If  you  should  get  a  tumble  in  the  river,  it  would 
be  something  more  serious  than  merely  being  laughed  at." 
Now  Kajiwara  cared  little  about  the  "  something  more 
serious  "  ;  but  the  spectacle  he  would  afford,  clinging  to  his 
horse's  belly  instead  of  its  back,  to  be  laughed  at  as  an 
unskilful  horseman,  was  too  much  for  this  Kwanto  huslii. 
He  reined  in  his  steed  to  milder  efforts,  put  his  bow  in 
his  teeth,  and  began  to  look  to  the  straps  of  his  saddle. 
He  was  not  long  in  finding  out  that  he  was  a  victim  of 
Sasaki's  wiles.  This  latter  continued  to  make  rapid  pro- 
gress. The  deep  water  troubled  him  but  little.  Near 
the  shore,  however,  he  was  soon  entangled  in  the  ropes 
and  nets  hung  between  the  stakes  planted  in  the  river. 
These  his  "  dreadful  sword  "  quickly  accounted  for,  and  at 
last  he  stood  on  dry  land,  triumphantly  to  plant  his 
pennant,  and  to  wave  his  gunsen  (war  fan)  decorated  with 
the  red  ball  of  the  sun  (lii-no-maru) .  Kajiwara  soon  joined 
him,  and  together  they  prepared  to  meet  the  enemy. 
What  more  can  be  said  of  this  early  and  notable  umalmli^e 
(horse-race)  as  set  forth  elaborately  by  the  old  chronicler  ? 
Except  perhaps  to  tell  what  the  jockeys  wore — as  far  as 
the  dictionary  allows  intelligibility.  Kajiwara,  it  says, 
entered  the  water  in  a  shitatare  (the  long  loose  robe)  of 
moTiuixnji  (purple  magnolia) .  His  armour  was  of  black 
leather  sewn  with  black  thread.  His  helmet  presented 
but  two  facets  (jii-mai-kabiito) .  He  carried  a  bow  of 
shigeto  (wrapped  with  rattan),  and  in  his  quiver  were 
twenty-four  arrows,  and  he  wore  a  long  iieritsuho  sword. 
His  horse's  name  was  Surusumi.  Sasaki  wore  a  shitatare 
of  hacliiji.^  Of  his  armorial  equipment,  more  specific 
mention  is  made  of  the  helmet,  hmoagata  (with  two  horns 
springing  from  the  base  in  front).     His  horse  figures  sim- 

*  1^  (?) :  it  is  not  in  Brinkley's  or  Hepburn's  "  Dictionaries."  We 
might  connect  it  \viili  snufF.  '' Kachin"  plainly  refers  to  colour. 
I\eritsubo  (?). 


80  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

ply  as  the  *'  dark  horse,"  (which  won  the  race).  His  bow 
he  grasped  in  the  middle  (why  not  ?) ,  and  he  also  carried 
twenty-four  arrows  in  his  quiver,  which  leads  us  to  believe 
that  there  must  have  been  an  ammunition  train  somewhere 
handy.  As  to  how  this  equipment  fared  after  its  immersion 
in  transit  our  ancient  chronicle  is  as  silent  as  it  is  concern- 
ing the  name  of  Sasaki's  horse.  Worse,  it  is  to  be  feared, 
than  that  of  Kajima  Yoichi  of  Hitachi,  the  tried  retainer  of 
Sasaki,  and  one  who  rivalled  a  fish  in  staying  under  water. 
He  stripped  off  his  armour,  to  display  underneath  his  skin 
and  a  loin  cloth.  With  these,  a  rake,  and  sickle,  he 
entered  the  water  to  deal  not  very  successful  destruction  to 
rangui  and  sakamogi  (stakes  and  ropes)  ;  they  were  too 
numerous  for  one  man,  but  his  subaquean  exploration 
kept  his  hide  out  of  danger. 

The  real  hero  of  the  crossing,  however,  was  Hatakeyama 
Shigetada.  Seeing  that  Kajiwara  and  Sasaki  were  well  on 
their  way  across,  he  said  : — *'  It  will  never  do  to  leave 
them  alone  to  face  the  enemy."  He  wore  a  most  elegant 
shitatare  of  blue  brocade  (or  gieen-aoji  Jio  nishiki) .  His 
armour  was  sewn  with  red  thread  (akaodoshi).  He  had 
under  him  his  magnificent  charger  "  Onikurige  "  ;  and  he 
had  behind  him  five  hundred  men.  Thus  he  plunged 
boldly  into  the  river.  The  waves  were  lashed  into  foam, 
the  currents  eddied  and  boiled.  Shallows  were  few  and 
treacherous,  and  the  horses  had  no  rest.  Hatakeyama  en- 
couraged the  timorous.  ''  Come  !  Sasaki  and  Kajiwara  are 
no  magicians.  You  all  know  them  as  ^very  much  men. 
They  bear  no  special  charm  against  danger.  Keep  well 
in  line.  When  there  is  footing  keep  a  careful  rein. 
When  it  is  deep  let  the  horse  swim  freely.  Never  mind 
answering  the  enemy's  fire.  Let  the  stronger  horse  go 
first,  and  a  weaker  behind  it.  Keep  the  rear  horse  well 
in  check  by  holding  him  up."  Thus  he  gave  his  orders, 
and  the  crossing  proceeded  with  due  success.  Not  that  he 
himself  failed  to  be  a  mark  for  the  enemy.  Nenoi  Oyata 
Yukichika  picked  him  out  as  the  mark  for  his  powerful 
bow.  He  too  wore  a  shitatare  of  the  questionable 
kacliin.  His  belly  guard  {hara-ate)  was  sewn  with 
red  and  white  thread  in  the  cherry  blossom  style  known 


YOSHITSTJNE   AND   YOSHINAKA.  81 

as  kozahura-odoslii.     His  wrinkled  leather  armour   was 
backed  up  with  a  sword  three  feet  eight  inches  in  length, 
and  his  ^nq  faceted  helmet  {go-ijo-jlro)  kept  close  com- 
pany with  the  black  feathered  shafts  of  thirty-four  arrows. 
Thus  he  rode  forward.     To  miss   his   aim   would  have 
discouraged  his  own  men  and  encouraged  the  foe.     He 
was  neither  successful  or  otherwise.     The  burly  Hatake- 
yama  and  his  charger  were  large  enough  not  to  miss. 
His  arrow  landed  in  the  breast  harness  of  Onikurige,  and 
made   swimming   very   awkward    for    the    noble    beast. 
Seeing   this   Hatakeyama   slipped   off,    and    putting   the 
horse's  fore  legs  over  his  shoulders  took  the  burden  of  the 
advance  on  himself.     All  thought  he  v/ould   be  carried 
down   by   the   flood.     But  he  held   his   own,   and  soon 
would  have  been  on  land,  but  for  his  aid  to  others.     More 
than  one  he  rescued  as  he  stood  in  the  shallow.     The  first 
was  in  armour  sewn  with  red  thread.     He  was  rapidly 
being  carried  down  stream,   unable  to  extricate  himself 
from  his  horse.     However,  Hatakeyama  managed  to  land 
him  with  the  aid  of  his  bow  and  the  loss  of  the  man's 
steed.     Promptly  the  victim  scampered  to  shore.     There 
he  struck  an  attitude,  and  to  the  amusement  of  friend 
and  foe  proclaimed  his  qualities.     "  I  am  Oguchi  Jiro  of 
Musashi,  first  to  cross  the  river";    and  he  proved  his 
prowess   forthwith  by  a  skilful  use  of  his  bow  that  took 
all  smile  from  the  victims.     Said  Hatakeyama,  as  at  last 
he  came  to  land  : — ''  So,  my  good  fellow,  you  can  bawl 
for  help  as  loudly  in  the  water  as  you  can  brag  on  land." 
Confronted   with   the   palpable   claimant  to  his  honours 
Oguchi  at  once  acknowledged  his  error.     "  At  least  I  am 
second  only  to  Hatakeyama.     Your  kindness  I  shall  never 
forget."     The  occasion  for  the  second  was  so  essential  to 
the  first  that  this  was  received  with  a  roar  by  the  by- 
standers.    Hatakeyama,  much  pleased  with  his  bowman- 
ship   and   his   self-sufficiency,  asked   Enya,    his  retainer, 
who  the  fellow  was.     Then,  as  he  had  lost  his  horse  in 
the  river,  Hatakeyama  gave  him  a  fine  charger  named 
Kotsukige,  and  at  least  as  far  as  Miyako  the  beast  received 
the  greatest  care  and  consideration,  which  also  was  not 
wasted  on  its  rider. 


82  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

"  Thus  Sasaki  and  Kajiwara  set  up  their  standards  first 
on  the  opposite  bank  ;  but  to  Hatakeyama  belonged  the 
honours  of  the  day,  for  he  aided  others."  Justly  does  the 
old  chronicler  distribute  his  meed  of  praise.  Earnest  as 
all  were  to  fight  none  cared  to  face  the  noted  Kwanto 
warrior.  Hatakeyama  rode  along  the  line  without  an 
answering  challenge.  This,  however,  could  not  last  long. 
The  bulk  of  the  army,  under  Kuro  Yoshitsune  its  com- 
mander, were  crossing  the  river  at  the  little  Tachibana- 
shima.  Here  for  some  distance  from  shore  the  water  was 
shallow.  "  Use  your  horses  as  rafts  to  float  you  across," 
he  directed.  "  Put  the  strong  horse  in  front,  the  weak 
behind  to  get  aid  from  the  leader.  In  the  shallows  give 
them  the  rein.  In  other  places  swim  them.  If  one 
stumbles,  leave  the  left  rein  loose  and  draw  on  the  right. 
Dont  check  them  up.  Keep  your  helmets  on  tight.  The 
enemy  will  send  a  hail  of  arrows."  Yoshitsune  left  his 
station  at  the  broken  bridge,  and  gave  them  the  example 
by  riding  into  the  river.  For  the  great  mass  of  this  force 
the  foe  did  not  wait.  A  race  began  to  Miyako  by  every 
available  road  which  led  into  the  southern  quarters  of  the 
city.  In  this  friend  and  foe  participated,  wath  fighting 
as  an  incident.  Nenoi  Oyata  Yukichika  had  already 
sustained,  with  the  honours,  some  seven  or  eight  of  these 
incidents.  Himself  unscratched  he  had  left  a  trail  of  the 
fatherless  and  widowed  in  his  wake.  Near  Onzaka  he 
was  resting  after  his  latest  little  adventure  of  this  kind. 
Here  he  was  found  by  Kawaguchi  Genzo  of  Musashi  and 
Funahoshi  Kojiro  of  Suruga.  They  were  early  comers  of 
the  advancing  army.  Coming  from  so  near  Shinano  they 
should  have  known  better,  but  as  it  was  they  thought 
that  plainly  they  had  found  game  in  some  great  chief. 
They  approached  him  on  either  side,  and  in  scurvy  tones 
told  him  just  what  was  going  to  happen  to  him.  Y^uki- 
chika  had  exhausted  his  arrows.  His  baggage  train  was 
entirely  out  of  gear.  But  he  was  a  host  in  himself,  and 
he  proceeded  to  w^elcome  these  rash  visitors.  With  open 
arms  he  awaited  them.  To  the  right  Funakoshi  went 
head  long,  pitched  with  fearful  force  into  a  deep  bog 
(fukada).     Into   this   he   disappeared,   to   keep  company 


yOSHITSUNE   AND    YOSHINAKA.  83 

with  his  armour  somewhere  near  the  bottom.  Kawa- 
guchi,  left  alone  to  face  the  foe,  made  his  horse  rear. 
Yukichika,  quickly  slipping  under  the  beast,  grasped  both 
horse  and  rider,  and  sent  Kawaguchi  to  join  his  com- 
panion. Crushed  beneath  his  horse  he  disappeared  from 
sight.  Thus  were  the  twain  brought  to  Mother  Earth. 
Their  names  were  as  mud.  Their  men  stood  aghast  at 
the  fate  of  their  leaders.  Kwanto  soldiery  swarmed  every- 
where, and  Yukichika  was  in  some  uncertainty  of  mind. 
Should  he  then  and  there  commit  liarakiri  ?  "  Since 
you  are  all  for  Miyako,  I  go  with  you  "  ;  and  without 
opposition  off  he  galloped  toward  Kobata-no-sho,  on  the 
chance  of  getting  some  news  of  Y^oshinaka. 

Yoshinaka  had  been  mixing  pleasure  and  business. 
There  had  been  a  great  feast  the  night  before.  After 
wine  and  song  Yoshinaka  proposed  to  devote  himself  to 
the  Lady  Matsu,  his  new  wife.  He  had  retired  for  the 
night's  devotions,  leaving  Chuta  Echigo  on  the  wrong  side 
of  the  fiisuma  (sliding  screens).  This  worthy  retainer 
thoroughly  disapproved  of  his  lord's  careless  and  dissipated 
course  of  living  at  this  crisis  in  his  affairs.  He  had  been  at 
his  side  since  the  latter's  babyhood  on  Mount  Kiso.  Now 
he  proposed  to  give  him  a  lesson.  Long  and  severe  was 
the  lecture  preached.  Yoshinaka  of  course  made  not  the 
slightest  sign  of  paying  the  least  attention.  O'Matsu  v/as 
much  pleasanter  company  at  nearly  any  time  than 
old  Chuta-san,  and  all  the  more  so  after  the  feast. 
When  Yoshinaka  heard  the  heavy  plunge  of  a  body  he 
knew  that  his  faithful  retainer  had  carried  matters  to  the 
last  extremity.  Chuta's  harakiri  aroused  him  to  the 
situation,  and  he  rose  to  don  his  weapons.  He  really  felt 
quite  badly.  Matsu-gozen  clung  to  the  sleeves  of  his 
armour  and  shed  tears.  "  He  thought  of  Kun  of  Su,  who, 
beaten  by  Han,  had  to  part  with  his  beloved,  the  Lady 
Go."  He  sent  a  message  to  Hirozumi  to  get  out  of 
Miyako  with  the  Tenno  and  Hoc.*  He  himself  was  now 
ready  for  the  fray.  "  He  wore  clothes  with  a  red  ground, 
and  a  court  robe  of  brocade  the  ground  of  which  also  was 

*  Whose   palace  is  sometimes  written  Sento-gosho,  at  other   places 
Nishi-iio-toin  (Ariga  Nagao — Dai  Nihon  Kekishi  II  p  81). 


84  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

crimson.  His  armour  was  sewn  with  purple  thread. 
His  hehnet  was  adorned  with  a  gold  dragon  frontlet.  He 
had  his  quiver  on  his  back,  and  his  gold  ornamented 
sword  at  his  girdle."  Yoshinaka  was  every  inch  a  warrior, 
a  great  captain  in  action,  and  at  the  time  he  was  only 
thirty-one  years  old  and  good-looking.  No  wonder  the 
Lady  Matsu  shed  tears.  Thus  he  rode  off  to  join  his 
captains,  among  them  his  warlike  concubine  Tomoe-gozen. 
Whether  this  beautiful  country  maid*  regarded  his  even- 
ing's occupation  in  the  light  of  old  Chuta  is  not  mentioned. 
Women  of  Old  Japan  were  accustomed  to  divide  their 
lord's  favours. 

Hirozumi  meant  well.     His   execution  was  infernally 
bad,  or  rather  there  were  large  obstacles  in  its  road.     On 
receipt  of  the   order"  to  remove  the  Court  he  promptly 
sought  audience.     Here  were  these  Kwanto  rebels  close  at 
hand,   and   Miyako  was  no  longer  a  safe  place  for  the 
Tenno.     They  must  be  up  and  going.     The  palace  officials 
were  frightened  and  useless.     They  had  no  plan  to  offer, 
and  were  not  on  the  inside  of  the  Hoo's  wire-pulling.    This 
latter  stoutly   opposed  any  movement  at  all.     To  him  it 
was  grave  impertinence  to  mix  the  Tenno  in  these  squabbles 
of  the  hiishi.     Hirozumi  was  not  a  patient  man,  and  was 
soon  in.  a  great  rage  before  the  womanish  opposition  of  the 
palace   attendants.      Their    uncertainty   of  mind   might 
become  contagious.     The  norimon  were  outside  and  wait- 
ing.    If  their  illustrious  owners  did  not  get  in,  they  would 
be  put  in.     He  hardly  had  time  to  complete  his   insolent 
speech.      A   veiled    man    stepped  out   of  the   assembled 
courtiers.      Disregarding   the   sword  Hirozumi   had   half 
drawn,  he  grasped  him  by  the  neck  and  buttocks,   and 
with  a  stride  reached  the  roJca.     The  courtyard  was  fully 
a  hundred  feet  in  width.     Hirozumi  crashed  against  the 
massive  wall  never  to  rise  again      But  such  an  exhibition 
of  mighty  strength  put  the  officials  in  a  terrible  fright. 
Under  the  dignified  pretence  of  etiquette  before  strangers 
the  Hoo  skipped  behind  a  bamboo  screen  as  lightly  as  his 


*  She  was  the  sister  of  Imai  Kanehira,  and  both  were  children  of 
Nakahara  Kaneto. 


YOSHITSUNE   AND   YOSHINAKA.  85 

years  and  his  voluminous  garments  permitted.  The  com- 
mon herd  would  gladly  have  been  at  the  wall,  or  on  the 
other  side  of  it,  fearing  to  reach  it  in  the  same  way  as 
Hirozumi.  They  had  experienced  such  a  rough  time  of  it 
with  Yoshinaka's  hushi  that  they  thought  they  understood 
such  manners  in  this  exaggerated  specimen.  The  women 
facinted  at  the  prospect. 

Then  the  new-comer  announced  himself — since  the 
court  ushers  were  paralysed,  and  it  was  his  way  anyhow. 
"  I  am  Saito  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  a  retainer  of  Genkuro 
Yoshitsune.  Anyone,  related  in  the  most  remote  way  to 
Yoshinaka,  who  dares  to  move  toward  the  Throne,  has 
sealed  his  own  fate."  Not  a  man  of  Hirozumi's  band 
dared  to  stir.  They  had  less  backbone  than  their  master, 
and  his  was  broken.  All  stood  in  terror  before  the  giant, 
clad  in  his  black  leathern  armour,  and  his  brown  court 
robe.  With  his  long  hair  and  brilliant  restless  eyes  he 
was  a  formidable  sight.  From  beneath  the  tokin  Benkei 
glowered  contemptuously  at  them.  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori 
and  the  other  hushi  entered  from  a  side  court.  Then 
they  all  moved  forward  to  attack  their  opponents.  These 
did  not  wait  for  them.  They  took  to  flight  to  carry  this 
unexpected  news  to  their  master.  Thus  the  palace  was 
not  defiled  with  blood.  Hirozumi's  had  been  splashed  at 
the  greatest  distance  convenient  for  the  occasion.  Then 
Benkei  turned  to  the  bamboo  screen,  and  prostrating 
himself  made  his  address.  He  told  of  Yoshitsune's  suspi- 
cions as  to  the  designs  of  Yoshinaka.  He  told  who  they 
were,  and  that  they  had  been  sent  to  guard  against  the 
disloyalty  of  the  Shinano  chief.  From  them  there  was  no 
occasion  to  fear.  As  for  Yoshinaka  and  his  band  ;  if  they 
returned,  so  much  the  worse  for  them.  All  this  was  a 
peal  of  Miidera's  silvery  bell  to  the  ears  of  the  Hoo,  who, 
like  most  men  guilty  of  intrigue,  disliked  the  uncertainty 
of  events.  He  emerged.  Apart  from  the  confusing 
medium  of  the  bamboo  screen  he  saw  a  tall  hushi  savour- 
ing strongly  of  the  priest,  a  man  of  powerful  sinew  and 
massive  limbs,  with  a  bristling  shaggy  beard.  *'  The 
other  leader  appeared  by  no  means  an  idiot,  but  was  more 
of  the  great  tactician."     To  them  he  at  once  turned  over 


86  ,  ,SAITO    MQSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  guardianship  of  the  palace,  to  act  in  conjunction  with 
his  own  guard. 

It  was  well  he  did  so.  Hirozumi's  men  had  roused 
Yoshinaka  to  personal  action.  With  two  hundred  hushi 
he  took  his  way  to  the  Sento  Gosho  to  find  the  entrance 
closed  against  him  and  guarded.  His  summons  was  short 
and  exceed ingl}'  uncomplimentary  to  Court  circles,  from 
the  highest  downward.  In  buttle  the  Kiso  Oniwaka 
came  to  the  surface.  He  found  the  norimon  ready  with- 
out the  gate.  "  Everything  is  ready  for  the  Tenno  and 
Hoo,  and  Yoshinaka  does  not  send  a  message  twice.  Let 
these  idle,  useless  court  officials  look  to  it."  Benkei  roared 
with  joy  and  amusement.  His  great  disappointment  was 
that  duty  kept  him  out  of  the  fight,  and  there  was  a 
prospect  of  its  coming  to  seek  him.  "  Why,  you  scurvy 
fellow  !  We  are  Benkei  and  Yoshimori,  of  the  Shi-Ten- 
no  of  Yoshitsune,  and  the  only  Tenno  you  are  likely  to 
come  into  contact  with  hereabouts.  Come  !  Be  off  with 
you  !  Carry  that  head  of  yours  to  a  safe  place.  You 
cannot  find  a  substitute  if  you  lose  it,  as  is  more  than 
likely."  i^ddressed  in  such  base  terms  the  great  captain 
fumed  and  raged.  He  ordered  the  gate  to  be  broken 
down,  saving  Benkei  the  trouble  and  disobedience  of 
orders  in  opening  it.  But  a  messenger  rode  up.  The 
enemy  were  at  Kowata  and  Fushimi.  Kujo  was  swarm- 
ing with  them.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  take  com- 
mand of  his  scanty  force.* 

Shichijo,  Hachijo,  Hoshoji,  Yawaji  were  occupied  by 
the  hostile  forces.  He  rode  off  toward  the  Gojo.  On  the 
way  he  fell  in  with  Nenoi  and  a  mere  handful  of  the 
troops  from  Uji.  These  were  joined  to  his  little  force.  It 
was  certain  that  the  idea  was  to  cut  him  off  from  Kanehira. 
By  the  time  he  reached  Kokujo  he  had  met  with  several 
detachments  of  the  enemy.  These  he  defeated  in  detail ; 
five  hundred  men  under  Hatakeyama,  three  hundred  others 
under  Kawagoye  Taro  Shigefusa,  the  retainers  of  the  Sasaki 
Kyodai  (brothers),  those  of  Kajivvara  and  his  sons,  and  of 

*  Cf.  also  Ariga — loc.  cit.  p.  31.     (All  references  to  his  Dai-Nihon- 
Bekishi  are  in  Vol.  II.) 


TOMOE  GOZEN  AT  TBE  BATTLE  OF  AWAZU 


YOSHITSUNE   AND   YOSHINAKA.  87 

Shibuya  Uma-no-Snke.  All  were  looking  for  him,  and 
had  thus  split  up  to  more  certainly  come  across  him  in  the 
big  city,  perhaps  trying  to  escape  westward  or  northward. 
To  their  cost  and  discomfiture  they  found  him,  with  two 
hundred  of  his  best  men.  But  at  Eokujo  he  was  cornered 
by  the  division  of  Yoshitsune,  who  with  fifteen  thousand 
men  had  entered  the  city.  Yoshinaka  attacked  the  detach- 
ment immediately  in  his  front — three  hundred  men  com- 
manded in  person  by  Yoshitsune.  Deadly  was  the 
discharge  of  arrows.  Fierce  the  single  combats  with  the 
sword.  But  Yoshitsune  was  too  much  for  him.  Detach- 
ments were  summoned  to  surround  him.  •'  The  tactics  of 
Yoshitsune  were  like  those  of  Kyohei.  Brave  as  Fune-ikn 
he  easily  defeated  his  enemy."  Yoshinaka 's  men  fell  fast 
around  him.  Himself  twice  wounded,  the  second  time 
by  an  arrow  which  entered  his  frontlet,  with  but  ten  of 
his  men  he  cut  his  way  out  of  the  Kamogawa.  His  object 
was  not  so  much  flight  as  to  join  Kanehira,  so  he  took  the 
road  leading  to  Hino-oka.  The  Minamoto  were  busily 
engaged  in  breaking  up  the  small  parties  of  the  Kiso 
samurai,  and  getting  complete  possession  of  the  city. 
Yoshinaka  was  soon  reduced  to  himself.  His  attendants 
threw  themselves  between  him  and  the  not  too  energetic 
pursuit.  He  was  riding  off  into  the  arms  of  Noriyori,  and 
they  were  sure  to  get  him.  But  in  this  way  he  lost  sight 
of  Tomoe-gozen.  In  single  combat  she  had  killed  Uchida 
leyoshi.  Near  Awazu  she  was.  challenged  by  Wada  Yo- 
shimori,  and  the  brilliant  Amazon  had  to  yield  to  his 
prowess  and  become  his  booty  in  the  war.* 

Kanehira  was  the  greatest  of  the  Shi-ten-no  of  Yoshi- 
naka. This  skilful  captain  and  dread  of  his  enemies  had 
taken  his  station  at  Kokubunji  on  the  Seta  river.  He  had 
eight  hundred  men  with  him,  mostly  ronin.  When 
Noriyori  came  up  he  found  the  bridges  gone,  and  Kanehira 
ready  to  oppose  his  passage.  The  strategic  point  of  the 
battle  was  to  centre  around  a  little  hill  called  Ishiyama 

*  One  account  says  she  became  his  concubine ;  and  was  the  mother  of 
his  son,  the  famous  Asahina  Saburo;  as  warUke  as  his  parents. 
Another  tradition  says  she  returned  to  Echigo,  and  became  a  nun  after 
Yoshinaka's  death.     Cf  Papinot's  Dictionnaire." 


88  *  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

(Stone  Mountain).  While  hesitating  before  the  Setagawa 
the  news  came  of  the  battle  of  Uji,  and  that  Yoshitsune 
was  already  in  Miyako.  Inage  Saburo  Shigenari  and 
Hangae  Shiro  Shigetada  then  plunged  into  the  river  and 
crossed  at  Tagami.  Aided  hj  this  diversion  Noriyori  with 
his  whole  force  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  soon  drove 
Kanehira  back  on  the  hill.  Here  a  desperate  combat 
took  place.  Kanehira,  who  seemed  to  be  everywhere  in 
the  fight,  was  holding  his  own  even  against  the  enormous 
odds.  Then  news  came  that  Yoshinaka  had  been  killed. 
His  ronin  were  desperate  fellows,  but  they  began  to  melt 
like  snow,  before  the  supposed  loss  of  their  leader.  Kane- 
hira was  left  with  a  mere  handful  to  oppose  the  enemy. 
These  left  a  force  to  hold  him,  and  streamed  on  toward 
the  city.  At  first  Kanehira  thought  he  would  kill  him- 
self. Then  feeling  doubtful  as  to  his  foster-brother's 
death  he  determined  to  try  and  find  Yoshinaka.  So  he 
rode  off,  with  the  enemy  in  pursuit.  The  horses  of 
himself  and  his  companions  had  only  fought  in  the 
battle.  Those  of  the  enemy  were  wearied  by  long  marches. 
Thus  they  soon  outstripped  the  dogged  pursuit.  At  the 
pine  forest  of  Awazu  he  fell  in  with  Yoshinaka,  un- 
attended. There  was  but  one  thing  to  do — to  escape  to 
the  North  and  raise  another  army  to  fight  on  fairer  terms. 
But  as  they  progressed  the  fifty  huslii  grew  to  five 
hundred.  Yoshinaka  began  to  hunger  for  more  fighting. 
He  seemed  to  see  his  army  once  more  collected  under  his 
eyes.  Inomata  Sanemori  with  seven  hundred  Minamoto 
samurai  soon  came  up  to  obHge  him.  Thus  the  battle 
was  renewed  at  Awazu.  Minamoto  from  many  contin- 
gents, the  rear  guard  of  Noriyori 's  great  host  came  to 
swell  the  original  assailants.  Yoshinaka  and  his  men 
were  tired  out  and  far  out-numbered.  Men  fell  around 
their  chiefs  to  cover  their  retreat  over  the  pine  clad  flat,  at 
that  time  a  forest. 

Yoshinaka  and  Kanehira  were  left  almost  alone.  Said 
Kanehira: — "  there  is  but  one  thing  to  do.  I  shall  stay 
here  and  meet  the  enemy.  Your  lordship  can  be  sure 
they  will  not  pass  me  for  some  time.  With  these  few 
faithful  followers  I  shall  fight  to  the  death.     It  is  the  only 


yOSHITSUNE   AKD    YOSHINAKA.  89 

way  for  you  to  reach  the  North,  and  to  again  fight  against 
Yoritomo  and  his  disloyal  designs."  Yoshinaka  reluctantly 
accepted  the  sacrifice ;  only  then  on  Kanehira's  stern 
urging,  almost  rebuke.  The  brave  men  parted  with  much 
emotion.  The  knight  and  his  men  took  position  to  cover 
as  much  ground  as  they  effectually  could.  Yoshinaka 
rode  northward.  There  was  a  cold  wind  blowing  off 
Hieisan,  and  the  ground  was  frozen  on  the  rice  fields  as 
he  emerged  on  the  flat  ground  near  the  lake.  Man  and 
horse  were  worn  out — and  then  an  accident  happened. 
Breaking  through  the  ice  the  horse  fell  into  a  deep 
mud  pit,  and  was  too  wearied  to  extricate  himself. 
With  tiie  pursuing  enemy  in  sight  Yoshinaka  thought 
at  first  of  cutting  his  throat.  Then  he  longed  for 
a  last  look  at  Kanehira,  to  fight  it  out  with  him  to 
the  end.  He  turned  to  look  back,  and  received  full  in 
the  centre  of  the  brow  an  arrow  shot  by  one  Ishida 
Jiro  Tamehisa.*  Thus  died  Yoshinaka,  a  great  captain 
and  leader  of  men.  But  one  man,  in  the  Japan  of  his 
day,  showed  himself  a  greater  soldier.  Cutting  off  his 
head,  with  joyful  shouts  the  Minamoto  hushi  returned 
with  the  trophy.  Kanehira,  now  alone,  was  defending 
himself  valiantly.  He  had  killed  many  of  the  enemy  ; 
and  his  spear,  from  point  to  butt  was  greased  with  blood. 
When  he  saw  the  head  of  his  master  he  decided  to  die 
and  end  the  matter.  "  Ho,  you  fellows  !  See  how  a  real 
bushi  can  die."  Putting  the  point  of  his  sword  in  his 
mouth  he  cast  himself  downward  from  his  horse.  All  in 
admiration  watched  this  great  deed  of  the  famous  captain. 
And  then  they  cut  off  his  head.t 

Go-Shirakawa  had  enough  experiences  of  the  change- 
able politics  of  his  day  to  want  to  be  on  the  winning  side. 
He  was  a  thorough  opportunist.  So  first  he  sent  forth 
his  dove  from  the  ark,  to  learn  if  the  good  news  was 
true.     Daizendayu   Moritada   did  not  flit  very  far.     As 

*  "  Came  floating."  The  idea  is  not  of  great  rapidity — "  whistling.'* 
This  obliging  shaft  just  meandered  down  the  pike.  At  Awazu  was 
fought  the  battle  fatal  to  Ohotomo  on  September  2nd,  672  A.D. 
Aston's  Nihongi  II.  315. 

t  Cf.  Ariga— loc.  cit.  p.  82. 


90  SAITO    MUSASHI-13C)    BENKEI. 

comfortably  as  bis  agitated  feelings  and  tbe  folds  of  bis 
spreading  court  petticoats  would  allow  be  straddled  tbe 
palace  wall  to  survey  tbe  scene  and  secure  a  safe  retreat 
by  Humpty  Dumpty's  easy  process — of  falling  off.  Wbile 
tbus  engaged  Yoshitsune  came  galloping  up  witb  a  large 
train  of  knigbts.  Sending  a  berald  forward  be  announced 
bis  name  and  qualities,  and  tbe  result  of  tbe  battles  at 
Uji  and  Miyako.  "  Tbe  care  of  tbe  palace  bas  been 
my  first  tbougbt.  To  secure  it  I  ask  entrance,  and  tbe 
remains  of  Yosbinaka's  army  can  wait  tbeir  turn. 
Please  open  tbe  gate."  Witb  Benkei  and  Yosbimori  on 
guard  be  did  not  bave  to  summon  twice,  nor  did  tbese 
wortbies  wait  for  any  consultation  of  tbe  palace  officials, 
male,  female,  old,  young,  or  middle-aged.  Tbe  gates 
were  opened  at  once,  and  Yosbitsune  and  bis  train  rode 
into  tbe  court.  Here  tbey  received  notice  tbat  tbe  Hoo 
wisbed  to  see  tbe  leaders  of  tbe  Kamakura  army.  Business 
by  correspondence  bad  been  so  satisfactory  tbat  be  wisbed 
to  press  tbe  point.  Go-Sbirakawa  was  taking  fortune  by 
tbe  forelock.  Appetite  comes  witb  eating,  and  it  was  tbe 
first  time  in  bis  life  tbat  pleasant  tilings  bad  come  bis 
way.  He  determined  to  gorge  tbe  wbole  political  pie  at 
a  sitting. 

Six  of  tbe  leaders  were  tben  conducted  to  tbe  audience 
cbamber  near  tbe  Middle  Grate  of  tbe  palace.  Tbey  were 
Kuro  Hangwan  Yosbitsune,  aged  twenty-five  years ; 
Yasuda  Totomi  no  Kami  Yosbisaka,  aged  tbirty-seven 
years  ;  Sbibuya  Umanojo,  aged  tbirty-seven  years  ;  Hata- 
keyama  Jiro  Sbigetada,  aged  twenty-one  years  ;  Kajiwara 
Genda  Sayemon  Kagesuye,  aged  tbirty-six  years  ;  Sasaki 
Sbiro  Sayemon  no  Jo  Takatsuna,  age  I  twenty  years,  tbe 
first  man  to  cross  tbe  Ujikawa.  Of  tbese  tbe  most 
striking  figure  was  tbe  young  leader.  Everytbing  marked 
tbe  great  man  in  action.  His  eyes  were  still  brigbt  and 
flashing  witb  tbe  excitement  of  action.  The  calm  and 
concentrated  manner,  tbe  quick  nervous  determined  play 
of  facial  action,  displayed  tbe  tbougbtful  and  watchful 
leader,  alert  and  resourceful.  It  was  a  very  youthful 
face,  long,  oval,  sun  tanned,  witb  the  red  blood  showing  in 
the   cheeks,    a    high   forehead    slightly  bulging  over  the 


YOSHITSUNE   AND   YOSHINAKA.  91 

temples  and  eyes  wonderfully  expressive  of  the  inner  life.* 
On  the  man  himself  our  old  chronicler  wastes  but  little 
time.  We  must  get  the  details  from  drawings  and  prints, 
new  and  old,  to  grasp  the  Japanese  idea  of  their  hero. 
But,  on  clothes  !  Here  he  is  at  home  in  the  tailor  shop. 
*'  Yoshitsune  wore  a  court  robe  of  red  brocade  fringed 
with  Chinese  green  silk.  His  armour  was  sewn  with 
deep  purple  [and  righteousness]  and  the  skirt  was 
of  the  same  colour.  He  wore  a  helmet  with  a  white 
star  frontlet.  On  his  back  was  a  quiver  with  twenty- 
four  arrows  ;  in  his  left  hand  a  bow  of  sliigeto,  the  handle 
being  twisted  to  the  left  instead  of  the  right.  His  sleeves 
of  white  silk  were  marked  with  the  monji  (ideographs) 
Namu-Sobyo-Hachiman-Daibosatsu.  At  his  girdle  was  a 
gold  ornamented  sword  in  a  tiger's  skin  sheath."  All  pro- 
strated themselves  in  the  audience  chamber.  Then  the 
Hoo  appeared,  accompanied  by  Dewa  no  Kami  Sadanaga 
as  master  of  ceremonies.  He  asked  their  names  and  then 
repeated  them  to  the  Hoo.  It  was  nothing  extraordinary 
that  this  old  Japanese  Moses,  wandering  in  the  wilderness 
of  twelfth  century  feudalism,  should  grasp  at  the  young 
Joshua.  The  Hoo  called  Yoshitsune  to  him.  For  his 
far-sightedness  in  fathoming  the  plans  of  the  rebel  Yoshi- 
naka  he  had  great  praise  ;  and  heart-felt,  for  the  matter 
had  been  much  on  the  Hoo's  mind.  For  the  gaardian- 
ship  of  the  mighty  Benkei  he  was  pleased.  (Yoshitsune 
grinned — internally.  On  riding  in  the  gate  the  first  thing 
he  had  seen  was  the  dislocated  Hirozumi.  "  Benkei's 
work",  had  been  the  first  thought).  Benkei  was  big, 
even  if  boisterous,  and  there  is  always  something  impres- 
sive in  size.  The  Hoo  had  a  sense  of  fear  in  the  giant's 
proximity,  and  felt  that  everyone  else  must  feel  the  same. 

*  To  be  thoroughly  Japanese  I  ought  to  add — "  he  had  a  fine  nose  "; 
their  distinguishing  external  mark  of  inward  and  spiritual  grace,  and 
of  a  great  man.  As  to  the  place  of  reception,  Yamada  says — "  roku  ki 
no  inusha  wa  chumon  no  soto  naru  kuruma-yadori  ni  zo,  hizamazuki- 
keru  Ho5  gyokwan  nanarae  narazu  chumon  no  ramon  yori  eiran  aru 
ni,"  etc.  Legge  gives  several  references  to  Chinese  palaces,  of  which 
the  Japanese  were  copies.  Cf.  S.B.E.  Ill  p.  236  Shu  King,  and  XXVII 
p.  71  Li  Ki.  The  gyoku-kwan,  referred  to  on  p.  168  (mistakenly  written 
gy5kwan),  is  also  evidently  Chinese.  Cf.  Legge — S.B.E.  XXVIII 
p.  1  LI  Ki  collection. 


92  SATTO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Besides,  the  benevolent  principle  on  which  Benkei  went 
was  something  like  that  of  the  fat  boy  in  Pickwick,  with 
the  Hoo  as  Old  Mrs.  Wardle — "  I  wants  to  make  your 
flesh  creep."  Thus  guarded  the  Hoo  felt  safe.  But  there 
were  the  Taira.  Here  he  played  his  strong  card,  and 
plumped  out  what  he  was  after.  "  Your  deeds  have  been 
great,  deserving  of  record.  Now  complete  your  task  by 
putting  the  Tenno's  mind  (at  four  years  old  !)  at  ease  in 
reference  to  the  Taira."  The  Hoo  spoke  for  himself,  and 
was  a  little  greedy,  for  Yoshitsune  had  hardly  time  to  get 
his  breath  from  the  last  effort.  However,  his  assurances 
of  good  will  were  earnest.  On  account  of  Karaakura  he 
could  not  promise  too  much.  For  the  Hoo,  this  first  cut 
of  the  political  pie  was  most  savoury,  but  he  too  had  to  be 
conservative.  He  gave  fair  words,  as  one  having  nothing 
more  solid  to  give,  the  practical  value  even  of  Court 
favours  depending  on  the  master  of  the  hour,  whoever  he 
happened  to  be.  But  the  gist  of  his  earnest  prayer  was 
very  easily  caught : — "  secure  the  sacred  Three  Treasures 
(regalia)  to  the  Tenno,  and  for  goodness  sake  let  me  have 
some  peace  in  life."  Yoshitsune's  reply  was  equally  to 
the  point  within  his  limits.  We  give  it  with  some  neces- 
sary comments  usually  left  out  by  the  Japanese  historian. 
"  By  dint  of  your  divine  influence  [and  numbers  and 
sharp-edged  weapons]  we  have  succeeded  in  defeating 
your  enemy  [and  putting  ourselves  in  his  place,  as  you 
are  soon  to  find  out].  We,  under  the  patronage  of  your 
sacred  power  [and  the  good  heads  of  my  brothers  and 
myself],  shall  do  our  best  in  securing  your  tranquilHty  [by 
leaving  you  nothing  to  worry  about],  and  shall  overthrow 
the  Taira  [who  are  in  our  road  more  than  in  yours]." 
With  this  satisfactory  speech  the  audience  terminated. 
Yoshitsune  was  formally  left  in  command  of  the  Sento 
Gosho  ;  mainly  because  he  occupied  the  post.  But  from 
this  day  the  Hoo  took  a  great  personal  liking  to  him,  and 
Yoshitsune  himself  fell  under  the  spell  of  the  Court  circle, 
much  as  Gensammi  Yorimasa  had  done  before  him. 

There  remained  nothing  to  do  but  to  count  noses.  At 
this  we  have  seen  that  Ushiwaka  early  was  an  expert. 
Yoshinaka's   head    was  brought   to    Yoshitsune,    and     a' 


YOSHITSUNE    AND   YOSHINAKA.  93 

thorough  beating  up  of  Kiso's  army  was  ordered.  Hi- 
guchi  Kanemitsu,  captured  in  Kawachi,  had  his  head 
struck  off,  making  the  tale  of  the  Shinano  Prince  and  his 
Shi-Ten -no  complete.  On  March  fifth  all  was  once  more 
at  peace  in  Miyako.  Imai  Kanehira,  Nenoi  Yukichika, 
Tate  Chikisada,  Higuchi  Kanemitsu,  accompanied  their 
master  Minamoto  Kiso  Yoshinaka  to  the  river  bed  at 
Eokujo  for  public  inspection  A  wag  put  up,  close  at 
hand,  the  following  poem  : — 

"  Yoshitsune  at  one  mouthful, 

"  Ate  Kiso's  food  ;  he  of  Shinano."* 

In  this  miserable  way  ended  Yoshinaka  and  his  famous 
knights.  His  movement  seems  an  impossible  one  to  the 
Japanese  chronicler-  "  Sprung  from  a  mere  samurai  "  is 
not  strictly  true.  But  if  he  had  not  yielded  so  quickly  to 
the  softening  influence  of  Miyako  he  might  have  been 
formidable  enough  to  force  a  compromise  from  Yoritomo. 
Yoshinaka  was  a  fine  military  captain,  as  his  campaign 
against  the  Taira  showed.  How  he  was  so  misled  as  to 
the  intentions  of  Kamakura  is  difficult  to  determine  at  this 
date,  and  in  a  history  so  persistently  befogged  by  a  Japan- 
ese hostile  partisanship.  In  a  political  sense  he  was  a 
much  stronger  figure  than  Yoshitsune  ever  could  be.  The 
latter,  at  this  point,  was  irretrievably  compromised  by  his 
subordinate  relation  to  his  brother  Yoritomo.  He  offered 
no  real  ground  for  a  party  in  opposition.  But  Yoshinaka 
did  ;  and  when  he  was  removed  from  the  scene  Yoritomo's 
course  was  clear.  As  our  chronicler  quotes : — "  what 
comes  out  of  one's  will,  returns  to  one's  own  person."! 


*  "  Shinano  narn,  Kiso  no  goryo  ni,  Shiru  kakete,  Tada  liito  kuchi  ni, 
Kuro  Yoshitsune."  The  Kiso  "  can  mean  Yoshinaka  or  food  cooked  by 
Kiso.  "  Kuro  Yoshitsune "  can  mean  the  great  captain's  name,  or 
"  Yoshitsune  ate."  Here  and  elsewhere  the  quotations  are  a  para- 
phrase of  Mr.  Minakami's  literal  translation,  with  his  exegesis  to  go  by. 
Especially  poetry  will  not  bear  direct  transplanting  into  English.  I 
have  not  hesitated  to  be  very  liberal,  and  hence  proper  names  are  at 
times  omitted  as  detracting  from  the  sentiment.  For  this  reason  the 
Japanese  originals  are  given. 

t  "  Like  fowls  blunders  come  home  to  roost."  Not  always  :  in  Jan- 
uary (or  the  beginning  of  February)  1184  A.D.,  death  was  bestowed  on 
Taira  Hirotsune.     Probably  there  was  no  man  living  to  whom  Yori- 


94  Saito  musashi-bo  bekkei.  " 

This  is  true  enough.  Yoshinaka  paid  the  penalty  of  his 
really  gross  mistakes.  In  this  he  was  more  fortunate  than 
Yoshitsune  ;  who  paid  the  penalty,  not  of  mistakes,  but  of 
too  thoroughly  carrying  out  orders.  His  mistakes  were 
very  venial. 

tomo  owed  more.  This  man,  "  who  never  forgot  a  kindness,"  was 
moved  to  tears  (afterwards),  and  regretted  (afterwards),  that  slander  had 
led  him  astray  as  to  Hirotsune.  Yoritorao  always  was  lavish  of  j)os<- 
mortem  regrets.  He  was  a  notable  undertaker.  "  What  a  beautiful 
corpse  that  man  would  make."  But  he  was  so  impartial  in  this  distri- 
bution of  obituary  material,  that  seeing  his  generosity  toward  his 
jamily  men  took  it  to  be  justice,  and  did  not  take  alarm. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

IGH  NOTANI :  BENKEI  FINDS  WASHIWO 

SABURu. 


"  Lors  il  mit  a  sacq  force  villes  d'Asie  et  d'Affricque,  battit 
"  les  mescreans  sans  crier  gare,  se  soulciant  peu  s'ls  estoyent 
"  amys  et  d'ou  ils  sourdoyeut,  veu  qu'entre  ses  m^rites  il 
**  avoyt  celuy  de  n'estre  point  curieux,  et  ne  les  interroguoyt 
"  q*apres  les  avoir  occiz." 

(Contes  Drolatiques). 


1. 


About  the  time  Noriyori  and  Yoshitsune  were  marching 
into  Miyako,  the  Taira  were  solidly  establishing  themselves 
at  their  old  quarters  at  Fukuhara.  Many  had  been  the 
vicissitudes  through  which  they  had  gone,  since  with  the 
little  Antoku  Tenno  they  had  left  the  capital  on  the  hot 
August  day  of  1183.  A.D.  From  the  smokiug  ruins  of 
Fukuhara  they  had  fled  down  the  Inland  Sea  to  that  old 
haunt  of  exile,  Dazaifu  in  Tsukushi.  Here  the  little  Ten- 
no  was  lodged  comfortably  enough  in  the  Anrakuji, 
while  the  heads  of  the  family  started  out  to  rouse  up 
the  Saikaido.  They  did  rouse  it  up.  Northern  Kyushu 
ssemed  to  be  a  hot  bed  of  Minamoto  interests.  They 
had  barely  arrived,  therefore,  before  they  had  to  meet 
the  attack  of  Ogata  Saburo  Koreyoshi  of  Bungo.  They 
therefore    passed    into    the    neighbouring    Buzen.    The 


96  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 

beautifully  situated  temple  at  Usa,  hidden  in  its  grove  of 
trees,  with  the  shaded  peaceful  clear  little  river  crossed  by 
the  curious  red  bridge,  and  flov^ing    through  a  beautiful 
valley,  gathers  interest  from  the  prayers  of  the  child  Tenno 
and  the  sorrov^ing  mother.*     Here  they  stayed  to  consult 
Hachiman  Daibosatsu.     This  family  deity  of  the  Minamoto 
returned  a  rough  ansv^er.     "  There  is  no  go^  in  the  v^orld, 
to  v^hom  those  in  distress  can  appeal.     Why  then  do  you 
pray  so  earnestly  ?  "t     This   made  the  Taira  very  sad. 
They  v^ere  both  in  Usa  and  in  distress,  and  for  them  the 
reply  was  most  complete.     But  other  matters  were  more 
pressing,  among  them  the  enemy  in  a  force  to  which  they 
were  not  in   condition   to   offer   resistance.     What   was 
available  they  therefore  concentrated  at  Yanagi-no-ura  for 
transfer  to  Shikoku.     Whether  he  was  drowned,  or  dis- 
gusted at  the  turn  of  affairs  committed  suicide,  Koremori 
Sachujo  Kiyotsune,  son  of  Shigemori  was  lost  during  the 
passage.     They   were  all  very  much  depressed  at  their 
inefficient   leadership.     Munemori   had   never  been  con- 
spicuous except  in  supporting  his  father  in  every  rash  and 
violent  undertaking.     The,  story  runs  that,  when  a  year 
later  they  were  to  perish  at  Dan-no-ura,  the  widow  of  old 
.Kiyomori  gathered  them  all  around  her,  and  disclosed  the 
true  origin  of  Munemori.     She  had  but  one  son,   Shige- 
mori, and  Kiyomori  was  very  uneasy.     She   was   then 
pregnant,   but   a   girl  was  born.     To  meet  the  father's 
wishes  search  was  made,  and  this  baby  was  exchanged  for 
the  child  of  an  umbrella  maker,  living  at  Kitazaka  near 
Kiyomizudera.     Kiyomori    never    knew    of    the    deceit. 
*'  The  son  of  an  umbrella  seller,  it  is  nothing  astonishing 
that  neither  the  intelligence  nor  the  bravery  of  the  Taira 
are  found  in  him. "I     Indeed  on  this  present  occasion  they 

*  The  bridge  is  not  for  the  vulgar.  Only  the  Emperor's  messenger 
passes  over  it — as  at  Nikko.  A  frail,  nariow,  temporary  structure  for 
foot  passengers  runs  below  it. 

t  "  Yo  no  naka  no,  Usa  ni  wa  kami  mo,  Naki  mono  wo,  Kokorozu- 
kushi  ni,  Nani  inoruran."  There  is  a  play  on  the  word  Usa,  which  can 
mean  "  in  Usa  "  or  "  in  distress." 

t  Her  belated  communication  was  made  at  Dan-no-ura,  when 
Tomomori  came  to  announce  that  all  was  over.  As  to  Munemori  the 
!Ni-i-dono  told  them  (Gempei  Seisuiki) : — "Torikaeko  wo  tazunekeru, 


BENKEI   FINDS    WASHIWO    SABURO.  97 

would  have  anticipated  their  final  defeat,  if  Mimhu  Tayu 
Mitsusuye,  governor  of  Nagato  had  not  come  to  their 
assistance  v/ith  a  hundred  vessels.  Under  this  strong 
escort  they  reached  Yashima.  Shigeyoshi  had  erected  a 
palace  here,  but  as  for  years  there  had  been  no  levy  of  the 
Nankaido  and  Sanyodo,  it  had  become  ruined  and  dis- 
mantled from  neglect.  The  Tenno  therefore  was  kept  on 
a  boat.  The  nobles  and  their  retainers  found  such  refuge 
as  they  could  in  the  fishermen's  huts.  As  the  chronicler 
puts  it : — they  had  an  oar  for  a  pillow  under  a  roof  threa- 
tening every  moment  to  fall  upon  them,  The  boats  of  the 
fishermen,  or  the  white  snipe,  were  every  moment  taken  to 
be  the  advancing  enemy.  "  Thus  in  place  of  green  linen 
curtains  and  red  silk  bed-clothes,  they  were  lodged  in 
wretched  huts  with  reed  screens,  and  crouched  by  a  hearth 
blackened  with  smoke." 

As  we  have  seen  things  did  begin  to  turn  in  their  favour. 
Sadayoshi  had  been  a  leading  figure.  He  was  a  great 
nephew  of  Tadamori,  father  of  Kiyomori.  In  1180  A.D. 
he  had  defeated  Kikuchi  Takanao  in  KyQshu.  Marching 
on  Miyako  in  1182  A.D.  he  found  Munemori  in  full 
retreat.  Unable  to  persuade  him  to  return  he  went  his 
own  way  to  lay  the  remains  of  Shigemori  safely  to  rest  at 
Koyasan.  Then  he  returned  to  fight  with  his  clan. 
These  had  no  small  success.  In  November  1183  A.D.  tte 
three  great  captains  of  the  Taira — Shigehira,  Tomomori, 
and  Noritsune — had  defeated  and  slain  Yoshikiyo  at  Mizu- 
shima  in  Bitchfi.  Yoshinaka  thought  to  take  up  the  task 
against  the  Taira  in  person,  but  was  called  back  to  Miyako 
by  the  intrigues  of  Minamoto  Yukiiye.  When  this  latter, 
a  fugitive  from  Miyako,  attacked  them  at  Kotoyama  in 
Harima  his  first  success  over  an  isolated  detachment  had 

liodo  ni  Kiyomizu-tera  Kita-no-saka  ni  karakasa  wo  harite  akinau 
yosutebito  ni  sok5  ni  naritari  kereba,  imyo  ni  *  karakasa  h5ky5 '  to 
iikeru  mono  ka,  moto  ni  otoko  wo  umitarikeru  ni  torikae  tsiitsu  Nyudo 
ni  otoko  o  mSketaru  yoshi  tsugetareba,  oki  ni  yorokonde  sanjo  mo 
hatesarikeri  domo  ureshisa  ni  wa  kitanaki  koto  mo  wasurete,  ny5bo  no 
moto  ni  yuki,  *a!a!  medetashi,  raedetashi'  to  zo ;  yorokobi  tamai- 
keru  Nyudo  yo  ni  arishi,  hodo  wa  tsuyu  no  kotoba  ni  mo  idashi  tama- 
wazu.  Dan-no-ura  nite  zo  hajimete  kaku  katari  tamaikeru."  Then  she 
goes  over-board,  having  got  this  weight  off  her  mind  thus  late  in  the 
day. 


98  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

been  quickly  changed  to  defeat,  and  be  was  driven  out  of 
both  Harima  and  Settsu  into  Kawachi.  This  had  given 
them  prestige.  The  scattered  retainers  of  the  clan  were 
successfully  brought  together,  and  they  had  acquired 
such  strength  in  the  West  that  Munemori  moved  the 
Court  from  Yashima  to  Ichi-no-tani.*  Here  on  the 
borders  of  Settsu  and  Harima  a  strong  fortification  was 
built  as  the  base  of  their  host  (said  to  be  100000  strong). 
The  place' was  considered  impregnable.  In  the  rear  it  was 
surrounded  by  mountains  *'  so  steep  that  only  a  bird  could 
pass."  In  front  it  was  protected  by  the  broad  sea,  and 
was  only  open  to  a  naval  attack.  They  had  assembled 
several  thousand  craft,  everything  available  along  the 
shores  of  the  Inland  Sea.  On  the  southwest,  where  the 
water  was  shallow,  heaps  of  missiles  and  long  heavy  poles 
were  kept  to  repel  an  enemy  attempting  to  cross.  The 
land  circle  was  completed  by  a  deep  ditch  and  barricade  of 
heavy  timber.  A  tall  tower  overlooked  the  whole,  and  a 
drum  quickly  called  every  man  to  his  post.  The  garrison 
was  most  carefully  trained.  "  The  castle  was  like  one 
built  of  iron  and  stone.  One  could  scarcely  imagine 
millions  under  the  greatest  generals  of  China,  Choryo  and 
Kansin,  as  able  to  force  a  capitulation."  It  must  have 
been  tolerably  safe,  for  Munemori  would  not  else  have 
trusted  his  precious  carcass  within  its  enclosure.  Besides, 
the  country  around  Yashima  was  full  of  small  Minamoto 
fief-holders,  only  held  to  their  allegiance  to  their  nominal 
governors  by  overpowering  force.  Noritsune  thoroughly 
distrusted  many  of  the  local  husJii. 

Yoshitsune  looked  on  all  this  with  the  bilious  eye  of  a 
successful  general  anxious  to  destroy  every  source  of  the 
enemy's  power.  The  news  of  the  defeat  and  the  head  of 
Kiso  had  been  sent  to  Kamakura,  with  the  request  for 
permission  to  advance  on  the  Taira.     No  answer  of  any 

*  Behind  West  Suma  near  Kobe.  The  lines  of  this  fort  extended 
from  Ikuta  (the  Ikuta  temple  is  well  known  to  Kobe  residents)  to 
Ichinotani,  about  seven  miles.  I  only  admit  this  number  "100000" 
on  the  kindred  statement  of  Dr.  Ariga,  who  cites  the  collection  of 
several  thousand  boats,  loc.  cit  83.  Positive  statements  as  to  transporta- 
tion refer  to  much  smaller  armies. 


BENKEI   FINDS    WASHIWO    SAEURO.  .99 

kind  was  received.  Meanwhile  liis  attractive  personality 
was  winninp;'  ground  with  the  Hoo  in  Miyako.  One  day 
Yoshitsiine  determined  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Kibune  shrine 
to  thank  the  god  for  all  that  he  had  done  for  him. 
Incidentally  he  stopped  at  Kuramayama-dera  to  have  a 
long  talk  with  old  friends  at  the  Tokobo  and  Chiryobo, 
and  perhaps  it  was  on  this  occasion  they  secured  the 
helmet  ornamented  with  the  golden  shisJii  (leopard-lion 
couchant,  which  looks  more  like  a  barking  **  chin  "  or 
spaniel)  now  so  proudly  shown.  At  night  Yoshitsune 
went  to  the  mountain  shrine  of  Bishamon  to  pray,  keep 
guard,  and  talk  about  the  promised  farms,  and  how 
close  the  realisation  was.  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  Ise  Saburo, 
Shibuya  Uma-no-jo,  the  Sato  Kyodai,  and  fourteen  others 
guarded  the  approaches.  Overcome  with  sleep  Yoshi- 
tsune had  a  dream.  An  aged  man  appeared  from  the 
shrine,  and  after  praising  him  for  his  warlike  exploits 
presented  him  with  a  sword  in  a  white  sheath.  Then 
he  disappeared  again  into  the  shrine.  Yoshitsune  awoke 
in  the  chill  morning  air,  and  strange  to  say  there 
was  the  sword  lying  across  his  knees.  Benkei  and 
the  others  had  seen  no  one  approach  the  shrine  that 
night.  At  the  Kibune  shrine  he  was  met  by  a  priest, 
who  presented  him  with  a  feathered  arrow.  Lo  !  it  was 
another  dreamer  who  cameth.  The  god  had  told  him  to 
present  this  arrow  to  the  warrior  chief  who  would  appear 
that  morning  at  the  shrine.  At  this  Yoshitsune  was 
hugely  pleased.  He  not  only  had  himself  a  personal 
visit  from  the  god  to  his  credit,  but  this  additional  mark 
of  favour  to  emphasize  it.  He  returned  to  Miyako  deter- 
mined to  strike  at  once,  and  news  or  no  news  from 
Kamakura,  to  march  against  the  Taira.  But  really  he 
had  hardly  given  his  messenger  time  to  reach  the  northern 
city  when  he  already  expected  an  answer. 

At  the  council  of  leaders  Hojo  Tokimasa  voiced  the 
opposition.  The  question  of  instructions  was  not  vital, 
for  those  given  at  their  start  authorized  any  necessary 
movements.  Hojo  gave  full  credence  to  the  accounts  of 
the  Taira  strength.  They  had  sixty  thousand  men, 
against  one  hundred  thousand  occupying  an  impregnable 


100  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

position,  and  it  was  utter  madness  to  attempt  to  dislodge 
them  with  their  smaller  forces  and  defective  commissariat. 
Yoshitsune's  reply  was  pointed  and  over-brief.  ''  If  we 
are  in  such  a  minority,  are  we  to  wait  until  the  enemy  has 
concentrated  to  attack  us?  A  general  in  the  field  and  on 
campaign  has  no  business  to  await  orders.  He  must 
meet  the  situation  presented  with  the  means  at  hand. 
Hesitation,  moreover,  is  more  than  dangerous  ;  *  a  hesitat- 
ing tiger  is  inferior  to  an  active  v/asp,'  To  rely  for 
supplies  on  such  a  distant  place  as  the  Kwanto  is  out 
of  the  question.  The  place  to  get  them  is  in  the  enemy's 
country.''  Even  Hojo  saw  the  existing  danger,  and 
besides  Yoshitsune  could  produce  a  positive  order  from  the 
Hoo,  ordering  an  immediate  advance  to  clear  Miyako  of 
the  dangerous  neighbourhood  of  these  enemies.  He  felt 
better  with  them  at  Yashima,  and  that  was  bad  enough. 
The  most  valuable  feature  of  the  commission  was  the 
order  to  all  and  sundry,  temples  and  subjects,  to  give  up 
their  goods  and  freely  to  assist  with  supplies  the  Minamoto 
commanders.  The  only  real  difference  it  made  to  Yoshi- 
tsune was  that  his  preparations  were  now  made  openly. 
Throughout  he  seems  to  have  had  the  earnest  support  of 
Noriyori.  This  negative  youth  managed  to  remain  loyal 
throughout  his  career  to  both  brothers.  He  neither  in- 
trigued for  or  against  either  of  them. 


Thus  authorized  Gam  a  no  Kwanja  Noriyori  set  out 
with  the  van  of  fifty  thousand  men  to  pitch  his  camp  at 
Koyono  in  Settsu.  He  was  to  attack  the  cast  front  of  the 
enemy's  fortification.  Yoshitsune  with  twenty  thousand 
men  was  to  proceed  through  the  mountains  and  attack 
Ichi-no-tani  on  the  west.  The  task  was  no  light  one. 
The   fortifications   extended   a   distance   of    nearly   eight 


BENKEI   FINDS    WASHIWO    SABUKO.  101 

miles,  from  Ikuta-iio-mori  on  the  east  to  Ichi-no-tani  on 
the  west.  Fukuhara  lay  well  within  the  east  Hne. 
Hyogo,  Itajiku,  and  Suma  marked  its  further  extent. 
The  Taira  soon  got  wind  of  the  movement.  There  was  a 
great  bustle  and  uncertainty  as  to  just  what  were  the 
plaiTs  of  the  Minamoto  chiefs.  Themselves  they  were 
thinking  of  attacking  Miyako  rather  than  of  being  attacked. 
The  very  boldness  of  the  enemy  in  advancing  against 
such  a  strong  position  added  to  his  numbers.  Shinsammi 
Chiljo  Sukemori,  Komatsu  Shosho  Arimori,  Tango  Jiju 
Tadafusa,  Bitchu  no  Kami  Norimori,  [gaheinai  Hyoye 
Kiyoiye,  Jiro  Morikata,  with  seven  thousand  men  were 
sent  toward  Mikusa*  to  reconnoiter  the  force  of  Yoshitsune 
supposed  to  be  on  its  march  across  Tamba.  They  camped 
at  the  foot  of  Mikusayama. 

The  plan  of  the  Minamoto  chiefs  was  simple  enough. 
Its  successful  execution  depended  entirely  on  Yoshitsune. 
From  Noriyori  nothing  was  to  be  expected  but  a  plain 
brutal  frontal  attack,  which  was  quite  likely  to  be  repulsed. 
As  the  Taira  controlled  the  sea-way,  the  two  chiefs  had  to 
act  separately.  The  usual  military  calculation  gave  to 
Tamba  a  two  days  march.  Yoshitsune  crossed  it  in  a 
forced  march  of  twenty  hours.  As  they  marched  along 
in  the  night  the  rough  roads  became  almost  impossible  in 
the  darkness.  There  was  great  danger  of  a  large  part  of 
his  force  going  astray.  Yoshitsune  called  Benkei  to  his 
side.  Said  he  : — "  Benkei,  I  am  in  great  difficulties.  If 
we  lose  our  way  we  will  fail  to  be  present  at  the  attack  as 
arranged  to  take  place.  Our  glory  will  fall  to  others.  I 
need  a  torch.  Such  a  one  as  will  light  not  only  the  road, 
but  the  whole  country-side.  In  all  our  studies,  human 
and  divine,  I  have  never  heard  of  such  a  torch,  but  I 
know  that  you  are  always  ready  for  the  unexpected.  A 
man  who  can  carry  off  a  bell  from  under  the  noses  of  a 
horde  of  hungry  monks  whose  call  to  dinner  it  marks  can 
make  a  bonfire  on  a  mountain."  He  looked  seriously 
into  the  shrewd  and  smiling  face  of  the  giant.     "  I  wish 

*  Mikusa  is  in  the  Kato  district  of  Harima,  not  far  from  Tamba 
Eiver.     It  is  on  a  main  road  which  runs  north-west  from  Kobe. 


102  SATTO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

your  lordship  would  ask  me  something  more  difficult ", 
replied  Benkei.  Taking  a  torch  from  a  soldier  he  strode 
off  a  few  paces  to  the  leeward  side,  and  bending  down 
fired  the  dry  grass.  The  little  blaze  soon  developed  into 
a  brisk  conflagration  lighting  up  the  country-side  for 
miles.  The  cue  was  quickly  taken,  and  it  was  by  the 
light  of  blazing  trees  and  hamlets  that  they  marched 
through  the  night  toward  the  borders  of  Harima. 

Yoshitsune  pitched  his  camp  east  of  Yamaguchi  at  a 
place  called  Onohara.  His  first  move  was  to  disperse  the 
advance  guard  of  the  Taira,  camped  close  by  at  Mikusa- 
yama.  These  were  thoroughly  at  their  ease  Yoshitsune's 
forces  were  at  a  distance,  and  they  did  not  anticipate  this 
descent  on  them  in  the  night.  On  this  night  of  March 
nineteenth  Yoshitsune  determined  to  attack  at  once.  Tired 
as  they  were  all  his  hushi  were  immensely  delighted. 
Kumai  Kagetada  Taro,  as  a  native  of  Tamba,  led  the  van. 
Progress  was  rapid.  When  close  to  the  enemy  a  spy 
brought  the  news  that  all  were  asleep  in  the  camp.  Sur- 
rounding it  the  Minamoto  raised  their  war  cry  and  struck 
their  shields  vigorously.  It  was  a  rough  awakening. 
n  rpj^Q  roaring  sound  shook  vale  and  mountain,  and  echoed 
far  and  wide."  The  Taira  were  thrown  into  the  greatest 
confusion.  Chiefs  and  men  could  not  find  each  other  in 
the  darkness.  Then  light  enough  was  afforded,  but  from 
their  burning  tents  which  had  been  fired.  Some  blundered 
into  the  Minamoto  ranks  and  were  promptly  despatched. 
Others  struck  down  their  own  comrades  in  the  smoke. 
Many  had  no  time  to  arm,  and  naked  took  to  flight. 
Banners,  weapons,  and  armour  were  thrown  away. 
Some  made  their  way  back  to  Ichi-no-tani,  but  the 
majority,  thinking  the  enemy  to  he  between  them  and  the 
stronghold,  escaped  to  Takasago  in  Harima.  From  here 
they  crossed  to  Sanuki  (in  Shikoku)  and  took  refuge  it 
Yashima.  Five  hundred  heads  were  secured  by  the 
Minamoto.  Thus  Yoshitsune  gave  the  Taira  the  first  taste 
of  his  quality. 

Munemori  was  surprised  and  aghast  to  find  the  enemy 
so  suddenly  upon  him.  On  both  sides  an  attack  was  to 
be  faced.     With  some  reluctance  Noto  no  Kami  Noritsune, 


BENKEI   FINDS   WASHIWO    SABURO.  103 

assamecl  the  military  command  under  such  an  inefficient 
chief.  He  divided  his  forces  to  meet  the  double  attack  of 
an  enemy  whose  number  was  a  mystery  to  the  besieged. 
Ample  provision  was  made  at  the  sea  shore  to  secure  the 
retreat.  Munemori  with  the  Tenno  and  Kenrei-mon-in 
(his  mother)  promptly  took  to  the  water  and  waited  for 
the  result  of  the  battle.  On  the  mountain  side  a  mere  post 
of  observation  was  established.  Now  the  arrangement  for 
the  attack  was  as  follows.  On  the  twentieth  of  March 
(1184  A.D.)  the  Minamoto  forces  would  be  in  position 
before  Ichi-no-tani.  But  this  was  the  anniversary  of 
Kiyomori's  death,  a,nd,  Yoshitsune  put  it,  it  was  not  fit  to 
interrupt  the  Taira  ceremonial  on  that  occasion — besides  it 
would  be  very  unlucky.  The  nineteenth  was  Jcinoyene, 
the  twentieth  was  unlucky.  The  twenty  first  of  March  at 
dawn  was  therefore  agreed  on  as  the  time  for  attack.* 
Yoshitsune  had  rapidly  pushed  forward  to  the  sea.  Now 
climbing  a  height  he  had  seen  things.  There  were  miles 
of  flaming  torches  extending  from  Suzume  Matsuhara, 
through  Mikage  and  Ikuta,  to  Ichi-no-tani.  Within  and 
around  this  space  were  camped  more  than  a  hundred 
thousand  men,  and  the  fighting  had  to  be  done  within  very 
narrow  limits.  He  learned  that  Tomomori  and  Noritsune, 
both  able  captains,  were  in  command,  and  a  spy  had  also 
reported  that  the  Tenno  had  already  embarked,  ready  to  be 
conveyed  away  across  the  water.  Yoshitsune  sighed.  That 
he  could  not  help,  at  this  stage  of  the  war.  But  otherwise 
the  difficulties  were  very  great,  and  the  chances  of  failure 


*  Yamada  says: — "Yoshitsune  ko  shosho  wo  kwai  shite  gungi  ari. 
kern  wa,  kanete  wa  ni  gwatsii  yo  nichi  ni  shodo  no  ya-awasesubeki- 
Tehazn  naredomo  yo  nichi  wa  ko  Kiyomori  noikkwaikinareba  Gempei 
saiko  no  ikusa  ni  teki  no  butsuji  wo  samatagen  mo  bud5  navi.  Go 
nichi  wa  kinoene;  roku  nichi  wa  dobyd  nichi  naru  ni  yorite;  sliichl 
nichi  no  unol^okn  wo  saisho  no  ya-awase  to  sadametari."  (Takahashi's 
Ed.  p.  163).  Kinoe  is  applied  to  days  as  well  as  years.  Kinoe-ne  ^  ^ 
(of  the  rat).  According  to  Legge,  S.B.E.  XXVII.  p.  249  (Li  Ki  Collec- 
tion) the  original  application  is  to  days,  the  later  to  years.  The  passage 
in  Yamada  throws  a  curious  side-light  on  our  captain's  psychology. 
The  superstition  of  to-day  as  to  kinoe  as  an  unlucky  day  is  doubtless 
very  old.  It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  some  features  of  its  application 
on  the  country-side,  but  as  far  as  it  goes  few  could  date  their  conception 
from  its  occurrence. 


104  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

excellent.  He  turned  to  the  mountains  piled  up  behind 
the  coast.  Argued  he: — "a  great  captain  is  right  in 
fearing  obstacles,  and  it  is  his  duty  to  think  out  a  plan  to 
avoid  them.  We  must  flank  this  position.  But  how? 
"When  Tokai,  the  great  general  of  Gu,  attacked  Shoku,  he 
wrapped  himself  in  a  blanket  and  rolled  over  the  cliffs. 
His  men  scrambled  down  clinging  to  vines,  roots,  and 
projecting  corners  of  the  rocks.  Thus  he  annihilated  the 
enemy,  unarmed  and  not  expecting  an  attack."  With 
this  idea  in  his  head,  when  he  reached  Shikamatsu  on  the 
twentieth  he  sent  his  army  forward,  under  the  command 
of  Doi  Sanehira  and  Tashiro  Kw^anja  Nobuchika.  These 
were  to  follow  out  the  plan  agreed  upon,  and  to  attack 
Ichi-no-tani  on  the  west.  He  himself  with  one  hundred 
and  eighty  picked  men  determined  to  find  a  way  through 
the  mountains  and  forest  in  the  rear  of  the  fortress,  and 
crossing  a  pass  called  the  Hiyodorigoye,  thus  to  fall  un- 
expectedly from  the  sky  on  the  Taira's  unprotected  rear. 
Doi,  as  agreed  on,  was  to  light  the  signal  fire  for  Noriyori 
to  attack  at  the  same  time.  This  would  also  be  a  signal 
to  Yoshitsune  on  the  mountain  ridge.  Leaving  Doi  to 
get  into  position  for  the  attack  next  day,  Yoshitsune 
turned  his  face  to  the  encircling  mountains  to  find  a  way 
if  he  could.  Apart  from  his  more  particular  attendants, 
be  had  with  him  Hatakeyama,  Wada,  Kawagoye,  Sa- 
wara,  Hirayama.  Of  his  own  men,  Musashi-bo  Benkei, 
Hitachi-bo  Kaison,  Kamei  Eokuro,  Kataoka  Hachiro,  Ise 
Saburo,  Suruga  Jiro,  Kumai  Tare,  and  the  Sato  Kyodai 
rode  close  behind.  With  them  we  leave  him  for  the 
present  to  go  his  way. 

At  dawn  on  March  twenty  first  Noriyori  and  Sanehira 
marched  boldly  to  the  attack.  The  Minamoto  banners 
"  waved  in  the  wind  like  white  dragons  rising  high  in  the 
air."  The  shouts  of  assailed  and  assailants  were  "  so 
deafening  and  far-reaching  that  one  could  well  imagine 
its  reaching  to  High  Heaven,  and  down  to  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  gods  above,  to  the 
awakening  of  the  Eight  Dragon  King  below,"  (our  old 
friend  the  sea  serpent).  Now  in  the  assailing  force  there 
were  two  young  huslii  who  were  seized  with  the  laudable 


BENKEI   FINDS   WASHIWO    SABUEO.  105 

but  unlikely  (at  the  time)  ambition  of  being  first  within 
the  magic  circle  of  Ichi-no-tani's  charms  and  fortifications. 
Their  names  were  Kawara  Taro  Takanao  of  Musashi  and 
Jiro  Morimichi  (of  the  same  family) .  The  barrier  was  a 
formidable  structure  of  felled  logs  backed  with  a  strong 
framework.  While  these  neophytes  sought  entrance  to 
the  lodge  forth  came  a  certain  Wanabe  Grdro  Sukemitsu, 
a  fearful  goatish  bearded  man.  With  bow  and  arrow 
this  hardened  warrior  easily  accounted  for  both  these 
Cock  Eobin  fledglings.  Kawara  got  it  in  the  skirt,  and 
Moromichi  in  the  waist.  The  difference  is  merely  verbal. 
Both  suffered  perforation  of  the  intestines,  and  from 
this  superficial  haraMri .died  forthwith  ;  to  the  great  rage 
of  Kajiwara  Heizo,  Genda,  and  Heiji.  This  worthy 
father  (Heizo)  and  sons,  with  five  hundred  men  behind 
them,  forced  their  way  into  the  enclosure,  to  be  met  by 
Chunagon  Tomomori  and  Honsammi  Shigehira.  As  it  is 
Minamoto  versus  Taira  our  romancers  of  course  gift  the 
latter  with  two  thousand  men,  to  make  the  fight  interest- 
ing. At  all  events  it  was  undecided,  and  the  Minamoto 
could  do  no  more  than  hold  their  own.  Of  this  Noriyori 
had  warned  Kajiwara.  "  First  get  your  men  well  in 
hand,"  he  shouted.  Kajiwara  Genda,  already  on  the 
march,  answered  : — "  A  bow  of  azusa  wood,  an  heir- 
loom to  the  warrior  from  his  ancestors,  when  once 
the  arrow  presses  its  string  will  not  unbend  until  dis- 
charged ;"  all  in  the  most  proper  thirty-two  syllables  of 
tanka  versa.  Noriyori,  just  the  same,  took  the  precaution 
to  get  all  his  men  on  the  field.  Then  the  fight  was  fully 
on.  Kumagai  Jiro  Naozane,  Kumagai  Kojiro  Naoiye, 
Hirayama  Mushadokoro  Shigesuye,  raged  through  the 
battle,  to  be  met  by  the  Taira  chiefs  Tomomori,  Noritsune, 
and  Shigehira.  On  all  sides,  in  mass  and  single  combat, 
Minamoto  and  Taira  were  engaged  in  hot  battle.  "  The 
roaring  sound  of  galloping  horses  shook  the  ground,  and 
the  light  reflected  from  brandished  spears  and  flashing 
swords  was  like  the  play  of  lightning."  There  were  floods 
of  gore,  the  strand  was  dyed  purple,  the  dead  lay  in  ghastly 
heaps,  and  the  wounded  crawled  into  the  bushes  to  die  or 
avoid  being  trampled  upon.    And  yet  Benkei's  halberd  was 


106  SAITO   MQSASHT-B(5   BENKEI. 

still  idle,  and  there  was  no  issue  (visible)  to  this  mighty 
strife.  How  could  such  things  be  ?  As  a  matter  of  fact  the 
Minamoto  had  met  with  a  severe  check.  The  attack  had 
failed. 


3. 


When  he  had  brought  his  army  to  the  west  of  Ichi-no- 
tani,  Yoshitsune  had  done  his  part.  He  had  crossed 
Tambi  in  half  the  time  allowed.  He  had  fought  and  put 
to  flight  the  enemy,  driving  them  across  the  sea.  To  him 
the  hardest  part  of  the  undertaking  was  in  front  of  him, 
that  on  which  depended  the  success  of  the  whole  attack. 
Ichi-no-tani  was  so  strongly  defended  on  its  two  land 
fronts,  east  and  west,  that  there  was  little  hope  of  break- 
ing down  its  defence  unless  a  diversion  could  be  created  in 
the  rear  by  a  passage  through  and  over  the  rough 
mountain  barrier.  Doi  and  the  last  of  the  Minamoto 
banners  were  hardly  out  of  sight  before  Yoshitsune  turned 
the  head  of  his  horse  toward  the  wooded  ranges  which, 
to  the  south-east,  cut  him  off  from  Ichi-no-tani  and  the 
sea.  Close  beside  him  rode  Benkei  and  Hatakeyama,  the 
latter  of  hard  fighting  Taira  stock,  and  already  a  great 
admirer  of  the  admirable  judgment  and  quick  grasp  the 
young  general  displayed  in  martial  affairs.  Behind  came 
Sato  Tsuginobu  and  Tadanobu ;  and  behind  them  in 
long  line  the  rest  of  the  little  band,  all  of  them  huslii 
of  great  or  growing  reputation.  It  was  virgin  forest 
that  Yoshitsune  rode  through  on  this  expedition  which 
crossed  the  Aoyama  and  Oribeyama  ranges  by  the  Tsuna- 
shitatoge.  The  only  roads  available  were  the  rough  trails 
of  the  wood-cutters,  used  for  their  purpose  and  then  long 
abandoned,  clogged  with  brambles,  and  obstructed  by  huge 
fallen  trees.  At  places  they  had  literally  to  take  to  the 
woods,  over  slippery  inoss-covered  boulders,  to  the  great 
danger  of  their  horses.     More  than  one  knight  was  unwill- 


BENKEI   FINDS   WASHIWO    SABUBO.  107 

ingly  converted  to  a  foot-soldier  during  the  march,  which 
was  no  handicap  to  progress.  Steep  and  ragged  are  these 
trails  to-day  through  these  Japanese  mountain  districts. 
They  were  certainly  no  better  in  the  twelfth  century. 
Groans  the  romancer,  suffering  in  turn  with  his  hero  and 
the  Minamoto : — "  It  was  like  Kokan  and  Gekikaku  in 
China,  noted  for  steep  and  rugged  paths."  Their  objective 
was  the  so-called  pass  to  the  sea  known  as  the  Hiyo- 
dorigoye,  so  little  used  that  nothing  could  be  ascertained  of 
its  character  except  its  reputed  inaccessibility.  Wood- 
cutters or  occasional  villagers,  met  on  the  road,  all  shook 
their  heads  at  the  idea  of  undertaking  it  with  horses.  At 
dark  they  were  somewhere  near  the  foot,  and  stopped  to 
rest.  Yoshitsune  tried  to  encourage  his  down-cast  fol- 
lowers, and  to  inspire  them  with  a  little  of  his  own  unfailing 
cheerfulness  and  confidence.  "  Come  !  Take  heart,  my 
dear  captains.  Our  undertaking  is  difficult,  but  there  will 
be  all  the  more  glory,  as  the  battle  cannot  be  won  unless 
we  succeed."  He  laid  the  whole  situation  before  these 
practised  soldiers,  with  a  lucidity  that  opened  their  eyes 
to  the  military  genius  in  their  midst.  Confidence  and 
effort,  due  alone  to  this  man's  personality,  were  doubled. 
With  such  a  leader  they  must  win.  In  the  many 
difficulties  which  arose  later  in  these  Taira  campaigns, 
Wada,  Miura,  Doi,  Hatakeyama,  all  who  served  under 
him,  were  found  in  almost  blind  belief  supporting  Yoshi- 
tsune's  judgment. 

After  their  meal  the  word  was  again  forward.  The 
mere  pretence  of  a  trail  was  all  the  more  difficult,  almost 
impossible  in  the  darkness.  Under  the  slopes  of  Mikara- 
yama  there  was  no  sound  of  ought  but  the  blowing  wind 
and  the  chattering  of  monkeys  disturbed  by  the  passing 
cavalcade.  Yoshitsune  grew  sentimental  and  lonely. 
Quoted  he  : — "  '  quite  dark  it  grew,  so  dark  that  none 
could  discern  their  way  ;  yet  to  his  dear  home  the  horse- 
man hurried  forward.'  Plain  is  it  that  we  must  have 
some  aid  in  the  dark.  Benkei's  torch  will  not  answer 
here.  The  glare  of  burning  forest  in  their  rear  would 
betray  our  presence  and  plan  to  the  enemy.  Who  can 
suggest  something."     Certainly  not  Kumai  Taro,  hereto- 


108  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEf. 

fore  the  guide,  and  who  flatly  maintained  that  there  was 
no  road.  Then  Wakebe  Tare  Kisata  stepped  forward. 
Said  he  : — "  I  have  heard  that  an  old  horse  is  the  most  in- 
telligent animal  in  discovering  where  any  of  his  kind  have 
gone  before  him.  My  father,  Shigeyori,  when  lost  in  the 
forest  thus  found  his  way  out.  Let  my  lord  direct  that 
the  expedient  be  tried."  "  The  idea  is  a  good  one," 
mused  Yoshitsune.  "  Thus  did  Duke  Kwan  when  in 
sorrow  and  great  trouble*  he  made  his  campaign  against 
the  northern  barbarians.  Kancho  his  general  thus  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  the  right  road.  Anyhow,  let  us  try  it." 
So  an  ancient  steed,  Usugumo,  was  driven  forward, 
harnessed  with  white  reins  and  stirrups,  as  leader  of  the 
company.  On  they  went  over  rocks,  boulders,  fallen 
tree-stumps,  splashing  through  mountain  brooks,  and 
sliding  over  the  moss  covered  banks.  The  hollows  in 
places  were  still  filled  with  snow,  and  caused  many  a 
wrench  and  bruise.  Thus  they  went  on  until  the  rough 
path  they  were  following  to  the  eastward  split  into  three 
at  a  cross-roads,  none  of  which  took  the  direction  they 
wanted  to  go.  Here  their  four-footed  guide  was  unsafe  to 
follow,  and  they  stopped  to  hold  counsel.  Yoshitsune 
relieved  the  situation  by  a  song,  which,  we  are  told,  ever 
since  has  been  familiar  to  the  Japanese  soldiers  when  in 
difficult  circumstances : — '*  The  young  warrior  should 
turn  for  counsel  to  those  experienced  in  the  affairs  of  war 
and  ancient  customs  ' '  Benkei  promptly  took  it  to  himself. 
*'  Let  not  your  lordship  be  anxious.  Leave  the  matter 
to  me,  and  I  shall  certainly  find  some  way  out  of  our  un- 
certainty. Whether  we  go  east  or  west,  on  the  right  or 
wrong  road,  means  all  the  difference  between  a  walk  and 
a  fight.  The  honour  and  glory  of  our  leader  is  at  stake." 
Climbing  a  huge  boulder  near  the  edge  of  the  cliff 
which  overhung  the  valley,  Benkei  peered  around  and 
down,  in  every  direction.  In  the  sky  there  was  a  twinkle 
of  stars.  On  the  earth  the  dark  pines  and  cedars  alone 
seemed  to  blur  the  landscape.    But  behind,  in  the  distance, 

*  "  Trouble  "  here  means  difficulties,  material  and  spiritual — i.e.  the 
pilikia  nui  of  the  Hawaiian  (Legislature) — a  most  expressive  phrase, 
and  a  lively  political  organisation  to  give  it  expression. 


BENKEI   FINDS    WASHIWO    SABURO.  109 

he  detected  a  light  so  low  down  that  it  was  unlikely  to  be 
anything  but  a  torch  or  lamp  in  some  hut.  Seizing  a 
brand  Benkei  made  off  in  the  darkness.  Yoshitsune 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  all  sheltered  themselves 
from  the  cold  wind  as  well  as  they  could.  They  felt 
satisfied  that  something  was  going  to  result.  Benkei  was 
making  his  best  efforts  to  realize  their  hopes.  Lowering 
himself  down  cliffs  and  again  climbing  others,  meanwhile 
blessing  the  dried  stalks  of  vines  and  creepers  and  the  pro- 
jecting knobs  which  gave  him  valuable  assistance,  he  made 
his  way  up  and  down  to  the  bed  of  a  little  side  valley  in 
which  he  had  seen  the  light.  It  was  not  so  very  far 
off,  and  he  found  it  to  come  from  an  old  rough  and 
battered  hut,  plainly  occupied  by  mountaineers  or  hunters. 
A  cautious  man  (in  this  sense)  Benkei  first  inspected  the 
interior.  An  old  man  clad  in  a  leathern  waist-coat  was 
squatting  before  the  fire.  A  young  lad  of  eighteen  years 
stood  by  his  side.  Their  conversation  was  about  the 
events  of  the  day,  the  defeat  of  Kiso  Yoshinaka,  and  the 
expedition  against  Ichi-no-tani.  Said  the  man  : — "  More- 
over, Gen-kuro  Yoshitsune,  general  of  the  Minamoto,  is  on 
the  way  through  Tamba  to  fall  on  the  Taira  rear." — 
"  That  he  is,"  replied  the  youth,  "  for  Eokusaka  of  Sugane- 
mura  came  across  them  this  morning  on  the  mountain. 
But  I  shall  carry  no  news  to  Ichi-no-tani.  The  Taira 
have  grievously  maltreated  the  Tenno,  and  thoroughly 
deserve  the  beating  they  are  going  to  get  " — "  Ay  !  " 
grunted  Ojisan,  as  he  looked  thoughtfully  at  the  lad. 
*'  How  I  would  Hke  to  see  you  a  retainer  of  Lord 
Yoshitsune,  and  wearing  two  swords." — "  Bhen ! 
Ya-a-a  !  "  came  a  loud  snort  from  the  doorway.  Looking 
up  the  pair  saw  the  figure  of  a  huge  hiishi,  clad  in  black 
leather  armour,  the  torch  in  his  hand  throwing  into  relief 
the  white  tohin  which  covered  head  and  neck  and  set  off 
his  sombre  trappings.  *'  Who  are  you  ?  "  asked  Ojisan  in 
surprise.  *'  It  is  strange  for  we  hunters  to  find  company 
in  this  deserted  spot."  Benkei  threw  back  the  Mzusa  (a 
rustic  hinged  door),  and  entered  the  hut  to  plant  himself  in 
front  of  the  grateful  fire.  With  his  eight  feet  of  stature  he 
was  a  striking  figure.  ,        ^ 


110  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  benkei. 

Slowly  and  carefully  he  took  in  his  surroundings.  Then 
lie  began  : — "  I  am  Saito  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  once  Shin- 
butsu-roaru  of  Hieisan,  and  now  a  retainer  of  Kuro 
Yoshitsune,  the  Hangwan.*  We  are  on  the  way  to  attack 
the  Taira  by  crossing  at  Hiyodorigoye.  We  have  lost  our 
way  at  a  cross-roads  just  below  here.  We  must  be  prompt 
to  cross  the  pass  before  dawn  and  join  in  the  attack  on  Ichi- 
no-tani.  If  we  fail,  then  my  lord  will  lose  much  merit 
which  others  will  secure.  Seeing  your  light  I  hoped  to  secure 
a  guide  to  the  pass.  You  will  certainly  be  well  rewarded 
by  my  lord  and  by  Kamakura-dono."  The  Ojisan's  (old 
man's)  eyes  sparkled  with  joy.  "  You  have  done  well  in 
coming  to  us.  Our  appearance  of  hunters  is  all  a  pretence. 
I  am  really  a  retainer  of  the  Minamoto,  and  am  only  too 
glad  to  do  something  in  return  for  what  I  owe  them. 
I  am  sixty  years  of  age,  and  too  old  to  be  your  guide, 
but  my  son  can  take  my  place,"  and  he  turned 
toward  the  youth  who  was  in  open  admiration  of  Benkei's 
soldierly  appearance.  "  That  indeed  can  I,"  said  this  latter, 
in  reply  to  the  silent  appeal.  The  mountain  to  me  is  like 
our  garden.  I  know  it  from  one  end  to  the  other." 
Benkei  was  much  struck  by  the  manners  of  both  men, 
and  the  grace  with  which  they  wore  their  rough  costume. 
The  lad  wore  a  coat  of  mail,  but  without  JaogusoJm  (trunk) . 
A  bearskin  waist-coat  and  a  hunter's  knife  completed  his 
simple  attire.  He  was  a  magnificent  fellow,  standing  a 
full  six  feet  in  stature,  with  huge  muscular  fiame  in  pro- 
portion. To  accompany  Benkei  he  put  on  a  shabby  old 
court  hat,  in  strange  contrast  with  the  straw  waraji  on 
his  feet.  Then  Benkei  started  with  his  double  prize,  by 
a  much  better  road  than  he  had  come  to  them. 

Yoshitsune  was  a  little  surprised,  but  he  was  too  used 
to  Benkei  to  get  uneasy  at  his  long  delay.  The  giant's 
form  again  loomed  out  of  the  darkness.  "  Ah  !  Here 
you  are  at  last,"  said  his  commander.  Said  Benkei : — 
*'  I  think  I  have  secured  what  you  wish,   my  lord  ;  a 

^  This  term  is  the  designation  of  an  important  oflBcial  {vice)  to  a 
district  goYernor.  But  it  figures  largely  as  a  title.  Yoshits-une,  in  the 
old  romances,  is  "  The  Hangwan ;  "  the  usual  reference  to  him,  and 
not  under  his  personal  name. 


BENKEI   FINDS    WASHIWO    SABUEO.  Ill 

guide  to  Hiyodorigoye."  He  presented  his  companions  to 
Yoshitsune,  who  at  once  plunged  into  the  matter  in  hand. 
The  account  given  to  him  was  discouraging.  It  was  of 
deep  valleys,  steep  rough  mountain  slopes,  cliffs,  and  rocks. 
"  Nothing  but  a  bird  can  pass  there,"  emphasized  the 
old  man,  looking  decidedly  doubtful  over  the  elaborate 
equipment  of  the  huslii.  Youth  turns  to  hopeful  youth, 
and  Yoshitsune  thought  he  detected  respectful  dissent  in 
the  younger  man's  face.  He  was  a  pleasing  sight  to  this 
judge  of  a  good  soldier.  Under  his  rough  corselet  "  he 
was  clad  in  skirt  and  tights  of  persimmon  colour.  He 
carried  a  bow  twisted  with  vine,  and  on  his  back  was  a 
monkey-skin  quiver  stuffed  with  arrows.  He  had  a 
manly  complexion,  his  large  frame  was  a  mass  of  well- 
developed  sinew  and  muscle,  and  his  nose  was  of  excellent 
contour."  Turning  to  him  the  Plangwan  said : — ''  Can 
rabbit  or  deer  pass  this  place  of  which  we  speak  ? " — 
"  They  can  and  do,  my  lord,"  was  the  brief  reply — 
"  Take  me  there,"  said  Yoshitsune  ;  then  he  added : — 
"  You  are  not  hunters.  I  can  see  that.  At  some  time 
you  have  been  samurai.  Tell  me  something  of  your 
lineage."  There  were  tears  in  the  old  man's  eyes  as 
he  knelt  in  reverence.  Benkei  looked  with  admiring 
approval  on  his  lord's  acumen  in  reading  the  character  of 
men.  The  old  man  bowed  his  head  to  the  hard  ground. 
''  It  is  so  my  lord,  and  great  would  be  my  shame  at  our 
miserable  condition,  if  it  were  due  to  our  fault.  My 
father  was  Shoji  no  Tsunehisa,  a  retainer  of  Eokujo 
Hang  wan  Tameyoshi  in  Settsu.  Although  poor  he  had 
his  horse  and  bow,  but  in  defeat  everything  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Namba  Jiro  of  the  Taira,  and  death  was  my 
father's  lot.  I  took  refuge  in  the  mountains,  to  live  the 
life  of  a  hunter.  Glad  am  I  to  go  through  this  night's 
experience.  When  I  join  my  ancestors  under  the  grave- 
stone I  will  have  much  to  tell  them  of  their  lordships 
Yoritomo  and  Yoshitsune,  and  the  vengeance  taken  upon 
the  Taira  " — '*  To  be  brave  and  simple  of  mind  usually 
includes  benevolence  and  reverence  to  the  past  "  ;  thus 
came  the  deep  voice  of  Benkei  from  the  dark  back-ground. 
''How  old  is  he,  and  what  is  his  name?"  asked  Yoshi- 


112  SAITO    MUSASHl-BO   BENKET.  - 

tsune,  pointing  to  the  youth — "  He  is  now  eighteen  years 
old,  my  lord,  and  his  name  is  Kamawo-maru,  or  rather  Sa- 
buro  we  call  him.  He  had  two  elder  brothers,  but  both 
died  in  childhood.  As  hunters  we  no  longer  have  a  family 
name,  but  living  near  Mount  Washiwo  the  hunters  have 

named  him  Washiwo  " "  Washiwo  Saburo  Tsunehisa 

it  shall  be,"  replied  Yoshitsune.  "  You  certainly  look  as 
if  you  would  willingly  become  my  retainer."  Then  seeing 
the  joy  of  father  and  son,  he  ordered  : — "  Give  him 
an  equipment."  He  had  hardly  ceased  speaking  when 
Benkei  emerged  from  the  darkness,  with  beaming  face  and 
loaded  with  the  necessary  harness  of  the  knight.  Silently 
he  had  gone  to  the  pack  train  to  be  ready  to  reply  to  the 
command  he  felt  sure  his  lord  would  give,  thus  to  stand 
sponsor  for  this  splendid  recruit  to  his  lord's  service. 
Aided  by  the  skilful  hands  of  Benkei  and  Ise  Saburo, 
Washiwo  Saburo  stood  forth  the  fully  equipped  knight, 
in  armour  of  red  leather,  and  with .  a  helmet  with 
a  white  star  frontlet.  To  these  Yoshitsune  added  a 
sword  decoratod  with  silver  rings  on  the  sheath,  and 
mounted  him  on  a  fine  chestnut  stallion.  The  lad  felt 
"as  one  who  enters  heaven."  The  more  hardened  war- 
riors smiled  as  he  drew  and  brandished  his  new  weapon. 
A  hunter's  son  he  was  a  skilled  horseman,  and  his  father 
had  carefully  trained  him  in  the  duties  of  a  bushi  and  skill 
with  weapons.  The  disturbed  conditions  of  the  country 
in  the  past  few  years  gave  plenty  of  opportunity  for  their 
exercise.  The  strength  and  massiveness  of  his  form,  set 
off  by  the  armour,  astonished  Yoshitsune  himself,  so  great 
was  the  change  from  the  rough  hunter's  garb. 

The  old  man  having  taken  his  way  home  rejoicing, 
Yoshitsune  turned  to  their  new  guide.  "  Now  where  do 
these  roads  find  their  end  ?"  he  asked — Eeplied  Washiwo : 
"  this  one  to  the  North  leads  to  Sasayama  in  Tamba  ;  this 
to  the  West  leads  to  Harima  ;  this  to  the  South-west  goes 
to  Hiyodorigoye,  but  it  soon  gives  out.  It  has  been 
abandoned  for  many  j^ears,  and  is  practically  given  back 
to  the  forest.  But  it  is  the  way  to  reach  the  Taira  rear 
where  Etchu  Zenji  Moritoshi  is  in  command."  Benkei, 
Kumai,  Kataoka,  grinned  a  little.      Said  Benkei,  in  expla- 


THE  DESCENT  OF  HIYODORIGOYE. 


BENKEI   FINDS   WASHIWO    SABUEO.  113 

nation  and  answer  to  Washiwo's  inquiring  look,  *' Kuraai 
Taro  has  a  matter  to  settle  with  his  lordship,  an  inter- 
rupted conversation  to  finish."  Continued  Washiwo: — 
"  He  will  soon  be  able  to  do  so.  You  have  not  strayed 
from  the  road,  for  it  is  necessary  to  come  so  far  from  the 
West  in  order  to  begin  the  ascent.  The  distance  is  not 
great,  but  the  passage  is  very  steep,  and  there  is  no  road. 
As  the  place  is  not  fit  for  man  or  beast  the  Taira  are  off 
their  guard.  They  keep  nothing  but  a  patrol  on  the 
mountain  top,  and  that  is  somewhat  beyond  here" — ''Let 
us  go  forward,"  said  Yoshitsune.  And  forward  it  was. 
As  Washiwo  had  told  them,  the  reminiscence  of  a  path 
soon  gave  out.  Climbing  and  clinging  to  trees  and  rocks, 
dragging  their  horses  after  them,  they  finally  reached  the 
top  of  the  pass  between  Hachibuse  and  Arido.  It  was 
early  dawn  and  the  birds  were  greeting  the  sun,  but  the 
surroundings  savoured  little  of  spring.  The  wind  blew 
cold  over  the  broad  patches  of  snow  keen  as  the  swords 
awaiting  them.  Hands  and  feet  were  numb  and  frozen. 
What  they  found  at  the  top  was  not  encouraging.  They 
came  out  on  a  bluff,  "  ragged  as  the  edge  of  a  saw."  This 
fell  off  into  a  smooth  sandy  slope  which  gave  very  little  foot- 
hold. Far  below^  was  a  sort  of  shelf,  and  below  this  again 
the  rough  steep  rock  strewn  slope,  covered  with  forest.* 

Yoshitsune  rode  to  the  front.  "Where  deer  can  go,  our 
horses  can  go.  Keep  a  tight  rein."  He  started  boldly 
down  the  mountain.  The  company  followed,  the  rider's 
crest  touching  the  head  of  the  horse  following  behind. 
Those  who  lacked  a  steed  put  a  mat  beneath  them  and 
slid  after  the  horsemen.  Thus  they  reached  the  little 
plateau  beneath.  From  a  clearing  on  the  edge  Ichi-no-Tani 
and  the  palace  at  Suma  could  easily  be  seen.     Hot  fighting 

*  To  one  familiar  with  the  Japanese  mountain  structure,  its  sharp 
serrated  outline  and  steep  pitch,  this  is  easily  understood.  There  is 
such  a  slope  just  behind  Nikk5  Yumoto  crossed  by  the  Toyotoge,  and 
the  Konseitoge  presents  much  the  same  features.  There  is  an  impres- 
sion that  the  Konseitoge  is  not  crossed  by  horses,  but  the  writer  has 
seen  horse  droppings  near  the  top  on  both  sides  of  the  pass,  and  in  1904 
met  a  train  of  horses  so  near  the  top  of  the  pass  that  they  had  no 
business  there  except  to  cross  it.  It  would  not  be  a  comfortable  passage 
for  the  rider.  Ichi-no-tani  now  is  quite  mild.  As  is  the  "  Moon  " 
mountain  behind  K5be. 


114  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

was  already  going  on.  *'  Eed  and  white  banners,  waving 
in  the  wind,  looked  like  cherry  blossoms  flying  through  the 
air.  The  war  shouts  raised  on  both  sides  by  the  com- 
batants, the  beating  of  the  drums,  echoed  far  and  wide  over 
mountain  and  sea."  Meanwhile  they  had  a  little  battle  on 
their  own  account  as  a  preliminary.  A  noise  behind  them 
came  from  a  little  band  of  men  carrying  the  Taira  banner. 
They  were  about  a  hundred  in  number,  and  at  first  an 
ambush  was  suspected.  Said  Washiwo — "No;  it  is  the 
guard  of  which  I  spoke.  Their  only  retreat  is  by  a  long 
detour  to  reach  Hyogo-mura.  They  have  been  stationed 
at  a  hut  just  above  here,  but  un watchful  and  careless  the 
biiva,  sake,  and  pleasure  have  been  their  main  occupation. 
Allow  me  to  try  my  sword  on  them,  and  kill  them  for 
you" — "Very  well,"  said  Yoshitsune,  with  a  little  sign 
apart  to  Benkei,  Ise  Yoshimori,  the  Sato,  and  others. 
"  Sacrifice  them  to  Hachiman  for  success  in  our  coming 
battle."  Washiwo  rode  forward  toward  the  new-comers, 
hesitating  and  astonished  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing. 
Benkei  and  Ise  disappeared  into  the  wood.  Shouted  the 
young  knight: — "Come,  you  Taira  cowards.  I  am 
Washiwo  Saburo,  retainer  of  Gen  Kuro  Hangwan 
Yoshitsune.  You  have  only  known  me  as  huntsman. 
Now  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  dealing  you  deadly 
blows.  Get  ready  and  submit  your  necks  to  my  sword." 
The  Taira  men  were  more  astonished  than  frisfhtened. 

o 

Their  fright  was  confined  to  the  unexpected  appearance  of 
an  enemy  in  such  a  place.  Washiwo  was  greeted  in 
scurrilous  terms.  "You  mosquito!  Hovering  near  the 
flame  you  are  certain  to  perish."  Thus  the  Taira  leader 
spoke.  But  a  match  was  found  in  Washiwo,  who  display- 
ed an  extraordinary  activity  and  skill  in  fencing,  appearing 
and  disappearing  almost  at  will.  The  careful  training  of  the 
old  samurai,  the  rough  and  tumble  sports  and  quarrels  of 
the  mountaineers,  had  made  this  youth  a  finished  soldier. 
"Like  a  lion  in  a  ferocious  rage  he  tore  here  and  there 
through  their  ranks."  Their  blows  fell  on  each  other,  not 
on  him.  Thirty-six  of  them  he  killed  and  beheaded,  while 
they  squabbled  as  to  who  had  struck  them.  The  rest 
fled  "  like  spiders,"  only  to  find  Benkei  and  Ise  established 


BENKEI   FINDS   WASHIWO    SABURO.  115 

on  the  only  line  of  retreat.  Their  long  swords  mowed  the 
Taira  down,  cutting  off  heads  like  ripe  ears  in  autumn. 
Few  escaped  to  tell  the  tale.  Then  Benkei  came  up  to 
embrace  the  energetic  youth,  his  own  discovery.  "  You 
are  indeed  a  true  huslii."  It  was  the  verdict  of  all.  Thus 
did  Washiwo  Saburo  begin  his  knight's  service  to  his 
dear  lord  Yoshitsune — to  be  at  his  side  through  all  the 
critical  period  of  the  ensuing  years,  until  both  fell  together 
in  Mutsu. 


4. 


To  follow  the  trail  of  the  fugitives  was  out  of  the 
question.  As  Washiw^o  pointed  out,  it  meant  a  detour  of 
nearly  half  a  day  to  reach  Ichi-no-tani.  The  battle  was 
already  on,  and  they  must  be  there  within  the  next  hour. 
But  all  hesitated  before  the  rough  steep  surface  of  the 
slope!  They  were  eager  and  willing  to  die  fighting,  but 
had  no  particular  appetite  for  the  inglorious  broken  neck. 
Yoshitsune  paid  no  attention  to  hesitation  or  murmurs. 
*' '  The  king  of  T'sin,  when  at  war  with  Yen,  told  his 
soldiers  that  when  in  the  field  they  must  fight.  All  the 
food  and  cooking  utensils  were  thrown  away,  and  in 
desperation  they  were  compelled  to  win  or  lose  the  battle. 
The  Yen  were  defeated  before  the  vigorous  onset  [in  this 
battle  of  the  frying-pan].  We  must  go  forward.  Put  your 
trust  in  Hachiman  Daibosatsu  and  the  Lord  Buddha.'  " 
Then  he  summoned  Benkei.  '*  Bring  here  a  white  horse 
in  full  war  harness  (Minamoto),  and  a  brown  horse  free 
and  untrammeled  (Taira),  and  run  them  down  the  slope." 
This  was  done.  The  Minamoto  horse  reached  the  bottom 
and  the  camp  of  Etchu  Zenji,  to  the  great  astonishment  of 
the  latter  who  thought  it  must  have  fallen  from  the  sky. 
The  Taira  horse  stumbled,  and  fell  with  a  broken  leg  into 
a  hollow.  Now,  as  our  romancer  is  careful  to  state,  all 
this  was  plain  buncombe  on  Yoshitsune's  part.     He  knew 


116  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

that  the  free  unsaddled  horse  would  step  carelessly,  and 
would  probably  be  killed  in  its  descent,  whereas  the 
burdened  animal  would  pick  its  way  with  care.  But  he 
wanted  to  encourage  his  men,  and  in  this  he  was  success- 
ful. All  the  Minamoto  warriors  considered  the  omen  a 
good  one,  and  were  ready  to  risk  the  descent.  "  Be 
careful,  and  follow  me,"  shouted  Yoshitsune  The  bell 
was  beaten  as  signal.  Mounted  on  his  favourite  steed 
Tayukuro  he  rode  forward  down  the  dangerous  rocky 
slope.  Benkei  and  Hitachi-bo  Kaison  came  close  behind 
him.  Then  followed  Kumai  Tard,  Kataoka  Hachiro,  Ise 
Saburo,  Suruga  Jiro,  Sato  Tsuginobu  and  Tadanobu. 
Behind  the  other  captains  came  their  particular  retainers. 
All  competed  as  to  who  should  first  reach  the  bottom. 
Hatakeyama,  clad  in  his  armour,  with  his  huge  quiver 
full  of  eagle-feathered  arrows,  injured  his  horse  in  the 
descent.  Feeling  dishonoured  by  the  untoward  occurrence 
he  dismounted,  found  the  injury  to  be  slight,  shouldered 
the  beast  himself,  and  with  a  sapling  torn  from  its  roots 
as  staff,  took  his  way  down  the  mountain.  ''  Thus  he 
acted  in  this  unheard  of  manner  ;  he  who  had  crossed  the 
Ujikawa  with  Oguchi  Taro  clinging  to  his  helmet,  and 
swimming  for  both  of  them." 

In  this  manner,  by  the  aid  of  Hachiman  the  War  God 
(and  Yoshitsune's  wits),  they  reached  the  bottom,  to  burst 
like  a  storm  into  this  undefended  side  of  the  Taira 
fortifications.  Taking  one  of  the  huge  bundles  of  straw 
brought  along  for  the  purpose,  Benkei  set  fire  to  it,  and 
threw  it  into  the  nearest  of  the  collection  of  straw-thatched 
huts  built  to  shelter  the  Taira  men  at  arms.  Others 
followed  his  example,  and  the  thick  smoke  rising  concealed 
their  scanty  numbers.  Etchu  Zenji,  still  conjecturing  as 
to  his  equine  visitor,  had  his  doubts  solved  by  the  appari- 
tions of  Bankei  and  Kumai.  His  head  was  deftly  removed 
by  the  former,  and  appropriated  by  the  latter,  before  he 
well  knew  what  was  going  forward.  Confused  by  this 
sudden  attack  in  force  and  in  an  unexpected  quarter, 
hampered  by  the  women  and  children  running  and 
crying  amid  the  flames  and  smoke,  the  Taira  began  to 
give  way.     Noriyori   and   Doi  Jiro,  at  the  sight  of  the 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  ICHI-NO-TANl  CASTLE. 


BENKEI    FINDS    WASHIWO    SAUURO.  117 

flames  and  confusion  in  the  opposite  ranks  knew  that 
Yoshitsune  was  on  the  ground.  They  rallied  their  men, 
defeated  and  discouraged  by  the  obstinate  defence  against 
which  they  had  been  contending.  Much  encouraged 
efforts  were  redoubled.  With  an  enemy  in  their  midst 
the  Taira  gave  way  on  all  sides.  The  only  aim  now  was 
to  escape  to  the  boats,  regardless  of  duty  to  father  or  lord. 
The  Minamoto  poured  into  the  camp  from  all  the  land 
sides.  Only  the  sea  was  left  open.  A  few  stood  their 
ground.  Thus  Noto-no-Kami  Kadowaki  Noritsune,  the 
great  captain  and  noted  archer,  brave  and  of  wondrous 
strength,  stationed  himself  on  a  little  sand  dune  and  kept 
the  enemy  at  bay.  Four  or  five  of  the  closely  ranked 
Minamoto  were  pierced  at  every  shaft  from  his  formidable 
bow.  To  his  triumphant  war  cry  answered  the  shout  of 
his  faithful  retainer  Sanuki  Eokuro.  The  latter,  however, 
watched  the  scene  with  anxiety.  The  Taira  were  fast 
escaping,  and  but  few  remained  to  embark.  He  advised 
his  master  to  escape  in  his  turn.  "  Your  life  is  everything 
to  the  clan,  and  here  nothing  more  can  be  done.  Give 
me  your  helmet  and  upper  armour.  Taking  your  place  I 
will  hold  the  enemy  at  bay."  It  took  much  argument  to 
make  Noritsune  accept  the  sacrifice.  His  duty  to  the 
clan,  and  the  accepted  duty  of  the  retainer  to  his  chief, 
finally  had  its  way.  The  exchange  was  effected,  and 
Eokuro  standing  forth  in  the  thickening  smoke  once  more 
defied  the  enemy.  ''Come,  you  cowards!  Here  lam; 
Noto-no-Kami  Noritsune  in  person."  The  Minamoto  were 
afraid  to  advance  as  long  as  the  formidable  chief  had  an 
arrow  left  in  his  quiver.  Thus  Noritsune  had  plenty  of 
time  to  ride  off  on  his  horse  Uzu-umi-.  Eeaching  the 
beach  he  embarked,  as  had  others  before  him,  for 
Shikoku.  The  few  that  were  left  followed  this  bravest  of 
the  brave;  the  Hector,  or  rather  Ajax,  of  the  Taira  clan. 
Some  boats  were  overloaded  and  upset,  and  those  within, 
men  and  leaders,  were  drowned.  Many  could  find  no 
room,  and  were  made  prisoners  or  killed.  On  the  edge  of 
the  battle  Kumagai  Naozane  noted  a  warrior  trying  to 
make  off  through  the  water.  DriviDg  his  steed  into  the 
shallows  he  soon  reached  him.    The  knight  was  no  match 


118  SATTO    MQSASJII-BO   BBNKEI* 

for  th3  hardy  K  wan  to  soldier.  Dragging  him  off  his  horse 
Kumagai  rode  to  land,  and  casting  him  to  the  ground 
leaped  on  him  to  tear  off  the  helmet,  then  and  there  to 
decapitate  him.  It  was  the  youthful  face  of  Taira 
Atsumori,  a  slender  sickly  boy  of  nineteen  years,  rare 
among  this  fierce  clan  of  warriors  and  noted  for  his 
generous  amiable  temperament.  Kumagai  hesitated. 
The  face  of  his  own  young  son  interposed  between  him 
and  his  victim.  It  was  a  cowardice  for  such  a  mighty 
warrior  as  himself  to  find  an  opponent  in  this  youth. 
Atsumori  calmly  begged  him  to  hasten  his  task,  and  give 
his  body  decent  burial.  No  matter  how  good  his 
intentions  Kumagai  was  caught  by  the  iron  necessity  of 
his  trade.  Atsumori,  if  allowed  to  live,  would  fall  into 
more  cruel  hands  than  his,  and  die  under  the  stroke  of  the 
executioner.  So  he  dealt  the  deadly  blow,  and  cut  off  the 
boy's  head.  Then  he  rode  off  from  the  victor's  camp  and 
the  world,  to  hide  himself  under  a  monk's  robe  in  the 
monastery  of  Kurodani  at  Miyako,  disgusted  with  life  and 
its  incongruities.* 

The  Taira  suffered  heavy  loss  of  leaders  in  this  battle. 
Michimori,  Tadanori,  Tsunemasa,  Atsumori,  Tomoaki, 
Tsunetoshi,  Narimori,  Moritoshi,  Morimori,  were  killed  on 
the  battle-field.  Sakon  Chfijo  Shigehira,  son  of  Kiyomori 
and  one  of  their  most  capable  captains,  was  made  a 
prisoner,  a  most  unfortunate  occurrence  for  him  as  the 
burning  of  the  Todaiji  at  Nara  made  him  most  obnoxious 

*  This  is  not  an  appropriate  ..ending  to^tlie  legend  of  Atsumori  and 
Kumagai  Naozane.  The  latter  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  Yashima 
campaign  a  year  later,  and  was  one  of  the  few  of  Yoritomo's  captains 
who  braved  the  stormy  water  in  the  train  of  the  Hangwan  (Yoshitsune). 
A  more  vulgar  version  of  his  becoming  a  priest  is  that  he  had  a  quarrel 
over  boundary  lines  with  Kuge  Naomitsu  (in  1192  A.D.),  and  the 
decision  was  against  him.  In  disgust  he  entered  Kurodani,  shaved  his 
head,  took  the  name  of  Rensho,  and  studied  the  law  (theological)  with 
Genkii  Shonin.  The  Japanese  prefer  this  gruesome  tale:— when  it 
came  to  the  count  of  heads  Kumagai's  old  feeling  for  his  Taira 
allegiance  was  too  strong  for  him.  He  sacrificed  his  own  youngest  son, 
and  allowed  Atsumori  to  escape  and  live  in  concealment.  This  tale  has 
a  suspicious  connection  with  the  similar  one  of  Genzo  vassal  of 
Michizane  (Sugawara-ninth  century).  The  Japanese  consider  this  a 
fine  example  and  exhibition  of  loyalty  as  taught  according  to  the 
gospel  of  Bushido ! 


NAOZANE  SUMMONS  ATSUMORI  TO  SINGLE  COMBAT. 


BENKEI    FINDS    WASHIWO    SABURO.  J  19 

to  court  and  clerical  circles.  A  wide  swathe  was  made  in 
court  ranks,  and  the  new  Minamoto  holders  for  the  time 
being  had  no  rivals.  Of  the  humbler  combatants  Sanuki 
Eokuro,  after  leaving  a  pile  of  dead  before  him,  exhausted 
his  arrows  and  had  to  take  to  the  sword.  He  was  finally 
killed  by  Totomi  no  Kami  Yoshisada,*  and  thus  the  name 
of  Noto-no-Kami  Noritsune  appeared  in  the  Hst  of  dead 
forwarded  to  the  Hoc  at  Miyako.  The  old  chroniclers,  and 
their  copyists  the  romancers,  drone  on  for  pages,  keeping  a 
religious  and  partisan  silence  as  to  the  severe  losses  of  the 
Minamoto  in  this  stubbornly  fought  battle.  Many  of  the 
Taira,  not  finding  death  by  the  sword,  leaped  into  the 
flames.!  The  battle-field  had  stretched  over  the  long  front 
from  Ikuta  I  to  Ichi-no-tani  at  Suma.  Minamoto  and 
Taira  dead  by  thousands  lay  in  heaps  at  the  East  and 
West  gates,  and  before  the  barriers.  The  white  sand  of 
the  beach  was  discoloured  by  the  pools  of  blood. 

Noriyori  and  Doi  had  so  nearly  met  defeat  that  there 
was  no  doubt  in  men's  minds  as  to  who  was  the  victor  of 
Ichi-no-tani.  Yoritomo  unwillingly  recognized  it  when 
later  he  finally  allowed  the  campaign  against  the  Taira 
host  to  be  conducted  by  Yoshitsune,  and  only  then  after 
the  conspicuous  failure  of  the  well-meaning  Noriyori. 
Yoshitsune  henceforth  "  was  regarded  as  heaven's  mes- 
senger, sent  down  to  mete  out  retribution  for  the  deeds  of 
the  cruel  Kiyomori.  His  courage  and  skill  in  strategy 
had  reduced  all  this  stone  and  iron  to  a  mass  of  shapeless 
ruins."  The  battle  over  Yoshitsune  acted  just  as  if  it 
was  yet  in  progress.  Seating  himself  on  a  little  hill  he 
assembled  his  chief  captains  and  knights  in  a  circle 
around  him.     Thus  the  company  were  grouped  or   on 

*  Kami  here  means  "lord."  Noto  no  K  :  Wakasano  K:  Yamato 
no  K :  etc. 

t  It  can  well  be  asked  what  kind  of  savage  warfare  was  this,  where 
women  and  children  preferred  death  to  falling  into  the  enemy's  hands? 
As  was  the  case  when  in  the  summer  of  1615  A.D.  lyeyasu  took  by 
storm  Osaka  Castle,  the  last  defence  of  Hideyori,  son  of  Hideyoshi  the 
Taiko.  What  kind  of  treatment  was  meted  out  to  the  conquered  ?  It 
is  best  not  to  ask.  And  this  Eed  Indian  warfare  was  the  accepted  and 
boasted  code  of  1867  A.D.    Shades  of  Bushido !     Away  with  it. 

t  The  Ikuta  temple  is  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  just  behind  the  Kobe 
foreign  settlement. 


120  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

guard.  Doi  and  Okazaki  with  a  thousand  men  were 
stationed  a  hundred  yards  away,  as  if  ready  for  battle. 
Then  Hori  Yataro,  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  and  Sashi  Tohachi 
were  made  secretaries  to  note  down  the  booty  and  the 
heads  obtained.  Noriyori,  who  rode  by,  jibed  and  jested 
to  his  captains  at  this  ''over-strained  carefulness.  He 
does  not  seem  to  know  that  the  battle  is  over."  When  it 
came  to  the  ears  of  Yoshitsune  and  his  men  the  latter 
were  very  angry.  Even  Benkei  looked  quizzically  at  his 
lord,  as  if  expecting  some  expression  of  anger  leading  to 
vengeance,  perhaps  to  a  little  neck  and  buttock-clutching 
on  his  part.  Yoshitsune  only  laughed.  The  feeling 
between  these  two  half-brothers  was  really  very  good,  as 
time  was  to  show.  Noriyori  was  suffering  from  a  little 
temporary  spleen.  "  Noriyori  does  not  seem  to  be  well 
up  on  tactics,"  was  his  only  comment.  "  *  Many  battles 
have  been  lost  by  the  rallying  of  the  defeated.  'The 
conqueror  should  act  as  if  conquered '  says  an  old  military 
book.  A  small  force  can  bring  disaster  on  the  careless 
victors..  As  we  should  never  get  discouraged  at  defeat,  so 
victory  should  not  bring  over-encouragement.  My  little 
circle  kept  us  in  safe  guard.  A  victor  must  tighten  the 
cord  of  his  helmet,  not  loosen  it.  Thus  did  Kobu  of  Han, 
whose  hair  turned  white  from  his  anxious  .care  after  a 
victorious  engagement.  Gama-dono  (Noriyori)  is  not  too 
careful.  Through  carelessness  he  lost  the  insignia  of  his 
helmet  when  Tomomori  so  severely  checked  him  when 
engaged  with  Yukiiye.  Since  leaving  the  Ivwanto  he  has 
done  nothing  but  ride  on  horseback  and  talk.  Our 
defeat  of  Yoshinaka  at  Uji  enabled  him  to  pass  the 
Setagawa,  and  our  small  band  of  men  at  Ichi-no-tani 
has  saved  his  reputation  (and  bacon).  He  would  be 
still  knocking  at  the  gate,  if  we  had  not  succeeded  in 
traversing  a  path  fit  only  for  birds.'  "  Thus  did  Yoshitsune 
in  his  turn  laugh  at  Noriyori.  But  they  were  brothers  in 
blood,  and  brothers  in  fate — something  which  neither 
could  or  did  realize.* 


*  Klaproth  notes  in  the  original  the  use  of  ^<'  "Sous  un  feu 
terrible  "  can  be  translated  "  under  cover  of,"  etc.  Cf.  his  note,  0-Dai- 
Ichiran  p.  210.     Modern  Japanese  has  translated  the  term   "fire-arm" 


BENKEI    FINDS    WASHIWO    SABUEO.  121 

as  sufficiently  descriptive,  ^  ^.  Fire  {tk)  lias  been  used  in  many  forms 
in  war.  The  Japanese  used  flaming  arrows.  The  Greeks  used  naptha 
when  Saracens  and  Turks  attacked  Constantinople.  And  so  with  Yo- 
shitsune,  who,  at  Ichi-no-tani  and  elsewhere,  resorted  to  this  method  of 
warfare,  approved  by  Chinese  writers  on  military  subjects,  and  adopted 
by  the  Japanese  if  not  original  with  them,  as  some  of  the  earliest  tales 
of  the  Kojiki  and  Nihongi  indicate  (as  far  as  they  are  not  cribbed  from 
Chinese  history).  When  fire-arms  were  introduced  by  the  Dutch  and 
Portuguese  in  the  sixteenth  century  they  were  new  to  the  Japanese, 
and  so  clumsy  that  they  made  little  change  in  the  methods  of  warfare. 
The  criminal  closing  of  the  country  by  lemitsu  prevented  the  Japanese 
keeping  abreast  of  western  development.  Therefore  in  1867  A.D.  we 
have  the  seventeenth  century  biishi  confronting  nineteenth  century 
armament:  an  impossible  position.  I  have  seen  the  statement  some- 
where, that  in  Croniwell's  time  (1642  A.D.)  artillery  fire  was  only 
efficient  at  a  distance  of  700  yards  (half  a  mile),  and  the  slow  process 
of  reloading  did  not  then  give  it  great  efficiency.  Which  accounts  for 
the  importance,  long  retained,  of  cavalry  as  the  efficient  arm  of  the 
service,  a  point  quickly  grasped  by  Cromwell  and  his  captains.  The 
value  of  the  infantry  man  depends  on  the  range  and  accuracy  of  his 
weapon,  as  soon  as  this  passes  beyond  the  stage  of  physical  encounter. 
Prof.  Fiske,  (Dicovery  of  America  T.  p.  216)  has  noted  the  importance 
of  weapons  in  the  history  of  colonization.  The  Northmen  in  the 
America  of  the  10th  century  did  not  have  fire-arms.  The  European 
of  the  15th  century  did  have  them.  In  fact  the  history  of  all  time  has 
shown  that  conquest  lies  quite  as  much  in  the  weapon  as  in  "the  man 
behind  the  gun."  Even  discipline  is  secondary.  The  sharpshooters  of 
Jackson's  army  put  to  flight  at  New  Orleans  the  British  veterans  of 
the  Peninsular  (Spain)  war. 

As  to  the  numbers  engaged  we  have  one  positive  indication.  Twelve 
hundred  heads  was  the  tally  of  the  Taira  dead.  This  hardly  allows 
for  100000  engaged  on  their  side  alone.  Besides,  in  face  of  the  difficulty 
of  embarking  such  a  host  the  slaughter  should  have  been  much  greater. 
As  to  head  counting,  the  Mimi-zuka  of  Kyoto,  erected  over  the  ears 
and  noses  of  dead  Koreans,  is  a  standing  memorial  of  the  way  of 
counting  noses.  Hideyoshi  (1596  A.D.)  found  noses  and  ears  less  costly 
to  transfer  in  bulk  for  such  a  long  haul. 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA. 


"  Falstaff — Thou  knowest  my  old  ward : — here  I  lay,  and  thus  I 

bore  my  point.     Four  rogues  in  buckram  let  drive 

at  me, — 
"  Prince  Henry — AVhat,  four  ?  thou  saidst  but  two  even  now. 
"  Falstaff— Four,  Hal ;  I  told  thee  four. 
"  Poins — Ay,  Ay,  he  said  four. 
"  Falstaff — These  four  came  all  a-front,  and  mainly  thrust  at 

me.     I  made  me  no  more  ado,  but  took  all  their 

seven  points  in  my  target,  thus. 
"  Prince  Henry — Seven  ?     Why,  there  were  but  four  even  now. 
"  Falstaff — In  buckram  ? 
"  Poins — Ay,  four,  in  buckram  suits. 
"  Falstaff — Seven,  by  these  hilts,  or  I  am  a  villian  else. 


"  Prince  Henry — O  monstrous  !  eleven  buckram  men  grown  out 
of  two. 


§     1. 


Noriyori  and  Yoshitsune  lost  no  time  on  the  field  of 
battle.  An  open  sea,  bare  of  any  means  to  cross  it,  con- 
fronted them,  apart  from  the  fact  that  the  rough  handling 
they  had  received  from  the  Taira  defence  necessitated 
reorganization,  if  further  action  against  the  enemy  was  to 
be  effected.      The   army  v^as  at  once  started  on  its  march 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHTMA.  123 

to  Miyako,  which  city  the  two  chiefs  entered  on  the 
second  day  after  the  battle,  23rd  March.  A  report  was 
at  once  sent  to  Kamakura.  The  escape  of  Munemori 
with  the  rival  Tenno  was  a  great  disappointment,  but  the 
Taira  had  lost  at  least  ten  thousand  men,  and  among 
them  was  believed  to  be  the  dreaded  Noritsune.  This  at 
least  was  showing  some  results  for  the  efforts  made,  and 
as  long  as  the  Taira  retained  control  of  the  sea,  to  go  to 
any  point  they  wished,  little  more  could  be  expected. 
The  vindictive  old  Hoo  rejoiced  as  only  one  theologically 
clad  can  rejoice.  The  rewards  within  his  reach  cost  little 
in  anything  but  good  will  and  good  nature,  and  at  this 
general  cleaning  of  the  slate  of  his  pet  aversions  his  spirit 
was  willing,  if  his  resources  meagre  in  the  distribution. 
On  March  24th,  the  two  captains,  Noriyori  and  Yoshi- 
tsune  were  received  in  state  by  the  Hoo.  This  pleasant 
and  gorgeous  ceremony  over  they  got  down  to  the  dis- 
agreeables. 

Now  Yoshitsune  proposed  that  the  heads  of  the  Taira 
chiefs  should  be  exposed  in  the  streets  of  the  capital. 
This  afforded  interest  to  all,  amusement  to  many,  and  a 
pleasing  horror  to  some  few  of  the  elders  of  the  garrulous 
and  frivolous  inhabitants  of  the  capital  and  to  all  the 
children,  who  swarmed  then  as  they  do  now,  safer  than 
any  other  human  creatures  in  wandering  streets  and 
roads  among  the  sword  blades  of  the  samui^ai.  Besides, 
such  an  exposure  put  the  Court  on  record,  and  on  the 
Minamoto  side  in  an  official  way  such  as  nothing  else 
could.  It  was  a  wiping  out  of  the  old  ban  published 
against  them.  Therefore  there  were  decided  objections  to 
it.  The  Court  officials  were  deeply  permeated  by  the 
Taira  clan.  Relation  by  marriage  made  it  disagreeable  to 
sisters  and  cousins  and  aunts  that  their  male  relations 
should  thus  grin  and  dangle  in  the  streets  in  which 
formerly  they  rode  in  sour  and  sullen  pride.  The 
Hoo  had  no  particular  objection  on  that  line.  As  to 
relationship,  Minamoto  and  Taira  were  Tweedledum  and 
Tweedledee.  This  was  the  finish  of  another  round  of 
their  classic  battle.  He  felt  that  if  Tweedledee  was  now 
the  under-dog,  it  soon  might  be  Tweedledum.      In  a  spirit 


124  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

of  conservatism  and  past  exciting  experiences  he  therefore 
backed  up  his  courtiers.  This  young  man  Yoshitsune 
was  going  entirely  too  fast.  The  administration  of  the 
Taira  officials  had,  in  its  way,  not  been  altogether  bad. 
It  had  collected  the  taxes  regularly — and  spent  them ;  but 
still  it  had  cellected  them,  and  deserved  credit  for  keeping 
up  the  good  habit  among  the  plebeians  of  paying  them, 
in  full  measure  and  running  over.*  Its  harma  had  not 
been  entirely  devoid  of  acquiring  merit.  Peace  be  to 
their  ashes — and  their  heads.  Now  this  was  a  matter  of 
keen  regret  to  Yoshitsune  and  Noriyori.  The  heads  of 
Tameyoshi  and  Yoshitomo  and  their  numerous  issue 
called  for  vengeance.  They  had  gone  through  their  bad 
quarter  of  an  hour  in  the  streets  of  Miyako,  exposed  to 
the  comments  of  the  many-headed.  Let  the  other  fellows 
take  their  turn.  If  "no  go,  no  play.'*'  The  Minamoto 
had  worked  hard,  relieved  the  Court  of  all  (past)  anxieties. 
It  had  its  mission  of  vengeance.  If  this  was  not  satisfied, 
then  they  must  retire  from  the  capital,  the  scene  of  their 
enemies'  triumph,  and  let  the  Court  take  its  chances  in 
the  future.  With  Munemori  still  extant  and  un crushed 
across  the  bay  at  Yashima  the  reply  was  effective.  They 
all  sat  down,  more  Japonico,  to  haggle,  eat  kwashi  (cakes) 
and  drink  hot  water  or  sake  (tea  being  known  but  not 
much  used).t  ''  Two  eggs  and  no  bacon  ;  or  one  egg  and  a 
slice  of  bacon?"  All  the  heads  or  how  many?  The 
Court  held  out  for  a  decent  minimum.  They  were 
much  annoyed  at  still  feeling  the  iron  hand  of  the  military. 
They   ought   to   have  been   used   to   it,    but   still   there 

*  For  "plebeian"  we  cannot  use  the  term  "unwashed."  Natural 
hot  water  is  so  abundant  in  the  country  that  the  people  have  been 
trained  into  personal  cleanliness  through  that  agreeable  form  of  tubbing. 
But — it  would  take  horses  to  get  a  Japanese  into  cold  water — especially 
in  winter.  In  the  heat  of  summer  there  is  a  little  bathing  in  sea 
and  river. 

t  Tea:  "  believed  to  have  been  introduced  "  from  China  in  805  A.D. 
by  Dengyo  Daishi.  Its  culture  made  little  progress  until  the  end  of  the 
12th  century.  Its  use  by  the  lower  classes  dates  from  the  end  of  the 
17th  century— thus  Prof.  Chamberlain,  in  "  Things  Japanese."  Latter 
day  romances  have  Benkei  et  Al  swigging  tea  all  day  long.  The  men- 
tion of  inns  I  think  is  justified.  So  far  back  as  in  the  Manyoshu  there 
is  reference  to  an  inn  at  a  ferry  station. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  125 

remained  memories  in  these  worthless  huge  of  having 
played  both  games  themselves  in  former  days.  An 
agreement  was  reached  on  ten  heads,  and  the  Minamoto 
chiefs  saw  that  the  selection  was  a  good  one.  The  heads 
covered  a  wide  membership  of  relation  in  the  highest 
circles,  and  they  were  favoured  with  a  special  grand-stand, 
where  they  could  be  seen,  if  not  see.  This  little  diplomatic 
arrangement  effected  Noriyori  returned  to  Kamakura. 
Here  Yoritomo  was  balancing  his  own  little  ledger.  On  a 
fine  May  day  the  head  of  Shimidzu  no  Kwanja  Yoritaka, 
son  of  the  late  Kiso  Yoshinaka  and  son-in-law  of  the  pre- 
sent Kamakura-dono,  was  removed  from  his  shoulders. 
His  wife  did  not  approve  of  this  belated  collection  of  an 
outlawed  debt.  The  young  man  must  have  left  some 
savoury  record  in  her  heart.  She  shaved  her  head  and 
turned  nun.  Thus  adding  to  Yoritomo's  little  surplus  of 
merit,  for  he  was  a  religious  man,  and  sought  recruits  for 
the  service  of  the  Lord  Buddha. 

At  this  point  comes  in  one  of  those  little  pieces  of 
diplomacy  of  the  Hoo,  concerning  which  Yoritomo  was 
not  ignorant,  for  it  was  all  open  and  above  board,  and  on 
which  his  real  opinion  would  be  interesting  to  know.  Not 
being  a  party  to  it,  the  Minamoto  were  in  no  way  com- 
promised, which  perhaps  accounts  for  Munemori's  answer. 
Confused  as  the  accounts  are  the  result  is  plain  enough. 
Now  it  was  well  enough  known  that  a  Tenno  without  the 
Sacred  Three  Treasures  was  next  door  to  no  Tenno  at  all. 
Fujiwara  Kanezane,  the  court  stickler  for  proprieties,  laid 
this  down  in  the  flattest  sense.  "  We  can  call  Go-Toba  the 
Tenno,  but  there  can  be  no  proper  coronation  without  the 
regalia."  Thus  spoke  Grummer  to  his  Japanese  Nupkins.* 
Now  the  Hoo  had  Taira  Shigehira,  bagged  at  Ichi-no- 
tani,  with  his  head  still  on  his  shoulders  and  in  talking 
order.  He  offered  him  his  life  in  exchange  for  the  Three 
Treasures.  He  made  proclamation  to  that  effect ;  and  the 
proclamation,  with  a  letter  from  Shigehira,  was  placed  in 
Munemori's  hands.  The  reply,  given  in  three  sources  (by 
Dr.  Ariga),t  shows  that  Munemori  knew  that  Shigehira. 
was  safe  as  long  as  he  held  the  regalia,  and  that  none  of 

*  Ariga,  Dai-Nihon-Eekishi  p.^84.  f  Dai-Nihon-Rekishi  II  pp.  84,  85. 


126  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

them  were  safe  as  soon  as  they  passed  from  his  hands. 
The  first  variation  (Adzuma  Kagami)  makes  Munemori 
speak  of  the  importance  of  peace  between  Minamoto  and 
Taira,  but  as  long  as  the  Hoo's  attitude  was  hostile  to  the 
Taira  this  could  not  take  place.  Let  the  Minamoto  army- 
disband,  and  thus  enable  the  Tenno  to  return  to  Miyako. 
Thus  he  stiffly  maintained  the  right  of  little  Antoku  to 
the  throne,  and  he  laid  his  finger  on  the  bald  hypocrisy 
of  the  Hoo's  offer.  His  reply  (in  the  Gempei  Seisuiki)  is 
not  inconsistent  with  this,  for  he  is  made  to  point  out  the 
vital  connection  between  the  regalia  and  the  Tenno's 
person.  Where  one  is  there  is  the  other.  That  most  of 
his  family  had  perished  at  Ichi-no-tani,  and  that  he  had 
no  wish  to  survive  them,  simply  reads  as  a  veiled  threat 
in  regard  to  the  safety  of  the  treasures  if  the  Taira  were 
pressed  too  hard.  AH  shall  perish  together.  The  third 
variation  by  Dr.  Ariga  is  from  the  "  Tama-no-Umi." 
Here  Munemori  is  made  to  bargain  for  Sanuki  as  his  fief. 
He  clings  to  the  rights  of  Antoku,  and  is  made  to  read  the 
proposition  as  a  treaty  of  peace.  Munekiyo,  his  son,  will 
return  to  Miyako  with  the  Tenno,  the  nyoin  (Kenrei- 
mon-in),  and  the  Three  Treasures.  He  himself  will  not 
return  to  the  city.  Throughout  all  three  versions  Mune- 
mori clings  to  the  right  of  the  httle  Tenno  to  rule.  The 
last  variation  simply  accentuates  the  not  very  reasonable 
position  that  Munemori  was  the  bone  of  contention,  and 
that  his  abdication  as  prime-minister  removed  all  difficul- 
ties. This  view,  however,  is  possible,  for  the  new  idea  of 
Taira  to  the  exclusion  of  Minamoto  was  only  a  quarter  of 
a  century  old ;  and  it  is  not  out  of  reason  to  attribute  to 
him  the  suggestion  of  a  return  to  the  former  joint-share 
company  existing  before  Kiyomori's  day.  But  in  such  case 
Munemori  knew  little  of  Yoritomo,  in  whom  the  one  family 
idea  was  firmly  fixed,  to  the  extermination  of  all  else. 
Nothing  came  of  the  matter  ;  and  as  Munemori  could 
know,  Shigehira's  head  remained  on  his  shoulders  until 
the  final  settlement  of  the  question. 

It  was  much  more  efficacious  to  be  in  the  good  books  of 
Kamakura  than  in  those  of  the  gosho  at  Miyako.  In 
July  (1184  A.D.)  Noriyori  was  created  Mikawa-no-Kami. 


THE   BATTLE    OF   YASHIMA.  127 

In  October  he  was  made  commander-in-chief  of  Yori- 
tomo's  army,  and  was  sent  to  the  West  to  wrest  Chugoku 
(West  Hondo)  and  the  Nankaido  (Kyushu)  from  the 
hands  of  the  Taira.  Shikoku  was  then  to  be  the  final 
trap  in  which  to  catch  the  Taira  rat.  Antoku  was  again 
safely  lodged  in  Yashima  under  the  care  of  Munemori 
and  Noritsune.  Tomomori  was  operating  to  great  effect 
in  Northern  Kyushu  and  Nagato.  He  built  a  stronghold 
on  the  island  of  Hikoshima  at  the  outer  end  of  the  Shimo- 
no-Seki  straits.  Noriyori  had  the  most  capable  captains 
with  him,  Hojo,  Ashikaga,  Takeda,  Chiba,  Miura,  Sasaki. 
It  was  well  he  had.  Hearing  of  his  forward  movement 
Komatsu  Shigemori,  Komatsu  Shosho  Arimori,  Tango- 
Jiju  Tadafusa,  with  five  hundred  boats  crossed  the  Inland 
Sea  and  fortified  themselves  at  Kojimashiro  in  Bizen. 
Every  boat  for  miles  around  was  destroyed  or  removed. 
Noriyori,  not  knowing  this,  reached  Fujito  in  Bizen  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Nishikawa,  and  then  sat  down,  helplessly 
watching  the  enemy  on  the  other  side  of  the  narrow  inlet, 
and  eating  out  his  heart  and  eating  up  his  provisions. 
Fortunately  for  him  he  had  with  him  a  resourceful  captain 
in  Sasaki  Moritsune,  one  possessed  of  brains  as  well  as 
guts.  Sasaki  had  a  wholesome  reverence  and  fear  of 
Yoritomo,  whose  fraternal  views  had  not  yet  shown 
themselves,  but  who  was  notably  severe  to  smaller  fry. 
His  mind  turned  from  fish  to  fishermen.  One  of  the 
latter  told  him  that  at  low  tide  it  was  an  easy  matter  to 
wade  across  the  shallows  and  attack  Kojima-shiro  (castle). 
At  daylight  next  day  he  lead  the  way.  Wada  and  Miura 
followed  him.  The  Taira  (as  usual)  were  taken  by  sur- 
prise and  at  breakfast.  Sama-no-Kami  Yukimori,  the  best 
man  the  Taira  had  apart  from  Tomomori  and  Noritsune, 
and  perhaps  a  better  strategist  than  either,  was  killed. 
Noriyori,  as  usual  when  he  did  not  have  Yoshitsune  with 
him,  took  his  time  and  most  of  the  Taira  were  able  to 
escape  before  the  attack  could  be  made  in  full  force. 
Noriyori  was  easily  pleased  with  this  superficial  triumph. 
Widely  heralded,  it  was  to  show  how  incomplete  the 
whole  campaign  was  with  the  real  captain  of  the  Mina- 
moto  left  out.     As  he  had  no  boats  with  which  to  attack 


128  SAITO   MQSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yashima,  Noriyori  did  the  next  best  thing — for  himself. 
He  sat  down  at  Muro-no-usu,  ringing  the  changes  on 
eating,  drinking,  and  sleeping,  and  writing  letters  to 
Kamakura  asking  that  boats  and  belly-timber  be  forward- 
ed from  that  distant  place.  Perhaps  he  thought  that 
Yoritomo  himself  was  a  slow  moving  man,  unwilling  to 
move  from  the  ecclesiastical  surroundings  of  the  northern 
city,  comforting  to  mind  and  body  in  its  good  cheer  for 
both.  In  a  choice  between  Noriyori  and  Yoshitsune  he 
was  quite  likely  to  suffer  the  former  rather  than  fall  back 
on  the  latter.  So  no  answer  from  Kamakura  aroused  no 
anxiety.  Fortunately  for  him  Yoshitsune  never  lost  sight 
of  him,  and  the  difficulties  he  would  have  to  face.  This 
great  military  brain  apparently  was  the  only  one  to  grasp 
them,  and  to  see  in  what  direction  lay  the  solution. 

Gensoshi  Yoshitsune  had  been  decidedly  side-tracked  at 
Miyako.*  Here  he  was  now  living  entirely  on  his  own 
account,  for  Kamakura  paid  not  the  slightest  attention  to 
his  existence.  The  cause  of  Yoritomo's  irritation  at  this 
time  was  trivial.  Yoshitsune  had  been  the  inspiring 
source  of  the  Ichi-no-tani  campaign.  While  this  was  not 
against  orders,  in  the  public  eye  it  had  been  made  under  a 
commission  of  the  Court.  The  captain's  stiff  action  in 
council  lost  nothing  in  the  telling  by  such  hostile  lips  as 
those  of  Hojo  Tokimasa  and  Kajiwara  Kagetoki.  Then, 
unlike  Noriyori,  instead  of  reporting  in  person  at  Kama- 
kura, he  had  remained  in  Miyako,  basking  in  the  smiles 
of  the  Hoo  and  his  courtiers.  Hence  this  disfavour  at 
Kamakura,  tinged  perhaps  for  the  first  time  with  the 
thought  that  in  this  younger  brother  lay  a  possible 
stumbling  block  to  his  own  plans  and  a  rival  in  power. 
Ichi-no-tani  was  too  startling  and  dramatic  in  its  issue 
not  to  attract  attention.  All  this  neglect  made  Yoshitsune 
feel  badly.  He  really  meant  so  well,  was  so  unsuspicious 
as  to  the  feelings  his  youthful  openness  and  undoubted 
ability  aroused,  that  what  envy,  hatred,  and  malice  there 
was  he  attributed,  not  to  his  brother,  but  to  those  sur- 

*  He  had  been  deprived  of  his  command  by  Yoritomo  after  the 
battle  of  Ichi-no-tani.    Cf.  Ariga,  loc.  cit.  pp.  85,  95. 


THE   BATTLE    OF   YASHIMA.  129 

rounding   Kamakura-dono.     The   Hoc   too   thought    the 
silence  very  strange.     However,  in  the  general  rejoicing 
he  felt  that  he  might  venture  in  a  small  way,  and  meet 
the  influences  which  Yoshitsune  set  to  work  in  his  own 
behalf,  and  to  which  his  mother's  family  contributed.     So 
in  September  the  young  captain  was  created  Sayemon-no- 
jo,  and  a  month  later  he  was  given  fifth  rank  of  the  lower 
grade  at  court  and  made  Kebiishi.     This  post  made  him 
guardian  of  the  city  under  the  Tenno's  seal.     He  was 
also  granted  the  right  of  attendance  at  court ;  Yorimasa 
redivivus.     This  in   no  way  pleased  Yoritomo  when  he 
received   notice   of  it   from,   Yoshitsune.      He   raised    no 
objection  to  his  accepting  these  favours  from  the  Court, 
but  sourly  wrote  in  return  that  the  recipient  should  keep 
in  mind  the  duties  required  of  him  in  his  new  position. 
The  tone  of  the  letter  was  harsh  and  unpleasant,    but 
Yoritomo   was   much   in   the   position  of  the  Hoo.     As 
long   as   the   Taira   were   extant,    there   was   no    telling 
how   badly   he   might   need  Yoshitsune.     The  disfavour 
expressed   in   the   letter   soon   passed   from   Yoshitsune's 
mind  in  his  pleasure  over  an  audience  granted  to  him, 
rather   ostentatiously.      The    Hoo    had    small    faith    in 
the  young   man    who  had   just   led    a    large    army    to 
the    West.      Indeed    he   had    not    fairly    been    started 
when   the   news  reached    Miyako    that    the    Taira    had 
slipped  like  quick-silver  from  under  his  fingers.     The  Hoo 
only  had  trust  in  the  soldier  genius  under  his  eyes.      He 
also  had  something  more  to  ask  of  him.      So  on  the  16th 
November,  1184  A.D.,  Yoshitsune  proceeded  to  the  palace, 
"  riding  in  an  octagonal  carriage  and  followed  by  three  pages 
and  twenty  retainers,  on  horseback.     In  the  court-yard, 
a  ceremonial  dance  was  performed,  and  then  Yoshitsune 
holding  a  sword  and   a  shaJcii  (fiat  wand)   in  his  hand 
mounted   the   steps   to   the   audience  hall  in  a   graceful 
manner,"  or  as  graceful  as  his  unwieldy  court  costume 
would  permit.     He  did  waddle  a  bit,  and  looked  some- 
thing like  a  Neapolitan  jelly  in  motion,  but  that  made   no 
difference  to  those  who  likewise  were  in  fashion  at  the 
resuscitated    Court.       Go-Toba    had    been    crowned    in 
August,  with  mutilated  rites   and  amid  the  croaking  of 


130  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Fujiwara  Kanezane.  Go-Shirakawa  put  him  kindly  and 
firmly  aside,  as  he  had  done  with  Michinori  in  the  days 
of  Hogen.  But  Antoku  possessed  the  Three  Treasures,  and 
(says  our  romancer)  *'  it  was  the  first  coronation  without 
them."*  It  was  the  Hoo's  modest  request  that  Yoritomo 
should  get  these  Three  Treasures  for  him.  His  favourite 
choice  was  Yoshitsune,  the  only  man  able  to  meet  these 
slippery  Taira  at  their  own  game.  To  this  Yoshitsune 
could  only  protest  his  own  good  will  and  desire  for  ven- 
geance— and  the  certainty  that  he  could  restore  the  Three 
Treasures  and  peace  of  mind  within  the  curtain  if  he  was 
given  the  chance. 

The  opportunity  came  in  this  way.  All  stood  watching 
Noriyori  muddle  his  campaign  during  the  winter  of 
1184-5  A.D.  Munemori  and  his  captains  were  at  Yashima 
and  controlled  Kyushu. t  Tomomori,  in  February,  1185 
A.D.,  fortified  Hikoshima  (Ama-ga-seki),  and  held  the 
straits  at  Moji.  They  thus  controlled  the  sea  route,  and 
the  Governments  of  Kamakura  and  Miyako  were  having 
a  rough  and  slow  time  of  it  in  their  land  communications, 
raided  at  will  by  the  Taira.  Finally,  somehow,  Noriyori 
slipped  by  the  straits  in  March,  to  find  northern  KyushCi 
in  arms  against  himself.  The  old  Minamoto  sentiment, 
which  had  driven  Antoku  from  Dazaifu,  seemed  extinct. 
He  was  in  genuine  difficulties,  and  no  one  realized  it  better 
than  his  brother  in  Miyako.  "What  Yoritomo  thought  of 
the  matter  is  hard  to  tell.  That  he  would  take  charge 
himself  of  the  war  was  out  of  the  question.  It  was  his 
settled  policy  not  to  leave  the  Kwanto  as  long  as  the 
Taira  could  raise  a  head.  His  position  was  too  insecure  to 
leave  Kamakura,  where  his  presence  kept  in  check  dis- 
cordant elements,  for  even  his  own  nearest  supporters — 
Hojo,  Miura,  Chiba,  Hatakeyama — were  of  Taira  blood. 
He  was  beginning  to  realize  that  in  Yoshitsune  he  had  a 

*  Shades  of  Temmu  !  Unless  we  admit  an  interregnum  which  the 
Nihongi  does  not,  and  which  official  chronology  did  not  until  1878 
A.D. 

t  A  castle  was  said  to  have  existed  at  Yashima  as  early  as  667  A.D. 
under  Tenchi-Tenn5.  The  one  to  which  the  Taira  retreated  had  been 
built  for  them  years  before  by  Taguchi  Shigeyoshi.  It  was  much 
decayed.    No  levies  had  been  made  in  Shikoku  since  Heiji,  1160  A.D. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  131 

military  genius,  and  did  not  like  to  encourage  it.  Tacitly 
he  allowed  him  to  take  charge  of  the  war,  but  the  com- 
mission was  not  to  be  from  him.  In  February  twenty 
thousand  men  were  sent  from  Kamakura  under  general 
orders.  Yoshitsune  and  the  Hoo  snapped  at  the  chance. 
Yoshitsune,  through  the  medium  of  Yasutsune  Ason, 
minister  of  the  Great  Treasure,  conveyed  the  good  news 
to  the  palace  and  the  Hoo's  ears.  The  commission  under 
the  Tenno's  seal  was  issued  at  once. 

There  was  a  tempest  in  the  tea-pot.  The  Hoo  and 
Yoshitsune  had  to  stand  by  their  guns — or  rather  bows 
and  arrows.  The  Taira  interests  among  the  huge  were 
afraid  that  Yoshitsune  would  finally  and  forever  break  all 
the  eggs  in  the  Taira  basket.  Let  him  stay  as  guard  in 
Miyako,  under  him  alone  we  "feel  safe."  Let  anybody 
else  lead  this  expedition ;  until  all  being  wearied  out,  some 
terms  of  cohabitation  can  be  arranged  between  the  war- 
ring houses.  The  argument  was  good,  and  in  accordance 
with  old  palace  policy.  More  important  was  the  un- 
wiUingness  of  some  of  the  Kamakura  captains,  notably 
Kajiwara,  to  take  orders  from  Yoshitsune.  Others  were 
enthusiastic  at  the  idea  of  service  under  such  a  captain. 
Such  were  Hatakeyama,  Kumagai,  his  son  Hirayama, 
Doi,  and  Takeda,  the  men  who  finally  did  follow  him 
through  thick  and  thin.  Most  important,  the  Ho(3  was 
against  the  opposition.  He  wanted  the  Three  Treasures 
(the  regalia).  No  old  Hottentot,  or  King  Kamehameha, 
was  hotter  on  the  trail  of  such  baubles.  So  he  took  the 
shortest  route  to  get  them.  To  the  great  joy  of  Yoshitsune 
the  opposition  was  broken  down,  and  the  order  to  advance 
peremptorily  issued.  His  thanks  came  from  the  heart. 
Musashi-bo  Benkei,  Hitachi-bo  Kaison,  Ise  Saburo,  Kamei 
Rokuro,  Kumai  Taro,  were  ordered  to  Ohoye-wan  (bay) 
to  collect  boats  for  the  passage  to  Awa  in  Shikoku.  They 
lost  no  time  in  taking  the  road  to  Settsu. 


132  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 


§     2. 


The  whole  war  game  lay  in  the  hands  of  a  capable 
captain.  Noriyori  could  be  smashed  in  Kyushu,  or  he 
could  be  the  pocket  into  which  the  Taira  could  be  driven 
and  annihilated.  Yoshitsune  was  prepared  to  finish  the 
contest,  and  to  save  his  brother.  But  there  were  many 
waverers.  The  longer  the  delay  the  more  obstinately  the 
Taira  interests  held  their  own  in  the  Court.  Yoshitsune 
lost  no  time.  He  departed  at  once  for  Watanabe  in 
Settsu  where  the  fleet  under  Kajiwara  was  gathered. 
Here  he  found  things  not  at  all  to  his  taste.  It  was  the 
middle  of  March,  the  dreaded  '' Higan  "  [tera-no-hi) , 
a  season  of  notoriously  bad  (equinoctial)  weather.  A  stiff 
gale  had  been  in  progress  for  several  days,  and  the  boats 
collected  were  more  or  less  damaged.  The  army,  from  its 
camp,  eyed  the  waves  piling  on  to  the  shore  with  much 
misgiving,  and  the  commander  with  more,  for  something 
was  known  of  his  exacting  temper  in  all  things  military. 
It  was  not  long  before  the  Kwanto  captains  sought  an 
interview.  Eiding  down  steep  mountain  slopes  was  within 
their  comprehension  ;  this  unstable  salt  water  was  another 
matter.  Yoshitsune  patiently  heard  them  out.  They 
said  in  the  frankest  manner  that  they  were  no  sailors. 
On  land,  fight  they  could  and  would.  Even  in  calmer 
waters  they  felt  sure  of  holding  their  own.  But  in  start- 
ing against  these  Taira,  familiar  with  the  sea  and  fighting 
thereon,  they  would  ask  if  he,  the  Hang  wan,  knew  any 
more  about  it  than  they  did.  The  mountain  heights  of 
Shikoku  were  as  far  off  to  their  eyes  as  Sameru  itself. 

Yoshitsune's  answer  was  firm,  kind,  and  complete. 
He  took  no  notice  of  the  more  than  half  rebellious 
tone  of  the  inquiry.  Said  he  : — " '  In  naval  warfare 
we  must  study  wind  and  tide.  The  wind  should  be  be- 
hind and  favour  one's  progress.  The  tide  must  assist  our 
course,  save  the  strength  and  add  to  the  impetus  given  by 


THE  BATTLE  OE  YASHIMA.  133 

our  rowers.  Large  vessels  are  like  infantry.  Small  ones 
are  as  cavalry.  The  five  ways  and  the  eight  restraints  are 
to  be  observed  in  naval  battles  as  well  as  on  land. 
Arrows  and  javelins  were  the  missiles  to  use,  and  shields 
were  the  defence  of  the  bowmen.  To  gain  a  sure  sup- 
port in  a  rocking  boat  the  archers  should  fire  kneeling. 
In  the  larger  ships  wooden  shields,  cloth  covers,  wooden 
covers,  fire  buckets,  fire  balls,  grasping  hooks,  lances,  rake- 
like implements  {Jcianade) ,  ioimed  the  equipment.  These 
different  weapons  and  objects  of  offense  and  defense  should 
be  in  the  hands  of  those  best  qualified  to  use  them.  As 
to  strategy,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Everywhere  and 
anywhere  that  depended  on  the  occasion.  Generally 
speaking  there  were  three  modes  and  four  manners.  And 
what  were  the  three  modes  ?  First,  that  words  alone  can- 
not give  us  an  insight  into  the  matter.  Second,  that 
soldiers  alone  cannot  carry  out  a  plan.  Third,  that  wealth 
and  resources  do  not  always  carry  the  day.  And  what 
were  the  four  manners  ?  First,  application  of  strategics. 
Second,  discernment  of  the  situation  in  its  positive  and 
negative  sense.  Third,  use  of  tactics.  Fourth,  skill  in 
the  art  of  war.  As  to  the  dispositions,  there  were  two  to 
observe.  First,  the  circular,  which  explained  itself. 
Second,  that  of  the  bird  cloud.  As  to  tactics  these  were 
the  best.  Seeing  a  little  cloud  of  doubt  on  the  faces  of  his 
hearers  he  explained.  '  This  is  what  Taikobo  teaches  us 
in  the  famous  Bikuto.  By  bird  cloud  I  mean  a  formation 
which  allows  of  division  and  closure  as  quickly  as  birds  fly, 
first  in  widely  scattered  formation,  quickly  condensing  into 
a  mass.  Thus  do  clouds  pile  mountain  high  to  condense 
into  threatening  bulk.  Obey  me,'  he  concluded.  '  Let 
merriment  and  the  wine  cup  circulate  freely  to-night.  Thus 
all  will  start  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind — at  dawn.'  "* 

The  clouds  had  disappeared  from  the  faces  of  most  of 
the  assembled  captains.     They  had  confidence  in  the  victor 

*  An  interesting  passage  from  Yamada's  "  Kunko  Zue"pl68  seq. 
of  TakahasM's  edition.  It  is  an  old  book.  I  have  an  edition  printed 
in  the  9th  year  of  Bunsei  (1826  A.D.).  Volume  I  of  Part  II  is  a  more 
catholic  reference.  The  above  is  condensed  from  Mr.  Minakami's 
translation,  as  Yamada  rambles  with  some  superfluity. 


184  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

of  Ichi-iio-tani.  Old  Kajiwara  Kagetoki,  who  had  been 
listening  to  this  long  and  technical  address  with  im- 
patience, pushed  himself  forward  at  once  in  obvious  and 
impertinent  opposition.  "  We  are  all  ready  to  follow  and 
obey  yoa,  but  as  has  been  said  our  Kwanto  contingents 
are  unused  to  fighting  on  the  water.  Give  them  therefore 
a  means  to  retire  if  the  necessity  arises.  Let  the  boats  be 
fitted  with  oars  so  that  they  can  be  moved  forward  or 
backward,  to  the  bow-hand  (left)  or  to  the  horse-hand 
(right)  without  turning.*  In  naval  battles  to  advance  or 
retreat  is  both  necessary  and  convenient."  He  looked 
around  on  the  other  captains,  to  find,  it  must  be  confessed, 
approbation  on  the  countenances  of  the  majority. 
Yoshitsune  spent  a  few  moments  in  thought.  Then  he 
motioned  Kagetoki  to  move  closer  to  him.  Kajiwara 
was  anything  but  modest.  He  did  not  have  to  be  asked 
twice,  and  promptly  advanced  his  black  bearskin  rug 
into  prominence.  The  Hang  wan  asked  : — "  Is  your 
reverse  oar  used  to  advance  or  to  run  away " — "  To 
retreat,"  replied  Kajiwara  unequivocally.  "  A  ship  should 
be  furnished  with  both.  It  is  under  favourable  conditions 
that  a  general  should  go  into  action,  prepared  for  retreat 
or  attack.  Prudence  and  foresight  are  part  of  a  leader's 
equipment.  If  he  has  them  not,  then  he  is  what  we  call 
a  mere  '  wild-boar  warrior.'  Excess  of  courage  with  rash- 
ness spells  failure.  In  your  failing  to  provide  any  such 
means  of  retiring  you  are  not  as  fit  to  command  as  I  am." 
Thus  spoke  with  the  confident  conceit  of  his  disposition 
and  the  fixity  of  years  Kajiwara  Kagetoki.  Naturally 
Yoshitsune  was  in  a  high  rage  at  such  open  insolence. 
"  Be  silent !  You  speak  of  advance,  when  in  heart  you 
are  ready  to  run  away.  A  general  is  not  seeking  safety 
and  his  home-coming,  nor  does  he  want  his  men  to  be 
thinking  of  retreat.  In  the  many  battles  fought  in  Japan 
and  China  such  a  contrivance  as  your  reverse  oar  has 
never  been  heard  of.  A  coward  like  you  needs  such  a 
thing  :  not  I.  What  a  general  should  know  is  the  dis- 
position and  character  of  his  men  and  captains,  and  adapt 

*  Kajiwara  is  unmistakeably  a  "  land -lubber." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  135 

them  to  the  resources  Nature  furnishes  to  him.  What  is 
required  of  him  is  clearness  of  thought,  and  he  punishes  or 
rewards  according  as  his  plans  are  carried  out.  I  am 
fighting  for  our  Tenno  and  righteousness.  My  plan  of 
campaign  will  be  an  effective  one  with  proper  agents.  Men 
that  will  fight  are  what  I  want.  Your  reverse  oar  is 
simply  to  run  away  with  or  keep  out  of  sight.  I  do  not 
want  my  men  to  be  discouraged.  When  in  a  tight  place 
they  will  fight  all  the  better,  and  I  expect  them  to  trust  to 
the  resourcefulness  of  their  commander.  Such  a  fellow  as 
you  is  worse  than  worthless.  You  intimidate  and 
discourage  the  rest.  Get  yourself  hence  to  Kamakura, 
and  do  not  afford  us  the  spectacle  of  your  cowardice. 
You  are  not  wanted  here.  As  for  the  rest — let  anyone 
who  wishes  accompany  him." 

There  was  no  such  movement.  The  Hangwan's 
cutting  reference  to  the  run-away  oar  turned  the  laugh  on 
Kagetoki.  Grumbling  sub  voce  Kajiwara  said  to  his 
neighbour  in  the  council : — *'  Yoshitsune  is  not  fit  to  com- 
mand. A  pretty  fighter  is  one  who  cannot  understand, 
and  who  fights  against  reason."  Yoshitsune  overheard 
him.  Waving  his  hand  he  said : — "  get  you  hence, 
and  without  delay.  I  am  here  as  commander-in-chief, 
acting  under  the  Tenno's  commission.  You  are  an 
insolent  fellow."  Benkei,  Washiwo,  Ise,  Kumai,  the  Sato, 
"  none  of  whom  would  hesitate  to  lay  hands  on  a  demon  " 
rose  in  a  threatening  manner  to  lay  hands  on  Kajiwara 
and  cast  him  forth.  Murmurs  went  up.  *'  Get  you 
hence,  or  leave  your  head  here."  There  was  every 
promise  of  a  pretty  fight.  Kajiwara  was  not  in  the  least 
frightened.  **  As  a  councillor  I  have  a  right  to  express 
my  opinion.  I  speak  for  the  rest.  Our  master, 
Kamakura-dono,  he  alone  is  commander.  He  has 
appointed  me  as  head  examiner  [qiiaesitor  capitum  not 
primus'].  Who  will  listen  to  this  wild  boar  general?" 
He  slowly  rose.  Kajiwara  Genda  Kagesuye  and 
Kagetake,  his  sons,  ranged  themselves  by  his  side  to 
protect  him.  Hands  were  on  sword  hilts  ready  to  draw. 
The  Hang  wan  loosened  his  sword  in  the  scabbard. 
"  When   Go   and   Yetsu  warred   against  Tsu  the   com- 


136  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

mander  punished  with  death  a  knight  who  without  orders 
beheaded  two  of  the  enemy.  If  this  fellow  goes  free  the 
men  will  suffer  from  his  disobedience  and  cowardice." 
He  rose  and  drew  forth  the  weapon,  but  before  he  could 
advance  Miura  Yoshitsura*  seized  the  hilt  and  spoke  : — 
"Your  lordship's  mission  from  the  Tenno  and  Ka- 
makura-dono  is  far  too  important  to  let  Kagetoki  be  an 
object  of  anger  and  perhaps  an  obstacle  in  the  success- 
ful operation  of  your  plan."  On  the  other  side  Doi  and 
Hatakeyama  interposed  between  the  Kajiwara  and  the 
other  group.  They  severely  admonished  the  old  man  for 
his  rough  insolence  of  speech  and  manner.  Thus  both 
parties  to  the  quarrel  were  separated,  and  the  Kajiwara 
were  induced  to  withdraw.  The  incident  afforded  the 
wag  his  opportunity  : 

"  In  a  fight  at  sea,  with  his  oar  reversed,  and 

fastened  to  his  craft, 
*'  Kagetoki  thinks,  like  a  shadow  dim,  quickly 

to  escape."! 


3. 


Yoshitsune  stood  gloomily  on  the  strand  looking  across 
the  waste  of  wild  water  beyond  which  rose  the  outlines  of 
Awaji  concealing  the  more  distant  shores  he  desired  to 
reach.  The  quarrel  with  Kajiwara  weighed  little  on  his 
mind.  It  was  not  the  old  man's  advice  which  angered 
him.     It  was  the  animus  behind  it,  and  which  already 

*  This  member   of  a  fighting   family   was   "  seven  and  a  half  feet  in 
height  and  of  herculean  strength  " — Cf.  Papinot's  "  Dictionnaire." 

t  |'S""^i^"^^'  .         1       There   is   a   play  on    the   words 

^loru  Kajiwara  ni,         i       f,^-^^^^  (an  oar  fastened  on)  and 

« TT    ^^*+  V-  ^     1    ♦  I       kagetoki    (like    a    shadow)   versus 

"KrHeTzl       :       )      Kajiwara  Kagetoki. 


THE    BATTLE    OF   YASHIMA.  137 

had  tied  him  up  for  months  at  Miyako,  and  was  now 
endeavouring  to  put  obstacles  in  his  way,  and  defeat  his 
plans  so  dependent  on  swift  movement.  But  if  he  had 
no  fear  of  men,  he  had  great  respect  for  Nature.  Like 
all  great  captains  he  was  ready  to  adapt  means  to  end, 
but  they  must  be  possible  to  handle.  On  this  seventeenth 
day  of  the  second  month  (20  March  1185  AD.)  the  sea 
was  pitching  and  tossing  so  tumultuously  that  the  sailors 
had  all  gone  below  in  their  ships,  not  even  considering  the 
possibility  of  a  passage.  Now  it  was  on  the  unprepared- 
ness  of  the  enemy  that  he  counted  much  for  an  easy 
victory.  In  the  council  to  timid  objections  he  had  rejoiced 
over  the  storm.  They  would  fall  on  the  Taira  from 
the  sky.  The  present  sample  of  weather  was  a  little  too 
much,  and  besides  the  wind  was  from  the  wrong  direction. 
It  was  piling  the  water  on  the  Settsu  shore.  Yoshitsune 
folded  his  hands  and  prayed  to  the  great  divinity  of  Ise 
in  general,  and  to  the  sea-god  of  Naniwa  in  particular. 
He  ventured  to  recall  to  the  minds  of  these  deities  that  the 
Tenno,  he  who  was  ruler  of  sixty  provinces  and  lord 
among  the  myriads  of  deities,  fair  and  just,  the  omni- 
present and  omniscient  influence  in  all  affairs,  human  and 
divine,  had  entrusted  him  with  the  task  of  recovering  the 
Three  Sacred  Treasures,  and  of  punishing  the  disloyalty 
of  the  Taira.  For  years  these  Taira  had  ruled  and 
roistered  in  the  land,  abusing  their  power  and  causing 
distress  to  the  ruler.  Now  they  withheld  from  him  the 
regalia,  these  Sacred  Treasures.  Much  had  been  done  by 
him,  Yoshitsune.  The  generals  were  brave  and  skilful, 
the  soldiers  ready  and  willing.  [Kajiwara  must  have 
stuck  a  little  here].  Now  it  is  only  this  boisterous  wind 
that  holds  back  the  expedition.  "  At  least  let  it  moderate 
somewhat,  or  blow  from  the  right  direction.  Thus 
can  I  annihilate  the  hated  foe,  and  once  more  secure 
the  Three  Sacred  Treasures."  Calling  forward  Benkei, 
standing  close  behind  him,  he  ordered  him  to  write 
out  this  prayer.  This  Benkei  did  in  most  priestly 
style.  Duly  dated  and  stamped  with  the  Hangwan's 
seal,  the  war  chief  fastened  it  to  an  arrow  and  shot  it 
far  out   into   the  sea.      Wondrous   to   say   great   results 


138  SAITO   MUSAStlT-BO    BENKEI 

followed.  The  wind  changed  its  direction,  and  was  plain- 
ly moderated.  All  rejoiced  greatly  at  this  sign  of  divine 
favour  to  their  lord,  and  the  vulgar  were  set  to  work  as 
in  sign  of  practical  appreciation  to  erect  a  shrine  on  the 
bank  of  the  "Watanabegawa.* 

But  if  the  others  saw  "  signs,"  the  sailors  considered 
these  to  be  "  visions."  The  rain  was  still  pouring  in  sheets, 
the  wind  lashing  the  sea  into  a  white  foam,  and  the  waves 
were  running  fall  on  shore.  As  sailor  men  they  knew  more 
of  weather  than  of  theology,  and  they  refused  to  budge. 
Yoshitsune  sent  their  leaders  a  message  couched  in  positive 
terms.  "  Your  conduct  is  the  worst  kind  of  disloyalty. 
Kamakura-dono,  acting  under  orders  from  the  Gosho,  has 
told  us  to  embark  for  Shikoku.  True  the  wind  is  strong, 
but  it  is  now  on  our  backs,  and  the  gods  plainly  favour 
us.  If  we  wait  for  the  wind  to  fall  and  for  good  weather 
the  enemy  will  expect  us.  They  are  now  at  ease,  careless, 
and  anticipating  no  descent  upon  them  during  stormy 
weather.  You  must  go,  or  suffer  the  consec][uences  of  a 
refusal.  There  shall  be  no  further  paltering  with  your 
obstinacy."  This  message  was  backed  up  by  the  threaten- 
ing attitude  of  the  bearers.  Benkei,  who  carried  it  to  the 
sencho  (head,  or  kashira,  of  the  assembled  boatmen),  had 
with  him  the  Sato  kyodai  (brothers),  Yada,  Kumai,  Wa- 
shiwo,  Ise  Saburo,  and  others — "  all  giants  fit  to  eat  a 
demon."  More  to  the  point,  apart  from  their  weapons 
which  they  did  not  consider  it  out  of  order  to  test  on 
plebeian  heads,  they  carried  for  more  immediate  purposes 
stout  staves.  More  afraid  of  them  than  of  the  stormy 
sea  the  sailors  made  ready.  Better  the  possibility  of 
drowning  than  the  certainty  of  death  by  being  reduced  to 
a  pulp.  The  messengers  in  their  turn  rejoiced,  for  they 
had  no  wish  to  spoil  good  cattle  which  would  not  be  easy 
to  replace.  At  midnight  all  was  ready  in  the  little  squad- 
ron, for  Kajiwara  sulked  in  his  tent,  and  refused  to  let  an 
oar  under  his  command  be  moved,  and  most  of  the 
captains  did  not  dare  to  brave  the  malignity  of  one  so 
close  in  the  counsel  of  Kamakura-dono.      By  Yoshitsune's 

*  Now  at  Kitanra,  Matsujacho,  Osaka;  and  called  Asahi  Myojiii.    So 
Yaraada  adds  to  his  account  of  this  episode. 


TO  YASHIMA::  BENKEI  PERSUADES  THE  SENCHO. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  139 

orders  no  lights  were  to  be  carried.      The  others  were  to 
follow  closely  his  vessel.     Of  the  Httle  band  few  succeeded 
in  doing  so.      Some   failed    to   get  launched    successfully 
through  the  breakers.     Others  were  driven  back  by  the 
force  of  the  huge  waves.     Hatakeyama  Shigetada,  Kwan- 
ja  Toshiro,  Kameko  and  his  brother,  with  a  hundred  others 
determined  to  get   through.     Turning   in   with  a  "  hei ! 
hei !"  to  aid  the  sailors  they  were  finally  ploughing  through 
the    waves   in   the   wake   of  Yoshitsune's   boat,    a  little 
squadron  with  a  total  of  five  boats — one  hundred  and  fifty 
men    in   all.     Besides  those  mentioned,  of  the  captains 
Kumagai,  his  son  Hirayama,  Doi,  and  Takeda  joined  the 
Hang  wan  on  this  desperate  expedition.     To  follow  him 
was  no  small  task,  first  hidden  out  of  sight  in  the  trough 
of  huge  waves,  and  then  balanced  on  their  crest.     It  was 
difficult  to  keep  the  right  direction,  except  on  the  principle 
that  misery  loves  company,  and  in  this  enterprise  it  was 
absolutely   necessary.     All  were   encouraged   by  the  per- 
tinacity  of  their   leader,   himself  trusting  in    his   divine 
mission,  and  they  doggedly  held  on  their  way  after  him.    At 
the  hour  of  the  hare  (6  a.m  )  on  March  21st  they  were  in 
sight  of  Amako-no-ura  in  Toba  of  Awa  province.      In  the 
few  hours,  running  before  the  fierce  gale,  they  had  accom- 
plished a  journey  of  two  days.      The  prospects  of  a  fight 
before  breakfast  were  more  than  encouraging.    Camped  on 
a  little  hill  was  a  patrol  flying  the  red  banner  of  the  Taira. 
Yoshitsune  ordered  that  the  horses  should  be  pushed  over- 
board, and  swum  ashore  to  limber  them  out  after  the  long 
passage  in  a  cramped  position.     In  shallow  water  they 
were  to  be  saddled.     Thus  with  his  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men  he  landed.    Sakura  XJma-no-Suke  Yoshito,  brother  of 
Yoshinari,  was  supporting  on  this  hostile  soil  the  Taira 
interest.    He  had  three  hundred  men  with  him.  Kawagoye 
Kotaro,   Hori   Yataro,    Kumai   Taro,    Yada   Genz5,  and 
others  at  once  attacked  the  enemy's  camp.     These  never 
dreamed   of    a    descent,    and    were   totally    unprepared. 
Leaping  on  their  unsaddled  horses  they  rode  off  as  fast  as 
they   could,    leaving   armour,    weapons,    equipment,    and 
breakfast    behind    them.      At    headquarters    they    were 
laughed   at.     At   worst   it   was   regarded   as  some  stray 


140  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

party  of  the  enemy,  ca^st  ashore  by  the  storm  and  already 
on  their  way  to  safety.  They  were  soon  to  learn  their 
mistake. 


4. 


Yoshitsune,  pleased  with  this  good  beginning,  had  the 

further    encouragement    of    an   unexpected    recruit.      A 

knight  with  one  hundred  men  at  arms  rode  up  to  the 

camp.     He  was  a  man  no  longer  young.     Ise    Sabuuo 

went  out  to  challenge  him.     He  turned  out  to  be  one 

Kondo  Kokuro  Chikaiye,  another  Minamoto  retainer  who 

had  long  had  to  keep  down  his  real  inclination.*     A  man 

of  influence  the  country  gentry  had  flocked  behind  him. 

"  What  is  the  name  of  this  place,"    asked  Yoshitsune. 

"  Katsuura  "  (victory  strand)  was  the  reply.     Once  more 

Yoshitsune  and  his  little  band  had  to  rejoice  at  the  good 

omen.     Besides,  Kondo  knew  Awa  and  Sanuki  as  he  did 

his  own  house.     He  was  to  guide  them  against  Yashima. 

Then  came  Suzuki  lyeshige,  the  Hangwan's  lieutenant  in 

Shikoku   to   report.     This   was   equally   favourable.     He 

had  been  able  to  collecb  a  number  of  ronin,  desperate 

fellows  looking  to  plunder  the  Taira.     These  latter  were 

confident  and  careless.    It  was  no  difficult  matter  suddenly 

to  fall  on  them.     If  Mure  and  Takamatsu  were  fired  the 

castle   would   go   with   them.     Asked   the  Hangwan  : — 

"how  many  are   they?" — "About  ten  thousand,"  was 

the  reply. t     "Taguchi  Sayemon  Nariyoshi  is  fighting  in 

lyo  against  Kono  Shiro  Michinobu.      Others  are  scattered 

in  different  places.    There  cannot  be  more  than  a  thousand 


*  I  follow  the  Gempei  Seisuiki  and  the  Heike  Monogatari  (they 
differ  slightly) ;  and  at  times  Yamada,  who  draws  on  other  Monogatari. 
Kond5  here  as  friend  plays  a  more  efficient  role  than  as  prisoner. 

t  The  Heike  Monogatari  has  Kondo  answer  this  question.  In  the 
Gempei  Seisuiki  it  is  answered  by  a  fisherman  brought  before  the 
Hangwan  on  landing. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  141 

men  in  regular  garrison."  At  this  Yoshitsane  rejoiced. 
"  Taiso  of  Kin,  when  subjecting  Kongo  made  a  forced 
march  of  two  hundred  li  (sixty  miles),  and  his  men  had 
no  rest  or  food  for  a  period  of  three  days.  Thus  by 
surprising  the  enemy  he  annihilated  them.  Let  Kondo 
and  lyeshige,  with  the  ronin,  occupy  the  hills  surround- 
ing Yashima.  Building  many  fires  they  will  make  the 
Taira  think  that  a  huge  host  is  upon  them."  Thus  these 
new  and  untried  allies  were  disposed  of  usefully.  The 
most  pressing  matter  was  to  be  free  of  the  forces  im- 
mediately in  front  of  them. 

Kondo  informed  Yoshitsune  that  these  belonged  to  a 
force  under  Sakura  Uma-no-Suke  Yoshito,  the  younger 
brother  of  Awa-no-Mimbu  Shigeyoshi.  His  castle  was  at  a 
short  distance  on  their  two  days  march  to  Yashima.  The 
little  force  set  off  at  once.  On  approaching  Yoshito  shiro 
(castle)  they  found  it  to  be  situated  in  a  marsh,  with 
natural  protection  on  three  sides  and  a  moat  on  the  land 
side.  The  arrival  of  the  fugitives  had  in  a  way  put  the 
garrison  on  their  guard.  The  assailants  made  small 
matter  of  the  arrows  rained  upon  them.  Led  by  Hatake- 
yama,  Kumagae,  Ise  Saburo,  the  Sato  Kyodai,  Benkei, 
Hitachi-bo,  the  Minamoto  hushi  crossed  the  moat  and 
forced  their  way  within  the  castle.  His  men  threw 
them/^elves  as  a  screen  between  Yoshito  and  the  enemy. 
Thus  he  succeeded  in  getting  on  horseback  and  making 
off.  The  rest  were  not  slow  to  follow  his  example. 
Twenty  heads  were  secured,  and  duly  poled  as  offering  to 
Hachiman  Daibosatsu.* 

There  was  nothing  now  to  impede  their  march,  and 
every  reason  to  hasten  it.  However,  in  a  bamboo  grove 
about  two  cho  (a  furlong)  from  the  road  at  Nakayama 
was  the  temple  of  Konsenji,  dedicated  to  Kwannon.  The 
venerated  shrine,  lavishly  endowed  by  his  Taira  enemies, 
was  turned  to  his  own  purposes  by  the  Minamoto  prince. 
Benkei  was  commissioned  to  make  offering,  and  sonorous 
was  the  invocation  of  the  black  armoured  knight.     Then 

*  This  exposure  of  heads  after  battle,  and  the  offering  as  sacrifice  to 
the  war  god  {nota  bene)  vyas  customary.  The  religious  touch  in  Yoshi- 
tsune is  notable. 


142  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 

they  marched  on.  In  the  night  they  were  passing  the 
Osaka-toge  which  marks  the  boundary  of  Awa  and 
Sanuki.  They  were  now  well  on  their  way  to  their  game. 
Yoshitsune  noticed  a  man  on  the  road  ahead  of  them. 
Urging  his  horse  he  was  soon  beside  him.  He  was  a 
messenger  on  his  way  to  Yashima,  and  entirely  unsuspi- 
cious, for  the  presence  of  the  Minamoto  was  the  last  thing 
thought  of ;  indeed  he  took  them  for  huslii  on  their  way 
to  reinforce  the  castle.  They  expressed  themselves  as 
glad  to  have  a  guide,  and  he  boasted  of  his  ability  as  a 
messenger  between  Miyako  and  the  Island.  Said 
Yoshitsune  : — "  Oh  !  you  carry  letters.  For  whom  is  that 
in  your  hand  ?  "  He  pointed  to  a  "  tate  "  letter.*  Eeplied 
the  man  : — "  This  is  for  the  Yashima  no  Daijin  (Mune- 
mori)  from  his  sister  who  lives  in  Miyako  and  regularly 
communicates  the  news  of  the  capital  to  her  brother.  It  is 
said  that  the  Minamoto  intend  to  move  against  the  Taira. 
This  letter  probably  has  some  reference  to  them,  and  will 
be  of  interest  at  the  castle."  Yoshitsune  pulled  Benkei's 
armour  sleeves  to  give  him  the  tip.  Benkei  grasped  the 
idea  and  tipped  the  man,  and  Yoshitsune  was  soon  reading 
the  letter  from  the  Kita-no-mandokoro,  to  her  brother 
Munemori.  It  lamented  the  writer's  wretched  condition, 
and  coming  to  the  main  point  gave  a  full  account  of  all 
Yoshitsune's  movements.  He  had  left  Miyako,  but  it  was 
still  doubtful  if  he  would  be  allowed  to  proceed.  There 
were  strong  influences  at  work  against  him  in  the  capital, 
nor  was  he  liked  in  Kamakura.  However,  a  fleet  was 
assembled  in  the  Yodo  river  at  Kawajiri,  and  the  letter 
warned  them  in  Yashima  not  to  trust  to  storm  to  prevent 
a  descent,  but  to  be  always  on  guard.  If  couched  in  terms 
very  complimentary  to  the  young  leader's  energy,  the 
same  could  not  be  said  of  his  cause.  Commented 
Yoshitsune,  as  he  folded  it : — "Alas!  Even  the  women 
are  intriguing  against  us.  I  shall  keep  this  for  Kamalvura- 
dono,  and  as  a  reminder  :  "  (for  future  operations  when 
I  get  back  to  Miyako,  and  clean  out  that  nest  of  vipers, 

*  Wrapped  in  a  sheet  of  paper,  both  ends  turned  diagonally  and  tied 
with  twisted  paper  cord :  in  contrast  to  a  rausubi  (tied)  letter — Note  to 
the  Heike  Monogatari. 


THE    BATTLE    OF   YASHIMA.  143 

was  the  unspoken  thought).  ''One  day  more  and  the 
enemy  would  have  been  ready  for  us."  Benkei  and 
Washiwo  lashed  the  messenger  fast  to  a  neighbouring  tree. 
He  had  talked  too  much,  and  now  he  knew  too  much  to 
go  further  on  his  journey. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the   n:iorning  of  March  23rd   they 
reached  Hikeda  in  Sanuki.     After  a  few  hours  rest  they 
pressed  on  to  the  still  distant  Yashima  by  way  of  Shiratori 
and   Nifuya.     As  in  the  afternoon  they  neared  Yashima 
the  Hangwan  summoned  to  him  Kondo  Chikaiye.     Before 
they  parted  on  their  separate  missions  he  wanted  to  hear 
once  more   the  details  of  the  castle  situation.     This  was 
by  no   means  difficult   from  the  assailants'  point  of  view. 
Kondo  said  : — "  the  sea  at  Yashima  looks  deep  to  those 
who  do  not  know  the  ground,  but  at  the  ebb  tide  it  is  easy 
to  wade  over  to  the  island  as  the  water  does  not  come  above 
a  horse's    belly.''      Then    Yoshitsune    called  up    Benkei. 
"  How  shall  we  appear  to  be  double  or  triple  our  num- 
ber ?"  he   asked — "  Follow  lyeshige's   advice.      Nothing 
blinds  like  smoke,"  grimly   replied  Benkei — "  And  there 
is  plenty  of  material  at  hand.     It  is  also  my  idea,"    said 
Yoshitsune.     "  Tell  the    Sato   and  their  men  to  lay  an 
ambush  on  the  road  to  the  castle.     Let  others  fire   Mure 
and    Takamatsu."      This  was  done    forthwith,  and  the 
farmers'    huts   were  soon  ablaze.     Kondo  and    lyeshige 
in  position  answered  with  their  fires  lighted  on  the  encir- 
cling hills.  The  brisk  wind  tossed  the  flames  furiously  high 
in  the  air,  and  the  figures  of  the  men  and  of  the  frantic 
villagers  seemed  multiplied  in  numbers  as  they    darted 
hither  and   thither  in  the  thick   smoke.      Now  a  Taira 
expedition  had  returned  from    lyo,  and  the  count  of  noses 
(or  heads)  was  already  going  on  in  the  castle.     They  had 
not  been   exactly   successful,   for    Kono   Michinobu    had 
escaped.     Taguchi  Nariyoshi  had  therefore  remained  in 
lyo  with   three  thousand  men,  and  was  to  continue  the 
campaign  to  bring  that  important  district  into  the  Taira 
line.     But  on  their  own  ground  they  were  making  a  bold 
face,  and  there  was  no  one  to  dispute  the  returns  ;  except 
— Munemori    was    fingering    a    despatch    just    received 
stating  that  Yoshitsune  had  landed  at   Amako-no-ura  in 


144  .      SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Awa.  He  hardly  believed  it,  but  sent  Kiyomoto  to 
Noritsune,  who  had  remained  with  the  fleet,  telling  him  to 
try  and  flank  this  party  on  their  march.  Noto-no-kami 
did  not  get  a  chance  to  start,  except  with  his  worthy 
cousin  and  house-head  m  company  and  command. 
During  the  census  operations  a  frightened  messenger 
brought  the  news  that  the  enemy  were  at  hand  in  large 
force.  Their  own  heads  were  at  stake.  A  party  was  sent 
out  to  Takamatsu,  only  to  fall  into  the  ambuscade  under 
the  Sato  and  their  Mutsu  warriors.  The  few  survivors 
returned  to  report  that  the  enemy  were  present  in 
enormous  numbers.  The  hills  on  all  sides  swarmed  with 
the  Kwanto  army.  The  whole  force  of  the  Minamoto,  a 
hundred  thousand  men,  was  at  hand.  Fear  and  fire  were 
too  much  for  the  cowards,  and  they  happened  to  be  in 
the  majority  at  the  census  board.  The  Tenno,  his 
mother  Kenrei-mon-in,  his  grand-mother  the  Ni-i-no- 
ama  (Kiyomori's  wife),  the  Kita-no-mandokorp,*  all 
the  court  ladies  and  court  attendants  of  higher  ifaifu) 
rank,  were  bundled  on  a  ship  and  taken  out  to  sea.  The 
palace  was  set  on  fire  and  orders  given  to  embark.  The 
little  band  of  Minamoto  and  roniji,  under  cover  of  the 
smoke  and  flames  came  boldly  forward  to  the  attack. 
Trying  to  flee  and  fight  the  Taira  could  do  neither  to  any 
effect.  Many  were  drowned  even  in  shallow  water.  In 
derision  the  Minamoto  rode  into  the  sea.  The  waves 
tossing  the  little  craft,  the  clouds  of  smoke  covering  the 
shore,  prevented  any  estimation   of  this  scanty  attacking 

*  A  title  given  to  the  wife  of  the  kwampaku  or  siesshd  (regent),  and  it 
would  seem  to  the  sekke  generally.  The  five  noble  houses  {sekke),  from 
whom  it  was  necessary  to  choose  the  kwampaku  and  sessho,  were  Konoe, 
Kujo,  Nijo,  Ichij5,  Takatsukasa.  But  Mr.  Murdoch  tells  us  that  "  this 
regulation  is  said  to  have  been  established  in  Hojo  Sadatoki's  time." 
(History  of  Japan  I  493).  Sadatoki  lived  1270-1311  A.D.  The  Heike 
Monogatari  says  the  letter  was  to  Munemori's  wife.  The  Gempei 
Seisuiki  says : — "  Bokujo  Sessho  no  Kita-no-mandokoro  yori,"  and 
she  is  described  earlier  as  Kiyomori's  3rd  daughter.  The  Kita-no- 
mandokoro  figures  a  little  later  as  a  witness  of  the  archery  of  Yoichi 
Munetaka  with  the  fan  of  the  Lady  Tamamushi  as  a  target.  The 
office  may  have  had  as  wide  a  range  as  later.  Thus  Kiyomori's  4th 
daughter  also,  wife  of  Fiigenji-dono.  Fujiwara  Motomichi  had  been 
restored  as  regent  on  the  downfall  of  Yoshinaka.  With  two  courts 
titles  would  be  duplicated. 


THE  BATTLE  OE  YASHIMA.  145 

force  riding  in  and  out  from  behind  the  sand  dunes  and 
clamps  of  pine.  The  Hangwan  ordered  his  men  to  ride  in 
small  groups  of  eight  or  ten  men,  which  made  it  difficult 
for  the  enemy  to  count  them. 

Of  course  as  Yoshitsune  rode  on  to  the  beach  the  vera- 
cious chronicler  must  describe  his  bathing  suit.  "  The 
Hangwan  wore  a  court  robe  of  red  brocade,  and  armour 
sewn  with  red  thread  (and  righteousness).  His  skirt  also 
was  scarlet.  His  helmet  had  five  divisions  {go-yo-jiro), 
and  was  decorated  with  a  sJiishi,  and  carried  a  spade- 
shaped  frontlet.  He  had  on  his  back  a  red  checked  horo 
(arrow  shield).  His  quiver  was  filled  with  twenty-four 
arrows  tipped  with  white  feathers  carrying  a  black  spot  in 
the  centre.  A  gold  ornamented  sword  in  a  tiger's  skin 
sheath  was  stuck  in  his  girdle,  and  he  held  his  bow  in  his 
hand.  He  bestrode  his  faithful  charger  Tayakuro,  on 
whose  back  was  fitted  a  saddle  with  a  white  rim."  Thus 
arrayed  as  any  sea-shore  beauty,  Yoshitsune  stuck  as 
firmly  to  dry  land  and  roared  defiance  at  the  enemy. 
The  sight  was  despairing  if  we  consider  his  mission  in 
search  of  the  Three  Treasures.  Never  did  Tom  Well- 
hung  of  Gravot  bawl  more  desperately  after  his  hatchet. 
For  the  first  and  last  time  in  his  life  Yoshitsune  offered 
terms  to  the  Taira.  "  I  am  Sayemon-no-jo  Minamoto 
Yoshitsune,  of  the  fifth  court  rank,  and  Hangwan  and  just 
at  this  juncture  Ichi-in.*  Surrender  yourselves ;  turn  over 
to  me  the  Tenno,  the  Nyoin,  and  the  Three  Sacred 
Treasures,  and  your  lives  shall  be  spared."  From  what 
we  know  now  of  Yoritomo  he  was  promising  more  than 
he  could  deliver ;  "  but  all  admired  his  great  generalship 
when  they  heard  him  make  proclamation  so  solemnly  and 
with  such  dignified  presence." 

The  opening  scene  of  the  battle  was  to  be  dramatic  in 
its  way.  Before  a  real  contest  was  to  begin  the  Taira 
had  their  spirits  dashed  by  an  ill  omen  which  had  its 
source  in  one  of  the  beauty  spots  of  Nippon.  When 
Kiyomori  was  Aki-no-Kami  he  had  built  a  high  pagoda 

*  Imperial  messenger.  The  term  is  used  by  the  Heike  Monogatari- 
I  follow  the  order  of  events  given  by  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  and  by  pre. 
ference  usually  also  its  description. 


146  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

as  contribution  to  the  beauty  and  cult  of  the  famous 
monastery  on  Koyasan  in  Kii.  In  thi^  expansive  frame 
of  mind  he  was  "button-holed"  by  an  old  priest,  who 
pointed  out  to  him  the  dilapidated  condition  of  the  famous 
shrine  at  Itsakushima,  better  known  to  foreigners  as 
Miyajima.  This  shrine  was  dedicated  to  three  daughters 
of  the  feared  and  disfavoured  Susa-no-wo,  the  island 
taking  its  name  from  the  eldest,  Ichika-shima-hime.  It 
was  said  that  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  Suiko  Tenno 
(593-628  A.D.)  there  had  been  a  shrine  on  the  island, 
perhaps  established  by  that  lady,  earnest  in  things 
heavenly  and  mundane,  and  with  a  great  penchant  for 
things  monastical  in  the  flesh  and  spirit.  However,  that 
was,  at  the  present  period  things  were  in  such  a  dis- 
astrously shabby  condition  that  people  did  not  know 
whether  they  ever  had  existed.  Here  was  Kiyomori's 
chance  to  do  things,  and  acquire  great  ixierit.  According 
to  the  old  monk  the  shrine  had  once  been  a  great  centre 
from  which  flowed  the  light  of  the  Kongo  and  Taizo 
(doctrines  of  the  Shingon  Sect,  and  about  as  apocryphal 
as  his  tale).  It  remained  for  Kiyomori  to  make  it  a 
source  of  glory,  wealth,  and  happiness  to  himself.  Kiyo- 
mori, soon  in  power,  grasped  all  the  opportunities  for 
these  desirables  ;  and  the  shrine  was  resuscitated  without 
regard  to  expense — seeing  that  the  Tenno's  revenues  paid 
the  bills.  Kiyomori  himself  contributed  a  copy  of  a 
Sutra  (Buddhist  scripture),  painted  with  gold  dust  on 
a  blue  ground  and  enclosed  in  a  magnificent  lacquered 
case,  which  the  idler  can  see  to  this  day.  Kiyomori  was 
rather  maligned  as  a  public  man.  We  have  seen  him 
making  great  reclamation  improvements  at  Kyo-ga-shima 
in  Wada  bay,  practically  establishing  the  site  of  the 
present  Hyogo  and  Kobe,  to  the  great  benefit  of  those 
who  came  after  him.  Thus  also,  Dr.  Ariga  tells  us,  he 
widened  and  deepened  the  channel  between  Aki  and 
Bizen,  making  navigation  safer  and  easier,  and  known  at 
this  day  as  Ondo-no-Seto.  As  far  as  Miyajima  was 
concerned,  it  was  in  great  favour  with  the  Hoo  and 
Tenno,  to  keep  in  favour  with  the  dreaded  Jokai  Nyudo 
(Kiyomori).     Thus  they  paid  it  several  visits.     We  have 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  147 

seen  that  Takakura  Tenno  made  the  last  of  these  in  1180 
A.D.,  on  which  occasion  he  presented  several  folding  fans 
{ogl)  to  the  shrine,  on  which  was  painted  "  the  sun  in 
splendour  " — in  the  Japanese  sense  ;  which  means,  not  a 
golden  radiant  orb  with  its  spears  of  light  shooting  in 
every  direction,  but  the  round  red  ball  of  the  luminary 
sinking  to  the  horizon.*  Dragged  hither  and  thither,  the 
little  Antoku  Tenno  had  received  one  of  these  fans,  with 
the  information  that  in  it  dwelt  his  father's  spirit.  This 
fan  was  now  to  be  the  source  of  Taira  woe. 

On  the  vessel  which  contained  the  train  of  Kenrei- 
mon-in,  the  Taira  nyoin,  was  the  Lady  Tamamushi.f 
Nineteen  years  of  age  and  a  beauty  it  ca-.ne  into  her  head 
to  tempt  Providence  and  put  up  the  sacred  fan  in  defiance 
of  the  Genji  marksmen,  and  to  the  encouragement  of  the 
Taira  soldiery.  Her  suggestion  was  followed.  In  the 
light  of  late  afternoon!  the  Minamoto  saw  a  small  vessel 
detach  itself  from  the  Taira  fleet.  Fastened  to  a  staff 
attached  to  the  gunwale  was  the  sun-marked  fan,  and  the 
fair  challenger  stood  forth  and  taunted  the  foe  to  show 
their  marksmanship.  The  Hangwan,  making  his  own 
comments  on  the  woman-like  Taira  with  the  meddling  of 
women  in  matters  of  war,  realized  the  importance  of 
downing  this  pernicious  emblem.  First  he  called  upon 
Hatakeyama  Shigetada,  but  this  latter  had  been  wounded 
in  the  leg,  and  could  hardly  control  his  steed.  The  fan 
was  not  for  him,  and  it  would  not  do  to  make  a  miss. 
The  Hangwan  looked  quizzically  around  on  his  company, 
seeking  a  suitable  marksman.  The  man  pitched  on  was 
Nasu  no  Juro,  son  of  Nasu  no  Taro  Sukemune,  a 
native  of  Shimotsuke.  But  at  Ichi-no-tani  his  horse  had 
stumbled,  and  an  arm  injured  in  the  fall  made  his 
rider  at  this  time  doubtful  as  to  undertaking  the  feat.  He 
summoned  his  younger  brother,  and  Nasu  no  Yoichi 
Munetaka  was  brought  before  the  Hangwan.  He  found 
Yoshitsune   surrounded   by    Ise    Saburo,    Sanemoto,    his 

*  The  hi-no-maru  in  the  terms  of  the  Gempei  Seisuiki. 
t  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  puts  this  incident  first ;  the  Heike  Mono- 
gatari  makes  it  at  six  o'clock  at  night,  and  it  follows  Sato's  death. 
J  Cf.  Ariga — Dai-Nihon-Kekishi,  p.  59,  60. 


148  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

brother,  and  other  captains,  all  of  whom  had  spread 
themselves  as  a  shield  before  their  leader.  Hot  was  the 
argument  and  many  were  the  objections  to  answering  the 
challenge.  The  sun  was  low  in  the  horizon.  Yoshitsune 
settled  the  matter  in  favour  of  the  attempt.  Said  Nasu 
Juro  to  his  brother  : — "  get  quickly  to  work,  or  it  will  be 
more  difficult."  Yoichi  took  off  his  helmet.  About  his 
head  he  twisted  a  tohin.  x\.ll  the  Taira  women  fearlessly 
appeared  to  see  the  feat  attempted.  There  seemed  to  be  a 
sort  of  truce  imposed  on  both  sides.  The  chiefs  gathered 
in  full  sight :  The  Hangwan,  surrounded  by  Hatake- 
yama,  Wada,  Doi,  Kumagai,  Ise  Saburo,  and  other 
leaders  ;  Norimori,  Noritsune,  Etchu  Jirobei  Moritsune, 
Sho-Yashima  Daijin  and  his  son  Uyemon  Kiyotsune,  To- 
momori,*  on  the  Taira  side.  The  feat  was  a  more  than 
difficult  one.  The  fan  was  whirling  in  the  wind,  at  times 
offering  no  better  mark  than  an  edge.  Yoichi  rode  far  out 
into  the  water.  Shutting  his  eyes  he  prayed  to  the  Utsu- 
nomiya  myojin  of  Nikko.  Something  was  effected,  for 
when  he  opened  his  eyes  the  fan  had  stopped  whirling. 
Then  fitting  a  kahuraya  (singing,  arrow)  to  his  bow-string 
he  took  careful  aim.  Straight  went  the  bolt  to  its  mark,  to 
strike  the  rivet  of  the  fan.  The  handle  fell  to  the  deck  of 
the  craft,  but  sad  to  say  the  upper  part  with  the  lii-no-maru 
fell  into  the  water.     Sad  were  the  hearts  of  the  Heike  : — 

"  From  foot  to  peak, 
"  The  slopes  of  Hase-Yoshino, 
"  What  time  are  not  ablaze, 
*'  With  flowers  and  maple  red  !t 

Curiosity  was  fatal  to  lyekazu,  this  promising  branch  of 
Taira  stock.  With  amazement  he  gesticulated  and  danced 
upon  the  deck  of  his  vessel.     The  battle  was  on  again,  the 

*  He   should    be   found   operating   at   the   straits    (Shimo-no-Seki). 
The  Gempei  Seisuiki  gives  his  name ;  and  his  presence  may  account  for 
the  fact  that  Noriyori,  a  couple  of  weeks  before,  had  slipped  over  the 
straits  into  Kyushu, 
t  "  Toki  naranu, 

"  Hana  ya  momiji  wo, 
*'  Mitsuru  kana  I 
"  Yoshino  Hatsuse  no, 
"  Fumoto  nara  ne  do." 


YOIOHI  ANSWERS  LADY  TAMAMUSHI'S  CHALLENGE. 


THE    BATTLE    OF   YASHIMA.  149 

tacit  truce  was  over,  but  he  wished  to  see  what  had 
become  of  the  fan  thus  brought  down  by  this  strange  shot. 
Yoichi  secured  thereby  more  than  a  fan.  Fitting  another 
arrow  to  his  bow-string  he  brought  down  lyekazu  by  a 
bolt  through  the  neck  ;  and  he  fell  into  the  sea,  to  be  on 
much  closer  terms  and  in  closer  company  with  the  fan. 
Yoichi  reached  land,  to  be  brought  into  the  presence  of  the 
Hang  wan.  For  his  double  feat  the  latter  bestowed  on  the 
youth  a  fine  charger.  Munemori,  with  the  Tenno,  the 
Nyoin,  Nii-dono,  and  the  bulk  of  the  Taira  fleet  in- 
continently took  to  flight  eastward  to  Shido  bay.  The 
rest  of  the  day  was  left  to  the  fighting  men.  But  the 
feat  of  Nasu  no  Yoichi  was  embalmed  in  song : 

"  Alas,  the  fan  ! 

"  Now  drift  wood  on  the  sea. 

"  The  lord  Nasu, 

"  Skilful  with  the  bow, 

"  Yoichi's  fame  is  spread.* 


*  "  Ogi  wo  ba 

"  Umi  no  mikutsu  to 

"Nasu  no  do  no 

"  Yumi  no  jozu  wa 

"  Yoichi  to  zo  kikii." 
The  Lady  Tamamushi  was  "  the  younger  sister  of  Hanaya-no- 
Hachiro  Kiyobara,  youngest  son  of  Hauarni-no-Tayu,  native  of 
Kyushu,  and  her  other  name  was  Omu-no-Maye.  Once  when  the  kogo 
held  a  flower  party  at  Kitayama  the  Lady  Tamamushi  is  said  to  have 
composed  a  hundred  songs  and  presented  them  to  her  majesty.  She 
was  as  beautiful  as  the  Lady  Tokiwa."  (Shin-Gunsho-Ruishu).  There 
are  slight  variations  in  the  story.  In  this  Yoichi  is  make  to  shoot  at 
the  kumade  (ribs),  and  from  a  boat.  His  father  is  given  as  "  Ina-no- 
Sh5ji,  remote  descendant  of  Kanamura-no-Tayu.  The  Dai-Nihon- 
Jimmei-Jiten  gives  the  father's  name  as  Tar5  Suketaka.  He  strikes 
the  koshi  (rivet),  and  gets  as  his  reward  manors  in  Tamba,  Shinano, 
Wakasa,  Etchu,  and  Musashi  [a  diflScnlt  and  scattered  property  to 
manage]  and  is  made  governor  of  Nasu  district  in  Shimotsuke.  It  goes 
on  to  say  that  later  he  became  a  Buddhist  priest,  and  went  to  live  in 
Miyako  at  the  Sokusei-in  temple  of  Fushimi,  in  fulfillment  of  a  long 
postponed  wish.  [He  must  have  been  much  older,  for  he  is  now  only 
eighteen  years].  Yorisuke,  his  eldest  son,  was  brought  up  by  his  uncle 
Sukeyuki,  Munetaka's  elder  brother,  the  father  having  died  when 
the  boy  was  young.  Yorisuke  erected  a  shrine  to  his  father's  memory 
at  Nasu,  and  called  it  Gory5-no-miya.  So  far  the  Heike-Monogatari. 
"  Goryo-no-Miya  is  in  Onda  village,  Nasu  district  [just  north  of 
Utsunomiya]  three  ri  north  of  Toriyama." 


150  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Noritsune  and  the  fighting  men  of  the  Taira  were  still 
prepared  to  make  things  hot  for  the  enemy.  Fans  as  yet 
were  by  no  means  to  be  discounted.  They  rowed  close  in 
to  shore  to  exchange  compliments,  verbal  and  other  kinds, 
with  the  Genji  calling  to  them  from  the  shore.*  After 
Yoshitsune,  came  Nobutsuna.  '*  I  am  Tashiro-no- 
Kwanja  Nobutsuna  of  Izu  no  kuni." — "  I  am  Kaneko-no- 
Juro  lyetada  of  Musashi — ''  I  am  Yoichi  Chikanori  " — 
"  I  am  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori."  Others  who  announced 
their  names  "  were  Goto  Hyoye  Sanemoto,  his  son  Shin- 
Hyoye-no-jo  Motokiyo,  Sato  Saburo  Hyoye  Tsuginobu, 
Sato  Shiro  Hyoye  Tadanobu,  Yada  Genzo,  Kumai  Taro, 
Musashi-bo  Benkei,  each  of  them  a  match  for  a  thousand 
men."  At  them  the  Taira  shot  toy  a  and  sashiya.  As 
they  rowed  in  closer  to  the  shore  Etchil  no  Tiro  Moritsugi 
challenged  their  enemy.  "  Your  general  a  little  while  ago 
told  us  his  name,  but  his  voice  is  weak.  Who  is  he 
anyhow?" — Keplied  Ise  Saburo: — '*  You  area  fool  not 
to  know.  He  is  His  Highness  the  Hang  wan,  younger 
brother  of  Kamakura-dono  " — "  Ah  !  That  boy  orphan- 
ed after  Heiji,  and  a  chigo  (page)  at  Kuramayama ; 
later  he  was  a  servant  of  a  gold -dealer,  and  acted  as  coolie 
to  carry  stuff  down  to  Mutsu.  Do  you  mean  that 
wretched  little  fellow  ?  " — Ise  got  in  a  great  rage  at  such 
contemptuous  treatment.  "  Your  tongue  is  too  flabby  to 
call  anyone  names,  least  of  all  such  a  great  lord.  Why, 
when  you  were  beaten  at  Tonamiyama  by  Kiso  you 
scuttled  back  to  the  capital,  and  no  one  could  have  told 
you  from  a  beggar  " — Said  Moritsugi: — "What  kind  of 
a  judge  are  you  ?  I  have  been  faithful  to  my  lord  and 
have  received  the  marks  of  his  favour.  You,  I  have 
heard,  led  the  life  of  a  highwayman  on  Suzukasan  in  Ise, 
and  kept  your  family  alive  on  what  you  stole."  Kaneko 
Juro   rode   forward.     Said   he  : — "  We   can   abuse   each 

*  What  follows — the  calling  of  names  (in  the  patronymic  and  billings- 
gate sense)  is  taken  from  the  old  Heike  Monogatari.  It  is  interesting 
as  illustrating  Japanese  warfare-  A  note  to  the  Heike  Mong.  says  of 
toya  and  sashiya — distant  and  quick  shooting  arrows.  Another  note 
cites  the  Hogen  Monogatari  as  defining  them  as  for  use  at  8  cho  and 
3  cho  respectively.  Perhaps  it  can  be  assumed  that  rapid  fire  would 
be  more  efiective  and  necessary  at  short  range. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  151 

other  to  the  end  of  time.  But  you  must  admit  the 
thorough  trouncing  our  captain  gave  you  at  Ichi-no-tani." 
His  younger  brother  put  a  more  practical  end  to  the 
exchange  of  words.  With  a  war  arrow  from  his  bow  he 
pierced  the  corselet  of  Jiro  Hyoye.  Then  Noto-no-Kami 
Noritsune,  took  his  hand  in  the  fray.  "  Said  he  : — •*  In  a 
naval  engagement  fighting  is  thus  to  be  conducted.'  He 
took  off  his  armour  and  court  robes,  and  appeared  still 
retaining  his  ordinary  brilliantly  coloured  costume  and 
with  armour  of  folded  Chinese  silk  (Kara-aya  odoshi  no 
yoroi).  He  wore  at  his  girdle  a  gorgeously  decorated 
sword.  His  quiver  contained  twenty  four  arrows  with 
hawk's  tail  feathers,  and  he  held  in  his  hand  his  bow  of 
twisted  rattan.  The  bravest  warrior  and  most  skilful 
archer  of  Miyako  his  shafts  meant  death  to  any  whom 
they  reached." 

The  Genji  came  forward  to  meet  the  enemy's  battle  line 
which  now  came  near  the  shore.  They  did  not  confine 
themselves  to  dry  land,  but  rode  their  horses  far  into  the 
sea.  A  hot  battle  then  ensued  between  not  uneven  forces : 
some  two  hundred  Heike  in  their  boats  ;  three  hundred 
Minamoto  on  the  land.  They  better  would  have  stayed 
where  they  were.  The  Genji  in  their  excursions  into  the 
sea  ran  no  little  risk.  The  Hangwan  himself  was  not  an 
example  of  prudence.  Tomono  Rokuro,  who  brought 
some  sixty  retainers  into  the  battle,  noted  this  and  deter- 
mined to  get  him  or  the  reckless  Nasu-no-Yoichi  delighted 
with  his  first  successful  plunge.  But  while  he  was  engaged 
on  the  hunt  for  these  elusive  characters  he  came  into  the 
eye  of  Okono  Kokyota,  a  retainer  of  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori. 
This  man,  born  at  Tago-no-ura  in  Suruga,  had  learned  to 
swim  in  the  swift  waters  of  the  Fujikawa.  "What  were  his 
capabilities  are  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  could  stay 
under  water  all  day,  or  in  the  water  for  the  old  chronicle 
is  not  very  particular.  Watching  these  boats  of  the  enemy 
insolently  rowing  without  care,  he  stripped  off  his  armour 
and  clothes  and  plunged  beneath  the  surface.  Of  this  or 
him  the  Heike  neither  knew  nor  cared.  They  had  eyes  for 
land  and  surface,  not  submarines.  Tomono  Rokuro  was 
disgusted  at  finding  nothing  to  fight.     Then,  as  he  leanep 


152  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

over  the  side  of  his  craft,  a  strong  arm  draw  him  firmly 
and  lovingly  below.  It  was  a  painful  time  for  him  for  he 
was  not  accustomed  to  the  depths  beneath,  and  Okono 
landed  him  half  strangled  at  the  Hang  wan 's  feet.  De- 
lighted, Yoshitsune  gave  the  ingenious  soldier  a  sword. 
As  for  Tomono  the  chronicle  saith  not,  but  he  presumably 
died  young. 

*'  The  arrows  were  as  rain  ;  the  shouts  of  the  combatants 
like  thunder."  Thus  says  the  Gempei  Seisuiki.  The 
Heike  on  the  sea,  and  the  Minamoto  on  land  and  sea  made 
the  welkin  roar.  This  sea  business  was  decidedly  dange- 
rous, especially  with  the  Hangwan  as  protagonist.  Etchu 
Jiro  Shoye  Moritsugi,  not  daunted  by  the  fate  of  Tomono 
Kokuro,  of  which  he  knew  nothing,  had  his  try  at  the 
Minamoto  captain,  and  nearly  scored  success.  Seeing 
Yoshitsune  swim  his  horse  far  out  to  sea  he  determined  to 
*'  clutch  "  him.  His  implement  was  a  rake,  with  a  strong 
resemblance  to  a  bear's  claws  and  perhaps  for  that  reason 
called  a  himade.  We  have  seen  it  in  use  at  the  battle  of 
the  gosho,  when  the  Minamoto  under  Yoshitomo  were 
fighting  a  losing  game.  He  drove  his  boat  toward  Yoshi- 
tsune, who  to  meet  the  cast  brandished  his  sword  and 
prepared  to  cut  the  handle  of  the  humade.  In  so  doing 
he  let  fall  his  bow  into  the  sea.  He  tried  to  pick  it  up, 
and  Moritsugi  tried  all  the  harder  to  get  a  hold  with  the 
rake.  The  Minamoto,  seeing  the  perilous  position  of  their 
chief,  cried  out  to  him  to  let  the  bow  go.  The  Hangwan, 
with  sword  in  one  hand  and  whip  in  the  other,  had  too 
difficult  a  task.  All  called  to  him  : — "  Your  life  is  valua- 
ble, not  so  the  bow  even  if  of  gold."  But  the  Hangwan 
thought  it  dishonourable  for  a  captain  to  lose  his  weapon 
in  battle  against  the  Taira.  Very  especially  he  did  not 
want  such  a  thing  to  reach  the  ears  of  Yoritomo.  The 
man  to  come  to  the  aid  of  his  captain  was  Kobayashi 
Jinzo  Muneyuki.  Swimming  out  he  effectually  prevented 
the  object  of  Moritsugi  by  grasping  the  gunnel  of  the  boat 
and  violently  rocking  it.  Moritsugi  had  to  give  up  his 
attempt  on  the  Hangwan,  who  with  the  recovered  bow 
escaped  to  shallower  waters.  Then  Moritsugi  turned  his 
attentions  with  the  humade   to   Muneyuki.      This  latter 


THE  HELMET  PULLING  OF  MOKHSUGI  AND  MUNEYUKI. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  153 

whipped  his  horse  toward  the  land,  thus  bringing  the 
boat  near  shore,  but  parting  with  the  nag  in  the  process. 
The  two  men  were  very  evenly  matched.  Moritsugi  was 
powerful  in  the  arms  and  a  good  clutcher.  Muneyuki 
was  strong  in  the  legs,  and  a  good  walker.  The  old 
chronicler  cannot  choose  between  two  such  diverse  gifts  in 
such  a  contest.  "  It  was  a  pulling  of  neck  to  neck 
between  two  giants."  The  helmet  itself  settled  the  busi- 
ness. The  haclii-tsuke-no-ita  (a  metal  inset  on  the  top) 
came  off.  Muneyuki  went  about  his  business  at  a  fast 
pace  for  camp.  Moritsugi  carried  off  the  shikoro  and  the 
bulk  of  the  head -piece  on  his  kumade.  Thus  Nature  and 
bad  workmanship  find  a  way,  never  suspected  by  stupid 
man  and  the  *'  last  consumer." 

But  the  day's  battle  was  to  end  in  a  more  deadly 
manner.  An  artillery  duel  began  with  Noritsune  as 
leader  of  the  Taira  forces,  and  few  were  his  equals  at  such 
a  game.*  Famous  archers  such  a  Toshiro  Kwanja  INobu- 
tsuna,  Hatakeyama  Jiro  Shigetada,  Kameko  Jiro  lyetada, 
Kameko  Chikanori,  Ise  Saburo,  Goto  Sanetomo,  the  Sato 
kyodai,  "  anyone  of  whom  were  equal  to  a  thousand 
men  ",  took  part  in  this  exchange  of  swift  and  Hghtly 
feathered  compliments.  Benkei  stood  apart  in  gloom. 
These  Taira  fellows  kept  out  of  reach  of  his  halberd. 
Nothing  but  a  miserable  messenger  to  his  credit,  and 
Washiwo  shared  in  that.  Yoshitsune  mischievously  made 
fun  of  him,  for  Benkei  loved  close  range.  But  many 
perished.  Especially  formidable  was  Noto-no-Kami  Nori- 
tsune. Bowing  close  to  the  shore  he  proclaimed  his  name 
and  many  titles.  "  Come  !  "  he  shouted.  "  I  have  here 
an  arrow  as  gift  for  Yoshitsune.  Let  him  stand  forth 
and  we  will  exchange  salutations."  The  Minamoto  were 
surprised,  and  not  particularly  pleased.  He  had  been 
reported  killed  at  Ichi-no-tani,  and  his  head  duly  tabbed. 
By  all  good  Japanese  custom,  having  been  officially 
docketed  he  ought  to  be  dead,  even  if  he  was  not.  There 
is   nothing   a   Japanese   detests   more,  in  this  twentieth 

*  Arrows  were  as  much  artillery  in  their  day,  as  Krupp's  mountain 
batteries  are  to-day. 


154  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

century  also,  than  to  find  his  little  pile  of  documents  gone 
astray  on  the  facts.  Usually  he  ignores  such  deviation. 
Noritsune  was  there  in  the  flesh,  however,  and  this  course 
was  neither  safe  or  possible.  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  Ise 
Saburo,  Yada  Genzo,  Kumai  Taro,  the  Sato  kyodai  put 
themselves  before  their  chief.  Yoshitsune  laughed.  ''  Of 
what  are  you  afraid.  He  is  no  ghost,  as  I  hope  to 
prove  to  him."  Tightening  his  bow  he  prepared  to  ride 
forward,  but  the  closing  scene  of  this  Achilleid  was 
not  yet  due.  Page  after  page  in  the  Iliad  someone 
or  something  always  interposes  between  the  swift-footed 
Achilles  and  Hector  tamer  of  horses,  just  when  we 
are  keyed  up  for  the  pilihia  nui  (trouble  in  heaps).  The 
Hangwan's  retainers  surrounded  him.  "  Your  life  is 
that  of  the  whole  host,  and  your  mission  is  sacred  and 
peremptory,  first  to  be  carried  out.  I  am  the  one  to  go." 
Thus  spoke  Sato  Tsuginobu,  and  the  others  urged  the 
importance  of  the  Tenno's  mission  as  to  the  Three  Sacred 
Treasures.  Yoshitsune  yielded  reluctantly,  more  probably 
on  the  thought  of  the  critical  condition  of  his  little  band 
if  he  should  rashly  expose  his  life  at  this  juncture. 
Tsuginobu  rode  forward  in  defiance.  The  first  arrow  of 
Noritsune  he  cut  in  half.  But  then  the  Taira  warrior 
fitted  a  double  arrow  {kudaya)  to  his  bow-string.  The 
first  Tsuginobu  reached,  but  the  second  pierced  his  gullet 
and  came  out  the  back  of  the  neck,  a  deadly  wound. 
Thus  on  the  beach  of  Somon  fell  the  eldest  of  old 
Motoharu's  noble  sons,  this  Shi-Ten-no  of  their  young 
lord.  Tadanobu,  the  brother  of  Tsuginobu,  in  a  great 
rage  took  up  the  fight.  His  arrow,  however,  missed 
Noritsune  and  killed  his  favourite  page  Kikuo,  whose 
body  plunged  headlong  into  the  sea.  This  lad  was  of 
wonderful  strength,  and  at  the  time  he  was  hit  had  drawn 
his  sword  and  was  preparing  to  leap  on  the  shore  in  order 
to  get  Tsuginobu's  head.  Noto-no-Kami  seized  the  body 
and  dragged  it  back  into  the  boat.  Then,  overcome  by 
sorrow,  for  the  time  being  he  withdrew  from  the  fight. 
He  had  cut  a  terrible  swathe  among  the  Minamoto 
captains.  Ten  of  them  had  fallen  before  his  shafts.  Sato 
Tsuginobu  and  Kamada  Mitsurnasa  were  both  of  the  Shi- 


THE  DEATil  OF  SATO  TSUQINOBU. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  YASHIMA.  155 

Ten-no  of  Yoshitsune.  This  ended  the  day's  battle.  The 
dying  Tsuginobu  had  been  removed  to  the  camp  at 
Takamatsu.  Amid  the  tears  and  distress  of  his  com- 
panions he  passed  away,  with  no  thought  but  of  parents 
left  behind  in  Mutsu,  and  his  and  their  joy  at  thus 
having  saved  his  lord.  Gentle  was  his  rebuke  of  untimely 
grief,  and  noble  were  the  obsequies  of  the  hero.  The 
Hang  wan  called  to  his  presence  the  priests  of  the 
neighbouring  shrine,  and  rich  was  their  endowment  in 
return  for  their  prayers.*  Gladly  woald  all  have  slept 
that  night,  but  the  restless  Noto-no-Kami  would  have 
none  of  it.  He  was  met  by  the  equally  restless  and 
wrathful  Ise  Saburo.  During  these  night  encounters  and 
clutchings  on  land  many  and  satisfactory  were  the  deeds 
performed  by  Benkei  and  Hitachibo.  In  these  attempts  to 
raid  the  camp  they  were  on  congenial  ground.  Let  the 
Taira  occupy  it,  if  they  could.  Finally  the  arrows  of  the 
enemy  ran  short,  and  Noto-no-Kami  Noritsune  had  to  sail 
off  to  join  his  friends  in  the  neighbouring  Shido  Bay.  In 
the  teeth  of  a  rising  gale  thither  he  took  his  way. 

The  next  day  (24th  March)  there  was  no  battle.  During 
the  night  Tanso,  Betto  of  Kumano,  sailed  into  Yashima 
harbour  with  two  hundred  boats.  Kono  Michinobu  came 
with  thirty  boats  and  a  thousand  bushi.  Yoshitsune  at 
once  followed  up  his  advantage,  but  Munemori  hardly 
waited  for  the  sight  of  his  enemy.  He  gave  the  signal  for 
retreat,  and  the  Taira  fleet  put  to  sea,  for  further 
wanderings  in  search  of  some  place  of  security  in  what 
was  now  forbidden  land.  On  March  25th,  the  day  after 
the  battle  Kajiwara  arrived  at  Yashima  with  his  fleet  of 
one  hundred  and  forty  boats.  He  came  to  rescue  the 
daring  young  captain,  whom  he  felt  sure  must  be  in  the 
deepest  kind  of  a  hole ;  this  from  no  good  will  to 
Yoshitsune,  but  with  an  avowed  conviction  that  Yoritomo 
knew  where  his  interests  lay,  and  was  too  much  of  a 
soldier  to  let  them  be  juggled  with  by  disputes  between  his 
captains.     As  they  passed  Awaji,  and  could  see  the  heavy 

*  The  Heike  Monogatari  has  Yoshitsune  contribute  his  horse 
Tayakuro,  but  this  noble  beast  is  needed  to  take  his  master  out  of 
Miyako. 


156  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

smoke  rising  from  the  Awa  shore  they  felt  sure  that  it  was 
from  the  fire  built  over  the  hopes  of  the  Minamoto  captain. 
Great  was  the  disappointment  as  they  sailed  into  the  bight 
on  which  lay  Yashima,  now  a  smoking  pile  of  ruins  with 
the  Minamoto  banner  floating  everywhere  in  triumph, 
and  a  strong  fleet  lying  at  anchor  and  receiving  them  with 
welcoming  shouts.  Captains  and  men  were  chagrined  at 
not  having  had  a  hand  in  the  feat.  Bo  was  Kajiwara, 
for  other  reasons.  And  besides,  he  realized  that  he  and 
all  others  must  take  a  subordinate  place  in  the  council  of 
the  brilliant  young  leader.* 

*  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  leaves  no  room  for  a  set  battle  at  Shido  Bay. 
Its  dates  are,  Katsii-ura  Bay  18  day  2  month  (March  21st),  Yashima 
20  day  2  month  (March  23rd),  Shido  Bay  21  day  2  month  (March 
24th),  Kajiwara  arrives  22  day  2  month  (March  25th).  The  writer  of 
the  Adzuma  Kagami  is  just  as  credulous,  borrows  from  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki,  and  is  writing  two  hundred  years  later.  The  Heike  Mono- 
gatari  confidingly  tells  us  that  on  her  return  from  Korea,  of  the  two 
deities  who  triumphantly  escorted  Jingo  Kogo  "one  took  residence  in 
Sumiyoshi  of  Settsu-no-kuni — Sumiyo  Daimyojin;  the  other  took 
residence  at  Suwa  in  Shinano — Suwa  no  Daimyojin."  The  commen- 
tator has  no  such  confidence  at  such  long  range  as  Shinano.  In  a  note 
he  says  this  is  doubtful  "  because  Suwa-myojin  is  the  son  of  Oho-kuni- 
nushi-no-Mikoto,  and  this  latter  had  no  connection  with  the  Korean 
expedition."  But  this  is  to  be  very  finicky  indeed.  It  was  the  issue- 
of  the  presumptuous  and  hasty  Ninigi  who  suffered  as  to  length  of  life 
and  limb.  As  the  issue  of  Oho-kuni-nushi,  the  Suwa-myojin  should  be 
not  only  exceedingly  tough,  but  as  a  tramper,  and  the  son  of  his  father, 
quite  up  to  the  fame  even  of  Saigyo-hoshi. 


CHAPTER   XL 

DAN-NO-URA  AND  ITS  AFTER-MATH. 


"  Alcibiades,  who  saved  his  master's  life,  afterwards  told  their 
"  friends  that  in  the  retreat  [from  Delicura]  Socrates  behaved 
"  exactly  as  he  did  in  the  streets  of  Athens,  '  turning  his  eyes 
"  *  observantly  from  side  to  side,  though  drenched  with  rain,  and 
"  *  calmly  looking  about  on  friend  and  foe.'  " 


(Greek  Lands  and  Letters — Allinson). 


§     L 


The  presence  of  our  old  friend  Tanso  at  Yashima 
requires  some  explanation.*  Tanso  had  remained  in 
Kumano,  this  outer  district,  praying  vigorously  in  general 
terms  for  the  Taira  success.  He  had  been  engaged 
prematurely  in  this  little  affair,  belied  the  fact,  and 
determined  to  see  how  the  cat  was  going  to  jump 
before  emerging  again  from  his  mountain  fastnesses. 
Two  things  influenced  him.  In  the  first  place  he  had 
married  an  aunt  of  Yoshitomo.  In  the  second  place  all  his 
neighbours  had  flopped  to  the  Minamoto  side.     This  was 

*  Which  is  found  in  the  Gempei  Seisuiki.  It  devotes  part  of  a 
chapter  to  him,  as  in  the  following.  As  the  serious  chronicles  (the 
Adzuma  Kagarai)  draw  freely  on  the  old  chronicle  (to  their  great 
enliveninent)  there  is  no  reason  to  throw  it  overboard  at  this  point. 
As  history  it  is  probably  as  good  as  our  Froissart ;  quite  good  enough ! 


158  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

a  matter  of  great  importance  (to  himself)  in  the  practical 
point  of  view.  Which  ought  to  win  was  beyond  the  old 
man's  powers  of  divination,  and  he  was  no  longer  on  such 
terms  with  the  neighbouring  village  beauties  that  he  could 
find  aids  to  reflection  in  their  company,  and  clear  his 
brain  in  that  way.  He  did  the  next  best  thing.  He 
turned  to  his  local  plant.  First  he  held  a  hagura  dance 
at  the  Tanabe  shrine,  then  newly  established.  This  called 
back  old  times,  but  it  did  not  do  much  else.  Then  the 
local  diviners  were  consulted.  The  neighbourhood  were  of 
course  much  interested  in  Tanso's  decision.  They  much 
preferred  "  a  frolic  to  a  fight  "  ;  especially  with  the  hard 
hitting  sohei  of  Kumano.  The  diviners  promptly  declared 
that  white  doves,  emblems  of  the  god  of  war  Hachiman, 
meant  success  to  the  Minamoto,  and  could  mean  nothing 
else.  These  Minamoto  were  hard  workers,  and  then  or 
now  "  you  cant  keep  the  working  man  down."  Tanso 
was  still  sceptical.  So  he  held  a  cock  fight — white 
against  red.  Seven  times  he  stood  ready  to  pick  his  choice 
in  the  pit.  Seven  times  the  red  bird  funked  and  flew 
away.  There  was  no  fight  to  be  got  out  of  them.  As  a 
good  "  sport  "  this  settled  Tanso.  He  went  about  the 
matter  in  his  usual  practical  way.  Every  desperate  ruffian 
that  he  could  gather  from  the  Kumano  Sanzan  (shrines), 
Kongoho,  Totsuka,  and  Yoshino,  was  pressed  into  service. 
Appropriate  ceremonies  were  held.  The  image  of 
Jakuichi  Oji*  was  hung  on  the  branch  of  a  sakaki  tree 
{cleyera  japojiica) .  And  a  particularly  horrible  present- 
ment of  Kongo  Doji  prepared.  Then  he  gathered  his 
men  at  Tabe-wan  (bay)  in  Kii,  and  set  sail  for  Yashima 
with  two  hundred  boats.  Probably  still  on  the  fence  to 
the  last,  and  intending  to  join  the  winner. 

So  much  to  account  for  the  presence  of  the  fighting 
priest.  Great  is  the  gap  here  in  all  the  chronicles,  for 
important  as  must  have  been  the  meeting  between  Benkei 

*  Note  this  name  in  connection  with.  Benkei.  The  miraculous 
account  of  his  birth  sticks  closely  to  the  Kumano  legend.  Jakuichi 
was  one  name  of  Benkei  himself.  Tanso  must  have  brought  6000  men 
to  the  Hangwan's  aid.  The  same  figures  are  supported  by  Kono'& 
contingent  of  1000  men  in  thirty  boats. 


DAN-NO-URA   AND   ITS   AFTER-MATH.  159 

and  his  reputed  parent  they  are  all  obstinately  silent  on 
the  matter,  some  even  go  so  far  as  to  ignore  the  old  man's 
presence  in  this  campaign.  But  there  was  an  equally 
important  recruit.  Kono  Shiro  Michinobu  sailed  into  the 
harbour.  He  had  but  thirty  boats.  On  them,  however, 
were  a  thousand  hardened  bushi,  fresh  from  the  fighting 
in  lyo.  "With  such  reinforcements  the  Hangwan  flew  at 
once  on  the  Heike.  There  was  no  defence.  At  the  hour 
of  7ni  (9  a.m.)  on  March  24th  the  Taira  put  to  sea,  to 
find  a  port  if  they  could.  Yoshitsune  could  not  set  in 
pursuit  at  once.  Matters  first  bad  to  be  settled  in 
Shikoku,  and  the  island  safely  established  in  Minamoto 
hands.  For  this  purpose  Yashima  was  made  a  head- 
quarters, and  the  Minamoto  warriors  in  all  directions 
called  to  arms.  This  was  not  difficult.  The  Taira  hold- 
ings were  few  but  large.  The  sub-fiefs  were  mainly  in 
Minamoto  hands.  It  was  important  to  get  hold  of  the 
Taira  commander  in  lyo.  This  was  the  Den-nai-Saye- 
mon-no-Jo,  Shigeno,  son  of  Awa  Mimbu-no-Tayu  (Taguchi 
Shigeyoshi).  This  latter  had  been  present  at  Yashima, 
and  had  escaped  with  the  Taira  fleet.  The  object  now 
was  to  bag  the  son,  and  for  this  purpose  Yoshitsune 
summoned  Ise  Saburo,*  and  gave  him  the  order  to  arrest 
Nariyoshi.  With  a  bow  the  noted  retainer  retired  from 
his  lord's  presence. 

To  perform  his  task  he  resorted  to  strategy.  Den-nai- 
Sayemon-no-Jo  should  get  the  latest  news  in  most  com- 
plete and  varied  form.  Picking  out  one  of  his  retainers 
he  disguised  him  as  an  ordinary  traveller.  This  man  was 
started  out  a  day  ahead.  Then  he  himself  with  seventeen 
mounted  bushi  followed  slowly  after  him  on  the  road  to 
lyo,  with  the  intention  of  bringing  off  Shigeno  in  the 
face  of  his  three  thousand  men.  With  these  the  Taira 
chieftain  had  been  making  things  warm  in  Kono's  district. 
He  had  failed  to  catch  and  kill  Michinobu.  But  he  had 
attacked  his  house,  burnt  it  to  the  ground,  and  killed 
most  of  the  garrison.     Then  he  marched  on  Sanuki,  with 

*  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori  is  a  most  important  figure  in  connection 
with  Yoshitsune  in  the  old  chronicles.  I  follow  the  Gempei  Seisuiki 
in  this  little  intrigue,  so  fatal  to  the  Taira  interests. 


160  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

his  trail  of  prisoners.  On  the  way  he  of  course  met  with 
the  supposed  traveller,  somewhat  surprised  to  meet  the 
Taira  lord  so  close  at  hand.  When  brought  before 
Shigeno  he  was  questioned  as  to  what  had  taken  place  at 
Yashima.  His  story  was  very  straightforward.  In  the 
tab  of  heads  in  Yashima  castle  they  had  already  reached 
that  of  Fukura  Shinsaburo,  the  uncle  of  Kono  Michinobu. 
At  that  time  Gen-Kuro  Hang  wan,  with  a  large  Minamoto 
army,  had  descended  on  the  castle.  Driven  to  their  boats, 
houses  and  palace  fired,  the  Taira  were  defeated  in  the 
ensuing  battle.  Daijin-dono  (Munemori),  his  son,  and  the 
Komatsu  princes  (Shigemori's  issue)  were  prisoners.  At 
Katsuura  Bay,  Mimbu-no-Tayu  had  surrendered,  and 
Sakura-no-Tayu  had  been  made  a  prisoner.  The  bravest 
of  the  Taira,  Noto-no-Kami,  after  killing  many  of  the 
enemy,  rowed  out  to  sea  in  a  small  boat,  and  throwing 
himself  in  the  water  was  drowned.  To  his  already  large 
forces  Yoshitsune  had  received  as  reinforcement  Tanso, 
Betto  of  Kumano,  with  two  hundred  boats.  Kono  Michi- 
nobu was  already  in  the  camp,  and  hiishi  were  pouring 
in  from  Shikoku  and  Kyushu.  The  Hangwan  intended 
to  spend  some  time  in  Shikoku,  and  had  established  his 
headquarters  at  Yashima.  "  More  1  know  not."  And 
having  reached  the  end  of  his  instructions  the  traveller 
held  his  tongue — somewhat  in  his  cheek. 

Den-nai-Sayemon  had  much  food  for  reflection,  and  not 
over  much  time  for  its  digestion.  He  had  left  his  father, 
safe  and  sound  in  Yashima,  and  there  was  no  reason  to 
doubt  the  tale.  He  cogitated  out  loud  : — "  if  my  father 
has  surrendered,  it  is  certainly  because  he  wants  to  survive 
long  enough  to  see  me  before  death  is  dealt  out  to  him. 
However,  I  cannot  credit  this  tale  of  a  wandering  serving 
man.  I  must  go  forward,  and  get  further  news  as  to 
what  has  happened."  He  rode  on  then  in  great  haste. 
At  the  Kotosukuri-no-miya  in  Mild  of  Sanuki  province  he 
met  Ise  Saburo.  The  latter,  seeing  the  approaching  train, 
at  once  rode  up  to  him.  "  Am  I  right  in  thinking  that  I 
have  before  me  Den-nai-Sayemon-no-jo  ?  I  am  Ise 
Saburo  Yoshimori,  retainer  ofKuro  Elang wan  Yoshitsune." 
Then  he  went  on  bluntly   to  detail  the  same  story  as   the 


DAN-NO-UEA   AND    ITS   AFTER-MATH.  161 

supposed  traveller,  emphasizing  the  fact  that  Mimbu-no- 
Tayu  had  ''put  out  his  head."  "He  and  Sakura-no- 
Tayu  are  my  prisoners.  As  your  father  surrendered,  his 
life  will  be  spared.  The  head  of  Sakura  will  be  struck 
off."  Yoshimori  in  no  way  depreciated  their  ov/n  losses. 
Sato  Saburo  Hyoye  and  Kamada  Toji  had  both  been 
killed.  The  loss  was  severe,  and  only  had  its  compensa- 
tion in  some  way  in  the  death  of  Noritsune,  He  ended  : — 
"  Such  is  the  situation.  Now  will  you  join  the  Minamoto, 
or  do  you  want  to  seek  revenge  for  defeat  ?  It  was  the 
wish  to  see  you  that  caused  your  father  to  surrender. 
You  had  better  join  us,  become  my  retainer,  and  thus 
return  to  your  native  province  with  success  behind  you. 
If  not,  than  I  shall  stop  your  further  progress."  He 
strung  an  arrow  to  his  bow  in  threatening  attitude.  But 
Shigeno  made  little  account  of  the  noted  archer.  He 
believed  this  tale,  heard  from  two  such  differing  sources. 
Taking  off  his  helmet  he  became  a  follower  of  Yoshimori. 

The  question  of  his  three  thousand  men  was  quickly 
settled  by  Ise  Saburo.  "  You  must  part  with  them  here." 
So  Shigeno  said  good-bye  to  his  ample  supports,  and 
meekly  followed  after  his  captor.  To  interview  papa  ? 
Not  so  ;  that  worthy  was  cleaving  the  ocean  wave  in  the 
Taira  wake,  and  probably  already  meditating  over  the 
incapability  of  his  captains  and  the  turpitude  of  his 
nominal  leader,  Munemori.  Ise  led  his  prisoner  direct  to 
the  presence  of  the  Hangwan.  This  latter  was  in  great 
admiration  over  his  captain's  strategy  in  thus  disposing  of 
three  thousand  men  with  the  potential  aid  of  seventeen 
ditto.  Then  he  turned  to  Shigeno,  with  the  command  to 
write  to  his  father  just  what  had  happened  to  him.  The 
subjugation  of  the  leader  of  the  Taira  forces  in  Shikoku 
thus  carried  great  value  with  it.  He  was  the  son  of  his 
father,  and  this  worthy  man  was  quick  to  learn  that  not 
only  was  there  no  count  of  heads,  with  his  son's  at  the  top 
of  the  pole,  but  solid  advantages  in  the  hand  of  friend- 
ship held  out  by  the  Minamoto  captain.  Just  when 
Taguchi  Shigeyoshi  completed  his  treacherous  designs 
toward  his  former  Taira  lords  is  a  matter  of  no  importance 
at  this  date.     He  was  to  carry  them  out  in  most  dramatic 


162  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

fashion,  and  as  Yoshitsune  was  still  uncertain  as  to  what 
point  to  attack  in  the  Taira  flotilla  it  is  not  beyond 
question  that  Shigeyoshi  was  still  trimming  something 
more  than  sails  while  the  battle  was  in  progress.  His 
conduct  was  suspicious,  and  the  astute  Tomomori  proposed 
that  the  family  '*  clutcher,"  Noto-no-Kami  Noritsune,  was 
the  proper  man  to  deal  with  him.  Perhaps  there  was 
something  of  the  tailor  about  Munemori.  He  preferred 
symmetry  to  the  loss  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  vessels, 
half  of  their  fleet,  the  contingent  furnished  by  Shigeyoshi ; 
a  strange  choice. 

It  took  a  month  for  Yoshitsune  to  complete  his  pre- 
parations. One  main  task  was  to  hold  Noriyori  steady  in 
Kyushu.  Messengers  were  despatched  urging  him  to  hold 
on,  that  relief  w^as  close  at  hand,  and  that  a  few  weeks 
would  see  the  final  blow  struck.  The  situation  was  a 
curious  one.  The  Minamoto  captain  with  a  large  army 
(30000  men  it  is  said)  was  living  on  half  rations  in  a 
most  complete  state  of  discouragement.  Tomomori  had 
him  trapped,  and  did  not  dare,  or  could  not  secure  his 
game.  Probably  this  latter  is  true,  for  a  pitched  battle  on 
land,  ventured  against  the  veterans  of  Noriyori,  was 
exactly  what  the  Minamoto  captain  longed  for  and  could 
not  get.  He  could  only  watch  the  sails  of  Tomomori's 
flotilla  and  his  own  dwindling  store  of  provisions. 
Tomomori  was  excellently  situated  for  observation  and 
safety.  Leaving  Munemori  esconced  at  Yashima  he  had 
taken  himself  to  his  own  fief  in  Nagato.  Here  he  fortified 
the  island  of  Hikoshima,  at  the  outei-  end  of  the  straits  of 
Shimo-no-seki,  and  the  wonder  is  that  he  did  not  choose 
to  fight  the  final  battle  on  such  ground,  and  with  such 
advantages,  instead  of  advancing  to  such  a  death-trap  as 
Dan-no-ura. 

The  flotilla,  for  the  sight  of  which  Noriyori  was  so 
longing,  was  ready  by  the  third  week  in  April  (1185 
A.!).).  Yoshitsune  now  proposed  to  complete  the 
destruction  of  the  enemy.  Feeling  "as  a  dragon 
furnished  with  wings  "  he  reviewed  the  fleet,  and  the 
order  was  given  to  sail  next  day  (the  22nd).  Kajiwara, 
arriving  the  day  after  the  battle  of  Yashima,  now  had  the 


DAN-NO-UEA   AND   ITS   AFTER-MATH.  163 

impadence  to  ask  to  lead  the  van.  Yoshitsune's  answer 
was  brief : — *'  You  are  like  the  iris  after  the  sixth  day  ;*  or 
like  one  who  forges  a  weapon  after  the  quarrel."  Kajiwara 
had  to  bite  his  nails  in  rage,  and  promise  himself  to  pay 
this  back  at  a  better  opportunity.  The  quarrel  waxed  hot. 
To  charges  of  "  coward "  and  "  woman,"  jeering  re- 
ferences to  his  "  reverse  oar,"  he  pointedly  referred  to  his 
commission  from  Yoritorao.  Swords  were  already  in 
hand,  and  Yoshitsune  had  strung  his  bow  with  every 
intention  this  time  to  pin  this  old  calamity  prophet.  Cooler 
heads  intervened.  The  approaching  battle  and  the 
necessity  of  union  forbade  any  thought  of  strife,  and  it 
was  in  soldierly  union  that  the  Minamoto  fleet  sailed 
toward  Nagato.  The  weather,  cloudy  at  the  start, 
developed  a  heavy  rain  storm,  and  there  was  the  delay 
of  a  day  before  the  fleet  of  seven  hundred  vessels  was 
assembled  at  Oshima,  the  "  large  island  "  lying  off  the  east 
end  of  Suwo  province."  From  there  Miura  Yoshizumi, 
probably  on  the  strength  of  an  occasional  mission  to  these 
seas  of  which  the  Kwanto  warriors  knew  little,  was 
pushed  forward  in  the  van-  This  brought  him  in  touch 
with  the  Taira  outposts  at  Dan-no-ura,  a  bight  at  the 
eastern  entrance  to  the  Shimo-no-seki  sfcraits.  This  news 
brought  Tomomori  with  all  his  available  forces,  among 
them  Taguchi  Shigeyoshi,  up  from  Hikoshima.  But  it 
was  fighting  for  lack  of  any  remedy.  "  Like  a  rudderless 
boat  in  the  middle  of  the  seas  "  they  had  been  drifting 
from  one  harbour  to  another,  to  find  every  place  in  the 
possession  of  the  Minamoto.  Tomomori  strongly  advised 
relying  on  the  fleet  of  five  hundred  vessels.  Even  Shige- 
yoshi did  the  same.  This  Judas  of  the  drama  perhaps  had 
not  yet  made  up  his  mind  which  way  the  cat  was  going 
to  jump,  and  there  were  limits  to  his  treachery.  It  was 
thus  handicapped,  with  women  and  children,  and  such 
effects  as  they  had  saved,  that  the  Taira  hushi  had,  as 
usual,  to  meet  the  enemy. 

On  the  twenty  fourth  day  of  the  third  month  (25th 

*  A  curious  superstition  and  practice  as  to  tlie  iris  is  referred  to  in 
Sakurambo  (page  193).  The  fifth  of  May  is  the  important  day  in  which 
it  figures. 


164  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

April  1185  A.D.)  the  morning  light  showed  these 
approaching  in  wedge  formation  to  break  up  the  opposing 
line.  The  objects  of  both  sides  were  comparatively  simple. 
The  centre  of  attack  for  the  Minamoto  was  the  Kara 
boat,  a  large  craft  supposed  to  contain  the  young  Tennu, 
Antoku.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  knowing  that  this 
vessel  would  be  the  aim  of  the  hostile  attack,  Munemori 
had  transferred  the  Tenno,  his  mother  Kenrei-mon-in, 
the  Nii-dono,  and  other  court  ladies  to  an  ordinary  battle- 
ship. As  the  Minamoto  would  swarm  to  the  attack  of 
the  larger  craft  he  hoped  to  surround  them  where  they 
had  no  room  to  manoeuvre,  and  thus  to  destroy  them*. 
Tomomori  and  the  fighting  men  had  less  hope  and 
simpler  views.  "  Fight  with  no  thought  but  that  this  day 
is  our  last.  "We  must  not  live  to  be  the  prisoners  of  these 
Easterners.  Our  single  aim  is  to  damage  the  foe.  Once 
have  w^e  failed  to  seize  our  enemy.  This  time  we  must  be 
more  successful.  Yoshitsune  is  the  object  of  our  battle 
and  revenge.  Let  us  seize  and  fling  him  into  the  sea." 
It  was  early  when  the  battle  began  with  the  customary 
discharge  of  arrows.  The  Taira  men  were  numerous 
enough  not  to  be  taken  in  the  rear,  and  as  yet  the  traitor 
Shigeyoshi  did  not  show  his  hand.  The  shouts  of  the 
warriors  and  the  hum  of  the  hahuraya\  was  as  fierce  as 
that  of  any,  even  if  there  were  more  sound  and  fury  in 
their  discharge  than  harm.  On  the  land  Noriyori  and 
his  army  were  ranged  in  serried  lines,  ready  to  discharge 
their  arrows  against  any  of  the  enemy's  ships  which  came 
within  range.  The  Minamoto  came  to  closer  quarters  to 
endeavour  to  settle  matters  with  the  sword,  but  the  Taira 
presented  a  solid  front.  This  first  attack  was  anything 
but  favourable.  The  decks  were  slippery  with  blood,  and 
men  did  not  have  time  to  cast  the  bodies  into  the  sea. 
Corpses  of  women  and  little  children  lay  sprawled  on  the 
decks,  and  sometimes  a  single  arrow  pierced  mother  and 

*  Cf.  also  Ariga — loc.  cit.  p.  86. 

t  "Kabnraya — an  arrow  with  its  head  shaped  like  a  turnip,  having 
three  perforations  which  make  a  humming  sound  as  it  flies  "  :  Brink- 
ley's  Dictionary.  That  is,  as  does  a  perforated  top.  iS  ^  ^  Hi  sS^^  ei 
is  the  expression  of  the  Gempei  Seisuiki. 


aoe. 


DAN-NO-URA   AND   ITS    AFTER-MATH.  165 

babe,  and  the  wife  stabbed  herself  on  the  prostrate  body 
of  the  husband  and  father.  The  hero  of  this  fighting 
was  Noto-no-Kami  Noritsune.  Never  had  the  great 
archer  shown  such  deadly  skill.  ' 

The  Hangwan  seeing  his  aien  retreat  before  the  fury 
of  the  Taira  captain  dipped  up  water  from  the  sea,  and 
purifying  his  mouth  by  rinsing,  with  closed  eyes  prayed 
fervently  to  Hachiman  Daibosatsu.  On  the  deck  of  the 
ship  there  stood  an  offering  stand  of  the  Sumiyoshi  deity. 
From  heaven  two  white  doves,  emblems  of  the  god, 
descended  to  rest  upon  the  shrine.  All  eyes  were  drawn 
from  this  sight  to  heavy  black  clouds  floating  from  the 
eastward  over  the  scene  of  strife.  But  these  were  not  storm 
clouds.  In  an  opening  there  was  seen  a  white  flag 
which  descended  to  the  mast-head,  to  take  the  place 
of  Yoshitsune's  flag,  which  triumphantly  waving  was 
carried  heavenward.  A  further  portent  came  to  strike 
terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  Taira.  To  the  fleets  came 
sporting  and  playing  a  group  of  porpoises.  What  could 
these  portend  ?  They  turned  to  Abe  Harunobu,  he  who 
had  made  such  a  fearful  mess  of  it  when  the  day  was 
chosen  for  the  unlucky  exit  from  Miyako.  He  turned  to 
his  divination  books.  Plainly  this  Abe  was  no  reader  of 
natural  signs.  Did  he  expect  these  animals  to  remain  in 
such  waters  agitated  by  the  strife  of  men  ?  It  would 
seem  so.  "  If  the  fish  remain  and  play  about  here,  the 
omen  is  bad  for  the  Minamoto.  If  they  pass  on  there  is 
no  hope  for  the  Taira."  Thus  he  croaked,  and  all, 
hanging  on  his  words,  anxiously  watched  the  leapings 
and  divings  of  the  fish.  To  their  great  sorrow  all  passed 
on  ;  not  one  turned  back. 

The  time  had  plainly  come  for  Shigeyoshi  to  turn  his 
coat.  With  his  two  hundred  and  fifty  vessels  he  left  the 
Taira  line  of  battle.  His  passive  role  did  not  last  long. 
He  soon  took  his  place  in  the  Minamoto  line,  and  passing 
to  the  ship  of  Yoshitsune  pointed  out  to  him  the  battle- 
ship which  contained  the  prize  so  earnestly  sought — the 
Sacred  Treasures  and  the  Taira  Tenno  and  Court. 
Tenderly  does  our  romancer  linger  over  the  scenes  of 
blood    and  uproar  "which  reached  the  divine  castle  of 


166  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Ey ugu  at  tlie  bottom  of  the  sea .  Boats  and  their  fittings 
drifted  like  fishermen's  buoys.  Bodies  floated  hither  and 
thither  like  driftwood.  The  waves,  coloured  red  with  blood, 
lapped  greedily  the  sides  of  the  ships."  As  the  Taira  lost 
heart  the  Minamoto  became  more  and  more  active  in  the 
assault.  Greatly  encouraged  by  Shigeyoshi's  treachery 
they  now  drew  near  the  Taira  boats.  Says  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki : — "  Fearful  execution  was  dealt  among  them. 
Many  were  killed  in  hand  to  hand  combats  with  the 
sword.  Those  at  greater  distance  met  their  fate  by 
arrows.  Sailors  and  helmsmen  were  bewildered  by  the 
rain  of  missiles.  Chfmagon  Tomomori  ordered  his  vessel 
to  approach  that  on  which  were  the  Tenno  and  Ni-i- 
dono.  When  he  appeared  before  them  the  ladies  wept 
and  asked  what  would  become  of  them.  Calmly  he  told 
them  that  he  had  expected  such  misfortune  It  could  not 
be  avoided.  Smiling  he  said  that  they  would  find  the 
Kwanto  men  finer  looking  fellows.  He  ordered  the  deck 
to  be  cleared  of  the  dead  and  washed  down.  All  were 
amazed  at  his  calmness,  and  cried  in  grief."  There  were 
tears  in  the  eyes  of  Tomomori,  but  they  were  tears  of  shame. 
Munemori  and  his  son  Munekiyo  were  prisoners.  Their 
ship  being  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  they  refused 
to  commit  suicide.  To  be  sure  a  retainer,  regretting  their 
cowardice,  had  pushed  them  overboard  ;  but  being  good 
swimmers  they  had  made  their  way  to  the  enemy,  and 
had  been  fished  out  by  the  vulgar  boat-hook  in  the  coarse 
hands  of  oneofYoshitsune's  retainers  (Ise  Saburo).  How- 
ever, the  rest  of  them  could  die.  Then  seizing  an  anchor 
he  showed  the  way  by  leaping  into  the  sea.  Chun  agon 
Kadowaki  Norimori,  Heisaisho  Tsunemori,  Shinsammi 
Sukemori,  Komstsu  Shosho  Arimori,  Sama-no-Kami 
Yukimori,  followed  his  example. 

Let  us  return  to  the  Gempei  Seisuiki.*  *'  Ni-i-dono, 
seeing  that  their  plight  was  hopeless  put  on  a  robe  of  neri 
(white  floss  silk) .     She  fastened  the  lower  end  of  her  skirt 


*  I  follow  a  translation  of  Mr.  Minakami.  The  Heike  Monogatari 
as  describing  this  scene,  has  been  translated  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Aston  in  his 
Japanese  Literature  pp.  141-2.    Ni-i-dono  was  the  widow  of  Kiyomori. 


"THERE  IS  A  PALACE  BY  MIMOSUSO'S  SHORE. 


DAN-NO-UBA   AND   ITS   AFTER-MATH.  167 

to  her  waist.  Then  taking  the  Tenno  in  her  ai'ms  she 
secured  him  tight  to  her  belt.  Around  her  waist  she 
girded  the  sacred  sword.  Under  her  arm  she  held  the 
Sacred  Seal.  Standing  upright  she  made  ready  to  plunge 
into  the  sea.  The  Tenno  was  at  the  time  eight  years  old, 
but  looked  far  older.  His  black  glossy  hair  hung  down 
his  back.  A  little  puzzled  he  asked  Ni-i-dono  what  was 
the  matter,  and  whither  he  should  escape.  Pitiful  was  it 
to  witness  the  scene.  With  tears  Ni-i-dono  replied,  that 
as  the  enemy  dared  to  discharge  their  arrows  against 
his  vessel  she  would  take  him  elsewhere,  to  another  boat 
on  which  he  would  be  quite  safe  : 

"  Now  I  see, 

"  On  Mimosuso's  stream, 

"  Beneath  the  waves, 

"  Another  princely  city."* 

Hardly  had  she  finished  when  she  was  seen  to  leap  into 
the  waves."  Kenrei-mon-in  the  mother,  Moro  no  Tenjo 
the  Tenno's  nurse,  waiting  ladies  of  the  court,  franticly 
watched  to  see  them  come  to  the  surface.  That  the 
mother  followed  is  needless  to  say.  Putting  a  heavy  piece 
of  granite  in  her  sleeve  Kenrei-mon-in  threw  herself  in 
the  water.  Hyoye-no-Jo  Genji  Watanabe  caught  her 
before  she  sank.  Goto-no-Jo  Genji  Jitsu  sprang  in  the 
water  and  held  her  up.  His  retainer  twisted  her  hair 
around  a  bamboo  rake,  and  thus  dragged  her  into  their 
boat.  Her  hair  and  clothes  dripping  with  the  bitter  brine 
were  a  new  experience  to  this  delicate  creature.  Moro  no 
Tenjo  attempted  also  to  drown  herself,  but  the  arrows  of 
the  enemy  nailed  her  long  skirts  to  the  deck,  and  she 
hung  suspended  from  the  side  of  the  ship.  Hyoye  Genji 
aided  her  to  reach  the  deck.  Kenrei-mon-in  and  the 
Lady  Konoye  were  taken  to  Yoshitsune's  ship.  The 
Hangwan  ordered  his  men  to  save  those  drowning,  as  the 
Tenno  and  others  of  the  palace  might  be  among  them. 
Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori  took  a  small  boat  and  rowed  off 


*  "  Ima  zo  shiru,  Mimosuso-gawa  no,  !Nagare  ni  wa,  Nami  no  shita 
ni  mo,  Miyako  ari  to  wa."     (Gempei  Seisuiki). 


168  .  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

into  the  midst  of  the  battle  to  give  the  orders  to  all  the 
boats,  with  the  added  instructions  that  all  women  be 
brought  to  the  Hangwan's  ship.  Thus  was  Yoshitsune 
stripped  for  the  time  being  of  his  strongest  attendants. 

It  was  a  time  when  he  needed  them  as  never  before. 
For  the  first  time  in  the  battle  he  and  Noritsune  came 
together.  Throughout  he  had  watched  with  envious 
pleasure  the  matchless  archery  of  the  Taira  strong  man. 
*'  If  I  only  had  him  under  my  command  !  "  he  said. 
Now  their  boats  came  together,  and  Noritsune  at  once 
leaped  upon  the  deck  of  the  Hangwan's  ship.  Benkei, 
Tse,  "Washiwo,  Kataoka,  were  elsewhere  directing  the 
battle.  "  Throwing  off  his  helmet,  tearing  off  the  sleeves 
of  his  armour,  Noritsune  sprang  after  Yoshitsune  to  catch 
him.  Yoshitsune  knew  well  that  his  enemy  was  too 
strong  for  him  in  a  hand  to  hand  wrestling  match.  He 
got  behind  his  men.  Noritsune  seeing  a  knight  holding 
a  small  spear  in  his  hand,  the  symbol  of  command, 
addressed  him.  "  Is  this  the  general  of  the  Minamoto, 
Kuro  Hang  wan  Yoshitsune  ?  I  am  Noto- no-Kami  Nori- 
tsune, second  son  of  Kadowaki  Norimori."  Then  he 
sprang  upon  Yoshitsune.  The  latter  retreated,  and  his 
men,  seeing  his  peril,  tried  to  prevent  Noritsune  from 
approaching  their  chief.  Noritsune  threw  them  and 
kicked  them  off  into  the  sea.  He  was  about  to  grasp 
Yoshitsune,  when  the  latter,  still  keeping  tight  hold  of  the 
little  spear,  made  a  mighty  leap  across  the  intervening 
space  to  the  next  boat.  It  was  tv70  bow  lengths  (eighteen 
feet).  Then  holding  his  spear  in  attitude  of  command 
and  threat  he  laughed  at  his  enemy  as  he  stood  upright  fa- 
cing him.*  Noritsune,  although  his  strength  was  so  much 
greater  than  Yoshitsune's,  was  no  match  for  him  in  quick- 
ness. To  him  the  yawning  distance  might  as  well  have 
been  ri.  He  stood  ia  admiration  of  the  great  leap,  but 
the  chasm  cut  off  all  chance   of  taking  Yoshitsune  with 

*  This  is  the  famous  hasso-tobi  (leap  over  eight  boats)  of  Yoshitsune. 
It  is  also  placed  at  the  battle  of  Yashima,  and  in  such  case  the 
inspiring  motive  is  "  Noto-no-Kami  Norimori  "  (as  it  is  on  some  of  the 
cheap  picture  books ;  but  Norimori  certainly  was  not  Noto-no-Kami). 
The  ''Yoshitsune  Ichidaiki"  by  Kisekite  Juzan  (April  or  May,  1857 
A.D.)  makes  it  a  leap  from  boat  to  boat,  eight  in  number. 


DAN-NO-URA   AND   ITS   AFTER-MATH.  169 

him,  and  filled  his  mind  with  despair.  He  sought  else- 
where for  victims  and  companions  in  death.  There  came 
to  oppose  him  a  knight  of  great  strength,  Tokii  Akitaro. 
He  was  said  to  be  the  equal  of  thirty  men,  and  his  two 
retainers  were  each  his  match.  They  threw  themselves 
on  Noritsune.  One  the  Taira  knight  kicked  off  into  the 
sea.  Holding  the  other  two  in  his  arms  he  leaped  into 
the  water.     And  thus  died  Noto-no-KaiXii  Noritsune. 

The  Sacred  Treasures  went  safely  {sic)  through  another 
vicissitude.  To  the  romancers,  "  the  divine  mirror  and  bead 
were  secured.  The  sword,  in  Antoku's  possession,  was  lost, 
but  was  subsequently  secured  by  a  diver."  Thus  says 
number  One.  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  tells  us  that  the  rough 
Kwanto  soldiery  soon  swarmed  over  the  Tenno's  boat. 
There  was  not  much  left  alive  on  it  except  the  daiiiagon 
Taira  Tokitada,  perhaps  his  pretty  daughters,  and  a  well 
fastened  box.  The  soldiers  were  quick  to  twist  off  the 
fastenings.  A  smaller  box  was  found  inside,  but  it  was  so 
heavily  charged  that  the  intruders  "  became  dizzy  and 
blood  ran  down  from  their  noses."*  Tokitada  looked 
sourly  on,  and  then  told  them  it  was  a  box  of  naiji 
(belonging  to  the  Tenno's  treasure)  and  not  to  open  it. 
The  Hangwan,  being  told,  also  forbade  them  to  touch  it, 
and  it  was  left  to  the  more  practised  hands  of  the  dainagoii 
to  replace  the  box  in  the  larger  chest  without  further 
waste  of  gore,  of  which  there  had  been  already  a  plentiful 
sufficiency.  But  "  how  efficacious  was  the  sanctity  of  the 
Imperial  Treasure,  even  at  such  a  disorderly  period  of 
society."  Kataoka  Taro  secured  the  Divine  Seal  floating 
on  the  water.  The  precious  sword,  Hoken,  was  lost.  Thus 
says  Number  Two.  In  the  sixth  year  of  Bunji  (1190  A.D.), 
we  are  told  (Ariga)  that  the  sacred  sword  Hinogoza  was 
adopted  in  its  stead,  and  a  revelation  at  the  Ise  shrine 
later  indicated  one  of  the  swords  in  its  store  as  a  substitute. 
This  seems  to  be  the  modern  rationalized  version  of  a 
thrashing  out  of  the  old  chronicles.  It  can  be  ventured 
to  say  that  it  makes  no  difference  what  is  under  the 
numerous  wrappings  which  surround  these  precious  objects 


Can  this  be  an  anticipation  of  the  medical  battery  ? 


170  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

of  the  days  of  fefcichism.  They  are  re-covered  as  the  old 
•cover  decays,  not  placed  in  a  new  receptacle.  And  no 
man  knows  whether  there  is  anything  or  nothing,  beyond 
a  bundle  of  dusty  rags.* 


2. 


There  remained  nothing  to  do  but  to  gather  the  results 
of  this  momentous  event  in  Japanese  history.  These 
were  striking   and   unexpected.      However,    in   the   im- 

*  The  following  is  Mr.  Minakami's  note  from  the  Adzuma  Kagami. 
It  is  a  good  sample  of  this  venerable  ohronicle's  method,  not  differing 
much  from  fthe  Gerapei  Seisuiki.  "  A  report  [sent  by  Kajiwara  Hei- 
zo  Kagetoki  reaches  Karaakura.  It  says  that  the  Minamoto  had 
several  good  omens,  foretelling  their  victory  over  the  Taira  in  the 
battles  of  Yashima  and  Dan-no-ura  ;  that  they  had  a  message  from  the 
god  of  Iwashimizu  temple  saying  that  if  they  fought  on  the  day  of 
Hitsuji  [the  sheep]  they  would  be  victorious  ;  that  in  the  attack  on 
Yashima  the  Minamoto  had  a  comparatively  small  number  of  men,  but 
that  the  Taira  men  had  a  vision  of  a  large  army,  and  supposing  it 
really  to  exist  took  fright ;  that  in  the  fighting  at  Nagato  [Dan-no-ura] 
there  appeared  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  a  large  tortoise.  Though  the 
soldiers  wished  to  kill  this,  it  was  set  free,  and  wonderful  enough  re- 
appeared on  the  surface  of  the  sea  just  when  the  Minamoto  gained  the 
day ;  that  two  white  doves  were  seen  flying  over  a  Minamoto  boat  at 
the  time  the  Taira  men  were  throwing  themselves  into  the  sea;  that 
in  the  battle  at  Suwo  a  white  flag  was  seen  amidst  the  clouds  in  the 
-sky ;  that  Yoshitsune  is  proud  of  his  victory  and  rewards  his  own 
retainers  amply,  while  those  of  Kamakura  are  held  in  contempt."  This 
under  date  of  the  20th  day  of  the  4th  month  (21st  May,  1185  A.D.). 
On  the  whole  the  porpoises  are  quite  equal  to  the  miraculous  tortoise. 
The  writer  is  drawing  on  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  or  on  the  same  account 
as  the  early  writer.  It  is  hard  ly  necessary  to  point  out  the  numberless 
little  hints  of  manners  found  in  the  old  chronicles.  Thus  Shigeno  takes 
off  his  helmet  as  a  sign  of  becoming  the  retainer  of  Yoshimori;_the 
obsequies  of  Sato  Tsuginobn,  in  which  the  hardy  little  horses  of  Oshu 
come  in  as  gifts  and  with  praise  for  their  good  qualities  ;  the  descrip- 
tion of  dress;  and  (shades  of  Bushido  !)  the  dubious  methods  of  Ise 
Saburo  and  Den-nai-Sayemon,  are  a  few  of  the  hints  contained.  The 
long  winded  references  to  Chinese  generals,  etc.,  belong  to  the  latter- 
day  (and  present  day)  romancers  and  historians.  As  to  the  adventures 
of  the  Sacred  Treasures  in  the  eyes  of  modern  history. — Cf.  Ariga,  pp. 
:87-88,  loc.  cit. 


THE   HASSO  TOBI5      KENREIMON-IN  AND  MUNEMORl 


DAN-NO-UEA   AND   ITS   AFTEE-MATH.  171 

mediate  sense  the  task  was  an  easy  one.  The  Taira  host 
had  perished  almost  to  a  man.  The  scattered  remnants, 
a  handful,  were  hunted  down  without  mercy  by  Noriyori 
in  Kyushu,  and  Taguchi  Shigeyoshi  in  Nagato.  This 
latter  received  his  reward.  How  he  ended  we  know  not, 
but  can  hope  he  turned  out  badly,  as  did  so  many  at  the 
hands  of  Yoritomo.  But  the  harrying  of  this  fighting 
family  of  the  Ise  Heishi  was  tolerably  complete.  Chang- 
ing their  names,  living  the  hves  of  peasants  in  the  wilds 
of  Kyushu,  they  are  known  even  to  this  present  day  for 
their  rough  shy  manners,  the  fruit  of  centuries  of  conceal- 
ment. Of  kindred  stock  and  experience  was  to  come 
their  great  representative  Oda  Nobunaga.  As  for  the 
Taira  dead,  their  angry  ghosts  long  haunted  the  waters  of 
the  strait,  to  the  danger  and  destruction  of  mariners. 
None  could  anchor  off  Dan-no-ura  until  swords,  standards, 
and  armour  were  collected  and  deposited  in  the  temple  of 
Amida  at  Shimo-no-seki,  built  to  appease  the  wrathful 
dead.  So  much  for  the  leaders,  although  Noritsune's  ghost 
walks,  but  the  soldiers  still  wander  the  strand,  and  even 
the  near-by  hills,  in  the  shape  of  tiny  crabs  Qieike-gani) 
marked  on  the  shell  with  the  figure  of  an  infuriated 
warrior,  and  endangering  the  toes  and  fingers  of  incautious 
and  youthful  Japan.*  Of  the  older  members  of  the 
family,  Munemori  and  Munekiyo  were  prisoners,  as  was 
Shigehira  who  had  been  captured  at  Ichi-no-tani.  Yori- 
mori,  husband  (or  son)  of  Ike-no-zenni  the  saviour  of 
Yoritomo,  was  safe  to  remain  at  Miyako  and  the  Court ; 
and  Koremori,  the  son  of  Shigemori,  who  had  left 
Munemori  shortly  after  the  exodus  to  Yashima,  was 
supposed  to  have  been  drowned  in  crossing  to  Kii.  He 
reappeared.  Shaving  his  head  and  taking  priestly  vows 
at  Koyasan,  he  had  in  the  course  of  events  fled  southward 
again  to  Fujinawa  in  Kii  and  disappeared  from  sight. 
His  infant  son,  Eokudai,  was  now  seized.  There  is  a 
side  to  this  tale  worth  telling.  Kajiwara  Kagetoki,  as  hand 
in  glove  aforetime  with  the  Taira  chiefs,  knew  the  little 
ins  and  outs  of  the   family  affairs.     There  was  a  beautiful 

_  *  See  Klaprotli's  interesting  note  to  his   French  translation  of  the 
0-Dai-Ichiran,  p.  212. 


172  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

girl  in  Miyako,  the  daughter  of  a  sushiya,  or  in  plainer 
terms  a  preparer  of  the  balls  of  rice  which  wrapped  in 
the  seav/eed  {jiori),  or  with  fish  and  eggs,  are  so  pleasing 
to  the  Japanese  palate — and  to  others.*  Without  dis- 
closing his  rank  Koremori  had  an  intrigue  with  this  girl, 
and  a  child  was  born.  O'Sato  first  learned  who  her  lover 
really  was  by  finding  one  day  the  house  surrounded 
by  officers  sent  by  Kajiwara.  The  infant  Kokudai  was 
seized,  but  there  was  a  stronger  than  Kajiwara  at  hand. 
Mongaku  Shonin,  the  stern  and  ghostly  adviser  of  Yori- 
tomo,  interfered.  Through  his  influence  the  child's  life 
was  spared,  and  it  was  sent  to  exile  in  Izu,  to  grow  up 
under  close  supervision.  Mongaku  in  later  years  was 
anxious  to  replace  Go-Toba  Tenno  by  a  more  phant 
(youthful)  prince,  Morisada  Shinno.  Yoritomo  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  Shortly  after 
the  Shogun  died,  and  Mongaku  attempted  to  give  his 
idea  practical  form.  The  result  was  exile  to  Sado- 
shima.  The  head  of  Eokudai,  then  twenty-six  years  old, 
as  accomplice  was  promptly  struck  off  bis  shoulders  at  the 
orders  of  Hojo  Tokimasa  ;  which  enables  a  finger  to  be 
placed  on  one  of  the  moving  factors  in  Yoritomo's  bloody 
treatment  of  all  and  everything  that  he  conceived  to 
stand  in  his  path.  Thus  the  Taira  were  pretty  well 
accounted  for,  and  custom  was  to  establish  the  Shogunate, 
nominal  rather  than  real,  for  generations  to  come.  From 
a  temporary  commission  it  became  the  hereditary  title 
under  which  the  hiihe  caste  ruled  the  country.  The  Tiuge 
were  permanently  retired  from  the  administration.  As  to 
the  title  custom  acted  as  it  often  does  in  Japan.  Meat 
and  shell  were  separated. 

In  this  fourth  month  of  the  year  (May,  1185  A.D.) 
Yoshitsune  returned  in  triumph  to  Miyako.  The 
masterly  campaign  he  had  carried  on  against  the  Taira 
had  opened  men's  eyes  as  to  the  soldier  genius  they  had 
in  their  midst;.  His  commission  from  the  Tenno,  how- 
ever, had  expired  with  the  accomplishment  of  its  object.  He 
had  no  longer  a  right  to  command   his  brother's  soldiery. 

*  A   most   delectable   mess,    the    rice   being  dressed   with  vinegar. 
The  wise  will  take  it  with  non  or  omelet. 


DAN-NO-URA   AND   ITS   AFTER-MATH.  173 

This  he  and  they  knew,  as  did  Kajiwara  in  wrath  and 
haste  posting  to  Kamakura.  Yoshitsune's  reception  in 
Miyako  was  enough  to  turn  an  older  head  than  his.  At 
the  Kakuragawa  he  was  met  by  the  court  officials  sent  to 
receive  the  Three  Sacred  Treasures  ;  To-no-Chujo  Michi- 
suke,  To-no-Chunagon  Tsunefusa,  Chiljo  Saisho  Yasuniichi, 
Gon-Chunagon  Kanetada,  Sachujo  Kintoki,  Shosho 
Sayemon  Noriyori  headed  a  long  procession  of  court 
nobles  and  officials.  The  procession  entered  in  state 
through  the  Shujaku-mon,  passed  along  Omiyamachi,  and 
entered  the  goslio  by  the  Taiken-mon.  Yoshitsune,  with 
a  strong  guard  and  a  long  train  of  attendant  officials,  was 
met  at  the  east  gate  of  the  palace  by  two  lower  officials 
arrayed  in  lioi  (court  robe)  and  carrying  torches. 
Attending  him  on  either  side  he  was  thus  conducted  to 
the  Great  Hall  of  Audience,  where  reception  was  granted 
him  by  the  Hoo.  These  festivities  over  all  turned  to 
sterner  affairs.  The  bad  quarter  of  an  hour  was  ahead 
for  everybody,  and  Munemori  and  the  other  prisoners 
had  the  first  experience.  On  May  26th  they  were  paraded 
through  the  streets  of  Miyako,  their  hands  tied  behind 
their  backs  like  common  felons,  in  coarse  clothing,  untidy 
and  unkempt,  objects  of  the  scorn  and  jeering  of  the 
populace.  Yoshitsune  was  well  content  to  leave  matters 
in  this  condition,  but  he  was  not  the  one  to  determine 
their  fate.  In  the  following  month  (June)  he  took  his 
way  toward  Kamakura,  to  deliver  them  into  the  hands  of 
Yoritomo.  On  the  14th,  after  rapid  travelling  he  had 
reached  Sakawa.  From  here  he  sent  notice  of  his  arrival 
to  Kamakura,  and  of  his  intention  to  enter  the  city  the 
next  day  with  his  train.  This  message  brought  surprising 
results — to  him. 

Kajiwara  Kagetoki  had  written  ill  of  him  to  Kamakura. 
On  his  return  after  Dan-no-ura  he  spoke  still  worse.  It 
was  not  a  mere  rupture  of  the  brothers  he  was  seeking. 
He  sought  the  destruction  of  Yoshitsune.  What  had  passed 
at  the  Watanabegawa  and  at  Yashima  could  only  be 
repaid  in  one  way.  To  take  personal  vengeance  was 
dangerous  and  deadly.  If  he  did  not  lose  his  own  life  in 
the  attempt,  it  would  anyhow  put   him  under  the  ban. 


174  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yoritomo  must  be  persuaded  to  give  the  order  himself. 
Kajiwara  thoroughly  knew  the  material  he  had  to  work 
upon.  As  yet  Yoritomo  was  merely  angry  with  his 
brother  for  the  acceptance  of  favours  from  the  Court,  when 
he  himself  had  shown  his  displeasure  by  a  studied  neglect. 
With  his  cold  and  suspicious  temperament  anger  could 
easily  be  worked  into  an  unrelenting  hate.  The  plan 
was  safe  both  for  himself  and  Yoritomo.  The  battle  of 
Dan-no-ura  had  made  the  latter  supreme  in  the  land. 
He  was  the  head  of  the  clan  and  without  a  rival. 
All  the  strength  behind  Yoshitsune  would  fall  away 
if  he  waved  his  hand.  Yoritomo  was  careful  to  let 
Kajiwara  know  of  the  arrival  of  the  messenger  from 
Koshigoe,  and  the  old  man  was  soon  on  hand  to  enter 
an  earnest  protest  against  any  further  progress  of  the 
victorious  general  into  the  city.  Said  he  : — "  If  you 
admit  him,  you  may  as  well  say  farewell  to  this  world. 
He  is  so  taken  with  glory  that  it  is  empire  he  now 
aims  at.  Indeed  he  has  already  thus  appealed  to  me, 
offering  a  great  career ;  whereas  under  your  lordship's 
effulgence  all  others  must  remain  in  obscurity.  He  hopes 
to  get  into  his  hands  the  government  of  the  thirty  western 
provinces,  as  reward  for  his  great  deeds  in  the  late  war. 
And  as  far  as  Miyako  is  concerned  he  will  be  successful, 
the  Court  having  eyes  for  none  but  him.  Thus  as  one  of 
two  Shogun  he  would  have  the  base  on  which  to  support 
his  efforts  to  have  but  one  in  supreme  command.  Any  of 
your  officers,  even  common  soldiers  in  the  army,  know 
this  as  the  camp  gossip  of  the  day.  Then  again  his  new 
connections  show  the  trend  of  his  plans.  He  has  married 
the  daughter  of  Taira  Tokitada.  The  old  fox  gave  trouble 
enough  to  Kiyomori  when  Fujiwara  Narichika  conspired 
against  him  in  Jisho  (1177  A.D.).  His  banishment  by 
Yoshitsune  to  Noto  is  the  merest  farce  and  blind.  He  is 
said  already  to  have  returned  to  the  capital,  and  his 
influence  with  the  Hoo  is  notoriously  great.  Besides, 
Kenrei-mon-in  as  prisoner  is  a  standing  joke  in  Miyako. 
All  know  she  is  Yoshitsune's  mistress,  and  not  unwillingly. 
He  made  the  greatest  impression  by  his  kindness  after  the 
battle  of  Dan-no-ura,  and  now  she  in  turn  is  kind.     And 


BAN-NO-UEA   AND   ITS   AFTEE-MATH.  175 

then  ",  the  old  man  hitched  up  closer  to  Yoritomo  in  his 
earnestness,  "  beware  of  him  personally.  Serving  under 
him  I  recognize  his  extraordinary  genius  in  war.  Komei 
and  Choryo,  the  two  great  generals  of  the  Chinese,  could 
not  equal  him.  Besides,  those  constant  satellites  of  his, 
Kamei,  Kataoka,  Ise  Saburo,  Kumai  Taro,  Washiwo, 
Hitachi-bo,  led  by  that  dare-devil  priest  Musashi-bo 
Benkei,  are  capable  of  anything.  Wada,  Hatakeyama, 
Doi,  Miura,  men  of  affairs  and  seasoned  in  poHtics  are  so 
taken  with  him  that  they  would  follow  this  boy  anywhere 
and  to  the  bitter  end.  He  is  entirely  too  popular  and 
influential  for  your  good,  and  his  influence  is  too  hostile 
and  to  be  distrusted.  Your  aim  should  be  to  discourage 
him,  to  humble  him,  and  to  take  away  all  his  support. 
The  poor  have  no  friends.  Forbid  his  entrance  into 
Kamakura,  render  him  a  nonenity,  and  you  and  the 
country  will  remain  undisturbed.  Afterwards  your  lordship 
will  find  it  easy  to  act  toward  him  as  you  see  fit,  without 
fear  of  disturbance."  Kajiwara  sat  back  grimly  satisfied 
as  to  the  result  of  his  poisonous  advice,  thus  carefully 
distilled.  Hojo  Tokimasa,  Miyoshi  Yasunobu,  the  two 
Oye — Hiromoto  and  Chikayoshi — nodded  grave  approval. 
Yoritomo  listened  with  impassive  face,  but  every  word 
reached  its  mark,  and  was  echoed  by  his  own  feelings. 
His  orders  were  curt  and  decided.  Yoshitsune's  train  was 
too  powerful  to  seize  him  then  and  there.  Besides  he  was 
not  at  all  certain  as  to  the  effect  on  the  bushi.  Kajiwara 
was  right  as  to  the  popularity  of  Yoshitsune  in  the  army. 
Open  resistance  would  not  be  directed  against  him,  the 
lord  of  Kamakura,  but  against  his  evil  advisers.  The 
result,  however,  would  be  the  same.  On  the  other  hand 
Yoshitsune  could  not  enter  Kamakura  in  a  hostile 
manner.  He  was  therefore  ordered  to  send  in  Mune- 
mori  and  his  other  prisoners.  He  himself  was  to  await 
further  orders  at  Koshigoe*.  Hojo  Tokimasa,  Oye  Hiro- 
moto, Koyama  Tomomitsu  carried  the  message  to  Koshigoe. 

^  This  goe  ( ^ )  so  often  found  in  place  names  seems  to  mean 
passage.  ^  Wataru  is  another  reading.  It  has  been  thus  found  in 
Hiyodorigoye.  Koshigoe  is  the  little  village  opposite  Enoshima,  near 
Kamakura :  goe  is  not  equivalent  to  toge. 


176  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yoshitsune  was  thunderstruck.  He  had  no  suspicion  that 
the  evil  tongue  of  slander  had  sunk  so  deep,  and  he  had 
small  knowledge  of  his  brother's  character.  At  first  he 
only  regretted  that  his  own  prowess  against  Yoshinaka 
and  the  Taira,  his  recovery  of  the  regalia,  and  his 
service  to  the  Tenno  and  to  his  brother  the  lord 
of  Kamakura,  had  met  with  so  little  recognition.  Then 
as  Kajiwara  came  to  mind  his  anger  kindled.  This 
man  had  been  at  his  mercy,  and  he  had  spared  the 
traducer's  life  !  Well,  the  saying  is,  "  the  beast  destroyed, 
the  hound  is  killed  ;  the  enemy  defeated,  the  retainer  is 
beheaded."  The  advice  of  Hidehira  and  Motoharu  came 
to  his  mind,  to  fill  his  soul  with  bitterness.  He  sat  in 
deep  and  gloomy  meditation,  his  head  lowered  and  his 
eyes  fastened  on  the  ground.  Tokimasa  watched  the 
scene  with  alert  and  cynical  indifference.  Oye  showed 
cold  curiosity.  Koyama  had  undisguised  sympathy.  The 
retainers  were  in  a  great  rage.  Kumai,  Ise  Saburo, 
"Washiwo,  Hitachi-bo  fumed  and  raged.  The  commission 
had  withdrawn  to  await  Yoshitsune's  answer  and  the 
delivery  of  the  prisoners,  so  their  comments  were  out- 
spoken and  intended  to  reach  their  lord's  ear  in  this 
impromptu  consultation.  All  they  wished  was  to  enter 
Kamakura  forthwith,  and  to  slice  Kajiwara  and  his  sons 
into  saslmni.  Then  willingly,  for  this  violation  of  the 
precincts  of*  the  northern  capital,  they  would  commit 
Jiarakiri.  Benkei,  with  his  cool  long-headedness, 
interposed.  "  Come  !  This  is  the  wildest  talk,  and  only 
likely  to  lead  our  lord  into  difficulties.  His  case  should  be 
presented  to  Kamakura-dono.  If  a  memorial  be  drawn 
up,  showing  his  innocence  and  good-will,  it  is  all  that  the 
situation  allows.  Whether  the  interview  be  granted  or  not, 
our  lord  puts  himself  in  the  right  position  toward  his  elder 
brother  and  the  head  of  the  clan."  Yoshitsune  spoke  : — 
"  Benkei,  as  usual,  sees  clearly.  Let  paper  and  writing 
materials  be  brought,  and  a  memorial  be  drafted."  These 
were  easily  secured  from  the  monks,  and  Benkei  prepared 
to  draw  up  the  document,  the  original  of  which  is  still 
kept  in  the  temple  of  Mampukuji  at  Koshigoe.* 

*  Together  with  some  of  the  best  wood  carving  in  Japan — such  as  it 


DAN-NO-UBA  AND   ITS   AFTEK-MATH.  177 

"  KespectfuUy  I  appeal  to  your  impartiality  and 
magDanimity  in  presenting  this  humble  declaration  of  my 
innocence.  You  yourself  appointed  me  a  general  under 
your  orders,  and  charged  me  with  the  task  of  defeating 
the  enemies  of  the  Tenno.  Through  you  I  thus  had  the 
opportunity  to  acquire  my  reputation  as  a  commander  in 
war,  not  only  to  my  fame,  but  to  that  of  my  family.  I 
was  successful  in  avenging  our  wrongs  upon  the  enemy. 
For  this  I  thought  to  be  rewarded.  To  my  surprise  and 
misfortune  I  find  that  scoundrels  have  spoken  ill  of  me, 
and  hence  my  merits  have  been  disregarded.  Without 
fault  on  my  part  I  become  an  object  of  your  blame.  In 
return  for  my  success  on  the  battle-field  I  become  to  you 
an  object  of  reproach.  How  much  is  this  to  be  regretted  ! 
There  is  an  old  saying  that  as  medicine  is  bitter  to  the 
taste,  so  is  good  advice  unpalatable  to  the  mind  of  the  one 
who  has  to  listen  to  it.  Without  making  inquiry  into  the 
truth  of  what  the  maligners  tell  you,  you  forbid  my 
entrance  into  Kamakura.  Thus  you  give  me  no  oppor- 
tunity to  explain  my  true  motives  for  action,  but  keep  me 
here  at  a  distance  without  end  or  object.  It  is  a  matter  of 
great  regret  to  me  that  I  am  not  allowed  to  see  you,  and 
that  our  brotherly  love  is  thus  dissipated.  Can  it  be  due  to 
the  will  of  the  god  ?  Am  I  reaping  the  fruit  of  wicked 
conduct  in  some  previous  existence?  Would  that  our 
father's  spirit  could  appear,  and  aid  me  in  communicating 
to  you  my  real  thoughts  !  To  what  means  shall  I  resort 
to  open  to  you  my  innermost  heart  ?  I  cannot  conceive 
them.  Pardon  me  that  I  repeat  here  what  I  have  done 
for  you  and  the  country.  Soon  after  my  birth  I  lost  my 
father,  and  carried  on  my  mother's  breast  found  refuge 
in  Eyumon  in  the  Uda  district  of  'Yamato.  After  that, 
during  the  Taira  supremacy,  I  passed  a  wretched  and 
perilous  existence,  seeking  safety  wherever  I  could,  con- 
is.  I  follow  the  translation  of  the  letter  by  Mr.  Minakami.  It  is  given 
by  Yamada,  "  Kunko  Zue  pp.  188-190  Takahashi's  Ed."  The  version 
in  the  Heike  Monogatari  (the  same)  carries  the  date — 2nd  year  of 
Genryaku,  6th  month,  fifth  day  (3rd  July  1185  A.D.)— Twentieth  day, 
fifth  month  says  the  Adzuma  Kagami  (19tli  June).  Yamada's  copy 
(from  the  original?)  gives  sixth  month  but  not  the  day.  With  some 
misgivings  I  follow  the  Adzuma  Kagami. 


178  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

descending  to  find  concealment  among  boors  and  ignorant 
farmers.  After  the  distress  of  years  the  day  came  when 
I  received  the  honour  of  your  command  to  go  up  against 
Kiso,  as  also  later  by  the  Imperial  decree  against  the 
Taira.  In  these  expeditions  on  horseback  I  climbed 
precipitous  roads  at  the  risk  of  life,  and  again  crossed  the 
raging  sea  the  waves  of  which  threatened  to  make  us  the 
prey  of  the  monsters  of  the  deep.  Often  enough  at  night 
my  helmet  was  my  pillow,  and  not  for  a  moment  did  my 
hand  stray  from  my  bow  and  arrows.  All  these  efforts 
have  I  made  simply  to  please  the  soul  of  my  father,  and 
to  restore  the  fame  of  the  Minamoto  clan.  That  I  was 
promoted  to  the  fifth  court  rank  is  only  to  the  brilliant 
fame  of  our  clan.  But  now  I  am  plunged  in  regrets. 
What  could  be  greater  sorrow  than  to  have  to  listen  to 
your  refusal  to  allow  me  to  enter  Kamakura  ?  Herewith 
in  all  sincerity  I  solemnly  vow  that  I  have  no  ill-will  or 
intentions  against  you.  May  all  the  deities  in  the  shrines, 
large  and  small,  of  the  sixty  six-provinces  of  Nippon*  help 
me  in  opening  to  you  my  true  heart.  Already  I  have 
sent  to  you  several  letters,  but  none  I  fear  reached  3^ou  as 
you  thus  refuse  to  admit  me  to  your  presence.  Our 
country  is  a  land  of  divine  power,  and  in  it  there  should 
be  no  unreason  or  an  attitude  so  merciless.  I  have 
nothing  on  which  to  rely  except  your  magnanimity,  by 
which  I  can  disclose  to  you  my  true  motives  and  prove 
my  innocence.  I  beg  permission  to  be  allowed  this 
opportunity  of  making  a  direct  appeal  to  you,  and  hope 
that  in  return  you  will  bestow  on  me  words  of  kindness. 
Your  recognition  of  my  good  faith,  your  permission  to 
present  myself  in  Kamakura,  will  be  not  only  greatly  to 
my  own  fame,  but  to  that  of  my  posterity  ;  and  will  at 
the  same  time  remove  my  burden  of  distress  and  sadness 
which  for  years  past  I  have  endured.  On  you  wholly 
depends  my  tranquillity.  What  I  would  tell  you  is  far 
too  much  to  place  here  upon  paper,  and  I  fear  these 
words  will  fail  to  communicate  to  you  my  earnest  desire. 
Please  be  good  enough   to  understand   more  than   this 


¥r 


B7i5C^»|JO:^/><?)j|l«?JS5  says  the  Heike  Monogatari. 


DAN-NO-URA   AND    ITS    AFTER-MATH.  179 

memorial  can  tell  on  its  bare  face.  Eead  it  in  a  favour- 
able light. 

Genteii  Yoshitsune, 
2nd  year  of  Genryaku,  fifth  month,  twentieth  day. 
Presented  through  His  Excellency  Inaba -no-Kami." 

Reading  this  old  twelfth  century  document,  with  our  latter 
day  knowledge  of  the  events  which  were  to  follow,  of 
the  intrigues  which  were  mining  and  counter-mining 
under  the  feet  of  the  actors,  it  can  be  said  that  few 
letters  of  greater  dignity,  frankness,  and  pathos  have  ever 
been  written.  And  it  was  exactly  the  letter  to  urge  on 
the  cold  and  cautious  lord  of  Kamakura  to  destroy  the 
writer.  With  it  and  the  prisoners  the  commission  took 
their  way  back  to  the  city.* 

The  result  was  foregone,  as  all  felt.  The  interview 
was  refused.  Yoshitsune  was  ordered  to  return  to  Miyako 
with  Munemori,  Munekiyo,  and  Shigehira.  The  Court 
was  to  decide  their  fate  (sic).  Early  on  a  July  day 
they  took  their  way  southward.  Yoshitsune  had  passed 
from  pain  to  anger  at  Yoritomo's  cruel  indifference  and 
credulous  disposition.  He  felt  that  he  had  missed  his 
opportunity,  and  had  not  met  his  brother's  character  in 
the  proper  way.  He  should  have  answered  the  first 
message  by  forthwith  descending  on  Kajiwara,  and  then 
putting  a  bold  front  on  the  matter  and  taking  the  con- 
sequences. Now  he  had  these  prisoners  in  charge,  as 
important  to  Miyako  as  to  Kamakura.  His  hands  were 
tied,  and  he  had  to  bide  his  time.  When  approaching 
the  capital  and  already  in  Omi,  a  messenger,  Sayemon- 
no- Jo  Hirotsune,  was  sent  to  inquire  as  to  their  disposition. 
This  had  probably  already  been  arranged  from  Kamakura. 
Yoshitsune  would  have  spared  them,  but  the  orders  were 
categorical.  Shigehira  was  to  be  sent  to  Nara  ;  this  at 
the  request  of  the  monks  of  whom  he  had  made  a  holo- 
caust amid  the  burning  mass  of  the  Todaiji  and  other 

*  Tt  throws  also  the  brightest  kind  of  light  on  Yoshitsune's  early 
life  and  hardships.  Yoritomo  would  know  of  these,  and  Yoshitsune 
would  make  no  bid  for  sympathy  beyond  the  exact  facts.  Here  we 
are  on  solid  ground,  with  all  the  idealism  and  veil  of  romance  stripped 
away. 


180  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

temples,  decimating  the  contingent  of  holy  men.  It  was^ 
done,  and  his  head  was  promptly  struck  of  at  Narazaka. 
Munemori  was  decapitated  at  Shinohara  in  Omi,  and 
Munekiyo  suffered  the  same  fate  at  Noji.  Yoshitsune 
entered  the  capital  with  the  two  ghastly  presents,  which 
were  forthwith  exposed  at  the  common  execution  ground 
for  criminals  at  Kokujo.  Then  he  turned  to  bask  in  the 
little  sunshine  of  the  Court ;  all  of  that  element  he  Jiad 
experienced,  or  was  to  receive  in  his  short  life. 


PART  HI. 

INTER  FEATEES. 


"  Only  so  long  as  the  body  lasts,  is  the  mind 
"  liable  to  passions  productive  of  sorrow." 


Spinoza — "  Ethica." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

TOS ABO'S  VENTURE  :  SHIZUKA-GOZEN. 


"  Experience  has  proved  in  our  own  times  that  the  princes 
"  who  have  achieved  great  deeds  are  those  who  have  held  good 
"  faith  of  small  account,  and  have  known  how  to  bewilder 
"  men's  brains  by  cunning,  and  in  the  end  have  succeeded 
"  better  than  those  whose  actions  have  been  ruled  by  honour." 

Machiavelli— "  The  Prince." 
(quoted  from  Yillari). 


1. 


It  was  in  no  amiable  frame  of  mind  that  Yoshitsune 
again  entered  the  Tenno's  capital,  v^hich  for  the  next 
hundred  years  and  more  was  to  play  a  subordinate  part  to 
the  new  capital  rising  on  the  little  Bay  of  Sagami. 
Indeed  the  estabhshment  of  a  new  capital  in  the  north  was 
a  deadly  blow  to  the  southern  city,  which  only  for  a  short 
space  of  time,  under  the  Ashikaga,  was  the  nominal  seat 
of  Government  from  that  day  to  the  present  time.  But  at 
the  time  spoken  of  there  was  little  sign  of  its  loss  of 
importance,  little  sign  of  the  wretched  times  during  which 
the  Tenno  was  glad  to  secure  cold  cash  by  writing  poems 
and  signing  them  to  give  them  value.  Yoshitsune  could  and 
did  plunge  himself  into  all  the  dissipations  that  the  luxury 
and  still  flourishing  condition  of  the  capital  allowed,  and 
his  own  youthful  tastes  dictated.      He  plainly  took  the 


184  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

stand  of  the  large  number  of  the  young  military  leaders  of 
the  day,  appreciated  in  no  way  the  change  which  was 
approaching  in  the  political  world  of  Nippon,  and 
certainly  did  not  see  into  and  understand  the  far-reaching 
plans  of  his  brother  Yoritomo.  Yoshitsune  from  the  start 
had  enjoyed  to  a  peculiar  degree  the  good-will  and  confi- 
dence of  Go-Shirakawa,  the  Hoo.  On  his  return  from 
Dan-no-ura  he  had  taken  up  his  duties  as  kebiisJdi  and 
guardian  of  the  city.  He  held  the  fifth  court  rank  and 
the  privilege  of  appearing  at  Court.  Every  practical 
advantage  was  neutralized  from  Kamakura  by  the 
appointment  of  military  overseers  for  any  fief  granted 
him  by  the  Court.  For  the  present  Yoshitsune  paid  small 
attention  to  these  matters.  The  new  mansion  at  Rokujo 
Horikawa*,  which  he  had  begun  even  in  the  days  when 
Yoshinaka's  head  was  adorning  the  Kamogawa,  was  now 
completed,  and  he  entered  it  to  engage  in  a  series  of  fetes, 
banquets,  and  dissipations,  too  likely  to  draw  the  superficial 
good-will  of  the  lip-serving  Jcugej  and  the  deeply  seated 
hatred  of  the  cold  and  suspicious  man  established  in 
Kamakura  with  the  legions  of  the  country  at  his  back. 
But  meanwhile  Yoshitsune  made  hay  while  the  sun 
shone.  And  with  him,  enjoying  these  temporary  favours 
of  fortune,  were  some  twenty  concubines,  picked  from  the 
best  favoured  girls  his  apparent  power  was  likely  to  secure 
from  time  serving  parents.  After  all  these  were  mere 
pastimes  of  the  amorous  warrior.  The  real  hold  on  his 
heart  at  this  time  was  not  that  of  the  twenty  mistresses  ; 
not  even  that  of  his  loyal  and  devoted  wife,  the  Kitano- 
kata,  daughter  of  Taira  Tokitada.  This  latter  did  not 
live  at  Horikawa  ;  but  in  Ichijo  Imadegawa,  near  the 
gosho,  concealed  her  pain  and  disappointment.  The 
mistress  of  the  Horikawa  palace  was  the  famous  Shizuka- 
gozen,  herself  a  model  of  loyalty  and  devotion  to  her 
young  lover,  and  as  such  to  go  down  into  history  ;  for  this 
was  no  passing  fancy  and  intrigue,  but  one  already  of 

*  It  was  in  the  southern  quarter  of  the  city,  not  far  from  the  present 
Higashi-Hongwanji.  The  Adzuma  Kagami  tells  us  that  on  August  4th 
a  big  earthquake  destroyed  or  damaged  nearly  all  the  great  mansions 
of  Miyako.    Yoshitsune's  escaped  without  injury. 


TOSABO'S   VENTURE  :    SHIZUKA.-GOZEN.  185 

three  years  duration.  Let  us  look  a  little  into  the  early 
history  of  this  youthful  heroine,  at  this  time  only  eighteen 
years  of  age.* 

In  the  third  year  of  Eikyu  (1115  A.D.),  when  Toba 
Tenno  was  seeking  mischief  for  his  idle  hands  to  do,  the 
favourite  attractioQ  of  the  festive  moments  of  the  nobles 
was  dancing  by  girls — shirabydshi — and  this  practice  then 
took  its  rise.  The  shimachitose  and  waka?iomae,  com- 
binations of  song  and  dance,  shared  in  the  ill-development 
of  the  music  and  dancing  of  the  time.  It  was  not  until 
Shinsai  Nyudo,t  about  the  period  of  Hogen  and  Heiji, 
made  a  careful  selection  of  the  old  music  and  added  to  it 
his  own  compositions,  that  these  performances  took  on  a 
polished  form.  But  when  Iso-no-zensu,  the  mother  of 
Shizuka  and  herself  a  shirabyosJiiy  was  in  high  reputation 
they  were  practically  perfected.  The  term  itself  has  a 
curious  origin,  and  we  will  turn  to  the  native  writer  for 
its  discussion. I 

"  The  term  shirabydshi  was  originally  used  as  the  name 
of  wooden  blocks  used  to  beat  time  to  music,  and  the  name 
was  afterwards  given  to  the  operatic  performance,  to 
become  finally  the  technical  term  for  these  dancing  girls. 
About  the  middle  period  of  their  development  they  wore 
suikan^  but  no  eboshi  or  sword.  Their  hands  were 
empty.  After  Shinsai  Nyudo  improved  the  dance,  they 
used  fans  in  posturing.  The  suikan  usually  was  white. 
For  keeping  time  they  used  tsuzumi,  fuye,  and  dobyoshi, 
this  latter  being  copper  blocks  used  to  beat  time.  They 
did  not  use  the  samiseuy  and  even  the  use  of  the  fuye 
(flute)  is  uncertain.  Though  the  shimachitose  and  waka- 
noinae  were  the  original  forms  of  the  performances  of  the 
shirabydshi  these  were  carried  on  without  change  into  the 

*  As  the  Japanese  count  the  year  of  birth,  Shizuka  was  seventeen 
years  old  by  western  counting.  This  age  must  be  taken  into  account 
as  to  her  career. 

t  Michinori. 

X  Saito  Kozu  p.  7,  seq.    Cf.  Gerapei  Seisuiki  (popular  Ed.)  p.  18. 

§  A  long  flowing  robe  worn  by  the  nobles.  Eboshi  is  a  hat  of 
varying  shape.  2d'U2umi=drum :  Faye=^\xie.  The  samisen  was  much 
later  in  date.  For  details  and  shapes — see  Piggott's  "  Music  and: 
musical  instruments  of  Japan."  ' 


186  SATTO   MUSASHT-BO   BENKEI. 

times  of  the  Heike  supremacy,  and  in  the  noble  houses 
were  many  of  the  famous  shirabyoshi — Gio,  Gijio,  Hotoke, 
Senjiyu,  Kameku,  and  others.*  There  is  no  question 
that  in  those  days  people  of  low  rank  and  of  talent 
became  Buddhist  priests  and  men  of  note.  No  matter 
bow  low  their  position,  they  not  only  secured  liberty  by 
turning  priest,  but  had  the  right  of  audience  with  the 
Tenno.  Thus  in  kindred  fashion,  to  become  a  shirahyoshi 
was  the  shortest  way  to  come  into  contact  with  the 
nobility,  and  involved  no  sacrifice  of  liberty.  Therefore 
we  cannot  call  the  shirabyoshi,  as  a  class,  of  low  grade. 
Among  them  were  some  women  of  noble  character  as 
was  fit  in  this  period  of  warfare.  Thus  although  it  is 
currently  said  that  the  shirabyoshi  were  women  of  low 
class  there  were  found  among  them  many  who  prized 
fidelity  and  dignity.  Just  as  among  the  priesthood 
many  a  man  found  a  way  to  succeed.  When  Hotoke- 
gozen  came  to  the  capital  she  heard  that  the  Prime 
Minister,  Taira  Kiyomori,  liked  dancing;  and  it  was 
reported  that  he  said  : — *  the  shirabyoshi  can  come  at  any 
time  to  my  house  without  a  summons.'  She  betook  herself 
to  his  presence,  showing  that  it  was  an  easy  matter  then 
for  a  woman  of  low  rank  to  approach  the  nobles.  For 
this  reason  among  the  shirabyoshi  could  be  found  many 
women  distinguished  in  the  land." 

It  was  in  such  an  atmosphere  that  the  little  girl  Shizuka 
lived  and  grew  up  toward  womanhood.  Her  mother 
Iso-no-zensu  was  a  native  of  Iso  in  Tango,  one  of  the 
central  provinces  on  the  Sea  of  Japan.  Another  story, 
however,  makes  her  a  native  of  Awa  in  Shikoku.  At  all 
events  it  is  almost  agreed  that  Shizuka  was  born  in  Awaji. 
Her  father  was  said  to  be  a  hokumeji-bushiA  His  name 
is  unknown,  but  the  date  of  her  birth  is  fixed  by  the  fact 
that  when  she  danced  at  the  Shinsen  gosho — then  west  of 
Omiya  and  south  of  Nijo  in  Miyako — she  was  fifteen  years 
old.     She  was  therefore  born  in  the  third  year  of  Ninan 

*  As  said  the  Gempei  Seisuiki  early  gets  at  Kiyomori  and  his 
affections  in  this  line. 

t  That  is,  belonged  to  the  palace  guard  of  the  Tenn5.  Kitashira- 
kawa,  mentioned  below,  I  take  to  be  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  a  part 
ofShirakawa. 


TOSABO'S   VENTURE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  187 

(1168  A.D.),  in  the  reign  of  Eokujo  Tenno.  In  1169  A.D. 
Kiyomori  became  dajo-daijin.  The  Heike  were  at  the 
height  of  their  power,  "  flying  freely  as  the  birds,  but 
ah^eady  trembling  to  their  fall."  Iso-no-zensu,  as  a 
famous  shirahyoshi,  found  favour  with  the  nobles.  She 
and  her  daughter  lived  at  Kitashirakawa  in  the  northern 
end  of  Miyako,  and  both  danced  together.  Shizuka  owed 
as  much  to  her  own  intelligence  as  to  her  mother's  training. 
She  grew  up  into  a  gentle,  clever  girl,  with  an  exquisitely 
beautiful  face  and  complexion.  Her  hair  was  a  wonderful 
mass  of  raven-black  falling  in  heavy  strands  to  her  feet, 
and  making  a  wonderful  frame  for  the  delicate  oval  face 
and  slender  graceful  figure.  Her  early  training  gave  her 
complete  grounding  in  all  the  principles  of  her  profession, 
and  practice  made  her  perfect  in  tecnique.  Nature  added 
every  personal  charm. 

In  the  constant  marchings  and  counter-marchings,  the 
country,  and  every  part  of  it  (but  the  tent  of  the  enemy), 
was  open  to  any  who  wished  to  wander,  and  was  willing 
to  take  the  risk  of  doing  so.  As  a  Japanese  battle  was 
much  a  matter  of  single  combat,  so  it  was  a  game  of  *'  catch 
me  if  you  can."  Thus  when  Yoritomo  was  so  hot  on  the 
trail  of  Yoshitsune  in  Yoshino,  the  latter  ventured  to 
Miyako,  within  the  very  claws  of  Hojo  Tokimasa.* 
People  whispered  his  presence,  and  the  Kamakura  bushi 
were  the  last  to  know  of  it.  Thus  it  was  that  in  the  final 
days  of  the  Heike,  and  when  Yoshinaka  was  ruling  the 
capital,  Yoshitsune  more  than  once  visited  the  city  and 
was  present  at  court  entertainments.  It  was  at  one  of 
these  (in  1182  A.D.)  that  he  first  saw  Shizuka.  There 
had  been  a  terrible  drought,  and  Go-Shirakawa  gave  a 
dance  to  secure  rain.  Shizuka  and  one  hundred  shira- 
bydshi  figured  at  the  entertainment,  and  the  Hoo  was 
so  pleased  with  her  exquisite  posturing,  her  complete 
command  of  its  tecnique,  that  he  indulged  in  personal 
congratulation  : — "  you  are  foremost  of  all  the  shira- 
bydshi,"  and  he  gave  her  a  handsomely  decorated  robe. 
But  she  delighted  more  than  the  Hoo.     *'  She  was  so  fair 

*  Yoshinaka,  in  his  day,  from  personal   visits  thoroughly  knew  the 
condition  of  affairs  in  Miyako. 


188  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and  beautiful,  so  admirable  and  graceful  in  her  singing 
and  dancing,  that  she  pleased  the  god,  and  the  rain 
descended  in  torrents."  Alas  !  Shades  of  Dido,  Danae,  etc. 
Yoshitsune,  who  was  watching  the  dancing  and  Shizuka, 
took  her  under  his  protection  and  to  his  home,  and  for 
this  lover  Shizuka  loosed  her  virgin  zone.  In  childhood  she 
had  often  gone  with  her  mother  to  the  houses  of  the  dis- 
sipated nobles,  but  grown  to  womanhood  this  never  was 
to  be  her  fate.  Henceforth  she  followed  the  fortunes  of  her 
lord,  and  after  the  campaign  against  Yoshinaka  she  was 
officially  established  in  Miyako  as  the  concubine  of  Yoshi- 
tsune. Iso-no-zensu  was  of  course  well  satisfied  with  the 
whole  affair.  She  tells  us  so.  More  so  than  in  later  days 
was  the  Kitanokata,  the  wife.  This  friction  was  the  domestic 
puzzle  of  Yoshitsune,  for  he  held  to  both  women  in  their 
different  ways,  as  they  did  to  him.  And  in  the  crisis  of  his 
life  both  women  forgot  their  differences  and  played  a  noble 
part.  Meanwhile  as  far  as  the  gentle  graceful  dancer 
was  concerned,  ''the  young  general  wise  and  courageous, 
the  lady  wise  and  beautiful,   lived  happily  together."* 


§     2. 


Difficulties  were  precipitated  innocently  enough.     Yori- 
tomo  was  sulking  at  Kamakura  seeking  a  handle  against 

A 

*  "Now  further,  Ananda,  there  appeared  to  the  Great  King  of 
Glory  the  Woman  Treasure,  graceful  in  figure,  beautiful  in  appearance, 
charming  in  manner,  and  of  the  most  fine  complexion;  neither  very  tall, 
nor  very  short;  neither  very  stout,  nor  very  thin;  neither  very  dark, 
nor  very  fair ;  surpassing  human  beauty,  she  had  attained  unto  the 
beauty  of  the  gods.  That  Pearl  among  Women  too,  Ananda,  was 
never,  even  in  thought,  unfaithful  to  the  Great  King  of  Glory— how 
much  less  then  could  she  be  so  in  the  body  !" 

Maha-Sudassana  Sutta. 
(trans,  by  Ehys.  Davids  S.B.E.  XI  256-7.) 
East  and  W^est  there  are  found   the  same  dreams  and  the  same  decep- 
tions; a  kindred  idealism  and  its  realisation  in  the   world  of  matter — 
and  its  reward. 


TOSABO'S    VENTUEE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  189 

his  enemy,  when  in  September  the  Hoo  appointed  Yoshi- 
tsune  lyo-no-Kami,  he  was  ah'eady  military  governor  of 
Miyako.  This  was  due  entirely  to  Yoshitsune's  own 
efforts,  and  to  the  good-will  of  the  Court,  for  the  young 
captain  had  been  intentionally  and  conspicuously  neglected 
ever  since  the  days  of  Yoshinaka.  Certainly  no  favours 
were  to  be  expected  from  Kamakura  at  this  juncture. 
Now  with  full  control  of  Miyako,  seated  astride  the  island 
with  the  west  provinces  in  his  grasp,  Yoshitsune  would  be 
a  very  formidable  competitor  if  he  harboured  ill-will 
against  his  brother.  The  actual  effect  could  be  neutralized 
by  appointing  military  agents  to  represent  Kamakura  in 
the  fief.  These  collected  and  guarded  the  revenues  and 
left  Yoshitsune  the  empty  shell  of  the  honorary  title  until 
he  chose  to  assert  hin:iself  in  arms.  Meanwhile  a  perem- 
ptory order  was  sent  to  him  at  Miyako  forbidding  him  to 
accept  the  title  or  appointment.  To  both  Yoshitsune  paid 
not  the  slightest  attention.  He  really  at  this  stage  seems 
to  understand  nothing  of  his  brother's  policy,  if  indeed  he 
ever  grasped  it  and  in  a  political  sense  got  out  of  the  rut  of 
the  politics  of  preceding  days.  There  is  not  the  slightest 
indication  of  rebellious  conduct  against  his  brother  at  this 
stage.  He  harbours  resentment  for  an  interference  in  a 
matter  which  was  none  of  Yoritomo's  business,  and  goes 
his  own  way  with  no  idea  that  he  is  balking  wide  and 
deep-reaching  plans.  Kajiwara  was  not  slow  in  putting 
the  matter  in  proper  shape  before  the  eager  and  prejudiced 
ear  of  Yoritomo.  He  did  repeat  what  was  merely  the 
gossip  of  the  Kamakura  hushi — that  Yoshitsune  and 
Yukiiye  were  plotting  in  Miyako.  **  Now,"  said 
he,  "  the  country  is  as  yet  in  a  very  unsettled  condition. 
These  provinces  in  the  West  are  as  ready  to  join  Yoshi- 
tsune as  to  support  your  lordship.  He  is  tremendously 
popular  with  the  hushi,  and  a  great  commander.  He 
can  promise  fiefs  under  court  favour,  and  in  the  next 
move  you  will  have  an  army  to  face.  He  must  be  cut  off 
at  once." 

Yoritomo  thoroughly  agreed  with  the  whole  of  this 
presentment,  and  the  advice.  He  could  see  nothing  but 
faults.     Yoshitsune's  ambitions  were  entirely  out  of  place, 


190  SAITG   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

considering  his  birth  as  the  son  of  a  concubine,  and  with 
an  elder  brother  in  the  House  Headship.  To  Yoritomo 
his  dissipations  were  deep  plots  to  secure  adherents.  The 
advice  to  strip  Yoshitsune  of  all  his  appointments,  to 
reduce  him  to  the  position  of  a  simple  samurai  seemed 
too  severe.  Wada,  Hatakeyama,  Doi,  Miura,  all  doubted 
the  guilt  of  Yoshitsune.  Serving  under  him  they  had 
come  to  admire  his  sincerity  and  his  openness  of 
character.  Doubting  Kajiwara's  good  faith  they  advised 
an  inquiry.  This  Kajiwara  met  in  turn  by  adopting 
the  idea  and  adapting  it.  He  saw  that  Yoritomo  was 
suspicious  of  the  good-will  of  these  noblemen.  They 
wanted  to  prove  Yoshitsune's  good  faith  by  leaving  it  to 
time.  He  had  Yoritomo's  private  ear.  '*  Genda  Kage- 
suye,  my  son,  and  Gishobo  Shojuin  are  going  to  the 
great  festival  of  the  Midon  at  Miyako.  Let  them  make 
inquiries.  This  granted  he  gave  his  son  instructions  as 
to  the  proper  way  to  inquire,  to  secure  a  good  surface, 
and  not  to  go  too  deep.  On  August  29th  (1185  A.D.) 
Kagesuye  left  Kamakura,  and  on  September  6th  he  was  in 
Miyako.  The  festival  would  have  been  a  small  matter  to 
him.  He  visited  it  willy-willy,  for  Yoshitsune  was  sick 
and  would  not  see  him  at  Horikawa.  Finally  a  few  days 
later  he  secured  an  interview.  Yoshitsune  was  found  in 
bed.  He  was  leaning  on  an  arm-rest  and  moxa  was  being 
applied  to  his  back.  He  looked  thin  and  pale.  Kagesuye 
approached  the  nominal  gist  of  his  mission,  the  discontent 
as  to  Yoshitsune's  harbouring  the  rebellious  Yukiiye. 
The  latter  having  flopped  from  Yoritomo  to  Yoshinaka, 
and  again  figuring  independently,  was  in  high  disfavour. 
In  the  West  provinces  he  had  entered  on  a  career  of 
oppression  and  extortion  more  like  highway  robbery  than 
war.  This  was  exasperating  to  the  precise  Yoritomo,  and 
Sasaki  had  orders  to  corner  and  catch  him.  He  succeeded 
in  driving  Yukiiye  to  cover,  bat  he  failed  to  catch  him, 
and  the  always  defeated  and  slippery  captain  disappeared 
from  ken.  Getting  wind  of  the  differences  between  the 
two  brothers  he  had  come  to  Miyako.  Yoshitsune  took 
him  on  the  rather  dubious  principle,  that  although 
good  for  nothing  as  a  soldier  he  might  be  useful  in  making 


TOSABO'S  ventuee:  shizuka-gozen.  191 

an  impression  on  Yoritomo  and  as  an  influence  against 
him  ;  or,  if  he  and  Yoritomo  patched  up  a  peace,  then 
Yukiiye  should  be  sacrificed  on  the  altar  raised  to  fraternal 
devotion.  When  therefore  Kagesuye  spoke  of  Yukiiye's 
presence  in  Miyako,  and  demanded  his  head,  Yoshitsune 
simply  denied  knowledge  of  the  fact  of  any  plots  of 
Yukiiye.  "  He  too  is  a  descendant  of  Eokujo  Hang  wan, 
just  as  we  are.  His  influence  is  great,  and  care  must  be 
exercised."  Then  he  added  sourly;  "I  think  your  own 
presence  more  desired  in  Kamakura  than  in  Miyako." 
Which  meant  a  good  deal  from  the  lips  of  the  Captain  of 
the  City. 

Kagesuye,  furious,  brought  back  his  report  to  the  will- 
ingly credulous  Yoritomo.  "  Yoshitsune  is  a  fox  ",  said 
this  worthy  bud  of  the  parental  stock.  "  Sick  ?  All 
pretence ;  a  day  or  two  of  abstinence  will  make  a 
man  look  as  ill  as  he  did ;  and  moxa  leaves  more 
mark  than  pain.  Yukiiye  is  not  only  in  Miyako,  but 
lodged  close  to  Horikawa  [which  was  true],  and  the  two 
are  making  their  plans  to  unite  all  the  West  and  Kyushu 
against  your  lordship  [which  was  premature].  The  two 
are  as  close  together  as  the  five  fingers  on  one's  hand." 
Kajiwara  pere  added  his  little  contribution.  "  Beat  him 
— or  be  beaten."  Repetition  made  its  impression  on  the 
stolid  Yoritomo.  Never  too  active  to  move  without  good 
cause,  he  sought  a  substitute  in  this  case.  A  council  was 
summoned  which  at  start  threatened  most  unsatisfactory 
results.  Yoritomo  laid  the  situation  formally  before  the 
assembled  captains.  "He  will  fortify  Uji  and  Yamada, 
and  will  have  the  Tenno's  support.  To  him  who  brings 
me  Yoshitsune's  head,  there  are  Awa  and  Kazusa  in  fief." 
Then  he  called  up  one  after  another  of  the  members  of 
the  council.  "  Yoshitsura,  you  take  this  difficult  but  loyal 
task  " — "  I,  ?  "  quoth  Miura.  **  Take  my  fief  and  allow 
me  to  shave  my  head.  Thus  I  petition  your  lordship  " 
— "  Hatakeyama  ? "  Shigetada  stood  boldly  up  for  the 
merit  of  Yoshitsune.  "  Let  my  lord  take  my  three  fiefs. 
I  too  will  turn  priest  " — "  Sasaki  ?  "  The  latter  shook 
his  head  and  smiled  a  little — "  Well !  Razors  seem  in 
demand.     I  had  no  idea  you  w^ere  all  so  religious."     All 


192  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

pleaded  the  deepest  loyalty,  all  asked  pardon  for  disobey- 
ing their  lord's  request,  and  all  flatly  refused  to  budge  on 
a  mission  of  certain  death.  Then  one  Munetoshi  Saburo, 
to  the  surprise  of  all  for  he  was  of  humble  rank  amid  the 
retainers,  pushed  himself  forward  and  prostrated  himself. 
**  What  your  lordship  asks  requires  a  man  of  the  first  rank, 
one  equal  to  Yoshitsune  himself.  But  he  is  easily  found  " 
— "  Who?"  inquired  Yoritomo,  pleased  at  this  auspicious 
opening — "  Kajiwara  Heizo  Kagetoki,  seated  so  close  to 
your  lordship's  ear.  He  is  very  ingenious,  having  in- 
vented an  oar  for  rowing  away  from  an  enemy."  All 
openly  rejoiced,  and  a  chorus  went  up — *'  Yes  !  Kajiwara 
is  the  man  !  "  Whether  in  jest  or  not  Yoritomo  showed 
no  displeasure.  Turning  to  Kajiwara  he  said  : — "  That  is 
so.  I  know  of  no  one  more  fitted  in  care  and  skill  as  a 
captain.     You  are  the  man." 

Kajiwara  was  white  with  fright.  If  Yoritomo  was 
tired  and  wilhng  to  get  rid  of  him,  he  was  not  willing  to 
leave  Kamakura  and  this  world.  His  ingenuity  showed 
him  a  way  out.  "  Your  lordship  I  know  is  jesting. 
Stout  warriors  like  Hatakeyama  and  Miura  refuse  this 
task.  I  am  already  past  my  prime,  and  admit  that  I  am 
no  match  for  Yoshitsune.  He  would  easily  kill  me. 
Besides  I  am  ill  with  a  flux  of  the  bowels."  Some 
present  grunted.  He  continued: — "but  I  have  just  the 
man  your  lordship  requires  ;  a  nobleman,  brave,  skilful  m 
tactics,  a  good  captain  in  action,  and  not  afraid  of  a  demon 
in ;  Miyako  or  out  of  it.  He  is  now  in  Kamakura,"  all 
leaned  forward,  "  and  his  name  is  Nikaido  Tosa  Nyudo 
Shoshun  of  Shibuya  in  Musashi.'^  They  sank  back  in 
genuine  alarm  and  displeasure.  Tosabo  Shoshun  was 
known  and  liked  by  all,  except  by  Kajiwara  who  took  this 
way  of  getting  rid  of  him  or  Yoshitsune.  His  presence  in 
Kamakura  was  unfortunately  the  fact,  for  his  dislike  of 
Kajiwara  usually  kept  him  out  of  the  Kamakura  Court 
where  the  latter  exercised  so  much  influence.  No  one, 
however,  dared  'to  move.  **  Just  so !  "  said  Yoritomo 
emphatically.  "  He  is  the  man.  Summon  him  to  me  at 
once."  All  waited  in  gloomy  silence.  Shoshun  soon  put 
in  an   appearance.      Yoritomo  put  a  dangerous  mission 


TosABo's  venture:  shizuka-gozen.  193 

before  him.     Shoshun  accepted  it  as  a  great  honour.     All 
coughed  and  looked  oppressed,  but  Shoshun  thought  it 
was  merely  colds  they  were  suffering  from.      Yoritomo 
began  slowly.     "  Obedient  and  faithful  you  always  have 
been.     As  you  say,    '  a   samurai  should  lose  his   life  to 
save   his   lord  from  peril.'     And   your  reward   shall   be 
great.      Awa  and  Kazusa  shall  be  your   fief.     You  are 
to  go  to  Miyako  and  bring  me  the   heads  of  Yoshitsuno 
and  Yukiiye."      Shoshun  gasped.     "  Will   not   my   lord 
get    someone    else?      A    samurai   to   interfere   between 
brothers  !" — "  Exactly,"   was  the  cold  reply.     *'  For  that 
reason  I  put  my  duty  to  the  peace  of  the  land  first.     If  I 
did  not  do  so  the  people  would  feel   that   there  was  no 
justice  in  the  land.     Are  you  afraid,  or  do  you  sympathize 
with   Yoshitsune?"      Tosabo     Shoshun    felt    sure   that 
someone  was  seeking  to  get  rid  of  him.     He  scanned  the 
circle  of  the  assembly,  and  they  all  looked  significantly  at 
Kajiwara,  whom  they  all  so  desired  to  have  this  dangerous 
mission.     The  affair  had  only  one  favourable] feature.     If 
Shoshun  did  succeed  it  meant  the  end  of  Kajiwara.    Tears 
of  anger,  not  fright,  were  in  Shoshun's  eyes  as  he   faced 
Yoritomo.      "  Of  Kou  or  Hankai*  I  have  no  fear.     I  feel 
sure  that  Yoshitsune  is  innocent,  and  that  the  proper  man 
to  undertake  the  mission,  Kajiwara  Kagetoki,  has  proposed 
me."     All   regarded  Kajiwara  with  contempt.     Shoshun 
continued  : — "  Your  lordship  knows  my  tried  fidelity.     I 
accept  the  mission."      Yoritomo  heard  the  end  of  the  dis- 
course with  greater  pleasure  than  its  middle.     He  grasped 
a  spear  standing  near  him.     Said  he  : — **  This  was  forged 
for  myself  by  Senjuin  of  Yamato.     Bring  me  Yoshitsune's 
head  on  its  point."    He  then  ordered  that  sake  be  furnish- 
ed Tosabo,  and  the  armoury  of  Kamakura  was  put  at  his 
disposition  to  select  anything  he  chose  for  as  many  men 
as  he  decided  to  take — an  army  if  he  desired. 

Tosabo  Shoshun  first  proceeded  to  his  home  in  Musashi. 
Here  he  summoned  a  council  of  his  clan  to  lay  the  task 
before  them.  There  were  present  some  forty  in  all, 
among    them   such   tried    warriors   as   Tosa    Masakata, 

*  Two  famous  Chinese  generals. 


194  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   EENKEI. 

"ISIikaido  Masafusa,  Tosa  Masamicbi,  Shiro  Masatoyo, 
Tosa  Masakuni,  Kokuro  Masaharu,  Nishikori  Kunimine, 
Kazame  Shichiro  Yukifusa,  Hachiro  Yukitomo.  Shoshun's 
SOD,  Tosa  Taro  Masafusa,  seeing  his  father's  grave  face, 
put  the  first  question  in  asking  what  troubled  him. 
Shoshun  described  the  trap  Kajiwara  had  laid  for  him. 
He  was  a  great  noble,  but  no  match  for  Yoshitsune,  and 
the  mission  was  one  of  death.  Kazarne  Shichiro  was  in  a 
rage.  He  had  no  fault  to  find  with  Yoshitsune,  and  was 
more  inclined  to  turn  the  expedition  against  Kajiwara. 
Masakata  found  it  difficult  even  if  they  were  in  the  right. 
To  circumvent  Y^oshitsune  in  open  fight  was  a  task  for 
which  none  present  were  fit.  Shoshun  to  all  objections 
simply  answered  that  he  had  undertaken  to  go  to  Miyako, 
and  go  he  would.  Nishikori  interrupted: — "Let  me  go 
to  Miyako  and  warn  Yoshitsune.  Then  we  will  reconcile 
the  brothers,  and  no  one  but  Kajiwara  will  suffer." 
Shoshun  stopped  him  almost  angrily.  "  To  this  Yoritomo 
would  never  consent.  He  is  thoroughly  prejudiced  against 
his  brother.  We  must  fight  and  win.  That  now  is  our 
task." 

The  voice  of  Kazame  Shichiro  again  was  heard. 
"  Kamakura-dono's  offer  of  any  force  required  is  out  of  the 
question.  We  are  no  match  in  the  open  field  for  Yoshi- 
tsune. Strategy  must  be  tried.  Our  object  is  to  assas- 
sinate him,  not  to  fight  him."  Thus  he  put  the  matter 
very  bluntly.  "  If  news  of  the  expedition  leaks  out  we  are 
done  for.  We  must  pretend  a  pilgrimage  (o-mairi)  to 
the  Kumano  shrines.  Our  helmets,  armour,  and  weapons 
can  be  carried  in  boxes  wrapped  up  as  offerings  to 
the  shrine.  Our  retainers  disguised  as  coolies  will  carry 
them.  The  rest  of  us  will  go  clad  in  shitatare  and 
choshi  (court  robe  and  hat).  Let  us  take  our  farewell 
dinner  together,  and  our  sake.  Both  may  be  our  last 
taken  in  formal  company."  All  received  the  speech 
with  stern  assent.  For  the  sake  of  secrecy  it  was 
determined  to  take  but  few  retainers,  a  serving  man 
to  each.  On  the  third  of  November  they  left  Musa- 
shi.  Altogether  they  were  a  band  of  ninety-three 
men,  ostensibly  bound  for  the  Kumano  Gong  en.     They 


TOSABO'S   venture:    SHrZUKA.-aOZEN.  195 

wore  ''  white  ceremonial  robes  and  court  head  coverings. 
To  the  tails  of  the  horses  were  attached  pieces  of  white 
paper  hke  goliei.^  Their  belly-guards,  armour,  and 
weapons  were  in  boxes  labelled  '  the  first  gathering  of 
rice,  offering  to  the  Sanjo  Gongen  shrines  '  ".  On  the 
tenth  of  November  they  stopped  at  Shinomiya,  a  short 
distance  (ten  miles)  from  Miyako.  The  idea  was  to  eat 
and  rest  at  this  place.  Thus  it  would  be  dark  when  they 
entered  the  city.  This  was  a  cause  of  great  discontent 
to  the  men.  Few  of  those  knew  of  the  mission,  and  they 
wanted  to  enter  the  capital  by  daylight.! 

Yukiiye,  dullard  in  war  and  politics,  had  become  a 
powerful  influence  at  Horikawa.  Between  himself  and 
Yoshitsune  there  was  the  powerful  bond  of  being  slander- 
ed. At  least  so  he  put  it.  He  did  not  dare  openly  to 
push  the  young  man  against  his  brotlier,  but  he  worked 
on  their  wrath  against  mutual  enemies  in  Kamakura, 
Hojo  Tokimasa  and  Kajiwara  Kagetoki.  An  expedition 
would  be  directed  against  them,  not  against  the  modest 
gentleman  who  ruled  the  country  from  Kamakura 
practically  on  no  commission  at  all.  Meanwhile  he 
made  hay  while  the  sun  shone  on  the  luxury  of  Yoshi- 
tsune's  establishment  as  guardian  of  Miyako.  High  revel 
was  being  held  at  Horikawa,  and  there  was  in  progress 
the  banquet  known  as  Kyoku-Sui-no-En  (Banquet  of  Ex- 
treme Intoxication,)!  At  first  the  rivalry  was  in  making 
poems.  Then  they  applauded  the  beautiful  dancing  by 
shirahydshi.     Finally  they  emptied  the  wine  cups  as  fast 

*  The  strips  of  white  paper* hanging  in  front  of  Japanese  shrines. 
Thej  represent  the  ancient  and  substantial  offerings  of  cloth. 

t  Thus  on  horseback  the  journey  from  the.Kwant5  took  nine  days. 

t  The  expression  Shinshinsai  uses  is  kyoku-sui  no  en  (^tg  gfl  (7)  ^) ; 
having  a  few  lines  before  appropriately  described  it  as  kyoku-sui  no  en 
(ffl  y}^  0  ^),  a  banquet  with  song  and  dance  entertainment.  Or, 
according  to  Brinkley's  Dictionary  "  literally,  winding  water  banquet ; 
the  entertainment  given  by  the  Emperor  on  tlie  3rd  day  of  the  3rd 
month  (old  style),  in  which  the  guests  take  their  seats  on  the  banks  of 
a  winding  or  tortuous  stream  in  the  Imperial  palace  and  compose  their 
poems  as  they  catch,  and  drink  from,  cups  carried  along  by  the  current." 
Over  a  range  of  872  years,  the  3rd  day  of  the  3rd  month  would  vary 
between  18th  March  (1561  A.D.)  and  the  26th  April  (1591  A.D.),  the 
two  extremes,  for  the  period  1000-1872  A.D. 


196  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

as  they  could  be  filled.  It  was  nearly  midnight  when  the 
party  broke  up,  and  Yoshitsune  dismissed  his  retainers 
to  their  homes,  regarding  it  as  useless  that  any  should 
remain  near  him  but  the  few  retainers  attached  to  the 
immediate  service  of  the  house. 

Meanwhile  Tosabo  Shcishun  was  making  his  progress 
into  the  city  from  Shinomiya.  The  expedition  was 
divided  into  three  parties.  These  were  to  make  their 
entrance  spaced  at  some  little  distance,  and  all  were  to 
assemble  at  the  inn.  Thus  they  marched  along  the  main 
road  past  the  Gion  temple,  and  crossed  the  river  at  the 
Shijo  bridge  marching  down  the  Higashi  no  Toin  toward 
Horikawa.  Now  at  this  time  Yada  Genzo  Hatano  Hiro- 
tsugu,  one  of  the  Horikawa  supper  party,  was  on  his 
way  to  visit  a  mistress  he  had  in  Matsuwaramachi  of  the 
Kyogoku  Gojo.  He  was  anything  but  steady  on  his  legs, 
staggering  from  right  to  left,  and  taking  not  only  a  very 
devious  course  to  his  destination,  but  an  unreasonable 
amount  of  room.  He  was  singing  a  ribald  Saibara 
^ong,*  which  tapered  off  into  a  murmur  of  astonishment. 
Under  the  pines,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  came  a  large 
body  of  men,  evidently  belonging  to  the  train  of  some 
great  noble.  There  were  knights  on  horseback,  but  clad  in 
shitatare  and  eboshi.  Attendants  carried  torches,  and 
some  long  boxes  {nagamoclii)  were  labelled  "  offerings  to 
the  Kumano  Gongen."  Genzo's  wits  were  by  no  means 
what  they  ought  to  have  been,  but  he  did  his  best  to 
collect  them.  In  wonder  he  watched  the  procession  pass 
by.  Then  to  his  amazement  a  second  contingent  came  in 
sight.  In  drawing  to  the  side  of  the  road  he  knocked 
into  one  of  the  footmen.  This  latter  was  anything  but 
pleased  at  the  interference.  Genzo,  however,  held  him  in 
conversation.  '*  Hey  !  Whose  is  this  fine  train  entering 
the  city.  We  do  not  often  see  sights  like  this  so  late  at 
night."  The  man,  a  little  flattered  and  mollified,  replied  : 
— "it   is   Nikaido......" — "Ah!       Nikai-do.      Where  is 


*  Songs  "  sung  by  the  peasants  on  their  journeys  to  bring  tax  rice  to 
the  Emperor."'  Piggott — ''Music  and  Musical  Instruments  of  Japan" 
page  16.     Some  are  pretty  and  tender.     Others  unfit  to  cite. 


TOSABO  ARRIVES  AT  THE  CAPITAL. 


TOSABO'S    VENTURE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  197 

Nikai-do."*  The  man  got  a  little  angry  at  the  persistent 
and  maudlin  questioner.  "  You  are  an  ignorant  fellow,  as 
well  as  rude.  It  is  Tosabo-san  " — "  lya-a-a.  Tosa-bo  ; 
again  bo,  do,  temple  "• — "  Oh  !  You  ass  !  {haka  da  7ie). 
Well,  at  least  you  can  tell  us  how  to  get  to  the  Eokujo-bo- 
no-Abura-no-Koji  ?  "  Genzo  gave  the  directions  as  well 
as  he  could,  and  as  he  seemed  too  drunk  to  get  out  of  the 
way,  in  a  spirit  of  kindness  his  questioner  pushed  him  into 
the  ditch.  In  this  retired  position  Genzo  sat  while  a  third 
band  accompanying  the  norimon  of  a  great  noble  passed 
along  the  road.  In  passing  a  reference  was  made  to 
Tosabo  Shoshun.  His  wits  now  fairly  about  him  Genzo 
sprang  up  in  alarm.  All  his  maudlin  desire  to  fight  and 
punish  the  insult  to  his  person  disappeared.  Nikaido 
Tosabo  Shoshun,  Tosa-no-Kami,  in  Miyako,  and  nothing 
known  of  it  at  Horikawa  !  Something  was  on  foot  that 
his  master  ought  to  know.  To  Kumano?  Miyako  was 
not  on  the  road  to  Kumano,  and  such  a  pretext  was  suspi- 
cious in  itself.  He  sprang  from  the  side  of  the  road,  and 
followed  as  close  to  the  procession  as  he  could  to  over- 
hear, and  to  see  where  they  were  going.  In  the  streets 
of  the  city  it  was  the  easier  to  mingle  with  them. 
The  men  were  chafing  over  what  seemed  a  useless  night 
march.  ''  Why  did  we  stop  and  idle  all  afternoon  at 
Shinomiya  ?  Gladly  w^ould  I  have  entered  the  city  by 
daylight  and  seen  such  a  famous  place.  We  Kwanto 
people  do  not  often  get  such  a  chance.  How  dead  and 
still  it  is  !  "  Thus  spoke  one.  A  companion  with  keener 
foresight  laughed.  "  There  will  be  plenty  of  bustle  and 
excitement  in  it  to-morrow.  Come !  Hurry  ap  and 
make  a  good  job  of  it  to-night."  Genzo  waited  to  hear  no 
more.  As  fast  as  he  could  he  made  for  Horikawa  and  the 
presence  of  his  lord,  an  easy  matter  for  the  whole  con- 
tingent took  an  inn  at  Abura  no  Koji  near  Horikawa. 

Yoshitsune  was  thoroughly  angry.  As  guardian  of 
Miyako  a  report  should  have  been  sent  to  him  of  Nikaido's 
intended  arrival.  "  Go  at  once  to  the  quarters  of  Tosa- 
no-Kami,  and  bring  him  here  before  me."     His  tone  was 

*  Do  and  bo  can  mean  hall,  or  temple. 


198  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

peremptory,  and  GenzO  ought  to  have  realized  the 
importance  of  his  mission.  Taking  several  men  with  him 
he  rode  off  to  the  inn,  to  find  it  crowded  with  men, 
plainly  samurai,  busily  engaged  in  unloading  the  pack- 
horses.  What  observations  he  could  make  were  soon 
interrupted.  He  was  noticed  ;  and  his  business  asked  he 
demanded  to  see  Shoshun.  Being  told  that  their  lord  was 
ill,  he  brushed  aside  the  apology  and  pushed  his  way  into 
the  rear  apartment.  Here  he  found  Shoshun,  apparently 
in  great  pain.  With  interjected  cries  he  explained  his 
presence  in  Miyako  by  a  sudden  iUness  while  on  his 
way  to  Kumano  to  present  in  the  name  of  Yoritomo  an 
offering  to  the  shrine.  "  I  hope  to  report  myself  to  his 
Highness,  lyo-no-Kami.  Pray  ask  him  to  pardon 
my  apparent  rudeness  in  not  sending  forward  a  mes- 
senger. My  rest  here  is  only  for  a  few  days,  and  I 
much  regret  to  have  troubled  you  by  such  a  mission 
so  late  at  night."  Now  Genzo  was  not  exactly  the 
man  for  the  delicate  mission  he  had  in  hand.  In  fact 
he  was  a  bit  of  an  ass,  and  Shoshun  easily  deceived  him. 
With  expressions  of  sympathy  he  took  his  leave  and 
made  his  way  back  to  Horikawa  to  report.  Yoshitsune, 
who  had  worked  himself  into  a  greater  and  greater  stage 
of  anger,  received  him  roughly.  "  You  go  and  find 
Shoshun  here  in  Miyako  with  a  large  number  of  men, 
and  then  accept  his  tale  of  a  pilgrimage  to  Kumano  !  In 
any  case  his  coming  without  sending  a  report  is  an  insult. 
I  told  you  to  bring  him  here  to  me.  You  are  afraid  of 
his  train.  A  coward  is  no  man  to  be  among  my  retainers. 
Get  you  hence,  and  do  not  let  me  see  your  face."  Genzo 
had  no  answer  to  make  even  to  himself,  he  was  so 
thoroughly  in  the  wrong.  As  he  sadly  and  silently  with- 
drew he  heard  Yoshitsune  call  Benkei.  "  Here  !  Benkei  I 
Tosabo   Shoshun   has   come   to    Miyako    with   nearly   a 

hundred  men,  and  is  lodged  at  the  Abura  no  Koji  " 

"  One   hundred,"  said   Benkei.     ''  Ya-a-a  !  "^ ■ ''  Well, 

get  him  for  me,"  said  Yoshitsune  drily.  Benkei  dis- 
appeared to  the  rear  without  further  words.  Yoshitsune 
stepped  out  on  the  roka  as  the  clatter  of  hoofs  was  heard. 
Benkei,  with  a  stable-boy  mounted  behind,  rode  by  like  a 


TOSABO'S    VENTURE  *.    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  199 

flash.  *'  He  still  wore  his  court  robe  of  brown  cloth,  and 
his  black  leather  armour  with  its  unusually  long  skirt. 
On  his  head  was  a  momi-eboshi  (court  hat),  and  around 
it  was  wound  the  inseparable  tohin  out  of  which  appeared 
his  hairy  face.  Apart  from  the  long  sword  in  his  girdle 
he  carried  an  iron  staff."  Yoshitsune  noticed  with  a 
little  surprise  that  Ohokami  (Wolf)  had  no  saddle  on  its 
back.  Admiringly  Yoshitsune  watched  the  giant  disappear 
through  the  gate.  "  There  are  none  like  him.  If  all 
were  only  of  his  kind  !  "     He  sighed. 

Shoshun  was  tremendously  pleased  with  his  success  in 
deceiving  Genzo.  Giving  orders  that  none  should  be 
admitted  to  him  on  plea  of  sickness  he  and  his  captains 
sat  down  to  a  last  feast.  Benkei  and  fate  were  close  at 
hand.  Kiding  up  to  the  roka  Benkei  sprang  off  the 
horse.  The  men-at-arms  sought  to  detain  him,  but  he 
simply  swept  them  out  of  the  way  and  stalked  toward  the 
supper  room.  The  diners  heard  the  tramp,  tramp,  of 
the  horse-marines.  Then  the  slioji  were  roughly  pushed 
back  and  the  huge  man  entered.  At  last  the  frightened 
retainers  saw  the  famous  Benkei  knowD  to  them  all.  It 
seemed  as  if  Shoki  himself,*  terrible  to  demons  and  evil- 
doers, confronted  them.  Knocking  aside  trays  and  cups 
Benkei  crossed  the  room  and  seated  himself  next  to  Tosa- 
no-Kami.  "You  have  paid  no  attention  to  my  lord's 
message.  You  have  not  even  sent  a  courier  to  announce 
to    lyo-no-Kami,    guardian   of    the   city,    your   intended 

presence   in    Miyako.     You   must   come   with   me " • 

"But,"  expostulated  Shoshun,  "as  I  told  Yada-San " 

"  And  Genzo  for  his  folly  and  stupidity  has  been 


dismissed  from  my  lord's  service,"  replied   Benkei,  with 

significant  movements  of  preparation "But " 

"  Talk  to  my  lord,  not  to  me,"  bellowed  Benkei.  Eising 
he  grasped  Shoshun,  lifting  him  by  the  girdle  with  one 
hand  and  supporting  himself  with  his  staff,  for  Shoshun 
was  nearly    six  feet  in  height.      The    rest    of  the   com- 

*  Borrowed  from  Chinese  demonology.  He  is  a  favourite  figure  for 
boys'  dolls  in  the  display  of  the  May  festival;  with  his  weapons,  and 
long  black  shaggy  beard  framing  the  face,  leaving  little  but  eyes  and 
nose. 


200  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

pany  would  have  gladly  interfered.  But  Benkei's  glare 
frightened  them.  Mischievous  remembrances  of  Genba 
came  to  Benkei's  mind.  The  words  of  "  Ilorai-shima 
— Island  of  Eternal  Happiness  "  almost  came  to  his 
lips.  He  was  sure  that  he  was  at  least  as  strong  as  ever, 
and  gladly  would  he  have  used  Shoshun  as  a  flail  to 
knock  down  his  own  retainers.  "  His  eyes  flashed  like  a 
hundred  mirrors  bedewed  with  blood.  The  hair  of  his 
beard  stood  on  end.  He  was  indeed  like  the  Demon  of 
Six  Passions,  thus  standing  and  holding  out  Shoshun  as 
one  would  an  infant."  Shoshun  kept  his  head.  "  As  I 
have  committed  no  crime  I  have  nothing  to  fear.  I  will 
explain  matters  to  his  lordship,  lyo-no-Kami.  He  will  be 
more  amenable  than  his  messenger,  and  I  shall  soon  be 
with  you  again."  Thus  he  stopped  any  hostile  movement. 
They  would  have  made  ready  a  horse,  but  Benkei  was 
deaf.  He  waved  them  aside  and  strode  to  the  roka, 
holding  Shoshun  tucked  ander  his  arm.  The  hostler 
quickly  drove  forward  Ohokami.  Throwing  his  prisoner 
on  the  animal's  back  Benkei  sprang  on  behind.  It  was 
for  this  reason  he  had  used  no  saddle.  His  lord  had  told 
him  to  bring  Shoshun,  and  Shoshun  was  to  be  brought — 
by  him. 

At  Horikawa  they  heard  the  rapid  gallop  of  the  horse's 
hoofs — "Poor  beast,  made  thus  to  carry  two  giant  priests." 
Then  Benkei  entered,  as  cat  with  rat,  and  placed  Shoshun 
down  before  his  master.  ''  Here  he  is  ",  was  his  brief 
report.  Yoshitsune  turned  to  the  silent  visitor,  sitting 
calm  and  collected  on  the  tatami.  "  What  does  your 
presence  mean  here  in  Miyako?"  began  Yoshitsune. 
"  Its  only  explanation  can  be  that  you  have  come  up  here 
to  attack  me.  Why,  you  must  be  both  coward  and  fool 
to  use  such  a  transparent  device."  Shoshun 's  position 
was  a  terrible  one,  but  frightened  as  he  was  he  maintained 
his  calm  demeanour.  "  No,  I  have  no  ill-will,  or  ill 
intentions  against  you.  I  am  on  my  way  to  Kumano, 
and  really  have  been  taken  ill  on  the  journey.  My  visit 
is  to  make  offerings  at  the  San-zan  (Kumano)  shrines." 

"  Very  likely  !  "  interjected  the  deep  voice  of  Benkei. 

"  With   ninety   men  !     If  you   had   been   afraid  of  the 


TOSABO  SHOSHUN  ACCOMPANIES  BENKEI. 


TOSABO'S  ventuee:  shizuka-gozen.  201 

monks  ten  times  that  number  would  have  been  insufficient. 
For  thieves  a  tenth  would  be  enough.  In  Kamakura  you 
fellows  are  all  afraid  to  come  and  face  us  openly.  They 
select  you,  a  priest,  as  messenger.  You  are  a  brave  and 
reckless  fellow  thus  to  want  to  lose  your  head."  He 
signed  significantly.  ''  Come  1  I  too  am  a  priest.  We 
will  fight  it  out  together  before  my  lord.  I  am  sure  that 
without  you  the  rest  will  do  nothing."  Yoshitsune,  whose 
anger  was  much  mollified,  thought  it  best  to  check  Benkei. 
Shoshun  was  eyeing  him  in  terror,  with  no  stomach  to 
such  a  single  combat.  "  Why  have  you  so  many  men  ? 
Why  do  you  enter  the  city  by  night  instead  of  by  day  ? 
And  why  do  your  men  promise  the  people  of  Miyako  a 
stirring  time  to-morrow  ?  "  Shoshun  cursed  his  retainers' 
indiscretion,  but  his  answer  was  ready.  "  Kumano,  you 
know  my  lord,  lies  at  the  end  of  a  road  dangerous  and 
infested  with  highwaymen  and  robber  bands.  Benkei 
could  tell  your  lordship  as  much  ",  (with  a  sly  hit  at 
certain  tales  current  and  favoured  as  to  the  giant's 
genealogy).  "My  entrance  by  night  was  because  there 
were  no  fit  quarters  for  an  ill  man  in  the  villages,  and  we 
had  to  press  on.  The  rest  is  idle  talk  of  someone  wishing 
to  make  mischief  between  myself  and  your  lordship." 

Yoshitsune  thought  for  a  few  moments.  "  Shoshun, 
you  have  never  yet  been  known  to  lie.  Will  you  make 
an  oath  in  writing  that  your  intentions  toward  me  are 
innocent  of  harm  " — "  Willingly  my  lord  ",  promptly 
replied  the  visitor.  Yoshitsune  made  a  sign  and  the 
materials  for  writing  were  brought.  Then  he  looked  from 
Benkei  to  Tosabo.  Benkei  made  no  movement.  Let 
Tosabo  speak  for  himself.  They  would  know  more.  At 
least  he,  Benkei,  would.  Shoshun  sat  down  to  write  : — 
"  *  By  Ben  ten,  Taishaku,  Shiten-Nio,  Emma-o,  the  Yo- 
do-no-Myokan  in  the  Heavens ;  by  the  three  shrines  of 
Fuji,  Hakone,  and  Kumano  ;  by  the  twenty  shrines  of 
Miyako,  Iwashimizu,  Kitano,  Gion,  Sakamoto-San-no, 
Kibune,  Matsuo,  Inari,  and  all  the  guardian  deities  of  the 
city  ;  by  iVsawa,  Kinkwasan,  and  especially  Kamo  ;  by  all 
the  shrines  major  and  minor  of  Nippon — I  swear  that  I 
have  no  intention  of  attacking,  nor  any  ill-will  against, 


202  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

lyo-no-Kami  Genteii  Yoshitsune.  If  so  may  I  meet  with 
severe  and  divine  punishment,  lose  my  Hfe,  and  go  to  hell. 

Signed  :  Shoshun  (his  seal). 

17th  day,  of  the  10th  month,  of  the  1st  year  of  Bunji 
(10th  November,  1185  A.D.)*" 

Benkei  took  the  scroll  and  read  it  aloud.  As  for 
Yoshitsune,  even  if  he  had  his  doubts  he  could  not  help 
admiring  the  beautiful  writing  and  the  classic  expressions — 
difficult  and  unusual  ideographs — in  which  it  was  couched. 
Benkei's  cold  comment  was — "  Ay  !  It  is  well  written." 
Then  an  idea  struck  him.  He  seated  himself,  and  began 
to  make  copies  of  the  oath.  When  he  had  seven 
altogether  he  explained  himself  to  the  surprised  onlookers. 
"  Tosabo  shall  sign  all.  Three  shall  go  to  the  shrine  of 
Hachiman  Daibosatsu.  One  shall  go  to  the  Kumano 
Gongen."  Then  he  took  the  remaining  three,  burnt  them 
to  ashes  and  mixed  these  in  water,  and  held  out  the  cup 
for  Shoshun  to  drink.  As  to  the  vow  Tosabo  was  priest 
enough  to  trust  to  find  a  way  out  of  it.  Bat  this  practical 
application  attacked  his  wealc  side — superstition.  How- 
ever, he  was  afraid  to  refuse.  With  suspicions  entirely 
removed,  and  sorry  for  Shoshun's  humiliation,  Yoshitsune 
ordered  a  cup  of  sake  to  be  given  him.  In  drinking  it 
Tosabo  congratulated  the  Minamoto  on  possessing  such 
a  great  captain,  one  who  had  secured  peace  to  the  land, 
and  had  many  glorious  days  before  him.  Then  he  was 
allowed  to  return  to  his  quarters—to  the  great  displeasure 
of  Benkei,  who  had  small  trust  in  priestly  vows,  on  home 
principles.  As  Tosabo  was  not  kept  in  gage,  he  urged 
that  at  least  a  watch  be  kept  that  night  and  the  retainers 
summoned.  Yoshitsune,  whose  head  was  not  as  free  of 
the  w^ine  fumes  as  it  might  have  been,  was  obstinate.  He 
had  no  fear  of  Tosabo  Shoshun,  even  if  he  did  have  ill 
intentions.  Benkei  received  the  order  to  retire  with 
grumbling.  ''  Too  honest  and  unsuspicious  altogether  is 
our  lord,"  he  thought  as  he  stopped  at  the  gate  still 
uncertain  whether  to  obey  or  not.  He  even  felt  ill-will  to 
Shizuka  as  too  seductive.     "  Sleep  !     To  watch  is  better  in 

*  "Ninth    month"    (;^  j^  )  Yaniada  gives  it  in  his  account.     Is  it  a 
clerical  error,  or  on  some  authority  ?     So  also  Shinshinsai. 


TOSABO'S   VEISTUEE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  203 

this  stage  of  his  lordship's  affairs.  To  the  deuce  with  the 
women."  Habit  and  obedience  got  the  better  of  him,  and 
he  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

Yoshitsune,  however,  had  no  thoughts  of  anything  but 
sleep.  Not  so  Tosabo;Shdshun,  who  '*  feeling  as  if  he  had 
just  escaped  from  the  presence  of  a  venomous  serpent " 
made  ready  his  preparations  to  attack  at  once.  Not  so 
had  Shizuka.  She  knew  Benkei,  trusted  him,  and  saw 
with  uneasiness  his  great  uncertainty  of  mind.  She  had 
warned  Yoshitsune  that  the  roads  were  clogged  with 
Kamakura  hushi,  for  other  reports  began  to  come  in. 
When  he  put  them  all  aside  and  retired  for  the  night 
she  called  to  her  a  waiting-maid  named  Kikuye,* 
and  told  her  to  go  to  the  inn  and  watch  what  was  going 
forward.  Accompanied  by  a  servant  the  girl  slipped  out. 
Walking  in  front  of  the  inn  she  saw  a  great  bustle  and 
confusion.  Men  were  unpacking  the  boxes.  Horses 
were  being  saddled  and  knights  were  arming.  Gliding 
into  the  inn  she  saw  that  the  armour  was  being  taken  out 
of  long  boxes  labelled  "  offerings  to  the  Kumano  shrine." 
She  could  not  restrain  an  exclamation  of  astonishment. 
A  man  turned  and  saw  them  gliding  off  in  the  darkness. 
They  were  pursued,  quickly  captured,  and  brought  before 
Shoshun  and  his  sons.  Kikuye  at  once  claimed  to  be  a 
peasant  girl  whose  mother  was  ill  and  needed  a  physician. 
Shoshun    laughed.      "Why,    your    manners   and   dress 

betray  you.     You  come  from  Horikawa  " "  Indeed  it 

is  as  I  say.    Please  pardon  my  stupid  answer  " "  Yes ! 

Your  language  is  that  of  a  peasant !  Now  your  tongue 
betrays  you."  He  signed  to  his  son,  and  Kikuye,  her 
arms  tied  behind  her  back,  was  hung  up  on  a  tree,  head 
downwards  to  be  tortured  into  confession.  Tare  placed 
his  sword  between  the  palms  of  her  hands  and  began  to 
twist  it  around.  Overcome  by  the  pain  the  girl  confessed 
that  she  came  from  Shizuka-gozen.  "  To  my  shame  T 
have  carried  out  my  mission  so  badly,   and  have  been 

*  The  term  hamuro  must  have  changed  its  meaning.  It  now  means 
the  youthful  attendants  on  the  prostitutes,  usually  growing  up  to  take 
their  place  in  the  same  "  business."  Shinshinsai  uses  it  in  connection 
with  these  waiting  maids;  and  so  in  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  also  as  io  joro. 


204  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

detected."  Shoshun,  who  was  listening,  whipped  off  her 
head  before  she  had  fairly  ended.  "  As  for  the  other 
jade,  turn  her  over  to  the  men,  and  let  her  be  slit  up. 
The  two  will  be  a  sacrifice  to  Hachiman  Daibosatsu. 
We  must  push  matters  forward  now,  and  set  out  at  once." 
Their  arrival  and  positive  news  of  their  intentions 
reached  Shizuka  almost  at  the  same  time.  Anxious  as  to 
Kikuye  and  the  delay  she  had  despatched  another  waiting 
maid.  As  she  heard  the  noise  of  men  and  horses  appro- 
aching through  the  night,  the  frightened  girl  glided  into 
the  room — "  flying  like  a  bird."  She  had  seen  the  dead 
bodies  of  her  predecessors  lying  in  the  road  in  front  of  the 
inn.  The  huslii  were  armed,  and  many  had  already 
mounted.  The  next  thing  was  to  arouse  Yoshitsune.  To 
shake  him  like  a  vulgar  citizen's  wife  was  impossible. 
Such  lack  of  due  ceremonial  preparation  was  unheard  of 
in  Dai- Nippon.  Bitterly  did  Shizuka  regret  that  he  had 
not  regarded  her  warning.  However,  she  was  not  one  to 
be  summoned,  as  were  the  other  concubines.  She  had 
the  right  of  admittance.  Entering  her  lord's  apartment 
she  found  him  in  the  sound  sleep  which  follows  a  repast 
well  tempered  with  wine.*  Springing  to  the  tokononia  she 
seized  his  armour  and  began  to  clash  it  together.  To  the 
warrior  this  was  the  one  sound  to  thoroughly  arouse  him. 
Yoshitsune  was  on  his  feet  at  once,  sword  half  drawn. 
*'  What  is  the  trouble  ?  "  he  asked.  Shizuka  held  up  her 
finger.     "  Ah  !    Benkei  was  right.     Tosabo  is  a  scoundrel. 

But   the   men I   sent   them   all  to  their   quarters." 

Not  all,  for  Kisata  and  Ilijiro,  the  Yukitani  kyodai 
(brothers)  his  hostlers,  sought  entrance  to  report  to  their 
lord.  With  their  four  helpers  they  could  hold  the  enemy 
in  check  until  he  could  arm.  *'  Yes  !  From  this  time 
you  are  samurai,  and  in  my  service.  At  such  honour 
they  prostrated  themselves,  and  were  determined  that  the 
enemy  should  enter  only  over  their  dead  bodies.  Looking 
out  in  the  moonlight  Yoshitsune  rapidly  clumped  the  at- 
tacking party  together.    They  numbered  nearly  a  hundred 

■^  Drunk,  says  Yamada,  and  he  has  Shizuka  shake  him  up  like  dice 
in  a  box.  Shinshinsai  has  greater  respect  for  the  great  lord  and  the 
elaborate  etiquette  of  Old  Japan. 


SHIZUKA  AROUSES  YOSHITSUNE. 


TOSABO'S    VENTUEE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  205 

and  fifty  men.  Sixty  of  them  belonged  to  Shirakawa  Inchi 
Juro  Mionoya,  who  had  joined  Shoshun  at  his  summons. 
Kisata  and  Kijiro  were  putting  up  a  stiff  fight  at  the  gate. 
Throwing  down  the  gate-bar  they  rode  out  to  challenge 
the  enemy.  The  very  boldness  of  the  deed  was  good 
tactics.  It  halted  the  attack.  Horikawa  seemed  ready 
for  it.  The  rain  of  arrows  from  the  fearless  bowmen  made 
the  enemy  give  space.  Kisata  was  exhausted.  Badly 
wounded  he  came  to  lean  against  his  lord's  horse,  and  to 
give  him  warning.  With  kindly  encouragement  his 
master  received  him.  Then,  mounted  on  Tayuguro  whose 
saddle  blazed  with  golden  ornamentation,  Yoshitsune  rode 
forth  to  the  gate,  and  as  our  romancer*  never  fails  to 
report  the  latest  styles  of  the  twelfth  century  tailors  and 
saddlers  we  can  follow  his  example  and  description. 
*'  He  wore  a  court -robe  of  brocade.  His  armour  was 
sewn  with  red  thread.  His  helmet  had  a  red-dragon 
frontlet,  and  his  gold  ornamented  sword  was  thrust  in 
his  girdle.  He  held  in  his  hand  a  bow  twisted  round 
with  rattan  and  beautifully  lacquered.  The  quiver  on  his 
back  was  filled  with  arrows  tipped  with  black  spotted 
feathers."  More  feared  than  the  terrible  Benkei  the 
enemy  shrank  back  from  the  goblin  guarded  knight. 
Tosabo  himself,  surprised  at  finding  the  gate  so  stiffly 
defended,  feared  Yoshitsune's  skill  at  arms  and  an  am- 
bush. Meanwhile  the  retainers,  summoned  by  Shizuka, 
were  dropping  in  the  rear,  singly  and  in  couples. 

The  first  to  arrive  of  course  was  Benkei.  "  Ya-a-a  !  " 
he  growled  at  the  messenger.  •'*  I  knew  there  was  some- 
thing that  kept  me  awake  and  prevented  sleep."  He 
soused  his  head  well  in  water  to  clear  it.  Rapidly  one 
piece  after  another  of  the  black  leather  armour  found  its 
proper  place.  Instead  of  his  tohin  he  put  a  long  loose  cap 
of  eboshi  style  on  his  head.  He  girded  on  his  long  fight- 
ing sword,  nearly  six  feet  in  length,  and  seized  his  huge 
halberd.  As  he  entered  the  court  he  could  see  Yoshitsune 
still  mounting  guard  at  the  gate,  the  small  band  of  the 
men-at-arms,  under  the  wounded  Kisata,  holding  their 
own  against  the  mass  of  the  enemy  and  showering  arrows 

*  Yamada,  in  which  he  follows  the  old  romances. 


206  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

as  fast  as  bow-strings  could  be  pulled.  Benkei  looked  on 
a  moment.  Matters  were  not  immediately  pressing,  from 
bis  point  of  view  as  to  real  figbting.  Entering  the 
mansion  be  sougbt  a  favourite  weapon,  a  huge  eight-sided 
^  oaken  pole  studded  with  iron  pegs.  For  the  time  the  hal- 
berd was  laid  aside  and  be  grasped  its  substitute.  Then  an 
idea  struck  him.  Putting  on  tall  clogs  he  came  stumping 
over  the  roha,  making  a  tremendous  noise,  thump,  thump, 
with  clogs  and  pole,  as  he  came  forward  to  overlook  the 
gate.  Turning,  Yosbitsune  saw  a  huge  figure  standing  in 
the  shadow  of  the  building.  Thought  Benkei,  "  Serves  him. 
right.  A  little  scare  will  not  hurt  him.  Next  time  he  will 
pay  more  attention  to  what  I  tell  him."  So  to  Yoshitsune's 
sharp  challenge  he  made  no  answer.  Stringing  an  arrow 
Yosbitsune  prepared  to  shoot  at  this  foe  who  was  taking 
him  in  the  rear.  Still  Benkei  remained  silent.  Then, 
seeing  that  there  was  but  a  single  man,  Yosbitsune  drew 
bis  sword  and  prepared  to  spring  on  him.  Then  came  a 
roar  from  the  darkness  : — "  Am  I  wrong,  or  are  you  not 
Kuro  Yosbitsune,  fifth  descendant  from  Hachiman  Taro 
Yoshiiye,  of  the  stock  of  the  Seiwa  Genji?  In  such  case 
grant  to  me  first  claim  on  your  lordship's  attention." 
Yoshitsune's  sword-point  dropped  to  the  ground.  "  Ben- 
kei !  Ah,  you  are  indeed  worth  a  thousand  men  !  "  He 
did  not  know  whether  or  not  to  rebuke  him  for  a  jest  at 
such  a  time.  He  was  too  much  relieved  at  having  him 
at  his  side.  The  battle  was  won.  So  be  simply 
said  : — "  I  must  have  Shosbun,  and  none  but  you  can  get 
him  for  me.     I  must  see  the  traitor  alive,  before  striking 

oft"  his  head  "■ "  Is  that  all  ?  "  grunted  Benkei.     ''  The 

rest  are  coming  fast."  Ise  Saburo,  Washiwo,  Kataoka, 
Kumai,  others  already  came  running  up  from  the  bottom 
of  the  court.  "  Let  your  lordship  retire.  Such  work 
against  these  filthy  lascals  is  not  for  your  hands."  Thus 
speaking  be  leaped  down,  and  rushed  out  of  the  gate 
rapidly  whirhng  the  huge  oaken  mace.  Yosbitsune  dis- 
mounted at  the  roka,  and  entering  the  building  called 
Washiwo  and  Ise  to  give  them  further  orders.  Kataoka, 
Kumai,  Sugime,  and  the  others  poured  out  the  gate  to 
join  Benkei  in  attacking  the  enemy. 


TOSABO'S    VENTUEE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  207 

These  were  now  having  a  hard  time,  not  in  attack  but 
defense.  And  of  one  of  the  huslii  raging  in  their  midst 
something  must  be  said.  All  idea  of  his  mistress  and  love 
had  gone  out  of  the  head  of  Yada  Genzo.  At  first  he 
thought  of  killing  himself,  then  and  there,  at  Horikawa. 
Then  it  seemed  right  that  he  should  first  warn  his  ^vife. 
She  had  neither  parents  or  brothers,  and  in  despair  was 
only  too  likely  to  kill  herself  without  well  understanding 
how  matters  stood.  So  sadly  he  took  his  way  to  his 
home  in  Sanjo  Karasumachi.  The  more  he  thought  over 
the  matter,  the  more  his  suspicions  over  Tosabo  increased. 
If  an  attack  was  made  that  night  on  Horikawa  he  could 
die  fighting  for  his  master  and  gain  his  forgiveness.  It 
was  with  a  gloomy  face  that  he  appeared  before  Shirotae- 
san,  anxious  over  his  non-appearance.  Her  words  of  glad 
welcome  died  on  her  lips.  At  first  Genzo,  iiot  knowing 
how  to  begin,  put  her  off.  She  thought  he  w^as  ill. 
-'  Medicine  !  "  said  he  in  reply  to  her  urgings.  "  My 
troubles  need  no  medicine.  I  have  failed  to  bring  Tosa- 
no-Kami,  Nikaido  Shoshun,  before  my  lord,  and  have 
been  dismissed  from  his  service.  There  remains  nothing 
for  me  to  do  except  to  commit  liarakiri,  or  to  die  fighting 
if  Tosabo  attacks  Horikawa  to-night,  as  he  certainly 
intends  to  do."  He  stopped  and  attentively  listened. 
All  was  silent.  The  little  woman  watched  him  with 
wide-open  concentrated  gaze,  a  little  misty  at  seeing  all 
her  happiness  fall  at  a  breath  like  a  house  of  cards. 
"  Yes,  you  must  die  ;  and  I  too,"  she  whispered,  almost 
to  herself.  A  roar  and  shouting  came  through  the  panels. 
There  was  fighting  going  on  in  the  direction  of  Horikawa. 
Genzo  put  his  hand  on  the  amado.  His  wife  seized  the 
skirt  of  his  armour.  "  I  am  the  wife  of  a  saimirai. 
Since  you  must  die  in  the  field  of  battle,  let  me  go  with 
you.  Please  take  me  with  you,"  and  she  sank  at  his 
feet  in  supplication.  He  replied  : — "  You  are  indeed  a 
brave  little  woman.  But  others  would  speak  evil  of  me 
if  I  allowed  it.     They  would  say  that  I  brought  you  to 

protect  myself,  and  laugh  at  me." "  No  one  would 

laugh  ",  wailed  the  wife.     "  At  least  not  before  our  dead 
bodies."     The  uproar  came  louder  and  louder.     "  No,  you 


208  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

must  stay  here.  Let  me  go !  "  and  spurning  her  with 
his  foot  he  freed  himself  from  her  grasp  and  started  on 
the  run  toward  Horikawa.  The  wife  staggered  and  fell 
on  the  floor.  Sad  and  sore  she  took  thought  of  the 
future.  Then  calmly  she  betook  herself  to  their  living 
roomr.  Here  on  the  god-shelf  were  the  tablets  of  the 
ancestors,  together  with  that  of  a  little  child  lost  only  a 
year  before.  Slowly  she  arranged  the  cushions,  kneeled 
in  a  long  prayer  for  her  husband's  glorious  deeds  in 
battle.  Then  with  her  girdle  binding  her  Idmoiio  tightly 
at  her  feet,  so  that  the  death  throes  would  cause  no 
unseemly  exposure  of  her  person,  she  threw  back  her  head 
before  the  little  mirror  of  polished  steel.  Her  hand  sought 
the  dagger,  and  with  a  quick  firm  blow  she  plunged  it  into 
her  throat.  And  so  died  Shirotae,  wife  of  Yada  Genzo 
Hirotsugu. 

Meanwhile  the  husband  made;  his  way  to  Horikawa. 
Here  he  found  the  gate  surrounded  by  the  bands  of  the 
enemy.  Genzo  sought  no  entrance.  He  only  sought  to 
fight  and  die,  and  joyfully  he  plunged  into  the  mass  of 
the  enemy.  Maniwa  Goro  was  the  first  to  fall  under  his 
sword.  This  head  he  tied  to  his  girdle  on  the  right. 
Then  he  met  Tosa  Goro,  son  of  Shoshun.  At  sight  of  the 
ghastly  trophy  this  latter  attacked  him  fiercely.  "  You 
miserable  fellow,  thus  to  boast  of  the  head  of  our  Maniwa  ! 
You  shall  die."  Tosa's  head  took  its  place  to  the  left  of 
the  girdle.  Thus  he  raged  through  the  fight.  Some  he 
killed,  many  were  wounded  by  his  reckless  and  ferocious 
blows.  Everywhere  he  sought  death  and  Shoshun.  He 
found  the  first,  for  an  arrow  from  the  bow  of  Karimata 
struck  him  fair  in  the  gullet.  Unable  to  pull  it  out,  and 
recognizing  that  he  had  received  his  death-blow,  he  sought 
his  way  to  the  roha.  Washiwo  heard  someone  trying  to 
crawl  along  the  slippery  passage.  Eising  sword  in  hand 
he  pushed  back  the  slioji  to  find  Genzo  outside.  He 
could  just  gasp  his  wishes.  "  I  have  no  right  to  be  here, 
but  I  am  now  done  for  and  want  to  see  our  lord  just  once 
more.  I  have  this  offering  for  him."  His  hand  feebly 
waved  to  the  two  heads  dragging  at  his  girdle.  Feeling 
someone  near  him  he  turned  his  head  upward.   Yoshitsune 


TOSABO'S   VENTUEE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  209 

was  standing  over  him  in  surprise  and  sympathy. 
"Come!"  said  the  master.  *'You  must  live  to  fight 
again  for  me.  My  v^ords  were  not  meant  in  dismissal, 
but  only  in  reprimand." — "  Forgiveness  only,"  gasped 
.Genzo.  "  Just  one  word  " — "  That  you  have,"  said 
Yoshitsune.  "  It  was  only  a  scolding.  Do  not  trouble 
about  it."  Genzo  smiled  a  little  and  dropped  his  head 
back.  Washiwo,  kneeling,  tried  to  rouse  him  up.  *'  It  is 
only  a  small  wound.  One  of  those  things  we  huslii  deal 
in.  Have  you  any  message  to  leave  " — "  No,"  slowly 
filtered  through  the  dying  man's  lips.  "  I  have  only  to 
rejoice  at  our  lord's  forgiveness.  My  mother  lives  in  lida 
in  Shinano.  As  Shiratae  has  certainly  killed  herself  she  is 
now  alone.  She  had  begged  me  to  return,  and  a  small 
white  bone  will  be  a  sad  greeting  to  her.  Allow  her  to 
end  her  days  without  suffering  want."  There  were  tears 
in  the  eyes  of  the  rough  hiisJii  standing  beside  him,  Ise 
and  Washiwo.  The  voice  of  his  captain  showed  his 
emotion.  "  Do  not  let  her  fortune  worry  you.  She  shall 
have  a  good  charge  on  a  fief,  and  for  yourself  the  priests 
shall  repeat  many  prayers,  and  tell  their  rosaries  in  the 
coming  years  for  your  benefit."  The  words  came  at  the 
end.  There  was  a  mere  little  mnrmur  of  gratitude — "  sa- 
a-a-a,"  a  shadowy  smile,  and  the  head  fell  back.  And 
thus  died  Yada  Genzo. 

The  battle  was  going  badly  especially  for  Tosabo 
Shoshun  himself.  Into  the  centre  of  the  fray  stalked 
Benkei,  his  huge  mace  crushing  down  all  opposition. 
"  Like  the  wheels  of  a  huge  dragon  car  he  came  forward 
toward  Shoshun.  Armour,  horses,  arm-guards,  leg- 
guards,  helmet  tops  centres  and  sides,  all  and  everything 
that  came  in  contact  with  his  mace  were  smashed  to  atoms 
as  if  by  magic  "  That  all  gave  way  was  not  partic- 
ularly new,  and  Benkei  paid  no  attention  to  the 
dead  and  dying.  Shoshun  was  his  game.  In  fright 
Shoshun  tried  to  gallop  off.  Benkei  was  after  him 
like  a  deer.  Seizing  the  tail  of  the  horse  he  began  to  pull 
it  backward.  Shoshun  spurred  forward,  in  wonder  why 
he  made  no  progress.  Then  Benkei  hailed  him.  "  Come, 
you  coward  !    You  are  no  samurai  to  run  away  like  this." 


210  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Shoshun  was  like  a  rat  cornered  by  a  cat.  He  turned  at 
last.  "  Braggart ! "  and  he  attacked  Benkei  viciously 
with  his  sword.  The  giant  shouted  with  all  the  glee  of 
battle.  He  swung  his  mace  as  easily  as  if  it  were  a 
wand.  A  blow  on  Shoshun's  arm  made  his  weapon  fall. 
Throwing  away  the  mace  Benkei  sprang  forward  and 
seized  Shoshun  with  both  hands.  "  Ya-a-a  !  "  He  leaped 
on  Shoshun's  horse  and  galloped  back  to  Horikawa  with 
the  big  priest  wriggling  and  squirming  under  his  arm. 

The  battle  was  over.     Kisata  with  his  own  hands  had 
pulled   Masakuni,  eldest  son  of  Shoshun,  off  his  horse. 
Binding  him  with  the  prisoner's  own  armour  cord  he  had 
lugged  him  in   a  prisoner.     Benkei   had  raged    "  like  a 
tiger  among  sheep  ",  and  it  was  a  mere  matter  of  picking 
up  the  harvest  in  his  swathe.      And  while   Kumai,  Kata- 
oka,  Ise  Saburo,  Washiwo,  Kamei,  Sugime,  were  fighting 
in  the  front,  that  wretched  captain  but   obstinate   fighter 
Yukiiye  had  fallen  like  a  tempest  on  the  enemy's  rear. 
He  had  heard  of  fighting  going  on  at  Horikawa.     That 
at  least  he  was  always  ready  for.     This  settled  the  affair. 
Now  Yoshitsune  and  the  other  captains  were  seated  to 
count  the  heads.     A  heavy  tramp  was  heard.     Entering 
the  audience  chamber — "  here  he  is  ",   growled  Benkei, 
casting  his  prisoner  down  before  Yoshitsune,  and  holding 
him  tightly  by  the  neck  pressed  to  the  tatami.      "  Ah ! 
and    in   better    company    than   usual ",    jested    Yukiiye. 
Said  Y^oshitsune  : — "  Well  and  admirably  done,  Benkei — 
as  always."     Then  speaking  to  Tosabo  Shoshun.     "  Oh, 
you   liar !     What   disgrace   you   have    brought   on   your 
name  as  a  samurai.     Speak !     What  have  you  to  say  for 
yourself?     Do  you  recognize  this  paper?"     He  held  up 
the  copy  of  the  famous  oath  Shoshun  had  taken.     Not  a 
sound  came  from  the  prisoner.     "  What  is  the  matter  ? 
Benkei,   let   him   go."      Benkei   released   his   hold,    and 
Shoshun    tumbled     sideways    on    the    tatami.       Benkei 
turned  his  face  up.     "  Dead  !     What  a  wretched  weak 
fellow  !     Why,   I   only   had  him  by   one   hand."     The 
giant's  tone  showed  such  apologetic  disgust  and  discom- 
fiture that  all  present  roared  with  laughter.     "  Few  have 
your  fingers,  Benkei  "  ;  Yoshitsune  answered  for  Shoshun. 


TOSABO'S   VENTURE  :    SHIZUKA-GOZEN.  211 

"Bat  off  with  his  head,  and  let  us  have  the  roll  of  the 
prisoners." 

These  were  numerous.  A*few  escaped  toward  Kurama- 
yama.  And  here  a  strange  thing  followed  at  this  place, 
so  near  the  haunt  of  the  goblin-king.  A  tall  priest,  ten 
feet  in  height  had  beaten  up  the  quarters  in  the  middle  of 
the  night.  ''  Enemies  of  His  Highness,  lyo-no-Kami, 
have  taken  refuge  in  Sojo-ga-tani.  It  is  your  duty  to 
come  and  make  them  prisoners."  A  hundred  of  these 
priests,  devoted  to  Yoshitsune,  willingly  assembled  and 
armed  themselves.  The  next  day,  under  an  escort  of  fifty 
monks,  there  were  brought  to  Horikawa  as  prisoners, 
Mikami  Yaroku  lyesue,  Kanai  no  Heiji  Mitsukane, 
Kagamune  Goro,  Nishikori  Taro,  Tosa  Tare  Masafusa 
and  his  brother  Jiro,  Misawa  Shiro,  Kagame  no  Taro, 
Sagami  no  Goro  and  his  brother  Taro.  Their  shrift  was 
short.  Seventeen  were  beheaded,  and  their  heads,  with 
those  of  Tosabo  Shoshun,  Tosa  Goro,  and  Masakuni  Taro 
were  exposed  in  the  bed  of  the  Kamogawa  at  the  Eokujo 
execution  ground.  Thirty  rojiin,  killed  in  the  fight,  were 
posted  with  them.  Thus  ended  Yoritomo's  first  move  in 
the  game  against  his  brother. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

YOSHITSUNE  LEAVES  MIYAKO. 


Kosalind  : — "  Love  is  merely  a  madness  ;  and,  I  tell  you  deserves 
"  as  well  a  dark  house  and  a  whip  as  madmen  do  : 
"  and  the  reason  why  they  are  not  so  punished  and 
"  cured  is,  that  the  lunacy  is  so  ordinary  that  the 
"  whippers  are  in  love  too. 

Orlando  : —  "  Can  you  remember  any  of  the  principal  evils  that 
"  he  laid  to  the  charge  of  women  ? 

Rosalind  : — ''  There  were  none  principal ;  they  were  all  like  one 
"  another  as  half-pence  are,  every  one  fault  seeming 
"  monstrous  till  his  fellow-fault  came  to  match  it." 

(As  You  like  it) 


1. 


Such  a  slaughter  of  the  Kamakura-6^/5A^,  a  party 
headed  by  such  a  prominent  lord  as  Tosa-no-Kami  created 
a  tremendous  sensation.  People  recognized  that  the  break 
had  finally  come  between  the  two  brothers.  Popular 
feeling  was  with  Yoshitsune.  Fear  of  Yoritomo  and  his 
power  rested  on  the  hige  and  biiJce  alike.  Otherwise  the 
former  would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  play  one  faction 
of  the  military  chiefs  against  another  faction — as  indeed 
the  younger  and  hot-headed  at  Court  proposed.  It  was 
with  serious  faces  that  his  council  met  Yoshitsune  at  his 
summons.     He  laid  the  situation  before  them.     Of  the 


YOSHITSUNE    LEAVES    MIYAKO.  213 

duties  pressing  on  him  he  had  accomplished  those  of 
avenging  the  death  of  Yoshitomo  and  destroying  the 
Taira.  In  thus  restoring  the  Three  Treasures  to  the 
Throne  he  had  made  efforts  never  before  equalled  in 
former  annals.  The  result  had  been  to  establish  his 
brother,  titular  head  of  the  Minamoto  House,  in  supreme 
control  of  the  country.  His  reward  had  been  the  most 
contumelious  treatment.  His  just  claims  to  advancement 
had  been  ignored,  while  others  were  ostentatiously  burden- 
ed with  fiefs  and  honours.  At  Koshigoe  he  is  forbidden  to 
advance,  and  an  interview  with  Kamakura-dono  refused. 
His  letter  is  returned  to  him  in  curtest  form  with  orders  to 
be  off  about  his  business  of  executioner.  The  plotting  of 
Hojo  Tokimasa  and  Kajiwara  Kagetoki  had  been  success- 
ful, and  the  final  step  had  been  to  send  Tosabo  Shoshun 
to  assassinate  him.  He  asked  if  it  were  not  better  to  get 
an  order  of  the  Tenno  against  Hojo  and  Kajiwara,  and 
then  to  move  on  Kamakura  ;  rather  than  to  wait  in  Mi- 
yako,  an  object  of  dislike  and  hatred,  to  be  crushed  at  the 
first  opportunity.  As  all  present  had  -their  mind  already 
made  up  there  was  a  chorus  of  assent.  So  an  application 
for  an  audience  at  Court  was  forthwith  prepared  and 
forwarded. 

Meanwhile  Yoritomo  was  not  idle.  That  was  not  a 
part  of  his  characteu.  He  had  decided  on  Yoshitsune's 
death  as  a  preventive  of  further  trouble,  and  he  had 
ready  ample  means  to  secure  success.  As  a  good 
brother  he  knew  that  *'  a  quarrel  has  its  inception  in 
being  born  a  brother."  A  failure  of  Shoshun  meant 
open  war  at  infinitely  greater  cost  and  trouble.  Assassi- 
nation came  much  cheaper,  but  Yoshitsune's  head  was 
worth  the  trouble.  He  had  no  intention  of  compromising 
on  anything  short  of  its  separation  from  his  brother's 
shoulders.  Such  a  struggle  he  did  not  intend  to  leave  to 
subordinates.  He  was  on  the  move  almost  as  soon  as 
Shoshun.  Orders  had  been  sent  out  to  the  nobles  of  the 
Kwanto  provinces,  and  in  Suruga  an  army  (of  130,000 
men  it  is  said)  was  assembling  under  Doi  Jiro  Sanehira  of 
the  celestial  spheres  as  commander  of  the  van,  and  with 
Chiba-no-Suke  Tsunetada  in  command  of  the  rear-guard. 


214  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yoritomo  himself  prepared  to  join  the  army  as  soon  as  it 
was  ready  to  move.  On  the  twenty-fourth  of  November 
he  encamped  at  the  Kisegawa.  News  of  Yoritomo's  in- 
tentions was  promptly  reported  to  Miyako.  The  first 
application  to  the  Court  had  been  brilliantly  successful. 
The  services  to  the  Tenno  had  indeed  been  great.  The 
Taira  had  been  crushed,  the  Three  Sacred  Treasures 
had  been  secured.  To  rebuke  an  attempt  to  assassinate 
brother  and  uncle  was  certainly  not  an  unreasonable 
request.  To  these  services  and  claims  was  added  the 
statement  that  to  Yoshitsune  was  left  no  alternative  but 
this  order  from  the  Court  against  Kamakura  or  harahlri, 
and  he  was  ready  for  either.  The  feelings  of  his  council 
as  they  met  the  Hoo  were  decidedly  mixed.  Fujiwara 
Kanezane  opposed  the  issuance  of  an  order  against  Yori- 
tomo. On  the  face  of  the  affair  there  was  no  offence 
proved  against  him.  He  had  a  large  army  behind  him, 
and  to  have  him  march  on  Miyako  under  the  conditions 
would  be  disastrous.  Let  an  examination  be  made  into 
the  charges  against  Yoshitsune.  If  he  was  guilty  of 
rebellion  and  conspiracy  then  he  should  be  sent  to  Kama- 
kura. If  he  was  innocent  of  any  offence,  then  a  report 
with  all  the  prestige  of  the  Court  could  be  forwarded,  and 
a  reconciliation  urged  between  the  two  brothers,  which 
would  obviate  what  threatened  scandal  and  civil  broil. 
If  in  such  case  Yoritomo  still  persisted  in  marching  an 
army  to  the  South,  only  then  could  an  order  legitimately 
be  issued  against  him.  Kanezane  was  an  open  partisan 
of  Kamakura,  but  his  advice  was  good.  At  least  it  was 
much  better  than  the  undignified  position  the  Hoo  oc- 
cupied during  the  next  few  weeks.  &o-Shirakawa  was  a 
confirmed  trimmer.  He  only  saw  what  was  immediately 
under  his  own  eyes.  What  swayed  him  was  the  pungent 
advice  of  Fujiwara  Tsuneiye.  He  said  that  in  Yoshitsune 
they  were  probably  to  find  another  Kiso  Yoshinaka, 
especially  as  he  had  Yukiiye  behind  him.  The  best  thing 
to  do  was  to  grant  what  he  desired,  and  to  report  to 
Yoritomo  who  would  understand  that  they  acted  under 
duress.  At  the  idea  of  another  Kiyomori  Heisokoku, 
carrying  off  Tenno  and  Court  from  Miyako,  they  shudder? 


YOSfilTSUNE   LEAVES  MIYAKO.  215 

ed.  So  Bizen-no-Kanii  (Yukiiye)  was  granted  Shikoku, 
and  lyo-no-Kami  (Yoshitsune)  was  granted  Kyushu.  A 
Court  order  was  issued  that  the  feudal  lords  should  obey 
only  these  two  chiefs  in  the  operations  against  Yoritomo, 
who  was  thus  officially  placed  under  ban  (outwardly). 
At  this  news  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye  greatly  rejoiced,  and 
earnestly  set  about  the  work  of  recruiting.* 

This  was  the  more  necessary  as  the  news  of  Yoritomo's 
preparations  reached  Miyako,  but  it  was  badly  received  in 
the  West,  on  which  Yoshitsune  had  to  rely.  How  natur- 
ally he  turned  to  this  quarter  is  an  indication  how  far 
these  wars  at  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century  were  a  struggle 
between  North  and  South.  But  Yoshitsune's  position 
was  an  impossible  one  in  what,  as  far  he  was  concerned, 
was  a  battle  against  the  head  of  his  House.  From  their 
own  point  of  view  these  feudal  lords  of  South  Japan 
disliked  Yoritomo,  but  they  distrusted  the  strength  of 
Yoshitsune.  So  everyone  waited  for  someone  else  to  come 
forward.  The  result  was  that  Yoshitsune  found  himself 
with  a  handful  of  supporters  against  the  large  army 
rapidly  mobilising  in  Suruga.  The  position  was  an  im- 
possible one.  Yoshitsune  interviewed  Takatsukasa,  and 
through  him  laid  the  position  before  the  Hoo.  Against 
his  brother's  forces  he  had  no  immediate  support  of  the 
kind  necessary  to  oppose  to  them.  If  he  remained  in 
Miyako  the  Court  would  become  the  scene  of  turmoil  and 
battle.  It  was  therefore  better  for  him  to  retire  to  the 
West ;  and,  moreover,  brotherly  love  "  which  requires  us 
to  behave  with  ceremony  and  courtesy  "  commands  that 
as  long  as  possible  an  open  clash  should  be  avoided 
between  himself  and  Yoritomo,  with  whom  he  always 
looked  forward  to  reconcile  himself.  A  Court  order  was 
therefore  asked  to  raise  all  the  fiefs  of  the  West  Provinces 
against  Yoritomo.  The  preamble  and  the  conclusion  were 
somewhat  inconsistent,  but  it  was  as  readily  granted  as  in 
the  former  case,  and  duly  produced  by  Sadaiben  Fujiwara 
Mitsumasa.     Once  more,  and  for  the  last  time,  Yoshitsune 

*  According  to  the  Adzuraa  Kagami  this  order  was  issued  on  11 
November  (1185  A.D.).  As  to  Kanezane's  part,  cf.  also  Ariga — "Dai- 
l^ihon-Rekishi  "  p.  96.  .  - 


*il6  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and   Yukiiye   had  occasion   to   rejoice  and   give  thanks. 
Preparations  were  at  once  made  to  leave  the  city. 

Tomozane  and  a  guard  had  been  sent  to  Settsu  to 
collect  boats  to  carry  the  expedition  to  Shikoku  and 
Kyushu.  On  November  27th,  1185  A.D.,  the  two 
captains  left  the  city.  Yukiiye  lead  the  van  with  three 
hundred  men.  He  knew  the  road  and  the  role  well.  He 
was  arrayed  in  *'  armour  decorated  with  small  cherry 
blossoms.  His  helmet  had  its  five  quarters  (gohojiro) 
marked  with  the  same  pattern  ;  the  frontlet,  however, 
carried  sasarindo  (his  family  crest,  representing  bamboo 
leaves  and  flowers),  and  also  was  decorated  with  a  golden 
spade.  He  rode  a  cream-coloured  horse  [with  a  black  tail, 
as  seen  in  the  circus  ?],"  and  seemed  generally  satisfied. 
This  we  will  note  is  not  "  an  armour  of  righteousness," 
but  he  will  have  little  time  to  use  it,  such  as  it  is,  and  is  a 
superficial  old  man  anyhow.  His  flag,  with  sasarindo  on 
a  white  ground,  waved  jauntily  over  the  band  of  accom- 
panying bushi  well  seasoned  to  marching,  and  their  lord 
was  getting  so  used  to  exits  and  entrances  that  he  was 
comfortably  at  home  in  his  present  position.  His  air  of 
satisfaction  at  being  once  more  on  the  wing  aided  much  in 
keeping  up  the  spirits  of  all. 

Next  came  a  warrior  dressed  [the  romancers  ancient 
and  modern  must  have  been  in  partnership  with  a  tailor] 
**  in  armour  made  of  gold  plates  bound  together  with  red 
cording.  The  helmet  was  in  the  same  style,  in  five  sheets 
or  divisions  (go-ho-jiro) ,  with  a  dragon  headed  star  frontlet 
and  decorated  with  a  feather.  His  arm  guards  and  leg- 
guards  were  in  gay  colours.  These  were  set  off  by  a  court 
robe  of  red  brocade.  He  rode  a  fine  charger,  and  sat  on  a 
white  silk  covered  saddle  ornamented  with  tufts  or  tassels 
of  golden  thread.  Those  at  a  distance,  who  could  not  see 
the  knight's  face,  recognized  his  charger  Tayukuro.  All 
admired  his  horsemanship  and  generalship,  and  the 
stateliness  of  his  demeanour."  Close  behind  rode  Musa- 
shi-bo  Benkei.  Behind  him  came  Ise  Saburo  and 
Washiwo.  Then  riding  in  a  bunch  were  Sugime  Kotaro, 
Sato  Tadanobu,  Kamei  Eokuro,  Hitachibo  Kaison,  Su- 
ruga  no  Jiro  Yukifusa,  Matsuo  Gon-no-Kami  Kanefusa, 


YOSHITSUNE    LEAVES    MIYAKO.  217 

Kumai  Taro  Takamoto,  Kisata  and  Kijiro  his  hostlers,  with 
many  others.  The  Kitanokata,*  Otodo  Kuga,  Shizaka- 
gozen,  and  waiting  maids  followed  in  the  procession. 
People  murmured  and  shook  their  heads  as  they  thought 
of  the  Taira  exodus. 

At  Omo-no-ura  in  Settsu,  on  the  Kawajirikawa,  on 
November  29th  they  took  boat  and  prepared  to  go  to  sea. 
They  were  not,  however,  to  get  off  without  a  fight. 
Tada  Kurando  Yukitsuna,t  Teshima  Kwanja  Komataro, 
and  Taro  Komizu,  of  Settsu,  only  too  ready  to  curry 
favour  with  Yoritomo  proposed  to  intercept  the  retreat. 
With  a  little  fleet  of  fifteen  vessels,  carrying  five  hundred 
men,  they  were  anchored  off  the  river  mouth  awaiting  the 
expedition.  As  Yoshitsune  and  his  party  came  rowing 
down  the  river  they  saw  a  hostile  force  ahead.  At  the 
sight  of  the  white  banners  Benkei  frowned  as  hideously  as 
any  Ni-o.    "  These  Minamoto  evidently  desire  to  die,  thus 

to   set   themselves   in   our  lord's   path.      If "      But 

Kataoka  pulled  him  back  by  the  sleeves.  "  Ya-a-a- 
Benkei !  A  priest  should  pray  for  the  dead  and  dying. 
He  should  strive  to  convert  the  wicked,  those  ignorant  of 
the  path  of  salvation,  and  wrapped  in  the  mist  of 
ignorance,  delusion,  and  deception.  Stick  to  your  old 
business  for  once  in  your  life,  and  give  somebody  else 
a  chance.  Let  me  have  the  first  shot."  Then  others 
joined  in,  and  a  Httle  struggle  arose  as  to  who  should  lead 
the  attack.  Said  Sato  Tadanobu,  shaking  his  mighty 
bow  : — "  Leave  it  to  me.  One  shot  from  this  will 
frighten  these  silk-clad  warriors."  So  at  a  nod  from 
Yoshitsune  he  sprang  into  a  neighbouring  vessel  and 
started  boldly  against  the  enemy's  line.  He  ''  wore  a 
court  robe  of  naosliime.  His  armour  was  sewn  with 
green  cord.  His  helmet  had  three  ribs  of  iron.  He  had 
a  big  sword  thrust  in  his  girdle,  and  his  quiver  was  filled 
with  two  dozen  war  arrows.  These  were  destined  for  his 
bow,  twisted  with  rattan  and  carefully  lacquered." 
Standing  up  in  the  prow  of  the  boat  he  challenged  the 

■^  In  ancient  times  the  term  used  in  referring  to  a  nobleman's  wife, 
t  The   man     who   betrayed   the    Shishi-ga-tani    conspiracy   against 
Kiyomori.     He  was  a  Minamoto. 


218  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

foe.  "  Eow  aside  and  make  passage  for  my  lord,  lyo-iio- 
Kami,  Kuro  Yoshitsane,  guardian  (Kebiishi)  of  Miyako, 
and  lord  of  Tosa  and  Kyfishu."  This  received  polite  but 
firm  refusal  from  the  rash  and  tender  Yukitsuna. 
Proclaiming  his  titles  and  mission  he  demanded  that 
Yoshitsune  submit  to  arrest.  "  As  governor  of  Settsu 
under  his  lordship  Kamakura-dono  it  is  my  duty  to  stop 
those  who  I  know  are  running  away.  Against  the  person 
of  your  lord  I  have  no  enmity.  Take  these  arrows  as  my 
gift."  He '  pulled  his  bow  strongly,  but  his  arms  were 
weak  and  the  arrows  fell  short.  Tadanobu  laughed  with 
contempt  and  bellowed  with  rage.  "  You  are  Tada 
Kurando  Yukitsuna,  and  should  be  ashamed  of  name  and 
title.  You  are  a  coward,  and  of  no  use  known  to  men. 
The  betrayer  of  Narichika  you  are  hardly  worth  an  arrow, 
tind  it  is  an  honour  too  great  for  you  to  die  by  my  hand." 
Then  fitting  an  enormous  shaft  to  his  bow  he  discharged 
it.  The  huge  bolt  struck  Yukitsuna  fairly,  and  he  fell 
into  the  sea  with  a  broken  neck — at  least  such  was  the 
diagnosis  of  those  days.  Kwanja  Teshima,  the  stronger 
archer,  took  his  place,  but  only  succeeded  in  severing  the 
hikuza  or  knob  on  the  top  of  Tadanobu's  helmet. 
*'  lya  !  You  Settsubei  are  of  no  account  with  the  bow. 
You  should  come  to  Mutsu  to  take  lessons."  Thus 
grumbled  Tadanobu,  and  over  he  tumbled  Teshima 
with  an  arrow  through  the  right  breast,  half  the 
shaft  protruding  from  the  back.  These  preliminaries 
were  followed  by  a  vigorous  attack.  Yoshitsune*s  men 
rowed  forward  vigorously,  and  lacking  leaders  the 
enemy  took  to  flight.  "  It  looked  as  if  scattered  flowers 
were  drifting  about,  tossed  by  wind  and  wave."  Komizu 
Taro  tried  to  escape,  but  Benkei  and  Kaison,  sour  at 
having  lio  slaughter  as  yet  to  their  account,  were  after 
him.  "  Who  are  they  ? "  asked  Komizu,  as  one  old 
mariner  vigorously  urged  his  companions  to  their  oars. 
**  Benkei  and  Hitachibo  Kaison.  Priests  who  pray  over 
none  but  their  dead,"  was  the  reply.  "  Y'"a-a  !  Ya-a  !  " 
Efforts  were  redoubled,  but  in  vain.  The  two  clerics 
bestrode  the  deck.  Benkei  brandished  his  huge  oaken 
staff,  Hitachibo  his  sword  uniting  vicious  sweeps  of  the 


THE  ENGAGEMENT  AT  K.AWAJIRI.  TADANQBU'S  WONDERFUL  SHOT. 


YOSHITSUNE   LEAVES   MIYAKO.  21^ 

weapon  with  invocations  to  the  Buddha.  Thirty  men 
were  swept  from  the  deck,  including  Komizu.  The  few 
who  were  left  jumped  into  the  sea,  preferring  drowning  ta 
smashing  or  carving.  Yoshitsune  took  pity  on  them. 
Besides,  a  considerable  fleet  approaching  in  the  ofling 
gave  some  anxiety.  "  Go  Kataoka  ;  stop  Benkei.  Too 
many  have  been  killed.  After  all  they  are  Minamoto, 
and  should  as  well  fight  for  us  as  against  us.  Tell  him  to- 
come  back  to  the  river  mouth,  and  do  you  row  on  and 
investigate  these  new-comers.  All  were  recalled  into  line. 
Kataoka  early  signalled  "friends."  The  fleet  in  the 
offing  turned  out  to  be  some  feudal  lords  of  Settsu  and 
Harima,  coming  to  join  Yoshitsune's  standard  with  fifteen 
hundred  men,  a  welcome  reinforcement.  They  were  soon 
on  the  scene,  to  view  with  amazement  the  effective  work 
of  Yoshitsune's  little  band  of  knights.  Thus  ended  the 
battle  of  Kawajiri,  and  ''  thus  died  those  who  had  dared  to 
touch  the  tiger's  beard."* 


§     2. 


On  the  evening  of  November  30th  they  at  last  set  sail 
in  beautiful  weather  and  a  calm  sea.  Through  the  even- 
ing light  the  boats  glided,  while  they  talked  of  the  former 
experience  in  these  waters,  when  they  tried  to  reach 
Yashima.  Everything  seemed  now  to  favour  them.  It 
was  an  imposing  and  stately  flotilla  that  took  its  way,  and 
the  waves  created  by  its  passage  made  the  fishing  boats^ 
anchored  in  the  little  bays,  dance  and  plunge.  "  Their 
lot  seemed  as  peaceful  and  as  happy  as  that  of  those 
gathered  at  the  evening  meal  around  the  lights  twinkling 
in  the  huts  of  the  fishermen  on  shore,"  men  untroubled 

*  Kawajirikawa  is  simply  a  name  for  one  of  the  many  mouths  of 
the  Yodogawa.  These  are  now  mostly  banked  into  the  canals  of  the 
modern  Osaka. 


'220  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

by  the  world's  ambitions.  Birds — sand  pipers  and  dacks 
— flying  to  their  evening  rest  passed  with  harsh  cries  over 
the  fleet.  By  Hyogo  they  rowed  in  the  inoonHght,  past 
Wada  Point,  and  the  Bay  of  Suma.  "  Here  they  gave  a 
pitying  thought  to  the  fate  of  the  aged  Ariwara  Yukihira, 
who  in  Ninna  (885-888  A.D.)  here  passed  three  years  of 
lonely  solitude,  in  exile  without  a  friend  with  whom  to 
exchange  a  word  of  greeting  or  sympathy ;  with  no 
companionship  but  the  dripping  rain  and  the  wind  mur- 
muring through  the  pines."  Thus  at  dawn  they  awoke  to 
find  themselves  off  Akashi.  Oshima  lay  to  the  right,  and 
the  weather  seemed  unchanged  but  for  a  light  haze  which 
cut  off  the  distant  view  very  materially.  The  sombre 
lapping  of  the  waves,  the  uncertain  peculiar  forms  of  the 
mountains  as  seen  through  the  mist  made  them  feel  very 
melancholy. 

Suddenly  Yoshitsune  scanning*  the  shore  line  asked  : — 
"  What  is  that  peak  capped  with  snow  ? "  No  one 
awake  seemed  to  know  ;  but  Benkei,  asleep  in  the  bottom 
of  the  boat,  was  aroused  by  his  lord's  voice.  He  laughed. 
"  We  have  not  gone  very  far.  That  is  Shosha-san  in 
Harima.     Some  current  must  have  been  holding  us  back 

all  night  " *'  There  is  an  ugly  cloud  over  it.     I  do  not 

like  the  looks  of  it.      It  is  a  cloud  like  smoke."     Such  was 

Yoshitsune's  comment. "  Such  have  I  seen    before," 

said  Benkei,  reminiscent  of  his  freakish  action  of  earlier 

days "  I  do  not  like  its  look,"  repeated  Yoshitsune. 

"It  is  an  ill-omen.     We  had  better  approach  land  near 

Narushima  " said  Benkei,  his  voice  a  little  strange: 

"  Yes,  that  is  no  storm  cloud.  I  see  three  red  banners, 
and  warriors  in  armour  with  helmets  on.  The  red 
lacquer  reflects  most  hideous  faces.  It  was  nearly  a  year 
ago   that   the   Taira    were    drowned   in    these    waters.* 

Perhaps  they  seek  revenge  on  our  lord  " "  There  is 

no  reason  to  be  frightened  at  them,"  was  Yoshitsune's 
quiet  reply.  "  They  were  no  fighters  in  life,  and  will  be 
no  more  formidable  in  death  " "  However,  I  prefer 

*  One  romancer  makes  it  ''  the  anniversary."  Dan-no-ura  was 
fought  April  26th;  Ichi-no-tani  on  March  21st;  Yashima  on  March 
24th,  a  year  after  Tchi-no-tani. 


V 


^\;  ^^<fe£%  V*i^"^ 


>^ 


THE  STORM  OFF  SHOSHA-SAN  :  BENKEI  PRAYS. 


YOSHITSUNE    LEAVES   MIYAKO.  221 

them  farther  off,"  was  Benkei's  comment.  He  could  not 
laugh  them  off  as  did  his  lord.  Benkei  still  had  a  good 
deal  of  the  priest  in  him.  The  storm,  however,  was 
upon  them,  and  there  was  no  time  to  devote  to  mystical 
speculations.  A  darkness  of  the  blackest  night  settled  on 
the  fleet.  Lightning  and  thunder  flashed  and  rattled, 
but  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell.  Yoshitsune  himself  was 
surprised  and  disheartened  at  such  omens  in  winter. 
From  Mount  Muko*  rushed  down  a  hurricane  of  wind. 
"  These  clouds  are  reddish.  The  outlook  is  bad,"  said 
Benkei.  ''Ay!"  said  the  helmsman.  "When  this 
happens   it    is   believed   that   it   is   the   quaking   of    the 

Ancestral  Hall  of  Tada    (Minamoto)." "Unlucky!," 

Benkei  continued.  "  We  left  Miyako  on  Mizunoye-uma. 
To-day  is  Hinoto-tori.  Both  are  notoriously  evil  days, 
zodaical  days,  for  sailors  to  go  to  or  to  be  at  sea.  And 
these  red  banners  !  This  shaking  of  Tada  must  be  a 
warning  of  danger  ahead  of  us,  not  of  the  Taira.  Why 
should  the  sea-god  and  the  Buddha  be  angry  with  our 
lord,  he  who  is  so  brave  and  meritorious,  and  who  when 
he  smiteth  his  enemies  leaveth  their  names  as  mud  ? 
There  is  no  reason  for  it.  It  must  be  the  Taira  after  all. 
I  shall  try  prayer."  So  standing  in  the  bow  of  the  boat 
he  strung  a  bow  that  five  men  could  not  bend.  At  first 
he  merely  twanged  the  strings.  Then  he  prayed.  He 
told  the  god  of  the  Taira  insolence  toward  the  Tenno, 
Child  of  Heaven  ;  of  their  tyranny  ever  since  the  days  of 
Hogen.  They  deserved  death  for  their  misdeeds,  and  had 
no  reason  to  complain.  "  How  ridiculous  to  come  and 
trouble  us  now.  May  the  Lord  Buddha  receive  them 
into  his  Paradise,  and  let  them  rest  in  peace."  Then  he 
shot  his  arrows.  Benkei  was  no  great  archer,  but  the 
bosom  of  the  waters  was  wide,  and  he  could  hit  that 
mark.  One  by  one  they  were  shot  away  until  all  were 
exhausted.  Marvellous  to  say  the  sky  cleared  into  a 
mass  of  white  clouds  heavily  piled  on  each  other,  and  a 
wondrous  sight  was  seen  therein.  "  On  horseback  many 
warriors  proceeded,  followed  by  the  imperial  palanquin  of 

*  Behind  the  present  Kobe. 


222  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Antoku  Tenno,  guarded  by  demons  of  strange  shape. 
Five  coloured  banners  floated  in  the  air,  and  the  flash  of 
swords  and  weapons  was  hke  a  terrible  lightning."  As 
all  disappeared  into  the  sky  the  sailors  and  the  company 
rejoiced.  Great  was  the  impression  created  by  Benkei's 
efficacy  in  prayer.  They  regarded  him  with  as  much 
awe  as  they  did  his  halberd.  The  oarsmen  hastened  to 
bend  to  their  oars.  The  storm  had  done  much  against 
them  and  for  them.  The  fleet  was  badly  scattered  ;  Vmt 
Mizushima  was  already  passed,  and  indistinct  in  the 
mist. 

Then  misfortune  fell  upon  them  from  the  opposite 
quarter.  The  clouds  now  gathered  in  the  South.  "  This  is 
nothing  but  a  gale,"  said  Benkei.  But  the  gale  was  worse 
than  the  interference  of  the  ghostly  Taira  hosts.  The  sea, 
ominously  calm,  soon  broke  into  huge  waves,  and  the 
storm  raged  *'  like  an. angry  ox,"  the  rolling  waves  making 
the  ships  quiver  like  leaves.  When  they  attempted  to 
anchor  the  chains  were  cut  as  by  a  knife.  Masts  w^ent  by 
the  board.  Some  vessels  were  driven  ashore  and  wrecked. 
Some  foundered  at  sea.  For  hours  the  vessel  of  Yoshitsune 
was  driven  before  the  wind.  Where  they  were  they  did 
not  know.  "  Yoshitsune  put  on  a  firesuit  [and  perhaps 
an  armour  of  righteousness]  and  asked  '  where  are  we 
at  ? '  "  A  sailor  looked  over  the  side  at  the  waves 
boiling  and  tumbling.  They  seemed  to  be  in  a  river,  for 
a  swift  and  rapid  current  was  carrying  them  down 
amid  black  and  hideous  looking  rocks.  "  We  must  be  in 
the  Naruto  of  Awa.*  No  escape  from  it  is  possible."  On 
Yoshitsune 's  ship  were  the  eleven  women  of  his  train. 
Angered,  he  drew  his  sw^ord  and  would  have  rewarded  the 
sailor  then  and  there  with  death  for  his  incautious  words. 
Those  standing  by  restrained  him.  Sailors  were  of  too 
much  use  at  this  crisis.  The  women,  with  the  exception 
of  Shizuka  and  the  Kitanokata,  wept  and  wailed  in 
harmony.  "  Why  had  they  left  their  beloved  Miyako, 
their  accustomed  home,  to  go  and  join  the  i^ani  [crocodiles 

*  Worth  seeing  at  the  change  of  the  tide-  The  visit  has  the  draw 
back  of  sympathy  for  the  necessary  but  bored  and  polite  presence  of  an 
oflScer  from  the  forts  guarding  the  passage. 


TOSHITSUJSE   LEAVES   MIYAKO.  223 

or  sharks  at  the  prejudice  of  the  reader]  and  the  sea  pines 
[codium  tormentosum — I  am  told]."  Benkei  manned  the 
prow  again  with  the  biggest  rosary  he  could  find.  He 
outprayed  Friar  John  of  the  Funnels,  but  unlike  that 
ghostly  and  fleshly  cleric  he  believed  in  facing  the  foe  with 
his  own  particular  handicraft.  '*  Namu  Hachidai  My  oho, 
Senju  Kwannon  Bosatsu.  Gods  of  the  Sea  and  Kwannon 
of  the  thousand  hands !  As  divinities  of  mercy  and 
benevolence,  prove  your  qualifications,  and  get  us  out  of 
this  mess.'* 

Once  more  the  prayers  of  Benkei  reached  the  right  spot, 
the  solar  plexus  of  Japanese  divinity.  The  wind  ceased. 
Then  it  shifted  from  South  to  East,  and  blew  them  swiftly 
forward.  There  was  little  need  to  urge  the  sailors  to 
shore.  At  dawn  they  reached  land — but  where  ?  Staring 
them  in  the  face  were  the  shrines  of  Sumiyoshi.*  Not 
another  boat  was  in  sight.  All  had  been  scattered,  per- 
haps destroyed.  Yoshitsune  surveyed  the  little  company 
gloomily.  "  Time  was  when  I  sailed  in  a  large  vessel 
with  a  sail  of  the  finest  Chinese  cotton.  Oars  of  sandal 
wood  pushed  the  vessel  forward,  and  the  helm  was  of 
polished  laurel.  Here  I  am,  miserable  and  unfortunate. 
My  life  henceforth  is  not  for  such  as  you.  The  women 
must  go  to  Miyako.  In  happier  times,  when  fortune 
turns  and  my  power  is  restored,  we  shall  meet  again.  I 
shall  make  my  way  to  Takadachi,  and  there  we  shall  see 
each  other."  With  Benkei,  Washiwo  Saburo,  Sato 
Tadanobu,  and  Shizuka  he  left  them,  weeping  and  wailing 
in  their  desire  to  accompany  him.  Hardly  was  his  party 
out  of  sight  than  the  sailors,  charged  with  their  care,  ran 
away  in  the  opposite  direction.  "  Like  wreckage  cast 
ashore  the  women  sank  down  under  the  pine  trees. 
Weeping  and  rending  their  garments  they  concealed 
their  faces  in  their  sleeves."  The  Shinkan  (official)  of 
the  Sumiyoshi  shrine  took  pity  on  them,  and  sent  them 
under  guard  to  Miyako.  Here  they  were  not  disturbed. 
Their  presence  told  the  story  of  the  destruction  of  the 

*  At  Sakai,  near  Osaka  city.    The  Shinkan   is  an  officer  attached  to 
Shinto  miya  (shrines). 


224  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEl. 

expedition  of  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye,  and  of  the  landing 
of  the  former  in  Izumi. 


Lingering  in  the  outskirts,  and  waiting  the  cover  of 
darkness,  it  was  night  when  the  httle  party  of  Yoshitsune 
entered  the  town  of  Osaka.  Benkei,  who  knew  as  much 
of  the  practice  of  temples  as  of  their  theory,  a  practice 
ascertained  in  person  on  this  circuit  and  in  his  rambles, 
lead  the  party  at  once  to  the  Tennoji  temple.*  Here 
under  the  flooring  of  the  great  gate  of  the  temple  they 
found  a  refuge,  the  very  publicity  of  which  warded  off 
suspicion.  The  next  day  he  sallied  forth  to  secure  coarse 
robes  of  peasant  and  priest  under  which  their  armour 
would  be  concealed.  While  wandering  the  streets  he 
came  across  a  number  of  the  retainers.  These,  directed 
by  Benkei,  appeared  that  night  in  their  lord's  presence. 
Thus  Kamei,  Kataoka,  Ise  Saburo,  Suruga,  Kumai, 
Kanefusa,  Hitachibo,  and  Sugime  were  added  to  the 
party.  The  report  they  had  to  make  was  discouraging 
enough.  Of  Yukiiye  they  could  get  no  news  at  all,  and 
he  was  either  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  or  in  hiding,  dressed 
in  his  best  suit  of  armour.  It  was  decided  that  for  the 
present  they  had  better  stay  where  they  were.  Their 
condition  was  miserable  enough  ;  but  they  at  least  had  the 
consolation  of  again  being  together. 

For  some  days  the  time  thus  passed.  One  day  Benkei, 
who  was  wandering  the  temple  precincts,  noticed  a  crowd 
of  people  collected  around  the  great  gate.  In  alarm  lest 
his  lord's  lurking  place  had  been  discovered  he  at  once  went 

..*  Built  at  th?  close  of  the  seventh  century  by  Shotoku  Taishi  ; 
frequently  rebuilt,  repaired,  and  finally  burnt  out  when  lyeyasu 
attacked  Osaka  in  1615  A.D.  The  present  temple  has  changed  site  and 
buildings.     But  the  imagination  of  its  priestly  historians  is  unflagging. 


yOSHITSUNE    LEAVES    MIYAKO.  225 

toward  the  crowd.  He  soon  found,  foom  comments  made, 
that  the  disturbance  was  over  a  proclamation  posted  up 
on  the  gate.^  These  comments  were  more  pleasing 
than  the  proclamation.  Seeing  a  priest,  one  perhaps 
wise  in  literature  the  nearest  members  of  the  gaping 
crowd  turned  to  33enkei  with  a  polite  request  that  he 
should  read  it  to  them.  And  Benkei  did,  in  a  voice  that 
reached  not  only  those  surrounding  him,  but  those  con- 
cealed within  the  gate.  The  proclamation  came  from 
Miyako,  and  proscribed  the  two  rebels  Bizen-no-Kami  and 
lyo-no-Kami,  traitors  and  disturbers  of  the  realm.  It 
recounted  their  departure  to  Shikoku  and  Kyushu  in  order 
to  create  trouble,  the  fortunate  dispersal  of  the  fleet  by 
storm,  and  the  fact  that  it  was  known  that  the  two 
criminals  had  escaped  drowning.  ''Therefore,"  continued 
the  chameleon  hued  Hoc,  if  they  are  seen  anywhere 
within  the  Go-Kinai  provinces,  let  them  be  arrested  forth- 
with and  be  sent  to  Miyako.  If  they  are  detected  and 
captured  in  one  of  the  outside  fiefs,  let  report  be  made  to 
^he  capital."  This  precious  production  was  signed 
"  Dazai  Chujo  Koremori,"  and  duly  carried  the  Tenno's 
seal.  There  were  tears  in  Benkei's  eyes  as  he  drew  out  of 
the  pressing  circle  of  the  curious.  A  monk  of  the  temple 
had  taken  his  place,  and  was  now  retailing  the  contents  to 
later  comers.  He  followed  the  fellow's  fat  fingers  running 
down  and  up  the  lines  of  the  stiff  paper.  "  A  few  days 
ago  it  was  we  who  had  the  Tenno's  order  to  destroy  the 
treacherous  Yoritomo.  Shikoku  and  Kyushu  were  to  obey 
my  lord's  orders.  Now  my  lord  is  in  the  depths  of 
undeserved  misfortune.  And  the  Tenno  !  What  national 
weakness  and  decline  does  this  proclamation  show.  An 
order  from  the  palace  is  irrevocable.  Here  we  have 
already  two?  What  a  confused  state  of  society. 
Unfortunate  Tenno,  caught  in  the  turmoils  of  the  strifes  of 
the  huhe  (military  caste)  !"  It  was  with  anger  and  regret 
that  he  sought  the  presence  of  his  lord,  already  informed 
by  Benkei's  loud  voice  of  this  latest  move  of  his  enemies. 
Yoshitsune  had  small  taste  for  the  life  of  the  hunted. 


*  December  4th  was  its  issue,  says  the  Adzuma  Kagami. 


226  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

A  really  great  man,  the  first  soldier  of  his  country,  and 
one  to  whom  life  had  become  a  wide  field  on  which  to 
display  his  talents,  he  felt  tied  down  to  this  miserable 
petty  struggle  for  existence,  alone  without  fame.  Hemmed 
ill  on  all  sides  by  enemies,  with  but  this  handful  of  brave 
men  to  support  him,  the  game  seemed  to  be  played  out. 
With  the  Hoo  so  thoroughly  in  the  hands  of  his  brother 
he  knew  what  dependence  now  to  put  on  friends  at  court. 
The  uncompromising  terms  of  this  proclamation  revealed 
that  all  the  time  he  had  been  regarded  as  a  second  Kiso 
Yoshinaka.  He  decided  then  and  there  to  kill  himself, 
and  he  ordered  Benkei  to  make  the  necessary  preparations. 
It  is  from  this  time  forth  that  Benkei  the  priest  stands 
forth  as  the  strong  man  of  the  twain.  It  was  to  this 
keen,  shrewd,  faithful  mind  ;  on  this  strong,  active,  giant 
body  ;  that  was  to  fall  the  duty  of  meeting  future  vicis- 
situdes. Yoshitsune  yielded  to  his  prompt  and  eloquent 
protest,  and  to  Benkei  he  yielded  henceforth  the  conduct 
of  their  little  party.  "  Our  lord  indeed  feels  as  if  he  were 
stepping  on  the  tail  of  a  tiger,  but  often  enough  the  tiger 
misses  his  spring.  There  is  always  time  to  commit 
harakiri  or  to  die  in  battle.  Meanwhile  our  resources 
are  by  no  means  exhausted.  Our  aim  should  be  to  get 
down  to  Mutsu  and  Hidehira,  if  we  find  no  opposition 
to  Yoritomo  in  these  parts.  Here  we  cannot  stay,  but 
refuge  may  be  found  at  Koyasan  or  Yoshino.  The  dis- 
position of  the  monks  can  be  easily  learned  on  the  way. 
And  if  they  are  hostile  they  are  no  dangerous  antagonists 
to  such  seasoned  warriors  as  ourselves."  All  urged  this 
good  counsel  on  Yoshitsune,  and  it  was  agreed  to  leave 
the  Tennoji  that  night.  This  was  done,  and  soon  they 
were  travelling  within  the  hills  along  the  coast,  with  the 
intention  of  crossing  the  Kiimitoge  and  so  reaching 
Koyasan.  The  roads  were  bad,  and  the  weather  made 
them  still  worse.  They  crossed  the  Yoshinogawa  at 
Kamuro,  and  Benkei  did  not  like  at  all  the  curiosity  with 
which  the  ferrymen  eyed  them.  At  Kane  they  learned 
that  every  preparation  had  been  made  to  arrest  Yoshi- 
tsune's  party,  if  it  should  be  found  in  that  neighbourhood. 
They  turned  aside  and  went  up  a  little  valley  running^ 


YOSHITSUNE   LEAVES    MIYAKO,  227 

south-east  toward  a  hamlet  called  Ki-mata,  with  the 
intention  of  crossing  the  saddle  and  thus  reaching  the 
Tengumi-toge  and  Sakamoto,  and  thus  approaching  Yo- 
shino  from  the  rear.  Now  Yoshino-yama  our  romancer 
describes  as  "  a  Korean  mountain,  steep  and  limitless  ", 
and  he  is  right.  Earely  is  seen  such  a  tangled  mass  of 
forest,  or  network  of  intricate  hills  covered  with  bamboo 
grass,  for  there  is  an  ample  supply  of  both.  The  valleys 
meet,  twist,  double  on  themselves  and  on  each  other  in  a 
most  confused  manner.  Each  has  its  Httle  stream  seeking 
an  outlet  in  the  Yoshinogawa  (Kinogawa) ,  or  the  Tenno- 
gawa  (Aritagawa).  The  natural  difficulties  offered  by 
these  rough  mountain  trails  were  made  worse  by  its  being 
winter.  Snow  and  ice  covered  slopes  made  the  climbing 
up  and  slipping  down  very  wearying.  It  was  late  after- 
noon when  Shizuka  gave  out  altogether.  Bravely  she 
had  struggled  along  without,  a  murmur  in  the  trail  of 
these  hardened  soldiers.  "  Her  eyes  were  wet  with  tears, 
and  her  long  sleeves  were  soaked  by  the  melting  snow." 
Benkei  from  the  start  had  looked  with  disfavour  on 
the  preseace  of  Shizuka.  This  mountain  rambler  knew 
very  well  what  was  in  front  of  them.  It  was  no  work 
for  women,  especially  for  such  a  delicate  creature  as 
Shizuka.  She  must  go  back.  He  approached  his  lord 
with  the  one  argument  he  knew  to  be  effective.  "  Your 
lordship  will  be  blamed  if  you  take  a  w^oman  on 
such  an  expedition  as  the  one  on  which  you  are  now 
engaged.  Let  her  return  to  Miyako  under  escort,  and  in 
happier  days  everything  will  be  well  again."  Yoshitsune 
shivered  at  the  blunt  sammons.  "  I  am  indeed  ashamed 
to  have  brought  her  so  far." 

He  thought  a  moment.  Then  he  slowly  approached 
Shizuka,  seated  on  the  snow.  It  was  with  a  look  of 
anguish,  of  apprehension  and  hopelessness,  as  of  one 
expecting  a  blow,  that  she  looked  up  in  his  face.  There 
was  a  mute  appeal  for  silence  and  mercy  that  struck 
Yoshitsune  to  the  heart.  *'  We  must  part  here,  Shizuka  ;" 
the  words  came  slowly  and  anything  but  easily.  "  It  has 
been  my  love  for  you  that  has  wrongly  brought  you  so  far. 
I  ought  to  hive  sent  you  back  to  Miyako  when  first  the 


228  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

sea  gave  us  up  again  to  land,  but  I  could  not  let  you  go." 
The  girl  merely  twisted  her  hands  in  misery,  her  gaze 
fastened  on  this  cold  hard  white  covering  which  seemed  to 
grasp  her  very  heart.  The  voice  over  her  seemed  to  come 
as  from  dream-land.  "  From  now  on  we  may  have  to 
battle  to  the  death  at  any  moment.  Surrounded  by 
enemies  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  take  a  woman  with  me. 
You  would  become  our  destruction.  Besides,  men  would 
cast  dishonour  on  my  name.  And  there  is  another 
reason,"  there  was  a  ring  in  his  voice  at  this  unanswerable 
argument,  "  in  ancient  days  the  anchorite  En-no- Shokaku, 
he  of  Idzumi-no-kuni,  sanctified  all  this  ground  of  Yoshino 
by  his  holy  presence.  To  approach  the  mountain  has 
always  been  forbidden  to  women.  If  you  go  with  us  I 
fear  the  kami  (gods)  will  punish  us.  Please  obey  my 
wish  and  return  to  the  capital,  there  to  dwell  safely  with 
your  mother  until  the  happier  days  when  again  we  can  be 
together."     And  so  he  awaited  her  answer. 

It  was  a  colourless  calm  face  the  girl  raised  to  his.  "I 
do  not  feel  that  I  can  obey  what  you  say,  and  yet  I  grieve 
so  at  my  words  which  only  my  great  love  for  you  can 
excuse.  Far  from  being  your  destruction  I  gladly  will 
perish  a  thousand  times  to  save  you  distress.  As  I  have 
always  been  yours,  to  do  with  as  you  wish,  so  I  beg  you 
not  to  send  me  back,  but  put  me  to  death  where  we  now 
are.  I  can  tell  you  that  I  carry  now  a  child  of  yours. 
If  I  return  to  Miyako  the  officials  of  Eokuhara  will  quickly 
trace  me  out  and  put  me  to  death.  Let  me  receive  it 
from  my  lord's  hand.  Why  be  so  distrustful?  My  birth 
is  humble  indeed,  but  my  devotion  to  you  has  always  been 
beyond  measure.  At  Horikawa,  and  in  the  storm  at 
sea,  I  braved  death  at  your  side  and  showed  no  sign  of 
fear."  Benkei  and  the  others  nodded  approvingly. 
Yoshitsune,  overcome  at  the  unexpected  news,  remained 
silent,  his  head  lowered  in  thought.  "  Do  not  make  our 
separation,  Shizaka,  harder  than  one  can  bear.  Your 
very  condition  makes  it  all  the  more  necessary  that  you 
should  be  placed  in  safety.  Here  your  destruction  is 
certain ;  and  apart  from  your  child,  I,  who  may  die  any 
moment,  have  no  heir.     Let  me  urge  this  as  my  appeal." 


THE  PARTING  OF  YOSHITSUNE  AND  SHIZUKA. 


YOSHITSUNE   LEAVES    MIYaKO.  229 

She  answered  : — ''  Be  it  so.  Let  me  touch  your  hands 
for  one  moment."  These  strong  men  turned  aside  from 
each  other  not  to  show  the  tears  in  their  eyes  at  this 
parting  of  the  lovers. 

"  Then  Yoshitsune  gave  her  a  mirror.  '  This  mirror 
has  always  reflected  my  face.  Take  it,  and  every  time 
you  look  therein  let  remembrance  bring  me  back  to  your 
mind.'  And  Shizuka,  with  tears  flowing  down  her  face, 
sang  this  song  : 

'  The  more  I  gaze  within   the  mirror,  the  greater 
will  -my  sorrow  be  : 

*  Alas  !     It  no  longer  gives  me  the  sight 

of  my  beloved's  face.'  * 

And  Yoshitsune  gave  her  a  pillow  saying : — '  never  let 
this  pass  from  your  side,  but  keep  it  in  sight  and  memory/ 
And  he  composed  a  song  : — 

*  Though  I  hasten  to  escape  my  pursuers 

'  This  pillow  remains,  emblem  of  our  love.'  f 

Then  Shizuka  consented  to  obey  him,  saying  : — ''  at  your 
command  I  leave  you,  but  let  not  your  love  change,  and 
so  we  shall  meet  again,  I  hope  under  a  happier  star.'  " 

Yoshitsune  gave  her  other  gifts  as  remembrances  of  their 
love.  He  gave  her  a  sandal  wood  drum  named  '  Hatsune.' 
And  also  he  gave  a  leather  scroll  on  which  was  curiously 
worked  the  figure  of  a  woodpecker.  Then  he  gave  her 
the  Meikyoku-biwa.  All  these  had  been  brought  by  the 
bishop  of  Hojoji  from  China,  treasures  of  the  Tong  dynasty 
and  presents  to  Shirakawa  Tenno.  Shizuka  bowed  to  the 
ground  with  respect  before  these  ancient  treasures  en- 
trusted to  her  charge.  Then  came  the  moment  for  them 
to  part,  Yoshitsune  urging  it,  "  and  yet  when  the  time 
came  they  could  not  endure  to  leave  each  other.  When 
he  said  farewell  she  clung  to  him,  and  when  she  prepared 
to  go  he  held  her  sleeves.    For  a  while  they  thus  wavered. 


■5fr    <i 


Miru  totemo 


"  Ureshikii  mo  nashi 
''  Masu  kagami 
"  Koishiki  hito  no 


"  Isoge  domo 

"  Yuki  mo  ya  irezu 

"  Kusa  makura 

"  Shizuka  ni  nareshi 


"  Kage  wo  tomeneba."         I  "  Kokoro  naramu  n'." 


230  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

At  last  she  took  her  way,  Yoshitsune  watching  her  as  long 
as  the  little  procession  was  in  sight  winding  between  the 
hills.  Thus  they  passed  from  each  other's  view,  weeping 
so  that  the  echoes  reverberated  through  the  mountains. 
A  sorrowful  thing  in  life  is  the  separation  of  devoted 
lovers,  especially  when  they  realize  that  they  may  never 
meet  again.  And  Shizuka  sorrowed  still  more  to  think 
that  Yoshitsune  not  only  had  parted  from  her,  but  that  in 
all  the  land,  large  as  it  was,  he  had  hardly  a  place  to  lay 
his  head.  The  snow  which  blew  down  from  the  moun- 
tain soon  covered  up  their  footprints,  and  everything  lay 
deeply  hidden  under  its  white  mantle."  Thus  parted 
Shizuka  and  Y^oshitsune — "the  warrior,  wise  and  brave  ; 
the  lady  wise  and  fair."* 


§     4. 


Leaving  Shizuka,  for  the  time  being,  on  her  downward 
journey,  we  will  follow  Yoshitsune  and  his-  party,  fifteen 
in  number,  as  it  climbs  upward  over  the  Tengu-mi-toge, 
to  enter  Yosbino  by  Hirose,  Dorogawa,  and  the  back  door, 
so  to  speak.  On  the  second  night  after  leaving  Shizuka, 
Yoshitsune  hailed  Benkei : — "  Where  shall  we  spend  the 
night  Benkei  ?  We  have  camped  one  night  in  the  snow. 
Between  cold,  hunger,  and  snow,  we  must  find  a  place  to 
rest" — "  If  I  am  right  as  to  that  pagoda,  we  havQ.  reached 
our  destination,"  was  Benkei's  reply.  He  was  right,  and 
they  were  soon  in  possession  of  this  outlier  of  the  vast  estab- 
lishment crowning  this  famous  mountain.  Then  Benkei 
and  Hitachibo  went  forth,  with  priests'  robes  and  as  hoshi 
7nuslia  (priest  soldiers) ,  and  carrying  large  iron  bowls.  They 
had  a  disagreeable  surprise.  From  Koyasan  the  report  had 
been  quickly   spread  that  Yoshitsune's  party  was   some- 

*  The  passages  quoted  are  from  Sait5  Kozu's  "  Life  of  Shizuka- 
gozen."  The  uta  (songs)  are  very  old,  as  indeed  is  the  story.  All  the 
romances  and  chronicles  coincide,   even  in  minor  detail. 


YOSHITSUNE   LEAVES   MIYAKO.  231 

where  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  Yoshino  lioslil  at  once 
thought  that  the^  party  of  pilgrims  lodged  in  the  pagoda 
must  be  the  ones  so  earnestly  sought.  The  two  huge 
hoslii  must  therefore  be  Benkei  and  Hitachibo  of  Hieisan. 
If  they  obeyed  the  Tenno's  order  and  seized  the  party 
they  would  secure  great  merit.  Yokogawa  no  Zenji,  the 
captain  of  the  hoshi  musha,  a  "  huge  and  wicked  fellow  " 
more  than  seven  feet  in  stature,  was  greatly  excited  and 
sought  to  gather  together  his  men,  two  hundred  in 
number.  Benkei  heard  whispers — "  Get  them  alive  and 
there  will  be  a  large  reward."  Anxious  in  mind  he 
hastened  back  to  find  Yoshitsune  safe,  but  the  Yoshino 
priests  in  active  movement. 

An  attack  that  night  was  unhkely,  but  one  was  certainly 
meditated.*  Anxious  council  was  held  by  the  little  band. 
Yoshitsune  wanted  to  fight,  as  did  many  others.  The 
opposition  of  these  priests  angered  them.  Besides,  it 
would  break  the  monotony  of  these  days  spent  in  retreat. 
Ise  Saburo  wanted  these  petty  fellows  left  entirely  to  the 
retainers.  Hitachibo  Kaison,  however,  protested.  "  Your 
lordship's  person  is  too  important.  We  ought  not  to  fight 
these  fellows  on  ground  so  familiar  to  them.  It  is  better 
to  leave  Benkei  and  I  to  protect  the  rear.  The  rest 
should  retreat  across  the  mountains  to  safer  ground  on 
the  Nara  side."  Then  Sato  Tadanobu  interposed.  '*  I 
think  your  plan  is  excellent.  The  hoshi  are  many,  and 
they  know  the  valleys,  whereas  we  do  not.  They  will 
bring  a  host  on  us,  and  we  will  simply  wander  into  their 
midst.  But  I  will  stay  here  as  my  lord  Yoshitsune.  When 
my  arrows  are  exhausted  then  I  will  commit  harahiri, 
and  the  start  given  will  ensure  our  lord's  safety."  Tears 
stood  in  Yoshitsune's  eyes.     He  felt  how  much  he  owed 

*  To  fit  in  one  accepted  tradition— that  of  a  friendly  reception  and  a 
sojourn  of  three  years  in  Yoshino— is  difiicult.  During  this  period 
Benkei  is  supposed  to  have  fasted  for  a  week,  and  then  tried  his  strength 
by  driving  iron  nails  into  the  rock  with  his  fist.  We  are  now  at 
January  1186  A.D.,  and  a  year  later,  after  many  vicissitudes,  the  party 
left  Miyako  for  the  north.  In  Yoshitsune's  short  and  busy  life  there 
is  no  room  for  such  a  stay  as  would  fit  in  with  the  apocryphal  relics  of 
the  Yoshimizu  Jinja.  The  above  follows  the  accepted  tradition.  See 
the  following  chapter. 


232  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

to  these  brave  fellows,  to  any  one  of  whom  his  brother 
would  have  given  a  large  fief  as  reward  for  deser- 
tion. Kajiwaras  and  Hojos  ?  There  was  not  one  such 
among  them.  "  When  I  think  of  your  brother's  death 
in  my  stead  at  Yashima,  I  cannot  endure  the  idea  of  such 

a  sacrifice  " "  Without  him  I  cannot  face  my  father," 

replied  Tadanobu.  "  He  would  ask  me  what  I  had 
done,  and  will  be  only  too  pleased  if  I  die  fighting  for 
my  lord."  Then  Benkei  said  : — "  Tadanobu  is  a  true 
samurai.  We  are  all  ready  to  die  for  our  lord.  There  is 
no  taking  the  backward  road.     Will  our  lord  graciously 

permit  Tadanobu  to  carry  out  his  plan." "  Call  yourself 

Yoshitsune,"  was  the  latter 's  reply  to  Tadanobu.  ''  And 
so  tell  the  Judges  of  Hell  when  they  ask  your  name. 
We  will  exchange  armour."  He  handed  over  to  Tada- 
nobu his  armour  sewn  with  red  thread  (Iiiodoshi) ,  his 
helmet  with  its  gold  frontlet  and  white  stars  in  sixty -four 
places,  and  with  the  shishi  (lion -leopard)  surmounting  it. 
Then  he  gave  him  his  sword  Kimi-Banzai-no-Tomonari 
(Everlasting-Eoyal-Eeign  forged  by  Tomonari).  Said 
Tadanobu.  "  I  would  only  ask  that  someone  will  don 
my   armour.     It  is  that  of  Tsuginobu,   which   he   wore 

at     Yashima " ''  It    shall    be    I,"    said    Yoshitsune. 

"  Never  has  man  been  surrounded  by  men  of  stronger 
faith  than  these."  Tadanobu  dropped  to  the  ground 
at  his  lord's  feet.  "  My  brother  in  his  grave  will 
turn  with  joy."  Benkei  hastened  the  departure.  "  Put 
on  your  sandals  backward,  so  that  our  trail  will  look 
as  if  we  were  going  in  the  opposite  direction.  "  Then 
they  took  their  leave  of  Tadanobu.  Sadly  he  watched 
them,  and  tears  came  into  his  eyes  at  the  idea  of  never 
seeing  his  lord  again. 

At  dawn  the  priests  held  council  in  the  reading  hall. 
Armed  with  bows  and  swords  they  sallied  forth,  the 
youngest  in  the  van,  the  older  men  carrying  large  bells  to 
call  them  together  if  there  was  necessity  of  pursuit. 
Tearing  up  their  white  robes  they  twisted  the  strips  as 
tokifi  around  their  heads.  This  gave  even  the  mildest 
quite  a  warrior  look.  Throwing  their  line  around  the 
pagoda  they  began  the  advance.     Tadanobu  appeared  on 


-y^-^ 


Mm 


TADAKOBU  DEFENDS  THE  GQ-JU-NO-TO  (PAGODA)   ON  YOSHINO-YAMA. 


yOSHITSUNE   LEAVES   MIYAKO.  233 

the  third  roka  (sankai)  of  the  pagoda.  His  four  retainers 
guarded  the  entrance  and  the  rear.  At  Tadanobu's  girdle 
was  the  hereditary  sword  of  the  Sato  and  the  gift  of 
Yoshitsune.  He  -  had  twenty-four  arrows  in  his  quiver, 
with  large  forked  heads  and  eagle  feathers.  At  the  sight 
of  Yoshitsune*s  armour  the  motley  crowd  of  Iwshi  set  up 
a  wild  cry.  Tadanobu  answered  with  his  arrows.  Every 
shaft  of  this  unerring  bowman  reached  its  mark.  At  the 
beginning,  when  they  were  closely  massed,  the  same  bolt 
pierced  three  and  even  four  men.  Great  was  the  slaughter. 
Then  seeing  that  his  arrows  were  exhausted  they  ap- 
proached to  fire  the  pagoda.  Kawakura  Hogan  lead  the 
van.  He  had  strong  aspirations  to  defeat  Yoshitsune  in 
single  combat.  In  scurvy  tones  he  challenged.  "  Shizuka, 
your  concubine,  has  confessed  your  presence  here.  Much 
as  we  dislike  it,  it  is  our  duty  to  send  you  or  your  head  to 
Miyako."  Tadanobu  fell  on  them  at  once.  He  leaped 
down  from  the  balcony.  The  motley  mass,  having  heard 
much  of  Yoshitsune's  powers  of  flight,  thought  that  the 
great  captain  was  on  them.  They  fled  down  the 
mountain.  Kawakura  and  I  wo,  who  stood  their  ground, 
paid  for  their  rashness  with  life.  Tadanobu  and  his 
men  pursued  the  others.  In  the  open  two  of  his  men 
were  killed,  and  in  the  pursuit  he  lost  sight  of  the  two 
others. 

Eesting  at  the  foot  of  a  large  tree  he  jvas  approached  b}^ 
Yokogawa  Kakuhan  in  person.  This  fellow,  of  the  Suzuki 
party  in  Kii,  was  a  thoroughly  bad  man.  In  addition  to 
his  huge  size,  and  his  strength  "  equal  to  that  of  seventy 
men,"  he  had  a  black  face,  round  pop-eyes,  and  a  huge 
beard  and  whiskers  like  Shoki.  "  He  wore  a  brown  court 
robe,  black  cord  armour,  and  a  long  sword  nearly  four  feet 
in  length  (39  sini)  with  a  black  lacquered  hilt.  He  carried 
it  in  a  sheath  of  bear-skin.  He  brandished  a  spear  nine 
feet  long."  Thus  arrayed  he  denounced  the  cowardice  of 
his  men,  and  challenged  Yoshitsune  (as  he  thought)  to 
single  combat.  "  I  am  Yokogawa  Kakuhan,  and  will 
take  your  head  or  yourself  to  Kamakura-dono  "• — "  You 
miserable  priest.  Instead  I  shall  send  you  to  your  grave.' ^ 
Now  Tadanobu  had  not  taken  food  for  many  hours,  but 


234  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

he  had  ^iToshitsune's  sword.  Kakuhan's  spear  "  whirled 
like  a  wheel,"  The  priests  looked  on  in  fear  at  this  terrible 
battle.  Kakuhan  was  a  notable  and  formidable 
antagonist,  and  Tadanobu  saw  that  strategy  alone  would 
give  him  the  best  of  the  fight.  He  suddenly  took  the 
defensive.  Kakuhan,  much  encouraged,  pressed  him  hard. 
Tadanobu  jumped  over  a  tree  stump  and  down  a  precipice. 
In  following  him  Kakuhan  was  caught  in  the  overhanging 
branches.  Tadanobu  sprang  on  him  at  once.  He  gave 
him  a  terrible  blow  from  shoulder  to  groin.  "  His  body 
was  split  in  two  like  a  melon."  Cutting  off  the  head 
Tadanobu  sprang  up  the  face  of  the  cliff  to  attack  the 
group  of  hoshi.  Frightened  they  fled  like  sheep. 
Tadanobu,  finding  himself  alone,  thought  it  of  little  use 
to  commit  harahiri.  So  by  the  mountain  roads,  carefully 
avoiding  the  plain  he  reached  Miyako  through  Yama- 
shina,  and  sought  refuge  with  his  former  concubine 
Koshiba  Oguruma.     She  lived  in  Shijo  Murom achi.* 

Here  he  met  with  the  warmest  of  welcomes.  Perhaps  old 
Koshiba  Nyudo  was  pleased  at  the  unexpected  apparition  of 
Tadanobu.  Oguruma  pretended  to  be.  While  Yoshitsune 
had  been  at  the  heighth  of  his  power  she  had  been  faithful 
to  her  lover.  When  he  departed  with  his  lord  on  the  ill- 
starred  expedition  to  the  West  she  soon  found  a  new  lover 
in  Kagehisa  Saburo,  younger  son  of  Kajiwara  Genda. 
Tadanobu  made  earnest  inquiries  into  the  fate  of  his  lord, 
and  in  this  Oguruma  aided  him  for  very  opposite  reasons. 
She  too  wanted  to  learn  of  Yoshitsune's  whereabouts,  but 
nothing  could  be  ascertained.  He  was  reported  at 
Tonomine,  at  Nara,  as  killed  at  Yoshino,  and  was 
resuscitated  in  Kyushu.  Tadanobu  had  decided  to  go 
down  to  Mutsu,  where  at  least  the  information  did  not 
filter  through  Kamakura  channels.  Perhaps  his  lord 
might  already  be  there.  But  the  girl  clung  to  him,  and 
thwarted  every  such  proposition.  Her  intentions  were 
anything  but  amorous.      At  last  she  heard  of  the  long 


*  Oguruma  or   Koguruma.     It  makes  little  difference  the  meaning 
being  the  same,  /J^.   Oyama,  north  of  Tol<;yo,  is  little  (not  big)  mountain. 


YOSHITSUNE   LEAVES   MIYAKO.  235 

wished  for  arrival  in  Miyako  of  Kagehisa.  As  he  failed  to 
come  to  her  she  feared  he  had  heard  of  Tadanobu's 
presence  in  the  house.  This  worried  her  very  little,  for 
the  noted  retainer  of  Yoshitsune  had  to  lie  very  close,  and 
keep  to  his  apartment.  He  was  not  of  stature  or  reputa- 
tion to  escape  notice  if  he  walked  abroad.  Kagehisa  was 
surprised  to  get  a  letter  from  her.  Meeting  her,  as 
directed,  at  the  Kiyomidzu-dera  he  was  still  more  surprised 
to  learn  of  Tadanobu's  presence  in  Miyako,  and  was  any- 
thing but  pleased  at  Oguruma's  betrayal.  He  was  very 
unlike  his  father  and  uncle  Kagesuye  and  Kagetaka.  These 
favoured  their  old  father  Kagetoki,  in  disposition  and  dis- 
likes. In  anger  and  disdain  he  thought  that  this  unfaithful, 
insincere,  and  treacherous  wench  might  some  day  do  the 
same  to  him.  So  he  merely  replied  : — "  Tadanobu  is  the 
brave  and  faithful  retainer  of  Yoshitsune,  a  captain  of  great 
merit.  He  has  in  former  days  been  your  lover.  You 
should  warn  him,  and  urge  his  departure  to  Mutsu."  His 
contempt  and  coldness  were  so  marked  that  the  girl  parted 
with  him  angry  at  heart.  "  This  coward  is  afraid  of 
Tadanobu,  and  he  dares  to  thus  openly  despise  me. 
Well !  Perhaps  Eokuhara  will  think  differently."  Ema 
Koshiro  Yoshitaka*  heard  her  story  next  day  with  no 
surprise,  and  with  no  particular  pleasure.  Kagehisa  could 
not  ignore  the  piece  of  information,  but  he  acted  on  it  with 
commendable  slowness.  Oguruma  had  plenty  of  time  to 
repent  of  her  intended  treachery.  Now  Kagehisa  had 
taken  Yoshitsune's  place  as  hehiishi  in  Miyako.  He  too 
lived  in  Horikawa  and  luxury,  with  a  train  of  concubines 
in  kaleidoscopic  succession  or  simultaneity  as  his  humour 
seized  him.  Of  these  Oguruma  had  been  a  favourite. 
The  next  day  he  sent  his  message  to  Ema,  with  the  hope 
that  Tadanobu  was  well  on  his  way  to  the  North.  The 
officer  had  the  missive  under  his  eye  during  his  interview 
with  the  girl.  He  did  his  duty,  and  at  the  hour  arranged 
by  her  surrounded  the  house  with  two  hundred  of  his 
men. 

Tadanobu  had  dined  and  wined  well.     He  was  aroused 

*  Yuki  is  the  name  also  given. 


236  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

from  sleep  by  the  noise  of  men  breaking  into  the  house. 
Springing  to  his  feet  he  found  that  his  armour  no 
longer  lay  in  the  tohonoma.  His  two  swords  also  had 
disappeared.  While  he  slept  Oguruma  had  stolen  up 
stairs.  With  the  cords  of  her  koto  she  had  tied  up  the 
two  swords.  Afraid  to  make  a  noise  she  had  piled  armour 
and  all  in  a  closet.  At  this  juncture  Tadanobu  had  no 
time  to  ask  questions.  The  men  were  already  breaking 
into  the  house.  Yakunin  from  Eokuhara  his  sword  made 
little  difference  to  him.  He  would  have  disdained  to  use 
the  noble  weapon  on  such  trash.  Seizing  a  heavy  go 
board  he  sprang  at  those  entering  the  room,  and  mowed 
them  down  by  his  blows.  In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes 
fifteen  lay  prostrate  with  broken  necks  or  crushed  ribs. 
The  others  fled  in  haste  and  Tadanobu  hurled  the  go  board 
after  them.*  Some  vigorous  kicks  laid  open  the  closets 
and  disclosed  his  weapons  and  the  evident  treachery.  He 
sought  out  the  girl.  WilKngly  she  would  have  escaped, 
but  the  assailants  drove  her  back  and  threatened  her  with 
drawn  bows.  Yoshitaka  had  lost  so  many  men  that  he 
determined  to  kill  instead  of  capture,  and  had  advanced 
his  archers.  These  held  their  hands  before  this  final 
settlement.  Even  then  she  tried  to  escape,  but  Tadanobu 
grasped  her.  "  Yes,"  shouted  Yoshitaka,  "  she  was  the  one 
who  betrayed  you."  Tadanobu  squeezed  her  neck  until 
the  eyes  almost  dropped  from  the  sockets.  Then  with  a 
twist  he  broke  her  neclv,  and  cast  the  limp  carcass  to  one 
side.  For  himself  the  game  was  up.  There  was  no  time 
now  to  array  himself  in  armour,  and  against  the  arrows 
he  was  without  protection.  He  saw  that  he  would  be 
spitted  like  a  pigeon.  He  advanced  at  once  to  the  roha 
and  stood  forth.  At  his  sign  to  stop  for  a  moment 
Yoshitaka  held  up  his  hand,  and  the  bowmen  stood  at 
attention.  Said  Tadanobu :  "  Ah !  You  are  Ema 
Koshiro,  son  of  Tokimasa.  I  thank  you  for  telling  me 
who   betrayed   my    presence   here.      But   is   this   not   a 


*  Go  is  the  Chinese-Japanese  chess.  The  board  used  is  a  heavy  solid 
piece  of  wood.  There  is  no  reason,  beyond  castoni,  for  its  being  so  ; 
and  many  reasons  in  favour  of  making  it  light. 


'GO-BAN»TADANOBU. 


YOSHITSUNE    LEAVES    MIYAKO.  237 

cowardly  business  to  attack  a  man  while  asleep  ?  I  could 
readily  Idll  many  more  of  you,  but  it  is  a  poor  business  to 
slaughter  innocents.  As  I  have  no  hope  of  escape  I  leave 
life  without  regret.  Look,  and  see  how  one  of  the 
followers  of  lyo-no-kami,  Kuro  Yoshitsune,  knows  how  to 
die."     All  stood  silent. 

"  Tadanobu  bared  the  upper  part  of  his  body,  and  hold- 
ing his  dagger  in  his  hand  prayed  to  Hachiman  Daibosatsu. 
Then  he  thrust  the  dagger  into  his  left  side  and  pulled  it 
slowly  across  to  the  right  side.  Then  he  drew  it  out  and 
plunged  it  into  his  stomach  pulling  it  down  below  the 
navel.  Thus  he  made  a  cross-cut  in  his  belly.  Drawing 
the  sword  out  of  his  body  he  looked  at  it,  and  laughing 
said,  '  how  sharp  is  that  treasure  of  the  Sato  House  !  Be 
sure  and  send  it  as  a  present  to  Yoritomo  who  should  be 
much  pleased  at  getting  it."  He  thrust  in  his  hand, 
and  pulling  out  the  guts  he  severed  them  and  hurled  them 
at  Ema  Koshiro.  This  latter  dodged,  but  they  struck  two 
or  three  men  standing  behind  their  chief.  "  How  warm  !  " 
they  exclaimed.  In  a  few  day,  says  the  romancer,  they 
died.  Tadanobu  had  made  his  last  effort.  He  took 
Yoshitsune's  sword.  Gasping,  "  see  a  samurai  die,"  he 
put  the  point  in  his  mouth  and  fell  forward.  The  blade 
pierced  his  neck  and  came  out  behind.  Thus  died  Sato 
Shirobei  Tadanobu,  "  Go-ban "  Tadanobu.  He  was 
twenty-seven  years  old  on  this  16th  day  of  February,  1187 
A.D.  Great  was  the  regret  over  the  treacherous  action 
of  Oguruma.  The  two  swords,  and  the  head  pickled  in 
salt,  were  sent  to  Kamakura.  Yoritomo  was  anxious  to  see 
the  latter.  Hatakeyama  warned  him  that  the  sight  would 
not  be  pleasant.  However  the  head-box  was  brought  in. 
Yoritomo  looked  through  his  fan  ;  to  see  the  head  open  its 
eyes  and  show  its  teeth.  He  gazed  at  Tadanobu's  features 
with  tears  of  admiration.  Then  he  said  : — "  Take  it 
away.  It  is  too  angry.  I  would  gladly  have  made  him 
governor  of  a  province."  For  three  days  the  head  was 
exposed  to  the  public  gaze.  Meanwhile  Hatakeyama  sent 
for  the  body,  and  later  both  were  buried  with  great  pomp 
and  respect  in  the  grounds  of  the  Choju-in  temple  at 
Kamakura.    Bitter  was  the  anger  of  Yoshitsune  and  his 


238  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 

retainers  when  the  news  of  this  treacherous  deed  came  to 
their  ears.* 

*  This  harahiri  of  "  Go-ban  "  Tadanobu  is  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  Japan- 
ese opinion  on  the  subject — among  the  small  shop-keepers,  the  Jcozukaij 
hanio,  etc.,  who  throng  the  blood  and  thunder  theatres,  and  indulge  in 
its  kindred  literature.  In  addition,  it  should  be  said,  that  after 
"tripes"  Shinshinsai  has  Tadanobu  take  the  sword  and  cut  off  his  own 
head.  The  same  authority  tells  us  that  the  grave  of  "  Go-ban  "  Tada- 
nobu is  at  Kamakura. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE  STORY  OF  SHIZUKA. 


"  *  O  child,  what  grief  is  mine  ! 
"  '  But  thou  dost  slumber,  and  thy  baby  breast 
"  '  Is  sunk  in  rest, 

"  ^  Here  in  the  cheerless  brass-bound  bark, 
"  *  Tossed  amid  starless  night  and  pitchy  dark. 

"  '  Lapped  in  thy  purple  robe's  embrace, 

"  '  Fair  little  face  ! 

'' '  But  if  this  dread  were  dreadful  too  to  thee, 

"  '  Then  wouldst  thou  lend  thy  listening  ear  to  me  ; 

"  '  Therefore  I  cry, — Sleep  babe,  and  sea  be  still, 

"  'And  slumber  our  unmeasured  ill '  " 

Danae  to  the  infant  Perseus,  in  the  ode  of  Simonides. 
(Translated  by  J.  Addington  Symonds). 


1. 


It  is  time  to  return  to  Sliizuka,  left  in  the  charge  of 
five  retainers  to  return  as  best  she  could  to  Miyako. 
Once  out  of  sight  of  the  hushi,  these  fellows,  mere  zosJiiki 
(inferior  servants),  soon  came  to  an  agreement  among 
themselves  as  to  what  to  do.  To  return  to  the  capital 
with  Shizuka  they  were  afraid.     The  roads  thither  were 


240  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

guarded  by  the  Kamakura  huslii,  and  they  had  little  hope 
of  getting  through  without  question.  Between  present 
evils  and  the  possible  wrath  of  their  master  they  chose 
all  the  more  easily  as  they  had  small  confidence  in  his 
escape  from  the  net  into  which  he  had  fallen.  The  thing 
to  do  therefore  was  to  get  rid  of  Shizuka  in  the  least 
troublesome  manner.  They  had  the  burden  of  the  gifts 
of  Yoshitsune,  all  except  the  mirror  and  the  drum  which 
Shizuka  herself  carried.  When  part  way  down  the 
mountain  the  party  halted  on  a  pretext  of  resting.  One 
of  them  then  suggested  that  as  there  was  a  shrine 
{miya)  at  the  foot,  dedicated  to  the  Eleven  Faced  Kwan- 
non,  they  might  secure  lodging  there  for  the  night.  As 
he  knew  the  keeper  he  and  some  of  his  companions 
would  go  forward  and  sound  him  as  to  the  matter.  He 
and  three  others  therefore  hurried  forward  leaving  Shizuka 
under  the  guard  of  the  remaining  attendant.  After  a 
decent  wait  this  fellow  suggested  that  he  should  go  for- 
ward a  little  and  see  if  anything  detained  them.  Without 
waiting  for  an  answer  he  too  quickly  disappeared  down 
the  mountain  path.  Then  passed  an  hour,  two  hours, 
before  Shizuka  thoroughly  realized  that  she  was  left  alone 
on  the  mountain  in  the  snow-storm  and  with  night  closed 
around  her. 

She  felt  it  very  little.  Anguish  of  mind  such  as  hers 
wanted  no  companionship.  Solitude  was  grateful.  Slowly 
she  wandered  forward,  soon  losing  her  way  in  the  many 
by-paths  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  if  indeed  *'  way  '* 
can  be  applied  to  one  who  wanders  without  direction 
or  goal.  It  was  only  the  moon-light,  shining  on  the  forest 
trees  snow  laden  or  over  the  slopes,  that  enabled  her  to 
continue  her  course,  casting  treacherous  shadows  against 
the  white  surface  and  concealing  many  a  hollow.  The 
snow  soon  ceased  to  fall,  but  the  wind  blew  mournfully 
in  its  place,  icy-cold  over  the  snow  fields.  Everything 
was  ice  bound.  In  echo  to  her  wailing  the  murmur- 
ing of  the  little  rivulets  beneath  their  white  garment 
seemed  like  human  voices  in  unison  with  her  pain.  Sad 
is  the  tale  of  the  native  scribe  as  he  follows  Shizuka's 
blood  stained   track  through   the  snow.     *'  Her  sandals 


THE   STORY   OF   SHIZUKA.  241 

were  worn  through,  and  her  delicate  feet  were  cut  by  the 
sharp  edges  of  the  ice.  Her  sleeves,  wet  with  her  tears, 
were  lined  with  ice ;  and  her  skirts  were  heavy  with  the 
silvery  tracings  of  the  snow,  brushed  and  frozen  on  her 
garments.  She  held  up  the  mirror,  but  tears  dimmed 
her  sight."  Her  hat  had  blown  away,  and  only  her 
long  hair  protected  head  and  shoulders  from  the  keen 
wind.  Thus  she  struggled  along,  striving  to  find  the  pass 
again,  and  wandering  up  and  down  over  the  snowy  hills. 
At  last  she  found  what  she  took  to  be  the  upward  track. 
Up  indeed  it  was,  and  she  reached  the  summit  thoroughly 
worn  out.  Often  during  this  night  she  had  thought  of 
death.  Then  the  command  of  her  lord,  to  carry  and 
bring  up  the  fruit  of  their  love,  checked  her  hand  from 
wandering  to  the  little  dagger  at  her  girdle.  Nature, 
however,  was  too  much  for  her,  and  it  was  with  the 
almost  certainty  of  endless  sleep  that  she  sank  exhausted 
in  the  snow.  But  the  mother  of  all  humanity  is  rarely 
merciful  enough  to  save  us  from  our  pains  at  our  call. 
And  so  Shizuka  awoke  in  the  darkness,  shivering  with 
cold,  and  to  keenest  sense  of  her  present  woes. 

Far  below  in  the  dark  dawn  of  the  winter  morning  a 
light  was  visible.     She  saw  that  it  was  not  a  charcoal 
burner's  fire.     There  were  none  thereabouts.     It  must  be 
a  lantern  before  some  shrine,  perhaps  of  Yoshino  itself. 
With  difficulty  she  took  her  way,  falling  over  rocks  and 
tree   trunks,    and    nearly    slipping    over   the   edge   of  a 
precipice.     As  she  approached  the  light  she  saw  that  it 
hung  before  a  hokora  (minor  miya).     As  it  was  crowded 
with  pilgrims  it  was  evidently  the  fete  day  of  the  god. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  she  had  blundered  on  the  pass  leading 
across  from  the  hamlet  of  Fuki,  and   had   reached  the 
Nyu  Jinja,  an  entrance  so  to  speak  to  the  great  Zo-o-do 
on  Yoshino-yama.     The  torii,  a  little  way  beyond,  could 
not  be  passed  by  women.     It  seemed  to  Shizuka  that  a 
ray  of  light  had  come  into   her  sad   existence   in   thus 
finding  the  shrine  in  full  festival.     As  she  stood  before  it 
the  idea  came  into  her  mind  to  pray  for  the  safety  of  her 
lord  on  this  auspicious  occasion.     No  one  there  knew  her, 
and   it  seemed   perfectly   safe   to  do   so.     Prayer    with 


242  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Shizuka  meant  her  best  offering  to  the  god — that  of 
beauty  and  skill.  Already  those  in  the  crowd  were  struck 
by  the  former,  and  whispers  went  around  as  to  who  the 
village  beauty  could  be.  They  all  made  way  as  she 
advanced  before  the  shrine.  There  were  musicians  pre- 
sent, for  the  sarugaku,  men  not  women,  a  cheerless 
offering  to  the  divinity.  Unconsciously  almost  they  fell 
into  unison  with  her  movements.  Shizuka,  weak  and 
fainting  as  she  was,  danced  and  sang  as  rarely  she  had 
done  before  in  her  short  life  : 

"  In  this  world  more  and  more  violently 

racks  one's  pain, 
*'  When  called  on  no  more  to  see  the  face 

of  those  beloved. 
**  Sad  is  the  parting  of  parent  and  child  : 
"  But  more  hopeless  still  of  husband  and  wife." 

The  onlookers  were  deeply  moved  at  the  sympathetic 
deeply  mournful  voice.  Charmed  by  the  sweet  toned 
singer  they  stood  entranced.  Sobs  were  heard,  as  some 
already  stricken  heart  was  more  deeply  touched.  But 
Nature  had  done  all  she  could.  Weeping  herself  Shizuka 
sank  on  the  ground  and  veiled  her  face  in  her  sleeves. 
Some  priests  came  forward  in  inquiry  to  find  her  in  a  dead 
faint.  Others  looked  on,  envying  the  happy  man,  pos- 
sessor of  such  charms  in  mind  and  body.  Who  could  she 
be? 

Boor  child  !  She  had  done  so  well  that  she  had  already 
half  betrayed  her  secret.  Hot  drinks  and  shelter  restored 
her  to  miserable  consciousness  and  questionings.  Even 
then  they  might  have  accepted  her  tale  of  village  neigh- 
bourhood and  monthly  visits  to  the  shrine  to  secure  a 
wish.  But  there  was  present  a  tender-hearted  and  foolish 
old  priest — one  Shoyen  Jibu.  Melted  over  her  woes  he 
blurted  out  that  it  could  be  no  one  else  but  Shizuka-gozen. 
The  questioning  turned  from  her  to  him.  A  few  years 
before  he  had  been  present  at  the  dance  for  rain  at  the 
Shinsen-en.  Ninety -nine  shirabyoshi  had  danced  without 
pleasing  the  rain  god.  Then  Shizuka  had  come  forward, 
and  the  god  was  so  pleased  that  heavy  clouds  had  rolled 


THE    STORY   OF    SHIZUKA.  243. 

up  in  the  sky,  and  the  drought  had  been  broken  in  a 
refreshing  downpour.  Shizuka  listened  to  his  tale  in 
fright.  Her  dance  instead  of  fortune  had  brought 
pursuers  on  Yoshitsune's  track.  The  priests  were  soon  at 
her  again  to  press  their  questions,  all  the  more  merciless  as 
they  recognized  their  advantage  in  her  weakness.  As  she 
remained  silent  they  threatened  to  torture  her,  even  to 
death— no  idle  threat.  Shizuka  then  told  them  every- 
thing— and  left  them  worse  off  than  ever,  she  was  so 
frank.  She  told  them  all  about  the  landing  at  Omo- 
no-ura,  the  concealment  at  the  Tennoji,  (this  they 
knew  to  be  true),  the  journey  through  Izumi.  Near 
Koyasan  she  had  lost  her  lord,  and  hearing  that  he 
was  at  the  Zo-o-do  she  had  attempted  to  reach  him, 
only  to  be  robbed  and  deserted  by  her  servants.  Half 
suspicious,  many  thoroughly  convinced  that  she  was 
lying,  they  squabbled  among  themselves.  One  young 
priest  blurted  out  that  they  had  all  the  information  they 
needed.  It  was  known  that  Shizuka  was  with  Yoshitsune. 
Here  she  was,  and  he  could  not  be  far  off.  Said  he : — 
*'  If  we  do  nothing  the  rough  Kamakura  busJii,  who 
swarm  the  country,  will  burn  the  shrine  about  our  ears. 
Evidently  they  have  crossed  the  pass  from  Fuki,  on  their 
way  to  the  hills  behind  Yoshino,  perhaps  toward  Kumano. 
Let  us  pursue  them."  His  advice  seemed  good.  A 
messenger  was  sent  off  to  the  Zo-o-do,  and  a  strong  party 
of  hoshi  micsha  left  to  beat  up  the  mountains  to  the  west- 
ward. Shizuka  was  taken  into  the  priests'  oftices,  and  now 
was  kindly  treated.  A  messenger  was  forwarded  to  Hojo 
Tokimasa  in  Miyako  asking  for  instructions  Thus  the 
very  fact  of  her  presence  operated  in  Yoshitsune's  favour. 
Taking  the  short  inside  line  she  had  easily  reached  Yo- 
shino. She  was  already  a  prisoner  at  the  shrine  when 
Yoshitsune  and  his  party  came  to  the  main  temple,  but  the 
absence  of  the  hoshi  musha  necessitated  a  delay  in  attacking 
them.  Already  on  the  look-out  for  him  in  answer  to  the 
warnings  sent  out  from  Osaka  and  Miyako,  knowing  his 
presence  from  the  message  sent  up  the  valley  from  Koya- 
san that  he  had  just  crossed  the  river  at  Kamuro  and  was 
somewhere  in   the   neighbouring   mountains,  they    were 


244  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

thus  prepared,  but  were  thoroughly  misled  in  judging  his 
whereabouts  from  Shizuka's  account.  Kawakura  Hogan 
had  lied  when  he  said  that  Shizuka  had  confessed.* 

The  orders  came  to  send  her  to  Miya.ko.  So  on  De- 
cember thirty-first  she  started,  to  arrive  in  the  city  a 
week  later.  Hojo  Tokimasa  was  awaiting  her.  Ordinarily 
a  cold  and  cruel  man  he  belied  his  nature  by  treating 
Shizuka  kindly.  She  found  her  mother  also  a  prisoner. 
He  saw  there  was  little  to  be  had  from  Shizuka  at  this 
date.  They  already  knew  that  Yoshitsune  was  some- 
where in  the  Yoshino  district,  and  just  where  much  better 
than  she  could  tell  them.  But  there  was  a  complication. 
There  was  the  possibility  that  Shizuka  was  with  child. 
A  report  was  made  to  Kamakura.  Kajiwara  Kagetoki 
was  ready  as  usual  with  his  advice.  "  In  China  her 
punishment  for  admitting  the  embraces  of  an  enemy  of  the 
lord  of  the  land  would  be  to  have  her  bones  broken  and 
her  brain  picked  out.  But  it  would  be  well  first  to  bring 
her  here  for  examination."  Yoritomo  grunted  assent. 
He  had  no  objections  to  bone  breaking  or  brain  picking, 
but  he  (and  Kajiwara)  knew  that  the  Princess  Masako 
had  great  curiosity  to  see  the  famous  dancer.  Hori  Toji 
Chikaiye  was  sent  to  bring  her  up  to  Kamakura.  On 
March  sixth,  (1186  A.D.)  they  left  Miyako  and  reached 
the  new  capital  on  March  twenty-third.  Hojo  Tokimasa 
himself  left  at  the  end  of  March  to  add  his  counsel  in  the 
present  hunt  for  Yoshitsune  ;  for  on  his  brother's  capture, 
and  on  everything  in  connection  with  him,  Yoritomo  laid 
great  stress.  This  military  genius  was  his  night -mare. 
He  must  be  rooted  out,  stock  and  branch. 

On  her  arrival  Shizuka  was  at  first  placed  in  charge  of 
Adachi  Shinsaburo   Kiyotsune.      On  the  twenty-ninth  of 

*  Japanese  romancers,  with  usual  gallantry  and  the  desire  to  endow 
Yoshitsune  with  omniscience  and  omnipresence,  adopt  or  give  a  hint 
of  this  form  of  the  tale  ;  without  seeing  that  the  young  priest  of 
Yoshino  was  the  one  who  hit  the  nail  on  the  head.  He  knew  as  much 
and  no  more  than  Shizuka,  but  his  deductions  were  wrong,  as  her& 
might  well  have  been.  Casuistically  speaking  Shizuka  did  not  lie  at 
any  point.  She  did  enter  the  shrine  to  ask  the  god  as  to  her  lover's 
whereabouts  and  pray  for  his  successful  escape.  She  expected  to  find 
him  at  Yoshino,  with  a  better  reception. 


THE    STORY   OF   SHIZUKA.  245 

March  she  was  to  be  examined  in  the  presence  of  Yori- 
tomo  himself  by  Son-no-Kami  Chikugo  Toshikane,  and 
Minobu-no-j6  Moritoki.  All  the  time  of  these  long 
journeyings  but  one  thought  remained  riveted  in  Shizuka's 
mind.  She  must  live  to  perform  her  duty  to  her  lord.  To 
kill  herself  meant  to  consign  her  child  from  the  darkness 
of  the  womb  to  that  of  the  grave,  to  be  forever  unhappy. 
In  this  spirit  she  appeared  at  the  dreaded  examination, 
for  Miyako  folk  regarded  the  fierce  Kwa>nt6-bushi  as  little 
better  than  savages.  As  Yoritomo  was  to  be  present  the 
ceremonial  was  to  be  elaborate.  The  court  was  hung  with 
brocaded  silk  curtains,  and  the  retainers  stood  in  rows. 
The  lord  of  Kamakura,  seated  on  a  dais  behind  a  bamboo 
screen,  saw  and  heard  everything.  At  one  side  Masako 
and  her  ladies  listened  behind  a  like  concealment.  Know- 
ing of  the  important  prisoner,  the  Kamakura  people  lined 
the  streets  through  which  Adachi  Shinsaburo  brought  his 
two  prisoners — Shizuka  and  Iso-no-Zensu. 

Thus  these  harsh  proceedings  took  their  course.  Shi- 
zuka, when  brought  in  by  Adachi,  showed  the  effects  of 
her  wanderings,  which  more  refined  her  beauty  than 
injured  it.  *'  Her  face  was  beautiful  as  a  gem.  Her 
eyebrows  fresh  as  the  velvety-green  sward.  Her  lips  red 
as  scarlet  flowers.  She  was  more  beautiful  than  the 
Princess  Kakuya."*  It  was  no  severe  task  for  these 
judges  to  confuse  the  two  women.  But  this  very  confu- 
sion added  nothing  to  the  general  knowledge.  They 
were  much  better  informed  than  the  prisoners.!  It  was 
easy  to  tell  Shizuka  that  the  days  she  mentioned  did  not 
agree  with  her  known  movements  ;  but  when  she  said  that 
she  did  not  know  where  Yoshitsune  was  they  could  not 
charge  her  with  a  lie.  Then  they  turned  on  Iso-no-zensu. 
Why  had  she  allowed  her  daughter  to  become  the  mistress 
of  a  foe  of  the  Tenno  and  of  all  good  government  (of  the 
Kamakura  variety)  ?     The  dancer  had  seen  much  in  her 

*  The  Japanese  favoured  type  in  their  ideal  of  female  beauty — 
Minakami. 

t  The  despatch  as  to  Shizuka's  capture,  the  destruction  of  the  fleet, 
and  concealment  in  the  Tenn5ji,  was  sent  by  Hoj5  on  January  7th.  He 
credits  Yoshitsune  with  a  five  days  stay  at  Yoshino — Adzuma  Kagami. 


246  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

world.  She  had  the  Miyako  contempt  for  the  provincial, 
and  had  seen  much  in  dancing  before  the  Court  and  the 
great  nobles.  As  she  felt  her  position  rather  desperate  she 
answered  bravely  ;  for  Shizuka  to  desert  her  lord  simply 
because  of  misfortune  would  have  been  most  base.  It  was 
her  duty  to  follow  him  at  his  command  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  For  her  part  she  felt  deeply  the  disgrace  in  which 
they  had  fallen  with  the  lord  of  the  land,  the  one  commis- 
sioned by  the  Tenno  to  restore  and  keep  the  land  in  peace. 
For  Shizuka's  sorrow  she  mourned  deeply.  Proceedings 
were  then  interrupted  by  a  direct  question  sent  down  by 
Yoritomo.  "  He  had  been  gazing  at  Shizaka  in  open 
admiration  of  his  brother's  good  fortune  in  securing  such  a 
concubine.  *'  You  are  a  dancer.  Your  relations  should  be 
with  the  huge.  It  was  not  your  place  to  become  a 
concubine  of  Yoshitsune  in  this  official  manner."  Shizuka 
merely  answered  with  bowed  head  and  deep  sobs.  Iso- 
no-zensu  spoke  for  her,  with  some  fire  in  her  tones. 
**  Shizuka  did  attend  the  noble  houses,  dancing  with  me 
up  to  the  age  of  fifteen.*  But  at  that  time,  when  barely 
nubile  and  a  maid,  Yoshitsune  saw  her.  She  thus  became 
his  concubine  ;  not  summoned  to  his  couch  as  were  the 
other  female  attendants,  but  always  having  the  right  of  free 
entrance  to  his  apartment.  It  had  been  a  great  honour. 
Alas  !  of  short  duration  ;"  and  Iso-no-zensu  ended  in  tears. 
This  brought  up  the  question  of  pregnancy.  The  judges 
reported  that  it  was  true  that  she  was  with  child,  and 
more  than  four  months  gone.  Yoritomo  straightened  up 
as  he  summoned  Kajiwara  Kagesuye  to  him.  *'  Let  her 
belly  be  ripped  up  at  once,  and  the  child  cast  away." 
A  murmur  ran  around  the  assembly  as  this  harsh  sentence 
was  given  out.  Even  the  huslii  turned  and  looked  from 
one  to  another.  Shizuka  and  her  mother  bowed  to  the 
floor,  the  elder  woman  wailing  and  clinging  to  the 
daughter  who  sought  to  comfort  her.  Shizuka  cared  little 
for  life,  but  in  her  almost  sick  brain  her  one  idea,  fastened 
there,  was  threatened  with  destruction.  An  unexpected 
friend  appeared  behind  the  bamboo  curtain.     The  strong- 


Japanese;  by  western  reckoning  fourteen  years  old. 


THE   STORY   OF   SHIZUKA.  247 

minded  Masako  entered  her  appearance.  She  remem- 
bered her  own  early  days,  and  Shizuka's  obstinate 
faithfulness  had  touched  an  answering  chord  in  herself. 
She  protested  against  such  coarse  cruelty  as  sure  uselessly 
to  anger  powerful  interests.  Captains  who  had  fought 
under  Yoshitsune — Hatakeyama,  Miura,  Doi — were 
exchanging  savage  glances.  "You  will  injure  yourself 
more  than  any  trifling  advantage  this  deed  may  bring 
you.  You  know  the  custom  in  such  cases."  As  usual 
Yoritomo,  hen-pecked  in  this  direction,  yielded.  "  Very 
well :  let  her  lie  in  of  the  child,  and  if  a  boy  it  shall  be 
exposed,  if  a  girl  she  can  retain  it  and  bring  it  up."  Kaji- 
wara  Kagesuye  asked  to  be  given  the  charge.  Shizuka  in 
frightened  pain  then  begged  death  in  place  of  such  a 
guardian.  Now  there  was  an  old  tale  of  Kagesuye's 
unsuccessful  pursuit  of  Shizuka.  Adachi  Shinsaburo  came 
to  her  rescue.  Kneeling  respectfully  he  told  Yoritomo 
of  the  reasons  for  Shizuka's  request.  Yoritomo  was  tender 
of  lis  family  honour,  and  would  not  allow  even  the 
breath  of  suspicion  indirectly  to  rest  upon  it.  "  Then 
let  Hori  Toji  Chikaiye  take  her  in  charge,  and  be  re- 
sponsible with  his  head  for  her  presence  and  that  of  her 
child.  She  ought  to  die.  But  so  let  it  be  as  ordered. 
Kemove  them  at  once  from  my  presence."  Then  the 
great  man  disappeared.  Thus  ended  this  scene  of  ex- 
amination and  satisfaction  of  Yoritomo 's  curiosity. 


2. 


Now  more  than  anything  else  Masako  wanted  to  see 
the  most  famous  dancer  of  Miyako.  And  so  did  Yori- 
tomo. Kamakura  was  a  savage  kind  of  place,  and  the 
warrior  chief  felt  it  that  his  court  lacked  the  polish  it 
ought  to  have  as  the  seat  of  the  country's  real  ruler.  The 
armour  should  be  hidden  under  silk  and  brocades,  and 


248  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

behind  painted  screens,  as  in  the  glorious  days  of  Heian. 
"  Ya-a !  An  easy  matter.  What  your  lordship  com- 
mands, all  the  realm  must  forthwith  obey  and  hasten 
to  accomplish.  Order  the  dance."  Thus  spoke  the 
Japanese  Polonius,  Kajiwara  Kagetoki.  So  son  Laertes 
(Kagesuye  the  brawler)  was  sent  to  the  house  of  Hori 
Toji  to  carry  the  command.  Shizuka  pleaded  illness,  and 
refused  to  see  the  enemy.  Iso-no-zensu,  in  spite  of  her 
disgust,  went  out  to  meet  him.  She  bowed  down  before 
the  great  honour,  but  pleaded  Shizuka's  condition  and 
illness  from  the  long  journey.  "  A  dancer  must  be  in  the 
vein  physically  and  mentally,  if  there  is  not  to  be  a 
miserable  failure.  Please  so  report  to  the  Lady  Masako." 
Kagesuye  controlled  his  anger.  Said  he  : — '*  You  are  doing 
wrong.  Yoritomo  and  Yoshitsune  have  quarrelled  for 
public  reasons.  The  Lady  Masako  knows  that  on  seeing 
the  dance  Yoritomo  will  forget  Shizuka's  connection  with 
Yoshitsune,  and  his  pleasure  will  do  much  perhaps  in 
bringing  the  brothers,  through  Shizuka,  on  good  terms 
again."  Thus  he  lied  cheerfully.  Iso-no-zensu  stood  her 
ground,  and  he  rode  off  to  report ;  but  his  words  sank 
deep  in  the  woman's  mind. 

Kagesuye  brought  back  his  pleasant  little  report  of 
failure.  Yoritomo  chafed  and  fumed.  "  If  I  should  treat 
this  dancing  girl  as  she  ought  to  be  treated,  then  in  court 
and  country  people  will  give  me  a  bad  name.  Such 
trifling  fame  as  her's  spreads  far.  People  will  think 
me  a  fool ;  I,  lord  of  the  sixty-six  provinces  !  Come ; 
devise  something.  Polonius  and  Laertes  were  plunged  in 
thoughtful  shame.  Kajiwara  Heiso  Kagetoki  as  usual 
found  an  outlet  by  loading  the  business  and  odium  of 
failure  on  other  shoulders.  "  Kudo  Sayemon  Suketsune 
as  ex- courtier  knows  the  Hangwan  well,  and  has  visited 
him  in  Miyako.  He  knows  Shizuka,  apart  from  his 
official  connection  with  her.  Let  him  try  to  persuade 
her."  So  Kudo  Suketsune  was  again  summoned,  and  the 
task  was  laid  before  him.  "If  your  lordship  would  give 
me  a  mission  to  fight  an  enemy  I  would  accept  it  gladly. 
Anything  rather  than  to  face  an  angry  woman.  How- 
ever, I  shall  try.     But  seeing  her  physical  condition  the 


THE    STORY   OF   SHIZUKA..  249 

matter  is  delicate  and  she  has  a  ready  excuse  "— — *'  The 
quicker,  the  better.  She  must  dance,  even  if  she  dies  for 
it — or  die,"  was  the  grim  reply.  Now  Suketsune's  wife  was 
a  clever  woman,  and  she  told  him  at  once  that  he  would 
fail.  "  Shizuka  hates  Kamakura-dono.  All  the  eloquence 
of  Soshun  and  Choji,  Saigo  and  Shiko,  the  silver-tongued 
of  Chinese  orators,  could  not  persuade  her.  But  leave  it 
to  me.  She  and  her  mother  constantly  visit  the  shrine  of 
Hachiman  Daibosatsu  at  Tsuru-ga-oka,  the  one  to  pray  that 
the  grandchild  be  a  girl,  the  other  to  seek  the  god's  inter- 
vention for  her  lover.  I  can  work  on  her  in  that  way." 
She  soon  appeared  at  the  house  of  Hori  Toji  with  gifts 
of  fish  and  sweets.  As  a  waiting  maid  of  Komatsu 
Shigemori  she  knew  Iso-no-zensu,  being  herself  skilled  in 
music  and  on  the  biwa.  The  dancer  received  her  gladly 
and  with  respect.  The  zen  was  set  out  with  the  feast. 
The  sad  presence  of  Shizuka  was  excused,  and  the  visitor 
readily  accepted  her  abstinence,  and  condoled  with  her  on 
her  love.  But  she  urged  on  Iso-no-zensa,  and  the  older 
women  soon  got  a  little  Hght  headed  from  the  sake.  Iso- 
no-zensu  sang  a  song.  Although  passe  her  voice  was  still 
fresh  and  vigorous,  enough  so  to  surprise  her  hearer. 
Then  she  induced  Shizuka  to  sing.  And  so  they  heard 
the  "  umegae  "  in  tones  "  that  one  would  have  thought 
came  from  a  bush-warbler  in  the  vale  singing  its  sweetest 
song  on  a  plum  tree,  or  the  cuckoo  practising  his  notes  in 
the  early  spring."  Suketsune's  wife  marvelled.  "■  No 
wonder  the  prayer  for  rain  was  a  success  at  Shinsen-en. 
How  could  the  Hang  wan  have  sent  you  away.  He  must 
have  been  pitiless  indeed.  But  rely  on  the  Lord  Buddha. 
Why  not  try  the  efficacy  of  prayer  ?  Here  at  Kamakura, 
at  Tsuru-ga-oka,  is  the  shrine  established  by  Hachi- 
man Taro  Yoshiiye,  a  shrine  sacred  to  the  tutelar  god  of 
the  Minamoto  clan.  Dance  before  it,  for  the  Hangwan's 
sake,  and  to  secure  the  reconciliation  of  the  brothers." 
Shizuka,  unsuspecting,  fell  into  the  trap.  She  agreed  to 
go  with  her  mother  and  the  wives  of  Suketsune  and 
Hori,  to  dance  at  the  shrine.  The  day  was  fixed  at  three 
days  later  on  April  29th,  and  Kudo's  wife  departed,  exult- 
ing in  the  easy  triump  of  her  diplomacy. 


250  SATTO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

It  was  the  end  of  April,  and  the  long  bunches  of  pur- 
ple wisteria  hung  in  clusters  within  the  sacred  precincts  of 
Tsuruga-oka.*  Suketsune  in  joy  at  his  wife's  success  gave 
the  necessary  orders,  and  the  workmen  were  soon  busy  in 
putting  up  a  covered  gallery  around  the  court  in  which 
Shizuka  would  dance.  "  In  a  few  days,  the  work  being 
done  at  the  order  of  a  great  lord,  it  was  finished."!  With 
the  shrine  the  platform  for  the  dancing  made  a  fine  stage 
setting.  The  pillars  of  the  gallery  were  wound  with 
kara-aya-mojisJia  (a  thin  silk). I  Early  on  the  morning 
arranged  Yoritomo  and  his  Court  were  in  their  places  to 
see  the  Horaku  dance  given  by  the  famous  Miyako  shi- 
rabyoshi — Shizuka.  The  place  for  the  lord  of  Kamakura 
and  his  immediate  suite  was  raised  and  separated  off  by 
golden  screens.  Carpets  covered  the  flooring,  and  damask 
curtains  concealed  the  view  until  they  would  be  drawn  up 
when  the  dance  began.  Feudal  lords  and  retainers  over- 
flowed in  any  place  they  could  find,  dressed  in  the  gayest 
silks  and  patterns  that  time  and  purse  allowed  to  the 
rather  loud  taste  of  Kamakura.  Pressing  as  close  as  it 
dared  to  the  sacred  enclosure  was  a  motley  crowd  of 
priests,  farmers,  and  "cits"  of  Kamakura.  From  long 
distances  they  came  to  attend  the  dance  of  the  famous 
Shizuka.  As  so  often  in  this  land  of  the  wisteria  attend- 
ing answered  for  seeing,  and  afforded  almost  as  much 
scope  to  talk  about  Great  was  the  confusion  and  noise. 
Yoritomo,  hearing  of  this  diversion,  was  annoyed.  "  Drive 
them  away,"  was  the  curt  interpretation  put  on  the  wave  of 

*  This  temple,  originally  built  by  Hachiman  Taro  on  the  strand  at 
Yui-ga-hama  (where  the  Kai-hin-in  hotel  now  is),  was  moved  to  Tsuru- 
ga-oka by  Yoritomo. 

t  A  wise  reservation :  anyone  with  experience  of  Japanese  workmen 
will  agree  with  this.  The  work  is  excellent  and  leisurely,  and  the 
capacity  for  dawdling  and  drinking  tea  still  better  developed  than  the 
undeniable  technical  skill. 

X  Saito  Kozu  says  that  the  temples  were  differently  constructed  in 
those  days,  the  roka  not  being  intended  for  a  promenade.  We  can 
take  his  word  for  it.  Twelfth  century  structures  still  existing  are  a 
question  of  dubious  archaeology.  Yamada  says  the  platform  was 
erected  opposite  the  samurai-dokoro.  This  was  recently  constituted  to 
regulate  the  samurai  on  Yoritomo's  new  plans.  Its  quarters  might  have 
been  at  Tsura-ga-oka  near  the  palace  of  the  Sotsuibushi  and  the  great 
Hachiman  temple. 


,    THE  STOBY  OF   SHIZUKA.  251 

his  fan.  But  it  was  a  sad  effort.  If  head-gear  alone  had 
been  broken  it  was  a  small  matter.  Few  had  any.  But 
most  of  them  as  yet  possessed  a  full  allowance  of  limbs, 
and  many  of  these  were  broken.  Of  the  officials  none 
were  inclined  to  go  and  break  up  the  people  from  the  out- 
side, and  perhaps  lose  the  chance  to  get  back  again.  So 
the  guards  contented  themselves  with  driving  them  as  far 
back  as  the  crush  allowed.  In  the  midst  of  the  struggle 
the  crowd  was  seen  making  way  for  the  kago  in  which 
came  Iso-no-zensu  and  Shizuka,  accompanied  by  the 
wives  of  Suketsune  and  Hori.  Shizuka  shrank  back  in 
pained  amazement  at  the  throng.  Her  eyes  wandered 
around  the  curtains,  embroidered  with  an  imitation  of  the 
delicate  blossoms  of  Yoshino,  so  painful  to  her  mind.  In 
the  midst  was  the  raised  dais,  ready  for  Kamakura-dono. 
Bitterly  she  regretted  the  deception.  She  made  her 
prayer  for  Yoshitsune  to  the  god  of  the  shrine,  and  then, 
as  if  the  gathering  were  for  some  other  purpose,  said  that 
as  the  crowd  was  so  great  she  would  dance  some  other 
day.  Kudo's  wife  had  her  answer  ready.  **  If  you  do 
not  dance  after  having  made  your  vow  to  the  god,  if  you 
turn  your  back  on  the  shrine  without  offering  him  your 
best  skill,  his  curse  will  fall  on  you  and  the  object  of  your 
prayer." 

Shizuka  remained  in  thought.  An  idea  came  into  her 
head.  Yoritomo  should  remember  this  dance.  "  Kama- 
kura-dono has  condescended  too  far  in  ordering  such  a 
humble  person  as  I  to  dance  before  him.  I  should  not 
Kke  to  fail.  When  I  danced  before  the  Court  I  had 
as  accompaniment  Kura-no-Kami  Nobumitsu.  At  the 
Shinsen-en  it  was  Shijo  Kisubara.  Both  were  musicians 
of  great  skill.  Here  there  is  no  drum  nor  flute.  For  a 
poor  prisoner  such  as  I,  to  try  and  please  his  lordship  by 
my  posturing  alone  would  mean  failure.  Pray  my  lord 
that  famous  musicians  be  brought  from  the  capital."  She 
could  at  least  annoy  these  impertinent  courtiers,  perhaps 
balk  them  entirely.  Yoritomo,  irritated  at  the  delay, 
asked  the  reason.  Kajiwara,  a  little  cast  down,  told  him 
what  Shizuka  said — that  there  was  no  fit  accompaniment. 
Perhaps  he  had  more  slitting  and  slicing,  bone-crushing 


252  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and  brain  pickiug  on  his  tongue's  end,  only  it  seemed  a 
pity  to  waste  such  preparation  more  fit  for  a  different  kind 
of  entertainment.  As  it  was  Yoritomo  laughed  at  them 
all.  He  was  decidedly  put  out,  and  derided  his  favourites. 
This  would  be  a  shame  on  us.  Everybody  will  laugh  in 
Miyako  at  our  being  halted  because  a  little  dancing  girl 
could  find  no  one  to  accompany  her  on  drum  or  flute. 
Here  are  Adachi  Shinsaburo,  Hatakeyama,  and  others. 
She  can  hardly  complain  of  such  skilled  musicians  of  noble 
lineage.  If  she  finds  another  pretext  to  refuse,  it  is  her 
death  warrant."  But  Shizuka  no  longer  sought  evasion. 
She  meant  to  lay  her  message  before  Yoritomo  in  the  eyes 
of  all.     The  dance  was  made  ready. 

The  costumes  were  rich  and  gay.  *'  First  advanced 
Adachi  Shinsaburo  Kiyotsune.  Under  his  yellow  court 
dress  appeared  a  blue  skirt.  He  wore  ehoshi,  and  carried 
under  his  arm  a  sandal- wood  tsuzumi  (drum),  its  sheep- 
skin tightly  bound  down  with  silken  cords.  His  manner 
was  graceful,  and  his  touch  so  skilful  that  the  sweet  and 
far  reaching  sound  of  the  drum  echoed  far  along  the 
ceiling  of  the  corridor.  He  took  his  seat  in  the  middle. 
Then  Nagami  Goro  Muneharu  stepped  forward.  His 
blue  skirt  appeared  beneath  a  grey  robe.  .  He  too 
wore  ehoshi.  He  carried  a  pair  of  cymbals  made  of 
Chinese  copper  and  decorated  in  gold  with  a  chry- 
santhemum pattern.  Holding  these  by  their  cords  he 
seated  himself  on  the  right  of  Kudo.  When  he  clashed 
his  instruments  it  was  as  the  sweet  song  of  the  suzumuski* 
The  last  to  appear  was' Hatakeyama  Shigetada.  On  him 
alone  Shizuka  cast  a  kindly  glance  ;  and  the  handsome 
giant  deserved  it.  He  was  "  dressed  in  a  white  skirt  with 
a  white  court  dress  over  it.  He  wore  the  ori-eboshi,\  and 
carried  his  favourite  flute  '  matsukaze  '  made  of  Chinese 

*  Homeogryllus  Japonicus,  and  to  be  purchased  in  August  at  any 
night  fair  for  a  few  sen.  Their  song  is  most  agreeable,  and  the  insect 
tolerably  hardy. 

t  Ori-eboshi — with  folding  top.  Cf.  Brinkley's  dictionary  for 
diflferent  figures.  Hakama — Japanese  trousers,  skirt-like.  Suikan — 
light  over-robe.  Takedabishi — Minakami :  cf.  also  Brinkley's  diction- 
ary. The  illustrators  even  of  the  shosetsu  (novels)  at  ten  sen  try  to 
follow  these  descriptions  of  costume  more  or  less  accurately, 


THE    STOKY   OF    SHIZUKA.  253 

bamboo.  His  stately  presence,  large  form,  and  fine 
complexion  attracted  the  favourable  attention  of  all." 
Yoritomo  took  his  seat  at  Kudo's  left.  Then  Shizuka 
appeared  from  the  temple  precincts.  She  had  made  her 
last  prayer,  and  Iso-no-zensu  had  carefully  dressed  her 
for  the  occasion.  Her  sufferings  had  thinned  her  delicate 
figure,  but  she  was  still  charming,  and  every  movement 
was  marked  with  grace  and  elegance,  as  with  slow  and 
stately  step  she  advanced  to  the  front  of  the  stage.  The 
Kamakura  people  for  the  first  time  saw  the  great  pro- 
fessional dancer  posed  for  her  chosen  task.  And  they  had 
seen  none  like  her.  Iso-no-zensu  had  dressed  her  in 
white  silk  haJcama  (divided  skirt).  A  red  skirt  appeared 
beneath  the  Chinese  twilled  silk  kimono  above  it.  In  this 
peered  out  the  edge  of  an  apple  green  eri.  Over  all  was 
thrown  a  suihan  embroidered  with  takedahishi  (split 
water-caltrops).  Yoritomo  and  Masako  gazed  at  her  as 
if  Yokii,  beautiful  wife  of  the  Emperor  Ei  of  China,  was 
standing  before  their  eyes.  Shizuka's  long  hair  was  piled 
high  on  her  head,  surmounted  by  a  kaze-ori  (Jg  fff  ?).* 
Her  eyebrows  pencilled  in  with  all  Iso-no-zensu's  skill, 
the  face  slightly  powdered,  with  her  -red-edged  ogi  (fold- 
ing fan)  she  looked  lilce  a  divinity. 

At  an  almost  imperceptible  sign  from  Shizuka,  the 
musicians  began  the  Jin-mu-jo  (Inexhaustible  Happiness). 
Wonderfully  clear  and  sweet  rose  the  singer's  voice  on 
this  theme  so  incongruous  to  her  situation  except  by  the 
most  outrageous  symbolism.  The  graceful  shaking  out 
of  her  long  sleeves,  the  exquisite  posturing,  the  skilful 
manipulation  of  the  fan  which  almost  had  voice  itself, 
aroused  the  greatest  enthusiasm.  Dancer  and  musicians 
wove  the  theme  in  and  out  in  wonderful  harmony.  "  As 
Shizuka  swayed  her  scarlet  fan,  so  light  was  her  dancing 
that  she  seemed  a  very  butterfly  on  the  wing."  At  the 
proper  point  Kiyotsune  would  have  quickened  the  music 
for  the  congratulatory  stanzas  to  the  lord  of  the  enter- 
tainment.    With  some  astonishment  and  misgivings  he 

*  It  is  a  kind  of  head-dress:  not  defined  in  Brinkley's  "Diction- 
ary."   Eri—diW  edging  on  an  inside  kimono  (bosom). 


254  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

followed  the  slowing  movements  of  the  singer's  fan  and 
voice.  Little  of  congratulation  was  she  thinking.  Yoshi- 
tsune  was  on  her  mind.  Shielding  her  eyes  with  her  fan 
and  turning  to  the  South,  as  if  gazing  far  off  in  slow  time 
she  sang : 

"  On  the  peak  of  Yoshino-yama 
"  Falls  the  white  snow  hiding  all ; 
"  On  this  scene  the  wanderer  enters, 
"  Seeking  trace  of  him  she  loves." 

Says  the  romancer ;  *'  her  voice  rang  out  clear  as  a  bell, 
and  those  present  held  their  breath  entranced."  Then 
she  sang  again 

"  The  winding,  winding,  of  a  trifling  ball  of  yarn  : 
"  Thus  feeble  are  my  lowly  wishes  for  his  once- time 
fortune." 

Thus  "she  sang  lightly  as  the  gleaming  dust  in  the 
sunshine,  and  every  one  had  tears  of  pleasure  in  their 
eyes,  many  of  them  at  heart  thinking  of  her  lot  in 
life."*  Not  so  the  master  of  the  feast.  Shizuka's  very 
slowness  of  diction  made  every  word  sink  into  the 
minds  of  all  present.  "  Those  who  sing  thus  seek  to 
"influence  the  divinity  of  the  place.  Her  pleas  in  Yoshi- 
tsune's  favour  are  the  same  as  curses  upon  me."  He  half 
turned  to  give  the  order  to  have  her  struck  down.  But 
the  Princess  Masako  was  there  to  protect.  "  A  woman 
should  be  faithful.  She  sings  just  as  I  felt  in  former  days, 
when  I  grieved  for  love  of  you.  Such  conduct  deserves 
reward.  Give  her  your  applause,  and  all  will  praise  you." 
And  so  this  astute  woman  lead  him  as  she  willed.  It  was 
with  rich  gifts  from  Yoritomo  and  Masako  that  Iso-no- 
zensu  followed  Shizuka  on  the  return  to  the  house  of  Hori ; 
"  gifts  as  to  one  allowed  to  go  without  let  or  hindrance."  At 
this  Yoritomo  could  smile  grimly.  Let  the  singing  girl  go 
free-yes  ;  but  as  to  his  brother's  spawn — time  would  show. 


*  These  songs  are  given: 
"  Yoshino  yama, 
"  Mine  no  shirayuki, 
"  Fumiwakete. 
"  Irinishi  hi  to  no, 
"  Ato  zo  koishiki." 


"  IShizuyashizu, 

"  Shidzu  no  odamaki, 

"  Kurikaeshi. 

"  Mukashi  wo  ima  ni 

"  Nasu  yoshimokana  " 


THE   STOEY   OF   SHIZUJCA.  '255 


3. 


Among  the  rough  Kwanto  huslii  Shizuka  was  hardly 
likely  to  escape  without  insult.  Let  us  give  an  instance. 
The  Japanese  romancers  call  it  "  Shizuka's  Kyosha."* 
It  was  only  a  few  days  after  the  famous  dance  at  Tsuru-ga- 
oka — on  May  5th — that  there  was  a  feast  given  by  Hori 
Toji  Chikaiye  to  other  members  of  the  Bakuryo,  those 
concerned  more  immediately  in  the  administration  of 
household  affairs — the  Home  Department,  so  to  speak. 
Among  those  present  were  the',  courtly  Adachi  Shinsaburo, 
Kajiwara  Kagesuye,  Kageshige,  Chiba  Heiji  Tsunehida, 
and  some  four  or  five  others.  The  feast  took  the  usual 
course  of  such  entertainments.  There  was  competition  in 
making  Httle  poems,f  dancing  and  singing  at  which  Iso- 
no-zensu  appeared,  and  songs  by  the  diners  who  became 
more  and  more  ribald  as  the  sake  cup  freely  circulated. 
Kajiwara  got  drunk.  His  old  passion  stirred  in  him,  and 
he  sought  out  Shizuka  in  open  insult.  It  was  no  difficult 
task  to  escape  his  clumsy  grasp,  and  with  tears  of  shame 
and  anger  she  turned  on  him.  "  I  am  she  who  belongs 
fc  o  lyo-no-kami,  Kuro  Yoshitsune.  It  is  only  because  he 
is  compelled  to  fly  that  you  dare  to  act  in  this  manner. 
Dearly  would  you  pay  for  it,  in  thus  taking  me  for  a  woman 
of  the  streets.  You,  a  mere  vassal !  Would  you  have  it 
come  to  the  ears  of  your  lord,  Yoritomo  ?  After  all  the 
Hangwan  is  his  brother."  It  was  the  last  words,  and  no 
good   feeling,  that  made  Kagesuye  stagger  off  in  shame 

*  A  cowardly,  mean-spirited  fellow. 

t  In  construction  extremely  formal  and  mechanical — with  catch 
phrases  and  words  of  technical  meaning  forming  a  regular  dictionary. 
A  lively  imagination  can  churn  out  a  poem  on  these  lines  much  as  Mr. 
Pott's  young  man  wrote  on  Chinese  metaphysics.  The  elaboration  in 
condensation  has  perhaps  militated  against  the  production  of  any 
really  great  Japanese  poet.  The  complicated  metres  and  heroic 
measures  of  western  poetry  are  lacking. 


2&6  SAITO   3VroSASHl-B0  BENKEI. 

and  some  little  fear.  Yoritomo  had  an  erratic  and 
heavy  hand  in  family  affairs.  He  put  his  kindred  in  their 
graves,  and  sent  his  instruments  after  them  with  com- 
mendable promptitude.  But  Kamakura  was  a  rough 
place.  Says  the  romancer,*  "  the  young  hushi  never 
thought  of  the  wearing  of  the  world's  trials  on  a  yearning 
and  upright  heart,  and  how  the  sorrow  over  one's  trials 
was  made  keener  by  the  degradation  of  the  insults  offered 
by  this  rough  company." 

Time  passed,  however,  and  with  it  came  unhappiness 
for  Sbizuka  in  ill-omened  birth  rites.  She  and  her  mother 
had  prayed  earnestly  for  a  girl.  On  the  fourteenth  of 
September  she  was  taken  with  the  labour  pains.  Fortuna- 
tely or  unfortunately  these  were  long  and  severe,  and  the 
young  mother  lay  half  unconscious  in  the  care  of  the 
midwife.  Iso-no-zensu  wept  and  wailed  in  the  neigh- 
bouring apartment  while  the  Kitanokata  tried  to  comfort 
her.  Hori  looked  gloomily  on — the  infant  lying  in  their 
midst  and  doomed  to  death.  Iso-no-zensu  besought  him 
to  find  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty.  But  there  was  none. 
It  was  as  much  as  the  lives  of  all  of  them  were  worth  to 
even  delay  reporting  the  child's  existence.  In  Kamakura 
men  lived  beset  with  spies,  and  even  from  the  lips  of  one's 
children  suspicion  marked  its  victims.  He  besought  her 
to  silence  her  noisy  grief.  ''  If  Shizuka  hears  you  she  will 
know  a  boy  has  been  born.  In  her  condition  it  may 
mean  the  loss  of  reason  and  life.  I  must  do  my  duty,  and 
report  to  the  Bakuryo."  Iso-no-zensu  in  an  agony  of 
tears  continued  her  supplications.  Then  the  weak  voice  of 
Shizuka  was  heard  from  her  bed  of  sickness.  "  Send  the 
child  to  Yoritomo.  Do  not  let  me  see  it.  My  tears  may 
check  its  happy  way  to  Paradise."  Hori  Toji  admired  the 
courage  of  the  girl-mother.  But  Iso-no-zensu,  pushing 
aside  the  sliding  screens,  laid  the  babe  in  Shizuka 's  arms. 
She,  smiling  in  grief,  by  a  natural  movement  put  its  tender 
face  to  her  breast.  The  women  remained,  mutely  watch- 
ing mother  and  child.  Hori  Toji  heavily  took  his  way  to 
the  palace  at  Tsuruga-oka. 

*  Saito  Kozu.    The  Adzuma  Kagami  refers  to  this  dinner  under  this 
date.    Saito  Kozu  places  it  June  4th  (fifth  month  fourteenth  day). 


*'bear  it  to  some  remote  and  desert  place':   the  exposure. 


THE   STOEY   OF   SHIZUKA.  257 

The  orders  were  sharp  and  clear.  In  a  short  time  Hori 
reappeared,  accompanied  by  Adachi  Shinsaburo  Kiyotsune 
to  whom  the  child  was  to  be  delivered.  They  found  the 
babe  delicately  wrapped  in  softest  silk  and  clasped  in  its 
mother's  arms,  who  was  ready  to  use  every  means  that 
Nature  and  woman's  defence  in  her  weak  condition  put 
at  her  command.  This  weak  barrier  was  too  trifling. 
Shizuka  refused  to  part  with  the  babe.  Adachi  Shinsaburo 
Kiyotsune,  becoming  impatient,  refused  to  wait.  It  looked 
as  if  the  atrocious  means  of  tearing  it  from  her  by  violence 
was  a  last  resort.  When  this  was  threatened  Iso-no-zensu 
leaning  over  intervened,  with  gentle  force  removed  it  from 
Shizuka 's  arms,  and  with  averted  face  delivered  it  to 
Adachi.  He  left  at  once.  Shizuka,  weeping  bitterly, 
fell  over  the  empty  hollow  marked  on  the  cushion  by  the 
infant's  tiny  body.  Iso-no-zensu,  begging  for  one  last 
look,  followed  Adachi.  He,  however,  leaped  on  his  horse 
and  galloped  away.  In  desperation,  without  sandals,  Iso- 
no-zensu  ran  after  him.  Hori,  anxious  lest  more  ill  would 
befall  them,  followed  after  her.  Adachi  was  soon  out  of 
sight  riding  towards  the  sea.  When  Iso-no-zensu  reached 
the  shore  there  was  no  sign  of  him,  and  she  wandered  up 
and  down  seeking  traces  of  fresher  hoof-marks.  At  the 
Inasegawa  she  came  across  some  children  playing  in 
the  sand.  On  asking  them  whether  a  man  on  horse- 
back had  passed  that  way  the  eldest  answered  "  yes," 
and  on  his  pointing  the  way  she  followed  the  direc- 
tion. Here  on  the  strand  of  Yui-ga-hama,  within  reach 
of  the  advancing  tide,  the  babe  was  found.  An  ugly  gap 
in  its  little  throat  showed  where  the  keen  knife  had 
entered  to  take  its  life.  A  heavy  stone  was  wrapped 
within  the  silken  swaddling  clothes.  *'  Only  a  short  time 
before  pink  like  a  bud,  now  it  was  a  white  waxen  doll." 
Iso-no-zensu  took  it  on  her  knees  and  cried  until  she  was 
exhausted.  Her  eyes  blinded  by  her  tears  she  sought  a 
place  of  burial,  to  dig  a  grave  deep  in  the  sand  with  her 
own  bare  hands.  The  place,  however,  was  open  ;  "a 
common  ground  trampled  by  horse  and  ox."  She  looked 
toward  a  Httle  wood  close  at  hand.  Hori  Toji,  however, 
came  up  to  her.     "Let  not  your  tears  hinder  his  quiet 


25 8  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  BEHKEI. 

sleep.  We  will  take  the  child  back  with  as,  and  it  shall 
be  buried  at  my  expense  in  the  Chojti-in.'* 

Thus  they  took  her  child  home  to  Shizuka.  With  a 
little  surprise  Hori  found  several  yellow-robed  priests  at 
the  entrance.  His  wife  signed  him  to  wait.  The  saintly 
bishop  of  the  Todaiji,  Tokugyo,  had  entered  on  his  own 
mission  to  Hori,  to  find  himself  in  the  presence  of  distress. 
It  was  he  who  was  with  Shizuka.  Sadly  and  mournfully 
rose  and  fell  the  voice  of  the  venerable  man  as  he 
counselled  her  as  to  those  evils — birth  and  disease,  parting, 
old  age,  and  death,  all  rooted  in  ignorance  and  delusion, 
themselves  the  source  of  all  pain.  Iso-no-zensu  silently 
entered  and  laid  the  dead  body  of  the  infant  on  Shizuka 's 
couch.  And  so  the  two  women  bent  over  it  as  the  priest 
bowed  his  head  and  silently  told  his  rosary.  It  was  with 
a  wild  cry  of  anguish  that  Shizuka  half  rose  to  answer 
verse  for  verse  in  the  lamentation  of  Suddhodhana  the  king  : 

"  O  holy  man,  surely  the  prince  cannot  be  born  for 
"  my  sorrow  ?     I   have   with   difficulty    obtained    a 

handful  of  water, 
"  surely  it  is  not  death  which  comes  to  drink  it  ?  " 

Then  in  a  tempest  of  tears  she  fell  forward  on  her  dead 
child. — There  comes  sometimes  into  the  evening  of  our 
lives  one  of  those  gleams  of  purest  happiness,  a  rainbow  at 
the  close  of  day — like  it  to  be  broken  and  shattered  in 
clouds  and  darkness.  These  are  visions  sent  to  teach  us 
the  happiness  and  unhappiness  of  life  :  visions  of  little 
children,  the  pain  of  which  we  love  and  to  which  we 
cling.  And  thus  to  young  and  old  there  is  a  sorrow  the 
edge  of  which  is  keen  and  never  dulled. 

Then  with  rites,  respect  and  courtesy,  the  babe  was 
laid  to  rest  as  Hori  Toji  Chikaiye  had  promised.  Pro- 
scribed, it  found  its  refuge  at  the  Chojil-in.  And  Hori 
stood  none  the  worse  for*  it  with  his  cold-blooded  master. 
There  was  now  nothing  to  detain  Shizuka  and  her  mother 
in  Kamakura.  They  were  free ;  but  on  what  terms ! 
Shizuka 's  prayers  were  no  longer  directed  to  Hachiman 
Daibosatsu,  but  sadly  to  the  gentle  Jizo-sama.  For  some 
weeks   Shizuka   found   consolation  with   Tokugyo.     The 


THS    STORY   OF    SHTZUK4.  259J 

great  bishop  liked  to  play  the  saint,  in  these  days  when  as; 
friend  and  protector  of  Yoshitsune  he  had  been  brought; 
up_i6  the  NortK,  a  jorisoner.  Of  her  lord's  whereabouts, 
he  could  not  breathe  a  word  to  Shizuka,  although  Yoshi- 
tsune was  to  learn  from  him  these  scenes  taking  place  in : 
the  northern  city.  And  there  was  kindness  from  others. 
The  cold,  ambitious  woman,  Princess  Masako,  was  taken 
by  the  similarity  of  the  woes  of  the  dancing  girl  and 
of  the  great  lady,  so  different  in  outcome.  The  gratitude 
of  Shizuka,  conveyed  through  the  wife  of  Hori  Toji, 
brought  back  not  only  gifts  but  valuable  letters,  for- 
bidding any  interference  with  them  on  their,  return 
journey  to  Miyako.  On  the  eleventh  of  October  (1186 
A.D.)  they  set  forth  to  return  to  the  small  house 
at  Kitashirakawa,  attached  to  the  Tenriuji  temple.  Here 
Shizuka  lived  in  strict  retirement.  With  her  own  hands 
she  cut  off  her  beautiful  hair,  and  as  the  nun  Saisei 
she  donned  the  black  robe,  to  finger  the  Hokkekyo  and 
make  daily  visits  to  the  Jibutsudo,  and  to  pray  for  the 
safety  of  her  lover.  Where  Yoshitsune  was,  she  did  not 
know.  Not  even  Kamakura  knew.  But  exposure  and 
sorrow  had  done  their  work.  "  The  people  pitied 
the  sad-faced  girl,  going  to  and  fro  from  house  to 
temple.  They  thought  of  Ukibune,  living  her  lonely  life 
on  the  Ono  Hill."  With  the  fall  of  the  leaf  in  the  follow- 
ing year  came  release  to  Shizuka,  and  in  the  third  year  of 
Bunji  (1187  A.D.)  she  died.  She  had  not  yefc  reached 
her  twentieth  year.  Thus  on  all,  old  and  young,  men, 
women,  children,  nay  even  infants,  did  this  Old  Japan 
lay  its  iron  hand.  And  so  ends  the  tale  of  the  life 
and  fortunes,  the  happiness  and  unhappiness,  of  the 
Lady  Shizuka.* 

*  Shizuka  makes  reference  to  the  beautiful  Buddhist  idea  that  tears 
distress  and  injure  the  little  child  spirit ;  keep  it  from  starting  on  its 
lonely  journey  to  the  worldof  souls.  In  the  dry  river  bed — some  local 
Sai  no  Kawara  (River  of  Souls") — there  will  be  seen  piled  up  little  heaps 
of  stones,  to  which  the  kind-hearted  traveller  is  careful  to  add  his 
quota.  It  is  the  distressing  idea  of  the  little  Japanese  mother,  mourn- 
ing her  dead  child,  that  playing  all  by  itself  (hitori  asonde)  it  is  way- 
laid by  the  evil  old  woman  Shozuka  no  Baba,  robbed  of  all  its  little 
possessions,  and  naked  and  cold   compelled  to  this  useless  task  of  piling 


260  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

up  pebbles.  Jizosama,  the  gentle  and  benevolent,  alone  can  aid  the 
little  ones  in  their  task,  and  to  him  go  up  daily  countless  prayers  for 
his  merciful  assistance  to  the  helpless  little  toilers.  This  is  one  of  the 
sad  features  of  this  sad  religion  which  condemns  mankind  in  the  mass 
to  a  round  of  endless  misery  in  life,  leaving  to  a  cold  and  selfish 
philosophy  alone  the  enjoyment  of  an  existence  in  which  feeling  and 
thought  have  the  distinctive  qualifications  of — non  existence  !  [Cf 
Rhys  Davids—"  Questions  of  King  Milinda  "  Vol  I,  78 ;  Vol  II,  181.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  FLIGHT  TO  OSHU. 


"  Let  him  not  desiie  to  die,  let  him  not  desire  to  live ;  let  him 
"  wait  for  his  appointed  time,  as  a  servant  waits  for  the  payment 
"  of  his  wages. 

"  Let  him  instigate  to  rebellion  those  who  are  open  to  such 
''instigations,  let  him  be  informed  of  his  foe's  doings,  and,  when 
"  fate  is  propitious,  let  him  fight  without  fear,  trying  to  conquer. 
*'  When  he  fights  with  his  foe  in  battle,  let  him  not  strike  with 
"  weapons  concealed  in  wood,  nor  with  such  as  are  barbed, 
"  poisoned,  or  the  points  of  which  are  blazing  with  fire. 
"  Let  him  not  strike  one  who  in  flight  has  climbed  on  an 
"  eminence  ;  nor  an  eunuch,  nor  one  who  joins  the  palms  of  his 
*'  hands  in  supplication,  nor  one  who  flees  with  flying  hair,  nor 
"  one  who  sits  down,  nor  one  who  says,  '  I  am  thine.'  " 

Manu. 


1. 


It  is  necessary  again  to  take  up  the  thread  of  our  story, 
and  follow  Yoshitsune  in  the  last  windings  and  twistings 
of  his  skein  of  life.  We  have  left  him  and  his  party  on 
the  way  down  the  mountain  slope  of  Yoshino,  their 
sandals  tied  on  in  reverse  fashion  to  deceive  any  pursuers 
seeking  their  trail.  It  was  but  a  short  distance  to  the  few 
huts  which  made  up  the  hamlet  of  ligai  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain.  Here  they  silently  loosened  one  of  the  larger 
boats,  and  thus  crossed  the  Yoshinogawa.     Arrived  at  the 


262  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

farther  shore  Ise  Saburo  gave  the  craft  a  vigorous  kick, 
and  it  was  soon  on  its  way  down  the  stream,  thas  to  give 
httle  inkhng  as  to  the  real  direction  of  the  fugitives.  Then 
passing  rapidly  through  Kamiichi,  in  the  darkness  they 
started  upward  to  reach  Ryuzai-toge.*  This  beautiful 
walk  in  spring  or  summer  was  not  so  pleasant  when  deep 
in  snow.  The  pilgrimages — and  the  trail  was  used  for  little 
else — were  confined  to  the  summer,  when  the  rough  and 
hollow  places  were  plain  to  view.  Now  with  the  surface 
one  treacherous  level,  and  the  snow  blinding  them,  they 
often  found  themselves  up  to  the  neck  in  a  drift,  or  on  the 
edge  of  a  gaping  precipice.  Struggle  as  they  did  they 
failed  to  reach  Tonomine  that  night,  and  had  to  camp 
iii  the  storm  and  among  the  trees  on  the  snow-covered 
ground.  They  were  close  to  the  shrine  of  the  Taishoku- 
k wan,  to  which  as  warriors  they  offered  prayers,  without 
daring  nearer  approach.  A  freezing  rain  was  falling, 
and  they  were  wet,  hungry,  and  dispirited.  Even  Yoshi- 
tsune  was  much  discouraged  as  he  witnessed  the  sufferings 
of  this  little  band  of  men  so  devoted  to  him. 

Benkei,  seeing  it,  to  encourage  them  told  the  story  of 
King  Shirana  of  China,  who  had  fallen  into  difficulties 
with  his  powerful  neighbour  King  Barana.  Now  Shirana 
had  an  elephant.  Like  the  Lord  Buddha  in  a  previous 
birth  he  seemed  the  very  king  of  elephants,  f     At  least 

*  Much  better  taken  from  Sakurai  to  Yoshino  than  in  the  reverse 
direction.  From  Sakurai,  a  pleasant  little  town  with  a  plain,  but  good 
inn,  and  the  beautiful  Hase  temple  close  at  hand,  the  road  by  Tonomine 
over  the  Ryuzai-toge  and  Yumihari-toge  is  very  easy  walking,  affords 
beautiful  views,  and  from  Tonomine  the  climbing  is  insignificant. 
The  burial  mounds  of  the  Tenno  in  this  district  are  as  apocryphal  as 
the  majority  of  the  once  inmates.  They  have  been  named  by  Japanese 
archaeologists  under  the  stimulus  of  finding  a  last  resting  place  for  the 
early  mythical  Tenno.  The  same  ingenious  speculation  could  well  have 
been  turned  to  the  vague  notices  of  the  Nihougi  and  Kojiki  and  their 
inconsistencies.  But  thus  the  twentieth  century  Japanese  turns 
positivist ! 

t  "Then  the  Bodisat  was  an  elephant,  decked  with  all  manner  of 
ornaments  so  that  the  king  (Devadatta)  might  make  use  of  them" — 
**  Questions  of  King  Milinda  "  I  p.  285  (Rhys  Davids.  S.B.E.  XXXV). 
Cf,  same  p.  297,  where  the  man-slaying  elephant  Dhana-palaka,  bearing 
down  on  the  Buddha,  is  converted  into  a  lamb  of  temper  to  allow  its 
ears  to  be  scratched.  In  I,  p.  20  (Milinda)  the  king  refers  to  the 
Buddha  as  "  Six  Tusks,  the  Elephant- King."  ,     .  .   ^ 


THE    FLIGHT   TO   OSHU.  263 

he  ate  four  hundred  Iwhii  of  rice  a  day  (nearly  2000 
bushels),  and  threatened  to  eat  Shirana  out  of  palace  and 
kingdom.  Plis  courtiers  thought  that  the  elephant's  feed 
would  be  better  placed  on  their  backs  or  in  their  pockets. 
His  captains  thought  that  it  would  be  more  suitably 
bestowed  in  lining  their  gullets.  His  people  thought  that 
a  few  more  companies  of  soldiers  drawn  from  themselves 
and  drawing  pay  would  be  better  protection  against  the 
wiles  of  King  Barana.  Not  so  Shirana,  who  stuck  to  his 
elephant  with  all  the  true  obstinacy  of  an  Oriental  and  a 
Kins:.  The  news  came  that  the  feared  regiments  of 
Barana  were  on  the  way  after  Shirana 's  crown  and  the 
head  within  it.  The  captains  looked  sour.  The  people 
were  frightened.  All  thought  of  the  missing  companies  of 
soldiers.  Shirana  thought  of  the  elephant,  and  he  went 
to  consult  and  condole  with  his  huge  pet.  The  beast 
received  him  kindly,  waving  its  trunk  and  trumpeting 
loudly,  swaying  backward  and  forward  its  huge  body,  and 
waving  its  feet — as  elephants  will  do.  Shirana  took  this 
as  a  good  omen,  and  put  the  elephant  in  the  van  of  battle, 
to  the  great  joy  of  all  as  one  way  of  getting  rid  of  the 
monster.  The  move  was  brilliantly  successful.  Frightened 
at  the  turmoil  the  beast  ran — forward.  The  foe  was 
trampled  under  foot.  Barana  succeeded  in  escaping  with 
difficulty,  accompanied  by  four  others,  and  only  then  by 
reversing  the  sandals.  Shirana  returned  to  gird  up  his 
loins  for  a  vaster  effort,  which  resulted  in  the  complete 
discomfiture  of  Barana,  and  his  elimination  as  an  active 
factor  in  Chinese  politics  and  an  item  of  its  census.  As 
Yoshitsune  looked  around  at  the  bright  listening  faces, 
and  heard  the  suppressed  laughter  at  Benkei's  comic 
account,  so  encouraging  in  their  present  woes,  his  admira- 
tion and  affection  for  his  versatile  body-guard  found 
expression.  "  Benkei  there  is  none  like  you.  As  priest 
and  soldier  you  are  never  found  wanting." 

The  morning  light  brought  cheerfulness  and  shelter  at 
Tonomine.*     In  the  beautiful  wisteria  room  of  the  South 


"  *  With  its  surroundings,  a  charming  place.     Very  much  out  of  the 
world,  which  is  no  drawback  to  its  venerable  shade. 


264  SAITO   MUSASHI-BQ,  BEHKEI. 

Hall,  the  Betto,  Jujibo,  received  Yoshitsune  with  great 
kindness.  A  Minamoto,  he  had  little  favour  for  the  harsh 
man  in  Kamakura,  but  he  pointed  out  that  if  a  demand 
was  made  upon  him  he  could  oppose  but  little  resistance 
to  the  force  Hojo  Tokimasa  would  direct  on  him  from 
Miyako.  He  was  too  near  Yoshino  not  to  be  suspected  ; 
and  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  be  able  to  deny  the 
presence  of  Yoshitsune,  and  throw  open  his  doors  to  any 
investigation.  So  under  the  escort  of  some  of  the  younger 
priests,  eager  enthusiasts  and  proud  to  guide  the  famous 
general,  Yoshitsune  in  a  few  days  left  for  Totsukawa. 
This  place  was  deeply  isolated  in  the  mountains,  amid 
rocks  and  precipices,  steep  slopes,  and  gloomy  forests. 
"  To  reach  it  was  difficult  for  any  but  a  bird."  The  few 
peasants  were  the  best  of  their  Idnd ;  thoroughly  rustic 
and  ignorant,  fine  bow-men,  and  ready  to  fight  blindly  at 
the  orders  jo  :jheir  superior.  A  few  men  could  hold  an 
army  at  bay  on  these  slopes. 

If  safe  there  was  one  serious  drawback  to  Totsukawa 
as  a  basis  of  campaign.  It  was  so  isolated,  so  difficult  of 
access,  that  there  was  no  news  of  the  outside  world,  and 
this  had  to  be  Yoshitsune's  scene  of  action.  Taking  the 
bull  by  the  horns  he  determined  to  seek  refuge  and  counsel 
in  Nara  itself  and  with  Tokugyo,  to  whom  he  stood  in  the 
relation  of  disciple  to  master.  Here  his  reception  was  of 
the  kindest.  The  Abbot  of  the  Todaiji,  plain  and  simple 
old  man  as  he  was,  held  one  of  the  most  powerful 
ecclesiastical  appointments  in  the  country.  But  he  laid 
before  Yoshitsune  his  danger  in  the  plainest  way.  This 
had  been  much  accentuated  by  recent  events  in  politics. 
Yoritomo  had  sent  Yamato-no-Kami  Shigehiro,  and 
Ipponbo  Shohan,  to  Miyako  to  protest  sharply  against  the 
Hoo's  action  in  granting  Kyushu  and  Shikoku  to  such 
notorious  rebels  as  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye.  It  made  little 
difference  as  his  own  feudal  lords  held  their  fiefs  firmly  in 
their  grasp,  and  would  not  listen  to  the  treacherous  designs 
of  these  plotters..  The  wrecking  of  Yoshitsune's  expedition 
had  made  his  own  further  movements  unnecessary,  and 
he  had  returned  promptly  to  Kamakura  to  deal  out 
*'  rewards "  for  past    events.      Thus   Abe    Shigeyori,   a 


THE   FLIGHT   TO    OSHU.  ^2Q5 

relative  of  Yoshitsune  through  Tokiwa,  lost  his  fief. 
Shiraokawabe  Shiro  Masayoshi,  the  son-in-law,  suffered 
the  same  fate,  and  the  heads  of  both  were  in  no  small 
danger.  Yoritomo  took  Yoshitsune  very  seriously,  and  he 
made  others  realize  it.  At  least  the  Hoo  did,  and  thus  he 
was  prompt  to  issue  the  order  of  arrest  against  the  two 
fugitives.  But  this  by  no  means  was  satisfactory.  It  was 
said  that  it  was  Oye  Hiromoto,  Inaba-no-Kami,  who  in 
the  council  had  made  the  proposition  that  was  to  have 
such  influence  on  Japanese  history.  As  long  as  Kamakura 
and  its  governing  power  had  to  resort  to  the  civil  arm  to 
conduct  proceedings  against  delinquents  it  was  helpless. 
In  every  domain  of  the  petty  lords,  independent  practi- 
cally as  representing  the  Tenno  or  influencing  his  repre- 
sentative, a  check  was  met.  The  Buke  (military  caste)  must 
be  all  brought  under  the  direct  control  of  the  military 
commander-in-chief.  This  latter  must  have  his  own 
representative,  and  in  matters  affecting  the  public  peace 
such  representative  alone  was  to  act,  with  appeal  only 
admitted  to  the  head  at  Kamakura.  Practically  this 
proposition  meant  a  creation  of  martial  law  all  over 
Japan,  and  when  a  few  years  later  Yoritomo  conquered 
the  northern  provinces  of  Dewa  and  Mutsu  it  made  him 
and  his  successors  masters  of  Japan.  Yoritomo  seized  the 
idea  eagerly.  His  master  mind  undoubtedly  saw  that  this 
was  no  mere  measure  of  police.  Craftily  the  order  was 
drawn  as  more  to  cover  the  exigencies  of  the  times  than  as 
a  permanent  method  of  procedure.  Kamakura  was  no 
longer  to  be  compelled  to  send  out  armies,  where  the  local 
posse  was  the  appropriate  means  to  use.  Hojo  Tokimasa 
took  down  the  commission  to  Miyako  to  secure  the  Ten  no's 
seal.  The  agitation  was  great,  but  fear  of  Yoritomo 
swayed  the  council.  At  the  beginning  of  January,  1186 
A.D.  Yoritomo  was  made  Sotsui-bushi,  or  Chief  of  Police, 
of  the  country.*  The  administrative  power  could  now 
only  act  with  the  consent  and  aid  of  the  man  who  held 
physical  force  and  the  formal  permission  to  use  it..     With 

*  However,  see  note  on  "  Politics  of  Yoritomo."  Sotsui-bushi  should 
then  be  so-jito. 


266  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI 

undisguised  glee  Hojo  brought  back  this  valuable  grant  of 
unlimited  power  to  his  worthy  son-in-law. 

The  pursuit  after  Yoshitsune  was  hot.  To  be  sure 
was  in  May  that  the  Hoc  went  in  pleasing  procession  to 
Ohara  to  pray  for  the  eternal  rest  of  the  unfortunate 
Kenrei-mon-in.*  Exposure  and  suffering  had  been  too 
much  for  the  once  Taira  nyoin.  Early  in  June 
Yukiiye  was  finally  cornered  in  Izumi,  and  bagged  by 
Fujiwara  Yoshiyasu,  or  troops  sent  out  at  his  orders. 
His  head,  sent  to  Kamakura,  secured  to  this  lucky 
man  the  governorship  of  Miyako.t  Tokugyo  urged  on 
Yoshitsune  the  only  course  which  might  promise  safety. 
**  Your  brother  has  secured  a  control  which  will  be 
very  difficult  to  shake.  This  grant  of  the  Tenno  is 
practically  an  extension  of  the  Household  Law  of  your 
clan  to  all  hiishi  outside  of  it.  What  has  caused  your 
downfall  I  do  not  know.  Perhaps  it  is  the  angry  ghosts 
of  the  Taira  thus  vindictively  pursuing  you.  Shave  your 
head  and  turn  priest.  This  open  abandonnent  of  all 
ambitions  should  stay  your  brother's  arm.  The  priest's 
robe  is  still  a  source  of  protection."  He  spoke  somewhat 
doubtfully  on  this  last  point,  and  anyhow  Yoshitsune  was 
obstinate.  Said  he  i; — '*  You  are  perfectly  right.  But  it; 
has  been  by  my  exertions  that  .my  brother  is  able  to 
exercise  his  present  power.  It  is  to  destroy  Kajiwara, 
Hojo,  and  the  band  of  slanderers,  and  npt  against  my 
brother  that  I  pursue  my  ambition.  Only  as  long  as 
they  have  his  ear  is  it  nominally  directed  against  him. 
Please  let  me  have  my  way  in  the  matter."  Tokugyo 
sadly  acquiesced.  Thus  for  the  time  being  Yoshitsune 
safely  stayed  at  the  Todaiji  of  Nara.  To  avoid  suspicion 
his    retainers   v/ere    dismissed    to   different    places    near 

*  0-Dai  Ichiran  under  date  of  May,  1186  A.D.  Much  better 
authority  (Dai-Nihon-shi)  says  she  lived  to  1213  A.D.  Cf  Papinot's 
"  Dictionnaire,"  under  Taira  Toku-ko.  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  says  she 
retired  to  the  Jakko-in  (temple). 

t  Says  the  Adziima  Kagami  he  was  detected  and  arrested  at  the 
house  of  Hyuga  Gon-no-Kami  in  Izumi,  at  which  he  had  been  staying. 
The  head  reached  Kamakura  on  14  June  1186  A.D.  "  Number  one," 
quoth  Yoritomo  as  he  "  clutched  "  it.  This  Gon-no-Kami  is  an  under 
district  lord.     "  Gon — vice  or  assistant  "  says  Brinkley's  "  Dictionary."- 


YOSHITSUNE  CROPS  THE  EARS  OF  THE  NARA  HOSHI. 


THE   FLIGHT   TO   OSHU.  267 

Miyako.  Kisata  alone  stayed  with  him.  •  All,  however, 
could  thus  keep  within  easy  touch  of  him,  against  whom 
alone  the  pursuit  was  centred.  They  meanwhile  were  so 
many  eyes  and  ears  for  Yoshitsune.  Benkei  is  said  to 
have  again  concealed  his  giant  form  at  the  lonely  little 
moorland  hut  at  Ohara. 

An  unexpected  event  put  an  end  to  this  rustication. 
There  was  at  the  Kofukuji  of  Nara*  a  monk  named 
Tajima  no  Ajari.  He  was  the  leader  of  a  band  of  soliei, 
who  robbed  swords  and  made  open  boast  of  their  skill 
and  prowess  in  doing  so.  He  had  noticed  a  slender 
youthful  samurai,  who  was  accustomed  in  the  evening  to 
walk  in  a  little  meadow  attached  on  the  east  to  the 
Kwanshubo.  This  youth  practised  much  on  a  valuable 
leaf-flute,  and  wore  a  handsome  gold-ornamented  sword. 
The  flute  was  no  bad  thing  in  itself.  The  sword  he 
determined  to  have.  With  six  or  seven  ruffians  he  laid 
in  wait.  The  proposed  victim  was  very  cautious  in  his 
idle  sauntering.  After  a  week's  delay,  however,  Tajima 
thought  the  opportunity  had  come,  the  flute  player  strolling 
later  than  usual.  It  was  a  cloudy  evening  at  the  end  of 
April.  Suddenly  Yoshitsune  found  himself  surrounded  by 
the  band.  Tajima  confronted  him.  He  was  a  giant 
fellow  and  made  small  account  of  such  a  light-weight. 
"That's  a  nice  weapon  you  have  ;  and  the  flute  also.  I 
think  these  two  would  be  better  in  my  hands  than  yours." 
He  reached  out  to  grasp  them.  The  next  moment  he 
was  sprawling  on  the  ground.  Tajima 's  companions  at 
once  began  an  attack,  but  they  might  as  well  have  tried 
to  grasp  the  air.  Yoshitsune  was  here,  there,  and  no- 
where. He  found  these  priests  an  easy  task.  Six  lay 
dead.  Tajima,  who  had  hovered  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
fray,  had  escaped  with  a  few  slight  wounds.  He  took  to 
flight  but  Yoshitsune  was  soon  upon  him.  Fleeing  from 
this  goblin  swordsman  the  priest  stumbled,  and  in  pure 
terror  fell  in  a  dead  faint.  Yoshitsune,  as  a  preliminary 
to  more  radical  surgery  on  this  chief  of  the  band,  turned  up 

*  The  great  monastery  on  the  South  fought  its  battles  with  Hieisan 
on  the  North ;  and  in  company  with  Onjoji  (Miidera),  all  three 
terrorized  the  authorities  of  Miyako. 


26S  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  face.  *'  Why,  its  Tajima,  the  bragging  bully  of  the 
Kofukuji !  Well,  I  shall  nofc  kill  him,  but  he  shall  have 
cause  to  remember  this  night.*'  So  he  cut  off  ears  and  nose, 
and  sweetly  playing  his  flute  returned  to  the  Kwanshubo. 
Tajima,  roused  by  pain,  found  himself  most  extraordinarily 
wet.  It  could  not  be  dew.  Feeling  pain  in  his  ears 
thither  wandered  his  hands.  No  ears  !  He  looked  at  his 
fingers  and  found  them  covered  with  blood.  And  his 
nose  ?  No  nose !  Putting  different  little  incidents 
together  he  soon  reached  a  good  guess  as  to  who  this 
extraordinary  swordsman  was.  Yoshitsune,  once  at 
Totsugawa,  had  left  there  ;  so  much  was  common  gossip  of 
the  monks'  refectory.  The  next  day  what  was  left  of  him 
was  on  the  road  to  Miyako.  He  had  the  tale  of 
Tokugyo's  revolt,  of  six  men  killed  by  an  extraordinary 
fencer,  his  own  nose  and  ears  cut  off,  and  this  as  a  punish- 
ment for  his  virtuous  refusal  to  join  the  movement. 

Yoshitsune  was  not  a  whit  behind  him.  To  kill  six 
men  of  the  Kofukuji  sohei  was  certain  to  cause  a  sensation. 
Tajima  would  seek  revenge.  So  he  went  Tokugyo  and 
told  him  that  he  must  leave.  Hojo  Tokimasa  would  soon 
be  in  Nara.  "  I  shall  retire  to  Tabu-no-mine.  Kisata 
will  summon  the  retainers,  and  as  soon  as  possible  we  will 
escape  to  Mutsu  and  Hidehira.  I  can  do  nothing  here. 
All  acquiesce,  and  only  in  the  North  can  a  diversion  be 
created  which  may  cause  a  rising  here."  Tokugyo  urged 
him  to  be  in  no  haste.  The  Todaiji  was  the  Tenno's  place 
of  worship.  Its  abbot  was  the  court  preacher,  and  to 
violate  its  precincts  without  an  order  from  the  court  was 
sacrilege.  Yoshitsune  smiled.  "  I  see  you  are  not  only 
the  most  learned  in  the  Wheel  of  the  Law,  but  you  have 
politics  at  your  fingers'  ends.  But  there  might  be  a  battle, 
and  your  remaining  buildings  would  suffer.  This  would 
grieve  me  greatly.  Let  me  have  an  escort  to  Tabu-no- 
mine."  Tokugyo  reluctantly  parted  with  him,  sending 
six  bushi  with  their  guards  to  accompany  him.  Kisata 
left  for  Miyako  to  pass  the  word  to  Benkei  and  the  others 
that  their  master  was  again  in  need  of  his  fighting  men. 


THE   FLIGHT   TO   OSHU.  269 


2. 


Yoshitsune,  therefore,  was  no  longer  at  the  Todaiji 
when  Hojo  Tokimasa  entered  the  town  with  five  hundred 
men.  Hojo  made  the  mistake  of  not  seeing  the  bishop 
in  person,  but  sent  Hiki  Tomomune.*  His  message 
was  couched  in  contemptuous  terms.  Denial  was 
useless.  Tajima  had  exposed  the  whole  plot.  He  must 
give  the  fugitive  up  or  suffer  the  consequences.  Then 
Tomomune  asked  whether  the  bishop  would  deliver  the 
prisoner,  or  should  he  himself  seize  and  bind  him.  The 
bishop  answered  him  in  cold  and  measured  tones.  "  Your 
informant  is  a  thief  and  a  liar.  Tajima,  the  Ajari,  is 
notoriously  of  bad  character.  He  has  been  caught  at  his 
own  game,  and  hence  has  concocted  this  scandal.  As  for 
suspicious  persons,  you  can  examine  the  premises,  if  you 
will — by  force.  Remember  the  penalty  of  such  a  step. 
Of  course  you  have  an  order  under  the  Tennd's  seal. 
Also  return  Tajima  to  me  for  punishment  in  respect  to 
breach  of  the  monastic  discipline."  Now  the  worthy 
bishop  was  very  polite  and  very  embarassing,  and  so  Hojo 
understood  when  Tomomune  reported.  "  You  must  take 
down  a  report  of  this  to  Kamakura.  It  would  not  be  safe 
to  violate  the  temple  precincts  without  instructions."  He 
knew  Yoritomo's  strange  bigotry,  which  strained  at  a 
knat  and  swallowed  a  camel.  An  order  would  come  in 
time.     Thus  he  shifted  the  responsibility  of  the  moment. 

It  took  time,  but  by  the  middle  of  June  the  order  had 
come  ;  that  is,  a  request  to  the  Tenno  to  order  the  bishop 
down  to  Kamakura  for  examination.  It  was  a  bold 
petition,  and  the  court  sighed  heavily  over  this  iron  hand 

*  These  domiciliary  raids  became  frequent.  Thus  it  is  recorded  that 
on  the  21st  day  of  the  intercalary  seventh  month  (6th  September  1186 
A.D.)  Hiki  Tomomune  raided  the  Kofukuji.  When  not  ordering 
these  raids,  Yoritomo  was  ordering  prayers  for  his  brother's  capture. 


270  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

in  the  velvet  glove.  Tokugyo  gave  an  immediate  recogni- 
tion to  the  command.  "  For  the  first  time  in  many  days 
Yoritomo  shall  hear  the  truth  as  to  his  brother  "  ;  thus 
thought  the  worthy  man  as  to  his  journey  and  opportunity. 
A  loDg  train  of  huge  and  priests,  headed  by  the  famous 
Genku,  bishop  of  Yoshimidzu,  accompanied  him  as  far  as 
Awataguchi.  The  procession  was  an  imposing  one.  The 
bishop  journeyed,  accompanied  by  temple  guards,  priests, 
and  disciples.  Hori  Toji  Chikaiye  with  five  hundred  men 
formed  an  escort.  At  Kamakura  the  bishop  was  lodged 
at  a  separate  ^mansion  belonging  to  that  nobleman,  at 
Oji-ga-yatsu.  On  the  following  day  he  was  received 
with  full  court  ceremonial.  The  Gen-nii  Udaisho,  Mina- 
moto  Yoritomo  was  seated  on  a  dais  behind  a  bamboo 
screen.  At  the  sides  sat  the  great  nobles  of  his  court, 
men  whose  names  were  famous  in  war  and  council. 
Serried  ranks  of  huslii  surrounded  the  audience  hall. 
"  It  was  a  brilliant  sight  to  see  the  great  men  seated  in 
regular  rows  like  stars,  dressed  in  their  splendid  daimon 
(ceremonial  robes),  and  with  ehoshi  on  their  heads.'* 
Into  this  assemblage  of  soldiers  the  bishop  was  introduced, 
and  led  to  an  isolated  cushion  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
hall.  The  attendant  priests  turned  to  each  other  in  help- 
less and  undisguised  anger.  With  no  sign  of  emotion  the 
old  man  seated  himself.  He  was  arrayed  in  a  coarse 
cotton  orange-coloured  robe.  A  purple  upper  garment 
was  thrown  over  it.  To  the  awe  of  the  less  hardy  he 
fingered  a  rosary  of  crystal  beads. 

Yoritomo  viewed  him  with  amazement.  "  Is  that 
Tokugyo  ?  "  Thus  he  asked  Chikaiye,  hardly  concealing 
his  contempt  for  such  disregard  of  the  ceremony  of  life 
by  those  in  high  position.  Chikaiye  bowed  assent.  He 
rather  feared  the  outcome,  knowing  the  bishop's  sharp 
and  fearless  tongue.  Yoritomo  made  a  motion  to  Sa- 
gami-no-Kami  Hojo  Yoshitoki.  This  latter  advanced  to 
deliver  Yoritomo's  command.  **  A  priest  prays,  coDSoles, 
teaches,  and  converts  the  wicked.  Without  family  con- 
nections he  does  not  interfere  in  politics.  Kuro  Yoshi- 
tsune,  disloyal,  plotting  disgrace  and  ruin  to  the  country, 
is  now  under  your  protection.     We  know  all  about  you. 


TOKUQYO  SHONIN  BEFORE  KAMAKURA-DONO. 


THE   FLIGHT   TO   OSHU.  271 

You  even  urge  him  on  in  killing  those  backward  in  joining 
your  plotting.  When  he  should  be  arrested  you  conceal 
him.  Now  where  is  he?  Be  careful  not  to  lie.  We 
have  the  torture  here  to  make  you  tell  the  truth."  The 
bishop  answered  not  a  word.  With  eyes  shut,  calm,  he 
told  his  rosary.  *'  Come  !  "  said  Hojo  impatiently.  "  Let 
us  have  your  answer."  He  got  it.  "  Kough,  clumsy 
clown  !  A  mere  servant  thus  to  address  the  Ajari  of  the 
Tenno  !  Here  I  am,  seated  in  this  place  of  one  under- 
going examination  as  a  criminal,  while  these — bushi, 
occupy  the  places  of  honour  !  "  The  old  man's  tone  was 
vitriolic.  "  That  I  should  come  to  Kamakura  has  been 
too  much  for  your  heads.  Let  your  lord  Yoritomo  speak 
for  himself."  Hojo,  amazed  and  discomfited,  drew  back. 
He  had  handled  a  burning  brand.  Miura  and  Hatake- 
yama  laughed  at  him. 

Oye  Hiromoto  tried  softer  methods.  He,  a  man  of 
great  literary  attainments,  understood  how  such  a  man  as 
the  learned  bishop  would  simply  feel  contempt  for  these 
clumsy  soldiers.  Said  he  : — '*  We  are  much  obliged  for 
your  coming  to  Kamakura,  a  place  so  distant  from  the 
Southern  Capital  (Nara).  But  this  makes  it  all  the  more 
important  to  crush  rebellion  at  the  start.  We  would  not 
have  you  come  to  regret  in  time  your  support  of  these 
people."  And  thus  he  veiled  his  threat.  Then  the 
bishop  broke  his  silence  in  a  maimer  never  heard  before 
at  this  harsh  court.  *'  You,  Oye,  are  known  as  the  good, 
far-seeing,  Governor  of  Kamakura.  You  should  know 
then  that  I  harbour  no  rebels  against  the  Tenno  at  the 
Todaiji.  But  why  should  Yoshitsune,  he  who  so  deserves 
reward  instead  of  a  pursuit  to  destroy  his  life,  be  treated  in 
this  manner  ?  To  balance  faults  against  merits  is  the  duty 
of  a  leader  such  as  your  lord  Yoritomo.  All  the  more  is 
it  necessary  since  Yoshitsune  is  his  brother,  not  one  of  the 
feudal  lords.  To  accuse  one's  brother  is  to  accuse  oneself. 
But  it  is  treacherous  and  self-seeking  retainers,  men  such 
as  Hojo  Tokimasa  and  Kajiwara  Kagetoki,  who  seek  to 
divide  Yoshitsune  and  Yoritomo.  It  is  Yoritomo  who  is 
the  disturber  of  the  peace.  If  he  doubts  this  let  him 
•come  out  and  face  me  in  person.     He  sits  on  a  dais  ;  I, 


272  SAITO   MUSASHl-BO   BElsKEI. 

priest  and  primate,  sit   in    the  criminal's  place !     If  he 
charges  Yoshitsune  with  offences,  I  shall  answer  for  him. 
Come  on  !     Gome,  Yoritomo  !     Come  forth  Yoritomo  !  " 
The  quick  eye  of  the  aged  bishop  caught  a  movement 
behind  the  screen.     Turning  to  it  directly  he  spoke  in 
slow,  cold,  measured  tones  that  made  the  assembly  stand 
aghast.     "  Minamoto  Yoritomo,    he  of  the  second  court 
rank,  claims  to  be  a  great  man,  just  and  benevolent.     I 
shall  teach  him  that  the    monk  is  no  soldier's  plaything. 
From  me,  Ajari  of  the  Tenno,   Bishop  of  the  Todaiji  in 
the  South  Capital,  let  him  learn  how  foolish  and  merciless 
he  is,  how  superior  is  his  brother  Yoshitsune.     Sama-no- 
Kami  Yoshitomo,  Akugenda  Yoshihira,  Tomonaga,    lost 
their  lives  like  soldiers  after  the  battle  at  Eokuhara.     You 
hid  on  Mount  Ibuki,  to  be  captured  alive  after  betraying 
yourself  in  a  brawl.     Two  of  your  enemies,  Ike-no-zenni 
and  Komatsu  Shigemori,  saved  you  from  the  hands  of  the 
public  executioner.    Then  you  passed  years  at  Hirugashima 
under  Munekiyo's  supervision.    You  lucky  fellow  !   Yoshi- 
naka  was  much  the  better  man.     If  Yoshitsune  had  not 
joined   you  at   Ukishima-ga-hara,  and  beaten  Kiso,  you 
would  not  now  be  seated  where  j^ou  are.     If  he  had  not 
defeated  the  Taira  at  Ichi-no-tani,  Yashima,  Dan-no-ura, 
you  would  in  all  likelihood  be  a  fugitive  with  Noto-no- 
Kami  in  hot  pursuit,  and  the  Treasures  would  not  now 
be  in  the  hands  of  the  Tenno.     You  speak  of  peace,  and 
pose  as  a  great  soldier.     So  much  in  his  debt,  you  can 
give  ear  to  your  brother's  slanderers  !     Well,  remember 
this  : — '  a  brother's  love  is  necessary  to  a  nation's  peace.' 
You  have  failed  in  the  first  duty  of  a  soldier.     If  you 
think  torture  can  secure    anything  from  me  and  make 
me  lie,  try  it.     I  am  a  priest  of  Buddha.     This  world  is 
little  to  me.     Kill  me  if  you  wish." 

For  a  long  time  Yoritomo  sat  silent.  Then  he  signed 
to  Hatakeyama.  "  A  great  blunder  has  been  made  in 
bringing  this  old  man  to  Kamakura.  Eokuhara  is  the 
place  for  examination.  We  have  acted  very  foolishly, 
and  been  brought  to  shame  by  this  bold  stand  that  cannot 
well  be  punished.  He  is  truly  a  bishop,  and  no  wonder 
the  Tenno  and  court  reverence  a  man  of  such  moral  merit. 


THE   FLIGHT   TO   OSHU.  273 

We  must  find  another  pretext  for  his  presence  here,  and 
publish  it."  Hatakeyama  was  quick  witted.  He  an- 
nounced in  loud  tones.  "  The  bishop  of  Todaiji  well 
deserves  his  saintly  eminence  in  speaking  boldly.  It 
is  well  known  that  he  is  innocent  of  any  offence. 
His  lordship  considers  his  presence  a  great  benefit,  and 
orders  that  fit  entertainment  be  made.  He  hopes  that 
he  will  remain  some  days  to  teach  our  rough  Kama- 
kura  hushi  morals  and  manners  such  as  alone  can 
fall  from  saintly  lips."  He  bowed  respectfully  before 
the  prelate.  With  a  kinder  look  to  him  the  old  man 
addressed  his  last  cold  words  to  the  impassive  man  behind 
the  screen.  **  I  recognize  your  worthy  spirit.  May  you 
come  in  time  to  treat  your  brother  as  well."  Thus  ended 
the  famous  audience  of  Tokugyo  Shonin  of  the  Todaiji  of 
Nara.  He  acquiesced  in  the  request  urged  by  Hatake- 
yama, Sayemon  Kudo  Suketsune,  and  others,  on  Yori- 
tomo's  orders,  and  for  some  days  he  preached  daily  in  the 
city.  Says  our  romancer,  "  it  was  merely  a  way  of  wrig- 
gling out  of  an  apology  for  bringing  him  away  from  the 
Todaiji."  Thus  it  was  that  the  bishop  remained  with 
Hori  Toji.  And  thus  it  was  that  in  the  course  of  weeks 
to  him  it  fell  to  console  the  unfortunate  Lady  Shizuka. 


§     3. 


Yoshitsune  had  long  left  the  Kwanshubo  of  Todaiji  and 
continued  his  wanderings.  Over  this  period  of  his  life 
there  hangs  a  curtain  of  mystery.  Keenly  as  the  Kama- 
kura  authorities  were  on  the  look-out  they  could  not,  and 
certainly  we  in  the  twentieth  century  cannot,  follow  his 
movements  with  any  certainty.  And  yet  it  is  reasonable 
to  believe  that  almost  the  whole  of  this  time  he  was  well 
within  their  grasp.  For  some  weeks  he  was  at  Tabu-no- 
mine  ;  again,  at  a  little  village   called  Mimuro ;  again,  at 


274  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

the  house  of  Kawagoye  Gontaro,  brother  of  his  nurse  of 
early  days,  and  who  lived  at  Nishi-no-oka  in  Settsu  * 
But  it  was  time  to  move.  Shizuka  was  undergoing  ex- 
amination in  Kamakura.  On  June  25th  (1186  A.D.)  an 
order  of  general  inquiry  in  all  the  provinces  had  been 
issued  under  the'  Tenno's  seal.  Yoshitsune's  name  was 
changed  to  Yoshiyuki,  and  his  mother  Tokiwa  was 
arrested  (in  the  intercalary  seventh  month — 17th  August 
to  15th  September)  and  in  her  turn  compelled  to  go  before 
the  judges,  this  time  without  the  aid  of  her  pristine  beauty. 
And,  apart  from  sympathy,  refuge  was  no  longer  safe 
where  formerly  four.d.  A  great  stir  was  made  every- 
where in  the  monasteries.  The  head  priest  of  the  Hieisan 
temples  at  this  time  received  official  orders  to  search  his 
many  establishments  for  the  fugitive  said  to  be  there 
somewhere  in  concealment.  This  time  it  was  Kofukuji 
which  was  raided  by  Hiki  Tomomune.  On  December 
31st  a  general  order  for  prayer,  under  the  Tenno's  seal, 
was  issued  ;  subject — the  capture  of  Yoshiaki !  Some  grave 
man  (wag,  let  us  imagine)  pointed  out  that  Yoshiyuki 
meant  '*  good  walker."  Surely  the  fugitive  would  never 
be  trapped  under  such  a  name  ;  so  it  was  changed  to  Yoshi- 
aki (well  caught),  and  the  Tenno  (or  rather  Hoo)  thus 
religiously  hoped  that  to  give  a  dog  a  bad  name  was 
equivalent  to  catching  it.  Certainly  if  the  star  of  Yoshi- 
tsune  had  not  set  he  was  in  for  a  bad  time  of  it,  provided 
he  lived  long  enough.! 

To  meet  this  general  man-huut  the  retainers  were 
therefore  summoned.  The  only  safety  lay  in  getting 
down  to  Mutsu.  Yoshitsune  turned  to  Benkei.  The 
latter  spoke  readily.  "  The  Tokaido  is  the  route  of  general 
travel.     It  is  well  guarded  by  a  host  of  officials,  and  we 

*  This  is  a  convenient  place  to  say  that  these  long  Japanese  names 
are  nearly  all  descriptive.  Nishi-no-oka  is  simply  our  "  West  Hill." 
Thus  Higashi-yama  (East  Mountain);  Akabane  (Red  Wing);  Tokyo 
(East  Capital).     Perhaps  all  old  place  names  are  of  this  character. 

t  The  Adzuma  Kagami — A  messenger  arrives  at  Kamakura  to  report 
the  arrest  on  the  28th  of  July  of  Goromaru  a  follower  of  Yoshitsune. 
He  asserted  that  on  July  8th  Yoshitsune  was  living  at  Hieisan.  This 
had  was  disbelieved  as  Hieisan  sided  with  Yoritomo.  No  more  is  heard 
of  Goromaru — and  so  the  temple  scribes  of  Chusonji  report. 


THS    FLIGHT   TO    OSHtT.  275 

would  hardly  get  out  of  Yamashiro  without  trouble.  The 
Tosando  is  rough,  and  but  little  travelled.  It  is  too  well 
guarded,  and  moreover  there  are  many  places  on  its 
mountain  paths  where  we  could  easily  be  cornered,  unable 
to  escape  numbers.  .  We  must  try  the  Hokurokudo  (the 
western  road  through  Echizen  and  Kaga).  Here  we 
^always  will  have  an  opportunity  of  getting  a  boat  to 
Dewa,  and  so  can  cross  to  Takadadhi  in  Mutsu."  This 
seemed  not  only  feasible,  but  the  only  outlet.  There 
was  little  discussion.  The  question  was,  under  what 
guise  they  should  take  their  way.  On  all  the  roads  were 
posted  barriers.  How  could  they  avoid  or  pass  through 
these,  when  the  whole  country-side  was  on  the  watch  for 
any  suspicious  or  unusual  movements.  Masuo  Jiro  Gon-no- 
Kann  suggested  that  Yosbitsune  should  shave  his  head 
and  go  as  a  priest.  This  he  refused  to  do.  *'  It  is  still 
my  ambition  to  fight  out  our  battle  in  the  future.  Thus  I 
hope  suitably  to  reward  you  all.  What  Tokugyo  Shoriin 
has  suggested  in  earnest,  I  cannot  do  in  jest." — "  Besides," 
interjected  Kataoka  Hirotsune,  "  it  would  not  only  be 
ominous,  but  we  could  carry  no  weapons  as  priests,  only 
iron  bowls.  These  are  only  good  to  crack  a  man's  head  or 
his  stomach.  My  idea  is  to  go  as  yamahushi.  The 
Jcongo  stick  is  no  mean  weapen  in  itself.  We  can  wear 
a  shibauchi  sword,*  and  thus  be  able  to  defend  our- 
selves." Benkei  roared  with  joy.  ''  Thus  my  lord  will 
turn  '  priest '  and  be  no  priest."  All  enjoyed  the  idea  of 
posing  as  these  notoriously  unclerical  clerics.  Said 
Yosbitsune  : — "  The  idea  is  a  good  one,  but  there  is  Hiki- 
kongo-kai-no-miya  in  Echizen,  Hakusan  in  Kaga,  and 
Haguro  in  Dewa.  These  three  famous  schools  of  the 
yamabuslii  lie  right  on  our  road,  and  genuine  priests  of  the 
order  will  swarm.  Who  will  answer  to  questions  peculiar  to 
their  doctrine— the  little  bamboo  growing  on  the  top  of 
Ichijo-bodai,  Shakadake,  and  other  yamahushi  formulae 
and  doctrines.  These  are  important  matters" — Eeplied 
Benkei,  "  leave  that  to  the  rest  of  us.     That  your  lordship, 

;  *  Shiusliinsai.  =/  >^  not  ^.  Grass  cutter?  Or  "lawn-mower"? 
He  has  put  it  in  kofiia  only.  Brush-wood  (shiba)  would  be  proper 
game  for  yamahushi  "  to  smite  "  or  "  throw  down."  j 


276  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

a  prince  of  the  Minamoto,  should  not  know  these  doctrines 
is  quite  usual.  Of  priestly  ways  you  learned  all  that  was 
necessary  at  Kurama-yama.  Hitachibo  spent  much  time 
at  Onjoji  (Miidera),  and  understands  thoroughly  not  only 
their  particular  doctrine  (Jimon),  but  that  of  the  Tendai. 
I  learned  these  at  Hieisan,  and  also  know  a  good  deal  of 
the  Shingon.  These  two  more  particularly  concern  us. 
The  Taizo  and  Kongo  scriptures  come  easily  to  us,  as  also 
the  yamabushi  preaching,  confession,  and  exhortation. 
This  is  no  bragging.  Leave  the  talking  to  me.  Until  we 
reach  Dewa  we  will  be  yamabushi  of  Haguroyama  on  our 
return  home  from "  Kumano.  In  Dewa  we  will  belong  to 
Kumano  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Haguroyama.  "We  must 
therefore  take  appropriate  names.  I  am  said  to  be  much 
like  Arasanuki,*  head  of  the  Daikokudo  of  Haguroyama 
in  Dewa.  I  shall  take  his  name.  Hitachibo  shall  figure 
as  Chikuzenbo,  a  priest  well  known  as  Arasanuki's 
shadow.  Kataoka  will  be  Kyono-kimi ;  Ise  Saburo,  Zenshi- 
no-kimi ;  Kumai,  Jibu-no-kimi."  Then  to  others,  as  less 
important  disciples,  he  gave  such  Dames  as  Sagamibo, 
Isenobo,  Surugabo,  and  so  on.  Thus  he  christened  the 
party  in  priestly  style,  until  he  reached  Yoshitsune. 
*'  Your  lordship  must  be  as  far  from  your  real  position  as 
possible,  and  strive  not  to  forget  it.  It  would  be  best 
if  your  lordship  would  be  pleased  to  go  as  a  coolie. 
Your  deep  broad-brimmed  hat  will  thus  shadow  your  face 
from  people  who  know  you  only  too  well.  You  ought  also 
to  walk  behind,  and  we  will  order  you  about  as  Yamatobo. 
Kisata  must  go  some  miles  ahead,  dressed  as  an  ordi- 
nary merchant.  Thus  he  can  readily  return  to  report  any 
obstacle.*' 

The  arrangements  seemed  feasible  to  all.  Of  the 
principles  of  the  Butsudo  (Way  of  the  Buddha) 
they  knew  nothing,  "  it  being  a  very  different  thing 
from  Bushido."!      One   difficulty  came  to  the  mind  of 

*  Aranami  Sanuki — Shinshinsai. 

t  Says  Shinshinsai.  To  which  we  add — let  us  hope  so.  Shinshin- 
sai names  Kisata,  "  Kunemb5  " — a  kind  of  orange.  But  he  was  only  a 
servant.  This  name  is  too  funny  to  be  a  fact"  he  slyly  adds.  It  is  one 
of  his  jokes. 


THE    FLIGHT   TO    OSHU.  277 

Kataoka  Hachiro.  "Our  helmet-shaped  loose  caps,  our 
bell-hangers,  luggage  boxes,  and  yamahushi  furniture — 
where  will  all  these  come  from?"  Benkei  looked  sugges- 
tively at  Yoshitsune.  Then  he  sat  down  and  wrote. 
Yoshitsune  sealed  the  letter  which  went  on  its  way  to 
Tokugyo  at  the  Todaiji.  In  a  week  the  answer  came. 
They  would  find  everything  mentioned  at  the  gate  of  the 
Omuro  Gojo  temple  at  Miyako.  The  party  then  split  up, 
to  slip  into  the  city  by  two's  and  three's,  with  a  rendezvous 
for  the  first  day  of  the  second  month  (12th  March,  1187 
A.D.)  at  night  and  at  the  temple  gate.  It  was  while  they 
were  dressing  themselves  that  Masuo  Gon-no-Kami  Kane- 
fusa  asked  Yoshitsune  if  he  would  take  the  Kitanokata 
with  him.*  She  lived  at  Imadegawa  near  the  Nijo  district. 
Y(3shitsune  was  a  little  non-plussed.  He  did  not  like 
Benkei,  Ise,  and  the  others  to  think  him  so  attached  to  a 
woman.  With  Shizuka  they  had  already  run  great 
dangers.  He  knew  that  the  latter  was  close  to  him  in 
Miyako,  but  at  this  particular  time  it  was  putting  his  head 
in  the  lion's  mouth  to  go  near,  or  to  send  a  messenger  to  one 
so  closely  watched.  Would  not  an  attempt  to  communicate 
with  his  wife  be  equally  dangerous.  Thus  he  hesitated. 
Benkei  who  understood  him  thoroughly  saw  what  was 
passing  in  his  mind.  **  To  go  as  a  yamabushi  is  for  her 
out  of  the  question.  It  is  also  not  possible  to  leave  her 
without  an  interview.  If  she  wishes  to  go  we  will  try 
and  devise  some  means  of  disguise."  Perhaps  never  did 
Yoshitsune  appreciate  Benkei  as  he  did  at  that  moment. 

Throwing  a  silk  robe  over  his  yamabushi  garments  he, 
with  Benkei  and  Masuo,  started  for  Ichijo  Imadegawa. 
The  others  were  to  follow  in  small  parties.  In  the  dark- 
ness they  easily  escaped  observation.  The  house,  once  so 
grand,  was  in  a  sadly  neglected  condition.  It  looked  like 
an  humble  farmer's  abode,  with  its  grass  grown  roofs. 

*  Kitanokata  is  the  respectful  terra  used  in  ancient  days  for  a  noble- 
man's wife.  Yoshitsune  had  two  wives:  one  early  furnished  by 
Yoritomo.  This  second  wife,  says  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  was  the 
daughter  of  Taira  Tokitada,  made  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Dan-no-ura. 
She  was  twenty-eight  years  old,  skilled  in  every  accomplishment,  and 
of  beautiful  appearance.  The  first  idea  had  been  to  marry  her  younger 
sister,  but  she  was  not  yet  nubile. 


278  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BBNKEI. 

The  scent  of  the  plum  blossoms  came  faintly  on  the  air. 
A  sound  of  melancholy  strains  from  the  koto,  touched  by  a 
skilled  hand,  came  from  a  lighted  apartment  at  the  end  of 
the  little  garden.  Yoshitsune  drew  out  his  flute  and 
played  ai;i  answering  bar.  The  music  ceased  at  once.  A 
moment  later  the  Kitanokata,  accompanied  by  a  maid 
lantern  in  hand,  appeared  on  the  roha  and  stepped  into 
the  garden.  The  men  stood  back  in  the  shadow.  She 
opened  the  rustic  gate  (shi-ori-do) ,  and  the  keen  eyes  of 
affection  quickly  distinguished  Yoshitsune.  ''  Please  enter," 
she  said  with  reverential  bow — "  Excuse  my  presence," 
said  he,  as  ceremoniously  as  if  the  great  lord  was  paying  a 
formal  visit  to  his  spouse.  Then  they  entered  the  garden. 
Masuo  and  Benkei  followed.  Seated  behind  the  closed 
amado  Yoshitsune  and  the  Kitanokata  remained  silent 
looking  at  each  other,  seeking  the  traces  of  unhappiness 
and  a  fugitive  life.  Then  the  Kitanokata  burst  into  tears, 
and  laid  her  head  on  her  lord's  knees.  A  magnificent 
ornament  was  the  hair  of  this  daughter  of  the  Taira  House. 
When  loosened  it  trailed  behind  her  on  the  floor.  Yoshi- 
tsune explained  his  presence.  "  It  has  only  been  with 
great  danger  and  in  chance  visits  to  IVTiyako  that  we  have 
been  able  to  se6  each  other.  Several  months  have  already 
passed  since  our  last  interview  in  this  room.  Writing 
was  only  less  dangerous  than  attempting  to  see  you.  Now 
I  am  on  my  way  to  OshO,  a  rough  and  dangerous  trip. 
I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  remain  here  alone.  If  we 
get  through  the  many  barriers  successfully  I  shall  send 
for  you  before  the  summer  ends.  We  must  now  say 
good-bye.     That  is  our  mission  to-night. 

'*  Ah  !  You  are  cruel  indeed,"  wailed  the  Kitanokata. 
"  A  man  changes  as  quickly  as  the  course  of  the  Asuka- 
gawa.  On  one  day  if  a  bank  be  erected  to  direct  its  course, 
on  the  next  day  it  is  an  obstacle  in  the^midst  of  its  current. 
It  is  hard  indeed  to  be  born  a  woman.  At  thirteen  I  had 
no  longer  a  mother  to  guide  my  steps,  and  was  '  helpless 
as  a  fish  on  land,  or  a  bird  off  its  nest.'  For  three  years, 
during  the  war,  I  wandered  hither  and  thither,  subject  to 
all  the  exigencies  and  privations  of  the  losers.  Then  you 
appeared  to  me,  as  does  a  refuge  to  the  traveller,  a  lantern 


,-    THE    FLIGHT   TO    OSHU,_.^  279 

in  the  dark  night.  Happiness  disappears  as  the  bloom  on 
fruit.  *  Thus  have  I  been  sobbing  and  weeping  for  you. 
I  am  hke  a  cuckoo  in  distress,  coughing  blood  and  uttering 
plaintive  cries  times  without  number.  Since  we  embarked 
at  Oura  my  sleeves  have  never  been  dry,'  Now  comes 
this  sad  separation.  But  there  is  worse  yet  to  tell  you. 
My  days  are  gloomy  and  anxious.  I  am  seven  months 
gone  with  child,  and  have  long  been  wearing  an  iioata-ohi. 
On  your  last  visit,  four  months  ago,  I  would  have  told  you, 
but  did  not  want  to  add  to  your  cares.  Now  it  cannot  be 
avoided.  The  people  hereabouts  more  than  suspect  it, 
although  I  keep  in  constant  concealment.  Eokuhara  will 
get  wind  of  it.  I  shall  be  imprisoned,  and  suffer  worse 
than  Shizuka's  fate.  I  cannot  dance  ;  and  besides  I  am 
the  daughter  of  a  hated  enemy.  Please  kill  me  therefore 
at  once  ;"  and  again  pressing  her  face  against  his  knees 
she  wept  bitterly. 

This  was  stunning  news.  The  three  men  looked  at 
each  other.  The  difficulty  of  the  task  was  enormously 
increased.  Benkei  broke  the  sileiice.  There  was  determ- 
ination in  his  tones.  "  In  some  way  she  must  go  with  us. 
Kamakura-dono  is  too  rough  a  wet-nurse.  The  child  will 
be  killed,  as  was  that  of  Shizuka."  Then  he  turned  to  the 
Kitanokata.  *'  We  are  going  as  yamahushi,  and  our 
mission  here  is  only  to  see  if  your  ladyship  is  willing  to 
go.  You  shall  be  disguised  as  a  chigo  (nobleman's  page). 
Do  not  forget  that  you  are  a  man,  and  be  sure  to  step  out 
with  the  left  foot  first.  Thus  your  sex  will  escape  notice." 
The  Kitanokata  raised  her  smiling  tearful  face  to  the  stern 
one  of  the  giant.  "  You  shall  be  my  hairdresser,  Benkei," 
she  said.  Then  Benkei  combed  out  the  Kitanokata's  hair, 
ten  feet  in  length.  He  cut  it  off  close  to  her  neck,  and 
dressed  the  remainder  as  a  page's  cue.  Then  she  dis- 
appeared to  seek  a  page's  costume.  When  she  reappeared 
Benkei  glanced  approval.  *'  She  wore  a  double  silk  suit  of 
light  blue,  with  leggings  to  match.  Over  this  was  a  single 
yellow  robe,  and  in  addition  a  robe  of  wadded  Chinese 
twilled  silk  lined  with  yellow.  A  sliitatare  (gauze  silk 
over-robe),  ornamented  with  a  large  pattern,  was  thrown 
over  all       For  rougher    work   she  had  a  cape  of  light 


i280  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

blue,  and  her  white  skirt  peeped  beneath  the  folds  of 
the  blue  dress.  Benkei  tied  sandals  on  her  feet,  stuck 
a  fan  in  her  girdle,  and  also  a  small  sword  with  the 
hilt  stained  red.  She  carried  a  flute,  and  a  bag  of 
brocade  on  blue  ground  in  which  was  contained  five 
volumes  of  the  Hokkekyo."  She  made  a  very  fine 
page  indeed.  Yoshitune  complimented  her  on  her  good 
looks.  He  threw  off  his  silken  garment,  and  appeared  as 
the  coolie,  attendant  on  yamahushi.  He  wore  a  Chinese 
grass  skirt,  and  a  dress  of  persimmon  colour.*  Dress  and 
leggings  formed  one  garment.  Masuo  produced  the  broad 
hat,  and  Yoshitsune  put  it  on  his  head.  He  and  the 
Kitanokata  smiled  at  each  other  through  their  tears. 

ISIot  so  did  Masuo  Kanefusa.  He  wept.  His  lord, 
descended  from  Seiwa  Tenno  !  The  Kitanokata,  a  princess 
descended  from  Taira  Takamune,  eldest  son  of  Katsura- 
bara  Shinno,  son  of  Kwammu  Tenno  !  Both  accustomed 
to  live  in  a  golden  palace,  to  ride  even  the  shortest  distance 
in  a  lacquered  palanquin,  with  a  long  and  glittering  train 
of  followers,  to  see  the  flowers  and  to  sing  sweet  songs  to 
the  moon ;  his  lord  a  famous  captain,  feared  by  his 
enemies  and  in  command  of  great  armies,  with  a  name  so 
famous  that  no  stronghold  gave  men  heart  to  hold  out 
against  him  ;  now  as  pilgrims  they  were  reduced  to  this 
pitiable  disguise  in  order  to  escape  to  a  far  distant  land 
and  rough  surroundings  !  It  was  too  much  for  the  honest 
and  loyal  soldier.  Yoshitsune  and  the  Kitanokata  began 
to  think  their  lot  rather  hard.  Benkei  was  mad.  He 
wiped  away  his  own  tears,  and  roughly  rebuked  Kanefusa. 
"  Do  not  be  so  womanly.  It  brings  bad  luck.  Bather 
we  should  congratulate  our  lord  and  the  Kitanokata  for  a 
happy  journey.  Let  us  heat  some  sahe  and  drink  to 
health  and  safety  " — "  You  are  right,"  said  Kanefusa. 
**  I  will  get  ready  a  feast  to  make  amends  for  my  weak- 
ness." Benkei  began  to  give  the  Kitanokata  detailed 
instructions  as  to  the  journey.  A  signal  whistle  was 
heard  outside,  and  soon  all  the  retainers  entered.  In  a 
circle  they  sat  down  to  the  farewell  feast.    The  Kitanokata 

*  Now  the  colour  for  the  garments  of  jail-birds. 


THE  XITANOKATA  ENTERTAINS  YAMABUSHI. 


THE    FLIGHT   TO    OSHU.  281 

took  her  place  with  the  rest.  Yoshitsune  played  a  cheer- 
ful song  on  the  flute.  The  lady,  with  koto  in  accom- 
paniment, sang  a  song  of  the  day.  All  admired  the 
skill  of  the  performers,  but  it  was  a  sad  party.  In  the 
minds  of  everyone  was  the  wish  that  it  was  a  party  to 
see  the  flowers,  not  the  signal  to  begin  a  dubious  and 
dangerous  journey.  Thus  they  passed  the  hours  until 
near  dawn.  "It  was  the  second  day  of  the  month  the 
poets  call  Kisaragi,'*  in  the  third  year  of  Bunji  (13th 
March,  1187  A.D.).* 

*  I  have  come  across  nothing  in  the  historical  records  to  indicate 
that  Yoshitsune's  wife,  daughter  of  Taira  Tokitada  (he  was  banished 
by  Kiyomori,  for  being  involved  in  the  Fujiwara  Narichika  conspiracy, 
but  again  got  into  line  with  his  relatives)  was  childless,  and  positive 
evidence  to  the  contrary.  Moreover,  Yoshitsune's  presence  in  Miyako, 
under  the  very  claws  of  his  enemies,  is  accepted  by  these  grave 
chroniclers.  This  saves  the  lady's  honour,  and  makes  the  tale  woven 
by  the  romancers,  more  absurd  in  its  emotional  aspect.  They  make 
Yoshitsune  and  the  Kitanokata  shed  floods  of  tears,  not  having  seen 
each  other  since  parting  at  Omo-no-ura  near  Tennoji  (the  unfortunate 
stranding  at  Sakai).  This  _was  in  December  of  1185  A.D.,  and  the 
party  leaves  Miyako  for  Oshu  in  March  1187  A.D.,  at  which  time 
the  Kitanokata  is  with  child  !  A  remarkable  instance  of  inconsistent 
consistency.  They  all  sin  as  to  this  chronology.  The  Tokitada,  men- 
tioned above,  was  a  stormy  petrel  in  his  family  politics.  He  was  a 
trusted  councillor  of  Konoe,  Go-Shirakawa,  and  Nijo.  He  was  in 
exile  from  1162  to  1165  A.D.  Returning  then  from  Izumo  he  was 
made  Chunagon.  In  1177  A.D-  after  Shishi-ga-tani  he  was  again 
exiled,  but  was  back  again  to  dress  down  the  monks  of  Hieisan  in 
the  following  year.  He  left  the  city  with  Munemori  in  1183  A.D. 
Having  surrendered  to  Yoshitsune,  he  was  banished  and  died  in  Noto. 
(Cf.  Papinot's  "  Dictionnaire.") 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  MISADVENTURES  OF  YOSHITSUNE. 


(i  q^ 


The  slave  of  Imperial  despotism expected  his  fate  in  silent 

"  despair.  To  resist  was  fatal,  and  it  was  impossible  to  fly.  On 
"  every  side  he  was  encompassed  with  a  vast  extent  of  sea  and 
"  land,  which  he  could  never  hope  to  traverse  without  being 
*'  discovered,  seized,  and  restored  to  his  irritated  master.  Beyond 
"  the  frontiers,  his  anxious  view  could  discover  nothing  except 
"  the  ocean,  inhospitable  deserts,  hostile  tribes  of  barbarians  of 
*'  fierce  manners  and  unknown  language,  or  dependent  kings, 
"  who  w^ould  gladly  purchase  the  emperor's  protection  by  the 
*'  sacrifice  of  an  obnoxious  fugitive.  '  Wherever  you  are  '  said 
"  Cicero  to  the  exiled  Marcellus,  '  remember  that  you  are  equally 
"  '  within  the  power  of  tlie  conqueror.'  " 

(Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire) 


1. 


Thus  the  Httle  party  started  out  in  the  early  morning 
light  on  their  desperate  venture.  As  they  passed 
Awataguchi  they  could  see,  fastened  up  on  a  notice  board, 
the  old  order  of  December  thirty-first  stamped  with  the 
palace  seal,  and  commanding  all  and  every  to  seize  or  kill 
**  Yoshiyuki  "  wherever  found.  A  later  one  was  beside  it 
dated  January  seventh  of  the  then  year  (1187  A.D.) 
giving  the  same  order  in  reference  to  "  Yoshiaki."  The 
eyes  of  Benkei  and  the  other  retainers  sparkled  with  rage. 
It  was  in  some  ways  a  relief  to  leave  the  ungrateful  and 
hostile  city  behind  them.     They  were,  all  told,  fifteen  in 


THE    MISADVENTUEES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  283 

number :  Yoshitsune  and  the  Kitanokata,  Musashi-Bo 
Benkei,  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori,  Kamei  Kokuro,  Kataoka 
Hachiro,  Suruga  Jiro,  Sugime  Kotaro,  Kumai  Tar 5, 
Washiwo  Saburo,  Masuo  Kanefusa,  Hitachibo  Kaison, 
Kisata  Kiyoyoshi,  and  two  servants.  As  they  passed  out 
of  the  city  some  storks  flew  over  their  heads,  bound  to  the 
same  northern  land.     Yoshitsune  improvised  a  song  : 

"  Cleaving  fast  the  eight-fold  clouds, 

"  On  the  three-fold  road  they  wing  their  way. 

'*  How  I  envy  them  ;  these  storks  homeward  flying.* 

And  the  Kitanokata  took  up  the  thought : 

<<  Why  should  these  storks  sing  so  cheerily, 
"  Thus  flying  fast  from  gentle  spring, 
"  To  seek  the  cold  north-land.f 

Thus  in  sorrowful  spirit  they  left  the  scene  of  their  old 
triumphs.  As  they  did  not  dare  to  leave  the  city  and  travel 
in  its  immediate  nighbourhood  by  daylight,  they  concealed 
themselves  in  the  thick  woods  _around  Miidera  and 
awaited  darkness  before  entering  Otsu.  They  were  too 
near  at  hand  to  travel  the  highway  openly.  Near  the 
site  of  the  old  house  of  Semimaru  at  Osakayama,  Yoshi- 
tsune picked  up  a  leaf  of  shinohu  (refugee)  grass,  so  he 
turned  to  the  Kitanokata  and  asked  her  what  it  was.  A 
Miyako  girl  she  knew  well  this  weed,  so  common  on  the 
hills  surrounding  the  capital  city.  Her  eyes  were  moist 
as  she  replied  quaintly  : 

"  Drops  of  dew,  like  shining  silver, 
"  On  the  bladed  shinohu  grass, 
"  Are  as  tears  of  those  abandoning, 
"Miyako,  their  old  and  long-time  home."  + 


"Mi  koslii  ji  ya,  The  three  koshi 

"  Yaye  no  shirakumo,    are  the  provinces 
"  Kakiwakete,  of  Echizen,  Etchu 

"  Urayamashiku  mo,      and  Echigo. 
"  Kaerii  karigane."  [Minakarai] 

X  "  Sumi  nareshi, 

"Miyako  wo  idete, 

"  Shinobu  gusa, 

"  Oku  shiratsuyu  wa, 

**  Namida  narikeri." 


"  Haru  no  daui, 
"  Misutete  kaern, 
"  Karigane  no, 
"  Nani  no  nasake  ni, 
"  Ne  wo  ba  nakuran.'^ 


284  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

At  dark  they  crept  out  of  their  concealment,  to  be  met  on 
the  outskirts  of  Otsu  by  Kisata.  At  Seta  a  barrier  had 
been  established,  and  Yamashina  Sayemon-no-Jo  com- 
manded in  person  one  hundred  men  drawn  from  the 
Miidera  sohei.  A  keen  inspection  was  also  made  of  all 
the  neighbouring  houses,  which  were  required  to  report  at 
once  any  traveller  seeking  shelter.  This  first  difficulty 
needed  consultation.  Benkei  proposed  to  stop  in  Otsu. 
Kisata  was  to  return  and  spend  the  night  at  Seta,  and  be 
ready  to  warn  them  of  any  movement  of  the  guard 
stationed  at  that  place.     So  it  was  arranged. 

Now  at  this  time  Otsu  consisted  of  but  a  few  houses 
scattered  at  intervals  along  the  roadside.  It  however 
made  a  first  and  last  stage  out  of  and  into  the  capital  city, 
and  most  of  these  houses  took  in  travellers  in  every  sense 
of  the  word.  Benkei  wanted  an  establishment,  not  over- 
crowded, but  with  rooms  large  enough  for  them  to  be 
together.  On  the  west  side  of  the  road  was  one  of  these 
pseudo-mn^,  kept  by  a  man  called  Otsuya  Jiro.  The 
house  was  old  and  dirty,  but  capacious.  Not  trusting  to 
his  own  large  and  terrifying  figure  Benkei  sent  Kataoka 
in  to  make  arrangements.  The  wife,  a  premature  hag, 
gladly  took  them  in.  Such  a  windfall  of  guests  was 
unusual  to  the  establishment.  She  complained  that  their 
bath  was  out  of  order,  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to 
go  outside.  "  Never  mind,"  said  Benkei.  **  For  to-night 
we  only  need  rest  and  food."  All  therefore  entered ; 
*^  gomen  Jcudasai,  gomen  Jcudasai"  (please  excuse  me). 
She  was  a  little  astonished  at  their  large  size,  but  went 
about  her  business  of  getting  the  food  ready  ;  no  light 
task  as  her  husband  was  absent  at  the  Seta  barrier  in 
answer  to  a  summons,  and  she  had  no  servant.  Her 
good  man  was  also  having  his  experiences.  He  found 
most  of  his  neighbours  assembled  at  the  barrier — farmers 
like  himself,  who  added  inn-keeping  to  the  gentle  art  of 
getting  up  at  phenomenally  early  hours  in  competition 
with  Nature  and  her  farming.  A  movement  of  such  a 
party  as  Yoshitsune's  was  bound  to  attract  attention. 
Kajiwara  Kagehisa  suspected  something,  and  sent  out 
warning  against  yamabushi,  the  temples  and  priesthood 


THE   MISADVENTURES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  285 

giving  the  holy  man  Yoritomo,  and  the  holy  fraud 
Go-Shirakawa,  more  anxious  nights  than  anything  else. 
Warning  was  now  going  in  every  direction  by  couriers 
speeding  along  the  mountain  paths,  demanding  Yoshi- 
tsune's  body  or  head.  Therefore  the  Seta  officials  had 
summoned  the  house-holders  to  urge  great  promptness  in 
reporting  any  party  of  yamabushi.  Now  herein  lay  a 
difficulty  for  the  plebeian  layman.  If  the  Hoo  and 
Kamakura  did  not  like  to  offend  the  priests,  in  much 
worse  shape  was  the  man  at  the  plough-tail.  So  old 
Otsu  Jiro  was  persistent  in  his  questionings.  "  A  big 
reward  ?  Ya  !  Ya  !  But  suppose  they  are  real  yama- 
bushi ?  " *'  Nothing  must  be  done  to  them  " "  But 

it  is  difficult  to  tell  a  real  from  a  false  yamabushi • 

"  All  the  more  reason  to  be  careful  " **  But " • 

"  Dont  take  in  any  doubtful  characters  " ''  But " 

The  officials  became  a  little  impatient.  Jiro's  fellows 
pulled   their   ancient    headman    down.       *'  Dont    argue. 

Say    '  yes,' "  But " — — -**  Say    *  yes  *     anyhow, 

*  yes  '  to  everything."  And  so  Otsu  Jiro  said  *  yes  ',  with 
no  very  clear  conception  as  to  just  what  all  the  pother  was 
about.  And  the  peasants  carried  him  off,  with  the  idea 
that  it  would  be  a  good  day  when  they  had  a  more  quick- 
witted fellow  as  toshiyori  than  Jiro. 

Jiro  found  himself  at  his  home  out  of  the  frying  pan 
into  the  fire.  His  wife  received  him  with  a  storm  of 
abuse  for  his  absence  and  laziness.  Fifteen  yamabushi  in 
the  house,  and  no  one  to  aid  her !  Now  one  thing  Jiro 
had  got  into  his  head,  and  he  blurted  out  his  tale.  Her 
eyes  glistened.  Jiro  had  put  on  his  haori,  and  gone  to 
Yoshitsune  to  thank  him  for  the  handsome  cJiadai 
(money  as  present).  When  he  returned  he  found  the 
woman  in  the  greatest  excitement.  She  was  an  avaricious 
foolish  jade,  and  scented  an  opportunity.  "  I  offered  to 
spread  the  beds  for  them,  but  they  would  not  allow  it. 
Several  years  ago  at  a  temple  festival  I  saw  the  train  of 
his  lordship  Yoshitsune  passing  through  the  street  in 
Miyako.  The  big  man  is  certainly  Benkei.  Never  mind 
your  supper  Although  it  is  quite  late  go  and  gather  the 
villagers.     When  these  people  are  all  in  bed  and  asleep 


286  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI, 

have  them  surround  the  house.  Meanwhile  send  someone 
to  warn  the  barrier  guard.  If  they  are  made  prisoners 
we  will  get  a  big  reward."  The  old  man  listened  aghast. 
*'  Are  you  a  woman  ?  Say  that  Yoshitsune  is  really  in 
this  house,  he  is  Kamakura-dono's  brother.  We  are 
humble  folk,  and  for  such  who  meddle  in  the  affairs  of 
these  great  men  the  reward  is  death,  as  happened  even  to 
Osada  Tadamune,  who  stood  as  much  beyond  us,  as 
Yoshitomo  and  Yoritomo  did  beyond  him.  Besides,  you 
speak  inhumanly.  Yoshitsune  is  a  man  of  great  merit. 
Why  should  I,  who  am  comfortably  off  for  my  condition, 
try  to  add  a  little  to  it  by  such  treachery.  It  would  be 
blood  money,  and  my  sleep  thereafter  would  never  be 
easy.  As  for  capturing  them,  it  would  take  five  hundred 
men  ;  and  soldiers  at  that.  Benkei,  Ise,  and  Washiwo, 
are  equal  to  a  hundred  men.  And  if  these  men  are  really 
priests,  then  the  Lord  Buddha  would  punish  the  insult ; 
and,  more  to  the  point,  the  monks  of  Onjoji  (Miidera) 
would  be  his  ministers,  and  not  have  far  to  go.  We  will 
treat  them  v^ell,  and  dismiss  them  safely  in  the  morning." 
To  this  wise  counsel  the  woman  simply  answered  with 
contempt.  "  You  are  a  coward.  Able  to  scold  wife  and 
servants  you  are  good  for  nothing  else.  I  need  a  new 
gown  ;  have  seen  nothing  new  for  the  thirteen  years  I 
have  lived  with  you.  I  shall  go  to  the  barrier  myself 
and  warn  the  officials.  Thus  I  shall  get  the  reward." 
This  enraged  Jiro.  "  You  hag !  A  woman  should  be 
the  reed  which  bends  before  the  wind  of  her  husband's 
commands.  You  forget  the  saying  that  *  one  should  not 
injure  oneself  even  by  blowing  off  a  hair  '."  As  she  made 
preparations  to  leave  the  room  in  spite  of  him  he  fell  on 
her  and  tripped  her  up  with  an  oaken  cudgel.  A  vigorous 
old  man  he  administered  a  sound  beating.  Nothing 
daunted  she  began  to  cry  out : — "  Neighbours  !  Neigh- 
bours !  Yoshitsune  and  his  party  are  harboured  here  as 
ijamahushi.''  The  man  stuffed  a  towel  {teniigui)  in  her 
mouth,  and  dragging  her  to  a  closet  threw  her  in  and 
pushed  the  bar. 

The   master,   or  Jiro's  wife,  was  not  likely  to  go  far. 
Benkei,  returning  from  the  rear,  had  overheard  the  dis- 


THE  DOMESTIC  DIFFICULTIES  OF  OTSU-JIRO. 


THE   MISADVENTUEES   OF   YOSHITSUNE.  287 

pute.  Uncertain  whether  first  to  interview  Jiro  or 
Yoshitsune  he  had  hardly  time  to  step  aside  into  the 
darkness  when  Jiro  pushed  the  shoji  and  raade  his  way 
toward  the  apartment  of  the  travellers.  Benkei  went  to 
the  closet  and  examined  the  fastening.  Satisfied  he  then 
followed  Jiro.  The  farmer  had  entered  the  room  and 
bowed  low  before  Yoshitsune.  *'  There  is  much  trouble 
here  over  yamahushi,  a  report  being  spread  that  Yoshi- 
tsune and  his  party,  so  disguised,  are  trying  to  get  to  Mutsu. 
Even  for  genuine  priests  such  as  is  your  party  it  means  a 
delay  of  several  days.  My  wife  wished  to  report  your 
presence.  I  have  shut  her  up,  but  she  shouted  out  quite 
loudly,  and  I  fear  some  neighbour  may  have  overheard 
her.  Please  take  my  boat,  and  I  can  land  you  at  Kaizu* 
before  dawn.  Thus  you  can  avoid  the  guards  and  much 
trouble,  and  return  to  the  Tokaido  with  no  great 
difficulty."  All  were  much  surprised.  Ise  and  Washiwo 
loosened  their  swords  in  the  scabbards.  They  had  every 
inclination  to  force  the  barrier  and  give  the  Miidera 
priests  a  lesson.  Benkei  entered  with  a  smile  on  his 
face.  "  The  gcod  man  is  right.  We  are  tiue  yama- 
hushi, but  trouble  at  the  barrier  would  greatly  incon- 
venience us.  Please  get  your  boat  ready."  Yoshitsune 
took  him  aside.  "  If  we  are  surrounded  on  the  water  we 
will  find  it  a  bad  business,"  said  he — **  The  man  is  all 
right,  my  lord,"  answered  Benkei.  "  As  soon  as  we  have 
the  opportunity  I  shall  explain  matters."  Satisfied  with 
Benkei's  assurance  all  made  ready.  Just  as  they  were 
about  to  push  off  a  merchant  (Kisata)  jumped  in,  with  a 
piteous  request  to  take  him  along.  As  he  squatted  down 
respectfully  beside  the  priests  he  passed  the  news  that  the 
Seta  guards,  from  some  rumour  or  warning,  had  decided  to 
investigate  the  Otsu  inns  before  daylight.  At  dawn  Jiro 
landed  them  at  Kaizu. 

As  they  set  foot  on  shore  Benkei  signed  to  Washiwo  to 
hold  the  man  in  conversation.  Then  he  took  Yoshitsune 
aside  and  told  him  the  story  of  the  man's  faithfulness. 
"  He  will  take  nothing  but  the  gift  money  as  reward  for 
his  boat.     A  present  from  your  hand  will  be  to  him  every- 

*  A  town  on  the  north  western  shore  of  Lake  Biwa. 


283  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BlilNKEI. 

thing."  Then  he  called  Jiro.  "  This  is  his  Highness 
lyo-no-Kami,  descended  from  Seiwa  Tenno.  He  bestows 
on  you  these  gifts  for  your  faithful  conduct,  which  in  days 
to  come  shall  have  its  reward."  He  handed  him  a  belly 
guard  and  a  gold  ornamented  sword.*  The  old  man  paid 
less  attention  to  the  sword  than  to  the  great  captain  before 
whom  he  was  standing.  He  fell  prostrate,  his  forehead  to 
the  ground.  With  profuse  thanks  he  again  embarked  at 
Benkei's  orders,  all  admiring  and  grateful  for  his  sturdy 
integrity  and  openness  of  character.  We  will  say  here 
that  he  returned  home  to  release  his  spouse  from  her  long 
captivity.  She  was  battered  and  suffering  from  her 
well-deserved  beating,  and  the  old  man  only  gently 
rebuked  her  for  trying  to  betray  real  yamahuslii.  "  I 
took  them  to  Kaizu  this  morning,  and  they  refused  to 
pay  me  anything  for  my  boat.  We  had  a  quarrel, 
but  I  knocked  one  man  down  with  my  oar,  and 
pushed  off  with  these  things  before  they  could  prevent 
me."  He  put  the  gifts  on  hex  futon.  She  eagerly  seized 
them.  "  It  is  something,  better  than  nothing."  The 
yamabushi  were  gone,  and  she  knew  the  necessity  of 
backing  up  her  husband's  tale  of  his  wife's  night-mare,  in 
which  disturbed  by  the  instructions  from  the  barrier  she 
had  cried  out  about  yamabushi.  Whether  his  tale  of  the 
boat  was  true  or  false  she  never  tried  to  find  out  for  equally 
good  reasons.  For  his  part,  Jiro  looked  on  her  with  con- 
tempt— an  avaricious,  evil-hearted,  false  creature. 

Yoshitsune  and  his  party  began  their  day's  walk.  By 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  theyjwere  well  up  the  Koshigoye 
pass  over  Arachi-san,  between  Omi  and  Echizen.  It  was 
hard  work  for  the  Kitanokata,  used  to  her  norinio7i,  and 
she  was  soon  very  tired.  Then,  when  no  wayfarers  were 
in  sight,  the  men  took  turns  in  carrying  her  on  their  backs 
{ombu).  She  was  sadly  discouraged,  and  they  stopped  at 
Shiokoshi  for  a  longer  rest.     They  told  stories  to  cheer  her 

*  The  reader  will  perhaps  think  that  Yoshitsune  kept  gold  hilted, 
white  hilted,  etc  swords  and  belly-guards  in  stock,  with  a  pack  train  to 
carry  them.  It  is  a  weakness  of  the  chroniclers,  not  of  the  captain. 
Yamada,  in  his  account  of  this  scene,  tells  us  that  these  gifts  are  still 
kept  by  a  descendant  of  Jiro's,  living  at  Sakamoto,  and  proudly 
conservative  of  these  hereditarv  treasures. 


T^E    MISADVENTURES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  289 

up  and  make  her  forget  her  fatigue.  Kataoka  gave  them 
one  on  the  value  of  self-control.  "  In  my  native  district 
of  Ariba  in  Kii,  there  used  to  live  a  priest,  an  excellent  but 
most  testy  man.  He  was  very  popular  with  everyone, 
and  his  invitations  to  feasts  were  frequent  as  all  knew  that 
he  had  a  very  greedy  gullet.  Of  course  he  was  only 
provided  with  sJiojin,^  but  this  was  prepared  in  the  most 
enticing  way,  and  often  other  things  found  their  way  into 
the  shiru  (soup) .  One  day  there  was  a  fine  sweet  potato, 
but  try  as  he  would  to  spear  it  with  his  liaslii  (chop-sticks) 
it  slipped  hither  and  thither,  and  in  no  way  could  he  get 
hold  of  it.  At  last  he  lost  all  patience,  and  in  a  rage 
plunged  his  two  fingers  in  the  hot  soup.  The  scalding  he 
got  made  him  at  once  fillip  out  the  potato,  and  the  fine 
tuber  rolled  into  the  garden.  Even  here  it  did  not  stay 
quiet,  but  danced  hither  and  thither  in  the  hollows.  In  a 
rage  he  pursued  it,  intending  to  crush  it  under  his  tall 
clogs,  but  it  always  slipped  into  the  hollow  between  the 
supports.  Failing  thus,  at  last  he  picked  up  the  now  dirty 
mass,  and  putting  it  in  his  mouth  viciously  crushed  it, 
spitting  it  out  on  the  ground.  But  alas  !  Coated  with 
stones  and  pebbles  it  broke  two  of  his  finest  grinders.  In 
pain  and  regret  over  his  hastiness  he  spent  several  days 
with  suffering  jaws  in  place  of  a  well  lined  belly."  The 
Kitanokata  was  delighted  at  the  funny  gestures  of  the 
story-teller  as  he  mimicked  the  priest.  All  of  them 
thought  that  they  would  take  a  great  deal  of  care  with 
such  a  precious  thing  (now)  as  a  fine  sweet  potato 
(Satsuma-imo).  + 

Thus  they  entered  Echizen,  but  the  comments  of  the 
villagers  were  not  encouraging.  "  So  many  yamahushi  ! 
They  certainly  will  have  trouble  at  the  barrier."  These 
remarks  made  them  uneasy.  What  barrier?  That  it 
was  guarded  by  many  officers  was  plain  from  what  people 


jin    can   have   a    much    wider   (esoteric)    meaning  than   plain 
reference  to  the  gullet.    Cf.  Dr.  A.  Lloyd.  T.A.S.J.  XXII  p.  396. 

t  In  spite  of  this  story  being  found  in  the  serious  minded  Yamada  I 
suspect  it  to  be  an  anachronism.  Professor  Chamberlain  ("Things 
Japanese  "  p.  57)  tells  us  that  the  sweet  potato  was  not  introduced  until 
1698  A.D.    This  perhaps  can  also  be  said  of  this  tuber  in  all  its  forms. 


290  .  SAITO   MTJSASHI  BO   BENKEI. 

said.  They  waited  to  hear  from  Kisata.  He  soon 
appeared.  The  barrier  was  at  San-no-guchi,  and  had  one 
hundred  men  for  guard.  On  the  gate  was  painted  a  moii 
of  three  doves,  and  an  igeta  (i^).  They  were  sadly 
discouraged,  but  Benkei  told  them  they  must  be  ready  to 
face  difficulties.  "We  will  divide  here  into  two  parties. 
His  lordship,  Kataoka,  Ise,  Washiwo,  Kumai,  Suruga, 
and  I  will  go  ahead.  Hitachibo,  with  the  Kitanokata 
and  the  others,  will  come  about  half  a>  ri  (IJ  miles) 
behind  us."  And  so  the  first  party  started  off,  Benkei 
loudly  blowing  his  conch  shell  (horagai).  'iYama- 
bushi !"  The  guards  were  on  their  feet  at  once, 
striking  the  wooden  board  to  summon  their  com- 
panions. The  gate  was  opened,  and  passing  within 
Benkei  and  his  party  were  immediately  surrounded 
by  some  fifty  men.  "Why  all  this  disturbance?" 
asked  Benkei  in  wonder, — "  It  is  said  that  the  Han- 
gwan  and  his  men  are  on  the  way  down  to  Mutsu 
disguised  as  yamahuslii.  We  are  placed  here  to  examine 
travellers.  If  you  attempt  to  escape  we  will  kill  you  all." 
Thus  answered  the  guard  ;  and  they  all  frowned  hideously. 
Said  Benkei — "  Ah  !  That  accounts  for  the  travellers' 
stories  of  the  difficulties  they  are  having.  We  could  not 
understand  it.  You  are  perhaps  taking  too  much  trouble. 
We  heard  that  the  Plangwan  has  already  been  arrested  at 
Awono  in  Mino.  I  am  not  sure.  Examine  us,  if  you 
wish.  I  am  Arasanuki,  chief  priest  of  the  Daikokudo  at 
Haguro-san.  I  am  ready  to  answer  any  questions  of  your 
chiefs.  Who  are  they?" — "  Tsura  Hyoye  of  Echizen  and 
Inouye  Sayemon  of  Kaga,"  incautiously  answered  one 
fellow,  to  be  promptly  kicked  by  the  next  man—-"  Well, 
where  are  they  ?"  asked  Benkei  impatiently.  The  guard 
whispered  among  themselves.  To  produce  their  chiefs, 
they  could  not.  One  was  in  Fukui,  and  the  other  had 
not  yet  come  from  his  native  province  of  Kaga.  To 
question  the  head  of  the  chief  temple  of  Haguro-san  was 
beyond  them.  Benkei  frowned  ferociously.  "  This  negli- 
gence I  shall  report.  Some  one  shall  suffer  for  thus 
delaying  us.'^  {Nota  bene  that  kicks  are  passed  down,  plus 
interest,   in  the   hierarchy   of  the  Japanese  bureaucracy. 


BENKEI  PASSES  THE  SAN-NO-aUCHI  BARBIEB. 


THE   MISADVENTUEES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  291 

The  under-dog  (or  man)  suffers  severely  from  his  chief's 
ill-temper).  He  gave  his  orders  to  his  little  band.  "  Sit 
down.  We  will  wait  here."  Unpacking  their  luggage 
they  strewed  it  all  over  the  roka.  The  guards  looked  on 
grumbling.  These  fellows  leave  no  room  for  us  even  to 
move  about  in." 

Their  troubles  had  only  began.  Benkei  had  need  of 
hot  water,  and  for  every  other  necessity  of  his  person. 
His  companions  took  the  cue  of  annoyance.  The  guards 
were  getting  tired  of  acting  as  guide  to  the  establishment 
in  response  to  these  reasonable  needs.  If  they  could  only 
be  watered  at  once.  But  the  inclination  did  not  seize  the 
visitors  that  way.  How  to  get  ride  of  them !  "  "  If  they 
are  genuine  yamahushi  they  will  refuse  to  pay  toll  or 
show  a  passport.  If  not  they  are  mere  sham  priests."- 
Thus  argued  one.  As  the  guards  were  considering  the 
feasibility  of  this  proposition  in  their  provincial  brains  there 
came  again  the  sound  of  a  tjonch-shell,  and  a  '•  thump  ! 
thump  !"  on  the  gate.  In  poured  Hitachibo  and  his  com- 
panions, having  very  slowly  made  their  way  up  to  the 
barrier.  He  and  Benkei  saluted  each  other  with  most 
elaborate  politeness,  as  if  they  had  never  seen  each  other 
and  could  dispense  with  no  formaUty.  Many  w^ere  the 
deep  bows,  deeper  inhalations,  sonorous  phraseology  ;  all 
begun  over  again  in  almost  endless  procession.  The 
guards  already  had  gone  through  a  weary  hour  of  mes- 
senger service.  They  yawned  they  were  so  bored.  The 
priestly  lingo  was  almost  incomprehensible  to  them. 
Certainly  these  people  must  be  yamahuslii.  Then  came 
another  flood  of  applications  for  hot  water  and  guides  to 
the  compound  (barrier  precincts.)  At  last  Benkei  turned 
and  demanded  supper.  Hitachibo  Kaison  coldly  pro- 
ferred  the  same  request.  .  The  guards  grew  quite  angry. 
**  You  are  most  unreasonable.  This  is  not  an  inn"— 
"  Nor  ■  is  it  our  fault  that  your  chiefs  are  absent." 
Then  there  was  more  whispering.  Decidedly  the  sug- 
gestion •  of  the  one  whose  wits  had  been  sharpened 
by  weariness  was  the  only  one  available.  Said  the  spokes- 
man : — "Well,  we  are  convinced  that  you  are  genuine 
yamahushi.     Pay  the  toll  and  show  your  pass-ports,  and 


292  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

you  can  pass  on."  Benkei  rose  in  rage,  and  at  a  sign 
every  "  priest's  "  hand  was  on  his  sword.     *'  Yamabushi 

pay  1     Who  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing  !  " Pleaded 

the  guard,  "  Kamakura-dono  has  granted  no  exceptions, 
and  to  pay  the  expenses  we  have  the  right  to  take  toll 
of  every  traveller  passing  the  barrier." — "  We,  as  priests, 
are  under  the  Tenno's  orders.  We  are  not  buke.  Has 
His  Highness  Kamakura-dono  ordered  you  to  disregard 
this  fact  ?  Let  me  see  your  instructions."  The  haughty 
head  of  the  Daikokudo  thrust  forward  his  huge  hand. 

This  was  too  much.  The  guards  drew  back  timidly 
with  many  excuses.  They  had  instructions  as  extensive 
as  Benkei's  basis  for  his  huge  bluff.  The  priest  wa??  not 
disposed  to  let  them  off  so  easily.  "  Yamabushi  do  not 
pass  a  place  without  alms.  We  offer  you  the  opportunity 
to  contribute  for  your  souls'  sake."  He  signed  to  the  rest 
to  go  on  through  the  now  open  barrier.  The  guards  were 
busy  making  a  collection.  V  0  saJci  ",  said  Hitachibo, 
and  he  and  the  others  respectfully  bowed  as  they  passed 
their  leader  and  moved  onward.  With  graver  salutation 
Benkei  and  Hitachibo  parted.  The  guards  now  came 
forward  with  apology  for  their  small  offering.  '*  One 
light  of  the  poor  is  worth  ten  thousand  from  the  rich. 
Yamatobo,  bag  it !  Go  on  and  join  the  others.  I  shall 
first  offer  a  prayer  for  the  safety  and  health  of  these 
excellent  people."  Blowing  his  conch  vigorously  he 
began  : — "  By  the  Dairy u  Gongeii  of  Kumano  ;  by  Haidai 
Kongo  Doji  of  Omine,  belonging  to  the  Zo-o-gongen  of 
Yoshino  ;  by  the  seven  great  shrines  of  Nara  ;  by  Inari,  Gi- 
on,  Kamo,  Kibune,  of  Miyako  ;  by  the  twenty-one  shrines 
of  Sanno  in  Sakamoto,  by  the  six  shrines  of  Otaga  and 
Shirahige  Daimyojin  ;  by  the  Hakusan  Gongen  in  Kaga  ; 
and  by  all  the  great  and  little  shrines  in  Nippon,  may  Yoshi- 
tsune's  party  find  their  way  to  this  barrier,  where  these 
intelligent  and  faithful  guards  of  San-no-guchi  are  sure 
to  capture  them,  with  special  reference  to  their  lordships, 
Tsura-Hyoye  of  Fukui  and  Tsuruga  and  Inouye  of  Kaga."* 

*  From  Yamada.  I  have  altered  tlie  concluding  paragraph.  The 
vow  is  complete  enough ;  but  there  is  none  extant  so  vigorous  as  the 
mighty  curse  of  the  Bishop  Ernulphus,  cited  bj  Sterne. 


THE    MISADVENTUKES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  293 

Joyfully  and  enthusiastically  did  Benkei  pray.  He 
ended  in  a  wide  rumble,  under  which  was  concealed 
a  vigorous  supplication  for  their  escape  to  Takadachi. 
**  What  is  he  muttering  about  ? "  asked  one  guard. 
Benkei  overheard  him.  "  That  is  a  very  mysterious 
dharani  (charm)  of  the  Shingon.  Yoshitsune  will  cer- 
tainly lose  his  way  and  come  to  your  barrier."  And  so 
he  too  passed  on.  There  was  method  in  Benkei's  pro- 
cedure. He  wished  to  pass  this  spot  without  suspicion, 
and  took  all  the  more  trouble  to  do  so.  He  found  his 
companions  camped  some  miles  ahead  in  a  little  temple 
of  Kwannon.  Here  they  were  to  pass  the  night  without 
disturbance. 


§     2. 


The  next  day  they  continued  their  journey  toward 
Tsuruga.  Here,  however,  they  met  with  disappointment. 
There  were  no  boats  available.  A  storm  had  lashed 
the  sea  into  a  wild  mass  of  breakers,  and  to  try  and 
force  one  of  the  fishermen  to  take  them  would  at 
once  arouse  suspicion  in  a  place  already  on  the  watch 
for  Yoshitsune's  party.  For  the  same  reason  such  a 
large  party  could  not  stay  too  long  where  they  were. 
They  determined  to  continue  on  up  the  coast,  and 
to  take  the  first  opportunity  for  abandoning  land  for 
water.  They  set  off  for  Fukui,  the  capital  of  the  province. 
After  several  days  journey  they  were  already  nearing  their 
destination  when  the  idea  came  into  Yoshitsune's  head 
that  he  wanted  to  worship  at  the  great  temple  of  Heisenji, 
and  thus  to  secure  the  interposition  of  its  gods  for  his 
future  good  fortune  in  war.  In  vain  his  followers  respect- 
fully protested.  It  was  a  long  and  useless  detour, 
dangerous  in  this  hostile  district  and  in  their  urgent  need 
for  haste.     Moreover  on  this  West  Coast  winter  still  held 


294  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BBNKET. 

sway.*  But  their  lord  was  obstinately  set  on  the  matter 
and  they  had  to  obey.  "  Their  minds  as  cloudy  as  the 
weather  "  they  turned  their  faces  to  the  East.  On  the 
mountain  slopes  they  walked  into  a  snow  storm.  It  was 
hard  work  for  the  men  to  plow  through  the  drifts.  The 
Kitanokata  was  soon  exhausted,  and  in  turn  they  carried 
her.  She  had  trudged  bravely  along.  "  With  the  deter- 
mination of  a  demon,  and  courage  tense  as  a  strung  bow- 
string;, she  walked  with  this  band  of  hardened  soldiers,'* 
It  was  the  physical  frame  which  gave  way.  And  a  tough 
business  it  was  in  the  cold  north  wind  and  deep  snow  of 
the  mountain.  However,  at  night-fall  of  the  second  day 
they  reached  Heisenji,  and  took  refuge  in  the  Jiondo  to 
consult. 

Their  presence  was  soon  known  to  the  priests,  and  im- 
mediately there  was  a  buzz  of  excitement.  Yoritomo, 
that  substantial  lover  of  petticoats,  whether  on  woman  or 
man,  had  sent  out  wide  notice  to  all  the  ecclesiastical 
establishments,  and  himself  was  praying  like  a  dervish  and 
losing  sleep  over  his  missing  brother.  He  took  a  card  out 
of  Kiyomori's  pack.  "  Only  show  me  the  head  of  my 
brother  Yoshitsune,  if  you  wish  my  soul  to  be  at  peace." 
This  was  his  refrain.  The  younger  element  surrounded 
their  sojo. •  "These  yamahuslii  certainly  must  be  Yoshitsune 
and  his  party.  Let  as  capture  them,  and  send  the  glad 
tidings  over-land  to  Kamakura.  Lucky  will  be  the  man 
who  carries  the  message."  The  bishop  did  not  look  at  it 
that  way.  Said  the  old  man  : — "  Rather  let  them  alone, 
and  do  not  burn  your  fingers  as  did  the  monks  of  Yoshino, 
who  had  no  other  reward  beyond  the  ungrateful  task  of 
burying  their  dead.  They  had  no  less  a  leader  than  the 
notorious  Kakuhan,  and  now  the  huslii  everywhere,  for 
and  against  Kamakura,  are  laughing  at  them  as  amateurs 
at  fighting."     The  younger  priests  were  in  haste.     "  We 

*  Heisenji  is  close  to  Kataichi,  and  not  far  from  Katsuyama  in  the 
Ono  district  of  Echizen.  It  is  on  a  little  branch  of  the  Kuzuryugawa, 
and  as  the  crow  flies  abont  eight  ri  (twenty  miles)  from  Fukui.  Getting 
the  full  benefit  of  the  winds  blowing  across  the  great  plains  of  North 
Asia  and  the  Sea  of  Japan,  the  climate  of  this  West  Coast  is  bitterly 
cold  with  deep  snows  in  winter,  and  broiling  hot  with  heavy  rains  in 
summer.  - 


THE   MISADVENTUEES    OF  YOSHITSUNE.  295 

will  be  charged  with  negligence,  and  perhaps  have  our 
temple  burnt  down  over  us.  We  can  easily  capture 
fifteen  men,  and  they  cannot  deceive  us  by  passing  them- 
selves off  as  yamabushi.''  Armed  with  helmets  and 
swords  two  hundred  men  soon  surrounded  the  hall. 
Yoshitsuue  and  his  party  were  much  surprised  at  this 
early  display  of  force.  Benkei,  Kumai,  and  Kataoka  had 
fared  forth  to  the  Temple  Of&ces  to  beg  food  for  the  party 
in  orthodox  priestly  fashion.  Hitachibo,  who  was  a  fight- 
ing friar  if  ever  there  was  one,  told  them  to  keep  quiet. 
He  would  go  out,  and  if  necessary  would  jump 
suddenly  into  the  mass  and  scatter  the  whole  clerical 
aggreojation.  His  experience  on  pilgrimage  had  given  him 
no  robust  confidence  in  ghostly  or  carnal  weapons  in  the 
hands  of  fleshly  friars. 

Benkei,  a  little  concerned  at  seeing  the  crowd,  hastened 
up  before  Kaison  began  his  address.  And  Kaison  willing- 
ly let  slip  this  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself  on  the 
rostrum.  This  sour  and  learned  monk  was  not  a  man  of 
words.  The  sight  of  the  two  huge  priests  staggered  the 
confidence  of  the  assailants.  They  listened  the  more 
peaceably  to  what  Benkei  had  to  say.  ''  Why  all  this 
armour  and  swords  ?  And  these  threatening  gestures  ? 
If  you  are  in  any  fear  of  attack  we  will  gladly  join  and 
help  you  to  repel  it."  Hitachibo  gulped  with  glee.  This 
avenue  of  approaching  the  question  had  not  struck  his 
less  subtle  mind.  A  priest  stepped  forward  to  reply  : — ■ 
"  We  ha;ve  been  warned  that  Yoshitsune,  now  called 
Yoshiaki,  is  on  his  way  to  Mutsu  disguised  as  a  yama- 
bushi.  His  followers  are  widely  scattered.  Some  are 
said  to  have  taken  refuge  in  Kyushu,*  but  your  party 
answer  in  every  respect  to  the  description  sent  out  from 
Miyako."  Benkei  laughed  easily.  "The  Hang  wan  would 
not  try  to  escape  with  such  a  large  party  as  we  have. 
Yoshiaki  is  not  with  us.  We  are  Haguro-yama  hoshi 
returning  from  a  visit  to  Kumano.  And  in  do  hurry  to 
get  there  if  this  is  a  specimen  of  the  weather  still  found  so 

^  *  On  October  26tli  (1187  A.D.)  Nakahara  Nobufusa  was  sent  to  the 
aid  of  Amano  Tokage  to  attack  Kikaigashima,  the  supposed  refuge  of 
"  Yosliiaki's  men  " — Dai-Nihon-Shi-Ryd. 


296  SAITO   MUS  A  SHI-BO   BENKEI. 

far  South  " — "  Why  then  have  you  a  woman  with  you  ?  " 
asked  one  priest  bluntly,  pointing  to  the  Kitanokata. 
Benkei  was  too  quick  to  let  them  think.  "My  page? 
He  is  Kongo-maru,  the  son  of  Sakata  Jiro,  the  rich  man 
of  Haguro  ;  lord  of  the  district.  As  for  me,  my  name  is 
Arasanuki  of  the  Daikokudo,  and  this  is  Chikuzenbo. 
There  should  be  some  of  you  who  know  me  well,"  he  added 
confidently.*  But  the  priests  were  little  inclined  to  inquire 
farther.  Benkei  spoke  in  such  true  yamahushi  style,  and 
the  fame  of  Kongo-maru  was  so  wide  spread,  that  all  they 
thought  of  was  a  closer  inspection.  Handsome  boys  were 
a  part  of  temple  furniture  in  that  degenerate  age,  and 
there  was  much  rivalry  as  to  these  celebrities.  They  now 
urged  their  bishop  to  entertain  the  visitors. 

To  this  the  sojo  readily  agreed.  Better  informed  than 
his  priests  he  did  want  a  closer  inspection  of  the  visitors. 
It  gave  greater  colour  to  his  carefulness.  If  Yoshitsune  was 
in  the  party  he  had  the  opportunity  in  this  indirect  way  of 
expressing  a  kindly  feeling  toward  the  fugitive.  The 
orders  were  given.  A  deputation  was  promptly  sent  to 
summon  the  new  comers  to  a  dinner.  "  Our  suspicions  are 
entirely  dispelled,  but  we  would  like  our  bishop  to  see  the 
famous  Kongo-maru."  The  spokesman  smiled  apologeti- 
cally at  the  well-known  showman  of  the  famous  beauty. 
Benkei  agreed  very  readily.  *'  In  this  bad  weather  we 
could  not  pass  the  time  better  than  in  enjoyment  of  a 
feast."  So  following  these  guides  they  were  soon  seated 
at  an  ample  shdjin  yyori  (confined  to  vegetable  diet). 
Bahe  was  served,  but  here  Benkei  was  adamant  in  his 
refusal  for  himself  and  his  companions.  Ise,  Washiwo, 
some  others  looked  black  as  thunder  clouds.  Hitachibo 
remained  in  silent  absorption  as  to  what  Benkei  would  do 
next.  Yamotobo  was  congratulating  himself  on  the  iron 
discipline  he  had  established  over  these  rough  soldiers. 
The  priestff  of  Heisenji  were  somewhat  astonished. 
"  You  yamahuslii  are  notable  champions  at  the  sake 
flask,    and    the     Daikokudo     has     never    been     known 

*  So  they  ought.  According  to  the  Benkei  Monogatari  in  his  early 
pilgrimages  he  had  visited  this  temple,  and  trounced  its  priests  in  a 
quarrel. 


THE  CONCERT  AT  HBISEHJI- 


THE   MISADVENTUEES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  297 

as  an  exception  " *'  But  we  are  on  pilgrimage  ",  ex- 
plained Benkei,  "  and  before  leaving  took  the  severest 
vov^  of  abstinence  until  again  within  the  omote-mon  (outer 
gate)  of  Haguro-yama."  He  sighed  deeply  and  heartily, 
for  he  too  loved  sake.  In  vino  vei'itas,  and  he  feared  the 
effect  of  one  careless  word  from  his  wild  and  desperate 
companions.  Ise  and  Washiwo  brightened  up  at  this 
evidence  of  palpable  suffering  of  their  leader.  The  priests 
of  Heisenji  thought  that  very  severe.  They  longed  to  see 
the  graceful  Kongo-maru,  acting  as  cup-bearer  to  the 
master  of  the  Daikokudo.  As  the  feast  ended  they  sought 
consolation  in  music.  "  There  could  be  no  objection  to 
that.  Would  the  beautiful  page,  so  famed  on  the  flute, 
give  them  a  little  music.  This  was  a  poser,  for  the 
Kitanokata  knew  next  to  nothing  of  this  distinctly  male 
instrument.  Her  unused  fingers  would  soon  betray  them. 
Benkei  hesitated.  "  He  is  indeed  the  best  in  Haguro. 
So  persistent  in  his  practice  he  has  neglected  his  studies  in 
reading  and  writing  the  Holy  Law  of  Buddha.  Only  on 
his  earnest  petition  has  he  been  allowed  to  carry  his  flute 
on  this  pilgrimage,  with  the  vow  before  the  gongen  on 
leaving  not  to  use  it.  But — here  is  his  teacher.  Let  him 
entertain  you."  He  turned  to  Yamatobo,  humbly  seated 
behind  him. 

The  entrance  of  the  bishop  created  a  little  diversion 
which  the  good  man  turned  to  the  advantage  of  the 
visitors.  '*  Let  us  hear  the  teacher.  We  can  well  excuse 
the  lad  on  account  of  his  vow."  Benkei  turned  to  Yoshi- 
tsune.  "  Play  for  the  honour  of  Haguro,  Yamatobo." 
Yoshitsune  understood  the  allusion.  He  was  not  to  do 
too  well,  not  to  over-do  his  role  of  attendant  in  the  rough 
northern  monastery.  However,  he  played  so  sweetly  that 
all  sat  entranced.  The  bishop,  his  attention  centred,  was 
fairly  positive  as  to  his  visitor.  However,  to  make  more 
sure  : — "  Kongo-maru  is  vowed  as  to  the  flute.  But  that 
does  not  cover  the  koto.  Let  him  accompany  his  teacher." 
Benkei  plead  ignorance  of  the  koto.  The  Kitanokata's 
hand  and  gestures  of  a  woman  would  betray  her  at  once 
to  everyone  present.  He  half  suspected  the  bishop  of  play- 
ing a  game.     He  had  a  wild  hope  that  there  would  be  no 


^98  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI.  r 

hhwa.  "  Let  him  try  a  Bugakii  hiwa  ",  he  said.  The 
bishop  openly  rejoiced,  looking  slyly  at  him.  **  Very 
good  !  Let  us  have  a  concert.  Summon  the  two  most 
skilful  of  the  chigo  (pages)."  Thus  Yoshitsune  on  his 
flute,  the  Kitanokata  on  the  hiwa,  Nen-ichi  on  the  sho, 
and  Misawa  on  the  hichiriki^  made  such  sweet  and 
harmonious  music  that  all  thanked  Hachiman  Daibosatsu, 
and  no  longer  regretted  the  sake.  "  They  felt  like  the 
guilty  brought  from  the  torments  of  Hell  to  hear  the  sweet 
music  of  Kabu-Bosatsu  in  Paradise."  Thus  all  rejoiced. 
The  priests,  at  the  unexpected  diversion  injected  into  their 
monotonous  lives  ;  the  visitors,  at  the  feast  so  different 
from  the  scanty  and  coarse  fare  of  their  fugitive  life  ;  the 
bishop,  at  the  opportunity  to  show  his  good  will  to  him 
who  had  so  roughly  handled  those  scourges  of  Buddha's 
Order,  the  Taira.  Then  they  all  retired,  to  sleep  until 
daylight.  The  younger  priests  accompanied  them  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  to  point  out  the  way  to  Komatsu. 
All  enmity  and  suspicion  was  forgotten.  Just  when 
Yoshitsune  got  the  chance  to  say  his  prayers  is  not 
mentioned. 

Then  they  took  their  way  through  the  foot-hills,  resting 
in  caves,  or  making  the  root  of  a  pine  their  pillow,  to  rise 
in  the  morning  wet  with  dew  and  stiff  with  cold.  Benkei, 
to  himself,  mourned  their  hard  life  "  in  these  steep,  rough 
mountains,  where  they  humbly  had  to  ask  their  way  of 
the  people  who  knew  the  country  as  they  did  their  own 
homes,  and  to  beg  food  from  the  peasants.  Their  fortune 
was  indeed  evil."  Not  seeking  the  large  towns  they 
crossed  the  main  road  near  what  is  now  Iburibashi.  For 
the  first  time  in  a  week  they  slept  under  cover  at  the  little 
sea-side  village  of  Bhiohama.  "With  fresh  mind  and 
new  sandals  tightly  tied  on  "  they  started  next  morning  in 
good  spirits.  This  day  they  came,  at  start  and  finish, 
nearer  wreckage  than  they  ever  were  to  reach.  Riding 
the  sea-road  from  Komatsu  (Kanatsu)  they  met  a  large 
train  of  bushi,  nearly  a  hundred  men.     At  the  rear  was 

*  Sha—n  Icind  of  flute.  Cf.  Piggott — loc.  cit.  pp.  8,  153.  HichiriM—^ 
"this  terrible  instrument"  pp.  8,  151 :  a  good  description  of  its  effect 
in  Japanese  orchestration. 


THE   MISADVENTUEES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  299, 

carried  a  standard  with  three  doves,  and  behind  rode  a 
nobleman  in  daimon  costume  (court  dress),  and  wearing  a 
tate-ehoslii  (ceremonial  head  gear) .  They  recognized  him  at 
once  as  Inouye  Sayemon  of  Kaga,  a  familiar  figure  in  Miya- 
ko.  Benkei  ordered  his  companions  to  scatter,  and  so  to 
avoid  suspicion.  They  thus  passed  the  bulk  of  the  cortege. 
As  the  noble  rode  past,  a  gust  of  wind  took  Yoshitsune's  hat, 
and  putting  up  his  hand  to  save  it  his  face  was  turned  up 
to  that  of  the  rider  looking  down.  For  a  few^  seconds  the 
two  men  thus  looked  into  each  other's  eyes.  Inouye  dis- 
mounted and  knelt.  **  As  ascetics  I  ought  to  pay  your 
company  respect.  It  is  rude  thus  to  pass  you  on  horse- 
back." At  this  moment  Benkei,  who  had  turned  back, 
came  up.  The  others  in  their  turn  halted.  "Is  there 
anything  wrong  V  This  is  our  coolie.  Has  he  been  rude 
to  you  ?  " — Eeplied  the  noble  : — "  I  am  Inouye  Sayemon 
of  Kaga.  On  the  way  to  San-no-guchi  I  am  little  pre- 
pared to  make  offerings,  beyond  the  respect  paid  to  such 
worthy  yamabuslii  as  you  have  in  your  company.  You 
will  find  a  difficult  barrier  close  at  hand,  for  there  are 
orders  to  strictly  examine  all  yamabuslii  " — "  Thanks,'* 
said  Benkei.  "  We  will  remember  you  in  our  prayers  to 
the  Lord  Buddha,  asking  him  to  grant  you  long  life  and 
happiness.  May  we  meet  again."  Inouye,  with  another 
respectful  bow  to  the  air  in  general  in  the  direction  of 
Yoshitsune,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  off.  "■  He  knows 
us  well,"  said  Yoshitsune.  ''  There  is  a  model  of  a  samu- 
rai. None  would  be  stricter  on  his  ground  and  duty. 
None  more  courteous  to  misfortune  at  his  opportunity." 
And  he  was  right.  At  night  as  Inouye  rode  into  Fukui 
he  told  those  immediately  around  him  how  that  day  they 
had  passed  lyo-no-Kami,  on  whose  head  such  rewards 
were  set.  ''  The  famous  captain  who  defeated  Kiso  and 
the  Taira,  and  secured  the  Three  Treasures  for  the  Tenno  ! 
What  a  terrible  descent,  to  pass  in  such  humble  guise  !'* 
His  hushi  admired  his  courage  and  knightly  courtesy  as 
much  as  did  Yoshitsune  and  his  party. 

Still  commenting  on  their  adventure  the  little  band  of 
fugitives  passed  the  Ne-agari-77iatsu  (Eoot-Eamifying 
above  ground-Pine),  and  with  a  respectful   salutation  to 


300  SAlTO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

the  distant  Shirakawa  Shrine  approached  the  broad  swift 
current  of  the  Atakagawa,  swollen  by  the  melting  snows 
from  the  hills,  and  with  free  exit  from  the  ebbing  tide. 
They  found  Kisata  awaiting  them.  He  felt  very  hope- 
less. There  was  a  strong  barrier  at  Ataka,  its  guard  being 
under  the  command  of  Togashi  Sayemon  Masahiro.  He 
had  three  hundred  men  at  the  barrier,  and  three  thousand 
more  were  lined  along  the  roads  and  country  crossing  the 
province.  All  this  fornaidable  array  was  for  the  inspection 
of  travellers,  and  three  heads  of  yamabushi,  hanging  over 
the  barrier  gate,  were  earnest  of  his  ferocity.  Benkei 
leaned  thoughtfully  on  his  hongo  cane.  The  situation 
was  serious.  Of  the  eight  Suhe  (governors),  Chiba  no 
Suke,  Akita  no  Suke,  and  this  Togashi  Sayemon  no  Suke 
were  known  as  the  three  wise  and  clever  men  in  Nippon.* 
Togashi  had  been  brought  up  at  the  Daishoji-in  in  Kaga. 
He  was  a  learned  man,  and  a  rich  and  powerful  noble. 
Once  more  Benkei  hesitated.  There  were  some  children 
playing  and  throwing  pebbles  at  each  other.  He  called 
gently,  fearing  to  attract  attention  at  the  barrier  across  the 
river.  His  voice  could  not  reach  the  boys  so  he  began  to 
dance  as  if  in  wonder  at  the  wide  flood.  Soon  they  came 
running  up  to  see  the  funny  sight  of  a  big  priest  dancing. 
At  their  call  of  "  more,  more  !  "  Benkei  said  : — ''  First 
tell  me  if  there  is  another  road  by  which  we  can  avoid  the 
barrier."  There  was  a  good  deal  of  discussion.  Gen'chan 
insisted  there  was  one.  Shigei'chan,  a  grave,  round-eyed, 
round-faced  little  youngster  of  seven  years,  said  there  was 
none.  "  What  will  you  give  us  to  show  you  ?  Your 
cane  ?  "      This   from  the  mercantile-minded  Gen'chan — 

"That  I  cannot ;   but ,"  Benkei  made  inquiries  and 

collected  several  fans  from  Ise,  Washiwo,  and  Hitachibo. 
"  Here  !  How  will  this  do?  "  As  the  country  boys  had 
never  seen  the  folding  fan,  better  known  East  than  West, 
in  town  than  in  country,  he  folded  and  unfolded  one,  and 


*  "San-Suke,"  Shinshinsai  is  careful  to  add,  ''does  not  here  mean  *a 
bath-room  servant,'  as  it  does  to-day."  He  is  an  incorrigible  joker. 
These  Togashi  of  this  West  Coast  played  a  great  part  in  the  civil  wars. 
They  were  prominent  all  through  the  Kamakura  Shogunate,  and  later. 


THE   MISADVENTURES   OF   YOSHITSUNE.  301 

moved  it  across  his  face  as  in  very  hot  weather.  There 
was  no  question  as  to  its  "  doing."  But  there  were  not 
enough  to  go  around.  *'  Come  !  Let  luck  settle  the  ques- 
tion. I  will  throw  them  up  in  the  air,  and  the  best  boys 
will  get  them."  Benkei  cast  them  too  far,  or  else  the  wind 
was  stronger  than  he  expected.  The  boys  got  their 
plunder  at  a  distance  and  were  safe  from  pursuit.  Seeing 
them  make  off  Benkei  ventured  to  call  still  louder,  but  thejr 
merely  mocked  at  him.  Called  Gen'chan  : — "  You  foolish 
priest !  If  there  was  another  road  Etchu-no-Kami 
Togashi  would  there  equally  be  on  his  guard."  And  so 
he  made  off,  derisively  clapping  his  hands ;  the  careful 
little  Shigeio  unwillingly  guarding  the  retreat.  The 
incident  touched  Benkei.  He  felt  a  loss  of  ingenuity.  "  To 
go  through  so  many  years,  requiring  quickness  of  wit 
and  cleverness  of  expedient,  and  to  be  so  taken  in  by 
infants  !  "  He  fumed  over  the  outlook,  even  with  tears  of 
rage  at  himself  for  being  so  fooled.  The  discouragement 
of  others  brought  the  self  reliant  man  to  himself. 

Yoshitsune  stood  gloomily  in  thought.  *'  So  many 
barriers  to  pass,  with  armies  to  guard  them  1  My  only 
use  to  you  is  to  give  you  my  head.  I  shall  here  commit 
harahiri,  and  charge  you,  as  my  faithful  retainers,  to  take 
my  head  yourselves  to  Kamakura-dono.  All  men  will 
understand  my  reasons,  and  absolve  you  of  any  taint." 
He  seated  himself  in  all  calm  collectedness,  and  was 
proceeding  to  carry  out  his  intention.  Ise  Saburo  and 
Washiwo  forcibly  stopped  him,  and  looked  to  Benkei.  Ise 
Yoshimori  was  all  for  fighting.  *'  What  are  these  swords 
for  ?  "  said  he.  *'  Let  us  make  a  sudden  irruption  into  the 
barrier.  If  we  cannot  escape  we  can  fight  to  the  death, 
and  our  lord  may  succeed  in  getting  through.  This 
is  our  plain  duty."  All  loudly  approved.  The  old  Yoshi- 
mori of  Dan-no-ura  touched  a  common  chord.  Swords 
were  loosened,  and  fierce  eyes  turned  toward  the  swift 
river  separating  them  from  the  enemy.  Benkei  stopped 
them.  "  I  beg  your  lordship  not  to  think  again  of  any- 
thing but  your  future  vengeance  and  glory.  We  are 
going  through  much  difficulty  for  your  sake  and  to  get 
you  to  Oshu,  and  there  you  shall  get.     The  flag  with  the 


302  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

bamboo  leaf  in  the  circle  shall  yet  be  seen  freely  waving. 
Togashi  is  a  man  after  all.  I  shall  get  past  him,  wiUing 
or  unwilling.  Success  in  fighting  would  be  fatal  to  us. 
It  would  bring  down  on  us,  not  three  hundred,  but  three 
thousand  hushi.  So  far  from  Mutsu,  this  is  not  yet  the 
time  to  use  force.  Leave  the  matter  to  me."  He  blew 
his  conch-shell  loudly.  The  guard  was  heard  striking  the 
wooden  clapper  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  ''  The 
Ataka  is  swift  as  an  arrow  and  hard  to  cross,  but  a  raft 
of  intelligence  and  good  oars  will  land  us  safely,"  said 
Benkei  significantly.* 

A  boat  was  seen  starting  on  the  other  side,  and  rowing 
some  distance  up  the  swift  stream.  Then  it  drifted  down 
to  where  Benkei  and  his  companions  were  standing.  It 
was  a  peJca-hune  (shaking  boat)  with  very  thin  flexible 
bottom  to  bend  in  contact  with  rocks  at  the  bottom  of  the 
river. t  Benkei  and  the  company  entered,  to  be  rowed 
up  stream  and  landed  in  a  similar  manner  at  the  barrier 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  Over  it  were  fastened  the 
three  fresh  heads  of  which  Kisata  had  spoken.  The 
Kitanokata*  gazed  at  them  as  one  fascinated.  The  bar 
was  let  down  and  Benkei  and  his  party  entered,  on  this 
third  day  of  the  third  month  (14  April,  1187  A.D.).  The 
place  swarmed  with  men  at  arms,  and  these  at  once 
surrounded  them.  "  Don-gara-gara,"  and  the  heavy  bar 
fell  and  shut  them  in.  Benkei  glared  around  him. 
*'  What  means  this  rough  behaviour  ?  This  is  a  public 
road,  and  we  have  a  right  peaceably  to  pass  " — *'  You 
might  under  ordinary  conditions,"  answered  the  sonhai 
(head)  ''  but  we  are  under  orders  to  arrest  Yoshitsune  and 
his  party  who  are  travelling  to  Mutsu  disguised  as  yama- 
hushi.  There  are  three  heads  of  your  fraternity,  who 
chose  to  try  and  force  their  way  past  us." — "  Are  these 
the  Hangwan  and  his  men  ?  "  innocently  asked  Benkei 


*  Quoted  from  Sliinshinsai,  who  gets  out  of  this  episode  all  that 
he  can,  and  admirably.  Some  make  it  a  farce  comedy  (which  the 
situation  does  not  permit),  and  turn  Togashi  into  an  ignorant  clown 
whom  it  is  no  particular  credit  to  out-wit. 

t  Familiar  to  any  who  have  travelled  on  the  swift  Japanese  rivers; 
the  Fujikawa,  for  instance. 


THE    MISADVENTUEES    OF   YOSHITSUNE.  303 

— "No,  you  fool!  If  it  was  the  Hangwan  we  would 
not  stop  you  '— -  Oh  !  Is  that  all  they  did  ?"  said  Benkei. 
What  cruel  fellows  you  are  !  Well,  I  shall  stay  (this  to 
his  companions)  and  answer  the  questions.  The  rest  of 
you  can  go  on  slowly,  and  I  shall  try  to  catch  up  with 
you."  With  a  reverential  "  0-saki  "  the  others  made  as 
if  to  go  on.  The  guard  lined  up  in  front  of  them  with 
strung  bows  and  arrows  ready.  "  Stop  !  Stop  !  "  cried 
Benkei  loudly.  ''  We  are  yamahusJii  of  Todaiji  in  the 
South  Capital,  commissioned  under  the  Tenno's  seal  to 
collect  subscriptions  to  rebuild  the  temple  destroyed  so 
mfamously  by  Taira  Shigehira.  Your  triumph  would  be 
short,  and  your  penalty  heavy."  He  stood,  his  legs 
wide  apart,  in  front  of  Yoshitsune.  The  guards  at  once 
lowered  their  bows,  and  squatted  prostrate  on  the  ground. 
For  the  first  time  Benkei  played  his  trump  card,  only 
justified  at  such  a  crisis.  Go-Shirakawa  was  very  desirous 
to  rebuild  the  Todaiji,  a  memorial  to  his  beloved  spouse, 
as  had  been  the  case  with  Shomu-Tenno  in  similar 
circumstances.  Yoritomo  wanted  to  postpone  such  an 
expensive  business.  Then  the  Hoo  turned  to  the  idea  of 
voluntary  subscriptions.  Yoritomo  met  this  by  suggesting 
Buddhist  priests  as  the  means.  This  meant  juppo  and 
7z?7mm— religious^  ceremonies  almost  as  costly  as  the  re- 
building. The  Hoc  was  no  mean  diplomatist.  "  Priests  ? 
Yes  :  yamahusUr  And  so  Yoritomo  yielded  ;  the  Hoo 
to  take  credit  as  proposer  ;  Yoritomo  as  active  agent ;  and 
Tokugyo  Shonin  as  active  recipient.  Notice  was  therefore 
issued,  and  good  treatment  especially  ordered  for  these 
priestly  beggars.  Now  this  order  was  issued  in  ]3ecember 
of  the  preceding  year  (llth  month)  ;  and  the  order  from 
Kamakura  as  to  Yoshitsune  and  the  yamahusU  was 
issued  m  March  of  the  present  year  (1187  A.D.).  The 
confusion  thus  caused  was  very  great.  Incidentally  it 
was  the  salvation  of  Benkei  and  Togashi.  Meanwhile 
the  guards  made  profuse  apologies  for  their  roughness  but 
osbtinately  barred  the  way.  ' 

Togashi  Sayemon  Masahiro,  who  was  dining  in  the 
rear,  heard  the  uproar.  With  a  small  halberd  in  hand 
he  came  forward.     Benkei's  quick  eye  caught   sight  of 


301  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

him,  and  he  advanced  to  the  roka,  swaying  his  kongo 
cane  and  loudly  protesting  against  the  rude  treatment 
to  which  his  company  had  been  subjected.  Togashi 
answered  in  gentle  terms.  "  They  have  evidently  acted 
very  rudely,  and  against  my  orders.  Their  conduct  is 
due  to  the  orders  from  Kamakura  to  examine  all  yama- 
bushij  in  which  disguise  His  Highness  Yoshitsune  is  said 
to  be  going  down  to  Mutsu.  Please  pardon  their  im- 
pertinence. But — who  are  you  ?  " — said  Benkei :  "  I 
am  Arasanuki  the  Ajari  of  Haguro-yama.  My  uncle 
Mimasaka  goes  to  Shinano  by  way  of  the  Tosando,  I  by 
the  Hokurokudo,  to  get  subscriptions  as  you  well  know. 
As  for  these  fellows  your  lordship  has  answered  for  them. 
Perhaps  you  will  aid  us  with  a  subscription  ?  " — "  I 
shall  do  so  gladly,"  answered  Togashi  with  a  little  smile. 
*'  And  you  I  am  sure  v/ill  answer  my  questions,  as  from 
one  seeking  information  as  to  the  Wheel  of  the  Law  which 
never  goes  backward.  Little  chance  do  we  get  in  this 
place  to  hear  good  discourse  concerning  it.  It  is  really 
our  duty  to  inspect  you  and  your  luggage  " — "  Your 
lordship  knows  the  urgency  of  our  mission,"  said  Benkei. 
"  Do  not  detain  us  so  long  as  to  anger  the  Buddha  " — 
"  Your  stay  will  depend  on  your  answers,"  said  Togashi 
coldly — Said  Benkei :  "  Then  I  shall  have  to  report 
to  the  Todaiji.  Can  we  find  a  proper  place  for  our 
luggage?" — "Proper?"  queried  Togashi,  a  little  in 
wonderment.  "  Where  and  how  do  you  wish  to  be 
lodged  ?  "^ — Said  Benkei  gravely  :  *'  We  must  have  a 
store-house  (kura)  of  purified  and  untainted  wood.  The 
image  of  Dainichi  Daisho  Fudo  Myo-o  cannot  be  placed- 
upon  the  ground.  See !  "  he  pointed  to  a  long  box  on 
Kumai's  back.  "  Can  you  carry  it  on  your  back,  and 
stand  upright  so  that  it  will  not  touch  the  ground  ?  " 
Togashi  smiled.  "  There  are  not  many  men  of  such 
stalwart  proportions,  outside  your  own  company.  I 
should  find  it  difficult — for  many  reasons.  Your  luggage 
is  indeed  sacred,  and  we  have  little  experience  of  such 
travellers  as  your  party  seem  to  be.  This  is  indeed  new 
to  me.  Is  such  care  necessary  ?  " — "  The  Shumi-no- 
Shiten  keep  no  better  guard  than  we,"  was  Benkei's  reply. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

BENKEI  THE  PRIEST. 

BENKEI  READS  THE  KWANJINCHO  : 

BENKEI  BEATS  YOSHITSUNE. 


*  But  Milinda  the  idng  was  filled  with  joy  of  heart,  and  all  pride 
'was  suppressed  w'.thin  him.  And  he  became  aware  of  the 
'  virtue  that  lay  in  the  religion  of  the  Buddhas,  he  ceased  to 
'  have  any  doubt  at  all  in  the  Three  Gems,  he  tarried  no  longer 
'  in  the  jungle  of  heresy,  he  renounced  all  obstinacy  ;  and  pleased 
'beyond  measure  at  the  high  qualities  of  the  Elder,  at  the 
'  excellence  of  his  manners  befitting  a  recluse,  he  became  filled 
'  with  confidence,  and  free  from  cravings,  and  all  his  pride  and 
'  self  righteousness  left  his  heart ;  and  hke  a  cobra  deprived  of  its 
'fangs  he  said:  'Most  excellent,  most  excellent,  venerable 
' '  Nagasena  !  The  puzzles,  worthy  of  a  Buddha  to  solve  have 
' '  you  made  clear.  There  is  none  like  you,  amongst  all  the 
' '  followers  of  the  Buddha,  in  the  solution  of  problems,  save  only 
' '  Sariputta,  the  Elder,  himself,  the  Commander  of  the  Faith.'-'' 

"  The  Questions  and  Puzzles  of  Milinda  the  King." 
(translated  by  Rhys  Davids). 


1. 


Togashi  Masahiro  seated  himself  just  within  the  roha. 
The  little  band  of  pilgrims  was  marshalled  in  front  of 
him ;  Ise,  Washiwo,  Kanefusa,  careless  looking  but  with 
eyes  to  the  ten  directions  of  space  ;  Hitachibo  curious  and 
indifferent,  his  eyes  on  Benkei.     Yoshitsune  also  seemed 


306  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

almost  detached  as  he  watched  the  man  on  whose  answers 
and  wit  hung  the  lives  of  all.  The  Kitanokata,  shrunk 
within  the  Httle  band,  was  anxious  only  to  suppress  sign 
of  fear  and  thought  of  those  gory  heads  adorning  the 
gateway.  Surrounding  them  were  the  serried  lines  of  the 
guard,  eager  to  see  their  lord's  learning  pitted  against 
these  wandering  priests,  despised  and  feared  both  as 
soldiers  and  clerics.  Benkei — he  thought,  "  Togashi  dies 
the  first."  He  advanced  to  the  open  space  in  front  of 
them.  *'  Eeverence  to  the  Blessed  One,  the  Holy  One, 
the  Fully  Enlightened  One."  All  in  answer  bowed  their 
heads  at  the  invocation. 

*'  You  speak  of  the  four  heavens  of  Shu  mi.*  What  are 
these  four  heavens  ? "  Thus  asked  Togashi  his  first 
question.  Hitachibo  looked  relieved.  The  examination 
promised  well  on  the  rudiments.  Benkei  answered," 
Konsantei  Myoho  on  the  East,  Gundariyasha  Myoho 
on  the  South,  Kongoyasha  Myoho  on  the  North,  Itoko 
Myoko  on  the  west.f  The  four  quarters  indicate  its 
square  form.  One  side  of  the  wonderful  mountain 
is  of  gold,  another  of  silver,  the  third  of  lapis- 
lazuli,  and  the  fourth  of  crystal."  The  plebeians 
gasped  at  such  gorgeousness.  Togashi  seemed  absorbed 
in  Benkei's  head-gear.  Pointing  to  the  loose  wrapping, 
rather  than  hat,  on  the  latter 's  head  : — "  Your  tokin  ?  I 
has  it  some  particular  meaning  ?  " — "  Assuredly  so," 
answered  Benkei.  "  The  image  of  the  deity  of  the  yama- 
hushi,  Dainichi-Daisho-Fudo-Myoho, ".  is  also  so  covered. § 

*  Sumern,  or  Meru,  or  Sineru,  the  axis  of  our  particular  universe  in 
Buddhist  geography.  (Cf.  Eitel  "Handbook  of  Chinese  Buddhism" 
p.  163).  This  *'  king  of  mountains  "  is  constantly  mentioned.  Thus 
Meru  "  blazing  showers  down  the  pulverized  scoriae  of  the  golden 
valleys."     (Buddha  Karita  of  Asvagosha.  S.  B.  E.  XLIX  143.) 

t  East,  Gold-monarch-enlightened  -  king :  South,  an  eight  armed 
Buddhist  deity  :  North,  a  deity  with  three  faces  and  six  arms  :  West, 
excellent-king-of-high-virtue,  [Minakami].  The  four  quarters  as 
viewed  from  Sumeru.  For  these  guardians,  the  Tchatur  Mahdradjas, 
see  below.  Cf.  Eitel,  loc.  cit,  on  Tchatur  Arupa  Brahmaloka  and  the 
eighteen  Brahmalokas.     Its  esoteric  meaning  is  found  under  Vimokcha. 

t  Which  a^  ex-priest  Benkei  affected  even  in  the  heat  of  battle. 
He  is  rarely  figured  without  it. 

^  Dainichi  Nyorai  and  Fud5  (Vairdtchana  and  Achala)  are  often- 
identified — Cf.  Chamberlain  and  Mason  in  Murray's  "Japan". 


BENKBI   EEADS    THE    KWAKJINOHO.  307 

The  form  of  the  hat  is  really  due  to  our  founder, 
En-no- Shokaku.*  When  practising  his  ascetic  vigils  on 
Katsuragi-san,  his  eboshi  (hat)  worn  by  rain,  frost,  and 
dew,  carried  away  piecemeal  by  the  wind,  remained 
nothing  but  a  fragment  on  the  top  of  his  head.  Zenki 
and  Gold,  his  faithful  demon  attendants,  thus  protected 
their  master's  head  " — "  Perhaps  its  celestical  origin," 
said  Togashi  slyly,  "  has  something  to  do  with  its  circular 
shape  " — "  Yes,"  answered  Benkei  boldly.  '*  Its  cir- 
cular shape  symbolizes  the  universe,  and  its  twelve  folds 
refer  to  the  twelve  causes  and  effects  " — "  And  what 
are  the  twelve  causes  and  effects  ? "  asked  Togashi. 
Benkei  smiled  ;  a  smile  reflected  on  the  face  of  Hitachibo. 
The  exposition  of  the  twelve  causes  and  effects  took  some 
considerable  space  in,  the  training; of  the  acolyte. f  Per- 
haps Togashi  remembered  something  of  his  early  days  at 
Daishoji,  or  else  he  caught  the  mocking  glance  exchanged 
by  the  priests,  *'  Never  mind  answering,"  he  said ; 
"  but  tell  me,  what  does  the  scarf  you  wear  (kesa)  mean, 
thus  cast  like  a  wheel  around  your  person  " — *'  It  is 
round  ;  as  are  the  heavens,  the  earth,  the  sun,  the  moon  ; 
as  are  things  celestial,"  drily  emphasized  Benkei — 
"And   its   four   tassels?" — ''Are  the  Shidai  Tenno,  the 


*  634 — 699  A.D.  The  Shugenja  {yamabushi)  really  are  to  be  at- 
tributed to  Sholi5  (884-909  A.D.)?  Rigen-daislii  of  the  Daigo-ji. 
En-no-Shokaku  was  the  master*  of  Gyogi  Bosatsu,  the  originator  of 
Ryobu  Shinto.  There  were  two  branches  of  the  yamabushi,  Tendai  and 
Shingon,  meeting  yearly  on  Omine-san.  Yoshino  is  closely  associated 
with  En-no-Shokaku  and  Gyogi-Bosatsu. 

t  Ju-ni-innen.  Dr.  Lloyd  (T.A.S.J.  XXII  p.  369)  gives  them  as 
"1  :  The  lusts  and  desires  of  previous  life.  2  :  The  deeds  and  sins  of 
previous  life.  3 :  The  mind  at  the  commencement  of  uterine  life. 
4 :  The  first  five  weeks  of  uterine  life.  5  :  The  perfection  of  eyes,  ears, 
nose,  tongue,  body,  thoughts,  during  uterine  life.  (The  six  roots). 
6  :  The  period  of  birth,  when  the  organs  formed  in  the  previous  state 
come  into  separate  existence,  but  are  as  yet  unconscious  of  joy  or  pain, 
7 :  The  development  of  infantile  life,  with  joy  and  pain  connected 
with  the.  organs  of  bodily  sense.  8  :  The  lust  of  the  flesh  and  the  lust 
of  the  eyes.  9  :  The  pride  of  life,  which  impels  a  man  to  run  hither 
and  thither  in  search  of  actions  which  produce  a  new  karma  of  good 
or  evil.  10  :  The  completion  of  karma  in  this  life,  and  its  consequence, 
death.  11 :  New  life  according  to  the  karma  produced  in  No.  9.  12  : 
The  completion  of  all  karma  by  attainment  to  Nirvana." 


308  SAITO    MUSASIII-EO   BENKEI. 

four  heavenly  kings,*  Komiku,  Shumoku,  Bishamon, 
Socho,"  Benkei  replied.  Yoshitsune  and  Kaison  were 
relieved.  Soldiers  liad  little  to  say  of  the  niceties  of  religion 
in  those  days.  No  more  so  than  now.  Hitachibo  was  the 
less  surprised  at  this  familiar  knowledge  in  a  hedge-priest. 
Togashi  began  to  think  that  perhaps  his  first  suspicions 
were  groundless. 

He  took  fresh  ground.  "  And  as  a  priest ^"^yo a  of  course 
have  no  relations  with  women,"  and  he  looked  point- 
blank  at  the  Kitanokata,  concealing  herself  as  much  as 
possible  behind  the  massive  bulk  of  Ise  and  Washiwo, 
themselves  hiding  Yamatobo  from  view,  perhaps  for  that 
reason.  TBsnkei  caught  him  up  at  once.  The  topic  was 
dangerous.  His  voice  had  all  the  gentle  rebuke  of  the 
priest  seated  in  the  safe  shelter  of  his  own  holy  precincts. 
*'  It  was  in  Eagagriha,  the  Beautiful,  that  Udaijin  the  Wise 
said,  '  in  olden  time  a  great  seer,  hard  to  be  conquered 
even  by  the  gods,  was  spurned  by  a  harlot,  the  beauty  of 
Kasi,  planting  her  feet  upon  him.  And  a  woman  low  in 
standing  and  caste  fascinated  the  great  seer  Gautama, 
though  a  master  of  long  penances  and  old  in  years. 
Many  such  seers  as  these  have  women  brought  to  shame, 
— how  much  more  then  a  delicate  prince  in  the  first 
flower  of  his  age.'  If  the  wise  would  thus  think  to  tempt 
even  he  who  was  to  be  the  Buddha,  much  more  should 
feeble  man  avoid  even  the  suspicion  of  such  evil.  '  There 
s  no  calamity  in  the  world  like  pleasure, — people  are 
idevoted  to  it  through  delusion  ;  when  he  once  knows  the 
truth  and  so  fears  evil,  what  wise  man  would  of  his  own 
choice  desire  evil '? '  The  Princess  Kandavati,  the  moon- 
faced, in  a  former  birth  held  captive  even  the  Buddha. "f — 

*  The  kesa  is  the  scarf  worn  by  Buddhist  priests.  In  the  Kokushi 
Dai-Jiten,  a  liead-dress  of  the  Kwanto  man-at-arms  figured  is  also 
marked  "  kesa  ".  Tlie  Shidai  Tenno  are  Jikoku  (East :  Dhritarashtra), 
Komoku  (West :  Virupaksha),  Zocho  (South :  Virtidhaka),  Tamon 
(North  :  Vaisravana  or  Kuvera). 

t  Bagagriha,  the  city  of  Birabisara  on  Gridhrakfita,  the  Vulture 
Mountain,  and  capital  of  the  Maghada  princes.  This  was  the  scene  of 
much  of  the  Buddha's  preaching.  Benkei  is  here  quoting  the  Buddha 
Karita.  In  these  quotations  1  turn  to  the  standard  translations  in  the 
Sacred  Books  of  the  East  Series  (S.B.E.)  The  above  is  Professor 
Cowell's. 


BENKEI   BEADS    THE    KWANJINCHO.  809 

"  You  must  indeed  as  saints  possess  powers  not  belonging 
to  the  vulgar,  To  so  control  body  by  mind  is  granted  but 
to  few."  Thus  spoke  Togashi.  *  Benkei  came  back  on 
bim  also  from  the  familiar  text-book  of  the  monks.  '"It 
is  not  by  reasoning  that  the  law  is  to  be  found  :  it  is 
beyond  the  pale  of  reasoning,  and  must  be  learnt  from  the 
Tathagata'" — "In  such  case,  why  preach  the  Law? 
Why  appeal  to  one  man  in  this  form,  to  another  in  a 
different  way  ?"  retorted  Togashi  t — "  '  Because  the  final 
aim  is  absence  of  all  passion,  annihilation,  knowledge  of 
the  all  knowing.'  When  men  once  realize  that  all  pain, 
the  round  of  birth,  death,  and  re-birth,  comes  from 
ignorance  and  delusion  ;  when  once  they  have  acquired 
such  knowledge  they  are  set  free.  The  form  in  which  we 
preach  the  Law  disappears  in  the  result.  So  spoke  the 
Baddha  when  he  turned  the  wheel  of  spotless  radiance, 
that  which  has  three  turns  and  twelve  parts."  The 
twelve  parts  seemed  to  catch  Togashi's  ear.  He  turned, 
however,  to  more  practical  matters,  and  safer  ground — as 
he  thought. 

"  What  is  a  yamahuslii  '?  "  he  asked  sharply.  *'  What 
is  the  rule  of  your  order?" — "The  Taizo  and  Kongo! 
scriptures  govern  us,"  answered  Benkei.  "It  is  our  busi- 
ness to  roam  mountains  and  plains,  killing  wild  and 
savage  animals  and  venomous  serpents.     By  our  ascetic 


*  Having  in  mind  perhaps  the  huddhadharmas  referred  to  in  the  Sad- 
dharma  Pundarika  p.  31.  Eighteen  in  number.  Benkei's  answer  is 
found  on  p.  31  (S.B.E.  Vol.  XXI.) 

t  This  adaption  of  the  contents  to  the  measure  to  be  filled  can  be 
very  practical,  but  it  certainly  gives  good  ground  for  saying  that  there 
is  an  esoteric  and  exoteric  form  of  Buddhism  in  practice  if  not  in 
theory.  The  parable  (Saddharma  Pundarika  p.  72  and  paragraph  4 
on  page  122)  both  support  this  contention,  also  found  elsewhere. 
Benkei  justifies  the  means  by  the  end;  as  does  the  Saddharma  Pun- 
darika. On  animals  and  reason,  Cf.  Questions  of  King  Milinda  I  p.  51 
(S.B.E.  XXXV.) 

X  Asused  by  the  Shingon  sect,  cf.  Lloyd.  T.A.S.J.  XXII  p.  390. 
"Kongokai  (Vajradhatu)  the  diamond  world,"  and  the  '' Taizokai 
(Gharbhadhatu),  the  womb  element."  Japanese  Buddhism,  as  said, 
finds  its  basis  in  the  Mahayana  texts.  As  between  this  and  Hinayana, 
the  difference  is  well  illustrated  by  the  practical  (Hinayana)  and 
mystical  (Mahayana)  treatment  of  metaphysics.  For  instance — on  the 
senses,  Cf.  Eockhill— "Life  of  the  Buddha  "  p.  198. 


310  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

lives  we  lead  the  wicked  to  Paradise  (Gokuraku). 
It  is  our  object  to  perform  these  altruistic  practices  Thus 
we  wander  through  the  sixty-six  provinces,  sleeping  in 
the  mountains  in  wet  as  well  as  dry  weather  and  in  such 
shelter  as  we  can  find  (the  wiser  winked).  Such  was  the 
practice  of  our  founder,  En-no-Shokaku,  who  practised  his 
asceticism  on  mountain  peaks  where  food  was  hard  to 
obtain.*  From  this  practice  we  have  acquired  the  name 
of  yama-hushi  (mountain  sleepers).  Thus  we  find  or 
make  many  roads  for  travellers  who  come  after  us." — 
*'  And  your  hongo  stick?  Is  it  to  rest  upon,  to  aid  you  in 
walking,  or  is  it  a  weapon  ?"  f — "  Something  of  the  three,'* 
answered  Benkei.  "  When  Shaka  was  called  Gudonshami 
he  practised  asceticism  and  learned  the  holy  books  of  India 
under  Saint  Arada.I  This  latter  was  so  pleased  at  his 
application  and  progress  that  he  named  him  Shofubiku 
(Saint- Priest)  and  gave  him  a  present  of  a  cane  like  this. 
Por  this  reason  En-no-Shokaku  adopted  it,  and  we  are 
his  followers  " — *'  And  the  horagai  (conch  shell)  in  your 
hand  ?"  asked  Togashi — *'  Its  sound  re-echoes  in  the  hills 
like  the  roar  of  a  tiger  or  lion.  Beast  and  robber,  evil 
man  and  animal  flee  at  the  sound  of  the  horagai  ;  and 
the  other  yamahushi  can  hear  it,  if  we  get  separated  and 
lost  in  the  mountains  " — ■"  And  your  rosary  ?  Is  that  to 
secure  the  practice  of  the  four  perfections,§  or  to  heap  up 
merit  for  your  heirs  ?  " — "  '  At  a  man's  death  there  are 
doubtless  heirs  to  his  wealth  ;  but  heirs  to  his  merit  are 
hard  to  find  on  the  earth,  or  exist  not  at  all.  There  is  no 
wrong  time  for  religious  duty,  life  being  fragile  as  it  is.' 
In  our  forest  life  we  have  opportunity  to  acquire  merit. 
And  as  we  practise  the  four  perfections  so  men  do  not  say 

*  He  is  said  to  have  made  a  practice  of  climbing  mountain  peaks  to 
dedicate  them  to  Sliakamuni  (Sakya).  His  demons  Zenki  and  Goki 
supplied  food  as  well  as  head -gear. 

t  It  was  a  staff  (of  iron  says  Kataoka)  <  marked  with  octagonal  cross 
sections.  The  kongo  stick  is,  of  course,  related  to  the  Kongokai,  "  the 
diamond  world  of  ideal"  of  the  Shingon  Sect.  Cf.  Lloyd  as  cited. 
T.A.S.J.  XXII  p.  390. 

t  Gf.  Buddha  Karita  pp.  123,169  for  his  life  doctrine,  and  fate. 
(S.B.E.  XLIX).     Arara. 

^  Charity,  compassion,  sympathy,  stoicism,  says  Professor  Cowell,  in 
a  note  to  the  Buddha  Karita  p.  177  (S.B.E.  XLIX.) 


BENKEI   REAPS  THE   KWAKJINCHO.  311 

to  us-^-*  be  SO  good  Sir,  as  to  go  on  to  the  next  house.' 
The  108  beads  of  our  rosary  represent  the  108  evil  pas- 
sions." Togashi  was  rash  enough  to  ask  : — 'Vand  what 
^re  the  108  evil  passions?  " — '*  All  those  which  influence 
mind  and  heart.  As  do  your  suspicions  of  such  harm* 
less  priests  as  ourselves.  They  are "  But  To- 
gashi stopped  him.  He  had  balked  on  the  exposition 
of  the  twelve  causes ;  much  more  did  he  do  so  in 
this  case.*       , 

The  examination  was  going  favourably.  Yoshitsune 
was  gazing  intently  at  Benkei ;  perhaps  too  much  so  as  he 
raised  his  head  in  so  doing.  The  guards  were  mystified, 
but  took  their  cue  from  the  evident  admiration  of  their 
master.  Togashi  had  his  strong  suspicions,  more  than 
strong.  There  was  but  one  Benkei,  and  if  thera  was 
disguise  he  certainly  had  the  noted  hushi  before  him. 
Betwee^  he  and  Benkei  it  was  a  battle  of  wits.  To  stop 
priests  engaged  on  such  a  serious  mission,  and  with  such  a 
bigot  seated  at  Kamakiira,  might  mean  the  sacrifice  of 
himself.  His  policy  in  any  case  was  to  be  thorough. 
There  were  eyes  everywhere,  and  this  incident  would  lose 
nothing  in  its  transference  to  Yoritomo.  Fastening  his  eyes 
on  Bepkei's  dress,  he  said  :  "  You  wear  suzuwake,  more 
like  skirt  than  greaves." — To  the  inquiring  tone  Benkei 
answered,  *'  formerly  it  was  called  siine-ivake  koromo  (priest 
covering  for  the  shin).  As  such  it  was  effective  against 
brambles,  sharp-pointed  twigs,  and  branches  encountered 
in  our  mountain  rambling  over  trackless  forest.  Wrongly 
it  has  taken  the  name  of  suzu-wake,  but  when  is  not 
known."  — "  Why  should  it  always  have  just  eight 
folds,"  asked  Togashi.^**  To  represent  To-Zai-Nan- 
Boku  (East,  West,  South,  North),  and  the  four  perfections 
^benevolence,  rightousness,  courtesy,  intelligence."  Then 
.anticipating  Togashi's  pointed  finger :  "  the  black  leg- 
gings mean  the  darkness  of  the  great  ocean,  and  the 
eight-knotted  sandals  the  eight  petals  of  a  lotus  under 

*  Ilyaku-hachi-hon-m.  The  nnmher  of  beads  are  112.  Bev.  Dr^  J.  M, 
James  (T.A.S.J.  IX  173)  tells  us  that  the  sects  differ  slightly  in  the 
construction  and  as  to  the  arrangement  of  the  large  and  small  beads. 
The  rosary  is  called  iShozoku-Jiu-Dzu. 


312  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 

foot  "* — "  And  by  use  of  leggings  and  sandals  you  can 
live  by  faith  rather  than  by  works.t  If  robust  enough 
perhaps  by  some  ganana  you  can  acquire  the  gift  of 
Iddhi ?  "I — "In  such  case  you  certainly  would  not  see 
us  here,"  replied  Benkei  with  a  little  smile,  in  which 
Togashi  grimly  joined,  and  which  spread  to  the  assembly. 
Master  and  men  were  much  pleased  with  this  clever 
priest.  No  such  yamabushi  had  ever  sailed  within  their 
ken,  by  Iddhi  or  on  his  legs.  Benkei  added:  "but  by 
purification  even  ordinary  mortals  can  do  much."  Togashi 
gladly  took  him  up  :  "  What  are  the  eight  doctrines  ;  th6 
purification,  the  road  for  ascertaining  Buddha's  Law  ?  " 
— "  Bosatsu,  Kaika,  Shitsu,  Boku,  Bodai,  Butsu,  Ho, 
Nehan."  Thus  answered  Benkei  "  as  easily  as  water 
runs  down  hill."§ 

Togashi  felt  pretty  sure  now  who  he  had  before  him. 
He  did  not  press  the  question  as  to  Yoshitsune*s  presence, 
but  he  was  lost  in  admiration  of  Benkei's  quick  wit  and 
learning,  and  envied  him  such  a  retainer.  **  I  have  had 
great  good  fortune  to  meet  with  such  a  learned  priest.  Will 
you  answer  a  few  more  questions,  although  I  no  longer 
have  reason  to  suspect  you  of  being  a  soldier  not  a  priest. 
Why  do  you  wear  such  an  unusual  dress  ? "  Benkei 
laughed.  "We  dress  thus  horribly  to  scare  away 
demons."  For  this  reason  our  hat  is  like  a  helmet,  our 
outer  coat  like  armour,  we  carry  a  heavy  cane  as  did 

*  Control  of  the  eight-fold  path.  Cf.  note  of  Bhys  Davids  as  to  this 
and  other  doctrines.  MahS,  Parinibbhana  Suttanta-  S.B.E.  XI,  p.  63. 
As  to  Buddhist  ideas  on  the  Great  Ocean,  cf.  "Questions  of  King 
Milinda  "  p.  159  (S.B  E.  XXXV.     Ehys  Davids). 

t  A  doctrine  expounded  in  tlie  Smaller  Sukh^vati  Vyuha,  cf.  p.  98. 
S.B.E.  XLTX  M.  Muller. 

t  Oanani,  mental  arithmetic  without  the  aid  of  the  fingers.  The  old 
fashioned  Japanese  would  be  hard  put  to  it  to  get  along  without  this 
substitute  for  the  soroban-  Iddhi  is  the  power  of  flight  through  the  air. 
Cf.  "  Questions  of  King  Milinda  "  II,  p.  94. 

^  Marga — Eight  rules  of  conduct,  pre-requisites  of  every  Arahat,  the 
observation  of  which  leads  to  Nirvana :  i.e.  the  eight-fold  path.  This 
identifies  Hassho-jodo  with  Hasshd-dobun  of  Eitel.  For  obvious 
reasons  it  is  not  ventured  to  confound  it  with  Hasshu,  the  eight 
principal  Japanese  sects,  each  obstinate  in  regarding  its  path  as  the 
only  true  one.  Bosatsu  etc.  are  merely  written  in  kana.  They  are  all, 
if  not  titles,  references  to  Buddha. 


BENKEI   BEADS   THE   KWANJINCHO.  313 

Shaka,  and  wear  the  sharp  sword  of  the  Buddha.  Thus 
we  seem  more  soldiers  than  priests." — "  So,  indeed  '*, 
accented  Togashi ;  "  and  is  your  sword  to  kill  or  simply 
to  frighten." — "  We  use  it  to  kill  beasts,  serpents, — or 
men,"  coldly  answered  Benkei. — "  x\n  effective  weapon 
against  physical  danger.  What  do  you  use  to  ward  off 
spiritual  evils?"  asked  Togashi.  "That  is  a  great 
secret,"  said  Benkei.  "  The  nine-fold  division  of  the 
Scriptures,  '  the  word  of  the  Buddha  that  deals  with  holiness 
of  life  and  attainment  of  the  path  '  forms  our  potent  spell 
— Ein,  Pei,  Tou,  Sha,  Kwai,  Kai,  Jin,  Ketsu,  Zai,  Zen.* 
Thus  to  pray  kuji  you  must  stand  upright,  beat  your 
teeth  thirty-six  times,  with  your  thumb  draw  four  lines 
horizontally  and  five  lines  vertically  ^  while  you  pray, 
kyu,  kyu,  go,  ritsu,  rei.f  If  you  do  this  all  the  nega- 
tive evil  spirits,  ghosts,  demons,  evil  passions  disappear 
*  as  snow  in  hot  water  or  as  if  by  the  famous  swords 
of  Kansho  and  Bakaya,  sharpest  in  China.'  Thus  in 
ancient  times  evil  spirits  were  destroyed,  say  the  old  books. 
Military  men  should  know  these  spells.  In  the  Gunrin 
Hokan  by  Shimi,  and  the  Naihen  by  Hobokushi,]  and 
in  many  others  they  learn  their  practice  of  war.  But 
greatest  of  all  are  these  truths  of  the  Shingon,  words  from 
the  Myo-Ho-Eenge-Kyo,  whose  efficacy  is  still  greater. 
But  what  I  here  tell  you,  you  must  not  spread  abroad. § 

*  "  Against — enemy-fighting-man-all-camp-row-is-front "  (Minakami). 
Probably  this  has  reference  to  the  nine-fold  division  mentioned  in 
the  Saddharma  Pundarika  p.  45.  The  references  are  frequent.  Cf. 
"Questions  of  King  Milinda"  I.  84,  35  (the  nine-fold  jewel  of  the 
conqueror's  word"),  137  II  246;  "springing  into  existence  by  the 
law  ",  Sad.  Pund.  61,  72.  In  Japan  this  charm  was  called  praying 
kuji.  The  incantation  Rin,  Pei,  etc.  is  found  in  Brinkley's  Dictionary. 
f%  ^  \m  m^nm^M  under  "  KujV^ 

t  Quick-Quick-is-like-laws-decrees  (Minakami).  This  is  more  dhara- 
nipadani.  It  was  a  good  part  of  religion  in  Benkei's  time,  and  is  yet 
for  plebeian  and  peasant  Japan.  The  Saddharma  Pundarika  devotes 
a  chapter  to  these  Dharani  charms  (p.  370).  They  are  favourably 
mentioned  in  the  Amitayur  Dhyana  Sutra.     M  ^  fiU  W  '^' 

t  "  Treasure  House  of  Military  Art  "  :  "  Inner  Volume."  (Mina- 
kami). 

^  These  Darani  s-pe\h-~formulae  thus  made  up  of  a  string  of  ideo- 
graphs— are  on  much  the  same  basis  as  our  'Mady  bug,  lady  bug,  fly 
away  home"  etc.  They  are  to-day  considered  of  great  effect  by  the 
lower  classes.     This  scene,   based  on  Shinshinsai,  as   i°  the  chapter 


314  SATTO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

"  Most  wisely  and  learnedly  have  you  answered,  Sir 
Priest.  You  fulfill  the  Buddha's  law  of  action  in  your 
wandering  lives  "* — "  Provided  we  keep  within  the 
three-fold  law,  recognizing  the  impermanency  of  all 
things,  setting  store  by  none.  Thus  are  we,  hermit -like, 
sons  of  Buddha  "t — "  Your  law  is  three-fold,  I  grant," 
replied  Togashi.  "  Now  the  ordinary  priests  have  a 
robe  of  a  certain  cut  and  proportions.  Their  hair  too 
is  always  shaven  in  the  same  way.  Why  should  you 
yamabushi  differ  so  among  yourselves  ;  some  with  hair 
cut,  others  wearing  it  long,  others  again  with  it  cut  in 
strange  shapes  ;  and  so  likewise  with  your  robes  ?  Have 
you  a  triple  fold  in  your  law  as  to  garments  ? " — 
"  There  are  three  kinds  of  yamabushi,''  replied  Benkei. 
"  Bikugyo,  Tekihatsugyo,  Ubasogyo.  As  to  these  I  must 
tell  you  something  of  the  life  of  our  Lord  Buddha. 
Shaka  had  become  a  priest  after  studying  the  sacred 
books  under  Saint  Arada  on  Danzoku-san.j  It  was 
on  the  eight  day  of  the  eleventh  month  (about  the  end 
of  our  December)  that  he  left  the  mountain.  After 
he  had  progressed  a  little  distance  he  heard  a 
voice  saying  : — '  all  things  are  unstable  ;  uncertain  is  all 
being.*  Looking  up  he  saw  a  demon  sitting  cross-legged 
in  the  sky.  Now  what  had  been  said  seemed  so  wise  that 
Shaka  begged  the  demon  to  continue,  but  the  latter 
pleaded  hunger  and  inability  to  proceed.      To  lose  such  a 

shows  the  difference  between  him  and  the  romancer  Yamada.  This 
latter  would  have  delved  deeply  into  what  Benkei  and  Togashi  wore, 
what  they  had  on  their  backs,  not  in  theirrainds.  He  slurs  over  the 
whole  scene.  I  am  too  much  indebted  to  him  in  other  ways  to  be 
more  critical. 

*  Nagasena  speaks  of  the  ten  kinds  of  individuals  despised  and 
contemned  in  the  world.  Then  he  quotes  the  Buddha's  words : — "let 
me  as  a  master  in  action  etc."  Cf.  "  Questions  of  King  Milinda  "  II, 
pp.  140-1. 

t  "  Impermanency,  inherent  pain,  absence  of  any  abiding  principle 
(any  self)  in  the  Confections  or  component  things ",  explains  Bhys 
Davids  in  a  note  to  the  Tevigga  Suttanta.  S.B.E.  XT,  p.  162.  How 
valueless  are  our  abstract  terms  is  a  doctrine  laid  down  in  the 
Sukhavati-vyuha.     S.B.E.  XLIX.     M.  MuUer. 

t  Or  Arata  (Eitel).  The  following  story  is  found  in  one  of  the 
Gatakas,  I  believe.  Tekihatsu— ("Cut  Hair  Priest,"  Minakami). 
Ubasokn — Upasika.     Ubasogyo — duties  of  a  lay  brother. 


BENKEI   BEADS   THE    KWANJINCHO.  315 

chance  at  getting  celestial  knowledge  at  first  band  seemed 
too  bad,  so  tbe  future  Buddha  took  out  bis  knife  and  a 
cbunk  from  bis  left  tbigb  and  passed  it  over  to  tbe  ema- 
ciated demon.  '  Existence  in  tbis  world  is  against 
enlightenment. '  Tbis  was  not  very  satisfying  ;  and  to  set 
tbe  machine  in  motion  again  went  another  chunk,  from 
the  right  thigh,  into  the  slot  of  the  demon's  cavernous 
maw.  *  Extinguish  your  being  and  all  will  go  well  for 
you.'  Then  be  positively  refused  to  work  further  except 
on  stronger  inducement.  '  I  want  all  of  you.  These 
little  pieces  are  mere  appetisers  causing  more  hunger  than 
satisfaction.'  Thus  spoke  the  devil.  Thought  Shaka  : — 
*  hesitate  and  balance  life  against  the  doctrine  of  enlighten- 
ment; not  so!'  And  down  the  demon's  gullet  be  went. 
He  thought  to  be  smashed  on  the  rocks  of  tbe  devil's 
grinders,  but  instead  found  himself  seated  (much  in  tbe 
condition  of  our  friend  Saigyo  of  later  date)  safe  and  sound, 
but  dazzled.  Then  a  voice  in  the  sky  said  : — '  to  anni- 
hilate oneself  is  happiness.'  Thus  was  Shaka  taught 
Shogyo-mnjo,  Sejo-meppo,  Shdmetsu-ijakii,  Jahumetsu- 
irahu.  To  these  he  added  Shogijo  Sangai  Shokogo 
Jiippsho.  This  is  the  secret  doctrine  of  the  Shinshu  and 
is  tbe  origin  of  Bikugyo."* 

"  Again,  Shaka,  then  forty-four  years  old,  was  preaching 
tbe  doctrine  of  expediency  on  the  sea-shore,  *  and  the 
people  in  crowds  like  mosquitoes  in  summer  flocked  to 
bear  him.'  It  was  at  that  time  the  Five  Hundred  were 
converted  to  his  doctrines,  among  them  the  Sixteen  Dis- 
ciples and  tbe  Sixteen  Eakan.  Thus  he  preached  Bosatsu 
and  Nyorai,  and  Teki-hatsu-gyo  had  its  origin  in  the  time 
of  Shaka. f  Again  when  preaching  on  the  guarded  slopes 
of  tbe  Himalaya,  by  purely  spiritual  power  Shaka 's 
eighteen  heads  reached  above  the  heavens,  and  bis  eighteen 

*  Biku  here  is  "  brother "  of  the  order.  Cf.  Ehys  Davids  note 
"  Maha-Paranibbana  Sutta  "  S.B.E.  XI  p.  5.  The  gyo  Jff  means  here 
religions  austerities,  a  contraction  of  gyosho  says  Brinkley's  Dictionary. 
All  the  above  terms  have  reference  to  conduct  directed  to  secure 
Nirvana,  largely  to  contemplation  of  one's  navel  with  a  minimum  of 
thought-  From  composition  Sejo  mappo  would  refer  to  that  inferior 
body  of  doctrine  destined  for  public  consumption. 

t  Bosatsu  and  Nyorai  are  titles  of  the  Buddha* 


316  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

feet  touched  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  The  virtue  of  his 
teaching  was  beyond  the  disciples  and  the  Rakan.  Only 
forty-two  Bodhisattvas  in  the  audience  could  fully  under- 
stand it.  Shaka  at  that  time  received  the  name  of  ubaso- 
gyo.  And  so  in  our  days  yamabushi  are  also  called 
uhaso-gyo.  There  are  these  three  kinds  of  yamabushiy 
each  with  their  dhutangas  (special  vows)." — "  Among 
which  are  eating  meat  and  taking  wives.  Can  you  ex- 
plain this  difference  from  other  kinds  of  priestly  orders  ? 
This  is  my  last  question  to  you,  for  my  suspicions  are 
completely  dispelled,  meeting  a  priest  of  such  learning  and 
readiness  as  yourself." — "  Easily,"  replied  Benkei.  "  The 
answer  is  a  long  one,  and  concerns  the  life  of  the  Saint, 
our  Founder."  Benkei  rejoiced  at  this  passing  from 
theology  to  narrative.  He  had  a  better  chance  to  arouse 
the  interest  of  all,  and  so  leave  their  minds  lulled  by  a 
pleasant  story,  instead  of  wits  sharpened  by  the  contro- 
versial or  technical  learning  of  the  priest. 


§    2. 


In  ancient  days  there  lived  a  dainagon  named  Miyoshi 
Kiyotsura,  who  had  as  wife  the  daughter  of  Daiguji  Kore- 
mori.*  They  had  one  child,  a  boy  to  whom  was  given  the 
name  of  Saku-no-Kisho.  As  he  grew  up  nothing  would 
satisfy  him  except  to  become  a  priest,  and  very  unwilHngly 
his  father  placed  him  in  the  Tosan  Ennenji  when  he  was 

*  Seventh  century.  As  a  matter  of  fact  Miyoshi  Kiyotsura  belongs 
847-918  A.D.  under  Daigo  Tenn5.  These  court  ranks  were  unknown  to 
the  time  the  story  must  apply.  Shinshinsai  tells  it  on  his  own  account, 
abandoning  all  the  chronicles.  It  is  perhaps  worth  noting  here  that 
the  offices  of  sojo  and  sbdzu  were  first  established  by  Suiko  Tenno  in 
623  A.D.  There  is  no  mention  in  the  Nihongi  or  Kojiki  (the  only 
available  authorities)  of  the  apocryphal  Shiba  Tatsu,  the  Buddhist 
of  522  A-D.    Shiba  Tatto  displayed  his  energies  much  later. 


BENKEI   EEADS   THE    KWANJINCHO.  317 

nine  years  old.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  was  bishop 
{sojo),  and  of  wide  reputation  for  his  profound  knowledge 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  Lord  Buddha.  His  handsome 
appearance  and  fine  complexion  added  much  to  his 
preaching  and  to  his  congregation.  To  this  advantage 
Kisho  paid  little  attention.  But  he  noticed  that  there  was 
always  present  a  little  girl  in  whose  face  he  saw  signs 
of  deepest  love.  One  day,  instead  of  leaving  his  desk 
at  once,  he  waited  for  the  people  to  disperse.  Then 
approaching  the  child's  nurse  he  asked  the  reason  for  this 
constant  attendance.  ''  I  must  bring  the  child,"  the 
woman  answered.  "  Otherwise  she  will  weep  day  and 
night,  and  give  me  no  peace  "  The  bishop  thought  this 
very  impressive  and  extraordinary.  *'  How  old  is  she  ?  " 
he  asked.  ''  Four  years  old,"  was  the  reply.  "  How 
attractive  in  her,  at  her  age  to  like  to  hear  preaching  1 
And  who  will  you  marry,  my  dear  ?  "  he  asked  as  a  joke. 
"  You  !  "  lisped  the  baby  girl  bluntly,  with  all  the  frank- 
ness of  her  few  years. 

The  worthy  bishop  was  terribly  shocked.  The  more  so 
as  the  word  •'  marriage  "  found  response  in  his  own  heart. 
Plainly  he  was  not  yet  within  reach  of  Enlightenment, 
of  Arahatship.  So  summoning  another  sojo  he  betook 
himself  to  China,  there  to  study  diligently,  and  practise 
asceticism.  At  the  end  of  three  years  he  returned  and 
made  his  way  to  Miyako.*  As  he  entered  the  city,  cross- 
ing the  little  bridge  at  Ichijo  he  met  a  long  and  stately 
funeral  procession.  Seeing  a  friend  in  the  line  he  asked 
whose  it  was.  Much  astonished  the  friend  answered  : — 
*'  Why  !  it  is  your  mother,  Kisho."  As  the  news  of  his 
presence  spread  the  mourners  halted.  Kisho  approached 
the  bier,  and  asked  the  bearers  to  set  it  down  and  let  him 
have  a  last  look  at  the  deceased.  They  demurred,  fearing 
it  might  not  be  correct.  "  It  is  entirely  correct  ",  replied 
the  bishop.  *'  For  we  who  are  ascetics,  we  must  keep  our 
minds  separate  and  uninfluenced  by  the  world's  pleasures 

*  Miyako  was  founded  in  793  A.D.  by  Kwammu,  who  had  removed 
to  pday  close  by,  in  784  A.D.  This  therefore  is  another  wild  anach- 
ronism. The  capital  at  the  time  these  events  occurred  was  at  Afumi 
(Tenchi  and  Ohotomo),  or  Yoshino  (Temmu). 


318  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and  sorrows.  For  none  can  we  go  to  the  grave  as  a 
mourner.  Please  open  the  coffin  therefore,  and  allow  me 
one  last  look  and  word."  Yielding  they  set  it  on  the 
ground  and  opened  it.  Kisho's  mother  was  seated,  and 
looked  as  one  asleep.  Telling  the  beads  of  his  rosary 
Kisho  prayed  earnestly.  Then  addressing  the  corpse  : — 
*'  Mother,  I  am  your  son  Kisho.  Vouchsafe  me  a  last 
word  before  we  part  forever."  Wonderful  to  say  the 
mother  opened  her  eyes.  "  It  is  you,  my  son  ?" — **  Yes," 
answered  Kisho.  Then  he  quietly  closed  her  eyes. 
"  Namu-Amida-Butsu,  Namu-Amida-Bidsu,''  he  prayed. 
Then  he  thanked  those  present,  and  signed  to  the  bearers 
to  pass  on,  and  took  his  own  way  into  the  city.  Great  was 
the  wonder  and  admiration  at  such  profound  learning  and 
saintliness  as  to  enable  him  to  perform  this  feat.  But 
Kisho  was  not  yet  pure  in  mind  and  soul.* 

One  day  he  went  to  the  home  of  Sanjo  Sama-no-Kami 
Tadahiro  to  give  thanks  for  some  favour  granted.  In 
front  of  ihe  gate  were  some  little  girls  playing  at  o7iigoMo 
(prisoner's  base  a  la  Japanese).  One  ran  against  Kisho 
in  her  play.  Both  stopped  and  gazed  for  a  long  time  at 
each  other.  Kisho  was  the  more  attracted  by  the  signs 
of  affection  in  the  child's  face.  "  How  old  are  you  ?  " 
he  asked  suddenly.  "  I  am  seven  years  old  ",  replied  the 
child.  With  his  mind  still  puzzled,  and  hunting  in  his 
memory,  Kisho  said  almost  mechanically  : — "  You  will 
grow  up  into  a  fine  woman,  and  will  make  a  great 
marriage  some  day.  Who  will  be  the  lucky  man,  I 
wonder?" — "None  but  you,"  replied  the  child  with 
startling  promptness,  and  pointing  with  her  finger  to 
accentuate  the  answer.  A  wave  of  feeling  again  stirred 
Kisho,  and  in  rage  he  drew  his  knife  and  plunged  it  into 
the  little  throat.     Then  feeling  that  he  was  still  far  too 

*  It  is  creditable  to  the  Japanese  that  learning  and  saintliness  went 
together.  In  contemporary  Europe  at  this  time  great  holiness  and  ex- 
treme dirtiness  were  associated  with  great  learning.  But  great  learn- 
ing, apart  from  holiness,  was  becoming  dangerous.  In  general  terms 
for  the  real  cleanliness  of  the  Middle  Ages,  cf.  Cabanas  "  Mceurs  Intimes 
du  Pass^,"  2nd  series.  It  was  at  the  close  of  the  15th  century,  and  with 
the  extensive  use  of  linen,  together  with  disreputable  customers,  that 
the  bath  houses  came  into  bad  odour. 


BENKEI  READS  THE  KANJINCHO.        319 

immature  in  doctrine  he  departed  at  once  for  China,  to 
remain  there  eight  years  more. 

At  last  confident  in  mind  he  returned.  Now  at  that 
time  the  copper  spire  of  the  Yasaka  pagoda*  had  been 
bent  in  a  sudden  storm,  and  the  Court  was  staggered  at 
the  cost  of  removal  and  replacement.  Kisho  thought  that 
here  was  a  good  chance  to  determine  the  efficacy  of  his 
prayers.  As  people  gathered  in  crowds  to  watch  the 
efforts  of  the  saintly  man,  to  their  wonder  the  spire  was 
seen  to  straighten  itself.  The  news  of  this  event  reached 
the  ears  of  the  Court,  and  Kisho  was  called  in  to  aid  the 
Tenno,  ill  of  some  complaint.  Finding  him  learned  in 
the  Buddha's  law,  he  became  a  great  favourite  at  the 
palace.  But  the  Tenno  wanted  him  as  adviser  in  politics. 
For  this  he  must  leave  the  priesthood.  As  dainagoiis  son 
a  career  of  priest  was  not  en  j^egle.  Kisho,  however,  refused 
all  advancement.  Three  times  he  refused,  and  the  Tenno 
in  anger  forbade  him  to  leave  the  twelve  gates  of  the 
palace.  Every  night  a  different  uiieme  (palace  waiting 
maid)  was  sent  to  wait  upon  him.  For  twelve  nights 
Kisho  held  his  own.  On  the  thirteenth  night,  how- 
ever, dazzled  by  the  girl's  beauty  he  trod  the  path  of  love 
with  her.  In  the  cooler .  moments  of  dawn  he  noticed  a 
scar  on  her  throat.  He  asked  at  once  who  she  was 
and  how  she  came  by  it.  She  told  her  story.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Sama-no-Kami  Tadahiro.t  Eight  years 
before  when  playing  before  the  gate  of  her  father's  man- 
sion a  strange  priest  had  stabbed  her.  "  Fortunately  I 
recovered  ",  she  said  with  loving  glance  and  embrace. 
Then  Kisho  told  her  who  he  was,  and  their  mutual 
history.  "  Whether  our  connection  is  fortunate  or  not 
remains  to  be  seen.  If  you  have  no  child  in  three  years 
I  shall  kill  both  you  and  myself,  our  union  being  offensive 
to  the  Buddha.     We  shall  then  become  demons  in  Hell. 

*  Well  known,  near  the  Kiyomizu-dera  in  Kyoto.  "  Dainagon  "  as 
used  below  is  an  anachronism.  The  authors  of  the  Nihongi  (720  A.D.) 
say  : — "  Gioshi  were  perhaps  what  are  now  called  dainagon,"  speaking 
of  671  A.D.    This  feat  is  attributed  to  K5bo-Daishi. 

t  "  Uma-no-Kami ",  says  Shinshinsai,  who  tells  this  story.  This 
would  be  very  appropriate  as  Sama-no-Kami  was  "Groom  of  the 
Palace  Stables". 


3-2 U  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEl. 

This  terrible  necessity  was  avoided  by  the  birth  of  a  boy 
within  the  period  named.     Kisho  called  him  Batsu-maru. 

When  the  child  was  three  years  old  Kisho  wanted  to 
determine  whether  his  connection  with  a  woman  had 
affected  the  efficiency  of  his  prayers.  So  he  petitioned  the 
Tenno  to  let  him  try  to  make  the  Kamogawa  run  uphill, 
simply  by  the  force  of  prayer.  Said  he : — ''  If  I  fail,  I, 
my  wife,  and  child  will  spring  into  the  river  as  sacrifice, 
and  become  demons  in  Hell.  (He  was  always  tempting 
Providence).  Great  was  the  excitement.  At  that  time 
the  monks  gave  less  trouble  than  they  did  centuries  later. 
But  the  river  gave  a  great  deal.  There  was  a  great  pow- 
wow and  excitement  among  the  councillors.  Cariosity 
carried  the  day  over  the  possible  disadvantages  of  a 
back-water  in  the  Kamogawa.  The  Court  suffered  from 
stagnation.  White  pheasants.  Three-legged  Eed  Crows, 
Deer  with  Eight  Legs  and  Chickens  with  Four  ditto,  were 
running  short.  It  made  little  difference  if  the  peasants 
suffered  a  bit  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  palace  days.  So 
permission  was  granted.  Everyone  talked  over  the  matter, 
and  for  once  people  were  generally  agreed  on  a  verdict.  In 
vulgar  parlance,  and  seventh  century  Japanese,  the  sojo's 
name  was  "  mud  "  ;  nay,  that  of  he  and  his  tribe.  And 
as  it  was  not  themselves,  they  gathered  all  the  more  cheer- 
fully to  see  them  take  their  leap  to  Limbo.  Hucksters 
and  peddlers  to  supply  the  holiday  excesses  of  the  many- 
headed  swarmed.  The  appointed  day  was  like  a  great 
fair. 

Now  like  other  holy  men  Kisho  made  little  account  of 
the  stir  he  had  created.  He  was  surprised  to  find  a  great 
crowd  when  he  came  with  wife  and  child,  neither  very 
willing,  to  perform  his  feat  of  making  the  river  run  back- 
ward, or  water  run  uphill.  He  was  man  enough,  and 
had  confidence  enough  in  himself,  not  to  want  to  drown 
the  crowd.  So  he  crossed  the  river,  and  took  his  place  on 
the  bank  just  below  where  the  Gion  temple  now  is. 
Gazing  steadily,  as  he  began  earnestly  to  pray,  he  told  his 
beads.  It  was  "■  marbles  for  keeps  "  as  the  school  bo5^s 
say.  *'  The  skirt  of  his  garment  was  seen  to  wave  in  the 
wind,  his  eyes  turned  red,  his  hair  stood  on  end,  and  he 


BENKEI  BEADS  THE  KWANJINCHO.  ^     321 

looked  like  Fudo-Sama  in  a  furious  rage/'*  Amazed  the 
people  watched.  The  river  began  to  run  slowly  in  its 
course.  Then  it  stopped.  Agitated  the  spectators  began 
to  call  to  each  other  and  to  point  to  the  river.  It  was  as 
if  a  wall  of  water  had  been  erected  through  the  middle. 
On  Kisho's  side  the  stream  began  to  run  back  towards 
the  source.  On  the  other  side  the  water  ran  down.  In 
triumph  the  Saint  was  escorted  to  his  lodgings.  Now 
thinking  over  the  matter,  and  adding  up  the  proverbial 
two  plus  two,  Kisho  reached  the  conclusion  that  his  life 
w^ith  a  wife,  and  his  diet  of  flesh  and  fish,  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  precepts  of  the  Buddha,  and  was  of  unde- 
niable convenience  as  to  commissariat  when  he  roamed 
plain  and  mountain.  "  As  the  Lord  Buddha  himself 
showed  the  folly  of  unwise  asceticism,  so  did  the  founder  of 
our  Order  offer  his  followers  relief  from  useless  discipline." 
Then  looking  meaningly  at  Togashi  he  added  ;  ''  '  What 
merit  is  there  to  him  who  brings  sorrow  on  others.'  "f 

Togashi  rejoiced  profoundly.  He  was  thoroughly  con- 
vinced now  that  he  had  before  him  the  famous  Benkei, 
faithful  and  quick-witted.  How  he  envied  Yoshitsune 
such  a  man  !  To  give  the  signal  of  arrest  meant  the 
destruction,  not  only  of  these  brave  men,  but  of  many  of 
those  present.  Form  was  more  than  satisfied,  which  was 
enough  in  these  early  days  in  which  the  political  world 
was  so  unsettled,  and  he  who  was  down  to-day  was  up 
to-morrow.  The  bloody  policy  of  "  thorough "  of  the 
Kamakura  chief  was  not  as  yet  so  thoroughly  understood, 
and  this  feudal  world  had  not  set  so  hard  or  so  vindic- 
tively in  its  mould.  He  gave  his  verdict.  "  I  am  without 
suspicion.  None  but  a  true  priest  could  answer  as  you  have 
done.  *  You  have  been  a  light  in  our  darkness.'  I  should 
like  you  to  stay,  and  have  converse  with  you,  but  on  such 

*  En-no-Sh5kaku  was  reputed  a  magician,  and  in  699  A.D.  was 
exiled  to  Izu,  to  be  recalled  later.  As  he  was  sojo  at  twenty-two 
years,  and  married  the  girl  aged  fifteen,  with  the  child  aged  three 
years,  this  tale  would  be  in  670  A.D.  or  a  few  years  later ;  the  close  of 
Tenchi's  reign. 

t  "Questions  of  King  Milinda"  IT,  p.  115.  Says  Shinshinsai— 
"  Now  this  Yen-no-gyoja  of  Benkei  was  8haku-no-Z5ju-Kisho."  This 
identification  is  "  out  of  the  question  ";  but  to  whom  Shinshinsai  really 
refers  I  have  not  been  able  to  trace. 


322  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

a  mission  charged  by  high  authority,  and  seeking  subscrip- 
tions that  is  out  of  the  question.  You  are  in  a  hurry.  Let 
me  see  your  book  (kivanjincho) .  Bead  at  least  the  pream- 
ble to  it." — "  NaruJiodo  I  "  thought  Benkei.  He  could 
make  bricks  without  straw,  but  not  from  empty  words  or 
nothing.  That  was  pushing  the  doctrine  of  delusion  too  far. 
Himself,  he  had  nothing  but  an  old  account  book.  He 
turned  to  Hitachibo  as  a  last  resource,  and  because  he 
caught  a  meaning  look  in  the  latter 's  face.  "  Chikuzenbo, 
you  have  the  book."  Now  Hitachibo  by  accident  was  up  to 
the  occasion.  He  had  in  his  luggage  a  copy  of  the  Sho-man- 
gyo  (Srimala  Devi  Simhanada),  written  not  only  in  Chin- 
ese, but  in  the  ancient  script.  "  Here  it  is,"  and  solemnly 
he  handed  it  to  Benkei  whose  eye  lit  up.*  Togashi  might 
be  a  light  of  learning,  but  outside  of  a  few  scholars,  not 
found  in  official  circles  connected  with  the  Buke  Govern- 
ment of  Kamakura,  or  of  the  Court  which  still  affected  in 
some  degree  Chinese  learning,  there  were  few  in  Nippon 
who  could  handle  this  ancient  script.  Taking  it,  at 
Togashi's  signal  he  began  to  read. 

"  '  The  autumn  moon  veiled  its  face  in  the  heavy  clouds 
of  night,  nor  was  there  aught  to  disturb  the  dreams  of 
any.  Peace  prevailed  throughout  the  land  in  this  reign  of 
Shomu  Tennd.  Then  the  kogo  died,  lamentable  event. 
The  Tenno  shed  tears  in  sorrow,  and  erected  to  her 
memory  a  statue  of  Eoshana-Butsu.  In  the  battles  of 
Jisho  this  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  never  since  has  been 
replaced.  Eegretting  the  loss  of  so  holy  an  image  the 
Tenno  now  seated  on  the  throne  has  graciously  ordered 
Shinjobo,  the  bearer,  to  travel  the  provinces  outside  of  the 
Go-Kinai,  and  to  collect  subscriptions  for  the  re-erection  of 
statue  and  temple.  Whatever  the  amount  subscribed,  he 
who  contributes  shall  enjoy  happy  life  in  this  present 
world  and  be  granted  a  seat  on  a  holy  lotus  in  his  future 
existence.  Kimyo  Chorai.  Let  the  purport  of  this  missive 
be  recognized.  Signed.         Kadowara  Shinno.' " 

*  As  staged  Benkei  here  proceeds  to  read  out  of  the  Horai  (Eternal 
Youth  and  Felicity),  a  sort  of  primer.  So  few  of  the  Kamakura  bushi 
could  read  at  all  that  although  learned  in  comparison  Togashi  did 
not  need  to  go  very  deep.  But  the  H5rai  hardly  could  fool  one  educated 
in  early  youth  by  the  priests. 


BENKEI  READS  THE  KWANJINCHO. 


BENKET    READS  THE    KWANJINCHO.  323 

Then  he  handed  it  to  Togashi,  and  turning  to  Hitachibo 
gave  him  a  significant  glance  to  be  ready.  Thus  did 
Benkei  read  the  K^oanjincho.^ 


Whether  Togashi  Sayemon  Masahiro  suspected  a  ruse, 
whether  his  learning  went  beyond  the  Chinese  characters 
as  taught  for  Japanese  use  to  youths  of  the  noble  classes, 
we  do  not  and  need  not  know.  He  lianded  it  to  his 
steward  with  a  nod  of  approval.  The  latter,  who  knew 
far  less  than  his  lord  and  was  not  willing  to  say  so  except 
in  the  way  of  flattery,  followed  his  example.  All  were 
satisfied  that  the  examination  was  ended.  Then  Togashi 
ordered  that  five  rolls  of  Kaga  silk,  and  a  quill  of  gold 
dust  (of  about  one  ounce  weight)  wrapped  in  paper,  both 
placed  on  an  offering  tray,  should  be  presented  as  his 
subscription.  To  this  munificence  his  wife  added  a  white 
silk  skirt  and  an  eight  sided  mirror  to  free  herself  from 
worldly  sin.  All  the  related  members,  all  the  retainers,  of 
the  House  brought  forward  their  contribution.  Benkei 
was  somewhat  staggered.  "  We  are  on  our  way  to  neigh- 
bouring places,  and  to  beg  in  Noto.  In  a  month  we  shall 
return  here.  Allow  us  to  leave  these  generous  gifts  with 
you  until  our  advent."  Selecting  a  few  he  gave  them  into 
the  charge  of  Yamatobo.  "  I  shall  stay  here  to  offer 
prayer.  "  Thus  he  kept  off  too  premature  discussion  of 
their  party.  With  an  "o-saki''  Kaison  passed  his  leader. 
Thus  by  two  and  threes  the  others  left  the  barrier.  As 
Yamatobo  passed  through  the  last  an  official  thought  he 
recognized  him  as  Yoshitsune,  and  called  out  loudly.  He 
was  inamediately  surrounded.     A  peremptory  motion  from 

*  Chinese  texts  were  originally  written  in  tlie  "  ta  I-pole  "  character. 
Ankwo  (born  150  JB.  C.)  deciphered  and  transcribed  these  in  the  current 
characters  of  the  Han  dynasty.  Buddhist  books  were  introduced  into 
China  60-70  A.  D.  (Legge.  S.  B.  E.  Ill  pp.  XIII,  454).  The  Sho-man- 
gyo,  expounded  by  Shotoku  Taishi,  was  probably  in  this  Han  script. 


324  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Benkei  sent  the  others  slowly  forward.  Washiwo  and 
Ise  lingered.  Togashi  said  : — "  Anyone  who  resembles 
Yoshitsune  ought  to  be  detained."  Benkei  approached, 
the  coolie,  roaring  rather  than  speaking.  "  What  are  you 
stopping  for?  You  are  good  for  nothing.  Weakling, 
you  stagger  under  such  a  small  burden  !  Get  on  !  "  The 
guard  interposed.  "  Please,  sonkai,  (leader),  hold  your 
hand.  We  suspect  him  of  being  Yoshitsune."  This  only 
made  Benkei  more  furious.  "  Often  we  are  held  up  and 
delayed  by  your  face.  I  thought  it  weakness  of  back. 
You  had  better  stay  here  and  take  charge  of  the  luggage. 
Meanwhile  I  shall  give  you  something  by  which  to  re- 
member me.  Baka  !  (fool)  ",  and  with  his  kongo  cane  in 
both  hands  he  fell  to  beating  Yoshitsune  in  real  earnest. 
So  heavy  were  the  blows  that  Yoshitsune  fell  to  the 
ground.  He  begged  for  mercy  and  excused  himself. 
Togashi  rose  in  surprise.  If  this  was  Yoshitsune  and 
Benkei  he  felt  for  both  of  them.  "  Let  him  alone.  Do 
not  beat  him  so  cruelly.  After  so  severe  an  examination 
we  will  not  detain  you  on  so  trifling  a  matter  as  the 
suspicion  of  a  resemblance.  My  man  is  over-zealous." 
At  soul  Benkei  rejoiced.  Outwardly  he  grumbled  loudly. 
"  I  shall  finish  you  yet.  You  well  deserve  to  be  beaten  to 
death,  but  his  lordship  interferes  thus  kindly  to  save  you. 
Get  on  with  you !  "  and  he  aided  him  forward  by  picking 
him  up  by  the  neck  and  ribs  and  throwing  him  bodily  out 
of  the  barrier.  And  Yoshitsune  needed  aid.  Washiwo 
and  Ise  Saburo  picked  him  up  and  assisted  him  off.  It 
was  with  real  storm  clouds  and  disturbance  of  mind  that 
Benkei  told  his  rosary  and  prayed.  Prayed  so  long  and 
earnestly  that  even  the  guards  hoped  he  would  get 
through  and  be  off.  Never  had  a  priest  of  such  fluency 
in  argument  and  petition  been  seen  in  these  western  parts. 
Again  he  promised  that  Yoshitsune  should  come  to  this 
barrier  and  fall  into  their  hands.  At  which  they  all 
rejoiced.  And  again  he  mumbled  darani  charms  {sic)  at 
which  they  marvelled.  Then  he  bowed  profoundly  to  To- 
gashi, and  having  given  his  master  a  long  start,  he  passed 
out  the  barrier  to  hurry  after — fleeing  "  as  one  who  has 
escaped  the  attack  of  wild  beasts  and  poisonous  serpents." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

GATHERING  SHADOWS. 


"  Ay !  respondio  Sancho  llorando  ;  no  se  rauera  vuesa  nierced, 
*'  stnor  mio,  siiio  tome  mi  consejo,  j  viva  muchos  anos, 
*'  porque  la  mayor  locura  que  puede  hacer  un  hombre  en  esta 
"  vida  es  dejarse  morir  sin  mas  ni  mas,  sin  que  nadie  le  mate, 
"  ni  otros  manos  le  acaben  que  las  de  la  melancolia." 

toon  Quijote  de  la  Mancha.) 


§     1. 


Thus  Benkei  took  his  way  from  the  barrier,  with 
animated  face  chatting  with  some  of  the  guards,  who,  un- 
willing to  lose  too  soon  such  a  spiritual  father  accompanied 
him  for  some  fourteen  cho  (nearly  a  mile).  With  their 
departure,  however,  the  cheerful  look  departed  from  his 
face.  It  would  have  been  a  brave  man  not  to  meet  with 
some  awe  the  frowning  downcast  face  of  the  giant,  as  he 
rapidly  strode  along,  muttering  and  savagely  digging  his 
staff  into  the  footway.  About  an  hour's  walk  beyond  the 
barrier,  gathered  in  the  shelter  of  a  little  shrine  dedicated 
to  Kwannon,  he  found  his  party,  busily  attending  to  their 
chief  who  sadly  needed  it.  Benkei  strode  on  to  the  roka 
and  entered  the  hall.  All  made  way  for  him,  with  genuine 
sympathy  in  their  faces.  Always  notable  among  the 
retainers  of  Yoshitsune,  in  this  dangerous  voyage  the 
resource  and  wit  of  Benkei,  so  ready,  so  effective,  so  apt 
and  shifting  had  put  him  once  for  all  distinctly  their  chief. 


326  SATTO   MUSASHT-BO   BENKEI. 

With  their  heads  just  out  of  the  lion's  mouth,  their 
sympathy  was  strangely  united  in  their  feehng  of  devotion 
to  their  lord,  and  their  admiration  of  the  man  who,  sworn 
as  themselves  to  his  service,  yet  in  necessity  dared  to  lay 
violent  hands  upon  him.  Disregarding  any,  Benkei, 
hurling  the  offending  staff  to  the  end  of  the  building, 
knelt  prostrate  before  Yoshitsune,  his  forehead  resting  on 
his  hands.  "  May  my  lord  deign  to  pardon  my  offence. 
All  the  gods  of  luck  seem  to  have  deserted  me  this  day 
that  I  should  have  been  compelled  to  resort  to  such  a 
disastrous  strategem.  But  there  could  be  no  pretence 
under  the  eyes  of  Togashi  and  his  guards.  My  arms 
seemed  to  weigh  a  thousand  pounds  ijdn)  when  I  tried  to 
raise  them,  and  every  blow  left  them  numb  and  nerveless 
so  that  1  feared  I  would  betray  myself.  Indeed  it  has 
cost  me  much  to  do  this,  ray  lord.  Allow  me  to  live  and 
be  your  guide  to  the  lands  of  Hidehira.  Then  have  me 
torn  into  a  thousand  pieces,  an  object  of  infamy  to  men's 
eyes.  Thus,  my  lord,  I  ask  your  pardon."  Overcome, 
the  huge  shoulders  of  this  giant  form  heaved  in  sobs,  and 
the  tears  ran  down  to  wet  the  hairy  cheeks  and  outstretch- 
ed hands  on  which  his  forehead  now  rested.  Thus  spoke 
Benkei. 

It  was  a  firm  slender  hand  that  was  laid  tenderly  on 
his  shoulder.  ''  Wise  and  resourceful  in  wit  you  did 
nothing  but  what  was  necessary  to  save  our  lives,  my 
Benkei."  His  voice  lingered  as  in  tones  of  deepest  affection 
it  spoke  the  priest's  name.  "  It  seemed  to  me,  as  I 
listened  to  you  at  Ataka,  nay,  when  I  felt  your  blows,  that 
Hachiman  Taro  himself,  my  ancestor  had  entered  your 
body  to  save  my  life  by  your  ready  intelligence  in  meeting 
the  most  dangerous  situation.  Why,  when  So,  in  the  dis- 
guise of  a  courier,  was  trying  to  escape  through  the  hordes  of 
Aso,  his  servant  soundly  beat  him  before  the  guards  of  his 
enemy,  crying — '  Come,  you  sluggard  1  You  are  too  slow. 
Move  quicker,  or  stay  behind  ; '  and  the  guards  no  longer 
doubted.  Thus  So  was  saved.  To  sacrifice  life  for  one's 
lord  is  usual.  To  lay  hands  on  him  is  difficult.  Wit  and 
wisdom  alone  can  teach  the  devoted  what  the  relation  of 
lord  and  retainer  really  means — to  sacrifice  both  self  and 


GATHERING    SHADOWS.  327 

feeling.  Pained  !  In  the  days  of  the  Tong  dynasty  in 
China  there  lived  a  lord  named  Bun,  who  came  to  be  the 
minister  of  his  king.  When  a  boy  he  had  been  most 
awkward  and  mischievous,  and  his  mother  often  beat  him 
for  the  trouble  he  gave  her.  So  at  thirty  years  of  age  he 
gave  her  occasion  to  repeat  her  punishment.  Surprised  at 
his  loud  wailing  his  mother,  a  little  angry,  rebuked  him. 
*  You  did  not  cry  so  loud  when  as  a  child  I  corrected  you. 
Now  you  deride  me.' — '  Not  so,  mother,'  he  replied.  '  I 
weep  because  the  years  have  made  your  hand  so  light 
that  I  feel  sorrow  at  your  weakness.'  Angry,  Benkei ! 
Not  so  !  I  rejoiced  at  your  strength  ;  rejoiced  to  know 
that  our  privations  have  left  you  as  you  were.  I  was 
delighted  at  your  faithfulness,  ready  for  all  to  secure  my 
safety.  Without  you  oar  heads  would  now  be  dripping  at 
the  barrier  at  which  we  were  so  nearly  halted.  On  you 
depends  our  safe  arrival  in  Oshti.  W^ith  one  so  faithful 
and  ready,  how  could  I  feel  otherwise  than  proud  and 
grateful — my  Benkei !  my  Benkei !  "  and  as  the  giant 
slowly  rose  it  was  with  both  his  hands  grasped  by  his  lord, 
and  the  two  gazed  into  each  other's  eyes,  admiration  and 
affection  in  the  eyes  of  the]  master,  devotion  and  affection 
in  those  of  the  retainer. 

Then  with  cheerful  hearts  all  again  took  the  road, 
intending  to  take  boat  at  Take-no-hama  (in  Kaga), 
and  thus  to  avoid  the  barrier  between  Kaga  and  Etchu. 
The  guard  in  charge  at  the  ferry,  however,  was  by  no 
means  ready  to  accept  them  as  passengers.  He  too 
was  to  be  on  his  guard  against  yaniahuslii.  "  But 
why?"  asked  Benkei,  in  loud  a,nd  angry  tones.  "I 
am  Aranami  Sanuki  of  Haguro.  You  ought  to  know 
me  " — "  Oh  I  I  remember  you  well,"  replied  Hirame, 
who  was  in  charge.  *'  Once  you  gave  me  a  charm 
against  sickness.  But  one  of  your  party  looks  like 
the  drawing  of  the  Hangwan  sent  out  to  the  barriers, 
and  he  answers  to  the  description."  His  accusing  finger 
pointed  to  Sugime  Kotaro.  This  latter  did  have  no  little 
resemblance  to  his  master,  Yoshitsune,  whose  shoulders 
were  not  exactly  ready  for  a  fresh  application.  Benkei's 
eye  lit  up.     At  worst  here  was  a  scape-goat.     "  You  may 


328  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

be  right,"  he  said  to  Hirame.  "  Properly  he  belongs  to 
Hakusan  in  Kaga,  and  is  with  us  as  he  did  not  want  to  go 
to  Noto  alone.  He  has  been  a  great  trouble  to  us."  Then 
turning  to  Sugime.  "  You  can  stay  here  with  these 
officials.  We  shall  go  on.  We  can  afford  no  sympathy 
for  the  Hangwan  or  those  like  him."  Picking  him  up  he 
cast  him  into  a  sand  bank,  and  fell  on  him  wath  great 
apparent  violence,  wielding  his  fan  in  vigorous  chastise- 
ment. Harime  was  quite  shocked  at  such  treatment  of 
the  holy  man.  "  What  a  rough  set  you  yamahuslii  are. 
To  beat  a  fellow  priest  in  this  way,  one  over  whom  as  a 
stranger  you  have  no  authority.  Let  him  go  with  you." 
Going  over  to  Sugime  he  picked  him  up  and  dusted  him 
off.  ''  Kami-na-dzuki,"*  muttered  Yamatobo  mischiev- 
ously as  he  passed  Sugime.  A  smile  passed  over  the 
faces  of  those  around,  which  Kataoka  explained  to 
Hirame  in  an  awe-struck  whisper,  looking  at  Benkei — 
"  He  is  a  man  of  wrath."  Thus  they  all  got  in,  and 
Sugime,  in  great  apparent  fear,  carefully  kept  near 
Hirame.  When  they  were  in  mid-stream  this  latter 
ordered  the  men  to  stop  rowing.  "  You  must  pay  your 
passage,"  he  said  curtly — "  What !  cried  Benkei  in 
astonishment.  "  Who  ever  heard  of  pilgrims  paying 
passage  money  "  —  "  Such  rough  customers  as  you 
shall  pay,"  replied  Hirame.  Benkei  frowned  hideously. 
Pointing  to  the  Kitanokata  he  said  : — ''  This  is  the  son  of 
Sakata  Jiro,  lord  of  Sakata  in  Dewa.  He  will  remember 
you  in  a  way  you  will  not  like  when  he  passes  this  way." 
But  Hirame  held  his  ground.  Benkei  reached  over 
and  took  the  cloak  from  the  shoulders  of  the  Kitanokata. 
"  Dont  tell  other  Haguro  yamahuslii  that  we  paid  toll. 
Take  this  cloak.  It  is  a  handsome  one.  I  can  promise 
you  that  whoever  wants  to  present  it  at  Sakata  for 
redemption  will  be  heartily  received.  Meanwhile,  breathe 
a  word  of  this  present  and  I  shall  charm  your  soul  from 
your  body."  He  tossed  the  cloak  to  Hirame  and  grasped 
his  rosary  with  fearful  meaning.  Hirame  did  not  hesitate. 
It  was  not  the  toll  he  wanted  so  much  as  the  cloak.     He 

*  When  all  the  gods,  including  those  of  luck,  are  absent  in  Izumo. 


gatMeking  shadows.  329 

had  a  counter  charm  at  hand.  He  passed  it  on  to  Sugime 
with  a  respectful  duck.  "  My  words  have  brought  you  a 
severe  beating.  I  beg  you  to  receive  this  as  an  amend- 
ment." With  a  defiant  look  at  Benkei,  and  a  wink  at 
the  rest,  Sugime  took  the  gift  with  most  grateful  thanks. 
Thus  they  reached  land,  and  the  Kitanokata  in  due  time 
recovered  her  cloak  at  the  first  turning  in  the  footway. 
"  Kami-na-dzuki  ga  sugisarimasliita,''  said  Sugime,  as 
bowing  low  he  restored  her  property.* 

They  passed  the  wood  of  Iwase  and  went  on  through 
Kurobemura.  Thus  they  reached  Iwatozaki.  This  was 
a  mere  collection  of  fisheimen's  huts.  Watching  the 
women  picking  up  the  sea- weed  on  the  shore  the  Kitano- 
kata was  moved  to  tears.  Their  hard  lot,  compared  to 
her's,  in  its  peacefulness  and  certainty,  seemed  a  residence 
in  Paradise  (Gokuraku).  It  was  with  moist  eyes  that 
she  slowly  moved  the  sand  with  her  little  foot,  as  she  sang : 

"  Wandering  far  through  hill  and  dale, 
*'  By  Nippon's  lonely  shore,  wave  dashed, 
*'  I  reach  this  spot,  sad  in  mind, 
''  As  never  former  days  bestowed."! 

With  her  life  of  delicate  luxury  in  Miyako  in  mind,  all 
sympathized  with  her  distress,  so  exposed  to  danger  ;  her 
woman's  task,  imposed  by  Nature,  so  close  at  hand. 
They  consoled  her  as  best  they  could,  and  hurried  along 
the  Etchu  road  to  reach  the  Kwannondo  at  Hanazono. 
This  shrine  had  been  established  by  Naoye  Jiro  at  the 
orders  of  Hachiman  Taro  Yoshiiye.  On  his  return  from 
Mutsu,  after  defeating  Muneto  and  Sadato,  the  hero  had 
worshipped  here,  and  had  granted  land  for  the  support  of 
the  temple,  it  being  maintained  for  the  worship  of  the 
deity  of  the  Minamoto  clan.  Its  efficacy  had  been  tested 
by  the  neighbours,  and  it  had  secured  their  great  respect. 
Yoshitsune   wished   to   spend  the  night   here  in   prayer, 

*  "  The  jaunt  of  the  gods  is  over." 
t  "Yo  mo  no  umi 

"  Nami  no  yoru  jorii 

"  Kitsure  domo 

"  Ima  zo  hajimete 

*'Ukime  wo  zo  miru." 


330  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

which  seemed  very  reasonable  to  his  retainers.  Off  came 
their  sandals,  and  all  put  down  their  burdens  and  took 
their  ease.  Leaving  the  Hangwan,  the  Kitanokata,  and 
Kanefusa  ;*  Benkei  and  the  others  took  their  iron  bowls 
and  started  off  to  the  neighbouring  village  to  secure  food. 

Now  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  district,  Gon-no-Kami 
Kamizuki,  had  received  notice  from  the  fishermen  that  a 
party  of  fifteen  yamahushi  wa>Q  lodged  Q:t  the  Kwannondo. 
His  orders  were  strict,  so  gathering  together  his  few 
retainers  and  the  villagers,  with  a  formidable  party  of  two 
hundred  men  he  surrounded  the  shrine.  Hearing  the 
noise  Yoshitsune  came  forth.  He  was  a  little  non-plussed 
as  to  how  to  answer  Kamizuki 's  questions  of  "  who  are 
you,  and  where  are  you  going  ?  ' '  They  were  now  well 
on  the  road  to  Hagui'oyama,  whose  priests  made  the 
western  sea  provinces  their  stamping  ground.  He  answer- 
ed : — "  We  are  pilgrims  from  Kumano  on  our  way  to 
Haguro.  Our  leader  will  soon  return  and  answer  any 
questions  you  choose  to  ask."  Thus  he  left  it  in  delightful 
vagueness  as  to  what  their  exact  connection  with  Kumano 
and  Haguro  actually  was.  Benkei  was  already  on  hand. 
In  the  village  he  heard  a  chance  word  that  Gon-no-Kami 
was  on  his  way  to  the  Kwannondo,  He  and  his  com- 
panions quickly  found  their  way  back.  Followed  by  the 
band  he  forced  his  way  through  the  crowd  to  confront 
Kamizuki.  Yoshitsune  pointedly  repeated  their  mission. 
Benkei  stood  bravely  up  to  it.  The  Gon-no-Kami  replied : 
— "  Of  Buddhism  I  know  Httle,  but  Kamakura-dono  has 
given  orders  to  examine  all  yamabushi.  I  must  see  your 
luggage."  Benkei  glared  at  him  in  a  great  rage,  and  in 
denunciation  of  such  unheard  of  sacrilege.  Then  detecting 
no  great  intelligence  in  Kamizuki's  countenance  he  decided 
to  risk  it.  "  We  have  nothing  but  an  image  of  the  god 
and  the  necessaries  for  our  journey.  As  otherwise  you 
would  suspect  us,  we  will  allow  you  to  inspect  our 
packages  Of  course  you  will  purify  them  afterwards  ?  " 
— "  Oh,  yes  !  "  replied  Kamizuki,  with  very  hazy  ideas 
as  to  ecclesiastical  purification   and  fees  therein  implied. 

*  Masuo  Kanefusa  was  Yoshitsune's  foster  brother. 


OON-NO-KAMl'KAMlZTr-DOCTOR  OF  THEOLOGY. 


GATHEEING    SHADOWS.  331 

Beiikei  was  surprised.  Kamizuki's  anticipated  refusal  not 
materializing  he  was  forced  to  go  ahead.  Kaison's  pack- 
age only  contained  five  volumes  of  the  Hokkekyo.  This, 
the  Sho-man-gyo  carried  in  his  ample  sleeve,  his  sharp 
sword  by  his  side,  and  his  heavy  kongo  cane,  were  all 
with  which  the  learned  but  surly  priest  cared  to  trouble 
himself.  The  Kitanokata  likewise  was  monastically 
theological.  Her  package  contained  five  volumes  of  the 
Daiba-bon-Myonin-jobutsu.  These  passed  well.  Mibe 
Heizo's  package,  however,  contained  a  skirt  and  comb,  a 
kogai  (long  hair-pin),  and  a  bunch  of  black  hair.  Benkei 
looked  on  impassively.  Yoshitsune  looked  quizzically  at 
Kanefusa  and  the  Kitanokata.  The  latter  could  not 
leave  behind  her  precious  hair.  Sugime  Kotaro  and  the 
rest  looked  nariiliodo  at  Benkei,  He  was  equal  to  it. 
''  The  mother  of  Sakata  Kongomaru,"  (Kamizuki  bowed 
respectfully  to  the  Kitanokata  at  the  mention  of  the  name 
of  the  powerful  lord  of  Dewa),  ''  is  often  ill  of  late.  She 
cut  off  her  hair,  and  with  her  clothes  put  it  in  a  parcel  to 
represent  herself,  when  her  son  made  his  pilgrimage  to 
the  Kumano  Sanzan.  He  is  returning  with  us.  A  woman 
is  sinful,  as  you  well  know.  You  can  have  no  suspicion 
as  to  these  articles.     No  !    Oh,  no  !    No  !    No  !" 

Whether  he  had  or  not  Kamizuki  passed  on  to  the 
next  parcel,  that  of  Ise  Saburo.  All  wondered  when 
a  pan  {domburi)  was  fished  out.  "  Is  this  yamahuslii 
furniture  ?"  asked  Kamizuki  — ''  As  we  live  in  the 
mountains  we  often  have  to  cook  for  ourselves.  We  are 
therefore  exempt  from  the  rule  of  the  ordinary  mendicant 
priest."  Kamizuki  began  to  think  that  if  there  was  any- 
thing suspicious  he  was  not  likely  to  get  a  doubtful  answer 
out  of  this  priest.  In  Kumai-Taro's  parcel  was  found  an 
axe-head.  "  To  cut  paths,  make  bridges,  fell  trees,  and 
such  work.  The  mountains  and  country-side  are  the  field 
oi  the  ya77iahushi,  followers  of  En-no-Shokaku,  as  you  well 
know."  Thus  spoke  Benkei,  anticipating  Kamizuki's 
question.  Then  Kamizuki  pointed  to  Kamei  Eokuro's 
parcel.  Now  Kamei  had  slid  up  close  to  Benkei  to  tell  him 
that  within  there  was  a  helmet  and  suit  of  armour. 
"Loose?"    asked    Benkei.      **  No,"    whispered    Kamei. 


332  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

*'  It  is  wrapped  ia  a  white  clotb  and  fastened  with  yomai- 
ito  (a  strong  cord  used  in  flying  four  sheeted-yomai-kites). 
It  is  also  tied  komd-musubi  in  forty  eight  knots."^ 
Benkei  was  watchful.  Kamizuki  tried  to  open  the  parcel 
and  failed.  "What  is  inside?"  he  asked.  Benkei 
pretended  great  wrath.  "It  is  an  image  of  Dai-Nichi- 
Fudo,  the  object  of  yamabushi  worship.  You  shall  regret 
having  handled  it."  All  placed  their  hands  on  their 
shibauchi  (sword)  and  looked  very  fierce.  Now  Benkei 
in  his  anger  looked  like  a  Ni-o,  and  this  was  enough  to 
frififhten  Kamizuki.  As  the  stuff  rattled  like  loose  metallic 
images  or  their  parts  he  had  no  reason  tO'  suspect  that 
Benkei  was  fooling  him.  The  latter  fiercely  mumbled  and 
muttered  a  prayer  that  Kamizuki  would  go  no  further. 
Uncertain  and  fearful  Kamizuki  drew  back,  and  waved  to 
them  to  pack  up  and  be  off.  Benkei  still  fumed  in  great 
anger.  "  That  your  suspicions  are  removed  is  good  in  itself, 
and  to  j^our  merit  hereafter.  But  we  cannot  take  back  the 
packages  without  purification.  "  But  how?"  asked  Kami- 
zuki. "  Shall  I  wash  them  in  cold  or  hot  water  ?  "  Benkei 
looked  at  him  open-mouthed.  Said  he  : — "  Do  you  address 
us  as  fools.  Those  who  examine  the  luggage  of  yamabushi 
should  know  what  they  do.  Keep  it.  I  shall  report  the 
affair  to  Haguro-yama,  and  their  priests .  will  ransom  it  at 
heavy  cost — to  you." 

At  these  words  the  fishermen  and  other  villagers  were 
thoroughly  frightened.  The  hand  of  the  militant  priest 
lay  heavy  on  them  and  theirs,  and  they  saw  their  village, 
boats  and  hovels,  in  flames  ;  and  themselves,  scattered  in 
bloody  heaps,  lying  in  the  rice  fields  and  on  the  strand. 
In  twos  and  threes  they  began  to  drop  off  before  the  fierce 
glances  Benkei  cast  around  him.  Thus  Kamizuld  was  left 
with  some  thirty  retainers.  He  lost  courage  and  the 
victory  was  to  Benkei.  "It  is  the  fault  of  the  head 
officials  of  the  district.  They  have  ordered  the  inspection. 
What  is  the  purification  required  ?  " — "  Since  you  confess 
ignorance  I  shall  tell  you,"  replied  Benkei.  He  took 
breath.     He  had  all  the  courage  which  had!  oozed  from 

*  A  double  knot — very  tight. 


GATHEfllNG    SHADOWS.  333 

Kamizuki,  in  addition  to  his  own.  How  far  should  he 
salt  this  already  briny  specimen.  He  said  :— "  A  private 
purification  takes  at  least  a  week.  One  conducted  in  state 
takes  several  weeks,  and  is  of  great  expense.  We  can  let 
you  off  with  the  lesser  purification,  namely,  100  jo  (4800 
sheets)  of  thick  paper,  8  kohu  3  to  of  cleaned  rice,  3  kohu 
3  to  of  plain  rice,  100  rolls  of  white  cotton  cloth,  100  rolls 
of  blue  cloth,  50  eagle's  tails,  5  rz/o  of  gold  dust,  100 
pieces  of  straw  matting,  7  horses  of  all  colours.  The 
greater  purification  would  cost  you  this  also,  but  the 
horses  would  be  12  in  number,  the  gold  33  ri{6,  and  ia 
addition  15  mirrors  octagonal  in  shape,  and  3  sho  of  sahe. 
What  the  lesser  purification  requires  we  will  ask  of  you 
without  farther  delay."*  He  looked  blandly  at  the  dazed 
official  and  his  now  diminished  band.  ''  Give  at  once, 
and  we  will  offer  prayers.  If  you  refuse,  you  must  deal 
with  Haguro,  and  they  will  have  their  own  charges  to 
add  to  the  bill."  Kamizuki  bowed  in  anxious  respect. 
Said  he  : — "  As  we  only  opened  a  few  packages  please  take 
less.  I  can  give  you  three  kohu  of  cleaned  rice,  thirty 
rolls  of  white  cloth,  seven  eagle  tails,  and  a  ryo  in  gold. 
This  you  can  have  by  to-morrow.  The  sake  we  have 
here  at  hand."  Benkei  frowned  hideously  in  thought. 
"  As  you  acted  under  orders  the  fault  is  not  entirely  yours. 
We  will  take  your  offering.  For  convenience  we  will 
send  bearers  from  Haguroyama.  Please  keep  it  here  in 
charge."  Then  turning  to  the  goods  he  murmured  un- 
intelHgible  prayers  over  them,  with  some  real  ones  for 
their  owner's  safety  and  secure  exit  to  Mutsu.  Kamizuki 
was  only  too  glad  to  get  away  from  such  expensive 
neighbours.  Thus  the  little  band  drank  sake  "  from  the 
tiger's  mouth."  The  weather  was  cold  and  the  wine  was 
good.     No  reason  existed  for  abstinence  as  at  Heisenji, 

*  A  koku  (dry  measure)  is  4.96  bushels.  A  to  is  1.985  peck;  the  sho 
(liquid)  1.59  quart.  Hiki  is  cloth  measure:  64.62  feet  in  length 
(Brinkley).  The  jo  (long  measure)  applied  to  straw  matting  is  10  feet 
(shaku).  The  octagonal  mirror  is  very  ancient,  supposed  to  date  from 
the  luring  of  Ama-terasu.  Cf.  Chamberlain's  note,  Kojiki  p.  56.  Cf. 
also  Aston's  note,  Nihongi  I,  p.  43  on  Yata-kagami.  The  ryo  of  gold 
=an  ounce.  Its  value  was  much  larger  at  that  day  in  other  com- 
modities ;  itsratio  to  silver  less. 


334  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and  they  all  laughed  at  the  simplicity  of  this  western  lord 
and  his  peasant  followers. 

Their  idea  had  been  to  start  at  dawn.  But  at  evening 
Kataoka,  who  had  been  outside  to  note  any  suspicious 
moveraent  on  the  part  of  the  natives,  returned  in  some 
excitement  with  the  news  that  a  boat  was  lying  on  the 
beach,  fitted  with  oars  and  helm,  and  ready  for  the  fisher- 
men's early  start.  This  seemed  to  all  a  gift  from  heaven. 
Collecting  their  scanty  store  of  food,  in  the  dark  they  took 
their  way  to  the  little  harbour.*  Their  luck  was  better  than 
anticipated,  for  the  fishermen  had  stored  fresh  water  and 
food  in  abundance  for  their  party.  Yoshitsune  ordered 
Benkei  to  bury  in  the  sand,  near  the  mooring  stake,  a 
leather  bag  containing  ten  ryo  in  gold,  a  princely  fortune 
for  these  simple  folk,  and  an  enormous  price  for  the  boat 
they  were  very  unlikely  ever  to  see  again.  This  deposit 
was  marked  by  a  stake  planted  near  the  other,  and 
marked  by  a  strip  of  white  cloth.  Then  they  all  set  sail 
with  a  favouring  breeze  off  the  land  from  Hakusan  and 
its  range  of  fellow  peaks. t  At  dawn  they  were  far  on 
their  way  down  the  Noto  coast.  Thus  they  held  on  all 
day,  and  rounded  Eokkosaki.  In  the  late  afternoon 
Kataoka  pointed  out  the  threatening  clouds  hanging  over 
the  Noto  hills.  Takusayama,  Hodatsusan,  Yamabushi- 
yama,  all  seemed  to  threaten  them  with  heavy  black 
masses  which  sent  out  streamers  as  if  pointing  fingers  of 
wrath  in  their  direction.  Kataoka,  native  of  Kii,  knew 
how  to  handle  a  boat ;  and  Hitachibo  Kaison,  son  of  a 
fisherman,  knew  still  more.  The  sky  grew  darker  and 
darker  as  if  the  coming  night  was  upon  them.  Fishing 
boats  making  for  the  Nanao-wan  were  seen,  tiny  objects 
poised  on  the  top  of  the  huge  waves.  Thus  it  was  with 
themselves.  The  Kitanokata  in  terror  clung  to  Yoshitsune 
and  wept.  Benkei  pointed  out  the  darkening  mass  of 
Sado  far  distant,  but  Hitachibo  shook  his  head.  They 
tried,  however,  to  reach  it  in  the  teeth  of  the  gale,  and  so 


*  Naoye-tani-mura  is  in  the  Kahoku  district  of  Kaga  not  far  from 
Kanazawa. 

t  A  mountain  in  Kaga  near  Tsnruga. 


GATHERING-   SHADOWS.  335 

to  escape  being  cast  on  the  rock  bound  coast  of  Echigo, 
but  current  and  wind  against  them  were  too  much.  Thus 
they  drifted  helplessly  on  the  huge  billows.  Benkei  sighed 
deeply.  "  Heaven  indeed  seems  against  us.  My  lord's 
great  deeds  on  the  water  have  made  the  sea-gods  envious 
and  fearful  of  his  prowess." 

Then  the  Hangwan  prayed  to  Hachidai  Eyuwo,  the 
Eight-Great-Dragon  King  of  the  Sea.  He  begged  the 
god  to  call  to  mind  the  great  deeds  he  had  done  for  the 
peace  of  the  kingdom  and  the  happiness  of  the  land.  The 
cruel  and  impious  Taira  had  been  annihilated.  The  Three 
Treasures  had  been  restored  to  the  Son  of  Heaven.  Then 
in  the  hour  of  his  success  two  scoundrels,  Hojo  Tokimasa 
and  Kajiwara  Kagetoki,  had  poisoned  his  brother's  ear. 
These  were  the  ones  guilty,  the  ones  to  be  punished. 
Would  the  god  recognize  merit  in  distress,  forward  his 
desire  to  save  his  country,  and  give  him  safe  passage  to 
land.  Then  he  arose  and  took  up  a  sword  with  a  white 
twisted  hilt.  (They  seem  to  have  been  kept  in  stock,  so  to 
speak).  This  he  cast  into  the  sea.  The  Kitanokata  also 
gave  her  offering — a  mirror  of  octagonal  shape,  and  a  skirt 
of  Chinese  twilled  silk  (perhaps  the  vicarious  offering  of 
Togashi's  wife,  thus  passed  on  at  last  to  its  divine  owner). 
The  wind  then  subsided.  At  midnight  the  sea  was 
smooth,  *'  like  a  new  green  mat."  Moon  and  stars  lighted 
their  passage,  and  the  huge  mass  of  the  mountains  of 
Echigo  guided  them.  At  day-break  they  reached  land. 
A  fisherman,  in  some  surprise,  answered  their  question  as 
to  what  place  they  had  reached — "  Teradomari."  They 
were  still  in  Echigo,  not  yet  in  Dewa.*  Benkei  cheer- 
fully said  : — "  Takadachi  is  almost  in  sight,  beyond  these 
northern  hills."  Three  days  they  rested  and  then  went 
on  to  Tsukumi,  and  to  the  Dai-bon-ji-dera  in  Izumi  no 
Sho.     They  could  see  the  sacred  Haguroyama  and  Gwas- 

*  Shinshinsai,  from  somewhere,  here  makes  Benkei  visit  the  Haguro 
shriue  (of  Mi-Kambara?) ;  then  they  cross  the  mountains  by  Aizii  and 
Kamewariyama  and  came  out  at  Shirakawa  (Shiraishi),  and  the  Kuri- 
hara-dera.  His  geography  is  decidedly  mixed,  for  he  too  emphasizes 
the  importance  of  Kiyogawa.  Kurihara-dera  is  far  north  of  where  he 
places  it. 


336  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKBI. 

san,  and  worshipped  them  in  the  distance.  In  their  dis- 
guise as  yamahushi  they  gladly  would  have  visited  the 
sacred  mountain,  in  recognition  of  the  service  their  new 
character  had  been  to  them.  But  the  Kitanokata  was 
entering  on  the  ninth  month  of  her  pregnancy.  It  was 
agreed  that  13enkei  should  make  the  pilgrimage  for  all. 
The  party  therefore  went  on  to  Kiyogawa. 


§     2. 


Now  the  river  at  Kiyogawa*  comes  straight  down  from 
Haguroyama,  and  is  very  sacred  indeed.  Herein  the  deity 
washed  his  hands  and  purified  himself,  with  the  wondrous 
results  common  to  men  and  things  Japanese.  "  It  is  as 
widely  known  in  Haguro  as  Inaba  in  Kumano,  and  the 
poets  call  it  Iwafuna-Mogami."  Yoshitsune  spent  the 
night  in  prayer  at  the  Ojishima  no  Gosho.  The  next 
day  Benkei  returned  in  the  early  morning,  and  without 
further  delay  they  took  boat  and  sailed  up  the  Mogami- 
gawa,  between  its  grass  covered  and  forest  clad  hills. 
Many  were  the  boats  of  the  peasants,  descending  the  river 
with  bark,  wood,  furs,  silk  woven  during  the  winter 
months,  all  tribute  for  the  lord  of  Sakata.  The  Hangwan 
and  his  men  watched  the  craft  carried  along  by  the  current, 
or  against  the  current  aided  by  oars  and  sails,  these  latter 
mere  strips  of  goza  (matting)  hung  before  the  mast  and 
made  of  coarse  brown  straw.  For  the  lord  of  the  place, 
her  afore-time  putative  father,  the  Kitanokata  felt  gratitude, 
now  in  the  comparative  safety  of  his  domain.  Down  from 
the  holy  place  of  purification  there  tumbles  into  the  river  a 
beautiful  and  lofty  fall.  Turning  to  the  boatmen  she  asked 

*  On  the  Mogamigawa  in  Hi-Tagawa  of  the  present  Uzen. 


GATHERING   SHADOWS.  337 

its  name.  "  Shira-ito  "  (White  Thread),  was  the  reply.* 
Half  to  herself,  half  to  her  husband,  she  sang  : 

"  The  waters  of  Mogami  foam  amid  its  rocks, 
"  And  when  I  try  to  stop  its  course, 
"  It  twists  and  turns  amid  these  stones, 
"  The  White  Thread  water-fall."t 

And  Yoshitsune  answered  : 

**  Mogami  river  with  wave  washed  rock, 
"  Lit  by  silver  polished  moon  reflected  ! 
"  Pleasant  is  it  to  gaze  upon, 
"  This  White  Thread  water-fall"! 

There  were  two  shrines  near  by,  one  to  Yoroi  Myojin,  the 
other  to  Kabuto  Myojin  .§  On  his  way  down  to  Mutsu, 
years  before,  the  hero  Hachiman  Taro  had  dedicated  these 
two  important  adjuncts  of  the  soldier  to  future  worship. 
Thus  the  boatmen  told  the  tale,  and  the  great  captain  of 
this  warrior  stock  bowed  in  worship  as  he  passed  this  scene 
of  his  ancestor's  visit  and  dedication. 

At  Tagaya-no-Seto  there  was  a  fall  in  the  river  bed,  and 
the  boatmen  pulled  into  the  shore  to  land  the  men  who 
were  to  walk  the  portage.  The  Hang  wan,  the  Kitanokata, 
and  Kanefusa  remained  in  the  boat,  although  the  woman's 
heart  would  gladly  have  taken  her  place  on  land  if  she 
could  have  done  so.  Her  physical  condition,  and  the 
steep  rough  path  forbade  this.  In  fright  she  watched  the 
huge  waves  tumbling  around  and  down  upon  them,  as  if 
eager  to  seize  them.  Yoshitsune  listened  to  the  monkeys 
chattering  in  the  trees  overhanging  the  river  : 

*  Chamberlain  and  Mason  (Murray's  Japan)  give  this  fall  a  height 
of  74  feet,  and  a  breadth  of  24  feet.  There  are  other  beautiful  falls 
in  this  country  about  Tsuru-ga-oka.  Cf  their  Eoute  76  (p  512)  for  a 
description  of  this  neighbourhood.  Travelling  in  North  Japan  is  as 
comfortable  as  anywhere  else,  and  less  tainted  by  mere  globe-trotters. 
In  this  it  shares  with  western  and  southern  Japan, 
t  "  Mogamigawa,  J.  "  Mogamigawa 

"  Sese  no  iwa  nami,  "  Iwa  kosu  nami  ui 

"  Sekitome  yo,  "  Tsuki  sayete 

"  Yotte  zo  tohoru,  "  Yoru  omoshiroki 

"  Shiraito-no-taki."  "  Shiraito-no-taki  " 

^  Armour-Enlightened  Deity,  and  Helmet-Enlightened  Deity. 


238  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BBNKEI. 

**  To  aim  one's  bow  at  the  monkey,  :  r.  .-i; 

"  Secured  by  its  trainer's  hand, 

"  Is  pitifull^y  easy. 

"  But  who  has  skill  to  strike  the  mark, 

"  Of  this  one  wild  and  free, 

"  Gaily  clambering."* 

Thus  passing  along  the  river  Yoshitsune,  could  worship  at 
the  Kurabu-no-Sugi  and  Yamake  Myojin.  And  so  they 
reached  Aizu. 

Here  Benkei  laid  before  Yoshitsune  his  choice  of  roads 
to  reach  Hiraizumi  and  the  headquarters  of  Hidehira. 
''  If  we  go  over  Kamewariyama  and  by  the  Yasugawa, 
which  route  passes  Aneha  and  Mura,  we  should  reach 
our  destination  in  two  days.  If  we  go  by  the  main  road 
for  the  pack  trains  it  will  take  three  days.  The  first 
named  is  very  bad  and  mountainous.  The  other,  as 
travelled  by  pack-horses  is  easier.  All  depends  on  the 
state  of  the  Kitanokata."  Yoshitsune  considered  the 
matter.  "  Time  is  of  more  importance  to  us  than  the 
road.  One  will  be  nearly  as  difficult  for  her  as  the 
other.  Besides,  it  is  nearly  a  month  before  her  time  is 
due.  Let  us  take  the  shorter  route."  So  they  set  out ;  to 
find  the  road  much  rougher  than  even  the  worst  report 
had  warranted.  At  times  it  seemed  no  road  at  all,  mere 
clambering  up  and  down  the  mountain  side  from  one 
valley  to  another.  In  places  it  skirted  landslides,  which 
left  little  between  them  and  the  valley  below  but  wind  or 
a  smooth  slope  and  a  few  inches  of  foot  hold.  This  rough 
toil  hastened  Nature's  work,  and  when  they  were  half 
way  up  the  pass  the  Kitanokata  was  taken  with  the 
labour  pains.  All  were  non-plussed  at  such  an  unexpected 
disaster.     Two,  however,  recovered   their    wits.      Benkei 

^  "  Hikimawasu,  "  It  is  too  pitiful  to  shoot  the  monkey 

"  Uchiba  wa  yumi  ni,        in  the  hand  of  the  monkey  player.    But 
"Aranedomo,  who  can  shoot  that-  wild   one,"   is   Mr. 

"  Tagayate  mashira  wo,    Minakami's  exegesis  added  to  his  literal 
"  Itemitsuru  kana."  translation.      Without   it   I    would    not 

know  how  to  express  the  thought  of  this 
poem.  A  constant  feature  of  the  old 
chronicles,  I  do  not  like  to  leave  them 
out  and  lose  native  colour. 


GATHERING    SHADOWS.  ,  339 

said  : — "  the  foot  way  is  no  place  for  a  lying-in."  He 
glanced  around.  **  We  must  take  her  over  yonder, 
beneath  those  large  trees."  This  he  attended  to  in  person, 
and  with  a  leathern  wrapping  he  fixed  up  a  kind  of  seat 
for  her.  Then  the  Kifcanokata  took  her  part.  "  My  lord 
and  Kanefusa  should  be  near  me,  although  it  is  the  proper 
duty  of  women.  Let  the  rest  withdraw  to  a  distance." 
Yoshitsune  waited,  anxious  and  speculating  as  to  what  to 
do.  Said  he  to  Kanefusa  : — *'  I  feared  this,  and  prayed 
that  it  would  not  take  place  until  we  reached  Takadachi. 
To  take  her  with  us  was  wrong  ;  to  leave  her  behind  was 
worse.  A  birth  on  this  rough  mountain  side  !  Wretched 
mother  ;  unfortunate  child  !  "  Masuwo  wept  until  his 
sleeves  were  wet  at  this  new  misfortune  of  his  lord  and 
lady.  Could  the  longed-for  child  survive  such  terrible 
birth  rites?  The  Kitanokata  was  faint  with  pain.  She 
asked  for  water.  Feeble  as  was  her  voice  it  reached  the 
sharp  ears  of  Benkei.  Off  he  started  at  once,  to  find  it 
within  a  thousand  ri.  He  scrambled  through  darkness, 
brambles,  and  bushes,  over  rock  strewn  slopes,  and  down 
precipices ;  to  any  place  promising  the  grateful  liquid. 
There  was  none  to  be  found.  He  raged  in  soul. 
*' Everything  seems  to  be  against  us  A  descendant  of 
Seiwa  Ten  no,  a  grandson  of  Sama -no-Kami  Yoshitomo, 
is  about  to  be  born,  and  not  a  cup  of  water  for  her  lady- 
ship :  how  pitiful ! "  Our  romancer  says,  *'  even  in  a 
demon's  eyes  tears  stand."  Benkei  was  not  a  demon  ;  and 
least  of  all  on  his  mission  of  mercy.  But  he  did  look  like 
one  as  with  angry  eyes  and  features  he  struck  his  heavy 
liojigo  cane  fiercely  against  a  protruding  rock  on  the 
moss  strewn  precipice.  The  stone  was  dislodged,  and  a 
copious  stream  of  water  gushed  out  from  a  hidden  spring. 
Rejoicing  he  filled  his  conch  shell  (Jioragai)  and  hastened 
:to  find  his  way  back,  guided  by  the  fire  lighted  under  the 
trees.* 

With  joy  Yoshitsune  saw  him  approach.     The  Kitano- 
kata was  nearly  senseless.     Kneeling  down  Benkei  spoke 

*  Shinshinsai   perhaps   had   been  reading    Genesis.     Yamada,   the 
much  older  writer,  makes  him  find  a  stream  in  a  neighbouring  valley. 


340  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI 

in   her   ear,    begging   her   to   drink.      Prohibitions   were 
forgotten  and  their  cause.     All  were  eager  to  aid.     The 
Kitanokata   recovered,    to  seize  Yoshitsune's  hand    as  if 
seeking   support.     *'  Kanefusa   you  are   too  timid.     This 
is  no  time  for  weeping.     Leave  her  to  me."     Thus  Ben- 
kei    put    aside    the    two    men,    almost    useless    in    the 
emergency.     He  took  charge.     He  and   Hitachibo  went 
on    their    knees    and    began    vigorously    to    tell    their 
rosaries,  and    pray  for   an   easy  delivery.     At  a  moment 
of  her   pain  Benkei   rose   and   gently   lifted   her  to  ease 
her.      The  Kitanokata  gave  a  sharp    cry,    with    which 
was  mingled  a  very  different  wailing.     Thus  her  child 
was  born  a  little  before  its  time,  and  in  this  strange  place 
and  manner.     At   the   news   all   rejoiced,  and   began   to 
dance  with  joy  at  this  male  issue  of  their  lord.     Benkei 
cut  these  demonstrations  short,  and  sent  them  far  off  to 
spare  the  Kitanokata.      Yoshitsune  took  the   child  up  in 
his  arms  and  looked  at  it.    ''  Why  should  I  feel  so  anxious 
now  ?      Why  have  such  foreboding  as  to  the  future.     My 
misfortunes  in  this  life  must  be  the   fruit  of  some  misdeeds 
in  a  previous  existence.    The  poor  infant  in  the  womb  has 
undergone  peril  as  of  one  treading  on  the  tail   of  a  tiger  or 
facing  a  venomous  serpent.     Like  the  young  of  deer  or 
wild  pig  thus  is  it  born  under  a  tree  and  on  a  stone,  with- 
out warm  water  to  cleanse  it.     As  yet  it  has  no  knowledge 
of  the  harshness  of  the  world.      Better  it  would  be  to  put 
an  end  to  it,  and  spare  it  a  life  of  hardship  such  as  mine 
has  been." 

Faint  as  she  was  the  Kitanokata  heard  him.  Amazed 
she  wept.  "  Poor  infant,  to  be  so  blamed  by  its  father  ! 
How  can  you  wish  to  consign  it  to  darkness  after  but  a 
moment  in  this  light.*  Kanefusa,  give  the  child  to  me. 
I  shall  return  as  best  I  can  to  Miyako,  there  to  try  and 
rear  it.  She  attempted  to  raise  herself,  but  was  too  weak 
and  fell  back  again.     Benkei  stepped  forward  and   took 

*  A  Buddhist  idea.  The  child  in  the  womb  has  existence.  To  pass 
from  darkness — from  the  womb  to  death — is  dreadful.  But  Roman 
Catholicism,  Protestantism,  and  Law  ancient  and  modern,  from  their 
different  points  of  view,  thus  split  hairs  over  the  condition  and  the 
rights  of  the  foetus  as  a  human  being. 


THE  BIRTH-RITES  OF  KAMEWARI-YAMA. 


GATHEKING    SHADOWS.  341 

the  babe  in  his  arms.  "  Never  mind  what  our  lord  has 
just  said.  It  is  only  in  a  despondent  moment.  I  shall 
take  it  in  my  care.  Come !  I  shall  give  you  a  name.  May 
you  be  lucky  as  Yoritomo,  wise  as  Yoshitsune,  brave  and 
dauntless  as  myself,  although  that  sounds  like  bragging. 
For  long  life  I  name  you  Kame-tsuru-kimi  (Tortoise- 
Crane-Prince),  as  this  mountain  is  called  Tcame  and  the 
tsuru  (crane)  lives  to  a  great  age."  Benkei's  jesting 
manner  carried  them  all  with  him.  Yoshitsune  rejoiced 
at  the  favourable  omen  of  the  name.  Thus  came  day 
**  without  the  cry  of  the  crow  to  foretell  the  dawn,  far 
away  from  all  human  dwelUng."  All  rejoiced  at  the  safe 
delivery.  Some  built  a  hearth,  collected  twigs  and  dry 
leaves,  and  prepared  the  morning  meal.  Others  built  a 
shelter.  Thus  they  spent  several  days  in  camp,  until  the 
Kitanokata  had  recovered  her  strength  enough  to  make  it 
possible  to  carry  her  on  a  rough  litter.  At  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  they  found  a  village.  Here  horses  were  secured, 
and  a  more  comfortable  couch  prepared.  Then  they  took 
their  way  to  Kuriharadera,  no  longer  under  necessity  of 
concealment.  The  babe  fell  to  Benkei's  charge  through- 
out, and  through  the  day  was  carried  in  his  arms.  If  we 
are  to  believe  him,  or  the  Kitanokata,  or  the  romancers,  it 
never  cried  for  food  on  this  historic  passage.  But  then 
Benkei  and  his  lady  were  now  linked  by  the  strongest  ties. 
For  none,  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  Kanefusa,  had 
the  Kitanokata  such  feeling  as  she  had  for  this  strong, 
rugged,  resourceful,  unexpectedly  tender  hearted  giant. 
On  the  sixteenth  day  of  the  third  month  (26th  April,  1187 
A.D.)  they  passed  within  the  temple  precincts  of  Kurihara. 
Abbot  and  monks  came  forth  to  give  them  hearty  welcome. 
Here  they  stayed,  while  Kamei  Eokuro,  Kataoka  Hachiro, 
and  Ise  Saburo  set  out  to  announce  to  Hidehira  their 
lord's  presence  within  his  domain.* 

*  Kurihara  takes  it  name  from  the  local  district  (or  vice  versa)  which 
lies  just  south  of  Niiwai  in  which  is  located  Ichinoseki  and  Hi^aizumi. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

HIC  JACET. 


"  Oh  life  of  mortal  men  !     If  that  it  fareth  well, 
"  *  Tis  like  a  painting  sketched,  but,  comes  adversity, 
"  The  wet  sponge,  blurring,  touches  and  the  picture's  gone  ! 
"  And  this  than  that  I  count  more  piteous  by  far." 

(Cassandra,  in  the  "  Agamemnon  "  of  Aeschylus, 
translated  by  F.  and  A.  Allinson). 


1. 


Their  stay  at  Kuriharadera  was  a  short  one.  Without 
surprise  Hidehira  heard  that  Kamei,  Kataoka,  and  Ise 
Saburo,  sought  audience  with  him.  "  I  had  heard  that 
lyo-no-Kami  had  left  Ise  for  the  North,  but  having  no 
guide  in  the  provinces  under  the  control  of  Kamakura  I 
feared  that  he  might  not  succeed  in  getting  through  to 
me.  That  you  should  have  any  trouble  in  Dewa  I  did 
not  suspect,  for  all  were  ready  to  welcome  and  aid 
you."  Then  he  summoned  Izumi-no-Kwanja  Tadahira, 
and  with  an  escort  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  knights  he  was 
despatched  to  Kurihara  to  bring  Yoshitsune  to  Hiraizumi. 
The  journey  was  short,  and  soon  the  travellers  were 
lodged  in  the  guest  house  called  Tsukimi.  Eager  to  see 
his  guest,  the  aged  Governor — rather  king,  for  he  was 
such  in  this  northern  quarter  of  Hondo — asked  that 
Yoshitsune  would  receive  him  on  the  following  day.     So 


HIC   JACETi-    ^   i-  ^  343 

it  was  arranged,  and  the  next  day  he  entered  his  guest's 
reception  room,  dressed  in  full  ceremonial  costume,  arid 
prepared  to  bend  his  aged  frame  before  the  young  general. 
The  Hangwan,  however,  rose  to  prevent  him,  and  with 
respect  drew  him  to  a  seat  by  his  side.  "  I  was  a  fugitive 
when  first  I  came  to  you  in  the  company  of  the  merchant 
Kitsuji.  Now  as  such  I  again  come,  broken  in  name 
and  fortune,  and  through  not  following  your  advice.  I 
should  have  committed  harakirl,  and  am  ashamed  to  be 
present  here  before  you.  Only  my  duty  to  the  faithful 
men  in  my  service,  who  have  so  bravely  stood  by  me 
through  evil  fortune,  has  held  my  hand."  Then  he  gave 
Hidehira  a  full  account  of  his  exploits,  and  of  the  under- 
hand intrigues  which  governed  affairs  in  Kamakura  and 
Miyako.  ''  The  defeat  of  the  Taira  has,  as  you  foretold, 
resulted  in  nothing  but  my  brother's  elevation  to  my 
own  destruction.  He  has  never  fought  anything  but  a 
skirmish  in  his  life,  and  it  remains  to  be  seen  if  he  could. 
Unless  he  himself  is  a  great  captain,  he  has  none  in 
his  army.  Such  is  not  to  be  found  among  his  present 
captains  " — "  And  may  he  have  the  chance  of  showing 
himself  such  !  "  was  the  brave  old  warrior's  reply.  He 
sincerely  pitied  the  young  man  before  him,  a  commander 
without  an  army.  His  eyes  were  moist.  "  Yes,  I  told 
you  so  ;  told  you  not  to  aid  your  brother  on  your  own 
account.  A  tall  tree  which  towers  above  the  forest  is  the 
plaything  of  the  storm.  But  you  are  a  worthy  descendant 
of  Hachiman  Taro.  You  shall  have  all  my  resources  to 
aid  you.  Ill  success  will  break  the  influence  of  such 
slanderers  as  Hojo  and  Kajiwara  You  can  await  here 
the  favourable  opportunity  These  provinces  I  hold  in 
my  hand.  Nenju  and  Shirakawa,  defended  by  a  capable 
captain,  are  impregnable  barriers  to  any  force  Kamakura 
sends  against  us.  *  We  would  smash  it  as  easily  as  one 
breaks  a  rotten  branch.'  "  Then  he  and  his  guest  plunged 
into  the  account  of  the  adventures  passed  through  in 
reaching  Mutsu,  for  it  was  bayond  Hidehira's  comprehen- 
sion how  such  a  large  party,  of  which  notice  was  given, 
could  slip  through  the  fine  mesh  spread  by  the  Kamakara 
officials.     Thus,  over  sahe  and  a  feast,  he  heard  the  tale 


344  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

of  Benkei's  wit  and  resourcefulness.  It  was  with  a  look 
of  admiring  approval  that  the  old  man  surveyed  the  alert 
stalwart  figure  of  the  giant  retainer."  You  have  there  a 
man  worth  ten  thousand  others."  Then  he  took  his  leave. 
The  provision  made  for  the  young  prince  was  on  a  scale 
in  accordance  with  Hidehira's  resources.  For  his  im- 
mediate train  a  hundred  knights,  horsed  and  armed,  were 
provided.  Fifty  bowmen,  fully  accoutred  with  military 
arrows,  were  always  on  guard.  The  armoury  was  fully 
equipped,  and  a  district  covering  3800  cho  (14.5  square 
miles)  was  set  apart  for  the  support  of  the  establishment. 
This  formed,  so  to  speak,  the  private  purse  of  an  uncrown- 
ed king,  until,  as  Hidehira  hoped,  Yoshitsune  could  take 
his  place  as  Shogun  of  the  Country,  under  the  Ten  no's 
seal.  It  was  a  substantial  return  to  the  descendant  of 
Yoshiiye,  to  whom  these  Fujiwara  owed  the  original  grant 
of  their  fief.  For  the  retainers,  support  was  granted 
according  to  their  rank  and  importance.  Perhaps  a  most 
delicate  attention  of  all  was  his  presentation  to  Yoshitsune 
of  two  fine  steeds  for  use  in  his  private  pleasures.  With 
regret  the  Hang  wan  thought  of  the  loss  of  his  faithful 
charger  Tayukuro,  drowned  in  "the  storm  off  Shoshasan,* 
thought  of  all  his  misfortunes.  He  seemed  changed  from 
the  cheerful  confident  leader  of  a  few  years  before.  To 
distract  him  Hidehira  ordered  a  round  of  entertainments 
among  his  dependent  lords.  He  had  not  lived  to  ninety 
years  of  age  not  to  know  the  importance  of  hope  as  the 
mainspring  of  future  attainment.  At  the  close  of  the 
fourth  month  (May,  1187  A.D.)  a  new  mansion  which 
Hidehira  was  building  on  Takadachi  reached  completion. 
This  he  turned  over  to  the  Hangwan  for  his  residence. 
The  place  was  a  very  strong  one.  Perhaps  it  was  for  this 
reason  that  Sato  Shoji  Motoharu  had  pitched  his  own 
residence  on  the  spot — the  Koromogawa-kwan — the  care- 
ful old  strategist  knowing  the  importance  of  position  in  the 
troubled  times.  Takadachi  formed  a  series  of  three  hills, 
easily  defended  at  the  sides  and  rear,  and  with  the  rapid 


*  The  Heike  Monogatari  says  that  this  horse  was   presented  to  the 
Yashima  shrine,  on  the  occasion  of  Sat5  Tsuginobu's  death. 


riic  JACET.  845 

flowing  river  (Kitashimagawa)  guarding  the  front.  This 
alluvial  plain  was  dotted  with  a  cluster  of  hills,  and  backed 
to  the  west  by  the  steep  Horane  range.  To  the  east  was 
the  tumbled  intricate  country  which  lies  between  the  river 
valley  and  the  sea,  to  this  day  difficult  of  access  by  any- 
thing but  boats,  pack  animals,  or  one's  legs.  Behind 
Takadachi  on  the  slopes  of  the  foot  hills  lay  the  many 
buildings  of  Chtlsonji.  On  the  river,  at  a  distance  of  but 
two  ri  (five  miles),  was  the  castle  of  Hidehira  ;  a  valuable 
neighbour  in  the  hands  of  friends,  a  source  of  disaster 
in  the  hands  of  a  treacherous  enemy.  Of  the  latter  there 
was  no  reason  to  have  suspicion,  and  Yoshitsune  rejoiced 
in  the  friendship  of  the  master  of  Oshu.  Thus  time  passed 
for  him  who  was  now  known  as  the  lord  of  Takadachi,  in 
his  residence  of  the  Yanagi  no  Gosho — (Willow  Palace). 

His  neighbour  on  the  hillside  thus  was  his  old  teacher 
Sato  Shoji  Motoharu.  It  was  with  pain  in  heart  that  he 
and  his  train,  soon  after  their  arrival  at  Hiraizumi,  took 
their  way  to  render  to  the  old  man  an  account  of  his  sons. 
Motoharu  received  them,  kneeling  at  the  roka.  They 
were  ushered  in,  and  the  Hangwan  took  his  seat  on  a 
raised  cushion  at  the  upper  end  of  the  room.  Shoji  and 
his  family  seated  themselves  humbly  at  the  lower  end. 
The  wife  of  Shoji,  mother  of  the  two  young  men,  sat  by 
her  husband's  side.  Sasanami,  the  daughter,  was  seated 
at  her  father's  left.  Next,  on  either  side,  sat  Harumo,  a 
girl  of  nineteen  years  and  the  wife  of  Tsuginobu,  and 
Harukaze,  aged  seventeen  years,  the  pledged  wife  of 
Tadanobu.  Servants  and  handmaids  attended  in  the 
rear,  the  whole  household  being  assembled  in  respect  for 
the  formal  occasion.  Then  the  feast  was  brought  on. 
Everything  that  land  or  sea  in  this  distant  Mutsu  could 
afford  in  the  way  of  delicacy  was  provided.  When  the 
guests  were  fairly  satisfied  old  Motoharu,  with  an  apology 
for  the  interruption,  presented  the  women  by  name  and 
condition.  Said  he  : — "  They  are  very  uneasy.  Tsugi- 
nobu and  Tadanobu  are  not  to  be  seen  in  your  train,  and 
with  wonder  and  concern  we  speculate  as  to  whether  they 
have  incurred  blame,  and  so  have  been  banished  or  fled 
your  presence.     Please  speak  openly  to  us."     It  was  with 


346  -  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEF. 

tears  in  his  eyes  and  voice  that  the  old  man  spoke,  thus 
proudly  anxious  in  heart.  Sasanami,  the  young  sister, 
moved  forward  a  little,  but  Harumo  spoke  first.    "  Excuse 

me,  father.     I  am  afraid... "     She  broke  down  here, 

and  covering  her  face  with  her  sleeves  became  silent  with 
bowed  head.  Yoshitsune  puzzled  and  pained  looked 
down.  There  was  a  long  silence  in  the  room.  Then  he 
said,  his  voice  a  little  uncertain — "  Benkei,^tell  them  all." 

Benkei  hardly  knew  how  to  begin  such  a  tale.  Thought 
he — "  when  there  is  an  unlucky  lot  to  draw,  my  lord 
always  sees  to  it  that  I  am  the  one  to  get  it."  He  sat  up 
straight.  All  turned  toward  him  ;  the  retainers  curious  to 
see  how  he  would  acquit  himself  in  this  difficult  matter ; 
Motoharu  and  his  family  eager  aiid  dreading  to  hear  his 
words.  Yoshitsune  kept  his  eyes  on  the  spot  in  front  of 
him.  Then  Benkei  slowly  began,  his  deep  voice  taking 
fire  as  he  proceeded  until  it  rang  out  in  almost  joyous 
passion  at  the  description  of  brave  deeds.  He  told  of 
their  mad  ride  in  their  lord's  train  to  the  Kisegawa,  of 
their  riding  boldly  with  their  few  numbers  into  the  huge 
camp  of  Yoritomo,  of  the  meeting  of  Yoshitsune  and 
Yoritomo,  and  how  the  latter  was  struck  with  admiration 
for  Tsuginobu  and  Tadanobu.  *'  To  both  he  gave  a 
sword.  And  both  used  the  weapons  well,  until  Tadanobu 
exchanged  his  for  a  better  one."  Then  came  the  idle  life 
at  Kamakura.  On  the  way  to  Miyako  they  learned  of 
the  doings  of  Yoshinaka  in  the  capital  city,  and  it  was 
Tsuginobu  who  escorted  the  messenger  with  the  Hoo's 
appeal  to  Kamakura-dono.  Then  came  the  assembling 
of  a  great  army.  '' '  Their  leader  was  a  warrior  with  a 
•golden  baton  (saihai)  in  his  hand.  He  wore  a  helmet 
with  a  dragon  shaped  frontlet,  and  his  armour  was  sewn 
with  red  thread  (Jiiodoslii) .  At  his  back  was  a  quiver  so 
full  of  arrows,  feathered  from  storks'  wings  and  with  three 
forked  heads,  as  to  look  like  a  forest  of  trees  growing 
upright.  In  his  left  hand  he  carried  a  bow  twisted  with 
rattan  and  of  the  thickness  of  more  than  a  hand's  grasp.' 
Who  was  this  noble  leader!  Our  lord,  lyo-no-Kami." 
As  did  Benkei,  so  all  made  obeisance  to  where  Yoshitsune 
was  sitting.     Then  he  continued.     By  their  lord's  bounty 


-         HIC    JACET.         ■■\-  1  347 

his  followers  formed  a  brilliant  train.  Thus  they  met 
and  defeated  Yoshinaka.  Then  they  left  the  brilliant 
life  of  the  capital,  to  go  again  on  the  Tenno's  order  to  the 
war  against  the  Taira.  Crossing  Tekkai-san,  they  had 
fallen  unexpectedly  on  the  Taira  rear  at  Ichi-no-tani. 
Crossing  the  stormy  waters  they  had  burnt  them  out  of 
their  refuge  at  Yashima,  to  annihilate  them  finally  in  the 
depths  of  the  sea  at  Dan-no-ura.  And  here  died  the 
famous  Taira  archer,  Noto-no-Kami  Noritsune.  It  was 
at  Yashima  that  Noritsune  sought  to  slay  their  lord,  but  a 
knight  had  ridden  between,  and  received  the  deadly  arrow 
in  his  stead.  Thus  the  hero  died,  to  the  admiration  and 
regret  of  all.  "  This  brave  warrior  was  Sato  Tsuginobu. 
All  envy  you  for  having  had  a  son  of  such  bravery  and 
brilliant  merit "  ;  and  Benkei  bowed  respectfully  to  the 
proud  old  man  seated  upright,  immobile  in  face  and 
figure.  But  it  was  with  broken  voice  that  the  girl- wife 
Harumo  said  : — "  We  rejoice  to  know  that  he  died  thus 
faithful  to  his  lord.  I  thought  he  might  be  with  you. 
To  my  shame  I  have  prayed  for  his  return."  Agaiii  she 
covered  her  face,  her  form  shaken  by  weeping. 

Harukaze  said  : — "  My  sister's  husband  has  died  with 
honour.  Please  tell  me  the  fate  of  my  betrothed.  He 
did  not  run  away,  or  commit  a  crime  ?  Or,  without 
acquiring  fame,  was  he  killed  by  some  stray  arrow  ? " 
Sasanami  joined  in  the  inquiry,  and  both  turned  pleading 
tearful  faces  to  Benkei.  Motoharu  interrupted  with  even 
stern  voice.  "  Why  do  you  weep  ?  Have  you  forgotten 
my  lessons — that  the  wife  or  daughter  of  a  soldier  is  not 
to  shed  tears  at  tales  of  the  battle-field?  You  do  me 
discredit."  But  Benkei  came  in  with  his  strong  voice. 
**  Great  was  the  merit  of  Tadanobu  ;  great  as  that  of  his 
brother  Tsuginobu.  Then  he  told  them  of  the  unrighteous 
displeasure  and  jealousy  of  Kamakura-dono,  of  the  fruit- 
less letter  at  Koshigoe,  the  return  to  Miyako,  and  of  the 
attempt  of  Tosabo  on  their  lord's  life.  Thus  slander  led 
to  the  hapless  expedition  westward.  They  were  separated 
and  wrecked.  Many  were  drowned,  and  with  only  a 
few  followers  their  lord  had  escaped  to  the  mountains  of 
Yoshino.     Here   Tadanobu  had   found   his  opportunity; 


348  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

"  for  it  was  he  who  took  our  lord's  armour,  and  remained 
at  Yoshino  alone  to  face  the  attack  of  Yokogawa  Kakuhan 
and  the  priests.  For  long  we  could  not  learn  his  fate,  but 
when  we  came  last  through  Miyako  we  heard  how  he 
had  killed  and  scattered  his  foes,  and  then  had  come  to 
the  capital  to  get  news  of  our  lord.  Here  the  faithless 
woman,  his  concubine  Koguruma,  had  betrayed  him. 
After  killing  many  of  his  enemies  he  had  died  such  a 
death  at  his  own  hand  as  to  make  even  Kamakura-dono 
shed  tears  of  envy  at  the  loss  of  such  a  man."  And 
Benkei  hid  his  face  behind  his  fan,  to  conceal  his  own 
emotion. 

Harukaze  moaned  a  little.  "  Then  he  is  no  more ; 
gone  forever.  If  I  could  only  speak  one  word  to  him. 
How  shall  I  live  without  him  !"  Weeping  she  sank  to  the 
floor.  Yoshitsune  and  these  stern  men,  *'  able  to  devour 
demons  ",  felt  terribly  saddened.  They  sat  stiffly  upright, 
keeping  down  exhibition  of  feeling  ;  but  great  was  the 
coughing,  and  some  got  up  and  left  the  room  to  conceal 
their  tears.  No  one  ventured  to  speak,  and  so  betray 
himself.  Sasanami  said  : — "  They  died  as  brave  men,  and 
their  fame  in  the  mouths  of  men  is  wide -spread  and 
envied.  How  can  we  woman  show  our  loyalty  to  them, 
and  yet  be  filial  in  our  duty  to  our  parents?"  and  she 
joined  her  sisters  in  tearful  prostration.  Motoharu  spoke 
in  anger.  "  Your  tears  are  out  of  place.  You  had  best 
retire."  So  they  left  the  apartment,  while  the  old  man 
with  counterfeit  sternness  apologized  for  their  behaviour. 
Then  repenting  a  little  he  ordered  the  maids  to  attend, 
and  when  the  ladies  had  changed  their  garments  to  ask 
them  to  return.  So  they  did  ;  but  how  ?  It  was  three 
women  dressed  as  nuns  that  glided  into  the  room,  their 
luxuriant  hair  cut  short.  Thus  they  prostrated  themselves 
before  the  Hang  wan,  and  addressed  their  father  through 
him.  "  Please  grant  us  your  pardon  for  thus  acting 
without  your  permission  first  obtained."  Eising  they 
bowed  gracefully,  three  women  the  like  of  which  could  not 
have  been  found  in  the  Court  itself.  Motoharu  sat  in 
silent  agreement.  Then  the  Hangwan  said  : — ''  'It  is  to 
my  sorrow  that  such  beautiful  flowers  have  faded  before 


HIC   JACET.  349 

they  have  fairly  opened.  It  is  my  fault-  To  you  I  owe 
the  apology."  But  Motoharu,  the  stern  old  soldier 
answered,  : — "  my  sons  have  died  as  they  should,  and  by 
their  own  choice  a  true  soldier's  death  in  the  service  of  their 
lord.  For  them  I  do  not  sorrow.  For  the  women  I  feel 
pity." — Said  Benkei,  in  admiration  : — "  Ah  !  These 
women  of  the  North  are  loyal  as  the  men.  Both  deserve 
the  highest  praise."  And  so  all  present  mourned  and 
rejoiced  together  over  the  brave  deeds  of  the  two  heroes. 


§    2. 


Yoritomo  was  now  supreme  in  the  land.  He  held  the 
huke  (military  caste)  and  the  huge  (court  nobles)  in  his 
hand.  But — ^he  did  not  have  the  head  of  his  brother 
Yoshitsune.  And  what  was  worse  he  was  very  uncertain 
as  to  his  whereabouts.  He  had  been  reported  killed  at 
Mimasaka,  and  Yoritomo  had  such  confidence  in  the 
messenger  that  he  wearied  the  priests  of  Tsuru-ga-oka  with 
services,  praying  for  his  brother's  capture.  Into  this 
miserable  business  he  pulled  the  Hoo ;  and  Ise,  Kongohoji, 
and  other  temples  rang  with  similar  petitions.  Nothing 
seemed  to  avail.  ''Yoshiyuki"  was  the  name  of  an 
official  of  the  third  rank  at  court.  **  Yoshiyuki — good 
walker — you  never  will  catch  him  "  jeered  the  wags  of  the 
palace  circle.  So  they  changed  to  "  Yoshiaki "  (clear 
light),  under  the  expectation  that  their  eyes  would  be  good 
enough  to  detect  the  fugitive  under  this  extra  and  vicarious 
illumination.  Then  from  the  fact  that  a  boat  had  been 
carried  off  in  Kaga,  and  a  purse  of  gold  found  in  its  stead, 
they  began  to  put  things  together.  As  early  as  March 
22nd  they  heard  at  Kamakura  that  the  Hangwan  had  left 
for  Mutsu  disguised  as   a    yamabushi.^      The    Miyako 

*  Adzuma  Kagami. 


350  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  benkei. 

piUthorities  had  acted  promptly,  and  Kamakura  was  not  be- 
hind them  in  sending  out  warning.  Then  an  Echigo  official 
finally  reported  that  Yoshitsune  was  in  Mutsu,  living 
under  Hidehira's  protection,  that  they  were  getting  ready 
for  war,  and  that  Yoshitsune  occupied  an  almost  impregn- 
able position  on  the  banks  of  the  Kitashimagawa,  with  a 
large  train  of  knights  and  attendants.  Yoritiomo  was 
much  put  out.  "  My  barriers  have  been  nothing  before 
the  ingenuity  of  this  slippery  fellow.  Unless  he  is  caught 
and  quickly  finished  I  shall  have  a  task  on  my  hands." 
So  Oye  Hiromoto,  the  grey-bearded  aged  and  arch-plotter 
was  called  into  consultation.  His  advice  was  brief  and  to 
the  point,  as  usual.  *'  Hidehira  is  a  good  general,  and 
holds  his  people  in  his  hand.  Devoted  to  him  they  will 
fight  like  demons.  In  the  Hangwan's  hands  Nenju 
and  Shirakawa  would  be  impregnable.  First  ask  him 
to  secure  Yoshitsune  " — "  Which  he  will  refuse  to  do," 
interrupted  Yoritomo.  "  He  has  taken  a  liking  to  my 
brother,  which  means  much  with  Hidehira.  Besides,  he 
is  not  one  to  further  my  interests."  Oye  smiled.  "  Then 
let  Tokimasa  get  an  order  from  the  Court.  The  two 
messengers  can  go  down  to  Mutsu  together.  Hidehira 
cannot  oppose  such  a  mission.  If  he  does,  our  soldiers 
will  fight  all  the  better,  for  the  Court  once  involved  must 
support  you  with  its  prestige.  The  mission  at  all  events 
can  spy  out  the  land,  and  ascertain  the  truth  of  the 
rumour. 

Thus  it  was  arranged.  The  Hoo  granted  the  order 
against  Hidehira.  Kimimutsu  and  Kagehiro  brought  it  to 
Kamakura.  At  this  Yoritomo  greatly  rejoiced,  and  the  mes- 
sengers profited  by  his  good  humour.  Then  they  took  their 
way  northward,  escorted  by  Makishima  Juro  Yasushige. 
Fortunately  or  unfortunately  for  them  Hidehira  had  his 
spies  in  Kamakura,  and  was  promptly  informed  of  their 
coming.  The  countryside  received  the  order  of  silence. 
When  the  mission  reached  Hiraizumi  on  October  8th 
Motoyoshi  no  Kwanja  Takahira  received  them.  Escorted 
by  him  they  were  caged  in  the  precincts  of  Chusonji. 
Hidehira  received  them  promptly  at  the  castle.  Grand 
was  the  entertainment,  and  in  feasting  and  drinking  sake 


HIC   JACET.  351 

these  hard-headed  warriors  of  the  North  had  no  equals  to 
the  Southward.  Then  Hidehira  Nyudo  was  ready  for 
business.  Kagehiro  gingerly  began  his  delicate  mission. 
Yoshiaki,  once  lyo-no-Kami,  was  boasting  that  he  had 
defeated  the  Taira,  secured  peace  to  the  land,  and  the 
Three  Treasures  to  the  Tenno.  Thus  the  prestige  of  the 
throne  was  brought  to  nought  by  the  once  captain,  who 
seemed  to  think  that  his  efforts  and  not  the  ineffable  merits 
of  the  Son  of  Heaven  had  been  the  cause  of  the  downfall 
of  the  usurpers.  Nay  more ;  he  was  most  undutifui  to 
that  excellent  man  and  brother,  who  was  so  anxious  to  lay 
his  hand  on  his  brother's  head.  Thus  the  whole  land  was 
thrown  into  disorder.  The  governors  of  the  other  pro- 
vinces had  failed  to  find  any  trace  of  the  fugitive.  By  a 
process  of  elimination  he  must  be  with  you.  Indeed  it  is 
said  that  disguised  as  a  yamahushi  he  reached  Mutsu. 
The  Hoo  is  very  angry,  but  Yoritomo  maintains  your 
loyalty.  He  does  not  believe  you  are  protecting  the  rebel. 
However  this  is  the  decree,  and  so  he  handed  it  over  to 
Hidehira. 

The  old  man  took  it  with  most  respectful  prostration 
and  the  craft  of  ninety  years  with  all  its  wits  about  it. 
"  This  is  kind  of  his  lordship  Kamakura-dono,  and  our 
gratitude  for  the  tender  and  sympathetic  care  of  the  Tenno 
is  beyond  expression.  But  this  mission  as  to  Yoshiaki  is 
groundless.  Interests  hostile  to  me  alone  have  played 
their  part  in  this  rumour,  in  order  to  embarrass  me,  and 
to  involve  my  governorship  in  difficulties.  If  Yoshiaki 
comes  I  shall  seize  him  and  send  him  to  Kamakura, 
although  much  against  my  will."  Thus  he  spoke,  play- 
ing on  the  name  Yoshiaki,  unwilling  enough  to  send 
anybody  to  Kamakura,  and  carefully  keeping  out  all 
mention  of  Yoshitsune,  whose  name  as  such  did  not  appear 
in  the  order.  On  this  side  the  messengers  did  not 
want  to  press  him,  and  Makishima  did  not  dare.  His 
mission  was  to  spy  out  all  he  could.  But  as  Hidehira 
never  allowed  him  or  his  train  out  of  doors  unattended  he 
found  little  opportunity.  Bribes  were  equally  unsuccessful. 
They  returned  to  tell  Yoritomo  what  Hidehira  had  said, 
and  how  he  had  dealt  with  them.     So  there  were  more 


352  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

councils ;  and  Oye,  Kajiwara,  and  others  expressed  many 
and  different  opinions.  On  the  rumour  that  Yoshitsune's 
band  had  taken  refuge  at  Kikaigashima  in  Kyushu,  Yori- 
tomo  let  loose  Nakahara  Nobufusa  to  go  to  the  aid  of 
Amano  Tokage  in  attacking  them.  This  was  on  October 
25th.  Had  he  not  been  hanging  thieves  in  Miyako  the 
month  before  with  great  success  ?  Not  exactly  with  his 
own  hands,  but  by  the  proxy  of  Hojo  Tokimasa.  His 
brother's  adherents  were  quite  as  important  to  call  forth 
display  of  energy.  But  meanwhile  the  Mutsu  rumour 
grew  ;  to  Yoritomo's  great  inconvenience,  for  he  was  not 
yet  ready  to  use  force  against  the  powerful  Governor  of 
the  vast  province  of  the  North. 

Thus  the  summer  months  passed,  and  as  Yoritomo 
deafened  heaven  with  his  cries  on  his  own  account,  Yoshi- 
tsune  took  his  hand  at  this  game  for  the  account  of  others. 
His  early  days  at  Kuramayama  came  vividly  back  to 
mind.  "  Great  has  been  my  desire  for  vengeance,  which 
has  thus  lead  to  the  destruction  of  the  Taira  House. 
Hence  on  both  sides  many  brave  men  have  lost  their 
lives.  My  sufferings  and  wanderings  are  perhaps  to  be 
attributed  to  this  sin  of  pride.  To  me  life  has  little  in 
store.  But  to  these  brave  men,  my  followers,  I  have  a 
duty  to  perform.  It  is  only  on  my  account  that  they 
bear  the  name  of  rebels."  Thus  he  remained  in  deep 
meditation.  Finally  one  day  he  sought  out  Hidehira, 
and  laid  his  thoughts  before  him.  He  wished  to  have  a 
special  memorial  service  in  memory  of  the  two  Sato 
kyodai  (brothers),  who  had  died  so  bravely  in  his  defence. 
This  could  easily  be  given  wider  scope,  and  extended  to 
cover  all — friends  and  foes.  Hidehira  readily  entered 
into  the  spirit  of  the  young  man,  whose  depression  he 
would  have  gone  far  to  remove.  So  a  great  general  office 
for  the  dead,  and  by  name  for  the  Sato  brothers,  was 
arranged.  It  was  held  in  the  Chusonji  monastery,  the 
abbot  directing  the  service  at  the  head  of  a  hundred 
priests.  Yoshitsune  had  made  a  fair  copy  of  the  Hokke- 
kyo  with  his  own  hand,  and  this  was  presented  as  an 
offering  to  the  spirits  of  the  two  heroes.  Everything  was 
conducted  with  great  pomp  and  solemnity.    The  chanting 


HIC  JACET.  353 


priests,  the  crowded  intent  assemblage,  the  triumphant 
promise  of  the  words  of  the  Law,  gave  a  feeling  of  awe  to 
the  listener. 

In  a  neighbouring  apartment  to  the  liojido  (great  hall), 
to  which  the  Hang  wan  had  withdrawn,  he  was  ap- 
proached by  the  women  of  Motoharu's  household.  They 
prostrated  themselves  before  him,  and  Yoshitsune  spoke  a 
few  words  of  sympathy  in  reference  to  the  old  man  not 
long  since  departed  to  his  rest.  The  wife  of  Tsuginobu 
offered  her  thanks  to  their  lord.  She  only  sorrowed  that 
the  two  brothers  were  not  living  to  enjoy  his  patronage, 
and  to  devote  themselves  to  his  service.  Then  she  wept  a 
little,  and  said  : — "  But  they  have  each  left  a  son  behind 
them.  Although  young  we  would  beg  of  your  lordship 
the  boon  that  they  be  taken  into  your  service."  The 
Hangwan  rejoiced  at  the  idea.  Hidehira,  at  the  bottom 
of  the  proposition,  had  a  pleased  smile  on  his  face.  The 
great  captain's  ambitions  were  still  bent  on  war.  "  Let 
them  come  before  me,"  said  Yoshitsune.  The  grand- 
mother, Kyoshinni,  brought  forward  the  two  boys.*  The 
son  of  Tsuginobu  was  sixteen  years  old,  that  of  Tadanobu 
fourteen  years,  but  both  were  almost  men  in  stature  and 
sinew.  Great  powerful  fellows,  with  bright  shining  eyes 
and  alert  energetic  mien,  Yoshitsune  looked  at  them  with 
pleasure.  "  You  are  the  images  of  your  fathers,  and  I 
seem  again  to  see  before  me  those  brave  men.  I  shall 
be  your  name  father."  Then  Hidehira  dressed  their  hair 
for  the  gemhuhu,  and  gave  them  each  an  eboshi.  Every- 
one was  struck  by  their  manly  soldier-like  appearance. 
The  Hangwan  admired  them  greatly.  He  said  : — "  The 
Chinese  bird,  Kingacho,  sings  sweetly  when  it  is  hardly 
out  of  the  nest,  and  sandal  has  all  its  perfume  as  a  mere 
sprout.  Young  as  you  are  you  will  make  great  soldiers,  and 
your  advancement  shall  be  rapid.  Faithful  and  brilliant 
as  your  fathers  you  shall  take  my  name.  To  Tsuginobu's 
son  I  give  the  name  of  Yoshinobu,  and  to  Tadanobu's 
son  that  of  .  Yoshitada."  Greatly  pleased  Kyoshinni 
told  her  grandson  Yoshinobu  to  bring  forward  the  presents 

*  Kyoshinni,  her  name  as  nun. 


354  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

for  his  lordship.  Then  gracefully  kneeling  the  young 
knight  presented  to  the  Hangwan  a  sword,  an  heirloom 
and  treasure  in  the  Sato  family.  For  the  Kitanokata 
there  was  presented  a  skirt  made  of  twilled  Chinese  silk, 
together  with  other  silk  garments.  The  aged  woman 
looked  at  them.  **  How  I  would  have  rejoiced  to  see  the 
death  fight  of  my  sons."  Tears  of  pride  and  sorrow  stood 
in  her  eyes.  The  Hangwan  and  all  present  sympathized 
with  her. 

Then  the  Hangwan  took  the  sake  cup  in  his  hand,  and 
offered  it  to  Yoshinobu.     The  boy  received  it  with  such 
manly   grace   that   he  seemed  Tsuginobu  himself.     Said 
Yoshitsune : — "  Brave    and   skilful   in   fight   your   father 
rode  dauntlessly  forward.     He  seized  with  his  hand  the 
deadly  shaft,  but  treachery  lurked  within,  and  the  con- , 
cealed  shaft  pierced  his  throat.     Thus  brave  as  Kishil  of 
the   Han   days   in    China    he   died,    an   example   to   all 
warriors,  his  deeds  to  live  in  the  memory  of  men.     But  I 
shall  be  your  father  as  well  as  lord."     Then  Yoshitsune 
put  the  final  touches  to  his  hair,  and  withdrawing  respect- 
fully the  3^outh  made  way  for  Yoshitada.     "Your  face 
calls  to  my  mind  the  brave  man  standing  alone  on  the 
tower  at  Yoshino ;  sword  in  hand  to  maintain  himself  to 
the  last.     Thus  he  faced  the  encircling  band  of  enemies, 
led  by  no  less  a  captain  than  Kakuhan  Onigami  (demon 
spirit).     These  he  put   to   flight ;   killing   many,   among 
them  Kakuhan  himself  in  single  fight.     Then  he  returned 
to  Miyako,  to  be  betrayed  by  a  worthless  woman,  and  to 
die  in  a  manner  such  that  men  will  speak  of  it  with  awe 
in  ages  to  come,  and  every  true  warrior  rejoices  at  his 
brave  deeds."     Then  he  gave  them  their  armour.     That 
of  Yoshinobu  was  decorated  in  kozaJcura  style.*     Kyo- 
shinni  wept  with  joy.     **  Kemember,  my  children,  that 
his  lordship  stands  to  you  in  the  relation  of  a  father,  to 
whom   obedience   is   doubly    due.     One    slightest   act   of 
cowa^rdice  will  not  only  taint  your  own  fame,  but  that  of 
your   fathers."     Thus   she  warned,  thus  advised  them ; 

*  Kozakura-odoshi :  "  armour,  the  plates  of  which  are  bound 
together  with  red  threads  mixed  with  the  white."  Brinkley's 
Dictionary. 


HIC    JACET.  355 

and  all  present  thought  her  indeed  the  woman  to  have 
borne  and  brought  up  two  men  hke  the  ones  departed — 
Tsuginobu  and  Tadanobu. 


§     3. 


Thus  ended  the  ceremonial ;  and  in  the  days  to  come 
Yoshitsune  devoted  himself  to  the  training  of  the  levies 
from  this  warlike  but  undisciplined  people,  better  ac- 
customed each  to  fight  for  his  own  hand,  mounted  on 
their  half  wild  horses,  and  galloping  here  and  there  over 
the  mountain  side  with  disregard  of  anything  like  obstacles 
or  slope.  The  people  became  devotedly  attached  to  the 
great  captain.  As  a  youth  he  had  been  a  familiar  sight 
to  them.  Then  for  a  few  years  he  had  disappeared,  but 
his  name  came  to  them  in  the  tale  of  a  series  of  startling 
deeds,  new  to  Nippon  in  methods  and  certainty.  Then 
fortune  had  turned  her  face  from  him,  as  had  the  man 
whose  fortune  he  had  made.  Now  he  dwelt  among  them, 
perhaps  to  be  the  one  to  lead  them  into  action  against  the 
hated  and  dreaded  supremacy  of  Kamakura.  In  this 
great  Fujiwara  fief,  covering  a  quarter  of  the  Island 
Kingdom,  it  was  not  so  much  the  spirit  of  the  Kwanto 
that  actuated  its  people,  not  so  much  North  against 
South,  as  a  fierce  desire  for  freedom  from  interference. 
Kamakura  and  Miyako  stood  much  on  the  same  level. 
Kamakura  was  nearer  and  far  more  formidable,  and  this 
sudden  rise  of  a  rival  power  in  the  North  was  dreaded. 
Thus  when  Yoshitsune  lectured  to  the  young  huslii  on 
Sonshi  and  Goshi,  the  great  Chinese  classical  writers  on 
war  and  its  strategy,  he  had  eager  Hsteners.  For  the 
march  he  prepared  short  poems  (tanka),  which  became 
known  as  "  the  hundred  songs  of  the  Koromogawa,"  fit  for 
the  voices  of  these  hardy  fighters,  ''  twice  as  brave  as  any 
other  Japanese." 


356  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Yoshitsune  wanted  a  more  practical  test.  As  he  sat 
with  Benkei  and  Ise  Saburo  in  council  he  told  them  that 
an  attack  from  Kamakura  was  inevitable.  *'  I  have 
trained  these  men  in  scattered  fight  and  close  formation. 
What  I  want  is  to  see  them  in  action,  to  learn  the  stamina 
and  resourcefulness  of  each  man  when  thrown  upon  him- 
self." Ise  suggested  a  hunting  party.  "  In  this  way  the 
activity  and  intelligence  of  every  man  will  be  plain  under 
the  eyes  of  your  Highness."  The  idea  therefore  was  to 
assemble  the  levies  in  competition  at  the  head-waters  of 
the  Koromogawa.  Thus  the  hunt  would  be  a  public 
affair,  its  intention  only  known  to  the  few  leaders  inte- 
rested. Far  from  raising  any  objection  Hidehira  urged 
the  matter  forward.  For  use  on  this  propitious  occasion 
he  gave  Yoshitsune  a  sandal  wood  belly-guard  and  a 
scarlet  liaori.  Thus  it  was  that  in  the  middle  of  October 
the  Hang  wan  went  hunting  on  Kitagami-san,  the 
mountain  mass  in  which  the  Koromogawa  takes  its  source. 
It  was  a  gay  procession  that  rode  out  of  the  Yanagi-^os/io, 
and  took  its  way  along  the  river  side  ;  and  it  was  the  last 
time  the  sun  shone  on  the  leader's  fortunes.  The  storm 
clouds  were  gathering,  soon  to  break  in  overwhelming 
force  on  this  little  band.* 

Near  the  castle  of  Hidehira  they  found  the  hunt 
awaiting  them,  and  all  set  off  for  the  head -waters  of  the 
river,  at  which  boar,  deer,  and  still  fiercer  game  abounded. 
Hidehira  had  sent  three  hundred  men  under  Izumi 
Saburo  Tadahira,  his  youngest  son,  and  Yuri  Hachiro 
Tomoshige.  A  camp  was  pitched  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains.  The  hunt  began  early  the  next  day.  At  the 
signal   of    drum   and   trumpet,   men   and    dogs    dashed 


*  Yamada  here  gives  the  names  of  the  Hangwan's  retainers  at 
Hiraizumi.  He  is  usually  reliable  in  the  source  he  draws  on.  Drawn 
from  the  older  chroniclers  it  is  to  be  compared  with  the  remains  on  the 
ground,  given  in  the  Chusonji  pamphlet.  Musashi-b5  Benkei;  Hi- 
tachibo  Kaison ;  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori ;  Kataoka  Hachiro  Hirotsune ; 
Kamei  Kokuro  Shigekiyo ;  Suruga  Jiro  Kiyoshige ;  Sato  Saburo 
Yoshinobu;  Sato  Shir5  Yoshitada;  Masuwo  Juro  Kanefusa ;  Kumai 
Taro  Tadamoto;  Washiwo  Saburo  Tsunehisa;  Bizen  Heishiro  Nari- 
haru ;  Akai  Juro  Kagetsugi ;  Sugime  Kotaro  Yukinobu  ;  Ban  Hichir5 
Harutomo  ;  Kongo  Juro  Hidemasa ;  Kisata  Kiyoemi. 


HIC    JACET.  357 

forward  through  brambles  and  bushes.  Wild  boar,  deer, 
wolves,  monkeys,  timid  hare,  lied  in  confusion.  Many 
were  killed,  and  Yoshitsune  had  the  opportunity  of  witnes- 
sing the  skill  of  these  mountaineers  with  sword,  spear,  and 
bow,  and  riding  at  a  mad  gallop  up  and  down  the  steep 
rocky  slopes.  As  they  watched  the  hunt  from  a  little 
knoll  on  the  mountain-side,  a  large  white  deer  dashed  out 
of  a  copse.  Yoshitsune  called  out  to  kill  it.  It  was  a  long 
shot,  but  Yoshinobu  kneeling  on  a  rock  pierced  it  with  his 
arrow.  The  wound  merely  maddened  the  animal.  It 
looked  as  if  it  would  escape  into  the  forest.  Quickly  string- 
ing another  arrow  he  this  time  pierced  its  throat.  Leaping 
to  his  feet  he  ran  forward  and  killed  the  beast  with  his 
sword.  Heaving  it  on  his  shoulders  he  brought  it  to 
Yoshitsune,  who  gave  him  warm  praise.  This  aroused 
Yoshitada  to  emulation.  Far  and  near  he  beat  the 
bushes.  A  noise  in  a  lofty  cedar  attracted  him.  Looking 
up  he  saw  a  large  monkey,  leaping  and  chattering  in  the 
top  branches.  To  bring  it  down,  thus  frisking,  was  more 
than  difficult ;  but  at  one  shot  the  beast  lay  on  the  ground. 
"You  are  indeed  a  fine  marksman,  equal  to  Yoshinobu. 
Both  skilful  as  Yoyiiki  I  do  not  know  which  has  been  the 
more  difficult  shot."  Thus  spoke  the  Hang  wan,  and  he 
gave  to  each  a  horse. 

This  was  small  game  to  such  a  hunter  as  Washiwo 
Saburo  Tsunehisa.  To  this  experienced  hunter  the  moun- 
tain was  as  the  open  plain.  Deep  into  the  forest  he 
plunged.  Attracted  by  the  noise  of  the  dogs  he  sought 
them  out.  They  had  cornered  a  huge  bear,  to  their  cost. 
Several  already  lay  dead  on  the  ground.  Washiwo 
without  hesitation  ran  in  on  it  with  his  spear.  The  bear 
tried  to  seize  him,  but  he  dodged,  giving  it  thrust  after 
thrust.  The  beaten  animal  tried  to  run.  Then  he  rushed 
on  it,  kicked  it  over,  leaped  on  it,  and  pierced  its  heart 
with  his  dagger.  Summoning  the  beaters  with  his  horn, 
its  huge  bulk  was  thus  brought  into  the  Hangwan's 
presence.  Pleased  at  the  skill  and  prowess  of  his  notable 
retainer  Yoshitsune  gave  him  a  sword  and  words  of  praise.* 

*  The  large  bear  of  Northern  Japan — now  only  found  in  Yezo — is  a 
powerful  beast,  not  quite  so  large  as   the  "  Grizzly."     I   think  it   is 


358  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI 

The  evening  bells  from  distant  Chusonji  came  wafted  on 
the  air.  The  drams  beat  as  signal  that  the  chase  was 
over.  Then  they  all  gathered  again  at  the  camp.  Hitachi- 
bo  Kaison  alone  failed  to  put  in  an  appearance.  They 
searched  high  and  low,  and  it  was  late  at  night  when 
Yoshitsune  reluctantly  gave  the  order  to  return.  The 
next  day  the  game  was  given  to  Hidehira  and  his  sons  for 
distribution.  As  Hitachibo  had  not  returned  a  general 
search  was  ordered,  but  before  it  had  begun  the  object 
thereof  settled  the  matter  by  coming  before  his  lord  with 
the  tale  of  his  night's  adventures. 

Hitachibo  Kaison  was  the  son  of  a  fisherman,  who 
lived  at  Kibata  in  Omi.  He  was  brave  and  clever,  and  in 
boyhood  turned  to  the  priesthood  as  the  career  to  advance 
him  in  hfe.  In  this  he  made  great  progress,  and  men 
looked  up  to  him.  The  life  of  the  monastery  was  not  good 
for  Kaison,  and  we  have  seen  something  of  him  in  these 
earlier  days  at  the  Saito  Hall  under  Kankei.  When  he 
was  compelled  to  leave  there  he  wandered  far  and  wide, 
to  finally  take  refuge  at  the  Onjoji,  as  the  opposition  shop 
for  theological  argaments  of  the  day.  Here  the  reformed 
debauchee  acquired  a  great  reputation  for  learning.  *'  In 
appearance  a  fool  he  was  wise  beneath  the  surface."  He 
took  to  the  prevalent  anti-Taira  politics  of  the  day,  and  in 
his  studies  of  the  Sutras  sought  out  all  passages  which  bore 
on  the  strained  relations  between  the  Tenno  and  the 
Taira,  of  course  to  the  latter's  disadvantage.  Then  his 
object  was  to  find  his  man,  and  devote  himself  to  him. 
Ushiwaka  at  this  time  had  returned  from  Mutsu,  and  was 
roaming  the  streets  of  Miyako  in  search  of  military 
recruits.  Such  a  brave  and  kind  captain  was  just  to 
Kaison's  heart.  They  met  at  Karasuyama,  and  it  had 
been  not  long  before  Benkei's  adventure  at  the  Gojo 
bridge  that  Hitachibo  had  taken  up  his  quarters  at  Yama- 
shina.  A  bold  man,  he  made  little  of  details.  He  remained 
plunged  in  thought,  spoke  little,  and  was  very  proud  of 

something  like  what  they  call  "Silver  Tips  "  in  oar  own  West.  This 
bear  is  an  object  of  worship  among  the  Ainu.  That  does  not  prevent 
their  hunting,  killing,  skinning,  and  eating  him  or  her.  In  plain  terms 
it  is  a  totem. 


HIC   JACET.  359 

his  learning.  This  did  not  make  him  at  times  very  com- 
panionable ;  but  that  excellent  judge  of  men,  Kuro  Han- 
gwan  Yoshitsune,  understood  him  perfectly.  In  difficulties 
he  always  turned  to  Benkei  and  Hitachibo.  Yoshitnori 
was  the  clever,  clear-headed,  able  hushi  ;  almost  a  type  of 
leader  in  the  hike.  Benkei  and  Hitachibo  added  to  their 
soldierly  qualities  a  clerical  astuteness  and  finesse  proper  to 
the  learned  priest  of  that  day,  when  the  keenest  minds  of 
the  political  world  in  Miyako  donned  holy  garb.  Of  the 
two  men  Benkei  was  the  more  alert  in  matters  of  detail, 
and  Hitachibo  knew  it  and  followed  him  all  the  more 
readily.  In  thought  he  was  now  very  much  the  priest 
and  detached  from  worldly  advancement.  All  mean 
jealousy  had  been  winnowed  from  his  character.  His  one 
absorbing  passion  was  the  fortune  of  his  master.  Now 
in  few  brief  words  he  explained  his  absence,  but  in  such 
way  that  Yoshitsune  saw  that  he  had  more  to  tell.  Soon 
he  had  around  him  only  his  favoured  councillors  of  the 
retreat.     Then  Kaison  told  his  tale. 

In  search  of  larger  game  the  priest  had  plunged  deep 
into  the  forest,  with  no  idea  of  any  difficulty  in  finding 
his  way  out.  When,  however,  he  sought  to  return  every 
way  seemed  the  right  one.  Thoroughly  puzzled  he 
wandered  from  valley  to  valley,  until  his  only  object  was  to 
find  a  shelter  for  the  night,  and  a  guide  for  the  next  day. 
As  he  moved  at  random  seeking  some  pathway,  he  heard 
a  voice  praying  in  the  wood.  It  must  come  therefore  from 
some  priest  or  hermit  thus  withdrawn  for  contempla- 
tion from  the  companionship  of  men.  This  was  more 
encouraging  as  to  finding  a  night's  lodging  than  a  hamlefc 
and  gaide.  Kaison  moved  on  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  voice  came.  There  was  no  house,  but  a  mere  lean-to 
of  boughs,  within  which  was  a  bed  of  dried  leaves. 
Puzzled  as  to  who  could  live  thus  in  such  a  secluded  place 
he  looked  around,  to  see  advancing  toward  him  under  the 
trees  an  aged  priest  accompanied  by  a  boy.  Seating 
himself,  and  inviting  Kaison  to  do  the  same,  he  asked 
why  a  stranger,  and  one  not  in  religion,  should  be 
wandering  so  apart  from  men.  Kaison  explained  that 
he  had  lost  his  way  from  the  hunt,  and  being  hungry  and 


360  SAITO   MUSASHIBO-BENKEI. 

tired  was  seeking  a  night's  lodging.  Eeplied  the  hermit : 
— "  If  you  are  satisfied  with  my  food  and  shelter  that  is 
easily  secured,  and  for  miles  around  there  is  no  other 
dwelling  of  man  on  this  lonely  mountain-side.  If  you  did 
meet  with  men  it  might  well  be  some  savage  band  of 
Yemishi,  to  hunt  you  with  poisoned  arrows  as  they  do  the 
bear,  their  god.  Spend  to-night  with  me,  and  to-morrow 
I  shall  put  you  on  the  road  to  your  home."  Gladly 
Kaison  accepted  such  well  meant  hospitality.  He  found 
the  fare  by  no  means  bad.  The  hermit  was  skilled  in 
herbs,  and  the  acolyte  in  cooking,  and  a  dish  of  stewed 
wild  fruit  ended  the  repast.  "  My  liquor  I  find  at  hand  ", 
said  the  holy  man,  smiling  and  pointing  to  a  mountain 
brook  leaping  tumultuously  down  the  hill-side.  "  My 
flute  is  the  wind  you  hear  whistling  through  the  cedars." 

Seeing  that  his  guest  was  invigorated,  and  again  bright 
and  active,  the  hermit  said  with  abruptness : — ''  And  so 
your  name  is  Hitachibo  Kaison?"  Kaison  was  amazed. 
"  How  came  you  to  know  me?  "  he  asked.  Eeplied  the 
hermit : — "  Many  years  I  spent  on  Hieisan.  There  I 
learned  the  art  of  Se7ijutsu*  I  am  now  three  hundred 
years  old,  and  future  and  past  are  to  me  an  open  book." 
This  seemed  promising  to  Kaison.  He  thought  at  once  of 
his  lord,  and  asked  the  saint  to  divine  his  fate.  The  old 
sage  hesitated.  Then  sighing  he  took  up  a  deer's  shoulder 
blade.  Crouching  over  the  fire  he  held  it  exposed  to  the 
flame  until  scorched  and  cracked.  The  cracks  he  carefully 
examined.  There  was  a  tone  of  relief  in  his  voice  as  he 
said.  "  To  prophesy  ill  to  anyone  is  unpleasant.  Your 
lord  is  second  to  none  in  merit,  and  in  great  qualities  as 
soldier  and  leader.  But  danger  hangs  over  him.  He 
now  is  safe,  but  a  moment's  too  long  delay  will  cast  the 
balance  the  other  way  and  seal  his  doom.  Let  him 
go  to  Nyoshin  (Korea)  in  the  western  sea.  The  lot 
says  that  there  he  can  become  king,  and  lord  of  vast 
domains.  Cast  not  away  the  chance."  The  old  man 
threw    the    bone    far    from    him.      Keenly  he  watched 

*  "  The  art  of  a  Sennin  [mystic  or  yogatcharya],  such  as  restoring 
the  dead  to  life,  riding  on  the  air  etc."  "  Brinkley's  Dictionary  "  : 
magician. 


HITACHIBO  KAISON  LEARNS  SENJUTSU. 


HIC   JACET.  361 

its  fall,  and  put  his  head  between  his  bands  with  a 
deep  sigh,  but  as  he  ventured  no  further  prophecy  Kai- 
son  thought  nothing  of  it  and  asked  no  questions.  His 
one  wish  was  to  leave,  and  to  report  this  extraordinary 
adventure  to  his  lord.  Darkness,  however,  compelled 
him  to  pass  the  night  where  he  was.  This  he  spent 
in  converse  with  the  seer.  The  next  day  the  acolyte 
guided  him  to  the  path  and  set  him  securely  on  his  way. 
He  would  have  thanked  the  youth  in  some  substantial 
way,  have  given  him  his  hunting  spear  as  present,  but 
when  he  turned  to  do  so  the  lad  was  no  longer  there,  and 
peer  as  he  did  through  the  forest  trees  there  was  no  sign  of 
him.  If  it  had  not  been  for  his  palpable  experiences  of 
the  night  before  he  would  have  set  the  whole  thing  down 
to  a  dream.  Thus  to  the  wonder  of  all  he  ended  his  tale. 
At  Fortune  thus  pointing  elsewhere  the  retainers  rejoiced. 
Yoshitsune  was  plunged  in  thought.  His  experience  at 
the  Kibune  shrine  came  to  his  mind.  He  wondered,  and 
was  half  inclined  to  believe  in  this  distant  future  kingdom, 
apart  from  the  shadow  of  his  brother's  claims  on  his 
allegiance.  Their  council,  however,  was  interrupted  by 
the  appearance  of  a  messenger.  Hidehira  had  been  taken 
ill,  and  urgently  wished  to  see  him  in  private.  Yoshitsune 
prepared  to  leave  at  once.  Seeing  that  Kaison  had  passed 
a  weary  night  he  ordered  him  to  take  rest.  Later  they 
would  again  go  over  his  tale. 

With  his  train  the  Hang  wan  took  his  stately  way  to  the 
old  chief's  mansion.  Here  they  found  a  feast  prepared  for 
them.  To  this  Hidehira  had  himself  carried,  to  entertain 
his  guest  in  person.  Then  all  were  dismissed.  Yoshi- 
tsune, Benkei,  and  Ise  Saburo  remained  alone  with  the 
old  man.  Clearly  and  distinctly  he  spoke.  "  My  one 
thought  for  long  has  been  to  reconcile  you  and  Yoritomo, 
but  the  more  I  study  your  brother's  character,  the  less 
likelihood  I  see  of  success.  As  long  as  I  am  living 
Kamakura  can  look  for  no  division  of  counsel  here  in 
Mutsu.  When  I  am  dead — and  I  shall  never  rise  from 
this  bed  at  my  advanced  age — the  situation  will  be 
changed,  and  very  dangerous  for  you.  Therefore  I  advise 
you  to  abandon  all  ideas  of  advancement  in  this  land.     As 


362  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI.  , 

your  elder,  son  of  Yoshitoino  by  Atsuta-gozeii,  Yoritomo 
has  an  advantage  that  you  cannot  overcome.  Send  brave 
and  wise  men  therefore  to  Yezo,  there  to  prepare  the 
way  for  you.  Subjugating  Kuchi-Yezo  and  Oku- Yezo 
you  can  easily  pass  to  Nyoshin,  and  there  on  the  main- 
land carve  out  a  mighty  kingdom.  I  have  myself 
made  a  study  of  these  parts,  and  have  many  maps 
which  I  now  give  to  you.  If  a  father  knows  a  son,  you 
will  find  Izumi  Saburo  Tadahira  an  invaluable  counsellor. 
But  trust  no  one  else  here  in  Mutsu."  Then  the  old  man 
handed  him  the  scroll  to  which  he  had  referred.  Yoshi- 
tsune  thanked  him  earnestly.  He  told  him  of  Kaison's 
adventure,  so  strangely  coinciding  with  his  own  advice. 
Hidehira  was  much  surprised.  Then  even  Benkei  and  Ise 
withdrew,  and  for  more  than  an  hour  Yoshitsune  and 
Hidehira  remained  in  private  conference.  There  was 
room  for  it.  This  aged  politician  was  perhaps  the  best 
informed  of  any  concerning  the  political  movements  in 
Court  circles  or  out  of  them. 

Of  what  passed  Yoshitsune  said  nothing.  But  as  he 
talked  with  Benkei,  Ise,  and  Hitachibo,  they  could  catch 
the  gist  of  what  had  passed  from  Yoshitsune's  accentuated 
distrust  of  Yasuhira,  son  of  the  Kitanokata  and  prospective 
successor  to  the  old  man's  domains.  It  was  determined 
to  despatch  Kaison  and  Sugime  Kotaro  to  Yezo,  to 
spy  out  the  land.  Perhaps  it  was  the  likeness  of 
Sugime  to  Yoshitsune  that  afterwards  gave  rise  to  the 
legend  of  the  escape  to  Yezo  *  Yoshitsune  took  the 
opportunity  to  withdraw  from  possible  danger  the  two 
Sato  kyoclai,  Yoshinobu  and  Yoshitada,  by  sending  them 
on  this  mission.  Shimoseki  Taro  of  Arita  guided  them 
through  the  north  country,  and  they  set  sail  from 
Miumaya  in  Tsuga  (Tsugaru).  Thus  none  of  these  men 
figured  in  the  final  catastrophy,  and  their  graves  are  not 
found  on  the  hill-side  of  Takadachi.  On  November  30th 
the  prophecy  of  Fajiwara   Hidehira  came  true,   and  he 

*  The  Ainu  have  a  persistent  legend  of  his  presence  in  Yezo  (but 
very  likely  acquired  of  Yemishi  still  living  on  Hond5,  and  perhaps 
later  emigrating  to  Yezo).  Once  thus  on  Yezo  soil,  it  was  easy  for  the 
legend  to  spread  his  adventures  to  the  Continent. 


HIG   JACET.  363 

died  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years.t  Then  Yoritomo 
was  ready  to  act.  Yasuhira  was  a  cold  and  uncertain 
protector.  On  March  20th  (1189  A.D.)  an  order  from 
the  Tenno  came  demanding  the  arrest  of  Yoshiaki. 
There  was  no  uncertainty  no^^^  as  to  Yoshitsune's  presence 
in  Mutsu.  The  ceremonial  service  to  the  dead,  the  story 
of  the  hunt  on  Kitagami-san,  came_  together  with  the 
news  of  the  training  of  the  hushi  in  Oshu.  Nevertheless 
Yasuhira  did  nothing.  It  was  not  a  congenial  task  to 
him,  and  his  father's  advice  and  commands  were  still  in 
his  ears.t  He,  however,  had  no  intention  of  following  it, 
and  frankly  taking  Yoshitsune  as  liege  lord  and  opposing 
candidate  to  Yoritomo,  thus  to  enter  on  a  war  with  the 
South.  Equally  did  he  dislike  the  idea  of  Kamakura's 
over-lordship.  Yoritomo  had  not  let  the  grass  grow 
under  his  feet.  On  March  21st  he  asked  the  Tenno  for 
an  order  to  attack  Yasuhira,  and  the  Court  knew  how 
earnest  he  was  by  the  activity  displayed  only  a  few  days 
before  against  adherents  of  Yoshitsune  m  Miyako.  On 
the  24th  spies  were  sent  into  Mutsu,  and  preparations  for 
mobilization  were  in  active  progress.  A  month  later  the 
request  for  a  court  order  was  repeated,  and  on  April  20th 
a  specific  command  to  attack  the  rebel  Yasuhira  was 
issued.  This  latter  was  between  the  devil  and  the  deep 
sea.  In  trying  to  save  himself  Yasuhira  destroyed  him- 
self. He  was  almost  as  much  an  object  to  Yoritomo  as 
Yoshitsune.  For  three  generations  the  Fujiwara  House 
of  Mutsu  had  been  acquiring  fiefs  and  piling  up  treasure 
in  the  North.  Yoritomo  wanted  these  for  his  greedy 
followers.  If  Yasuhira  had  appreciated  how  matters 
stood  in  the  mind  of  the  lord  of  Kamakura  he  would 
forthwith  have  gone  over  to  Yoshitsune,  and  put  this 
great  commander  at  the  head  of  sixty  thousand  men. 
What  a  great  military  genius  can  do  at  the  head  of  an 
efficient  force  was  shown  centuries  later  when  the  modern 


t  The  Adziima  Kagami  gives  the  date  30th  November  for  Hidehiras*^ 
death ;  and  also  the  latter's  direction  to  make  Yoshitsune  commander 
of  the  Mutsu  forces  in  the  inevitable  battle  against  Kamakura.  Its 
date  for  the  Tenno's  proclamation  is  25th  March.  I  have  followed 
the  Dai-Nihon-Shi-Ryo.  Cf.  map  in  the  Note  to  this  chapter  as  ta 
what  follows. 


364  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Alexander,  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  faced  the  allies  and 
fought  the  desperate  campaign  of  1814  that  ended  at 
Elba.  The  chances  were  good  that  Yoshitsune  would 
have  attacked  and  defeated  the  separate  columns  of  Yori- 
tomo's  army,  to  swell  his  own  forces  from  the  beaten 
enemy  as  he  advanced  rapidly  south  on  Kamakura. 
Yoritomo  had  never  shown  signs  of  able  leadership, 
beyond  massing  numbers  to  crush  an  enemy,  and  he 
had  suffered  as  much  from  good  luck  as  good  manage- 
ment. In  the  one  skirmish  at  which  he  had  commanded 
he  had  fought  bravely  on  a  hill  top  and  been  beaten. 
He  knew  enough  to  run  away  and  fight  another 
day.  Against  the  first  captain  of  Asia  he  was 
an  untried  recruit,  and  there  was  no  one  among  his 
captains  to  take  the  place  of  leader — and  they  knew  it. 
Sasaki,  Miura,  Hojo,  Kajiwara,  would  have  gone  into  the 
field,  already  half  beaten.  Noriyori  wisely  had  already 
refused  the  job.  It  must  have  been  with  grave  anxiety 
that  such  arch-plotters  as  Hojo  Tokimasa  and  Oye 
Hiromoto  watched  to  see  what  role  Yasuhira  would  take. 

The  man  blundered.  Suspicion  was  in  the  air,  and 
Yoshitsune's  more  immediate  retainers  now  did  not  wander 
far  from  Takadachi.  With  the  exception  of  Hitachibo  and 
Sugime,  absent  on  their  mission,  and  Kamei  Rokuro  and 
Bizen  Heishiro  Nariharu,  who  had  gone  to  spy  out  the 
land,  all  were  assembled  in  council  with  Yoshitsune. 
The  latter  had  pointed  out  their  dangerous  position,  the 
necessity  of  making  some  move  to  end  it.  "  '  With  our 
small  force  we  could  make  as  much  resistance  as  a  praying 
mantis  with  his  raised  scythes  against  a  dragon  cart.'  " 
All  were  cast  down  at  this  unfavourable  change  in  their 
lord's  position.  Yoshitsune  thought  of  the  roll  he  had 
received  from  Hidehira.  He  brought  it  out,  and  with 
pleased  thanks  to  the  spirit  of  the  thoughtful  old  man  they 
all  looked  over  the  carefully  marked  road  to  the  ISIorth  and 
Yezo.     Then  as  on  this  fifteenth  day  of  June  (1189  A.D.)* 

*  My  note  from  the  Adzama  Kagami  says  thirtieth  day  of  the  fourth 
month.  That  of  the  Dai-Nihon-Shi  says  thirtieth  day  of  the  intercal- 
ary fourth  month,  as  do  the  Chusonji  antiquarians.  The  first  named 
would  be  17th  Mav. 


BENKEl'S  LAST  BATTLE. 


HIC   JACET.  365 

they  traced  out  the  route  on  the  map  illuminated  by  the 
eariy  afternoon  sun  there  was  a  ghastly  interruption.  The 
drums  beat  to  arms  outside.  All  laid  hands  on  their 
weapons,  to  turn  and  greet  Nariharu,  who  staggering  made 
his  way  to  Yoshitsune  and  slowly  laid  down  before  him 
the  severed  head  of  Kamei  Rokuro.  He  told  his  story. 
On  the  side  of  Chusonji  all  was  quiet  enough.  But 
the  castle  was  swarming  with  bushi  riding  in  from  every 
direction.  Perhaps  he  and  Kamei  had  gone  too  far. 
They  sought  to  make  their  way  back  to  the  Yanagi  Gosho, 
but  men  fairly  sprang  out  of  the  ground.  Attacked  by 
overwhelming  numbers  they  fought  their  best  and  reached 
the  slopes  of  Takadachi.  Here  Kamei  was  pierced 
through  the  heart  with  an  arrow.  He  had  succeeded  in 
carrying  off  the  head  to  bring  it  to  his  lord. 

Whatever  his  hearers  thought  of  the  tale  the  answer  to 
their  questioning  looks  was  given  by  the  entrance  of  Izumi 
no  Saburo  Tadahira.  He  brought  the  news  that  many 
hushi  had  been  summoned  and  were  detained  at  the  castle, 
as  being  suspected  of  a  possible  allegiance  to  Yoshitsune  in 
preference  to  their  liege  lord  Yasuhira.  They  also  learned 
that  there  was  but  little  time  for  council.  He  had  but 
preceded  a  strong  force  of  three  thousand  huslii  on  their 
way  to  attack  Takadachi.  His  words  were  almost 
accompanied  by  the  fierce  shouts  from  the  outside.  Guard 
and  assailants  had  already  clashed.  Without  further  talk 
all  the  company  seized  their  weapons.  There  was  little 
else  to  do,  for  in  these  latter  days  they  had/elt  it  necessary 
to  play  the  hushi  ready  for  instant  call  to  battle.  Each 
man  took  his  place  in  the  line  determined  to  fight  to  the 
end,  at  least  to  leave  a  severe  mark  upon  the  foe.  There 
were  but  few  of  them.  Some  stragglers,  hushi  attached  to 
Tadahira,  found  their  way  into  the  Yanagi  Gosho.  They 
might  have  been  fifty  in  number.  But  two  hundred  men 
against  three  thousand,  and  the  knowledge  that  ten  times 
that  number  would  soon  be  upon  them  removed  all  hope 
of  escape.  Yasuhira  had  mobilised  his  available  force  to 
meet  Yoritomo,  if  the  head  of  Yoshitsune  failed  to  satisfy 
his  vengeance.  This  was  encamped  between  Ichinoseki 
and  Hiraizumi,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  a  few  hours  when 


366  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

he  could  throw  this  whole  mass  upon  the  hill  and  over- 
whelm them.  It  was  with  wistful  strained  eyes  that  Benkei 
gazed  across  the  river  to  the  northern  hills.  Once  in  their 
shelter  his  lord  was  safe.  But  in  every  direction,  up  and 
down  the  opposite  shores  of  the  Koromogawa  and  the 
Kitakamigawa,  patrols  could  he  seen  galloping.  Tadahira 
answered  an  unspoken  question.  There  will  be  no  move- 
ment from  them  by  daylight.  To  attack  Takadachi  by 
the  ford  in  the  face  of  our  arrows  would  be  madness." 
In  this  he  was  right.  The  rivers,  swollen  by  the  spring 
rains,  were  already  sending  dow^n  huge  masses  of  swift 
muddy  water.  They  would  try  to  swim  the  ford  by 
moonlight,  and  so  finish  the  battle  on  this  side  where  the 
river  rather  than  art  was  the  main  defense.  "  Will  they  !" 
thought  Benkei,  and  an  idea  came  into  his  head,  to  which 
his  great  strength  and  height  gave  sanction. 

For  the  day  the  defence  was  brilliantly  successful. 
Many  fell  in  their  own  ranks.  Nariharu,  already  badly 
wounded,  was  killed  by  an  arrow.  A  band  of  the  besiegers 
in  one  fierce  onset  came  within  an  ace  of  surrounding 
Yoshitsune,  who  raged  through  the  fight  like  a  demon. 
Where  he  was  there  was  death  ;  for  others,  but  not  for 
himself  who  seemed  to  court  it.  The  enemy  had  cast  a 
half  circle  around  him,  and  a  rush  could  have  borne  down 
the  reckless  knight.  This  was  a  battle  for  a  head,  and 
old  traditions  of  man  to  man  and  knight  to  knight  were 
thrown  to  the  winds  before  this  knight  whom  none  dared 
to  face  singly.  But  the  circle  never  closed.  Benkei, 
Washiwo,  Ise,  Kataoka  left  to  others  the  task  of  holding 
their  positions.  Like  thunder-bolts  they  fell  on  the  flank 
of  these  rash  men  who  aimed  so  high.  Scattered  the 
enemy  fled,  but  not  more  than  thirty  escaped  down  the 
hill  to  the  West,  and  they  left  ten  times  their  number  of 
dead  and  wounded  behind  them.  The  sun  was  already 
setting.  Benkei,  covered  with  blood  from  head  to  foot, 
looked  hke  the  Deva  King,  the  Nio,  as  never  he  had  done 
before.  The  old  tale  of  his  parentage  seemed  to  gather 
strength.  The  little  band  sullenly  fell  back  within  the 
walls  of  the  goslio.  They  took  stock  of  what  was  left  to 
them,  and  reahzed  that  they  could  no  longer  hold  the 


,"'"r/::      Hie   JACET.  867 

crown  of  the  hill.  A  severe  loss  had  been  that  of  Tada- 
hira.  Venturing  too  far  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  he  had 
been  drawn  into  an  ambuscade  and  surrounded.  He  was 
either  dead  or  a  prisoner.  The  worst  was  their  own 
depleted  ranks.  Musashi-bo  Benkei,  Ise  Saburo  Yoshi- 
roori,  Kataoka  Hachiro,  Suzuki  Saburo,  Suruga  Jiro, 
Masuwo  Kanefusa,  Kumai  Taro,  Washiwo  Saburo,  Kisata 
—  these  were  all  that  were  left  to  meet  their  lord  in 
council.  Yoshitsune  sighed  as  he  gazed  around  him. 
This  time  the  end  seemed  really  to  be  at  hand. 

Not  so  thought  Benkei.  *'  They  shall  not  attack  us 
to-night.  By  to-morrow  we  will  have  nothing  but  the 
ground  we  stand  on.  Then  one  rush  will  carry  them 
over  us.  Our  lord  must  escape  at  once.  A  way  may  be 
found  through  Chiisonji  or  even  to  the  South.  He  must 
reach  the  mountains.  The  chief  object  is  to  prevent  them 
crossing  the  river,  and  so  ascertaining  our  real  condition. 
The  river  is  high,  but  the  shallow  in  the  middle  will  not 
come  above  my  knees.  No  man  shall  cross  the  ford  alive 
this  night.*  Your  lordship  must  lose  no  time.  A  few 
hours  of  darkness  are  every  thing." — "  Excellent  in  its  way," 
said  Suzuki  Saburo  ;  "  but  I  have  my  plan.  My  body  is 
little  like  our  lord's,  but  my  head  is  a  good  substitute, 
good  enough  for  Yoritomo.  I  shall  set  fire  to  the  place, 
commit  harakiri,  and  the  prize  the  enemy  get  v/ill  be 
good  enough  to  take  the  heart  out  of  any  pursuit  if  they 
suspect  a  fraud." — "  We  can  both  play  our  part,"  was 
Benkei's  reply.  The  other  retainers  agreed.  It  was  a 
desperate  experiment,  but  the  only  available  means  of 
escape ;  thus  to  cross  the  track  of  their  lord's  pursuers, 
and  give  him  time  to  escape.  Yoshitsune  rejected  both 
plans.  "  One  good  man  like  either  of  you  is  worth  a 
thousand  men.  We  must  all  live  and  fall  together." 
Benkei  spoke  firmly.  "  Our  lord  thinks  too  much  of 
others.  It  is  the  first  uncertain  word  I  have  heard  from 
one  so  accustomed  to  give  orders  in  battle  which  send  men 
to  death  without  account  of  persons.  What  is  a  dead 
man  to   a  captain  in  war !      May  it  please  our  lord   to 

*  Benkei  refers  to  the  Kitakamigawa,  opposite  Takadachi. 


368  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

accept  the  plan  of  Kiyoshige.  Then  I  can  take  my  post 
with  a  light  heart,  and  fight  with  certainty  of  success." 
Without  a  word  Yoshitsune  stretched  out  his  hands  to  his 
brave  men.  Finally  he  said  : — ''  Let  it  be  so.  If  we  can 
escape  in  the  darkness  we  will  do  so.  Promise  me  that  as 
the  moon  wanes  you  will  follow  me."  And  Benkei,  looking 
his  lord  in  the  eyes,  said  : — ■''  Where  my  lord  goes,  to  victory 
or  to  death,  I  shall  follow  him."  Yoshitsune  seized  his 
hands,  and  for  a  moment  they  thus  stood  gazing  into  each 
other's  faces  in  wistful  anxious  inquiry.  Then  the  giant 
strode  off.  His  heavy  step  passed  out  the  front  gate  and 
was  heard  passing  down  the  slope.  They  advanced  to  the 
gate  to  watch  him  as  he  waded  through  the  rushing  river, 
to  take  his  post  on  the  shallow.  At  drier  seasons  a  little 
island  of  stones  and  boulders  was  here  a  part  of  the  only 
available  ford  at  this  point  on  the  Kitakamigawa.  Just 
now  these  rocks  protected  Bsnkei's  rear.  Then  they  turned 
their  attention  to  their  part  of  the  plan.  Yoshitsune  gave 
his  armour  to  Suzuki.  Once  more  the  Kitanokata  had 
to  make  her  preparations  for  flight ;  this  time  with  her 
infant  child.     They  had  stnall  prospect  of  escape. 

So  it  proved.  A  short  distance  took  them  to  the 
crest  of  the  hill.  Yasuhira  had  netted  them  with  his 
whole  army.  The  camp  fires  burnt  brightly  in  a  closely 
hemming  circle.  The  guards  could  be  plainly  seen  walk- 
ing their  rounds,  and  groups  of  bushl  stood  in  the  light  of 
the  fire,  their  gaze  turned  toward  Takadachi.  They  had 
something  to  talk  about.  Yasuhira's  enterprise  was 
costing  him  dear.  These  Minamoto  captains  were  stiff 
fighters,  and  nearly  a  thousand  of  the  Mutsu  bushi  had 
been  put  hors  de  combat  in  the  day's  fight.  But  to  the 
besieged  one  thing  was  plain.  Not  a  hare  could  have 
passed  the  circle  which  was  complete  and  deep  In  this 
camp  there  was  no  sleep.  Gloomily  they  took  their  way 
back  to  the  gosho.  The  end  had  come.  "  Let  one  go 
and  summon  Benkei,"  said  Yoshitsune.  Kisata  bowed  at 
his  lord's  sign,  and  took  his  departure.  An  hour  passed 
and  he  did  not  reappear.  Ise  rose  and  left  the  room. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  returned.  "The  enemy  swarm  on 
the  river  bank,   and   Kisata's   head  is  their  standard." 


HIC   JACET.  369 

Then  at  Yoshitsune's  sign  they  all  arose  to  bid  their  lord 
farewell.  One  by  one  they  filed  out  of  the  apartment, 
their  hearts  bursting  with  pain  and  anger.  Their  death 
scene  was  to  be  on  the  hillside.  Their  bodies  were  to  lie 
interposed  between  their  lord  and  the  enemy.  Only 
Masuwo  Gon-no-Kami  Kanefusa  remained,  foster  brother 
to  his  chief  Yoshitsune  stood,  his  head  bowed  in  deep 
thought.  The  Kitanokata  watched  him  with  wide-open 
pained  eyes.  His  glance  fell  on  a  little  image  of  the 
Buddha,  before  which  many  a  prayer  had  been  said  in 
these  sad  days.  Then  drawing  his  dagger  he  gave  it  to 
Masuwo,  and  concealing  his  head  in  his  sleeves  turned  his 
face  aside.  The  Kitanokata  sank  to  the  Hoor  with  the 
moan  of  a  stricken  animal.  Masuwo  slowly  left  the  room. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  returned,  and  laid  the  dead  body  of 
the  babe  beside  its  father.  Then  the  Kitanokata  knelt  at 
her  husband's  feet.  "  I  now  have  no  child  ;  no  reason  to 
live  or  complaint  to  make  against  death.  Please  kill  me 
before  yourself  that  I  may  go  with  you  along  the  way  to 
Paradise.  Tenderly  he  raised  her,  and  they  remained 
for  a  few  minutes  in  close  embrace.  "  Namu-Amida- 
Eutsu,"  said  Yoshitsune.  Taking  the  dagger,  stained 
with  the  blood  of  his  child,  he  held  her  head  under 
his  left  arm  and  plunged  the  weapon  into  her 
throat.  Without  a  groan  her  head  sank  on  his  knees, 
and  he  stood  watching  the  warm  blood  gushing  from  the 
body.  "  She  has  shown  the  way.  Masuwo,  you  will 
take  my  head  and  try  to  hide  it  before  you  kill  yourself." 
He  seated  himself.  Then  opening  his  garments  he 
plunged  the  dagger  into  the  left  side,  drew  it  over  to  the 
right,  and  slashed  upward.  It  was  a  skilful  cut.  The 
next  moment  Kanefusa  left  the  apartment  with  the  head. 
Stopping  a  moment  to  apply  a  torch  to  the  piled  up 
screens  he  fled  through  the  rear  to  reach  a  grove  of 
cryptomeria  close  by.  Watchful  eyes,  however,  were  at 
hand.  The  pursuit  was  instant  and  close.  His  aim  was 
frustrated.  At  the  foot  of  a  pine  he  stumbled  against  a 
dead  body.  Looking  down  he  saw  by  the  armour  that  it 
was  that  of  Kamei,  left  to  lie  where  he  had  fallen.  He 
turned.     A   narrowing   circle   of  torches  was  making  its 


370  SAITO    MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

way  toward  him.  He  could  not  carry  out  his  lord*s 
command  ;  he  could  only  go  to  him  and  report  his  failure. 
No  time  was  to  be  lost.  And  so  he  passed,  to  tread  the 
road  of  the  others  now  lying  dead  on  the  hill  slope  of 
Takadachi. 


One  more  remains  to  complete  the  count  of  heads.  At 
dawn  of  day  the  eneujy  was  in  full  possession  of  Taka- 
dachi. The  fire  started  by  Kanefusa  was  quickly  detected 
by  the  circle  clasping  the  gosJio,  and  now  close  at  hand. 
The  watching  hushi  leaped  to  their  feet  and  rushed  into 
the  place.  Attempts  were  made  to  extinguish  the  flames, 
but  the  more  earnest  and  reckless  forced  their  way  into 
the  building.  The  body  of  Yoshitsune  was  quickly  seen  and 
removed.  For  that  of  the  woman  and  child  they  made 
no  account,  and  there  were  none  others  to  confuse  them. 
The  report  soon  spread  of  Kanefusa's  death,  and  the  finding 
of  the  head  with  him.  Thus  at  early  dawn  Yasuhira  sat 
in  silent  inspection  of  the  ghastly  trophy,  with  some  bitter- 
ness over  what  it  had  cost  him,  and,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  with 
misgivings  as  to  the  outcome  and  advisability  of  his  action. 
Meanwhile  a  strange  tale  spread  through  the  camp.  Two 
armies  held  the  banks  of  the  river,  whicli  neither 
dared  to  cross.  Grimly  guarding  the  ford,  his  legs  wide 
stretched  apart,  his  back  against  a  huge  boulder,  stood 
Benkei.  Early  in  the  evening  the  attempt  had  been 
made  to  cross  in  force,  and  nearly  a  hundred  men  had 
been  swept  down  by  the  current,  lifeless  and  with  gaping 
wounds  from  the  cruel  halberd  of  the  giant.  Then  they 
resorted  to  the  })ow,  and  Benl<ei  was  the  target  for 
thousands  of  arrows.  Contemptuously  he  stood.  With 
the  rising  sun  flushing  the  water  those  of  keener  sight 
could  see  the  angry  glare  on  his  face  from  the  i-ed  lacquer 
lining  his  helmet.  With  this  dawn  men  took  courage. 
To  their  discharges  and  cries  Benkei  neither  moved  nor 
answered.  Like  a  rock  he  stood.  Not  even  the  head  of 
his  lord  carried  in  his  sight  made  him  change  his  attitude. 
It  was  this  immobility  that  finally  attracted  attention; 
The  bolder  rode  into  the  water  to  discharge  their  arrows. 


HIC   JACET.  371 

Then  they  approached  still  nearer.  Finally  with  a  shout 
one  (3loser  than  the  others  made  his  way  boldly  to  the 
giant  form.  That  was  all  it  was  now.  Benkei  had  kept 
his  word  to  his  lord.  He  was  literally  riddled  with  the 
long  war  shafts  which  pierced  his  armour  and  stuck  in  it 
like  the  quills  of  a  porcupine.  One  luckier  arrow  had 
glanced  upward  from  a  stone  and  pierced  his  eye  and 
brain,  so  eager  and  ready  in  loyal  service  to  his  lord. 
And  so  died  Benkei. 


EPILOGUE. 


Yasuhira  profited  little  by  his  folly.  With  this  he  can 
be  charged.  The  treachery  of  his  sudden  descent  on 
Takadachi  was  a  feature  of  the  warfare  of  those  days.  If 
anything  his  unwillingness  to  carry  out  the  orders  of  the 
Hoo,  even  in  the  face  of  obvious  preparation  in  Kamakura, 
stand  to  a  credit  which  Japanese  writers  refuse  to  give 
him.  But  he  judged  very  badly.  On  July  27th*  Yori- 
tomo  had  the  opportunity  to  verify  at  Kamakura  the 
successful  issue  of  this  long  hunt,  when  Nitta  no  Kwanja 
Takahira,  messenger  of  Yasuhira,  brought  to  Kamakura 
the  head  of  Yoshitsune,  nicely  boxed  in  a  lacquered 
circular  case  and  pickled  in  sweet  wine.  Wada  Yoshi- 
mori  and  Kajiwara  Kagetoki  went  to  Koshigoe  to  receive 
and  verify  the  welcome  gift.  Then,  carried  by  two 
servants  of  Takahira,  it  was  brought  to  the  presence  of 
Yoritomo.  After  due  exposure  it  received  proper  burial  at 
the  Shirakata  Jinja,  Itadomachi,  of  Fujisawa  in  Sagami 
(Kozagori) .  The  body  of  the  unfortunate  captain  found 
rest  at  Takadachi,  near  what  was  known  as  the  Yoshi- 
tsune-byo,  later  the  Yoshitsune-do,  and  long  years  after  a 
stone  "  easily  lifted  by  the  hand  "  still  marked  the  place 
where  the  outlaw  rested,  w^hose  name  was  as  fearful  to 
the  Hojo  as  ever  it  was  to  his  brother. 

That  it  made  no  difference  we  can.  understand.  Yasu- 
hira thought  it  did,  and  in  his  enthusiasm,  on  August  13th, 
he  put  to  death  his  brother  Izumi-no-kwanja  Tadahira, 
for  his  unwise  partisanship  of  Yoshitsune.     Virtuous  was 

*  The  Chxisonji  pamphlet  gives  the  matter  a  thorough  thrashing 
out,  and  the  above  is  its  date.  The  same  day  the  head  was  buried. 
July  27th  is  the  date  given  by  the  Adzuma  Kagami. 


EPILOGUE.  373 

the  indignation  of  the  arch  hypocrite  in  Kamakura  when 
this  piece  of  news  reached  him.  Such  inhuman  treatment 
of  a  brother  called  for  the  vengeance  of  heaven,  with 
himself  as  instrument  and  bill  collector.  He  therefore 
rapidly  pushed  forward  his  preparations  to  visit  with 
condign  punishment  the  vulgar  fratricide,  and  to  raid  his 
hoard  of  furs  and  gold,  the  latter  badly  needed  to  gild 
the  temples  he  was  erecting  in  every  direction.  Yoritomo 
was  a  just  man,  but  the  taxes  were  no  lighter.  Like 
most  reformers  he  cost  a  good  deal  in  more  than  plain 
comfort.  Yasuhira  appealed  to  Miyako,  and  a  per- 
emptory order  was  issuediforbidding  any  movement  from 
Kamakura.  Yoritomo  had  capable  representatives  in 
Miyako.  Matters  between  the  bushi,  under  control  of 
the  Sotsui-hoshi,  were  no  business  of  the  Court.  Just 
exactly  what  hit  him  Go-Shirakawa  did  not  know.  The 
stuffing  of  the  Kamakura  club  was  not  particularly  light. 
Thoroughly  frightened  it  took  but  a  few  days  to  effect  a 
complete  volte  face  and  extract  from  him  an  order  for 
the  punishment  of  Yasuhira.  On  the  first  of  September 
Yoritomo  was  on  his  way.  Three  columns  were  directed 
on  Mutsu,  by  the  east  and  west  sea  roads  and  by  the 
mountain  road.  They  would  all  be  needed  if  it  is  true 
that  284000  men  were  engaged  in  this  invasion  of  the 
North.  Yoritomo  went  by  the  Tosando.*  Sasaki  Tsune- 
taka  and  Oye  Kageyoshi  remained  at  Kamakura  with  a 
strong  force  to  guard  the  place.  There  were  some  fifty 
thousand  men  to  meet  the  invading  force.  But  Yasuhira, 
not  Yoshitsune,  was  in  com ni and.  He  threw  himself 
into  his  castle  on  Atsukashimayama  near  Shirakawa.  In 
the  battle  or  rather  battles  which  followed  during  Septem- 
ber, Yoritomo  forced  the  barrier  _' and  set  fire  to  the  castle. 
Yasuhira  fled  northward,  leaving  his  elder  brother 
Kunehira  dead  on  the  battle  field.  Meanwhile  the  armies 
marching  by  the  two  sea  routes  had  penetrated  into  Dewa 

*  Tosando  is  the  general  name  for  the  north-eastern  provinces, 
Sliinano,  Shimotsuke,  Iwashiro,  etc.  There  are  two  roads  to-day. 
One  by  Mito  and  the  sea ;  another  goes  through  Oyama,  Utsnnomiya, 
etc.  The  last  named  was  probably  taken  by  Yoritomo^the  Oshu- 
kaido. 


'374  SAiTo  MtJSASHi-B^  be:skei. 

and  Mutsu.  It  was  a  desperate  scattered  fight  through  the 
hills  and  mountains,  from  fort  to  fort,  and  from  stockade 
to  stockade  ;  a  repetition  of  the  war  against  the  Abe  more 
than  a  hundred  years  before.  The  arrival  of  the  two  new 
columns  forced  Yasuhira  to  retire  on  Hiraizumi.  It  must 
have  been  with  grief  in  his  soul  that  the  holy  man 
Yoritomo  attacked  the  place.  He  feared  the  loss  of  the 
accumulated  treasures,  and  the  destruction  of  the  many 
buildings  which  sheltered  other  holy  men  at  Chusonji. 
Doubtless  he  spared  it  as  much  as  the  exigencies  of  war 
permitted.  Yasuhira  did  what  he  could,  fought  as  bravely 
as  possible,  and  until  his  army  was  almost  destroyed. 
Then  he  fired  every  thing  he  could  and  again  fled  north- 
ward. Yoritomo  sent  troops  in  pursuit,  and  then  entered 
to  take  account  of  stock.  The  booty  was  ample,  and  the 
Kamakura  husM  waxed  fat  on  the  spoils,  for  Yoritomo 
was  not  a  stingy  man  to  his  bruisers.  Soon  he  could  add 
to  his  findings  the  head  of  Yasuhira.  This  was  produced 
by  one  of  the  latter 's  own  retainers,  Kawada  Jiro.  This 
mart  accompanied  his  master  to  Y"ezo,  and  there 
assassinated  him.*  Yoritomo  promptly  rewarded  him 
with  death.  The  lord  of  Kamakura  was  engaged  on  his 
codification  of  Bushido,  and  could  not  tolerate  such  a  glar- 
ing breach  of  its  basic  principle — loyalty  to  one's  lord 
though  thick  and  thin.  The  three  younger  brothers  of 
Yasuhira — Toshihira,  Suyehira,  and  Takahira — escaped 
with  their  lives,  and  not  much  else.  Thus  ended  the 
powerful  house  of  Fujiwara  Kiyohira,  once  lord  of 
Mutsu.  t 

*  Yezo  seems  to  have  been  familiar  ground  to  these  Mutsu  chiefs. 

t  The  account  of  the  Adzuma  Kagarai  as  to  this  campaign  can  be 
condensed  as  follows.  Adachi  Shinsabur5  reported  to  the  Ho5  tlie 
result  of  the  figliting  in  Mutsu  under  date  19  October  (1189  A.D.) 
*' We  left  Kamakura  on  September  1st  and  reached  Shirakawa  on  the 
11th.  On  September  19th  we  fought  a  battle  at  the  barrier  of  Akashi, 
and  defeated  the  enemy.  Mount  Akashi  was  crossed  on  the  21st,  and 
at  Yamaguchi  we  met  the  army  of  Nishikido  no  Tar5  Kuniyasu,  eldest 
son  of  Hidehira,  and  drove  them  away.  As  Yasuhira  was  staying  at 
the  castle  of  Takanami,  to  the  northward  of  Taga  in  Tamatsukuri 
district,  we  marched  on  and  reached  it  on  October  1st.  Yasu- 
hira evacuated  the  place  and  fled  to  Hiraizumi.  He  reached  there 
October  2nd,  and  on  our  arrival  there  on  October  3rd  he  was  not  to  be 


,;..         .       EPILOGUE.  /j,  875 

There  was  one  more  affair  for  the  lord  of  Kamakura  to 
settle,  before  the  land  could  be  at  peace.  Hardly  had  he 
reached  that  city  before  Okawa  Kaneto  was  up  and  doing 
in  Mutsu.  The  tales  vary.  Some  say  he  passed  himself 
off  as  Yoshitsune  ;  others,  as  Asahi-kwanja  son  of  Yoshi- 
naka.  He  showed  what  could  be  done  with  his  little 
army  of  seven  thousand  men.  He  cut  a  wide  swathe, 
defeating  in  detail  one  lieutenant  after  another  sent  by 
Yoritomo.  It  was  a  fatal  business,  for  Kaneto  thrashed 
them  first  and  secured  their  heads  afterward.  It  was  only 
when  the  Tokaido  and  Tosando  contingents  were  joined  to 
those  of  Shinano  and  Shimotsuke  that  he  was  finally  beaten. 
Chiba  Tanegane,  Hiki  Yoshisada,  and  Ashikaga  Yoshikane 
in  command  of  these  joined  forces  with  Kasai  Kiyoshige 
and  defeated  Kaneto  in  a  pitched  battle.  Accounts  of  his 
ending  also  vary.  One  says  that  he  was  assassinated  in  the 
third  month  of  1190  A.D.  (April)  by  a  fisherman,  about  a 
month  after  his  defeat.  Another  account  says  that  he  took 
refuge  in  Kuriharadera,  was  ignominiously  lugged  forth, 
and  his  head  sent  on  its  lonely  journey  to  Kamakura. 
His  course  had  been  short.  He  had  raised  his  standard  in 
February,  and  inflicted  about  as  much  loss  on  Yoritomo 
as  the  case  could  reasonably  call  for.  Then  there  was 
peace.  For  a  while  Yoritomo  was  engaged  on  his 
first  entry  into  Miyako  since  he  had  been  driven  from 
it  by  Kiyomori.  Times  had  changed  for  the.  better 
with  him,  and  for  the  worse  for  the  capital  city.  The 
summer  of  1190  AD.  was  devoted  to  the  god  Taishi 
Sama,  that  is  the  carpenters  were  exceedingly  busy  in 
Miyako.  In  the  early  part  of  November  Yoritomo  left 
Kamakura.  His  progress  was  a  leisurely  one,  and  it  was 
not  until  a  month  later  that  he  entered  the  capital  and 
proceeded  to  the  new  and  splendid  palace  which  had  risen 

found .  We  kept  up  the  pursuit,  and  on  October  14th  we  defeated  and 
killed  him."  The  Takahira  mentioned  above  in  the  text  was  put  to 
deaUi  in  1201  A.D..  being  engaged  in  a  conspiracy  of  J5  Nagaraochi 
against  the  H5j5.  Oyama  Tomoniisa  put  both  of  them  to  death. 
Nagamocho's  son,  Sukemori,  was  valiantly  defended  by  his  aunt  against 
the  forces  of  Echigo  and  Sado,  and  they  paid  dearly  to  get  his  head  and 
the  castle  of  Tori-saka-no-Seki.  The  Jo  were  a  powerful  family  in 
Echigo.    The  first  staggering  blow  they  got  from  Yoshinaka.' 


376  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

on  the  site  of  Rokuhara.  So  great  was  the  curiosity  as  to 
this  unknown  Master  of  the  Great  Land  that  even  the 
old  Hoo  hid  himself  under  a  disguise  and  went  to  see  the 
procession.  Yoritomo  gilded  the  pill  to  the  Court  by 
magnificent  presents.  They  were  needed,  for  the  reci- 
pients were  already  getting  down  at  the  heels.  A  few 
years  more  and  they  would  go  bare-footed.  Yoritomo 
was  not  an  ungenerous  man.  The  Court  could  have  what 
did  not  pass  current  as  coin  among  men.  They  could  have 
titles,  and  a  strictly  limited  pocket  money — not  power. 
By  the  end  of  January  (1191  A. D.)  he  was  again  in 
Kamakura,  to  take  up  building  in  that  locality. 

He  also  paid  some  attention  to  family  affairs.  Already 
fin  1189  A.D.)  he  had  settled  matters  with  some  Fujiwara 
relatives.  At  the  end  of  May,  Fujiwara  Tomokata  dai- 
nagon,  Yoritsune  of  the  third  Court  rank,  Takashima 
Kurando  Yasutsune — being  partisans  of  Yoshitsune  (and 
related  through  Tokiwa) — went  into  exile.  Such  little 
matters  were  interrupted  by  an  attempt  of  Katsuga  Tada- 
michi,  of  the  almost  extinguished  Ise  Heishi,  to  remove 
the  incubus  resting  on  the  family  fortunes.  In  disguise, 
and  with  a  fish  scale  inserted  in  one  eye  to  simulate  blind- 
ness, he  mingled  in  the  crowd  at  one  of  the  numerous 
temple  dedications,  a  method  Yoritomo  had  of  beating  the 
devil  around  the  stump.  Yoritomo  had  no  fish  scale  in 
his  eye.  His  two  good  orbs  lit  on  the  suspicious  stranger. 
A  word,  and  Kagetoki  had  him  in  hand.  He  and  his 
retainers  lost  their  heads.  As  to  family  affairs,  Yoritomo 
made  a  tolerably  clean  slate.  Noriyori  had  absolutely 
refused  to  undertake  the  mission  of  chastisement  against 
his  brother  Yoshitsune  in  Miyako.  This  was  way  back  in 
1185  A.D.  Knowing  what  we  do  of  Yoritomo  it  can  be 
said  that  he  was  in  the  Shogun's  eye.  On  the  31st  of 
August  (1193  A.D.)  he  is  found  swearing  his  good  faith  to 
Yoritomo  in  answer  to  slanders  to  the  contrary.  The  next 
day  his  retainer,  Todo  Taro,  was  found  concealed  under 
the  roJca  of  the  Shogun's  apartment.  Yoritomo  then  in 
summary  fashion  exiled  Noriyori  to  Shuzenji  in  Izu,  and  as 
his  house  became  a  centre  of  the  disaffected  a  large  force 
was   sent  to  despatch  him.     Finding   escape   impossible 


EPILOGUE.  377 

he  committed  harahiri,  and  such  of  his  retainers  as  did 
not  follow  his  example  anyhow  lost  their  heads.  Such 
is  the  bare  surface  of  the  record,  but  thereby  hangs 
a  tale. 

Kudo  Suketsune  had  been  pilfered,  in  afore  time  (1177 
A.D.),  of  his  property  by  his  uncle  Ito  Sukechika.  Later 
he  took  vengeance  in  the  usual  fashion  of  the  day  ;  and  in 
the  attack  Sukechika  was  badly  wounded  and  his  son 
Sukeyasu  was  killed.  This  last  had  two  sons,  Soga  Juro 
Sukenari  and  Soga  Goro  Tokimuce,  these  latter  taking 
their  name  from  their  step-father  Soga  Sukenobu.  We 
have  seen  that  Yoritomo  had  no  reason  to  love  Ito  Suke- 
chika. Indeed  it  was  only  the  intercession  of  Kajiwara 
Genda,  of  Hatakeyama,  and  of  Wada,  that  saved  the  lives 
of  these  children  and  left  them  in  their  mothers  care.  They, 
in  their  turn,  therefore  had  no  reason  to  love  Yoritomo,  and 
had  a  settled  duty  of  vengeance  against  his  favourite  Kudo 
Suketsune.  Tokimune  was  brought  up  as  a  priest  at  the 
Hakone  temple,  but  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  fled  the 
holy  place,  and  with  his  brother  took  refuge  with  Hojo 
Tokimasa.  Thus  the  days  passed,  and  in  this  June  of 
1193  A.D.  Yoritomo  in  his  hunting  had  passed  from 
Aisawa  in  Suruga,  and  pitched  his  tents  at  the  base  of 
Fujisan.  The  Soga  hyodai  took  this  as  their  opportunity. 
They  entered  the  camp  by  night.  The  tent  of  Kudo  was 
pointed  out  to  them  by  Hondo  Chikatsune  a  retainer  of 
Hatakeyama.  Its  owner  received  a  dagger  in  his  heart. 
Then  the  twain  attacked  the  tent  of  Yoritomo.  Many 
of  his  guard  were  killed,  and  they  almost  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  Shogun  himself.  Yoritomo  much  alarmed 
wished  to  engage  in  the  fight,  but  Otomo  Yoshinao 
prevented  his  taking  such  risk.  Nitta  Tadatsune  killed 
Sukenari  (aged  twenty-two  years).  The  younger  brother, 
Tokimune  (aged  twenty  years)  was  only  captured,  after  a 
desperate  struggle,  by  the  strong  man  of  Yoritomo's  body- 
guard Goromaru.  Yoritomo  is  credited  by  some  with 
wishing  to  spare  such  a  brave  fighter.  As  usual  justice  got 
the  better  of  his  feelings,  and  he  ordered  that  Tokimune's 
head  be  severed  with  a  hlu7it  sword.  Tora-gozen,  the 
concubine  of  Tokimune,  who  had  aided  her  lover  in  every 


378  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

way,  escaped  without  punishment.  She  became  a  nun. 
Her  name  is  connected  with  Oiso,  at  which  place  she  had 
begun  life  as  a  courtesan.  The  affair  made  a  tremendous 
stir,  and  at  first  the  Shogun  was  reported  as  killed. 
Noriyori  is  said  to  have  then  told  Masako  not  to  be  in 
any  alarm  as  he  was  by  her  side  to  take  his  brother's 
place.  This  came  to  Yoritomo's  ears,  of  course  ;  and  the 
lord  of  Kamakura,  not  jealous  of  his  wife  but  of  his  power, 
is  said  forthwith  to  have  determined  on  the  destruction  of 
Noriyori.  This  latter  left  three  children,  very  young  at 
the  time  ;  and  as  they  grew  up  phenomenally  stapid  they 
caused  no  trouble,  and  lived  in  a  decent  neglect.*  Thus 
the  Shogun  had  eliminated  his  own  immediate  stock. 
Perhaps  if  he  had  known  that  a  future  Shogun  was  to 
spring  from  the  issue  of  his  sister's  daughter  he  would 
have  eliminated  her.  Meanwhile,  with  the  exception  of 
a  fight  (in  1195  A.D.)  in  alliance  with  the  Hoo's  retainers, 
against  the  monks  of  the  Todaiji,  his  life  was  one  of  peace 
(for  ten  years  !),  and  a  reconstruction  which  led  directly 
to  what  can'  be  called  the  Japanese  "  Hundred  Years 
War  "  ;  or  series  of  them,  for  peace  did  not  reign  until 
Oda  Nobunaga,  Hideyoshi,  and  lyeyasu,  had  reconstructed 
the  regime  of  the  huke,  on  the  feudal  basis  of  Kamakura 
but  with  different  details.  lyeyasu  could  not  have  com- 
pleted this  work,  if  the  preceding  four  centuries  had  not 
thoroughly  exhausted  the  leading  combatants.  Until  his 
day  the  Minimoto  House  disappeared  from  actual  rule. 
They  were  not  eliminated,  as  had  been  the  Ise  Heishi. 
But  they  were  relegated  to  become  dignified  figure-heads, 
as  had  been  the  Ten  no  in  Miyako. 

In  August  1193  A.D.,  Yokoyama  Tokihiro  presented  to 
Yoritomo  a  horse  nine_fe3t  in  height.  It  is  said  that  he 
sent  it  to  pasturage  in  Oshu,  or  perhaps  to  graze  with  the 
mare  of  Gargantua.  It  was  probably  not  his  mount 
when  he  attended  the  fete  given  by  Inage  Saburo  Shige- 
nari  of  Saga  mi,  to  celebrate  the  construction  of  a  bridge 
over    the    rapid    Banyu   river    (between    Fujisawa    and 

*  The  monument  to  the  Sop;a  kyoda'i  and  Tora-gozen,   on  the  road 
near  Ashinoyu,  Hakone,  is  familiar  to  tourists. 


.  vL-"':        EPILOGUE.  379 

Hiratsuka).*  This  had  been  erected  in  honour  of  his 
deceased  wife,  the  elder  sister  of  Masako.  Yoritomo  was 
now  fifty-three  years  of  age,  and  from  his  picture  a  some- 
what heavy  man.  On  the  return  his  horse  shied  ;  some 
said  at  the  angry  ghosts  of  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye  which 
barred  the  road.  Yoritomo  was  thrown  and  badly  in- 
jured, and  in  this  1199  A.D.,  February  7th,  he  died.  The 
next  twenty  years  under  Masako  were  lively  ones.  Kaji- 
wara  Kagetoki  was  as  garrulous  as  ever,  and  no  longer 
had  his  master's  sympathetic  ear  open  to  his  slanders. 
Habit,  however,  was  too  much  for  him.  Therefore  Wada, 
Miura,  Hatakeyama,  fell  upon  him.  Kajiwara  fled  to  Kai, 
but  he  and  his  three  sons  were  killed  in  short  order  and 
Suruga,  and  their  heads  figured  in  Kamakura  in  February, 
1200  A.D.  Yoritomo  had  an  illegitimate  son,  Koremune 
Tadahisa.  The  mother  had  to  flee  the  wrath  of  Masako, 
but  the  son  grew  up  in  his  father's  favour.  As  his  efforts 
were  confined  to  Kyushu  he  and  his  lived  and  prospered 
in  the  safety  of  that  distant  province.  Perhaps  he  took 
warning  from  the  ill-success  of  Tametomo.  Yoriiye  con- 
ducted things  badly  enough  for  the  rest.  A  series  of 
conspiracies  wiped  out  Yoriiye  the  son  and  Ichiman  the 
grandson,  put  out  of  the  way  by  Hojo  Tokimasa.  The 
latter  was  then  retired  at  the  peremptory  orders  of  Masako 
and  her  brother  Yoshitoki.  They  did  not  "  deal  out  death" 
to  their  now  aging  parent.  Sanetomo  the  last  of  Yori- 
tomo's  line  died  by  the  dagger  of  his  nephew  Kugyo,  son 
of  Yoriiye.  He  was  buried  with  all  the  honours  due  to 
the  last  Shogun  of  his  line,  and  his  murderer's  head  was 
exposed  as  that  of  a  criminalt — **  a  man  shall  not  live 
under  the  same  heaven  as  his  father's  slayer."  Now 
Kawano  Hokyo  Zenjo,  uncle  of  Yoriiye,  had  gone  the 
way  of  all  Yoritomo  flesh  in  a  revolt  in  Suruga  in  1203 


*  So  called,  I  am  informed,  by  the  country  people  at  its  mouth. 
The  upper  reaches  are  given  the  name  Sagamigawa. 

t  There  are  two  stories  as  to  the  disposition  of  Sanetomo's  head. 
-Mr.  Murdoch,  "  History  of  Japan  "  I.  p.  427  implies  that  it  was  in 
Kugyo's  possession.  Professor  Chamberlain  and  Mr.  Mason  (Murray's 
Japan-Kamakura)  say  that  it  was  never  found,  and  a  single  hair 
represented  its  interment. 


380  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

A.D,*  It  was  the  turn  of  his  son  Tokimoto  in  1219  A.D., 
and  Yoshitoki,  the  capable  son  of  Hojo  Tokimasa  and  now 
Shikken,  had  the  ineffable  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  last 
head  likely  to  set  up  a  hereditary  claim  in  Kamakura. 

*********** 

Once  more,  in  the  two  brothers  Yoritomo  and  Yoshi- 
tsune,  history  gives  us  an  instance  of  how  fatal  to  natural 
relations  is  the  struggle  when  an  object  of  real  material 
value  and  ambition  is  at  stake.  Whether  it  be  property 
or  a.  kingdom  its  reality  divides  those  whom  Nature  unites ; 
and  in  this  crab-like  fashion  the  world  makes  progress,  for 
the  more  violent  the  struggle  the  more  fit  is  the  survivor. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  the  ambition  and  suspicion  should 
be  mutual.  If  but  one  possesses  it  that  is  enough,  and  it 
is  well  shown  in  this  struggle  bstween  Yoritomo  and 
Yoshitsune.  The  cold,  callous,  suspicious,  nature  of  the 
former  is  shown  in  all  his  deeds.  He  compounded  with 
heaven  by  superstition,  and  a  lavish  expenditure  on  priests 
and  temples  which  the  country  could  ill  afford,  besides 
adding  to  a  power  of  the  monks  which  was  fast  becoming 
the  balancing  factor  in  internal  politics.  As  a  statesman 
Yoritomo  certainly  accomplished  his  object,  which  was  the 
elimination  of  the  Miyako  Court,  accustomed  to  play  one 
faction  of  the  hiike  against  the  other.  Henceforth  this 
was  for  the  hand  of  the  military  class.  If  there  was 
fighting  to  do,  they  did  it  on  their  own  account  and  reaped 
the  result.  The  Court  was  once  for  all  thoroughly  dis- 
credited. Formally  it  had  bsen  compelled  to  abdicate  the 
conduct  of  civil  as  well  as  military  affairs.  Government 
in  every  sense  of  the  word  passed  to  the  hitke.  If  a  kuge 
wished  to  figure  otherwise  than  as  a  dancing  master,  he  did 
it  in  the  role  of  hake  and  undertook  all  the  obligations  of 
the  soldier,  otherwise  he  was  a  figure-head.  This  was  all 
that  Yoritomo  did.  He  showed  the  feasibility  of  his  plan, 
and  how  to  put  it  into  effect.  He  can  be  given  great 
credit  for  forcing  men  into  line,  when  subseq[uent  history 
showed  that  more  than  three  hundred  years  were  neces- 
sary before  his  work  could  be  carried  out  with  the  materials 

*  Also  said  to  have  been  killed  in  1181  A.D. 


EPILOGUE.  381 

at  hand.  It  was  not  a  new  idea  in  constructive  states- 
manship, for  the  mirage  of  centralisation  had  hung  before 
the  eyes  of  Japanese  statesmen  for  centuries.  But 
Yoritomo  saw  that  as  understood  by  the  Court  it  was 
impossible  in  Japan.  He  built  well  and  solidly,  for 
the  spirit  of  his  institution  went  on  sinking  deeper 
and  deeper  into  men's  minds,  until  the  days  of  Toku- 
gawa  lyeyasu  rendered  its  accomplishment  easy.  We 
often  hear  the  terra  Bushido,  and  Japanese  writers 
enthusiastically  refer  it  to  this  period.  There  is  no 
text  to  which  Bushido  can  be  referred,  no  scripture  of  its 
precepts.  This  is  very  convenient  for  gentlemen  who  write 
about  it  in  the  twentieth  century.  They  can  and  do  label 
anything  found  in  a  "  Handbook  for  Ethics,"  and  shout 
exultantly — "  Lo  !  Bushido  !  "  The  real  Bushido 
wrote  itself  in  iron  facts  ;  and  the  absurdity  of  the  latter- 
day  interpretation  is  shown  in  the  wide  welter  of  most 
cruel  and  savage  civil  war  which  lasted  for  centuries. 
Yasuhira  in  some  accounts  is  accused  of  poniarding  his 
brother  Tadahira  and  of  sending  the  head  to  Kamakura. 
In  a  few  years  the  ethics  of  Bushido  (the  Knight's  Way) 
had  made  great  strides,  and  in  1221  A.D.  Miura  Yoshi- 
mura  not  only  betrayed  his  brother  Taneyoshi,  but 
himself  presented  the  head,  boxed  in  the  latest  fashion,  to 
the  regent  Hojo  Yoshitoki.  Loyal  to  one's  lord  to  the  last 
ditch — and  a  very  dirty  one. 

Of  Yoritomo's  soldiership  little  can  be  said  for  little  is 
displayed.  He  understood  the  value  of  thorough  prepara- 
tion and  overwhelming  force  ;  and  although  his  brother 
Noriyori  bitterly  complained  of  a  disorganised  commissariat, 
something  is  known  of  Noriyori' s  character  that  makes  it 
necessary  to  discount  the  complaints.  With  thirty  thous- 
and men  in  northern  Kyushu  it  is  suggestive  that  Taira 
Tomomori  did  not  dare  to  attack  him,  and  more  to  the 
point  is  the  fact  that  on  March  4th  1185  A.D.  Noriyori,  in 
the  face  of  Tomomori's  command  of  the  sea,  succeeded  in 
transferring  his  army  from  Nagato  to  Kyushu.  If 
Tomomori  could  have  attacked  him  with  the  support 
of  Kyushu  he  would  have  done  so,  for  Noriyori  was 
the   obstacle  to  the  further  retreat  of  the  Taira.    These, 


382  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

however,  had  been  driven  out  of  Kyushu  two  years 
before  by  the  hostile  barons  of  the  island,  who  probably 
had  little  favour  for  either  side.  Against  Yoshitsune  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  Yoritomo  would  have  fared  about  as  well 
as  those  Austrian,  Saxon,  Prussian,  and  Eussian  captains, 
who  went  to  Napoleon's  school  for  some  years  before  their 
great  numbers  made  any  impression .  Like  them  Yoritomo 
had  the  men  and  material,  but  it  was  a  question  of  meeting 
his  brother's  strategy.  Yoshitsune  understood  his  op- 
ponents thoroughly,  and  wasted  none  of  the  material  to 
his  hand.  He  made  Nature  fight  for  him.  His  heaviest 
battahons  were  on  the  spot  of  fighting.  His  scanty  band 
at  Yashima  was  multiplied  into  thousands  by  fire  and 
smoke,  and  the  appearance  of  his  vessels  the  next  day 
in  Shido  bay  meant  to  Usagi  no  Kami  Munemori  the 
van-guard  of  a  huge  fleet.  This  latter  fought  at  Dan- 
no-ura  because  he  was  trapped,  and  perhaps  the  Taira 
leaders  had  retired  him  in  the  military  sense  from  their 
councils.  Even  the  layman  can  see  what  a  brilliant 
conception  was  behind  Yoshitsune's  plan  of  campaign. 
He  can  understand  Ichi-no-tani  and  Dan-no-ura.  But 
the  boldness  and  certainty  with  which  Yoshitsune  laid 
his  hand  on  Yashima  and  Shikoku,  thus  driving  the 
Taira  into  the  trap,  is  to  this  day  a  cause  for  comment 
and  an  object  of  study  to  more  than  the  layman. 

When  we  pass  to  the  question  of  statesmanship  it  is  al- 
together another  matter.  Yoshitsune  was^twenty  five  years 
old  at  the  battle  of  Dan-no-ura.  His  whole  subsequent 
conduct  showed  his  age.  He  was  neither  Alexander  nor 
Napoleon.  He  idled  and  intrigued  for  Court  advancement, 
between  the  short  intervals  of  his  hard  campaigns.  To 
him  Shizuka  and  his  twenty  concubines  were  women ;  not 
pawns  in  the  game.  Both  the  great  western  captains 
had  the  same  weakness — and  made  it  useful  to  themselves. 
The  reasons  for  his  action  cannot  be  severely  criticised. 
His  brother  would  not  advance  him,  and  he  was  am- 
bitious for  court  rank.  He  plainly  had  no  part  or 
hand  in  Yoritomo's  deeper  projects.  What  was  he 
doing  between  1180  A.D.  when  he  first  met  Yoritomo 
at  the   Kisegawa,   and   1184  A.D.   when    he   marched 


EPILOGUE.  383 

against  Kiso  Yoshinaka?  _The  seeds  of  Yoritomo's 
dislike — and  that  of  Hojo,  Oye,  Kajiwara,  and  others 
devoted  to  Yoritomo's  interests — must  have  been  laid 
at  that  time.  They  never  barred  the  path  of  Noriyori. 
Yoshitsune  came  with  the  interest  of  Fujiwara  Hidehira 
behind  him,  and  that  was  no  recommendation*  in  Kama- 
kura.  His  life  in  Miyako  shows  him  as  one  of  a  number 
of  those  intriguing  for  Court  influence,  and  conspicuous 
through  his  abilities.  There  is  nothing  at  that  time  to 
show  that  he  had  any  designs  against  Yoritomo.  In  fact 
Yoshitsune  seems  impregnated  with  the  old  ideas — the 
Yoshitomo,  Yoshimasa,  attitude  to  an  old  worn-out  institu- 
tion. In  what  he  did  he  had  no  suspicion  that  he  was 
putting  obstacles  in  the  way  of  his  brother's  far-reaching 
plans.  But  the  very  prominence  he  gave  the  Court  in 
military  affairs  was  a  grievous  offense  to  the  man  who 
intended  to  strip  it  of  interference  even  in  civil  affairs. 
What  Yoshitsune  would  have  done  at  thirty  years  of  age 
is  not  worth  speculation.  His  stay  at  Hidehira 's  court  in 
the  role  of  a  fugitive  gives  no  hint.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
brilliant  originality  shown  in  his  military  leadership  we 
would  have  to  set  him  down  as  another  Yorimasa.  But 
he  was  far  more  than  that  dilettante  captain.  Yoshitsune 
is  a  forcible  illustration  of  how  the  iron  hand  of  custom 
in  Japanese  institutions  can  crush  and  keep  down  any 
expansion  of  genius  beyond  the  limits  therein  set. 

This  brings  us  to  a  reservation.  The  legend  of  the 
escape  to  Yezo,  and  the  conquest  of  China,  is  an  early  one. 
In  fathering  it  on  Yoshitsune  there  may  here  be  an  echo 
of  camp  discussion  in  days  both  of  fortune  and  gloom. 
Yoshitsune  was  the  soldier  in  arms.  In  the  luxury  of  the 
capital  he  lost  himself.  But  in  the  saddle  he  was  again 
the  military  genius.  If  Yoshitsune  had  replaced  Yoritomo 
at  Kamakura  the  very  nature  of  the  man  would  have 
thrown  him  on  the  continent.  A  centralised  Government, 
without  fighting,  was  impossible  to  such  a  military  leader 
of  men.     His  character  would  either  have  been  sapped, 

*  This  strong  link  between  the  Mntsu  Fujiwara  and  Yoshitsune 
certainly  carries  the  hint  of  something  more  than  mere  friendship  ; 
some  blood  bond  with  the  Fujiwara  of  Tokiwa-gozen  and  Miyako. 


384  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI 

like  that  of  his  rough  nephew  Yoriiye  ;  or  with  no  one  else 
to  fight  he  would  have  sought  other  lands.  Or,  the  wars 
of  the  Shogiinate  would  have  come  very  soon,  to  rouse  him 
to  farther  effort,  to  the  destruction  of  himself  or  his  enemies. 
It  was  only  the  efficiency  of  the  early  Bakufu  that  kept 
these  wars  off  for  nearly  a  century  after  Yoritomo's  death  ; 
and  that  date  is  fixed  with  much  reservation  as  to  the 
severe  fighting  which  did  go  on,  notably  in  the  expiring 
effort  of  the  court  to  reassert  itself  in  1220  A.D.  A  mili- 
tar}^  chief,  who  could  throw  these  wild  huslii  on  the 
neighbouring  lands,  might  have  been  even  of  more  lasting 
benefit  to  the  peace  of  the  land  than  the  iron  hand  and 
premature  statesmanship  of  Yoritomo.  Hideyoshi  thought 
so,  for  his  first  idea  was  to  perform  this  little  blood-letting 
on  the  huslii.  He  certainly  made  the  task  of  lyeyasu 
easier  by  so  doing.  It  was  possible.  No  one  in  the  Japan 
of  his  day  could  have  contested  the  military  supremacy  of 
Yoshitsune.  His  character  and  his  qualifications  show  us 
nothing  else.  To  this  can  be  added,  as  anti-climax,  that 
his  position  versus  Yoritomo,  as  son  of  a  concubine,  made 
the  replacement  of  the  latter  in  the  headship  of  the 
Minamoto  clan  practically  impossible  under  Japanese 
conditions  and  custom.  Yoshinaka  could  be  a  rival,  not 
Yoshitsune.  Unless  Japanese  history  is  to  be  read  in  a 
sense  entirely  different  from  the  usual  one,  Yoritomo  appears 
over-suspicious.  He  threw  away  a  most  valuable  instru- 
ment to  his  hand.  One  whose  originality,  directed  to 
farthering  his  own   plans,   might  have  had  tremendous 

influence    on    Japanese    development.      Or    else the 

Minamoto  House  Law  meant  nothing  within  the  clan. 
Yoritomo's  bloody  policy  was  for  the  good  of  no  one  but 
the  man  who  stood  behind  him,  Hojo  Tokimasa.  As 
soon  as  Yoritomo  was  out  of  the  way  the  Hojo  went  on 
to  complete  the  elimination.  Her  own  issue  removed, 
Masako  was  no  obstacle.  From  1180  to  1220  A.D.,  in 
Japanese  history  one  is  inclined  to  apply  the  maxim : — 
*•  whom  does  the  crime  profit  ?  " 

When  we  tarn  to  the  more  private  personal  characteris- 
tics, everything  is  in  Yoshitsune's  favour  in  a  comparison 
of  the  brothers.      Of  Yoritomo's   cold,   callous   brutality 


EPILOGUE.  385 

enough  has  been  said  ;  and  it  is  thoroughly  historical. 
The  energetic,  straight-forward  Yoshitsune  receives  the 
sympathy  of  Japanese  writers,  and  these  characteristics 
have  thrown  a  halo  of  romance  about  him.  This  is  the 
theme  of  the  many  Yoshitsune  Sen-Bon- Sakura,  recitatives 
chanted  or  recited  to  the  sound  of  hoto,  biiva,  or  samisen. 
He  is  the  hero  of  love,  adventure,  and  battle.  This 
view  has  so  thoroughly  saturated  the  Japanese  mind — 
greatly  to  its  credit — that  it  is  very  hard  to  get  at  the 
hero's  real  proportions.  The  thorough  familiarity  of  all 
these  deeds  to  all  classes,  from  the  itinerant  peddler  at 
the  street  fairs,  to  the  learned  doctor  who  feels  one's 
pulse,  or  the  Kangakusha  who  has  a  head  full  of 
thousands  of  Chinese  ideographs  and  their  attendant 
literature,  is  such  a  patent  indication  of  their  habits  of 
thought  in  this  twentieth  century  that  it  is  a  warning 
to  other  people  to  take  notice  and  try  and  under- 
stand them.  It  is  a  reason  for  writing  these  lengthy 
volumes.  The  Japanese,  a  practical  people  of  the 
twentieth  century,  in  their  way  just  as  loveable  as  Don 
Quixote — and  just  as  dangerous — literally  feed  on  th^ 
same  kind  of  literature  as  the  good  knight.  Indeed 
Amadis  de  Gaul  and  kindred  subjects  are  quite  tame  in 
comparison.  To  them  Yoshitsune  is  their  hero,  and  the 
foreign  critic  can  follow  them  so  far  as  to  say,  that  making 
allowance  for  the  customs  of  the  times,  few  have  shone  in 
the  personal  loveable  sense  so  much  as  Minamoto  Kuro 
Yoshitsune.  To  this  great  captain  we  have  attached  one  of 
those  subordinate  characters,  found  so  often  in  legend  that 
if  we  did  not  sometimes  meet  them  in  history  and  life — 
and  we  do — we  would  set  Benkei  down  to  myth.  This  has 
been  done ;  but  the  circumstantial  evidence  in  connection 
with  the  man  is  too  complete  and  too  continuous  to  brush 
him  entirely  off  into  fairy  land.  Without  drawing  the  line 
let  us  leave  him  where  he  stands — inseparably  connected, 
and  in  his  sphere  of  devotion  the  equal  of  his  lord.  It  his 
sterling  worth  which  sets  off  many  a  page  in  the  story  of 
these  gruesome  wars.  That  both  of  the  men  have  been  so 
strongly  touched  by  myth  speaks  volumes  for  their  chara- 
cter.   Myth  has  never  touched  and  idealized  Yoritomo. 


386  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Here  we  end  the  story  of  these  battles,  the  marchings 
and  counter-marchings  of  armed  men,  the  mining  and 
counter-mining  of  intrigue  in  courts  and  love.  Wretched 
for  all  has  been  the  outcome.  Worse  yet,  in  these  mun- 
dane affairs  it  was  the  outcome  that  alone  could  be  ex- 
pected. Everything  has  its  own  scale.  As  these  men 
fought  and  suffered  in  the  ranks  of  ambition,  so  others 
starved  and  suffered  in  the  ranks  of  the  peasantry.  So 
they  did  in  other  lands.  So  they  do  in  the  East  and 
West  of  this  twentieth  century,  as  they  did  in  the  East 
and  West  of  the  twelfth  century.  We  have  transferred 
the  battle  from  the  clash  of  steel  to  the  underhand  intrigues 
of  commercial  cabinets.  The  battlefield  is  no  longer  in 
the  open,  but  in  the  entanglements  of  modern  commercial 
codes  is  contested  more  desperately  than  ever.  It  is  the 
human  comedy,  ingrained  with  the  beast  in  man — the 
struggle  for  existence.  It  makes  men  turn  to-day  to  their 
inner  selves,  with  loathing,  not  for  the  sordid ness — there  is 
no  such  in  labour — but  for  the  unfairness,  the  unbrotherli- 
ness,  and  its  iron  necessity.  So,  long  ago  in  this  strange 
'East: 

'*  Then,  Ananda,  the  Queen  of  Glory  wiped  away  her 
**  tears,  and  addressed  the  Great  King  of  Glory,  and 
**  said  :  Pass  not  away,  O  King,  with  longing  in  thy 
"  heart.  Sad  is  the  death  of  him  who  longs,  un- 
'*  worthy  is  the  death  of  him  who  longs." 


Yokohama, 
I4th  February— 12th  June,  1910. 


B'iNIS. 


APPENDIX  A. 

MONGAKU  SHONm  AND  THE  STORY  OF 
KESA-GOZEN. 


Wandering  one  day  within  the  holy  and  unholy 
precincts  which  include  and  surround  the  great^  temple  of 
Kwannon  at  Asakusa  in  Tokyo,  I  passed  into  one  of  the 
shows  of  ningyo  (wood  or  clay  figures),  attracted  by  the 
somewhat  bizarre  specimens  exhibited  in  the  folder 
which  the  door-keeper  or  "  barker "  put  in  my  hand. 
The  collection  was  found  to  be  a  sort  of  Mrs.  Jarley's 
wax-works.  Samurai  in  lobster  like  armour,  nobles  in 
gaudy  petticoats,  ladies  in  dresses  which  outshone  all  the 
glory  of  Solomon,  stood  around  with  stereotyped  faces 
and  smiles  ;  and  if  I  had  known  more  about  the  characters 
represented  the  show  would  have  been  much  more 
interesting.  But  what  would  attract  the  eye  of  anyone 
was  a  startling  set  scene  at  the  end  of  the  room  or 
enclosure  which  was  half  garden,  half  shed.  This  was  on 
a  large  scale,  and  the  figures  were  life  size.  The  back- 
ground represented  a  cliff,  over  which  fell  a  tin  water-fall 
into  a  genuine  pool  of  water  which  harboured  gold  fish, 
tortoises,  a  few  ducks,  a  crane,  a  little  island,  a  bridge,  and 
a  stone  lantern  together  with  divers  stunted  and  dwarfed 
pines  and  maples.  Unless  by  force  of  contrast  none  of 
these  last  were  particularly  in  place  with  reference  to  the 
human  element  involved.  This  consisted  of  a  young  man, 
with  disordered  garments  and  a  wild  ghastly  face.  Here 
the;  maker  of  the  manikin  had  secured  an  undeniable 
success.  There  was  nothing  repulsive,  and  yet  moral 
offense  was  plainly  depicted  on  this  counterfeit  presentment, 
the  main  tone  of  which  was  remorse  mixed   with  deadly 


388  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

fear  caused  by  remoifce,  not  by  the  supernatural.  The 
on-looker  could  feel  assured  that  the  youth  was  not  in  terror 
of  the  o'hahe  (ghost)  which  hovered  near  by  on  the  cliff,  but 
in  terror  of  himself  and  his  own  thoughts.  The  keeper  of 
the  place  said  something  about  Endo  Morito  and  Kesa- 
gozen,  and  as  nothing  but  the  names  caught  my  ear  I 
passed  out  with  the  impression  of  having  seen  something 
choicely  horrible  in  the  palpable  case  of  conscience  por- 
trayed in  the  plaster.  Indeed  the  man's  face  is  clear  in 
memory  to-day,  although  it  was  nothing  but  a  doll  and 
nine  years  have  passed  since  that  time.  Later  I  learned 
more  about  Kesa-gozen.  The  story  is  admirably  told  by 
Hamada  Een  in  the  "■  Me  Enshu,"  and  I  propose  to 
follow  it  as  there  given,  straying  elsewhere  according  as 
other  isolated  details  fit  into  the  tale. 


We  have  seen  how  the  idle  huge  spent  their  days  in  the 
luxury  of  Miyako.  Arrayed  in  silks,  with  painted  faces 
and  dyed  teeth,  with  flute  and  biwa,  they  much  preferred 
to  pass  the  time  in  listening  to  the  songs  and  watching 
the  dances  of  their  mistresses,  visiting  with  them  different 
temples  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  to  see  the  flowers  and 
blossoms,  or  floating  idly  on  the  Yodo  river  to  gaze  at  the 
moon  reflected  on  the  water  or  in  their  ladies'  eyes.  All 
this  they  did  while  the  stern  business  of  government  was 
steadily  drifting  into  other  hands,  into  those  of  the  hard 
fighting  buke  who  were  settling  matters  with  each  other 
everywhere  outside  of  Miyako.  They  too  had  their  use 
for  the  moon  and  the  groves  of  pine  and  cryptomeria, 
but  mainly  as  aids  or  hindrances  in  the  business  of 
war.  Such  our  native  scribe  rightly  thinks  was  the 
condition  of  affairs   after  the   Heike  were   firml}'  seated 


MONGAKU    SHONIN   AND   KESA-GOZEN.  389^ 

in  power,  and  the  land  was  mis-ruled  from  Roku- 
bara.  It  is  not  so  easy  to  follow  him  when  he  tells 
us  that  Yoritomo  restored  the  military  tone  of  the 
hushi;  for  what  the  lord  of  Kamakura  effected  was  dis- 
cipline. The  spirit  of  fighting  was  in  lively  operation,  and 
the  men  who  did  spend  their  time  **  in  words,"  the  kiigSy 
continued  to  do  so,  much  to  their  own  loss.  However  he 
goes  into  raptures  over  the  drill-master,  from  whom  he 
dates  military  etiquette,  bravery,  frugality,  kindness,  loyalty, 
the  contract  between  retainer  and  lord  and  deadly  shame 
if  it  was  broken,  and  all  the  other  charming  qualifications 
of  Bushido  as  understood  then  and  handed  down  since, 
and  of  which  we  have  had  a  plentiful  sufficiency  of  the 
very  best  in  the  preceding  pages.  His  selection  of  examples 
— the  Soga  Jcyodai,  and  the  fierce  old  Miura  Yoshiakira 
who  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years  with  his  boots  on 
— is  much  more  fortunate  than  if  he  had  taken  Fujiwara 
Yasuhira  or  Miura  Yoshimura,  or  one  of  the  many  seekers 
after  the  flesh  pots  who  made  Nippon  a  shambles  from 
1300-1600  A.D.  However,  he  is  certainly  right  in  saying, 
that  not  to  men  only  was  the  spirit  of  brave  devotion  con- 
fined. Women  shared  in  it ;  and  forthwith  he  enters  into 
the  sad  story  of  the  life  of  the  Lady  Kesa. 

Her  name,  properly  speaking,  was  Koaza  Atoma.  Who 
her  father  was  is  not  known  ;  nor  with  much  particularity 
the  name  of  her  mother.  The  family  removed  from  the 
South  to  the  Koromogawa  in  Mutsu,  but  in  the  course  of 
time  the  mother  returned  to  her  birth-place  in  Settsu. 
They  were  rich,  lived  in  a  fine  mansion  with  beautiful 
gardens  and  flowers,  and  from  the  name  people  gave  it 
the  mother  took  her  name  of  Koromogawa.  Under  these 
conditions  the  Ojosan  (daughter  cf  the  house)  grew  up, 
beautiful,  circumspect  in  her  conduct,  skilled  in  every 
womanly  accomplishment.  ''  Her  eyebrows  were  as  if 
drawn  by  art ;  her  lips  as  if  touched  with  the  coral  paste, 
her  complexion  as  the  bloom  of  a  peach  ;  her  eyes  of  the 
soft  tone  and  brilliance  of  the  hibiscus ;  her  hair,  with  its 
metallic  sheen,  was  long  and  glossy ;  her  skin  counterfeited 
the  whiteness  of  snow  ;  every  quality  of  her  person  was 
excellent,  to  which  was  to  be  added  an  unfailing  amiability 


390  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

of  temperament."*  In  every  way  she  was  a  lovely  and 
loveable  girl.  On  which  the  comment  can  be  made  that 
East  and  West  do  not  differ  much  in  their  standard  of 
feminine  beauty.  "  She  was  one  of  those  women  who  can 
ruin  a  State  by  their  charms."  But  he  hastens  to  reassure 
us  by  telling  us  that  Kesa  was  not "  a  sword  of  destruction," 
a  wicked  woman,  but  a  model  of  goodness  and  gentleness, 
and  of  female  virtue.  "  Man  is  clever,  woman  is  beauti- 
ful. The  gay  dress  is  nothing  but  a  mask."  Thus  he 
moralizes,  partly  on  his  own  account,  partly  by  apt  quota- 
tion, on  the  fact  that  it  is  possible  for  a  woman  to  have  a 
beautiful  person  without  being  distorted  and  hideous  in 
mind. 

In  the  rear  of  the  mansion  Kesa  spent  the  greater  part 
of  her  life  up  to  her  fourteenth  year,  the  exception  being 
her  connection  as  lady  in  waiting  with  the  Shosaimon-in. 
There  were  many  suitors  for  the  girl,  who  was  rich,  and 
who  gave  every  promise  of  being  beautiful.  The  mother 
kept  careful  watch  over  her,  as  did  Kesa  over  herself.  To 
become  a  bad  or  infamous  woman  was  to  her  an  object  of 
horror.  The  rivalry  between  Hotoke-gozen  and  Giyo,  the 
sad  end  of  Ono-no-Komachi  who  had  drowned  herself, 
were  sad  warnings  to  women  of  the  superficial  happiness 
in  a  brilliant  life  which  courted  popularity.  '*  The  young 
turn  to  love  and  merriment.  A  wife  for  pleasure  can  be 
purchased  for  money,  and  man  becomes  a  sport  of  false 
hearted ness.  But  this  is  merely  a  cause  of  heaven's  wrath 
and  the  anger  of  men.  The  show  of  this  world  is  but  a 
passing  vision,  the  panorama  of  delusion.  True  love  and 
woman's  virtue  are  its  only  important  features." 

Of  the  Settsu  Genji  (Minamoto)  some  generations  before 

*  "  Seitai  no  mayu,  tankwa  no  knchibiru,  tori  no  kaobase,  fuyo  no 
manajiri,  midori  no  karai  nagaku  shite,  hadae  wa  yuki  wo  azamuki, 
hinkaku  takaku  shite,  aiky5  afuremn  to  su."  I  give  this  in  connection 
with  the  description  a  little  further  on.  Fayo  (^  ^)  =  hibiscus 
mutahUis  (Brinkley) :  manajiri  (B%)  =  the  external  canihus  of  the  eye 
(Brinkley).  There  is  here  some  simile  familiar  to  the  eastern  eye-  I 
give  it  a  meaning,  for  lack  of  better  comprehension.  Midori  (f,^)  means 
green,  a  colour  which  the  westerner  does  not  usually  apply  even  in 
metaphor  to  any  hair  but  that  of  a  mermaid.  Here  too  liberties  have 
been  taken.     After  all  "sheen"  sounds  like  "  green." 


MONGAKU    SHONIN  AND   KESA-GOZEN.  391 

there  had  been  a  certain  Watanahe-To,  descendant  ot 
Seiwa  Tennd  through  the  Prince  Sadaijin  Minamoto  Toru. 
This  Watanabe  rose  high  in  office,  but  charged  with  some 
offence  had  to  flee  to  Musashi.  Here  he  settled  at  Adachi- 
gori  in  Mita,  and  from  him  the  Mita  Genji  took  its  origin. 
One  of  these  removed  to  Watanabe  in  Settsu.  He  became 
a  takiguchi  (of  the  body-guard)  in  the  service  of  Shirakawa 
Tenno,  and  was  of  the  second  grade  of  the  fifth  court 
rank.  In  this  way  this  branch  of  the  family  became  coun- 
try gentlemen.  A  certain  Sono,  in  the  fourth  generation, 
takiguchi  of  Sutoku  Tenno,  had  a  son  Wataru.  Skilful 
with  the  bow  and  on  horseback  he  at  first  held  the  title  of 
musha-dokoro  (of  the  guard -room),  and  then  that  of 
sayemon-no-jo  (guard  of  the  Left  gate  of  the  palace).  He 
lived  in  the  neighbouring  district,  and  frequented  the 
house  of  Koromogawa.  Kesa  knew  and  liked  him. 
When  she  was  of  age,  and  they  were  married,  it  was  a 
genuine  love  match  with  deepest  affection  on  both  sides. 
They  were  '*  united  as  the  branches  of  a  tree,  or  as- 
Mandarin  ducks."  Vowed  to  each  other  in  this  and  the 
future  existence  the  union  had  thus  continued  for  three 
years.  Says  the  scribe  : — '*  fortune  and  misfortune  are 
like  a  twisted  rope.  A  tall  tree  stands  many  a  gale.  Kesa 
had  all  the  colour  and  fragrance  of  a  flower.  Her  life,  so 
beautiful,  was  trending  toward  misfortune  and  a  violent 
ending." 


§     2. 


It  was  the  month  of  April.  High  and  low,  old  and 
young,  the  people  swarmed,  their  eyes  on  the  cherry 
blossoms  and  their  hearts  to  Heaven,  for  in  Watanabe- 
Hashi  it  was  Kuyo  (offerings  to  the  dead).  The  people 
were  "as  the  tide  and  the  waves,  ebbing  and  flowing." 
Then  appeared  on  the  scene  Endo-Musha-  IMorito.     Morit5 


392  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENEI. 

Was  the  unfortunate  child  of  old  age.  His  father,  Endo- 
Sakon-Shogen-Shigeto,  found  himself  at  sixty  years  of  age 
without  a  child.  In  sorrow  he  and  his  wife  made  a  pil- 
grimage to  the  Hasedera  (near  Sakurai  in  Yamato)  to  pray 
to  Kwannori  Sama.  The  prayer  was  granted,  at  the  cost 
of  the  mother's  life,  and  the  old  man  held  his  infant  in  his 
arms  hardly  knowing  what  to  do  with  it.  All  he  could  do 
was  to  "  draw  long  breaths  in  grief  "  at  this  affliction  whicli 
substituted  one  puzzle  for  another.  Tamba  Hossho  no 
Gesu  Haruki  Jiro  Dozen*  was  really  the  one  who  brought 
up  the  boy.  At  thirteen  years  his  father  Shigeto  died. 
He  was  then  known  as  Endo  Saburo  Takiguchi  Tomitsu, 
but  after  his  gemhuJcu  he  took  the  name  of  Endo-Musha- 
Morito  He  too  was  in  service  with  the  Shosaimon-in, 
and  thus  came  in  contact  with  Kesa.  Morito  show^ed  his 
energetic  character  in  his  masterful  face.  He  had  great 
strength,  was  a  skilful  archer,  and  a  most  audacious 
fellow.  And  yet  this  warrior  youth  had  an  intensely 
emotional  side  which  was  his  weakness.  At  the  thought 
of  his  lonely  life,  without  father  or  mother,  he  often  gave 
way  to  tears.  Koromogawa  was  related  to  him  by 
marriage,  and  Kesa  was  his  cousin  (itoJco).  He  often 
sought  consolation  in  the  company  of  the  'older  woman 
and  her  little  girl. 

For  several  years  past,  however,  he  had  seen  nothing  of 
them.  His  duties  took  him  elsewhere,  until  accident 
again  established  him  at  Watanabe  in  Settsu.  He  was 
the  officer  of  the  day.  As  such  he  dressed  for  the  business 
of  his  duties,  putting  on  a  dark  blue  hitatare  robe,  f  a 
black  belly  band  Qiaramaki) ,  and  on  his  head  an  ori- 
ehoshi,  the  latter  being  the  most  ceremonial  thing  about 
him.  He  warned  his  men  to  look  sharp,  and  to  keep  the 
crowd  in  good  order.     This  was  as  easily  done  in  the 

■^  Tamba  no  Kuni  gives  no  difficulties.  Hossho?  Gesu  refers  to  a 
person  of  humble  condition.  The  rest  shows  that  he  had  entered  the 
priesthood.     I  take  the  whole  of  it  to  be  name  +  description. 

t  In  ancient  times  a  dress  worn  by  the  common  people:  in  later 
times  only  by  the  nobles.  Thus  Brinkley's  "  Dictionary "  defines 
hitatare  (not  shitatare).  The  twelfth  century  is  ancient  enough* 
Perhaps  there  is  an  anachronism  here,  for  Hamada  speaks  of  the 
samisen  as  used  by  the  Miyako  huge  of  this  and  earlier  date. 


MONGAKU    SHONIN    AND   ICESA   GOZEN.  893 

twelfth  as  in  the  twentieth  century.  The  festival  was 
oVer,  and  the  people  began  to  drift  to  their  homes.  Then 
Morito  noticed  a  lady  coming  down  from  a  gallery.  His 
gaze  was  fastened  by  her  startling  beauty  which  affects 
even  our  scribe  who  almost  drops  into  poetry  (English)  :— 
*■'  kumo  no  hintsura,  tsiiki  iio  mmju,  liana  no  kaobase, 
yuki  no  Jiadae";  which  being  interpreted  is  to  say, 
"hair  like  a  cloud,  eyebrows  like  the  moon  in  its  first 
quarter,  face  like  a  flower,  a  skin  like  snow."*  Morito 
stood  entranced.  The  lady  hastily  entered  a  koshi  (palan- 
quin) and  was  carried  off.  He  stood  thinking  what  a  joy 
it  would  be  to  possess  such  a  beautiful  creature.  Who 
was  she?  Where  did  she  live?  He  answered  these' 
questions  by  following  after  the  bearers,  his  horse  pawing 
the  ground  almost  as  impatient  as  his  rider.  They 
entered  the  mansion  of  Minamoto  Wataru,  and  Morito 
was  not  long  in  finding  out  that  the  beautiful  girl  was  his 
cousin  Kesa.  She  had  been  a  little  child  when  he  had 
last  seen  her,  boy  and  girl  together  in  the  palace  service. 
Now  she  had  developed  into  a  beautiful  woman  and  a 
wife.  Morito's  heart  overflowed  with  love  and  jealousy. 
He  was  not  one  to  stop  at  anything.  Although  himself 
only  seventeen  years  of  age  he  was  already  noted  as  a 
warrior.  *'  A  true  man  holds  steady  to  his  course.  Xove 
ruins  a  castle,"  sighs  our  scribe.  Morito  at  his  years  was 
not  likely  to  moralise.  Eather  in  this  twelfth  century 
Japan  he  would  seek  to  gain  his  end — somehow. 

Summer  passed  and  autumn  came.  He  could  no  longer 
stand  this  consuming  passion  with  its  long  nights  of  eating 
out  his  heart.  One  day  the  blood  of  Koromogawa  was 
turned  to  ice  by  seeing  him  enter  her  apartment  sword 
in  hand  and  with  a  countenance  of  such  ferocity  that  it 
was  not_difficult  to  guess  his  mission.  The  woman  saw 
Emma  0  in   person  belore  her  eyes.t     All  she  could  do 

*  It  is  not  in  quotation  marks  but  he  is  quoting  the  Gerapei  Seisuiki. 
In  describing  the  charms  of  the  Lady  Tamamushi,  she  of  Yashima 
battle  and  fan  fame,  it  says: — ^^  kumo  no  hintsura,  kasumi  no  mayu,  hana 
no  kaobase,  yuki  no  hadaeJ'  -fiTaszwii  (mist)  I  decidedly  prefer  to  tsuki 
(moon),  which  latter  I  have  twisted  into  its  first  quarter,  to  give  moon 
eyebrows  some  meaning  to  English  readers. 
.  t  God  of  Hell,  Judge  of  the  dead— (Yama). 


394  SAITO   MUSA.SHI-Bd   BENKEI.     , 

was  to  stammer  out  some  feeble  questions,  ''  What  was 
the  matter?  What  have  I  done  to  you  that  you  should 
come  to  me  in  such  guise  ?  Your  mother  being  dead,  and 
pitying  your  orphan  condition,  I  have  always  treated  you 
as  my  own  child.  Who  has  been  carrying  to  you  evil 
stories  about  me?"  Morito  paid  little  attention  to  her 
frightened  pleadings.  As  his  enemy  the  best  thing  was 
to  put  her  out  of  the  way.  He  grasped  his  weapon 
and  looked  very  fierce.  However  he  deigned  to  tell 
her  that  no  scandalous  tongue  spurred  him  on  to  the 
deed.  "  Often  have  I  asked  you  for  Kesa  as  my  wife. 
For  three  years  I  have  been  consuming  with  my  burning 
passion.  Love  has  been  to  me  as  a  sharp  sword.  Now  I 
see  her  again  as  the  wife  of  Wataru.  It  is  better  for  me 
to  die,  and  I  intend  to  take  you  along  as  company." 

Great  was  the  danger  of  Koromogawa ;  or  she  thought 
it  was.  One  mistaken  word  and  it  was  a  case  of — snip. 
With  life  thus  at  stake  her  wits  were  abnormally  sharpened. 
As  always,  the  first  thing  was  to  put  the  burden  on  some- 
one else  who  was  absent.  So  she  denied  that  she  ever 
gave  Kesa  to  anybody.  Wataru  was  strong  and  influential. 
"  He  threatened  me  with  misfortune.  I3ut  never  mind 
such  a  little  matter.  The  affair  will  not  last.  Keep  your 
sword  and  your  patience.  Dont  waste  its  sharpness  of 
temper,  or  your  own,  on  my  poor  carcass."  Thus  she 
warded  off  present  danger.  Morito  knew  a  thing  or  two 
in  this  Japanese  world.  "  You  get  her  formal  promise  for 
me  to-night,  or — we  take  the  journey  together."  With 
this  last  invitation  he  trampei  back  to  his  barracks  and 
brooding. 

Koromogawa  had  promised  much.  She  was  more  than 
doubtful  as  to  Kesa.  The  idea  of  the  affair  coming  to  the 
ears  of  Wataru  made  her  shiver,  but  this  she  could  dis- 
count. The  present  and  the  girl  were  the  immediate  rand 
pressing  features.  Thoroughly  frightened  and  confused 
her  gift  of  gab  came  in  all  the  readier.  Shikata  ga  nai,  it 
could  not  be  helped  as  far  as  the  matter  had  gone.  An 
idea  came  into  her  head.  Her  really  genuine  tears  wet 
the  paper  as  she  sat  down  and  wrote  to  Kesa  ;  and  she 
took  care  that  the  emotion  should  not  simmer  down  as  she 


MONGAXU  SHONIN   AND    KESA-GOZEN.  395 

watched  the  messenger  go  off  with  the  missive.  That  was 
not  a  difficult  task,  as  all  she  had  to  do  was  to  call  to 
mind  the  terrifying  appearance  of  Morito.  She  had  no 
desire  for  him  as  travelling  companion  on  the  long  and 
dark  journey  to  the  next  world. 

Kesa  received  the  sealed  letter.  Living  near  her  mother 
these  were  not  usual,  and  with  misgivings  she  opened  it. 
With  sorrow  she  read  the  contents.  The  older  woman 
skilfully  worked  up  her  isolated  situation.  She  was  not 
only  sad  and  lonely,  but  felt  unsafe.  This  made  her  fee] 
uneasy  and  without  support.  "  Please  come  to  me  without 
delay,  I  have  something  to  tell  you."  Kesa  was  a  dutiful 
daughter.  Her  palanquin  was  ordered  at  once,  and  with 
beating  heart  she  took  her  way  to  her  mother's  house. 
East  as  she  came  it  seemed  eternity  to  Koromogawa, 
already  spying  out  for  the  dreaded  figure  of  Morito.  This 
was  a  good  diuretic.  When  Kesa  entered  she  found  her 
mother  melted  into  a  puddle  of  tears.  When  she  asked 
what  was  the  matter  she  could  get  nothing  from  her  but 
sad  moans.  Then  Koromogawa,  looking  steadily  in  her 
face,  took  from  her  kyodai  (toilet  stand)  a  dagger.  Present- 
ing it  to  the  astonished  girl  she  begged  her  to  kill  her  at 
once.  To  increase  her  sorrow  would  not  be  filial,  and  life 
was  not  worth  living  to  her.  Hardly  able  to  catch  her 
breath  Kesa  seized  her  hand.  "  Are  you  mad?  Of  what 
are  you  afraid  that  you  look  so  horror  stricken  ?" — "  I  ought 
to  look  so,"  replied  Koromogawa.  "  Endo  Morito  was  here 
this  morning."  She  unfolded  the  tale  of  her  experience 
at  full  length  with  the  added  emphasis  of  many  variations 
of  terror.  "  I  am  old.  To-night  he  comes  for  his  answer, 
and  to  take  me  with  him.  This  world  is  fleeting.  Wataru 
has  been  kindness  itself,  and  I  am  only  too  glad  thus  to 
sacrifice  myself  to  child  and  son.  I  may  be  foolish  in  so 
doing.  Please  kill  me.  I  prefer  not  to  die  by  another  hand." 
The  tears  came  like  the  showers  of  splashing  rain  of 
Higan,  that  season  of  moist  devotion  (in  September).  Thus 
she  transferred  her  troubles  to  Kesa,  and  sat  back  to  see 
the  effect.  The  girl  was  angered  at  such  an  unfeeling 
world,  which  offered  so  much  misfortune  to  those  who 
dwelt  in  it.     Her  tears  blinded  her  as  she  thought  over  the 


396  .  .SAITO.  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI.     .  il 

anxieties  and  torments  of  life.  If  she  had  not  been  s  3 
absorbed  she  might  have  noticed  her  mother's  more  cal- 
culating demeanour.  Through  fire  and  water  she  would 
go  for  her  only  living  parent.  At  last  she  said : — "  Do  not 
be  anxious.  I  shall  answer  for  your  life."  Thus  she 
spoke  bravely,  thinking  of  the  vow  which  bound  herself 
and  Wataru  in  this  world  and  the  next.  She  shed  no 
more  tears,  having  reached  the  extremity  of  grief. 

"  Thus  came  night  and  storm  into  Kesa's  fortunes.  It 
was  mother  against  husband.  Her  chastity  was  the  stake. 
Two  hearts  to  them  meant  one  life."  Death  washer 
solution.  It  was  karma.  She  had  devoted  herself  to 
purity  of  life  and  person.  Should  she  violate  her  vow  ? 
The  two  women  sat,  their  faces  turned  to  the  evening 
light  of  the  sinking  sun.  Morito  was  soon  on  hand  for  his 
answer.  Kesa  received  him  as  would  have  done  some  light 
woman  of  the  day.  Together  they  babbled  the  veriest 
rubbish  of  court  fashion  and  scandal.  All  the  time  Kesa's 
one  idea  was  to  save  her  mother  from  this  half- mad  lover. 
Her  mind  was  made  up  all  the  more  since  she  saw  his 
earnest  passion.  *'  Morito  was  in  the  ninth  heaven  of 
Buddha's  paradise."  His  love  shone  in  his  face.  This 
only  made  Kesa  sorrow  the  more.  When  the  temple  bell 
rang  the  night  watch  Kesa  rose  to  say  farewell.  Morito 
urged  her  to  grant  him  a  place  of  meeting.  ''  I  do  not 
carry  three  feet  of  steel  for  nothing.  Name  any  place." 
Kesa  took  up  the  challenge.  With  a  smile  she  said  : — 
*'  I  have  been  married  three  years.  This  is  the  result  of 
some  ill  karma.  -  I  would  like  to  run  away,  but  I  feel  I 
cannot  leave  my  mother.  If  you  love  me  as  you  say  you 
do,  kill  Wataru.  Then  we  will  exchange  pillows,  and  live 
in  intimacy  for  a  hundred  years.  He  has  been  on  duty. 
Having  received  the  promise  of  promotion,  in  his  joy  he 
has  been  feasting.  He  is  very  drunk,  and  the  last  I  saw 
of  him  he  was  washing  his  hair.  Probably  now  he  is 
lying  down."  Her  looks  were  amorous,  her  strategem  a 
most  bitter  deceit.  Amiable  and  pleasing  outwardly,  her 
heart  was  shedding  tears.  To  preserve  her  chastity  she 
had  to  go  to  ihe  extreme.  Morito  was  thoroughly  deceiv- 
isd.     A  handsome  fellow  he  thousfht  that  Kesa  was  as 


MONGAKU    SHONI-N   AND   KES^-GOZEN.  .397 

many  another  woman,  "a  gem  in  his  hand."  With 
Y/oman's  wit  Kesa  read  his  thoughts.  Her  game  was 
secure.  He  believed  her.  As  he  went  homeward  great 
joy  was  in  his  face.  He  brandished  and  tested  the  edge 
of  his  sword.  This  was  to  open  for  him  the  path  to  his 
lady's  favour. 


3. 


Kesa's  main  difficulty  was  to  deceive  and  so  to  save  her 
husband.  How  to  get  him  out  of  the  road,  and  thus 
secure  the  price  of  her  virtue,  his  safety.  This  was  in  her 
thoughts  as  the  bearers  of  the  hoshi  quickly  trotted  home- 
ward. On  her  arrival  she  saw  a  light  in  the  inner  room. 
A  smiling  soldierly  face  came  forward  to  greet  her.  Saye- 
mon-no-Jo  Minamoto  Wataru  deserved  her  affection. 
Kesa  lightly  powdered  her  face,  dressed  herself  more 
elaborately,  and  seating  herself  beside  her  husband 
had  a  feast  set  out  in  honour  of  his  expected  promotion 
at  the  Court.  She  lovingly  attended  on  all  his  wants.  It 
was  a  love  feast,  and  in  this  last  interchange  of  mutual 
affection  Kesa  saw  to  it  that  he  drained  the  cups  she 
continued  to  fill.  Wataru  got  decidedly  tipsy,  and  had 
the  one  powerful  idea,  to  sleep.  Having  thus  disposed 
of  him  Kesa  gave  a  last  look  at  her  husband's  face. 
Their  ceremonial  supper  was  over.  She  now  was  to 
prepare  for  her  last  sleep.  First  she  sat  down  with  paper 
and  fude.  She  wrote  with  clearness  of  mind  and  anguish 
of  heart.  Her  thought,  her  life,  her  vow,  her  intentions, 
were  plainly  set  forth.  Then  she  sealed  and  placed  the 
letter  in  a  little  lacquer  box  and  addressed  it  to  her 
mother.  She  went  to  the  furoha  (bath-room)  to  prepare 
the  final  touches.  Former  days  came  to  her  mind,  and 
with  them  tears  to  her  eyes.  With  an  effort  she  sought 
and  found  control.  Without  hesitation  she  cut  off  her 
long  hair  and  washed  her  head.     ''  A  fleeting  world  of 


398  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

dreams,  from  light  we  pass  to  darkness."  Mechanically 
the  girl  repeated  in  earnest  what  the  hypocritical  mother 
had  said  earlier  in  the  day.  Then  she  dressed  her  hair 
as  a  man,  put  an  eboshi  by  her  pillow,  and  laid  down  to 
wait  for  Morito  and  death.  His  delay  oppressed  and 
made  her  anxious.  Storm  and  rain  beat  outside.  She 
knew  that  the  dead  leaves  were  being  whirled  along  by 
the  cold  wind.  It  was  a  horrible  night  for  her  long 
journey  to  the  Eiver  of  Souls  {Sai  no  Kawara).  At 
midnight  Morito  came.  He  found  the  door  unfastened. 
Entering  he  groped  his  way  in  the  dark  to  the  little  door 
at  the  side  of  the  entrance,  in  which  Wataru  bestowed 
himself  after  his  feasts — so  Kesa  had  told  him.  Pushing 
the  sJioji  he  stole  within.  He  fumbled  with  his  hand, 
seeking  his  object.  "  Wet  hair  !  My  enemy  and  her's  !  " 
The  sharp  sword  fell.  A  moment  later  he  fled  the  house  ; 
as  did  the  spirit  of  the  murdered  girl.  She  was  only 
seventeen  years  old,  brave  and  loyal. 

Morito  carried  off  the  head  in  his  ample  sleeve.  He 
rode  back  thinking  of  what  a  detestable  fellow  he  had  rid 
the  world  that  night.  Then  he  went  to  sleep  with  his 
future  pleasure  in  mind.  In  the  morning  his  servant 
brought  him  wondrous  news.  Wataru's  wife  had  been 
killed  in  the  night,  and  the  head  was  missing.  Wataru 
writhed  and  wept.  Everyone  regretted  the  dead  woman, 
and  a  memorial  service  of  great  splendour  would  certainly 
be  held.  Morito  heard  him  with  growing  anguish  of 
mind.  It  seemed  a  century  before  he  could  get  rid  of  the 
fellow  and  solve  his  terrible  doubt.  He  hastened  to  take 
the  head  from  its  wrapping.  Kesa's  face,  smiling  in  its 
last  joyful  thought  of  sacrifice,  confronted  him.  It  seemed 
to  ask  for  pity  in  its  very  peacefulness.  Morito  for  a  long 
time  remained  in  bitter  contemplation.  Then  he  sank  to 
the  floor,  covered  his  face  with  his  sleeves,  and  wept. 
Three  years  passion  had  ended  in  a  night's  dream. 
Kesa's  faith  and  virtue  came  to  mind.  "  My  conceit  has 
deceived  and  destroyed  me.  Wataru  shall  wreak  on  me  his 
vengeance."  The  bravery  and  self-sacrifice  of  the  dead 
e;irl  filled  him  with  admiration.  He  only  waited  for  night 
to  come. 


MONGAKU    SHONIN  AHD   KESA-GOZEN.  399 

'  Wataru   was   overwhelmed    with  grief.     Koromogawa 
was  an  inundation  of  regretful  tears.     Summoned  at  once 
she  had  soon  found  the  pitiful  letter  in  the  lacquer  box. 
Its  contents  were  not  long.     Many  had  been  destroyed 
by   misery   and    bad   conduct.     As   yet   misfortune    had 
never  reached  her.     It  was  her  mother  or  herself  whose 
life  was  jeopardized.     Her  mother's  sorrow  pained  her. 
Perhaps  all  this  was  the  result  of  some  karma.     ''  I  am 
sorry   to   die   before   my   parent.     Please  remember   me 
in   prayer.     In   paradise   I   shall   welcome    mother   and 
husband.      I   would    write   more   and   better,   but   tears 
blind   me   and   my    brush   goes   astray.     Now    I   go  to 
tread   the   dark   road."     Even  in  her  grief  the  woman 
could  not  forget  her  selfishness.     *'  Sickness  is  sad.      Old 
age  is  lonely.     With  Kesa  I  could  face  fire  and  water. 
Now   I   shall   grow  old  alone.     I    too  would  tread  the 
same  road,  but  do  not  know  the  way.     Gloomy,  humble, 
sorrowful,  and  timid,  thus  I  remain  " — the  old  hypocrite  ! 
At  night  Morito  entered  Wataru's  house.     He  found 
him  weeping  beside  the  headless  corpse  of  Kesa.     Said 
Morito  : — **  I  have  heard  of  your  affliction.     You  think  an 
enemy  has  done  this  thing.     Would  you  like  to  see  the 
head  ?     Here  it  is."     In  surprise  Wataru  looked  upon  the 
blood-stained  features  of  his  beloved.     He  made  not  the 
slightest   movement   to   take  it,    or  to   draw  his   sword. 
With  hands  clasped  he  gazed  on  the  beloved  features. 
Morito  slowly  drew  his  sword  and  placed  it  before  Wataru. 
"  It  was  I.     In  the  dark  night  of  lust   I  lost  all   sense 
of  chastity.     Then  I  threatened  the  mother  with  death. 
The  devotion  of  the  daughter  has  saved  us  all.     Take  my 
life.     A  proper   vengeance   and  punishment  it  is  a  poor 
offering  to  balance  my  crime."     Then  kneeling   he  stuck 
out   his   head  and   closed  his  eyes,  awaiting  the    certain 
blow.     But   Wataru   pushed   the   weapon  and    his  own 
aside.     "  I  am  not  angry.     I  have  my  own  sword,  but  it 
is  to  no  good  purpose  now  to  kill  you.     My  only  wish 

henceforth  is  to  pray  for  the  dead,  to  rejoin  her  in  another 

existence.     Disturb  me  not  with   thoughts  of  vengeance. 

Get  you  hence  in  safety." 

Wataru  assumed  at  once  his  posthumous  nau:ie.     To 


400  vSAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Amida  Butsu,  and  devoted  himself  to  a  religious  life. 
Perfect  devotion  and  entrance  into  the  paradise  of  Amida 
were  his  only  objects ;  once  more  to  meet  with  Kesa. 
Koromogawa  and  thirty  other  persons  put  on  the  black 
robe.  She,  as  the  mother  for  whom  the  daughter  died  ; 
the  others  in  admiration  of  such  devotion.  The  miserable 
woman,  the  mother,  went  to  the  Tennoji  to  exhaust  her- 
self with  prayers,  and  efforts  on  her  part  to  reach  paradise. 
A  year  later  she  died. 

Morito  took  the  name  of  Sei  Amida  Butsu.  Thus  he 
became  a  monk  at  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  devoted 
himself  at  first  to  prayers  for  Kesa,  and  to  erecting  for  her 
a  suitable  grave.  For  three  years  he  prayed  the  Buddha, 
and  underwent  unheard  of  austerities.  For  weeks  in 
winter  he  remained  under  the  icy  waters  of  the  Nachi  fall, 
trying  to  exorcise  the  fearful  vision  of  the  headless  Kesa 
which  pursued  him.  Thus  he  made  the  pilgrimage  of 
many  shrines — -to  Hachijo,  Kumano,  Kimbu,  Katsuragi, 
It  was  a  dead  and  blasted  tree  that  gave  him  the  idea  of 
restoring  the  ancient  establishment  of  Takaosan  in  Yama- 
shiro,  on  the  hills  just  north-west  of  Kyoto.  The  priest, 
so  earnest  for  the  Shingoji,  is  Endo  Morito  in  his  black 
robes,  then  known  as  Mongaku  Shonin.  In  this  quest, 
and  his  stirring  of  the  troubled  political  waters,  he  made 
himself  a  nuisance.  In  the  Hoshoji  the  Hoo,  Go-Shira- 
kawa,  was  holding  high  revel  with  flute,  biwa,  and  koto — 
for  ladies  were  by  no  means  excluded  from  the  feast.  To 
turn  a  temple  to  such  uses  was  by  no  means  to  the  taste 
of  Mongaku  Shonin,  whose  religion  was  of  earnest  and 
stern  cast.  It  was  the  third  year  of  Shoan  (1174  A.D.) 
when  he  made  his  irruption  on  the  scene  of  merriment. 
Stern  were  his  words.  The  Hoo  was  in  a  great  rage,  and 
Morito  landed  in  Izu  and  banishment.  Here  he  found 
the  man  of  his  heart.  For  him  Yoritomo  repaired  the 
Shingoji  and  the  Toji.  His  influence  with  the  great  Sho- 
gun,  his  saving  (for  the  time  being)  Rokudai  son  of  Taira 
Koremori,  his  attempt  to  substitute  Morisada  Shinno  for 
his  frivolous  brother  Go-Toba  Tenno,  have  been  touched 
upon.  His  final  life  in  exile  was  various.  Banished  to 
Sado  (1200  A.D.)  he  was  later  removed  to  Tsushima,  and 


MONGAKU   SHONIN   AND   KESA-GOZEN.  401 

finally  died  in  Hiuga  (Kyushu).  So  the  story  goes, 
although  the  place  where  he  actually  did  die  is  much  in 
doubt. 

Hamada  tells  us  that  in  Kiigori  (now  in  Kyoto)  Yama- 
shiro,  about  fifteen  or  sixteen  ken  (ninety-six  feet)  from 
the  Tobakaido,  is  a  place  called  Renchoji.  It  is  a  lonely 
spot,  and  the  koidzuka  is  the  loneliest  part  of  it.  Thus 
Mongaku,  from  the  distant  Takao,  could  still  see  the 
resting  place  of  his  beloved.  At  Toba  there  are  two 
koidzuka  (he  says).  In  ancient  times,  the  tradition  runs, 
there  was  dug  here  a  big  pond  which  was  kept  full  of 
carp.  Hence  the  mounds  and  their  name  (koi  meaning 
carp  ;  tsuka^  mound).  Some  undesirable  or  uncanny  event 
in  connection  with  the  fish  set  the  villagers  against  them, 
and  all  were  killed.  Then  one  mound  took  the  name  of 
Toba  Danjo  Eenchoji.  The  tomb  of  Minamoto  Wataru's 
wife  was  marked  in  the  same  way,  and  legend  pointed  to 
one  of  the  mounds  as  being  her  resting  place.  In  the 
days  of  the  Tokugawa,  Settsu  Takatsuki  Joshu  Nagai 
Hiuga  no  Kami  Naokiyo  gave  the  ground  known  as 
Nagaoka  (Long  Hill).  *'At  the  time  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  building  were  found  on  the  koidzuka.  The  great 
lord  made  inquiry  into  Mongaku's  original  design  for  a 
tomb.  He  was  much  interested  in  the  story  of  Kesa*s 
filial  piety,  and  he  wished  to  transmit  the  unhappy  story  to 
posterity  by  some  substantial  memorial.  Hayashi  Kasen 
wrote  the  Toba  Rencho-seki-shi  in  the  17th  year  of  Kwan- 
ei  (1640  A.D.).  On  the  25th  December,  1648  a  monument 
was  erected,  but  knowledge  of  the  site  was  lost.  Much 
is  it  to  be  regretted  that  tears  are  not  shed  on  the  right 
spot  for  the  comfort  of  the  sad  and  solitary  beauty.  The 
place  is  lonely  and  but  little  visited.  Thus  I  end  the  tale 
of  the  unfortunate  Lady  Kesa." 

So  also  should  the  present  writer,  if  it  were  not  for  one 
Hvely  incident  in  the  lives  of  two  of  our  heroes.  There  is 
no  denying  the  earnestness  of  Mongaku  Shonin's  zeal. 
He  proved  it  by  the  hardships  of  his  own  person.  Perhaps 
for  this  reason  he  took  a  dislike  to  the  sybaritic  Saigyo 
Hoshi,  poet,  crack  archer,  confirmed  tramp,  and  whom  we 
left  on  his   way  to  safer  ground  than  Mount  Shiramine. 


402  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEl. 

For  none  of  the  qualities  of  this  ecclesiastical  "  Weary 
Willie"  did  Mongaku  Shonin  have  the  least  sympathy. 
Said  he  : — "  If  I  get  hold  of  him  I  shall  break  his  head." 
For  the  answer  of  the  militant  pedestrian  let  us  turn  to 
the  "  Dictionnaire "  of  the  Keverend  Doctor  Papinot. 
"  Hearing  this  Saigyo  turned  his  steps  to  Takaosan,  and 
presented  himself  before  Mongaku.  This  latter  seemed 
very  v^ell  satisfied  with  the  interview,  and  when  one  of  his 
disciples  marvelled  thereat,  Mongaku  said  to  him  :  '  You 
doubtless  have  not  seen  Saigyo :  if  we  had  fought,  assured- 
ly it  is  not  I  who  would  have  been  the  victor.'  " 


THE  POLITICS  OF  YORITOMO. 

From  the  Nihongi  and  Kojiki  it  is  not  difficult  to  get 
some  idea  of  the  relation  between  the  Government  of  the 
ruling  chieftain  and  the  country  at  large.  In  the  early 
conquests  there  was  submission  by  hostile  tribes.  These 
either  retained  their  chiefs  at  their  head,  or  cadet  members 
of  the  ruling  family  and  subject  nobles  were  substituted 
for  them.  Taxation,  here  in  the  form  of  tribute,  slowly 
changes  as  the  Central  Government  grows  in  power. 
That  is,  this  latter  takes  a  larger  part  in  saying  who  shall 
have  the  actual  direction  of  the  local  government.  But  at 
its  extreme,  in  the  reigns  from  Kotoku  to  Shirakawa 
(645-1129  A.D.)  it  is  doubtful  if  the  local  chiefs  outside 
of  the  Go-Kinai  or  home  provinces  were  ever  entirely 
subordinated.  Before  Kotoku  they  certainly  were  not. 
The  Soga  are  merely  startling  instances,  of  which  other 
indications  are  Matori  and  the  constant  rebellions  which 
necessitate  the  Tenno  directing  his  forces  on  Kyushu  and 
Izumo.  The  North  is  in  a  chronic  state  of  war  with  the 
Yemishi,  and  the  lord  of  the  land  does  not  here  pretend 
to  disarm  the  warring  elements.  In  the  later  period  there 
is  no  change  in  this  respect.  The  Tenno  is  constantly 
suppressing  these  more  removed  unruly  barons,  and 
Shirakawa  was  certainly  no  more  fortunate  than  any 
other.  Taira  Masamori  had  to  suppress  Minamoto 
Yoshichika,  whose  father  and  grand-father  had  in  their 
turn  done  much  of  the  same  work  in  the  North.  We 
will  soon  have  a  picture  of  the  daily  life  of  this  time. 
Meanwhile  the  idea  is  to  dispose  of  the  idea  of  a  nation  of 
toiling  serfs  marshalled  and  registered,  of  a  brilliant  court 
in  which  the  Tenno  calls  his  nobles  before  him  in  the 
great  hall  of  the  palace  and  makes  them  gamble. 

The  establishment  of  a  capital  begins  to  be  accented 
with  Keidai  (507-531   A.D.).     It  is  at  the  basis  of  the 


404  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

movement  of  centralisation  in  645  A.D.  Its  permanent 
establishment  by  Kwammu  (793  A.D.)  determined  for  a 
long  time  the  predominance  of  Miyako  over  the  country 
at  large.  Eule  was  conducted,  at  least  nominally,  by 
governors  and  officials  appointed  from  Miyako.  The  local 
government  v^as  left  just  where  it  always  had  been — with 
the  Kuni  no  Miyakko  (Nihongi  II  207).  Keally  there  is 
little  change  except  that  great  nobles  of  the  Soga  class 
have  some  control  exercised  over  them,  and  instead  of 
living  on  fiefs  are  paid  salaries  by  fiefs.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  real  distinction  here,  in  so  far  as  Miyako  says  what 
the  fiefs  shall  be,  and  thus  takes  this  necessary  step 
toward  a  feudalism.  This  is  the  system  established  by 
the  Taiho  code  (Taiho-rei).  The  seeds  of  destruction 
therein  are  evident.  The  salaried  fiefs  soon  become  here- 
ditary. Moreover,  in  thus  getting  some  control  over  the 
great  lords  of  the  land,  in  centralising  the  family  interests 
in  Miyako,  the  Central  Government  was  preparing  the 
ground  for  rival  interests.  Over  the  Go-Kinai  (home 
provinces)  it  long  maintained  a  fairly  good  control.  Out- 
side of  them  two  things  happened.  Either  the  attractions 
of  Miyako  secured  the  permanent  residence  of  the  nominal 
governor  ;  or,  if  he  remained  in  the  outlying  province,  he 
built  up  a  fief  for  himself  as  best  he  could.  Conquest 
from  the  Yemishi  soon  came  to  an  end.  There  then 
remained  two  ways  of  aggrandisement  to  an  ambitious 
local  chief  and  office-holder  :  by  securing  grants  of  koden 
(public  land),  which  thus  by  the  privilege  of  his  posi- 
tion were  converted  into  sho-en  (untaxed  land),  or  by 
robbing  his  neighbours.  All  that  Miyako  could  do 
was  to  direct  one  chief  against  another,  to  the  advantage 
of  the  winner.  The  kuge  of  course  did  not  suffer  as 
long  as  they  were  the  ones  to  play  this  game.  But  as 
soon  as  the  JFujiwara  allowed  their  swords  to  rust  in  the 
scabbards,  and  sought  nothing  but  court  appointments 
and  to  idle  in  the  capital,  then  the  development  of  the 
country  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  local  magnates. 
The  system  did  not  change.  The  nobles  went  on  fighting 
each  other.  The  tax  products  were  (more  or  less)  duly 
forwarded   to  the    capital    from    the    outlying    districts. 


THE   POLITICS    OF   YORITOMO.  405 

They  grew  beautifully  less  as  sho-en  increased.  The 
actual  direction  of  these  districts  passed  to  the  hands  of 
soldiers.  For  long  the  manors  of  the  Imge  were  respected. 
The  cream  of  these  lay  in  the  Go-Kinai,  where  the  Court 
exercised  real  control.  "When  the  tiixie  came  to  sweep 
over  this  faineant  Government  of  the  capital  these  too 
were  thrown  into  the  lottery,  and  only  as  the  huge  figured 
as  hulie  could  they  hope  to  share  in  the  good  or  evil  of  the 
times.  At  this  point  I  can  best  take  up  the  excellent 
exposition  of  Doctor  Ariga  and  try  to  give  its  general 
lines  in  a  few  pages.* 

He  points  out  that  to  interpret  the  events  of  Hogen  and 
Heiji  as  a  change  from  the  civil  to  the  mihtary  govern- 
ment is  not  exact.  The  movement  had  long  been  in 
operation  in  the  growing  wealth  and  power  of  the  local 
magnates.  The  capital,  which  at  one  time  overshadowed 
the  whole  country,  lost  its  control  and  hence  its  prestige. 
The  general  growth  was  a  natural  one  and  was  not  due  to 
the  introduced  Chinese  institutions.  Two  elements  thus 
faced  each  other.  "  The  nobles  in  Miyako  who  knew 
nothing  of  fighting,  and  the  local  country  magnates  who 
understood  nothing  else."  Instances  of  this  are  the  wars 
in  the  North.  Weapons  thus  became  of  prime  importance 
to  the  warrior  class,  and  thus  was  begun  the  apotheosis  of 
the  sword,  of  which  the  tieasures  of  the  Heike  and  the 
Genji  are  an  example.  To  illustrate  this  state  of  affairs : 
Taira  no  Eyobun  and  Minamoto  Yen  had  one  of  the 
feuds  normal  to  the  times. t  The  discord  between  them 
was  constant,  and  to  make  life  more  pleasant  Yen  laid  the 
matter  before  Eyobun,  and  challenged  him  to  fight  it  out 
in  due  form  and  once  for  all.  The  offer  was  at  once 
accepted.  With  their  retainers — small  armies  of  "  several 
hundred  "  to  a  side^ — they  duly  met  and  camped  about  a 
hundred  yards  apart,  setting  up  their  shields  for  protection, 
as  the  custom  then  was.      A  curious  touch  is  given  by  the 

*  His  discussion  of  this  period  is  found  in  Vol.  II  of  his  Dai-Nihon- 
Bekishi,  pp.  1-108.  The  references  to  his  pages  are  indicated.  It 
would  not  be  fair  to  him  to  attribute  further  responsibility  for  state- 
ment or  opinion  than  as  thus  marked. 

t  Ariga — Dai-Nihon-Kekishi  II  pp.  9-11.  (all  references  are  to 
Vol.  II). 


406  ,  SAITO   MDSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

exchange  of  messengers  from  camp  to  camp,  the  idea 
being  that  with  due  gravity  and  aplomb  these  should 
return  amid  the  hail  of  arrows  sent  after  them  by  the 
enemy.  Yen,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  more  positive 
kind  of  man,  suggested  single  combat  between  himself 
and  Eyobun.  The  latter  accepted,  and  they  rode  forth  to 
pelt  each  other  with  feathered  shafts.  For  a  long  hour 
by  the  clepsydra  (water  clock)  they  fought,  and  neither 
having  obtained  any  advantage  or  scratches  Ryobun 
pointed  out  that  little  was  to  be  gained  by  further 
exertions.  He  seemed  a  willing,  sensible,  sort  of  man. 
The  glory  was  all  garnered  in  ;  and  the  strife  ended  in  a 
love  feast.  This  was  the  life  of  the  country  gentleman — a 
sort  of  county  hunt  from  time  to  time,  with  his  neighbour 
as  fox.  It  is  nothing  astonishing  therefore  to  find  Yori- 
tomo  descending  in  force  on  Taira  Kanetaka,  his  neighbour 
and  even  mohudai  (vice-governor)  of  the  province,  and 
who  should  have  been  ready  for  him,  if  anyone  was. 
That  there  was  a  sense  of  good  faith  in  the  business  is 
shown  by  the  treatment  accorded  a  robber  by  Kazusa- 
no-Suke  Minamoto  Yorinobu.*  The  man  had  entered 
the  house  of  Fujiwara  Chikataka,  and  when  detected  and 
threatened  by  the  retainers  had  seized  a  little  child  as 
shield  and  hostage.  Yorinobu,  who  had  been  summoned, 
offered  the  man  his  life  if  he  would  not  injure  the  child. 
When  the  intruder  surrendered  the  retainers  would  at 
once  have  put  him  to  death.  Yorinobu  forbade  them  to 
injure  him,  and  gave  the  man  a  sword,  bow,  horse,  and  a 
good  start. 

To  attribute,  however,  only  to  this  period  respect  for 
faith  and  honour,  to  cut  out  all  preceding  generations 
of  personal  differences,  seems  a  little  severe.  Even  among 
savages  the  fighting  man  must  have  his  code  of  honour. 
But  this  faith  and  honour  of  feudal  Japan  seems  to  be 
strictly  confined  to  the  relation  between  the  soldier  and 
commander.  It  is  not  an  ethical  code.  Ethics  (applied 
morals)  has  a  wider  and  deeper  basis  than  mere  utilitari- 
anism.    The  relation  between  lord  and  retainer,  as  laid 

*  Loc.  cit.  p.  4. 


THE   POLITICS    OF   YORITOMO.  407 

down  in  Bashido,  is  a  plain  utilitarian  rule  to  secure  dis- 
cipline. To  go  beyond  this,  and  to  keep  faith  with  an  enemy 
was  no  part  of  the  code  at  all.  The  most  wholesale  and 
hideous  effect  is  seen  in  harakiri  on  defeat.  The  universal 
prevalence  of  this  custom  speaks  volumes.  A  specific  case 
is  that  of  Satake  Yoshimasa.  He  surrenders  to  the  silvery 
tongue  of  Taira  Hirotsune,  and  when  Yoritomo  finds  that 
the  father  refuses  to  come  into  camp,  he  promptly  cuts  the 
throat  of  the  son.  This  is  one  incident  out  of  many. 
Some  modification  also  is  to  be  made  to  the  statement  that 
the  Court  even  held  an  iron  control  over  the  more  remote 
country  districts.  Especially  is  this  necessary  at  this 
period  as  to  the  North.  Here  the  wars  were  constant,  and 
they  put  in  practice  much  the  same  principle  as  that  laid 
down  for  Yoritomo  by  Oye  Hiromoto.  "  In  the  affairs  of 
the  military  the  Court  has  no  right  to  interfere."  One 
cannot  read  the  old  records  without  being  struck  by  this. 
In  Miyako  all  is  light  and  grace  and  Heian.  Outside  of 
it  the  Central  Land  of  Keed  Plains  is  uproarious,  it  is.  It 
is  all  very  well  to  give  a  dog  a  bad  name,  call  a  lively 
local  magnate  on  land  or  water  a  "pirate"  or  "free- 
booter." In  the  Japan  of  this  period  (645-1180  A.D.) 
this  does  not  necessarily  imply  that  he  is  any  exception 
to  his  neighbours.  He  is  unpopular  with  the  Miyako 
Government ;  that  is  all. 

"  The  period  gave  rise  to  two  terms,  henin  (family  man 
or  retainer)  and  roto  (party  man).*  Slaves  thus  became 
free  followers,  and  lived  in  their  lord's  mansion.  Servants, 
public  and  private,  were  raised  to  roto  grade,  and  when 
their  services  were  notable  they  became  Jcenin.  The  lives 
of  retainers  belonging  to  both  of  these  classes  were  at  the 
mercy  of  their  lord."  The  inducement  to  an  establish- 
ment of  this  kind  was  the  demand  created  for  fencing  men. 
These  formed  a  guard  in  time  of  peace,  and  soldiers  in 
time  of  war.  Here  too  one  is  inclined  to  enter  a  modi- 
fied dissent.t     Slavery  certainly  does   not  appear   in  the 

*  Loc.  cit.  p  5. 

t  The  expression  used  is  : — mukashi  wa  shujin  no  tame  ni  haibai  serarete. 
Sono  mi  no  jiya  wo  ezarishi  kenin  mo  itten  shite  jiyu  no  jushin  to  nari." 
Loc.  cit.  p  5.    Baibai  is  the  staggering  terra.    The  Japanese  were  tied 


40B  SAITO  MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

records  as  such  a  universal  institution.  The  serfdom 
of  Japan  has  its  peculiarities.  Its  basis  lay  in  taxa- 
tion. The  slave  is  not  taxed  ;  he  is  used,  as  an  instru- 
ment. Taxation  may  take  from  a  people  everything 
but  the  bare  necessities  of  living.  If  the  necessity 
arises  the  slave  can  be  deprived  even  of  that.  His 
owner  can  use  up  his  power  at  a  faster  or  slower  rate 
according  as  he  thinks  it  to  his  own  advantage.  There  was 
little  of  that  in  Japan.  As  far  as  their  taxation  was 
concerned,  if  its  payment  was  not  jeopardised  there 
seemed  no  reason  why  the  village  authorities  should  keep 
too  severe  an  eye  on  superfluous  mouths.  There  was  a 
great  rush  to  new  land,  and  much  movement  among  the 
people.  It  was  not  a  man's  movement  within  his  district 
that  was  hampered  and  controlled.  It  was  movement  out 
of  his  district.  For  this  purpose  barriers  were  early  erected 
all  over  the  country.  There  was  a  time  when  these  were 
very  necessary  and  useless  for  the  Go-Kinai  provinces,  to 
keep  its  people  from  being  tempted  to  the  shoen  offered  on 
such  favourable  terms  by  the  holders.  Later,  when  every 
man's  hand  was  against  his  neighbour's,  they  were 
military  or  police  measures.  This  was  conspicuously 
the  case  during  the  Tokugawa  period  in  which  every 
effort  was  made  to  maintain  the  status  quo.  Never 
were  a  people  so  marshalled  and  drilled  in  their  re- 
spective spheres  as  the  Japanese.  But  it  was  the  drill 
of  the  soldier.  The  Japanese  was  a  national  in  a  very 
small  district,  occupations  were  hereditary,  but  there  was 
no  slave  market,  no  ergastulum,  and  as  long  as  there 
was  allowed  a  competition  of  land  holders  he  could  run 
away.  But  wherever  he  was,  there  he  was  the  serf  of  his 
own  institutions.  These,  more  than  men,  were  his  bonds. 
Unfortunately  for  the  Miyako  Government  his  movement 
was  to  the  shoen  or  untaxed  land  of  the  nobles,  not  to  the 
hoden  or  public  land.  The  necessities  and  extravagances 
of  the  Court  were  constantly  increasing  the  shoen. 
Shirakawa    Tenno    lived    long,    and   was   a   magnificent 

hand  and  foot  by  their  institutions.  If  the  nation  was  a  mass  of  slaves, 
then  the  NoFth  could  have  only  been  peopled  by  runaways.  The 
records  hardly  seem  to  justify  such  a  view. 


THE   POLITICS   OF  YOKITOMO.  409 

sinner  in  this  respect.  Of  course  every  such  donation  was 
a  slice  out  of  the  revenue,  present  and  future.  Worse  yet 
it  involved  a  further  complication.  As  the  land  thus 
passed  into  the  hands  of  great  families,  the  nominal 
administration  of  the  country  v^as  confronted  v^ith  the 
House  Laws  of  these  great  families.  Doctor  Ariga  gives 
an  instance.  As  a  good  Buddhist  a  law  had  been  pro- 
mulgated by  Shirakawa  against  the  killing  of  animals. 
One  Kato  Narishige  hawked  a  bird,  and  was  caught  in 
the  act.  Brought  before  the  kehiisJii  for  punishment  he 
said : — "  my  master,  Taira  Tadamori,  requires  that  the 
Princess  Gion  (the  mother  of  Kiyomori :  Shirakawa's 
gift  to  Tadamori)  be  served  every  day  with  a  fresh  bird. 
If  I  fail  to  obey  his  order,  as  subject  to  the  House  Law  of 
the  Taira  I  will  lose  my  head.  My  offence  is  great. 
Banishment  or  imprisonment  is  severe.  But  neither  is  so 
severe  as  the  penalty  I  would  otherwise  have  to  pay. 
Therefore  I  violate  the  Tenno's  command."  Shirakawa 
ordered  him  to  be  set  free.  He  was  as  helpless  as 
Narishige  as  to  making  any.  change  in  the  Taira  House 
Law.* 

"  Money  makes  the  mare  go."  Keniii  and  roto 
required  wealth  to  keep  them  going.  Hence  "  there  was 
•  a  continual  struggle  to  enlarge  fiefs  ",  and  the  weakest 
suffered — under  the  Japanese  system,  often  extinction. 
They  did  not  make  prisoners  in  these  little  wars,  which 
were  a  kind  of  head-hunting.  But  the  more  prolific  made 
up  for  losses  on  the  battlefield.  Families  of  course  grew 
and  branched,  and  took  their  name  from  their  place  of 
settlement.  "  Myoji,  or  the  place  name,  was  added  to 
the  clan  and  personal  name.  Brothers  thus  acquired 
different  myojiy  An  example  is  Yoshikane,  the  son  of 
Yoshiiye,  who  by  residence  takes  the  name  of  ISIitta. 
He  robs  the  Sato  in  Ashikaga,  and  a  son  takes  that  name. 
Hemmi  and  Takeda  of  Kai  thus  spring  from  a  son  of 
Yoshimitsu,  brother  of  Hachiman  Taro  Yoshnye.  This 
man's  eldest  son  established  himself  in  Hitachi,  and  his 
descendants  took  the  name  of  Satake  from  their  residence. 
^*  This  was  the  principle  followed  by  all  the  great  families. 

*  Loc.  cit.  p.  5. 


410  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Conspiciously  by  the  Minamoto,  the  Taira,  and  the  Fuji- 
wara.*  The  poKtical  connection  between  the  three  was 
established  on  a  not  very  strictly  kept  line.  The  Fujiwara 
turned  to  the  Minamoto  as  their  professional  bruisers. 
The  Tenno  (Hoo  or  Joko)  balanced  this  by  turning  to  the 
Taira  as  his  more  favoured  professionals.  In  Miyako  the 
two  families  thus  stood  as  rivals  in  their  line  of  work. 
Outside  of  it  lines  were  much  less  strictly  drawn.  The 
relation  of  henm  had  gi-eat  power,  and  accounts  for 
anomalies  in  family  relationships  to  the  war.  It  is  not 
hard  to  see  that  this  is  a  full-fledged  feudal  system.  It 
only  needs  one  great  over-shadowing  feudal  lord  to  give 
the  outlines  of  the  system  sharp  definition. 

Hogen  and  Heiji  greatly  accelerated  this  comprehension 
of  a  centralised  feudal  bureaucracy.  It  was  only  a  question 
of  who  would  get  the  idea  first.  It  cannot  be  said  that 
from  the  Court  point  of  view  there  was  ever  any  change. 
Even  in  rags  the  huge  looked  down  with  contempt  on  the 
hushi.  The  Court  was  marshalled  as  follows.  There 
were  three  great  Court  officers  at  the  head — the  JcwampaJcUj 
the  sessho,  aud  the  dajo-daijin.  Next  to  these  stood  the 
three  Ministers  of  State — -the  Sadaijin,  the  Udaijin,  the 
Naidaijin.  Add  to  these  the  Sangi  (privy  councillors) 
and  there  is  obtained  the  class  name  of  KugyoA  The 
holders  of  these  offices  were  all  of  the  third  Court  rank  or 
above.  The  third  to  fifth  rank  formed  the  Taifu  (great 
advisers  or  instructors) .  Collectively  the  holders  of  these 
upper  grades  were  known  as  Den-j6-bito  from  their  right 
of  entrance  to  the  Court. f  The  holders  of  the  sixth  rank 
and  below  were  called  Ghika-bito  (underground  men).f 
With  these  the  only  relation  of  the  Den-jo-bito  was  to 
give  orders.  Now  how  inevitable  was  what  followed  can 
be  accentuated  even  more  than  is  done  by  Doctor  Ariga. 
/'These  offices  became  hereditary,  and  it  made  little 
difference  whether  or  not  the  occupant  was  competent  to 
conduct  the  business  of  the  office."  An  official  caste  thus 
sprang  up,  entirely  apart  from  the  office  ;  a  caste  confined 
to  the  Fujiwara  family,  for  but  one  other — -the  Kuga — was 

*  Loc.  cit.  pp.  5,  6. 
t  Loc.  cit  p  37. 


THE   POLITICS    OF   YOEITOMO.  411 

allowed  to  reach  the  Im  grade.  The  Ariwara,  Ki,  Oye, 
Kiyowara,  and  a  few  others  were  admitted  to  the  ranks  of 
the  Sangi*  The  utter  hopelessness,  therefore,  of  reaching 
these  higher  posts  was  confronted  by  the  occupation  to 
some  extent  of  those  of  the  lower  grade  by  nobles  of  the 
huke  class  ;  mediatised  princes  or  their  family  connections. 
The  two  classes  were  united  in  the  business  of  administra- 
tion, and  were  forcibly  kept  apart  by  a  bureaucratic  caste 
fiction.  In  this  particular  application  of  respect  for  birth 
(they  regard  it  in  every  other  way  as  highly  as  any  people 
ever  have  done)  the  Japanese  are  peculiar.  A  man  of  a 
family  supposed  to  descend  from  an  ancestor  who  accom- 
panied Prince  Ninigi  from  Heaven  (the  general  run  of 
Fujiwara)  thus  could  look  down  on  the  actual  lineal 
descendant  of  Tenno  so  close  to  hand  as  Kwammu, 
Seiwa,  and  Uda.  Of  course  the  Japanese  refused  to 
recognize  what  was  a  fact ;  that  the  Fujiwara  were  the 
reigning  family  ;  for  the  stock  was  large,  the  branches 
were  many,  and  only  a  few  of  them  could  maintain  this 
intimate  relation  to  the  throne,  the  one  which  successfully 
for  the  time  cut  off  the  others  from  grasping  it.  The  few 
Taifii  men  of  the  military  class,  who  had  reached  this 
grade  only  by  long  service  or  some  notable  deed,  had  no 
sympathy  with  the  system  except  to  get  rid  of  their 
bureaucratic  rivals.  If  this  was  the  case  with  what  we 
can  call  the  mediatised  princes  (Minamoto  and  Taira,  who 
had  stepped  from  princely  rank  into  that  of  subject  t),  it 
was  more  so  with  the  mere  soldier. 

The  military  men  were  not  going  to  remain  satisfied 
with  such  a  position,  in  which  Sama  no  Kami  and 
Sayemon  no  Jo — captain  of  the  horse  guard  and  captain 
of  the  Gate — were  the  limits  of  permissible  ambition  ; 
that  is  to  those  of  the  sixth  rank  lower  grade.  Only 
the  favouritism  of  Shirakawa  secured  to  Taira  Tada- 
mori  the  right  of  entrance  to  the  Court.  The  courtiers 
looked  £0  well  on  this  that  they  plotted  to  assassinate 
him.      At    the    Sechiya    festival   Tadamori  put    at    his 

*  Loc.  cit  p  38. 

t  After  long  centuries  of  disuse  the  practice  was  recently  revived  by 
a  cadet  member  of  the  reigning  house. 


412  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

girdle  a  wooden  sword.  The  hint  was  enough  and 
he  went  unharmed.  With  the  strife  between  the 
Court  factions,  and  the  turning  to  military  men  as 
implements  of  war,  *'  differences  between  huge  and  huke 
began  to  be  bridged."  Nobuyori's  movement,  we  are  told, 
gave  this  impetus  ;  and  Kiyomori  as  sayigi  (he  got  this 
office  in  September  1.160  A.D.,  together  with  the  first  grade 
of  the  third  court  rank)  completed  this  entry  of  the  military 
man  into  the  highest  court  rank  and  its  consequent 
control  of  the  civil  administration.  His  influence  became 
complete.  In  September  1165  A.D.  he  became  Gon- 
Dainagon  with  lower  grade  of  the  second  court  rank.  On 
24th  February  1167  A.D.  he  was  made  Naidaijin  and 
Dajo-daijin  at  a  bound,  and  given  the  second  grade  of  the 
first  class.  This  was  the  highest  rank  that  could  be 
reached  by  one  not  of  the  royal  blood.  He  wore  a  sword 
at  Court,  and  entered  the  palace  gate  in  a  carriage.  This 
was  merely  the  signal  for  his  "retirement"  in  May, 
with  Harima,  Hizen,  and  Higo  as  fiefs  to  furnish  pocket 
money.  These  court  ranks  merely  accentuate  how  Kiyo- 
mori played  with  and  used  them  for  his  own  purposes. 
He  governed  by  his  soldiers.  At  Nijo's  funeral  the  monks 
of  Hieisan  and  Nara  came  to  blows.  Kiyomori,  on  the 
outs  with  Go-Shirakawa,  took  it  as  a  plot  against  himself. 
He  surrounded  himself  with  his  hiislii,  and  when  Go- 
Shirakawa  came  to  exculpate  himself,  Kiyomori  refused  to 
see  hitn.  ''  Said  Fujiwara  Seiko  : — '  Heaven  will  punish 
Kiyomori's  arrogance  '  "  ;*  and  Heaven  was  all  the  huge 
had  to  rely  on,  unless  the  Minamoto  interest  could  raise 
its  head.  Kiyomori's  luxury  has  been  touched  upon.  It 
was  put  in  substantial  form  as  the  "  Yoraogi-do  "  (named 
from  the  expensive  wood  of  which  it  was  built),  and 
Fukuhara  was  his  costly  villa.  "  He  had  three  hundred 
boys  as  spies.  These  wore  a  peculiar  dress  and  shaved 
their  heads.  They  carried  (instead  of  using  a  password) 
a  plum  branch,  with  a  bird  on  it  and  a  flag  with  a  red 
spot.  Thus  they  could  enter  his  gate  at  will,  and  many 
were  punished  through  their  idle  tales."!     Motofasa  and 

*  Loc.  cit.  p.  39  (or  Saiko).  t  Loc.  cit.  p.  40. 


THE    POLITICS    OE   YOEITOMO.  413 

his  son  Moroiye  held  in  turn  the  responsible  ofGice  of 
hwampaku,  but  it  was  Kiyomori  who  at  will  invested  with 
and  divested  of  court  rank.  After  Shigemori's  death, 
when  the  Hoo  confiscated  his  once  fief  of  Echigo, 
Shizuyoshi  had  to  go  and  explain  matters  to  the  angry 
Kiyomori.  This  he  did  so  well  that  there  was  a  general 
distribution  of  Kiyomori's  favours,  in  the  shape  of  exile. 
Moronaga  went  to  Izu,  and  Go-Shirakawa  to  jail.  This 
was  the  political  situation  that  Yoritomo  had  to  face. 
The  men  who  were  behind  his  movement  were  the  kenin 
of  the  Kwanto  ;  hereditary  followers  of  his  family.  Thus 
the  action  of  the  Taira  of  the  Kwanto  can  be  understood. 
The  more  so  as  the  strife  was  to  be  the  North  against  the 
South  ;  country  against  city.  It  is  notable  how  far  the 
term  kenin  extended,  when  it  is  made  to  apply  to  Yasu- 
hira.     There  never  was  a  better  illustration  of  feudalism. 

"  When  Chiba  Tsunetane  was  summoned  by  Adachi 
Morinaga  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  Yoritomo,  he  told 
the  latter  that  Awa  was  no  place  for  Yoritomo  to  establish 
himself.  It  had  no  connection  with  his  ancestors.  On 
the  contrary  Kamakura  had  such  connection.  In  Novem- 
ber 1160  A.D.  Yoritomo  established  himself  at  Okura 
hamlet."*  This  was  the  origin  of  the  great  feudal  city  of 
Kamakura.  Here  the  holy  man  built  many  temples, 
both  as  ornament  and  to  emphasize  his  piety,  for  he  was 
firmly  convinced  that  the  fall  of  the  Taira  had  been  due 
to  their  impiety. t  *'  When  Yasusada  came  to  Kamakura 
in  August  1183  A.D.  as  the  messenger  of  Go-Shirakawa 
and  to  announce  the  retreat  of  the  Taira,  Yoritomo  re- 
fused to  come  to  Miyako.  He  did  not  wish  to  embarrass 
Yoshinaka."  In  no  spirit  of  doing  so  he  recommended  ;1 
1.  that  the  temple  lands,  expropriated  by  the  Taira,  should 
be  restored  to  the  proper  owners  ;  2.  that  fiefs  confiscated 
by  the  Taira  should  be  restored  to  their  owners  ;  3.  that 
those  of  the  Taira  who  submitted  should  go  unharmed. 
"  Thus  he  who  had  the  reputation  of  defeating  the  Taira 
[at  the  Fujikawa  ?],  himself  onse  charged  with  offense, 
interceded  for  the  beaten  enemy.    Number  2,  in  the  above 

*  Log.  cit.  p.  91.         t  Log.  cit.  pp.  91-92.        %  Loc.  cit.  pp.  92-93. 


414  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

list,  would  be  very  pleasing  to  Yoshinaka  and  Yukiiye. 
The  fiefs  were  about  all  they  had  obtained  (as  yet) 
in  return  for  the  very  hard  blows  dealt  in  Shinano, 
Echigo  and  Echizen.  Yoritomo  was  basking  in  a  full 
grade  of  higher  court  rank  (fourth  lower)  for  having  mo- 
bilised the  Kwanto  and  thrashed  Cousin  Satake.  He  had 
the  Kwanto  and  Tokaido  in  his  grasp,  the  more  securely 
through  the  efforts  of  the  twain  on  which  he  looked  with 
such  unfriendly  eyes.  When  Yoshinaka  was  disposed  of, 
the  Hoo's  decrees  as  to  the  Tokaido  and  Tosando  fiefs 
could  be  carried  out.  Yoritomo  was  made  a  committee  of 
one  to  carry  out  the  distribution  of  these  Taira  fiefs  to  the 
lawful  owners.     Thereby  he  lost  no  credit  or  adherents. 

Early  in  December  1180  A.D.  Yoritomo  returned  to 
Kamakura  from  the  smiting  of  Satake,  on  both  cheeks. 
*'  As  far  back  as  the  retreat  from  Ishibashiyama,  Wada 
Yoshimori  asked  for  the  headship  of  a  department  which 
was  to  be  organized  to  control  the  samurai :  viz,  the 
samiirai-doJcoro."*  Yoritomo  grasped  the  suggestion  and 
guaranteed  him  the  appointment.  This  war  department 
was  in  running  order  sooner  than  Kamakura  itself.  It 
had  complete  control  of  all  the  bushi,  appointed  and  dis- 
missed the  officers  of  the  army,  and  directed  the  com- 
missariat and  other  military  matters.  In  1184  A.D.  the 
Kumon-jo  was  established.  (In  1191  A.D.  its  name  was 
changed  to  Matsuri-doJcoro) .  This  office  was  for  the  ad- 
ministration business  of  the  Government.  Oye  Hiromoto 
was  at  its  head,  with  Nakahara  Chikayoshi  and  others  as 
councillors.  Last  of  all  the  Moncliu-jo  or  department  of 
justice  was  established  with  Miyoshi  Yasunobu  as  its  head. 
All  these  names  were  famous  in  the  history  of  the  Japan 
of  Yoritomo  and  the  first  Hojo  regents  (Tokimasa  and 
Yoshitoki).  Miyoshi  not  only  was  related  to  Yoritomo, 
but  had  a  most  profound  knowledge  of  the  law.  The 
offices  of  these  men  of^  course  became  hereditary.  The 
Nagai__and  Mori  (from  Oye)  clung  to  the  Matsuri-dokoro. 
The   Oba  and  Machino    (Yasunobu)  became  the  "  Tite 

*  Loc.  cit.  pp  93-94.  The  date  for  the  change  of  name  of  the 
Kumon-jo  (to  Matsuri  dokoro)  is  here  given  as  the  second  year  of 
Kenkyu,  1191  A.D.  (Ariga,  p  94.) 


THE   POLITICS   OF   YQEITOMO.  415 

Barnacles  "  of  the  Monchu-jb.  The  Settsu  and  Otomo 
(Chikayoshi)  had  to  satisfy  themselves  with  a  tight  grip  on 
Kyushu.  There  were  few^r  candidates  for  the  learned 
pursuits,  but  fighting  was  well  undertood  by  all  the  bushi. 
*'  These  families  carried  on  the  Kamakura  Government  " 
says  Doctor  Ariga,  and  the  records  uphold  him. 

The  question  of  how  to  deal  with  Yoshitsune  and 
Yukiiye  now  faced  Yoritomo.  Oye  Hiromoto  was  the  man 
to  solve  the  problem  ;*  Hojo  Tokimasa  was  the  man  to 
carry  it  out.  If  Yoritomo  had  no  control  over  the 
provinces,  an  uprising  in  favour  of  either  fugitive — or  on 
any  other  question — required  the  movement  of  an  army 
from  the  Kwanto.  All  the  levies,  therefore,  must  be  put 
under  the  command  of  the  authorities  in  Kamakura.  A 
sJiugo  or  warden!  would  represent  Kamakura  in  each 
province,  a  jito  or  inspector  in  each  fief  or  district.  This 
latter  we  are  told  (Ariga)  was  the  name  given  by  the 
Taira  to  the  tax  collector  on  their  estates. I  Hojo  Toki- 
masa took  this  "  modest  proposal "  to  Miyako.  Fuji- 
wara  Tsunefusa  was  Yoritomo's  man  to  present  it  to  the 
Hoo.  The  Go-Kinai,  San-in-do,  San-yo-do,  Nankaido, 
and  Kyushu  were  to  be  the  ones  to  shoulder  the  expense 
in  the  shape  of  a  tax  of  five  slid  (one  peck)  of  rice  on  each 
house.  This  was  fair  enough.  The  Kwanto  would 
furnish  the  experience,  and  these  other  provinces  would 
furnish  the  money.  The  Hoo  objected  but  was  over-ruled 
by  the  frightened  Court.  The  request  was  granted.  Thus 
the  whole  military  establishment  of  the  country  passed 
under  the  House  Law  of  the  Minamoto.  This  was  not 
one  of  the  mildest.  Yoritomo  was  named  So- Jito  (Head 
Inspector)||.  A  vast  number  of  appointments  to  these  new 
offices  then  came  into  his  hand.  His  influence  in  the 
practical  sense  thus  was  paramount.  "  The  military 
men      were      now    in    full    control    of      civil      affairs. 

*  Ariga-loc.  cit-  p  97. 

t  The  excellent  definition  of  Brinkley's  "  Dictionary."  It  goes  on 
to  say  that  these  developed  into  the  daimyo.  The  five  8hd  of  rice  men- 
tioned below  would  be  a  liberal  allowance  for  five  people  during  two 
days.    As  to  this  tax,  cf.  Ariga  p  97  :  shugo  and  jit5,  pp  98,  99. 

X  Loc.  cit.  p  99. 

II  Loc.  cit.  p.  97.    As  to  Kiyomori  p  98. 


416  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Kiyomori  had  thus  been  in  control,  but  acting  under  his 
court  office.  Yoritomo  took  possession  of  the  Government 
without  reference  to  any  court  office."  The  difference 
was  tremendous,  and  the  learned  historian  properly  gives 
it  great  emphasis.  The  huge  as  such  were  permanently 
retired  from  the  administration  of  the  country.  Their 
offices,  fine-sounding  titles,  etiquette,  these  were  not  touched. 
The  new  Executive  (which  included  Legislative  and 
Judiciary — as  it  does  now  to  a  great  extent)  took  the 
actual  direction  of  affairs  under  new  titles.  Naturally, 
however,  without  the  revenues  and  without  influence  on 
legislation  the  gorgeous  robes  of  the  huge  became  much 
worn  and  very  shabby. 

The  original  system  under  the  code  of  Taiho  had  been 
badly  dislocated.  Originally  the  lords  received  salaries 
from  farms.  In  the  days  of  the  Fujiwara  and  in  the 
Taira  administration  the  country  "  was  mainly  distributed 
as  fiefs.  There  was  some  hoden  under  official  control, 
but  this  control  was  nominal.  As  the  huke  rose  to 
power,  it  was  only  as  the  noble  was  a  hiihe  that  he 
had  any  direction.  The  local  governors  stayed  in  Miyako. 
Deputies  performed  their  duties."  These  deputies  could 
do  nothing  with  a  fief  under  the  control  of  the  local  lords. 
The  result  was  that  "  thieves,  riot,  and  disorder  were 
everywhere  the  rule."  Yoritomo's  shugo  were  needed  for 
other  purposes  than  to  catch  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye. 
They  were  also  commissioned  to  organise  the  ohan.  This 
has  already  been  touched  on.  Obanyaku  (;^  §  ^,  a 
nuisance  and  cause  of  impoverishment,  was  relieved  of  its 
worst  features,  expense  and  uncertainty.  The  jito,  from 
being  a  private  officer  took  the  place  of  the  old  gu7iryd  ;* 
with  this  difference,  that  having  the  Kamakura  bushi  and 
the  Minamoto  House  behind  him  there  were  taxes  to 
collect.  Thus  the  shugo  administered  justice,  and  the  jito 
administered  the  local  district.  Both  worked  in  harmony, 
as  retainers  of  Kamakura-dono.  The  latter's  influence 
was  now  at  its  height ;  that  of  the  Miyako  Government 
sank  rapidly.     The  exceptions  were  the  temples.     "  These 

*  SK  ®«    Ariga — loc.  cit.  p»  99. 


THE    POLITICS    OF   YORITOMO.  417 

were  tax  free  and  sacred.  No  officer  of  the  Bakufu  could 
on  any  pretext  enter  their  precincts."  Thus  the  holy  man 
made  things  easy  for  himself,  the  munificent  giver,  and 
difficult  for  his  successors  to  whom  the  monks  owed 
nothing.  Yoritomo  himself  did  not  live  long  enough  to 
feel  the  sharp  tooth  of  ingratitude.  Besides,  the  Japanese 
cleric  had  no  such  weapon  in  his  armoury  as  that  of 
western  Scholasticism — "  You  return  that  which  already 
belonged  to  God." 

In  January  1186  A.D.,  while  Hojo  Tokimasa  was  still 
in  Miyako  to  properly  impress  his  views  on  the  Hoo, 
Yoritomo  secured  the  appointment  of  Fujiwara  Kanezane 
as  Nairan  (vice-regent),*  who,  with  ten  councillors  {gisd)y 
was  to  advise  in  all  administrative  affairs  of  the  Court. 
As  nothing  could  done  without  the  approval  and  consent  of 
these,  they  became  the  real  rulers.  A  vigorous  sifting  was 
made  of  all  interests  friendly  to  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye, 
and  many  nobles  were  deprived  of  their  court  rank  and 
office.  This  little  purification  effected,  the  Nairan  soon 
disappeared.  This  Kanezane  was  a  man  most  learned  in 
law  and  precedent.  The  Hoo  took  the  hint,  and  advanced 
him  to  high  rank.  He  early  succeeded  Motomichi  as 
hwainpaku*  "  He  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Konoye 
family,  which  alternated  with  the  Kujo  in  holding  the 
office  of  hwa7npaku."  In_1186  A.D.  Nakahara  Chika- 
yoshi  came  to  Miyako.  Oye  Hiromoto  soon  followed  ; 
and  the  Kamakura  Government  had  established  itself 
firmly  in  Miyako  and  the  Go-Kinai,  with  head -quarters 
at  Eokuhara.  The  system  was  complete.  We  have 
seen  how  Oye  took  up  the  question  of  Yasuhira. 
**  He  is  only  a  Jceniii,  and  as  such  he  is  subject  to 
your  discretion.  The  Court  has  no  right  to  advise  or 
interfere."  It  was  not  until  after  Yoritomo  made  his  visit 
to  Miyako  in  November,  1190  A.D.  that  Yoritomo  was 
made  Sotsuihoshi.f    He  was  also  made  Ukonye-no-Taisho. 

*  |?9  ^.     Log.  cit.  p.  100,     As  was  Yorinaga  in  1156  A.D. 

t  Chief  superintendant  of  police.  Sotsuihoshi  (or  Tsuibushi— 
Okuma  "  Fifty  years  of  New  Japan"  p.  26)  is  also  used.  As  to  the 
above  date,  cf.  Ariga  p.  106.  He  says  on  page  98  : — "  Kashin  wo  motte 
kore  ni  atetari  nochi  koite  roku  ja  roka  koku  S5tsuihoshi,"  etc.  On 
the  death  of  the  Hoo,  Yoritomo  is  made  Shogun,  p.  106. 


418  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

and  Dainagon.  In  April,  1192  A.D.  the  Hoo  died,  and 
the  following  August  Yoritomo  was  made  Sei-i-tai-sho- 
gun  by  the  youthful  Tenno.  "  The  office  of  Chinjufu 
Shogun  was  then  abolished."  Then,  we  are  told,  the 
great  man  had  time  for  the  works  of  peace.  He  intro- 
duced surveying.  Certainly  of  this  his  huslii  took  little 
account.  They  spent  the  next  three  hundred  years  in 
adjusting  land  boundaries,  sword  in  hand  and  with  its 
keen  edge  as  their  only  surveyor's  level.  Agriculture  was 
much  improved  ;  temporarily,  for  similar  reasons.  Silk 
culture  was  encouraged.  The  soft  material  was  an  agree- 
able change  during  the  short  intervals  when  armour  was 
not  the  costume  en  regie.  The  three  serious  offenses  noted 
by  Doctor  Ariga  are  themselves  notable — and  suggestive  : 

1.  Neglect  oi  ohan  service   (i.e.  keep  your  armour  bright). 

2.  A.  revolt  once  repeated  (i.e.  military  subordination  to 
the  commander-in-chief).  3.  Murder  ;  but  the  term  must 
have  had  a  peculiar  definition.  How  would  Tosabo  Sho- 
shun  have  been  classed,  if  he  had  returned  crowned  with 
success,  instead  of  crowning  a  pole  ?  Judging  by  precedent 
(Hirotsunej  and  subsequent  (Kawata  Jiro,  the  assassin  of 
Yasuhira)  he  would  have  received  his  due  reward. 

Here  is  Doctor  Ariga 's  portrait  of  the  great  Shogun. 
*'  Yoritomo  was  not  tall.  His  head  was  rather  large  for  his 
body.  His  manners  were  gentle,  and  his  voice  clear  and 
grave.  His  disposition  was  magnanimous.  He  only  under- 
took what  he  had  reason  to  believe  would  be  conducted  to  a 
successful  issue.  His  retainers  held  him  in  great  respect, 
and  by  example  he  taught  them  frugality.  He  never 
forgot  a  kindness.  But  he  was  too  suspicious,  and  his 
family  and  retainers  were  the  victims.  Noriyori  was  a 
man  of  gentle  disposition  and  without  pride."*  This  is 
worth  remarking,  that  all  these  three  men — ^Yoritomo, 
Noriyori,  and  Yoshitsune, — had  great  amiability  and 
charm  of  manner  in  their  personal  intercourse.  The 
magnanimity  of  Yoritomo  can  be  questioned  throughout  his 
long  career.  Was  it  entirely  Noriyori's  unfortunate  words 
to  Masako,  after  the  Soga  affray — *'  I  am  here  with  you. 

*  Loc.  cit.  pp.  107-110.    As  to  Noriyori,  p.  108. 


THE   POLITICS   OF   YORITOMO.  419 

Do  not  trouble  yourself  with  this  report" — that  set  Yori- 
tomo  after  his  head  ?  With  this  mature  and  stable  lady- 
it  seems  doubtful.  Besides,  just  at  this  juncture  Yoritomo 
was  engaged  vigorously  in  cleaning  the  slate  of  all  un- 
desirables, and  in  this  class  his  own  family  held  first  rank. 
Yoritomo's  conduct  to  Hirotsune,  to  Yoshitsune,  to  Yasu- 
hira,  to  the  latter's  miserable  assassin,  to  Noriyori,  are  all 
examples  of  the  choicest  treachery. 

With  Yoritomo  the  samurai  definitely  seated  them- 
selves in  the  saddle.  The  Government  since  his  day  has 
always  been  in  their  hands.  In  1867  A.D.  it  was  the 
Tenno  who  took  the  seat  of  the  Shogun.  Government  by 
and  for  the  samurai  was  continued.  Government  by  and 
for  the  huge  was  not  restored.  But — the  private  soldiers 
get  little  of  that  for  which  they  fight.  Decoration  and 
substantial  rewards  go  to  those  in  command.  This  has 
also  been  the  case  in  Japan. 


BENKEI  MONOGATARI. 

The  Benkei  Monogatari  deals  mainly  with  the  early 
life  and  adventures  of  the  hero  ;  and  in  very  frank  terms. 
The  miraculous  birth  and  exposure  at  Kumano  being 
adopted,  four  days  later,  to  the  surprise  of  all,  a  man  finds 
the  child  on  the  mountain,  still  living  and  feeding  on  roots 
and  wild  fruit,  and  with  complete  indifference  to  infantile 
colics.  The  Gojo  Dainagon  adopts  the  child.  At  seven 
years  of  age  he  is  put  in  charge  of  Seishin,*  the  Ajari  at 
Hieisan.  The  boy's  behaviour  being  entirely  out  of 
bounds,  and  censure  having  no  effect,  the  Ajari  expelled 
him  from  the  temple.  As  described  he  then  tonsures 
himself,  and  having  arrayed  himself  in  the  borrowed 
plumage  of  the  old  priest  he  sallies  forth  to  plunder  and 
prosperit5^  His  first  victim  is  the  swordsmith,  Sanjo 
Kokaji.  As  coming  from  the  Udaijin  Munemochi  he 
orders  three  swords — one  of  4B  inches,  another  of  39 
inches,  and  a  third  of  18  inches  length,  respectively.  One 
hundred  days  afterwards  he  gets  them,  and  accompanied 
by  a  servant  of  the  smith  takes  his  way  to  the  Udaijin's 
residence.  Benkei  passes  within  the  gate,  and  passes  out 
another  gate.  This  is  the  last  Kokaji  sees  of  his  swords, 
for  the  time  being.  Then  Benkei  goes  to  Yoshiuchi  Saye- 
mon,  near  the  Gojo  Bridge.  Here  he  orders  armour  and 
a  hehnet,  representing  himself  to  be  a  retainer  of  Komatsu 
Shigemori.  As  described  the  armourer  loses  his  goods. 
Then  going  to  Shirozaemon  Yoshitsugu  Benkei  tries  on 
body-guard,  arm-gjaards,  gi-eaves  etc.  Here  he  figures  as 
a  retainer  of  Musashi-no-Kami.  Drawing  his  borrowed 
sword  he  threatens  the  smith,  cuts  down  a  huge  tree  at 
one  blow  to  convince  him  of  his  earnestness,  and 
disappears. 

*  Thus  we  have  Kankei,   Keishun,  and  Seishin,  for   the  name  of  his 
spiritual  father. 


BENKEI   MONOGATARI..    .  421 

He  enters  the  house  of  Yukiharu,  a  rich  man  of 
Miyako.  The  dmma  (master)  unwisely  refuses  his  request 
for  alms.  Benkei's  temper  aroused,  the  wife  of  the 
plutocrat  ransoms  her  husband  with  thirty  suits  of  men's 
clothing,  and  not  of  the  meanest  quality.  On  the  temple 
roka  Benkei  overhears  the  plan  of  the  thieves  to  rob 
Genba.  He  goes  at  once  to  Genba's  house,  saves  him 
from  injury,  and  kills  all  the  thieves  when  they  attack 
the  place.  Tripping  it  along  the  Hokurokudo  he  visits 
Echizen,  and  naturally  makes  Heisenji  part  of  his 
itinerary.  Hearing  the  merriment  of  a  dinner  in  progress 
he  decides  to  mix  with  the  banqueters,  thus  gratifying  a 
somewhat  quarrelsome  disposition  and  adding  variety  to 
the  feast.  The  priests  object  and  receive  a  sound  beating 
in  consequence.  His  peregrinations  land  him  at  Shosha- 
san.  Over-indulgence  in  sake  makes  him  a  victim  of  the 
first  ill-natured  comer.  A  priest  draws  a  running  horse 
on  his  cheek.  On  awakening  Benkei  finds  out  the 
disfigurement.  The  result  of  his  anger  is  the  burning  of 
the  priestly  establishment.  Later,  however,  he  visits  the 
place,  and  makes  a  vow  to  collect  one  thousand  swords  for 
dedication  to  the  temple. 

His  first  meeting  with  Yoshitsune  takes  place  at  the 
Kitano  Tenjin.  A  second  meeting  follows  near  the 
Hoshoji,  and  a  month  later  he  again  finds  the  prince 
at  Kiyomidzu-dera.  Benkei  interrupts  his  prayers,  and 
starts  a  quarrel  with  him.  Then  they  adjourn  to  the 
Gojo  bridge  to  fight  it  out.  Benkei  is  the  loser,  and 
becomes  the  retainer  of  Yoshitsune.  Hearing  that  Seishin 
was  in  difficulties  over  his  connection  with  his  ex-disciple 
(Benkei),  whose  pranks  had  become  notorious,  Benkei 
waylays  the  palanquin,  sends  Seishin  back,  and  attends 
Bokuhara  in  person.  Here  Sayemon  Yoshiuchi  treats 
him  well,  and  tries  to  pump  out  of  him  the  whereabouts 
of  Yoshitsune  by  advocating  union  between  the  Minamoto 
and  Taira.  Benkei  scents  the  trap  and  is  obstinate. 
More  energetic  methods  to  get  at  the  inside  of  his  head 
end  in  the  fight  at  the  Eokujo  execution  ground.  The 
river  suddenly  rises,  and  the  officials  flee  in  terror. 
Benkei  returns  in  safety  to  the  refuge  of  Yoshitsune  at 


422  saitO  musashi-bo  benkei. 

Kitayama,  and  to  his  surprise  learns  that  the  rising  of  the 
river  is  due  to  his  lord's  miraculous  devices.  For  some 
time  the  two  remain  in  Miyako  to  spy  upon  the  Taira. 

So  much  I  condense  from  the  notes  Mr.  Minakami 
secured  for  me  at  the  Imperial  Library  in  Tokyo.  The 
book  is  in  manuscript,  the  author  is  a  certain  Mitsushige, 
and  it  was  published  in  the  seventh  year  of  Genna  (1621 
A.D.).  Shinshinsai  has  drawn  on  it  for  the  early  part  of 
his  book  adding  his  own  humorous  treatment.  As  to  the 
"  Benkei  Ichidaiki "  to  which  he  refers  I  could  learn 
nothing.  The  Benkei  Monogatari  is  a  plain  tale,  making 
Benkei  out  to  be  a  kind  of  humourous  ruffian.  Naturally 
this  note  would  accompany  the  first  volume,  but  on 
account  of  this  tone  given  to  the  character,  and  which  is 
not  justified  by  the  hero's  actions  I  put  it  here  at  the  end. 
The  Benkei  Monogatari  is  so  important,  however,  that 
some  account  should  be  given  of  it.  It  contains  a  number 
of  wood-cuts  illustrating  the  deeds  chronicled.* 

*  The  statement  is  made  in  graver  history  that  Kumai  Taro  became 
a  retainer  of  Yoshitsune  during  the  march  through  Tamba  to  Ichi-no- 
tani.  As  to  Yoshitsune's  prayers  which  saved  Benkei,  did  it  suggest 
the  introduction  later  of  the  story  of  "  En-no-Shokaku  ? "  Some 
resemblances  also  are  to  be  noted  :  (1)  Benkei's  fight  against  the 
thieves  at  Genba's,  and  Yoshitsune's  battle  against  the  thieves  at 
Akasaka.  (2)  Benkei  as  described  at  his  meeting  with  Ushiwaka  at 
the  Gojo  bridge,  and  Yoshitsune's  fight  against  Tajima-hoshi  of  Nara. 
Compare  also  the  description  of  Yokogawa  Kakuhan  of  Yoshino. 
All  have  no  little  personal  resemblance  to  Shoki,  the  demon  queller, 
a  familiar  figure  on  the  boys'  shelf  of  dolls  at  the  May  matsuri. 
(3)  The  conduct  of  Kaison  with  Shinbutsu,  and  that  of  the  monk 
Izumi  with  Ushiwaka.  There  are  other  instances  which  make  some 
of  Benkei's  adventures  sound  as  if  composite. 


NOTES. 

Chapter  VII — The  tale  of  the  burning  rice,  and  of  the 
conduct  of  Yoshinaka  at  the  interview  with  Yoritomo  can 
be  taken  as  apocryphal.  In  this  chapter  I  rely  mainly  on 
Doctor  Ariga's  account  of  this  confused  campaigning  from 
the  fall  of  1180  A.D.  to  1183  A.D. ;  and  so  later.  The 
romances — in  many  ways  they  are  as  much  history  as  the 
more  formal  chronicles  of  the  time — the  Gempei  Seisuiki 
and  the  Heike  Monogatari  furnish  too  ample  detail. 

Kiyomori  had  eight  daughters.  1,  wife  (kita-no-kata) 
of  Sakuramachi  Chunagon  Shigenori.  2,  kisaki  (Tenno*s 
consort),  Kenreimon-in.  3,  wife  (kita-no-mandokoro)  of 
Eokujo  Sessho  Motozane.  4,  wife  (kita-no-kata)  of  Reizei 
Dainagon  Takafusa  ;  she  is  also  given  as  the  wife  (kita-no- 
mandokoro)  of  Fugenji  I>ono,  no  difference  necessarily 
being  involved.  5,  wife  (kita-no-mandokoro)  of  Kono  Eno 
Motomichi.  6,  her  connection  with  Shichijo  Shuri  Taifu 
Nobutaka  is  mentioned.  No  other  title  is  given  to  her. 
7,  she  was  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  women  connected 
with  Itsukushima,  (Aki  no  Itsukushima  no  naiji),  and  is 
further  called  koi  no  kisaki  from  her  relation  to  Go-Shira- 
kawa.  Her  mother  married  later  Taira  Moritoshi,  (killed 
at  Ichi-no-tani),  and  later  was  the  wife  of  Doi  Jiro  Sane- 
hira.  8,  was  the  daughter  of  Tokiwa-gozen,  noted  for  her 
skill  in  all  womanly  accomplishments  and  calligraphy. 
She  is  connected  with  Kwasan-in  Sadaijin  Fujiwara 
Kanemasa,  through  his  wife  (the  daiban-dokoro)  as  joro 
(  K  gg),  lady-in-waiting.  All  these  girls  were  talented 
and  amiable — at  least  to  the  old  chronicler.  No.  4  was 
noted  for  her  skill  on  the  koto.  Eeferences  to  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki  are  difficult  for  lack  of  a  standard  .edition.  The 
above  is  found  pp.  22-29  in  that  of  the  Hakushindo 
(Tokyo) .      Only  for  this  reason  has  there  been  any  quota- 


424  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

tion  of  Japanese  texts.  For  instance,  the  Gempei  Seisuiki 
is  divided  into  chapters  (numbered)  and  sections  (un- 
numbered). The  sections  deal  with  different  incidents, 
and  mere  reference  to  a  chapter  would  be  too  catholic. 

Chapter  VIII — As  to  Japanese  names  the  effort  has 
been  to  adhere  to  the  order  of  the  Japanese  books.  The 
title  comes  first,  followed  by  the  clan  name,  the  nickname 
or  locative  name  (Shiro,  Taro,  Saburo,  etc.),  and  last  of  all 
the  personal  and  distinctive  name.  Thus  Noto-no-Kami 
Noritsune,  Gensammi  Yorimasa,  Sayemon-no-Jo  Sasaki 
Jiro  Tadatsuna.  I  cannot  pretend  to  entire  success  in 
this  matter.  The  proof  coming  a  few  pages  at  a  time  it 
was  not  possible  to  call  in  native  aid  on  this  important 
point.  Keference  has  been  made  as  much  as  possible  to 
the  originals,  but  as  the  stories  are  woven  in  and  out  from 
various  sources  it  was  something  of  a  task  on  memory  to 
determine  just  where  to  find  a  particular  appellation.  In 
the  different  authorities  there  are  slight  differences  in 
names,  and  the  same  book  often  gives  a  man  a  different 
string  of  titles.  These  differences  were  purposely  retained. 
Yoshitsune  figures  as  the  Hangwan,  as  Sayemon-no-Jo, 
and  his  clan  name  is  variously  run  in  as  Gensoshi,  Genteii, 
Minamoto,  and  is  attached  to  his  more  personal  appella- 
tive as  Gen-Kuro.  Sometimes  a  man  will  be  given 
different  names.  Kumai  Taro  is  called  Tadamoto,  and 
Kiyoshige.  The  temple  book  of  Chusonji  notes  that 
Gon -no-Kami  Masuwo  Jiro  Kanefusa  (as  found  also  in 
Yamada,  p.  306  of  Takahashi's  edition)  is  also  given  as 
Gon-no-Kami  Koyama  Jiro  Kanefusa.  This  Gon-no- 
Kami  raises  the  question  as  to  whether  it  is  a  title  or  a; 
name.  Probably  it  is  the  first  named.  Sayemon  also 
figures  at  times  as  a  name,  and  thus  it  has  been 
retained  in  Inouye  Sayemon.  This  is  no  plea  to  avoid 
responsibility  for  mistakes.  Where  such  exist  the  only 
answer  is  that  of  Doctor  Johnson — *'  pure  ignorance." 
However  these  long  titles  are  needful  to  place  a  man's 
Social  position,  and  they  give  local  colour.  The  characters 
quickly  come  down  to  the  personal  names.  Yoshitsune, 
Koriydri,  Noritsune,  Munemori,  Atsumori,  are  the  usual 
appellatives:     The  long  Japanese  titles  of  Gojo-dainagon, 


NOTES.  425 

Sayemon-no-Jo,  Ukonye-no-Suke  soon  get  familiar.     It 
Was  important  to  retain  them  in  their  Japanese  order. 

The  chapters  which  follow  are  essentially  historical. 
The  old  chronicles,  however,  do  not  drop  Benkei.  Full  as 
they  are  of  the  many  feats  and  actions  of  the  leading  men, 
Benkei  is  found,  in  the  Gempei  Seisuiki  and  the  Heike 
Monogatari,  figuring  beside  his  lord.  As  also  are  Ise 
Saburo  (a  most  important  man),  Kumai  Tare,  etc.  How 
far  the  present  writer  accepts  the  scene  at  the  Sen-to- 
Gosho  as  fully  historical  perhaps  can  be  detected  by 
the  observant  reader  in  the  air  of  burlesque  thrown  over  it. 
Japanese  romancers  of  course  treat  it  in  all  seriousness — 
both  as  to  location  and  actors.  It  can  be  added  that  the 
protection  of  the  Hoo  and  the  Tenno  was  a  prime  object 
with  Yoshitsune,  and  he  took  steps  to  secure  their  safety 
from  removal.  The  Dai-lSihon-Shi  puts  the  date  of  the 
battle  of  Uji  at  the  twentieth  day  of  the  first  month  of 
Genryaku  (4  march  1184  A.D.).  This  is  the  date  given  by 
the  Gempei  Seisuiki.  It  can  be  noted  here  how  thoroughly 
religious  is  the  temperament  of  Yoshitsune.  He  never  fails 
in  his  duties  to  Heaven.  There  is  little  superstition  about 
him.  An  unfavourable  omen  is  always  turned  off  by 
some  neat  device.  He  does  not  allow  it  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  business  of  war.  We  find  this  emphasized 
throughout  the  chronicles,  and  at  every  crisis.  Haiigioan 
was  an  official  title.  Ranking  next  to  vice-minister  of  state 
says  Brinkley's  "  Dictionary."  Yoshitsune  for  this  period 
was  The  Hangwan  to  the  old  chroniclers.  I  follow  them 
in  often  referring  to  him  simply  by  this  title. 

Tonaoe-gozen  is  also  said  to  have  retired  to  Echigo  after 
the  death  of  Yoshinaka.  Here  she  became  a  nun,  and 
died  faithful  to  his  memory. 

Chapter  IX. — Benki's  torch  is  described  by  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki.  The  old  chronicler  exults  in  its  efficiency.  It  is 
to  be  noted  that  against  Yoritomo's  wishes  not  a  man 
would  have  moved  to  Ichi-no-tani.  The  battle  itself  is  an 
instance  of  the  much  talked  of  influence  of  sea  power  on 
history.  In  itself  it  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  Taira.  It 
staggered  the  confidence  of  their  adherents.  Apart  from 
loss  of  their  captains  killed  or  made  prisoners  it  was  no 


426  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

material  step  toward  ending  the  war,  unless  made  a  part 
of  the  campaign.  This  Noriyori  signally  failed  to  do  ;  and 
this  is  just  what  Yoshitsune  did  do. 

Chapter  X. — In  the  main  I  have  followed  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki.  Yamada  has  secured  some  variations.  To  make 
Kondo-roku  a  friend  instead  of  an  enemy  had  its  advant- 
ages. Yoshitsune  did  not  find  the  Minamoto  fiefs  of 
Shikoku  hostile.  The  Taira  forces  were  not  so  great  as  to 
induce  them  to  venture  a  land  battle  even  when  they 
knew  their  enemy's  number.  The  certainty  of  Minamoto 
reinforcements  hastened  their  flight.  They  plainly  were 
operating  against  Noriyori  at  Bakan.  At  Dan-no-ura, 
only  a  month  later,  they  have  five  hundred  vessels,  i.e. 
15000  to  18000  men. 

The  account  in  the  Heike  Monogatari  varies.  I  con- 
dense a  translation  Mr.  Minakami  made  for  me.  The 
shooting  at  the  fan  takes  place  when  it  is  so  dark  they 
can  no  longer  see  to  fight.  Then  a  small  boat  ap- 
proaches close  to  the  shore,  with  the  lady  '*  dressed  in  a 
blue  five  fold  himono  {yanagi  no  goi)  and  a  red  skirt." 
Yoichi  Munetaka  was   "  small  of  stature,  but  second  to 

none  as  an  archer he   never  failed  to  hit  two  out 

three  flying  birds."  Summoned  to  Yoshitsune  he  appears 
(aged  twenty  years)  in  "a  court  robe  of  brown  deco- 
rated with  red  brocade  at  the  edges  and  down  the 
sleeves.  He  wore  green  armour  and  carried  an  ashi- 
shiro  sword.*  On  his  back  he  had  a  quiver  with 
twenty  four  Mryu  arrows  (white  feathered  with  black 
spots)  and  a  sounding  arrow,  kaharaya,  of  deer  horn 
wath  hiryu  and  eagle's  wing  feathers.  He  carried  a 
bow  of  twisted  rattan."  The  Hang  wan  asks  him  to 
attempt  the  shot.  Yoichi  is  coy  and  declines,  asking  that 
a  better  archer  be  appointed.  Yoshitsune  gets  angry  and 
says  that  unwilling  soldiers  had  better  return  to  Kamakura. 
Yoichi  decides  to  try.  He  retires,  mounts  his  black  horse 
and  rides  to  the  beach.  All  are  pleased  at  his  attempting 
the  feat.     The  distance  being  so  great  he  rides  into  the 

*  The  scabbard  coated  with  silver,  or  ornamented  therewith.  In  the 
Hogen  Monogatari  there  are  cuts  of  the  kirju,  kaburaya,  karimata, 
hatsu  arrows  and  other  war  harness  (Edition,  Yokota  Isokichi). 


NOTES.  427 

water,  even  then  being  at  a  distance  of  seven  tan  (217  to 
245  feet  English  long  measure).  It  was  six  oclock  in  the 
evening,  the  boat  was  tossing,  and  the  fan  whirling  in  a 
gale  of  wind.  Yoichi  shuts  his  eyes  and  prays.  If  he 
fails  to  bring  down  the  fan  he  will  commit  harakiri. 
Would  the  god  please  to  grant  him  life.  Opening  his  eyes 
he  found  (or  thought)  that  the  fan  was  much  steadier. 
Then  he  strikes  the  fan  on  its  rivet.  The  Taira  men  strike 
the  gunwales  of  their  boats,  and  the  Minamoto  men  their 
shields,  in  admiration  of  the  wonderful  shot.  Afterwards, 
at  the  order  of  Yoshimori,  he  shoots  Isekazu  (not  men- 
tioned by  name  but  as  a  man  about  fifty  years  of  age 
wearing  black  leathern  armour).  "  Some  applauded  the 
skilful  shot  of  Yoichi,  but  most  men  thought  it  pitiless." 

The  account  of  the  helmet  pulling  follows,  but  it  is  very 
different.  Three  warriors  of  the  Taira  come  to  land  and 
challenge  the  enemy.  One  has  a  bow,  another  a  shield,  a 
third  brandishes  a  long  sword.  Five  horsemen  ride 
against  them — Miwo-no-ya-no-Juro  of  Musashi  (the  other 
names  are  on  the  same  elongated  scale)  is  the  only  one 
that  concerns  us,  or  anyone  else  for  his  companions  are 
men  of  straw.  He  advances  before  the  rest.  His  horse  is 
struck  by  an  arrow  and  thus  he  is  put  on  even  terms  with 
his  opponent.  The  man  with  the  long  sword  approaches 
him.  Miwo  views  his  own  weapon,  decides  that  discretion 
is  the  better  part  of  valour,  and  takes  to  flight.  His 
enemy,  instead  of  striking,  tucks  his  weapon  under  his 
arm  and  starts  in  pursuit.  Three  times  Miwo  wriggles  out. 
The  fourth  time  his  pursuer  grasps  his  helmet.  The  shikoro 
(neck  guard)  gives  way,  and  with  this  handicap  the  lighten- 
ed Juro  takes  to  his  legs  in  real  earnest.  Beaching  his 
companions  he  gets  behind  the  shield  of  this  cavalry  guard. 
The  victor  challenges  admiration,  with  the  booty  waved 
aloft  on  the  end  of  his  sword  as  emblem.  **  Look  at  me  ! 
The  wags  of  Miyako  call  me  Akuhichi-hyoye  Kagekiyo.'* 
Then  he  returns  to  his  side,  and  a  note  tells  us  that  he  got 
this  name  "  because  he  killed  his  own  mother."  All  this 
encourages  the  Taira.  Two  hundred  of  them  come  to 
land,  and  set  up  their  shields.  The  Hangwan  with  eighty 
horsemen  charges    them.      Unable   on   foot    to   meet   a 


428  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 

cavalry  charge  they  take  to  their  boats.  The  Hangvvan 
pursues  them  into  the  water,  and  then  follows  fche  incident 
with  the  himade.  This  is  not  given  much  prominence^ 
except  his  reason  for  risking  his  life — ''  if  I  could  use  the 
bow  of  my  uncle  Tametomo,  then  I  would  allow  it  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  But  my  bow  is  of  the 
ordinary  kind  (another  Httle  informing  hint  that  the  real 
Yoshifcsune  used  his  head  more  than  his  hands).  I  do 
not  want  the  enemy  to  say  : — *  Such  is  the  bow  used  by 
Kuro  Yoshitsune,  the  great  general  of  the  Minamoto.' " 
All  the  old  soldiers,  who  had  grumbled  a  little,-  then 
admired  him.  At  night  the  Taira  retire,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  three  days  the  Minamoto  huslii  sleep.  The 
Hang  wan  and  Ise  Saburo,  however,  prowled  the  beach 
all  night,  still  on  guard.  At  dawn  Yoshitsune  with 
eighty  men  pursued  the  Taira  to  Shido  Bay.  Seeing  so 
few  of  the  enemy  about  a  thousand  of  these  latter  landed 
to  attack  them.  A  reinforcement  from  Yashima,  two 
hundred  in  number,  come  to  take  part  in  the  battle. 
Taking  this  for  the  advance-guard  of  a  large  army  the 
Taira  re-embarked  and  sailed  away  from  Yashima.*  To 
This  it  can  be  added  that  a  few  hours  earlier  arrival  by 
Kajiwara  Kagetoki  probably  would  have  obviated  the 
necessity  of  fighting  a  battle  at  Dan-no-ura.  The  incident 
of  the  deceit  of  Taguchi  Nariyoshi  follows,  the  main 
difference  being  that  he  enters  Yashima,  like  Japhet  in 
search  of  his  father.  Ise  Saburo's  tale  of  destruction  has 
grown  in  the  progress  of  time  from  the  Gempei  Seisuiki 
to  the  Heike  Monogatari.  It  is  still  more  complete. 
Kajiwara  arrives  on  the  twenty-second  day  like  "  the  iris 
on  the  sixth  day,  or  a  contract  made  after  the  fact." 
The  one  to  come  out  with  all  the  honours  of  the  occasion 
is  the  keeper  of  the  Sumiyoshi  Shrine  (at  Sakai).  He 
reports  that  at  the  time  of  the  Ox  (1  a.m.)  on  the  sixteenth 
day  (on  which  Yoshitsune  sailed)  an  arrow  flew  straight  to 
the  West.     The  Hoo  takes  this  as  a   wireless  message  of 

*  The  above  shows  that  Yoshitsune  had  more  than  his  little  band  of 
eighty  men,  and  that  the  Taira  numbers  at  Yashima  also  were  scanty. 
In  fact  apart  from  Taguchi  Shigeyoshi  (the  traitor)  they  had  little  to 
.depend  on  but  their  own  immediate  household  retainers. 


NOTES.  429 

coming  success  from  the  god.  The  keeper  gets  a  valuable 
sword,  and  the  shrine  gets  many  treasures.  Then  follows 
an  account  of  this  Sumiyoshi  deity,  which  shows  that  the 
writer  is  much  better  informed  as  to  the  Nihongi  and 
Kojiki  than  the  informant  of  Komatsu  Shigemori  (in 
Yamada)  or  the  local  antiquarians  of  Osaka. 

Of  the  two  books  mentioned  Mr.  W.  Gr.  Aston  says  : — 
"The   authorship   of  the  G-empei   Seisuiki   is  doubtfully 

ascribed  to   one   Hamuro  Takinaga The  precise 

date  of  its  composition  is   likewise   unknown.     It   must 

belong  to  the  early  part  of  the  Kamakura  period 

The  G-empei  Seisuiki  is  a  work  of  considerable  literary 

pretensions The  authorship  and  precise  date  of 

the  Heike  Monogatari  are  unknown.  It  was  probably 
composed  soon  after  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  of  which  it  is 
little  more  than  an  adaptation,  page  after  page  being 
simply  copied  from  the  latter  work.  But  as  if  its  model 
and  source  had  not  already  departed  sufficiently  from  true 
history,  the  Heike  Monogatari  which  covers  the  same 
ground  and  relates  the  same  events,  adds  a  number  of 

inventions  of  its  own (as)  a  narrative  which  could 

be  chanted   to  the    accompaniment  of  the  biwa it 

became  immensely  popular,  and  even  at  the  present  day 
it  is  far  better  known  than  the  Gempei  Seisuiki,  a  work 
much  superior  to  it  in  merit."  ("  Japanese  Literature  " 
pp.  134,  135,  139).  Our  own  old  monks  used  to  weave 
a  great  deal  of  the  miraculous  and  wonderful  into  their 
chronicles,  but  it  is  not  so  difficult  to  sift  these  out  and  to 
discount  exaggeration.  I  think  the  same  can  be  said  of 
the  Gempei  Seisuiki.  It  is  considered  to  be  written  close 
to  the  time  at  which  the  events  it  records  took  place. 
The  events  doubtless  are  in  the  main  true,  the  details 
to  a  great  extent  due  to  the  writers'  fancy.  We  can  accept 
a  very  difficult  descent  by  Yoshitsune  into  Ichi-no-tani,  a 
single  combat  between  Kumagaye  and  Atsumori,  a  shoot- 
ing at  the  fan  at  Yashima,  even  a  helmet  clutching, 
without  taking  all  the  minor  details  and  the  descriptions  of 
costume  as  good  history.  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  can  hardly 
be  classed  with  Shakespeare's  historical  plays,  for  at  least 
one  good  reason — the  accepted  belief  that  its   writer    (or 


430  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

writers)  was  (or  were)  close  to  the  times  of  which  he  (or 
they)  wrote.  This  cannot  be  said  of  Shakespeare.  A  great 
deal  of  the  world's  history  would  have  to  go  overboard  if  a 
monkish  chronicler  suffered  Jonah's  fate  simply  because, 
like  the  prophet,  from  page  to  page  he  had  visions.  Both 
Froissart  and  Commines  would  not  go  unscathed.  The 
No  in  their  treatment  of  history  are  better  comparable  to 
western  drama. 

Chapter  XI.— The  letter  of  Yoshitsune  is  of  importance, 
not  only  in  shedding  light  on  his  own  character,  early  life, 
and  surroundings,  but  on  those  of  his  followers.  History 
and  romance  agree  that  Yoshitsune  spent  months  in 
Miyako ;  and  that  there,  and  wherever  else  he  could,  he 
picked  out  the  best  swordsmen  and  most  desperate  fellows 
he  could  find.  Much  as  we  would  like  to  protest  to  the 
contrary  it  must  be  admitted  that  Musashi-bo  Benkei  in 
his  youth  was  a  very  ill-governed  character.  Moritsugi  at 
Yashima  charges  Ise  Saburo  with  being  a  highwayman. 
Hitachibo  Kaison  was  the  reverse  of  being  a  saint.  Kumai 
Taro  was  next  door  to  being  a  desperado.  Thus  we  go 
through  the  list.  When  we  consider  what  Yoshitsune  did, 
and  with  how  few  men  behind  him,  we  understand  what 
great  deeds  stand  to  their  credit,  wild  desperate  fellows  as 
they  were.  All  through  the  old  chronicles,  the  Gempei 
Seisuiki  and  the  Heike  Monogatari,  it  is -Benkei,  Kaison, 
Ise  Saburo,  Washiwo,  Kumai,  Kamei,  Sugime,  the  Sato 
kyodai,  Kisata,  who  follow  close  behind  their  chief. 
Eeckless,  they  ride  down  the  Hiyodorigoye  into  the  mass 
of  the  Taira,  and  win  the  battle  at  Ichi-no-tani.  Eeckless 
they  ride  to  the  assault  of  Yashima,  and  drive  the  Taira 
into  the  water ;  Benkei,  Ise  Saburo,  the  Sato  kyodai, 
Washiwo,  Hitachibo,  Kumai,  forming  a  shield  in  front  of 
their  lord  against  the  deadly  bow  of  Noto-no-Kami.  The 
one  battle  Yoshitsune  does  win  with  his  brother's  legions  is 
that  of  Dan-no-ura.  This  is  a  great  record  for  these  brave 
men.  Yoshitsune  could  not  win  battles  singly.  His 
followers  were  worthy  of  their  brilliant  chief,  who  felt  that 
he  could  do  and  dare  anything  with  them  as  his  captains. 
History  and  the  chronicles  give  the  greater  part  of  their 
space  to  stories  and  anecdotes  of  the  leaders — of  Kuma- 


NOTES.  431 

gaye  and  Atsuraori,  Yoritomo  and  Mongaku  Shonin,  of 
the  suicide  of  ISi-i-dono,  of  Noto-no-Kami  and  the  Han- 
gwan.  But  in  the  bare  tale  it  slips  out  just  who  were  in 
ibis  small  band  of  men,  and  it  does  no  harm  to  their  due 
credit  that  Kajiwara  and  the  fleet  of  Yoritomo  sail  into 
Yashima  harbour  *'like  the  iris  on  the  sixth  day" — after 
the  battle  has  been  won  by  this  Japanese  Arthur  and  his 
''  Knights  of  the  Table  Eound." 

I'hese  battles  at  and  around  Yashima  tell  just  what  the 
condition  of  the  Taira  was  after  the  blow  given  to  them  at 
Ichi-no-tani.  In  the  parlance  of  Eeno  and  ''  the  ring  " 
they  were  down  and  simply  were  being  counted  out.  That 
such  leaders  as  Tomomori  and  Noritsune  would  destroy 
their  base  and  run  away  from  a  small  band  of  men  passes 
belief  They  plainly  thought  that  the  Minamoto  army 
was  upon  them,  and  tbey  knew  that  they  could  not  offer^ 
battle.  In  that  belief  and  knowledge  they  acted  as  they 
did.  When  they  fought  at  Dan-no-ura  they  were  not  only 
trapped,  but  were  fighting  on  the  water  on  which  they 
felt  they  were  better  sailors  and  had  a  better  chance  than 
in  land  fighting.  But  what  a  battle  !  Its  stakes  were 
life  or  death,  with  no  possible  compromise.  These  people 
stamped   each  other  out  of  existence  like  noxious  beasts. 

Chapter  XII — Yamada  offers  a  date  which  is  plausible 
but  not  elsewhere  confiimed.  It  may  be  a  misprint, 
error,  or  based  on  some  authority.  Tosabo's  letter  is 
dated  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  7iinth  month  (October 
12tb).  There  is  little  reason  to  question  that  Yoritomo's 
army  was  ready  to  move  on  Miyako  at  the  end  of 
November.  He  put  a  vast  host  in  motion,  both  from  the 
Tokaido  and  the  Hokurokudo.  On  the  receipt  of  notice 
of  his  brother's  disaster  he  returned  at  once  from  the  Kise- 
gawa  to  Kamakura,  and  left  the  rest  of  the  affair  to  his 
police.  This  was  directed  by  Hojo  Tokimasa,  who  at 
once  occupied  Miyako  with  a  strong  force,  and  proceeded 
to  eliminate  any  hostile  interests.  Among  these  were  the 
remnants  of  the  Ise  Heishi.  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  gives 
the  story  of  the  attempt  of  Tosabo  in  detail ;  as  also  of 
the  experiences  of  Kokudai,  son  of  Koremori. 

As  to  the  attempt  of  Tosabo,  it  is  about  as  excellent  an 


432  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

instance  of  brotherly  malevolence  to  be  found  in  history. 
Every  move  henceforth  shows  the  influence  of  the  fierce, 
unrelenting,  clogged  persistency  of  Yoritomo.  The  secret 
of  the  man's  success  is  more  easily  understood.  After  the 
Ichi-no-tani  campaign,  enraged  because  of  his  brother's 
brilliant  success,  and  because  he  remained  basking  in  the 
sun  of  court  favour  and  did  not  at  once  come  to  Kamakura, 
Yoritomo  studiously  began  the  system  of  neglect.  This 
without  doubt  was  also  counselled  by  men  like  Hojo  and 
Oye,  who  had  already  resolved  to  eliminate  this  dangerous 
factor  from  Japanese  politics.  When  Yoshitsune  secured 
his  court  appointments,  neglect  turned  to  hate.  Yoshi- 
tsune tacitly  is  stripped  of  his  command,  but  the  instru- 
ment is  still  useful.  The  Taira  campaign  is  permitted. 
After  Dan-no-Ura  the  mask  is  let  fall.  Instructions  were 
^then  sent  out  to  the  officers  in  Miyako  and  the  West  that 
they  were  not  to  obey  any  orders  issued  by  Yoshitsune. 
The  commander  is  not  only  refused  admittance  to  Kama- 
kura. He  is  stripped  of  his  twenty  four  fiefs.  What 
remained  to  Yoshitsune  was  to  live  the  life  of  a  huge,  on 
such  favours  as  he  could  secure  from  the  Court.  But  for 
him  to  do  that  is  to  be  a  rebel  in  his  brother's  eyes. 
Yoritomo  then  tries  to  assassinate  him,  as  an  almost 
simultaneous  adjunct  to  moving  130000  men  to  crush  him 
in  case  of  a  slip  in  the  Tosabo  affair.  The  historical  view 
is,  that  the  attempt  to  be  made  by  Tosabo  was  known 
and  discussed  by  Yoshitsune  and  Yukiiye,  and  a  decree 
therefore  was  asked  to  attack  Yoritomo.  Tosabo  fails. 
A  report  is  made,  and  against  Kanezane's  advice  the 
decree  is  granted,  as  described. 

Chapter  XIII — The  itinerary  of  Yoshitsune's  wander- 
ings, after  landing  at  the  Sumiyoshi  shrine  does  not  exist. 
The  stay  at  Tennoji  is  authentic.  Hojo  reports  on  it. 
Shinshinsai  takes  Yoshitsune  at  once  to  Tokugyo  at  Nara, 
and  afterwards  to  Yoshino.  Yamada  makes  him  wander 
in  Yamato,  and  reach  Tokugyo  from  Yoshino  and  Totsu- 
kawa.  Either  course  fits  in  with  Hojo's  despatch  of 
January  7th,  1186  A.D.  (Adzuma  Kagami).  The  date  of 
the  worthy  bishop's  summons  to  Kamakura  is  usually 
placed  at  the  5th  February.     As   the  whole   episode  is 


ifOTES.  -  433 

decidedly  apocryplial  I  have  not  hesitated  to  have  him 
make  the  journey  later,  and  thus  bring  together  Shizuka 
and  the  bishop. 

When  Jimmu  Tenno  travelled  this  country  he  found  it 
a  great  place  for  charcoal  burning  ;  thus  ''  Sumi-zaka," 
charcoal  acclivity."  (Nihongi  I  118-119).  Jimmu  was 
much  taken  with  his  inspection.  Its  hills  afforded  a  fine 
prospect  of  the  country  he  intended  to  make  his  own. 
Not  so  easily  :  he  sings  a  suggestive  song  on  his  successful 
treachery : 

*' Though,  folk  say 

"  That  one  Yemishi 

"  Is  a  match  for  one  hundred  men 

"  They  do  not  so  much  as  resist." 

(Aston's  translation  :  loc.  cit.  p.  124). 

Chapter  XIV — The  "  Yoshitsune-Chijun-Ki "  says,  that 
on  her  lord's  death  Shizuka  became  a  nun,  and  her  name 
was  changed  to  Saisei.  For  a  time  she  took  refuge  in 
Saga,  and  then  moved  to  Nara.  It  was  in  July  1184 
A.D.  that  she  became  Yoshitsune's  concubine.  This 
"  first  year  of  Genryaku  "  is  a  little  indefinite,  according 
as  the  preceding  period  is  supposed  to  be  a  year  longer 
or  shorter.  There  were  two  nengo  in  the  field  at  that 
time. 

There  is  a  radical  difference  between  Yamada  and  his 
authorities.  Shizuka,  in  his  story,  gives  birth  to  the  child 
and  afterwards  dances  the  Horaku.  It  is  agreed  that  the 
child  was  born  on  14th  September.  On  October  16th 
Shizuka  departed  for  Miyako,  and  in  this  short  interval 
Shizuka  could  well  be  excused  from  dancing  and  the 
wisteria  from  blooming.  But  this  is  not  his  worst  offence. 
Faithful  to  his  Chinese  models  he  interjects  into  the  awful 
grief  of  the  unhappy  young  mother  this  most  pestiferous 
analogy  ;  ridiculous  one  would  say,  if  any  grief  even  akin 
to  that  of  humanity  did  not  have  a  right  to  respect. 
Even  in  a  note  I  hesitate  to  insert  it.  As  Shizuka  leans 
over  the  dead  child,  Yamada  gives  birth  to  this  culminat- 
ing Himalayan  height  of  bathos,  not  to  be  found  in  any 
other  literature.     "  In  ancient  China,  King  Kwan  was  on 


434  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

his  way  to  the  province  of  Shoku.  When  he  reached 
Sankyo  one  of  his  followers  caught  a  young  monkey. 
The  mother,  in  grief  over  the  loss  of  her  young  one, 
followed  for  nearl}''  a  hundred  Chinese  miles  along  the 
bank  of  the  river  down  which  the  King's  boat  was  being 
rowed.  At  last  she  sprang  on  the  boat  and  fell  dead. 
Some  of  the  soldiers  cut  open  her  body,  and  to  the  great 
amazement  of  all  it  was  found  that  her  rectum  was  rent 
asunder  because  of  her  grief.  The  king  was  very  angry 
with  the  man  who  caaght  the  young  monkey,  and 
punished  him  severely.  This  is  the  case  with  mere  ani- 
mals ;  still  more  is  it  true  of  man.  The  recollection  of  this 
harrowing  incident  of  the  monkey  made  Iso-no-Zensu 
burst  into  a  paroxysm  of  grief  and  weep  bitterly." 

Chapters  XV  and  XVI — The  geography  of  the  romances 
is  hard  to  reconcile.  As  walkers  at  times  the  refugees 
must  have  far  out-classed  the  Pickwickians  of  later  date. 
Indeed,  but  for  the  specific  denial  of  Benkei,  it  could  be 
assumed  that  at  a  pinch  they  were  possessed  of  the  power 
of  Iddhi  (by  the  exercise  of  mere  thought  able  to  transfer 
themselves  through  the  air).  Place  names  also  are  not 
always  to  be  identified  or  reconciled,  and  some  of  them 
are  no  longer  to  be  found  on  the  map.  Heisenji  figures 
in  the  Benkei  Monogatari  as  the  scene  of  one  of  Benkei 's 
pranks  in  early  days.  Here  he  broke  into  and  broke  up 
a  priestly  feed  in  chorus.  Both  Yamada  and  Shinshinsai 
transfer  this  scene  to  Shosha-san.  The  two  differ  in 
details,  but  easily  combine  to  the  saving  of  space  and 
the  unity  of  time.  Yamada  uses  throughout  the  name 
Ara-Sanuki  as  Benkei's  substitute.  Shinshinsai  in  at 
least  one  place  gives  it  as  Aranami  Sanuki.  As  Benkei's 
early  days  have  been  the  subject  of  the  Benkei  Mono- 
gatari, so  these  adventures  of  the  retreat  form  the  subject 
of  the  Yoshitsune  romances.  The  wars  are  mainly  glided 
over  and  left  to  the  sterner  histories. 

Chapter  XVII. — Yamada  blurs  the  whole  scene.  There 
is  much  matter  common  to  the  two  romancers — Yamada 
and  Shinshinsai— but  the  former  distributes  it  over  several 
scenes.  Part  of  it  goes  to  the  scene  with  Gon-no-Kami, 
who  is  represented  as  a  second  Inouye  Sayemon.     Shin- 


NOTES.  435 

shinsai  gathers  a  good  deal  into  one  chapter,  and  adds  the 
story  of  En-no- Shokaku.  In  the  account  given  in  the 
present  volume  everything  bearing  on  this  subject  of  the 
ijamahushi  has  been  brought  together  into  the  one  chapter. 

Chapter  XVIII. — The  two  romancers — Yaraada  and 
Shinshinsai — are  here  v^idely  apart.  Yaniada  is  right  in 
placing  Kiyogav^a  at  the  Mogamigav^a.  The  Adzuma 
"Kagami  puts  the  age  of  the  Kitanokata  at  tv^enty-two 
years  at  the  time  of  her  death  two  years  later.  The  child 
is  there  said  to  be  a  girl  and  is  four  years  old.  To  accept 
its  tale  would  be  to  eliminate  the  w^hole  story  of  the  retreat. 
The  Chusonji  chroniclers  claim  that  it  is  not  an  infallible 
authority  when  it  gets  on  their  ground. 

Chapter  XIX. — Shinshinsai  brings  them  out  at  Shira- 
kawa  (Shiraishi)  where  Motoharu  is  in  charge  and  waiting 
to  receive  them.  The  scene  with  his  family  follows.  As 
to  the  suicide,  it  can  be  said  that  if  the  child  had  been  a 
girl  as  above  there  would  have  been  no  occasion  to  kill  it, 
and  in  consequence  no  occasion  for  the  death  of  the  Kita- 
nokata. What  the  Adzuma  Kagami  says  as  to  this  final 
scene  is  under  date  30th  day  4  month  (intercalary  *?)  5th 
year  of  Bunji  (15th  June,  1189  A.D.) :  '*  A  report  of  a 
victory  won  over  Yoshitsune  at  Koromogawa  was  brought 
to  Kamakura,  as  follows  : — 'Yoshitsune,  who  was  staying 
at  the  Koromogawakwan  of  Mimbu  Shoyu  Motonari  was 
defeated  by  Yasuhira.  At  first  Yoshitsune  defended  him- 
self bravely,  but  seeing  that  any  further  defence  against 
the  odds  was  useless  he  entered  a  hall  in  which  was 
worshipped  an  image  of  the  Buddha,  and  after  killing  his 
wife  (22  years  old)  and  his  girl  (4  years  old)  he  committed 
harakiri.'"  Says  the  Dai-Nihon-Shi-Kyo.  ''The  Kita- 
nokata addressed  her  husband :  "  I  have  no  child  and 
nothing  to  complain  of  after  my  death.  Please  kill  me 
before  yourself  that  I  may  go  with  you  on  the  road  to 
Paradise.  Yoshitsune  said  '  Namu-Amida-Butsu,*  and  no 
sooner  had  he  taken  her  under  his  left  arm  than  he 
beheaded  her.  The  next  moment  he  committed  suicide." 
Bic  transeunt  omnes.  The  romances  generally  accept  the 
story  of  the  flight  to  Yezo.  Even  modern  and  grave  histories 
give  it  honourable  mention.     On  this  point  credulity  goes 


436  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

to  the  wildest  limit,  making  claims  only  comparable  to  those 
concerning  islands  lying  loose  in  the  Pacific,  and  lands 
lying  loose  in  Northern  Asia.  The  Dai-Nihon-Jimmei- 
Jiten  speaks  of  Benkei  leaving  his  image,  in  the  shape  of  a 
straw  doll,  in  the  gate-way  says  one  account,  in  the  river 
shallow  saj^s  another.  While  the  enemy  hesitate  to  cross 
the  party  get  far  on  their  way  to  the  North.  So  with  all 
the  tender-hearted  romancers.  It  (the  ]3. N.J.J.)  goes  on 
to  say,  that  after  subjugating  Yezo  they  passed  over  to 
Shungtung,  conquered  that  country,  and  with  their  Japan- 
ese Alexander  are  next  heard  of  as  the  conquerors  of 
Tartary.  There  is  a  Benkeisaki  in  Yezo  (Cape  Benkei). 
On  the  door  of  every  house  in  Tartary  is  a  figure  of  an 
armed  Benkei.  But  this  is  not  all.  According  to  this 
veracious  legend,  Suida  and  Jubi,  of  Persian  history  {7no7x 
Jaj)07iico),  invaders  froixi  the  North  "are  believed  by 
some  writers  to  be  Benkei  and  Washiwo  " — and  why  not? 

To  go  into  more  serious  details  :  I  shall  here  follow  the 
argument  as  outlined  in  the  book  of  the  Ghusonji-dera.* 
It  is  a  little  long,  but  illuminating  not  only  as  to  the  facts, 
but  as  to  how  closely  the  local  antiquarians  think  and  talk 
on  the  same  lines  as  our  own  antiquarians,  and  with  the 
same  enthusiasm  that  these  latter  devote  to  the  sport. 
This  is  no  difficult  matter  in  Japan,  where  for  centuries 
every  man  has  been  tabbed  and  docketed,  his  record  in  the 
eyes  of  posterity  depending  on  the  chances  of  war  and  fire, 
or  the  destruction  due  to  natural  decay  of  the  frail  scroll. 

Thus  argues  the  priestly  scribe  t : — The  question  at  issue 
is  as  to  three  houses,  or  rather  names — Koromogawakwan, 
Yanagi-gosho,  and  Takadachi — as  the  scene  of  residence 
and  harakiri,  one  or  both,  of  Yoshitsune.  "  These  houses 
are  all  mentioned  in  Yasaka's  '  Gempei  Seisuiki,'  Nyo- 
haku's  '  Heike  Monogatari '  and  the  '  Adzuma  Kagami.' 
They  state  that  Hidehira,  the  protector  of  Yoshitsune, 
lived  in  the  Yanagi-gosho.  As  to  Yoshitsune*s  liaraMri, 
the  Adzuma  Kagami,  in  speaking  of  Oshu  matters,  says 

*  "Oshu  Takadachi  Enganshi  "  by  Terazaki  Seiken. 

t  As  there  is  considerable  condensation  and  some  omission  what 
follows  is  put  under  quotation  marks  with  some  hesitation — in  justice 
to  the  priestly  author. 


l?3  Oi 


NOTES.  437 

that  it  took  it  place  iu  tbe  house  of  Mimbu  Sho-Suke 
(Motonari)  ;  and  that,  under  date  of  June  15th,  1189  A.D., 
it  was  so  reported  from  Kamakura  to  Miyako,  calling  it 
the  Koromogawakwan,  an  account  given  by  Hojo  Kudaiki.* 
This  would  be  the  house  of  Motonari  near  the  Koromo- 
gawa,  and  would  imply  that  he  and  Yoshitsune  occupied 
the  same  establishment.  Sakuma  Giwa  and  Ibara  Tomo- 
nao  thoroughly  investigated  the  subject.  The  Koromo- 
gawakwan was  situated  to  the  East  of  Hiraizumi-mura. 
This  house  was  built  by  Abe  Yoritoki  (d  1057  A.D.) 
Motonari  certainly  occupied  it  during  Bunji  (1185-1189 
A.D.)  The  story  goes  that  it  was  there  that  Yoshitsune 
died,  and  there  was  his  grave.  The  people  called  the 
place  Takadachi.  There  were  other  graves  around  an  old 
cherry  tree  still  living.  Near-by  is  Kanefusa's  grave.  In 
the  Tenwa  of  Tsunamura  was  the  ancestral  hall  of  the 
taishu  (or  governors),  and  fetes  were  held  in  honor  of 
the  Jiotoke  (spirit)  of  Yoshitsune." 

"  When  Yoshitsune  went  to  Adzuma  (the  Kwanto) 
Hidehira  felt  badly  over  the  matter.  The  place  at  that 
time  was  called  Takadachi,  and  Yoritoki's  house  was  still 
extant.  The  Yanagi-gosho,  to  the  east  and  south  of  Taka- 
dachi was  the  house  Yoshitsune  lived  in.  Takadachi  was 
Yoritoki's  old  home,  Motonari  hved  in  it,  and  it  retained 
the  old  name.  This  the  authorities  (Gempei  Seisuiki 
etc.)  imply.  Remains  of  the  Izumi-jo  (castle)  are  found 
west  of  Chilsonji  as  is  well  authenticated.  Those  writing 
at  a  distance  do  not  know.  At  the  Yanagi-gosho  Hide- 
hira welcomed  Yoshitsune.  Ibara  Tomonao  considers  that 
this  Koromogawakwan  long  existed  at  Hiraizumi.  In  the 
time  of  Hidehira  it  had  been  granted  to  Motonarit  to  live 
in.  When  Yoshitsune  came  down  to  Mutsu,  fleeing  from 
the  displeasure  of  Yoritomo  he  was  given  another  house  on 
the  east  side,  the  Yanagi-^osAo.  Here  it  was  that  he  com- 
mitted harahiri.     Motonari  had  no  hand  in  the  distur- 

*  "  Kudaiki "  (?)  It  means  "  ninth  generation."  But  what  Hojo  is 
this  ? 

t  I  find  nothing  to  identify  this  Motonari  (^  j^)  and  the  Sato  Sh5ji 
Motoharu  (fe  1^  ^  p]  7C  t&)  of  Yamada  and  the  old  chroniclers. 
Motoharu  died  before  Hidehira,  a  long  or  short  time  according  to  the 
fancy  of  the  romancer.     He  lived  on  Maruyama. 


438 


SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 


bance,  and  at  the  time  of  Yasuhira's  destruction  was  living 
at  Takadachi.  In  the  attack  upon  Yoshitsune,  the  house 
of  this  latter  had  been  destroyed  by  fire.  Motonari's  house, 
being  at  some  distance  was  unharmed.  When  Yoritomo 
came  to  Hiraizumi,  Motonari  and  his  three  children  sur- 
rendered to  Chiba  Kokuro  Yoritane,  (Adzuma  Kagami). 
The  Yanagi-gosho  was  on  the  east  side  of  Takadachi. 
Kiyohira  and  Yasuhira  lived  not  far  off,  and  it  was  here 
that  Hidehira  bestowed  Yoshitsune.  In  the  opinion  of 
Sakuma  Giwa  and  Ibara  the  question  is  not  settled.  By 
a  comparison  of  the  authorities  the  place  where  Yoshitsune 
lived  and  died  is  to  be  determined." 

"  This  Sakuma  was  an  erudite  scholar.  He  forms  no 
arbitrary  judgment  on  the  matter,  and  as  in  his  day  the 
matter  was  incompletely  investigated,  and  methods  ill 
understood,  some  of  his  ideas  will  not  stand  examination. 
But  in  Oshii,  as  he  also  believed,  is  to  be  found  the 
material  for  a  history  of  Oshu.  Ibara  Tomonao  was 
especially  earnest  and  exhaustive  in  his  investigations  into 
the  old  matters  concerning  Hiraizumi.  He  collected  and 
published  its  genuine  records,  and  an  account  of  its  monu- 
ments. In  these  three  therefore — Sakuma,  Ihara,  and  the 
writer  of  the  Adzuma  Kagami— must  be  sought  informa- 
tion concerning  Hiraizumi.  As  to  the  Koromogawakwan, 
Takadachi,  and  Yanagi-gosho,  Sakuma  and  Ihara  do  not 
agree.     Thus,  to  schedule  their  differences  : 


Sakuma  Giwa. 

Ihara  Tomonao. 

Koromogawakwan, 
(Takadachi) 

Built  by  Yoritoki 
Motonari  lived  in  it, 
and  Yoshitsune  died 
there. 

Not  Yoritoki's : 
Motonari  did  not 
live  there. 

Yanagi-gosho 

Yoshitsune  lived  in  it. 

Yoshitsune  lived  and 
died  there. 

The  Koromogawakwan  was  built  by  Yasu  Yoritoki. 
Whether  his  son  Sadato  ever  lived  there  is  not  known. 
As  to  the  old  ruins  of  which  Ihara  speaks  there  is  some 
confusion.  He  says,  that  some  writers  consider  that  this 
house  was  built  by  Abe  Yoritoki  and  that  Sadato  lived 


NOTES.  439 

there.*  This  is  a  mistake.  Yoritomo  tried  to  find  on  this 
spot  some  relics  of  Abs  Yoritoki,  and  failed.  The  site 
was  nothing  but  green  grass  and  moss,  a  hundred 
years  having  passed.  The  Koromogawakwan,  which 
had  been  burnt  in  Sadato's  time  was  later  turned  over 
to  Motonari,  who  lived  on  the  spot  when  Yasuhira  fled. 
This  is  correct.  Thus  Yoritoki  did  not  build,  nor  did 
Sadato  live  in,  this  house  of  Motonari ;  although  the 
matter  gives  room  for  discussion.  By  the  tradition 
extant  at  Koromogawa,  the  place  for  the  house  of 
Yoritoki  and  his  son  should  be  the  Sadatokwan,  as 
shown  on  the  map  of  the  Sanbo-honbu,  situated  on  an 
old  country  road  and  one  ri  (2J-  miles)  west  of  Koromo- 
gawa-bashi.  Here  are  the  ruins  of  the  Biwa-no-Shigarami. 
Moreover,  this  Takadachi  is  very  different  from  Izumi 
castle.  This  is  shown  by  the  records  of  Mutsu,  and 
leaves  no  ground  for  criticism.  Ihara  considers  this  an 
open  question." 

"As  to  the  houses  of  Yoshitsune  and  Motonari,  they 
differ  radically.  Sakuma  says  he  committed  liaraklri  in 
the  Koromogawakwan  of  Takadachi.  Ihara  places  this 
event  at  the  Yanagi-gosho.  They  differ  in  name  and 
place.  The  Adzuma  Kagami  calls  it  Motonari's  house — 
i.e.  the  Koromogawakwan,  and  says  that  Yoshitsune 
lived  there.  But  this  name  Koromogawakwan  is  found 
everywhere  in  the  district.  Takadachi,  Yanagi-no-gosho, 
Tateura,  names  generally  given  are  not  the  Koromogawa- 
kwan. The  course  of  time  fogged  the  matter,  later 
writers  finding  that  the  name  had  long  been  in  use. 
Yoshitsune's  Yanagi-gosho  thus  also  got  the  name  of 
Koromogawakwan,  and  was  confused  with  Motonari's 
Koromogawakwan.  So  the  Adzuma  Kagami  (a  fourteenth 
century  chronicle)  makes  it.  In  fact  the  ground  named 
Tateuraf   and  Yanagi-gosho  bordered  the   Koromogawa 

*  Sadato  :  he  whose  body  required  the  united  efforts  of  six  men  to 
carry  it.    Cf.  vol.  I.  p.  123. 

t  On  the  map  this  is  marked  as  a  shallow  in  the  river  Kitakami- 
gawa  opposite  Takadachi.  Here  Benkei  must  have  taken  his  stand. 
The  photograph  shows  a  high  perpendicular  bkiff"  on  the  Takadachi 
side.  Here  ran  the  swift  current  of  the  river.  On  the  east  side  of 
this  were  flats.    The  only  place  accessible  to  horse  (or  foot)  was  at  the 


440  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

(and  Kitakamigawa)  and  so  got  its  name.  For  this 
reason  the  author  of  the  Adzuma  Kagami  was  misled. 

Sakuma  takes  the  ground  that  the  two  houses  are  one. 
That  is,  he  identifies  the  Yanagi-gosho  and  the  Koromo- 
gawakwan.  Ihara  considers  this  to  be  wrong.  He 
thinks  that  the  Koromogawakwan  was  known  as  Taka- 
dachi,  and  that  Motonari  hved  there.  On  this  point, 
however,  both  writers  are  mistaken.  Yoshitsune  lived  in 
the  Takadachi  house.  It  is  so  recorded  26th  day,  2nd 
month,  5th  year  of  Bunji  (14th  March  1189  A.D.),  as 
the  designation  at  that  time,  in  a  book  by  a  certain 
Sudzuki  Saburo  (a  sort  of  family  record).  Sakuma  in  his 
**  Bunroshi "  (Writing  on  Ancient  Matters)  considers  if; 
uncertain  when  this  name  was  given  to  the  place.  It  is 
also  called  Hangwankwan,  but  when  is  not  stated. 
Yoshitsune' s  house  is  said  to  have  been  newly  built  by 
Hidehira  on  the  high  ground,  and  as  a  residence  for 
Yoshitsune.  Hence  it  was  called  Takadachi-gosho.  The 
Gempei  Seisuiki  and  the  Heike  Monogatari  speak  of  the 
Yanagi-gosho  as  erected  for  Yoshitsune,  and  thus  it  was 
handed  down  by  tradition.  But  there  is  no  question  that 
Takadachi  was  Yoshitsune's  house,  and  that  it  formed  a 
part  of  the  Yanagi-gosho.  Sakuma  and  Ihara  take  the 
Yanagi-gosho  to  be  Yoshitsune's  house,  and  hence  confuse 
Takadachi  with  the  Koromogawakwan  of  Motonari,  in 
the  belief  that  Yoshitsune  and  Motonari  had  separate 
establishments.  As  to  the  Yanagi-gosho,  as  before  stated 
Ihara  Tomonao  considered  this  to  be  Yoshitsune's  house, 
and  the  place  where  Yoshitsune  committed  liarahiri. 
Koromogawakwan  was  the  name  of  the  old  ruins  at 
Hiraizumi  (Abe  Yoritoki's  house),  a  name  taken  later 
by  Motonari 's  house.  Here  he  lived  until  Yasuhira  was 
defeated.  At  that  time  he  and  his  children  made  terms 
with  Yoritomo.  Yanagi-gosho  is  thus  separated  from 
Takadachi,  v/here  Motonari  lived  after  the  ruin  of  Yasu- 
hira was  accomplished.  Of  this  there  is  no  doubt.  The 
Adzuma  Kagami  thus  gets  it,  that  the   Koromogawakwan 

east  end  of  the  Takadachi  hill.  As  long  as  Benkei  stood  to  prevent 
approach  no  crossing  could  be  effected.  At  high  (June)  water  the 
Koromogawa  had  no  ford.    This  shallow  was  the  only  approach. 


NOTES.  441 

was  the  place  where  Motonari  lived  and  Yoshitsune  com- 
mitted haraJdri.  Yasuhira  seized  the  possessions  of 
Yoshitsune,  i.e.  the  Koromogawakwan  and  Takadachi." 

"  Yoshitsune  first  killed  his  wife  and  child.  Then  he 
killed  himself.  This  took  place  at  Takadachi.  As  to  this 
and  other  remains:  1.  Yoshitsune's  house  was  on  the 
high  ground  of  Takadachi.  2.  West  and  south  of  the 
Yoshitsune-do,  in  the  middle  of  Takadachi  hill,  there  are 
many  old  graves  ;  tradition  names  that  of  Kanefusa.  3. 
West  and  north  of  Takadachi  there  is  flat  ground.  It  was 
here  that  Yoshitsune's  retainers  committed  harakiri,  and 
the  graves  are  marked.  The  Adzuma  Kagami  does  not 
consider  Takadachi  to  be  Yoshitsune's  place  of  death,  but 
names  the  Koromogawakwan.  Long  before  Yoshitsune, 
Motonari  came  and  occupied  this  Koromogawakwan.  He 
had  been  charged  with  some  offence  and  fled  in  Heiji 
(1159  A.D.)  to  Hiraizumi.  In  the  fifth  year  of  Bunji  he 
had  been  resident  thirty  years.  Yoshitsune  was  resident  at 
Takadachi  from  1187  to  1189  AD.  Nearly  two  years  later 
the  castle  was  taken  by  Yoritomo.  Takadachi  became  a 
part  of  Motonari's  Koromogawakwan,  but  this  is  not  the 
old  Koromogawakwan,  though  the  Adzuma  Kagami  con- 
fuses them.  The  Kitakamigawa  has  since  encroached  on 
the  place.  Takadachi  and  Yanagi-gosho  were  thus  separat- 
ed only  a  small  part  being  left  in  the  old  place.  This  much 
can  be  identified  :  1 .  The  Adzuma  Kagami 's  house  of 
Motonari,  that  of  the  Gempei  Seisuiki  and  the  Heike 
Monogatari,  are  all  one.  2.  Takadachi,  Yanagi-gosho, 
Tateura,  are  all  well  distinguished  from  the  Koromo- 
gawakwan. 3.  The  Adzuma  Kagami's  Koromogawa- 
kwan is  the  same  as  that  of  Sakuma.  4.  Motonari's 
Koromogawakwan  belongs  to  the  Yanagi-gosho  extending 
from  Tateura  to  the  ruins  of  the  Yanagi-gosho.  5. 
Yoshitsune's  Koromogawakwan  is  only  part  of  the 
Yanagi-gosho  and  is  Takadachi,  also  its  present  name. 
6.  Yoskitsune  committed  harakiri  at  the  same  Taka- 
dachi." 

*'  Yoshitsune's  head  was  buried  at  Fujisawa.  The 
Kamakura  Dai-Nikki  says,  the  13th  day  of  the  5th  month 
(28th  June,  1189  A.D.);  the  Adzuma  Kagami  says  13th  day 


442  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKET. 

of  the  6th  month  (27th  July,  1189  A.D.)  The  place  ol 
inhumation  was  the  Shirakata  Jinja  at  Kamekata-san, 
Itado-machi,  Fujisawa,  Kozagori,  8agami  no  Kuni.  On 
Takadachi  is  the  Yoshitsune-do,  once  called  the  Yoshi- 
tsune-byo,  and  in  ancient  times  there  was  said  to  exist 
one  small  stone  which  could  be  taken  in  the  hand.  This 
was  near  the  Kekoshiji  temple  says  the  "  Buoroshi,"  as  do 
two  other  books  of  Hiraizutni  (Miscellanies) .  But  in  these 
Miscellanies,  the  grave  of  Yoshitsune  also  is  said  to  be  in 
the  Sannohasama  of  Kurihara-jun.  After  Yoshitsune  had 
committed  liarakiri,  a  certain  Numakura  Kojiro  Takatsugi 
buried  the  body  and  built  the  grave.  Or  it  may  be  his 
own  ;  but  this  Takatsugi  certainly  was  in  friendly  relations 
with  Yoshitsune. 

"As  to  who  died  with  Yoshitsune,  the  Adzuma  Kagami 
does  not,  and  could  not,  speak.  These  heroes  could  only 
be  known  at  Hiraidzumi.  The  tale  is  traditional  and  little 
fixed.  Who  do  figure  as  the  martyrs  of  the  Koromo- 
gawa  ?  Of  the  followers,  the  Adzuma  Kagami  says  :  1. 
Sato  Saburobei  Tsuginobu,  son  of  Sato  Shoji  retainer  of 
Hidehira.  This  latter  commanded  him  and  his  brother 
Tadanobu  to  follow  Yoshitsune  to  the  West.  This 
was  4th  year  Jisho  (1180  A.D.).  2.  Sato  Shirobei 
Tadanobu,  younger  brother  of  the  above.  Juei  2/4/15 
(7  May,  1183  A.D.)  he  is  presented  with  a  minor 
appointment  by  Yoritomo.     Bunji  1/10/17  (10  November, 

1185  A.D.)  he  was  present  when  Tosabo  made  his  attack. 
Bunji  1/11/3  (26  November,  1185  A.D.)  he  attempted  to 
follow  Yoshitsune  from  Miyako.  He  became  separated  at 
Uji.    He  reached  Miyako,  and  Bunji  2/9/22  (4  November, 

1186  A.D.)  he  committed  liarakiri  at  the  Todo-in  Middle 
Gate,  having  been  surrounded  by  a  force  of  soldiers  under 
the  command  of  Kasuya  Yuki.  3.  Ise  Saburo  :  G-enriaku 
2/2  (March-April,  1184  A.D.)  figures  at  the  battle  of 
Yashima.  Genriaku  2/4/26  (28  May,  1185  A.D.)  he  took 
prisoner  Munemori.  When  Yoshitsune  went  to  Rokujo 
Muromachi,  Ise  Saburo  followed  his  carriage.  Genriaku 
2/5/16  (14  June,  1185  A.D.)  he  was  going  to  fight  with 
Goto  Motokiyo,  and  thus  forced  this  latter  to  become  a 
retainer  of  Yoshitsune.     Yoritomo  annulled  the  connection. 


NOTES.  443 

Bunji  1/11/3  (25  November,  1185  A.D.)  he  left  Miyako 
and  followed  Yoshitsune  to  the  West.  4.  Kamei  Eokuro  : 
Genriaku  2/5/7  (5  June,  1185  A.D.)  Yoshitsune  sent  him 
as  messenger  to  Kamakura.  He  took  an  oath  before  Oye 
Hiromoto.  5.  Hori  Yataro  Kagemitsu :  Genriaku 
2/5/15  (13  June,  1185  A.D.),  as  Yoshitune's  messenger  he 
escorts  Munemori  to  Sakawa :  2/6/26  (23  July,  1185 
A.D.)  at  Shinobara,  Yoshitsune  orders  him  to  put  to  death 
Munekiyo  (Munemori's  son).  Bunji  1/11/3  (25  Novem- 
ber, 1185  A.D.),  he  follows  Yoshitsune  to  the  West,  and 
1/11/6  (28  November,  1185  AD.)  sought  refuge  in  Miyako 
after  Yoshitsune's  disaster,  when  the  latter  escaped  with 
but  four  persons  in  his  train.  Here  he  remained  in 
hiding.  Bunji  2/9/22  (4  November,  1186  A.D.)  he  was 
taken  prisoner  by  Kasuya  Yuki.  6.  Kataoka  Hachiro 
Hirotsune.  Bunji  1/11/3  (25  November,  1185  A.D.)  he 
follow^ed  Yoshitsune  to  the  West.  He  returned  to  Miyako. 
7.  Shono  Shiro,  of  the  family  of  Echizu  Saito.  He  was 
first  a  page  at  the  Ninnaji  temple.  Later  he  was  a 
follower,  first  of  the  Heike,  afterwards  of  Kiso  Yoshinaka. 
He  joined  Yoshitsune,  but  later  did  not  follow  him  to  the 
West.  Bunji  1/11/2  (24  November,  1185  A.D.)  he  did 
not  accompany  him.  8.  Shibuya  Goro  Shigesuke,  son  of 
Shibuya  Shigekuni.  He  too  was  a  follower,  fii  st  of  the 
Heike,  later  of  Yoshinaka.  He  held  a  position  of  im- 
portance in  Yoshitsune's  household.  He  was  given 
one  of  the  two  offices  which  had  the  direction  of 
the  Tenno's  stables.  Bunji  1/4/15  (5  May,  1186 
A.D.)  he  was  censured  for  his  ill-will  displayed  to- 
ward Yoritomo.  9.  Musashi-bo  Benkei.  Bunji  1/11/3 
(25  November,  1185  A.D.)  he  followed  Yoshitsune  to  the 
West.  Same  year  1/11/6  (29  November,  1185  A.D.)  he 
is  one  of  the  foremost  of  Yoshitsune's  supporters  in  mis- 
fortune. 10.  Goromaru,  a  retainer  of  Yoshitsune.  Bunji 
2/7/10  (27  July,  1186  A.D.)  he  is  captured  at  Miyako. 
As  to  the  Sato  kyodai,  Hori  Yataro,  Shono  Shiro,  their 
death  is  known.  As  to  Ise  Saburo,  Kataoka  Hachiro 
Hirotsune,  Shibuya  Goro  Shigesuye,  Goromaru,  nothing 
is  known  as  to  their  fate,  or  as  to  whether  they  followed 
Yoshitsune  to   Hiraizumi.      As   to    Kamei    Eokuro   and 


444  SAITO   MUSASHT-BO   BENKEI. 

Musashi-bo  Benkei  there  are  relics  still  remaining  at  Hi- 
raizumi." 

'*  The  positive  remains  still  extant  consist  of:  1.  The 
old  ruins  of  Hiraizumi  mentioned  by  Ihara  ;  a  Kamei  pine 
tree,  two  cho  (700  feet^  and  more  northwest  of  Takadachi, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Chusonji  hill.  It  is  now  in  a  rice  field. 
Here  is  the  old  grave  and  the  pine  tree  known  as  the  tomb 
of  Kamei  Rokuro  Shigekiyo.  2.  The  grave-stone  of 
Kanefusa  :  This  is  near  Kamei's  pine.  It  is  three  feet 
and  more  in  height  and  one  foot  wide.  In  former  times  it 
was  larger.  This  is  known  as  the  grave  of  Masuwo  Juro 
Gon-no-Kami.  Whether  it  is  the  grave,  or  the  place 
where  he  committed  harakiri  is  not  known.  3.  The 
Suzuki  pine  tree.  This  is  south  of  the  ruins  of  the  Sekido, 
and  near  the  highway.  It  is  known  as  the  grave  of  Suzuki 
Saburo  Shigeiye.  Whether  this  is  so,  or  whether  it  is  the 
place  where  he  committed  harakiri  is  doubtful.  4.  The 
Atago-do,  now  called  the  Benkei-do.  Here  is  Benkei's 
statue,  six  feet  two  inches  in  height  in  the  posture  in  which 
he  died  at  the  Koromogawa.  It  was  built  in  the  era  of 
Shotoku  (1711-16  A.D.),  replacing  an  older  monument. 
In  olden  time  the  Benkei-do  was  at  the  foot  of  Chusonji 
hill.  Demolished,  it  was  repaired.  The  ruins  and  a  pine 
tree  still  remain.  5.  The  shallow  in  the  middle  of  the 
river,  where  Benkei  died  standing.  This  is  close  to  where 
the  Koromogawa  enters  the  Kitakamigawa.  This  place  has 
changed  very  much  since  olden  time.  Ofcsaki  Kiyotomi 
says  that  Masuwo  Jure  was  Yoshitsune's  foster  brother, 
was  with  Zoshitsune  in  misfortune,  and  committed  hara- 
Tciri  at  his  death,  his  grave  being  near  the  centre  on  the 
Takadachi  hill.  In  the  nengo  of  Genroku  (1688-1704  A.D.) 
an  old  book  on  antiquarian  matters  says  that  his  grave 
was  at  the  foot  of  Chusonji  hill ;  as  it  is." 

''As  to  Suzuki  Saburo  Shigeiye,  a  book  in  the  library 
of  Haguro  in  Dewa  gives  an  account  of  his  family. 
Kamei  Rokuro  is  also  here  entered  as  present  with 
Yoshitsune,  and  that  he  came  to  Oshu  is  clear.  There  is 
a  tradition  that  Sudzuki's  home  was  Fujishiro  in  Kishu. 
By  the  tradition  Kamei  Rokuro  Shigekiyo  followed  Yoshi- 
tsune to  Oshu,    and    his   eldest   brother  Suzuki  Saburo 


.   .       .  NOTES.  445 

Shigeiye  was  caught  by  Hojo  Tokifusa  in  Kamakura. 
Finally  he  was  set  free  and  went  to  Oshil.  With  his 
brother  he  died  at  Takadachi.  _His  son  Shigesome,  in 
affection  for  his  father,  came  to  Oshu,  cut  his  hair,  and 
became  a  priest.  He  built  a  temple  near  Koromogawa, 
called  it  Shigesome  (Chozenji)  dera,  and  had  a  priest  read 
sutras  over  his  father's  grave.  In  the  Hiraizumi  Zakki 
(Miscellany)  his  story  is  told,  and  mention  is  made  of  a 
temple  called  Chozenji  in  Esashigun,  Kataoka-mura, 
Iwozan.  This  temple  marks  the  ruins  of  Shigesome's  cell." 
"  Many  graves  still  exist  at  Hiraizumi.  Those  pointed 
out  are  of  Ise  Saburo  Yoshimori,  Kataoka  Hachiro  Hiro- 
tsune,  Sndzuki  Saburo  Shigeiye,  Kamei  Eokuro  Shigekiyo 
(his  brother),  Koyama  Gon -no-Kami  Kanefusa,  Washiwo 
Saburo  Yoshihisa,  Bizen  Heishiro  Nariharu,  Musashi-bo 
Benkei,  Zatsu  Hiki  Senta,  Heike  Saburo.  Of  these  the 
tradition  is  clear  enough.  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  speaks  of 
Gon-no-Kami  Masuwo  Jurd  Kanefusa  ;  the  Yoshitsune 
Ki  calls  him  Gon-no-Kami  Koyama  Juro  Kanefusa.  On 
the  middle  hill  (there  are  three)  of  Takadachi  are  the 
graves  of  Yoshitsune's  followers,  and  there  is  Kanefusa'a 
grave.  As  to  this — is  it  such,  or  is  it  the  place  where  he 
died  ?  In  Genroku  2/4/14  (1  June,  1689  A.D.)  Matsuo 
Basho  (the  Japanese  poet,  and  expert  on  tanha  verse) 
held  a  memorial  service  for  the  Takadachi  dead.  By 
tradition  he  wrote  with  his  oivnfude  a  song  called  ."  Na- 
tsukusaya."  It  is  now  preserved  at  Kekoshiji.  In  this 
finest  of  verse  it  runs  : — 

"  Life  as  merest  dross, 
"  In  Kanefusa's  eyes, 
"  So  answers  age."* 

*  "Unohana  ni  This  is  Hokku.    I  approach  it  with 

"  Kanefusa  miyuru  more   than  awe,  and  a  knowledge 

"  Shira  ke  kana  "  that  the  above  is  an  elucidation. 

^n0^lt^^J!,C5)5S^Bfe     Unohana  is   the    refuse    left    after 

making  bean  paste. 
*' The  grave's  white  bloom 
"  The  long  kept  faith 
"  Both  fruit  of  favoured  musings." 
[A  native  version  gives  rae  the  following  idea.     It  is  to  be  noted  that 
there  is  a  difierence.     Here  Unohana  (7jc  ^  ^)  is  defined  by  Brinkley's 
"Dictionary"   as  Deutzia   thunbergii  or  Scabra.     It  seems  arbitrary 


446  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO   BENKEI. 

Thus  the  tradition  holds  on  at  Hiraizumi ;  like  the  old 
ruins  of  the  place,  only  of  importance  to  children ;  But 
time  was  when  Yoshitsune's  followers  died  a  soldier's  death 
at  the  Koromogawakwan."     So  ends  the  temple  scribe. 

The  reports  of  our  own  antiquarian  societies  rarely 
favour  us  with  this  touch  of  poetry  at  the  end,  but  other- 
wise this  long  extract  reads  much  like  a  page  from  the 
"  Journal  of  the  Cropshire  Antiquarian  Society."  Eugged 
and  solitary  the  Benkei-do  still  stands  amid  its  toweriug 
pines  and  cryptomeria,  at  the  top  of  the  irregular  stone 
slabs  which  form  half  steps  and  half  path  for  the  feet 
which  no  longer  approach  its  shrine — a  fit  emblem  of  the 
departed  hero. 

Tit********* 

The  Japanese  have  never  produced  an  epic  poem.  There 
is  a  reason  for  it.  Not  only  must  the  epic  deal  with  war 
and  fighting.  It  must  have  woven  through  it  some 
generous  spirit  of  adventure  that  touches  the  life  and 
thought  of  a  whole  people.  The  Japanese  are  familiar 
enough  with  mere  blows  and  the  census  book,  but  it  is  not 
until  the  period  of  the  Gempei  wars  that  the  Yamato- 
damashii  is  epitomised  in  these  two  men — Yoshitsune  and 
Benkei.  Here  lies  the  material  for  their  epic  ;  if  the  epic 
is  not  dead  in  the  world's  history.  Homer  wrote  the  only 
real  epic  ;  and  the  Homeric  song  was  written  at  a  time 
not  so  different  in  thought  from  that  which  it  described. 
His  successors  have  come  too  late  in  the  history  of  their 
peoples.  They  are  mere  imitators  ;  moonlight,  not  the 
strong,  powerful  rays  of  the  sun.  But  the  Japanese  are 
as  yet  much  nearer  their  epic  period,  than  we  of  the 
West. 

yps  TFT  yf;  •yfc  Tfr  Tpr  ^  vf  ^T^ 

The  illustrations  of  these  two  volumes  are  mainly  based 
on  the  excellent  wood-cuts  of  the  Yoshitsune  Kunko  Zue, 

dealing  with  the  ideograph.  Experts  on  the  subject  of  these  tanka  and 
hokku  verses  admit  that  they  are  often  obscure  and  sotr.etimes  doubtful 
in  interpretation.  The  reader  has  a  right  to  his  own  exegesis  and 
translation.  As  to  the  capabilities  of  the  above  let  the  unprejudiced 
judge.    Most  of  the  others  cited  are  specific  in  application  and  meaning.] 


NOTES.  447 

the  edition  in  the  liiragana  running  script  and  printed  in 
the  ninth  year  of  Bunsei  (1826  A.D.).  It  can  be  pointed 
out  that  *'  The  Kitanokata  entertains  Yamabushi  "  under 
a  mask.  At  Ichi-no-tani  it  can  be  noted  that  Atsuniori 
and  Kuraagai  wear  the  horo. 


MEMORANDA   AND    ERRATA. 

Page  7 — The  plot  is  worth  giving  in  more  detail ;  from 
the  Gempei  Seisuiki  and  Ariga's  Dai  Nihon  Eekishi. 
Saiko  ("g  %)  is  the  priestly  name  of  Fuji  war  a  Moromitsu 
(the  Seiko  of  Klaproth  and  Shinko  gijj  ^  of  Papinot).  the 
favourite  of  Go-Shirakawa  and  father  of  the  Morotada 
and  Morotsune  who  were  in  difficulties  over  a  raid  on  the 
monks  of  Miidera  (I.  p.  164).  This  Shishi-ga-tani  con- 
spiracy had  for  its  basis  the  discontent  of  the  three  active 
competitors  for  the  office  of  Sadaisho — the  Tokudaiji  Dai- 
nagon  Sanesada,  Hana-yama-in  Chunagon  Kanemasa, 
Shin-Dainagon  Narichika  (all  Fujiwara).  Narichika  was 
not  the  least  earnest  of  the  three.  He  wearied  the  shrines 
with  prayers,  and  put  in  a  week's  fast  at  Kamo,  in  order 
to  secure  the  divine  aid.  In  this  last  case  the  answer  was 
plain  enough : 

*'  The  cherry  blossoms  are  scattered  wide  by  the  spiteful 
wind, 

"  To  prevent  their  fall  and  fading  is  beyond  the  power 
of  man." 
Narichika  did  not  take  the  hint,  and  his  disappointment 
was  all  the  greater  to  learn  that  Shigemori  had  bagged  the 
appointment.  Munemori  took  that  of  Udaisho,  and  the 
two  brothers  covered  these  militia  plums  very  effectively. 
Then  all  the  three  candidates  actively  conspired,  using  the 
monk  Shunkwan's  house  at  Shishi-ga-tani  on  Higashi- 
yama  (Kyoto)  as  the  meeting  place.  This  "  was  behind 
Miidera,  deep  in  the  mountains  and  far  from  the  haunts 
of  men."  It  seems  quite  natural  that  Hoshoji  Shugyo 
Shunkwan  should  have  selected  it.  He  was  the  grandson 
of  Minamoto  Masatoshi,  and  this  latter  is  a  good  instance 
of  twelfth  century  neurasthenia.  As  Dainagon  he  had 
more  or  less  business  to  transact,  and   a   bitter  dislike  to 


MEMORANDA  ANB  ERRATA.  449 

contact  with  any  and  everybody.  As  "  too  irritable  "he 
was  removed  from  office.  Thereupon  he  took  his  stand  at 
the  Chumon,  liberally  abusing  all  and  every  who  came 
within  his  tongue's  reach.  His  grandson  Shunkwan 
favoured  his  forebear,  *'  being  high  tempered  and  easily 
angered."  With  intense  dislike  to  the  Taira  he  enthu- 
siastically engaged  in  Narichika's  conspiracy,  and  his  villa 
at  Shishi-ga-tani  was  the  appropriate  meeting  place. 
Attending  these  consultations  Tada  Kurando  Yukitsuna, 
who  as  military  man  was  made  the  general  of  the  pro- 
spective war,  quickly  grasped  the  fact  that  he  had  to  do 
mainly  with  prattlers.  He  was  a  man  to  be  in  every  way 
on  the  right  side  of  the  fence.  He  ceased  his  attendance, 
continued  to  receive  cloth  and  other  materials  from  Nari- 
chika,  and  instead  of  devoting  them  to  the  use  of  the 
prospective  army,  used  them  for  the  comfort  and  main- 
tenance of  his  own  household.  Kyoto  was  much  upset 
over  the  descent  of  the  monks  on  the  palace  (Of.  Vol.  I.  p. 
165).  When  Jokai  Nyudo  had  this  well  in  hand  Yuki- 
tsuna thought  the  moment  propitious,  and  late  at  night 
entered  the  Eokuhara  palace.  Kiyomori  had  been 
banqueting,  but  on  Yukitsuna 's  plea  of  urgency  he  agreed 
to  see  his  visitor.  The  interview  took  place  in  the  upper 
story  of  the  Chumon  in  the  presence  of  Shumei  Han- 
gwan  Moritoshi,  the  then  captain  of  the  guard.  Kiyomori 
sat  down,  incredulous  that  Yukitsuna  had  any  communi- 
cation to  make  "  of  vital  importance."  To  his  astonishment 
he  learned  of  the  conspiracy  going  on  under  his  very  nose, 
with  the  Hoc  as  protagonist,  for  this  latter  was  as  deep  in 
it  as  anyone.  "Yes  or  No?"  was  the  flat  question 
proposed  at  dawn  to  the  Hoc  through  Abe  no  Sukenari. 
The  chamberlain,  Nobunari,  who  carried  it,  returned  to 
Sukenari  with  the  information  that  he  could  get  no  reply 
but  sighs,  and  regret  and  astonishment  that  an  affair  of 
such  secrecy  had  reached  the  ears  of  Nyudo  Sokoku 
(Kiyomori).  What  follows  is  suggestive  of  Kiyomori's 
admirable  powers  of  family  organization.  It  was  an 
affair  of  over-night,  and  already  Rokuhara  was  swarming 
with  7000  men  at  arms,  and  the  forty-eight  captains  of 
the  clan  were  in  council .      Shigemori   alone   was  kept  in 


450  SAITO   MUSASHI-BO    BENKEI. 

ignorance  of  the  affair.  Kiyomori  took  direction  in  person. 
Detachments  were  sent  out  to  bring  by  fair  means  or  foul 
the  men  involved  to  his  presence.  Saiko  when  brought 
before  him  was  the  haughty  noble,  and  reproached  Kiyo- 
mori in  scurvy  tones  for  daring  to  aspire  to  positions  far 
beyond  his  social  rank.  In  a  great  rage  Kiyomori  kicked 
the  bound  and  helpless  prisoner  in  the  face  and  maltreated 
him.  Saiko  was  put  to  severe  torture  and  is  said  to  have 
confessed  the  whole  affair.*  Narichika  when  summoned 
in  his  turn  denied  the  charge  of  conspiracy  and  was 
confronted  with  Saiko's  confession.  Kiyomori  bitterly 
reproached  this  inveterate  weaver  of  plots.  Then  he 
ordered  Namba  Rokuro  and  Seno-o  Juro  to  torture  him, 
and  pressed  his  ear  to  the  wall  to  hear  the  confession. 
The  two  retainers  feared  Shigemori,  and  apparently 
mauling  Narichika  severely,  whispered  to  him  to  groan 
and  cry  out  loudly.  The  louder  he  shrieked  the  more 
Kiyomori  urged  on  his  men,  and  the  more  they  urged  on 
Narichika.  Just  as  the  latter's  lungs  gave  out  Komatsu  Shi- 
gemori entered  the  palace.  He  ''pooh-poohed  "  the  whole 
affair  and  earnestly  besought  a  reprieve  for  Narichika — 
''once  more,"  This  was  granted  by  Kiyomori  and  the 
Shin-Dainagon  was  exiled  to  Kojima  in  Bizen.  Soon  after 
he  got  there,  safely  in  ward,  his  guards  tried  to  poison  his 
sahe.  The  poison  had  no  effect  so  binding  him  they 
threw  him  from  the  top  of  a  high  cliff  into  the  valley 
below.  Although  involved  in  this  affair,  for  his 
garments  were  hardly  dry  of  the  mud  in  which  Namba 
and  Seno-o  had  rolled  him  in  revenge  for  the  similar 
treatment  of  Sukemori,  Motofusa  the  Kwambaku  escaped 
further  attentions  from  Kiyomori  until  he  advised  Go- 
Shirakawa,  two  year  later,  to  confiscate  the  fiefs  once 
belonging  to  Shigemori  recently  deceased.  Then  he 
secured  a  billet  of  exile.      The  one  to  come  out  best  from 

*  The  Gempei  Seisuiki  (pp.  144-146  Hakushindo  Ed.)  has  Saik5  die 
game,  but  on  p.  147  Narichika  is  confronted  with  Saiko's  written  con- 
fession. The  torture  seems  to  have  consisted  in  slicing  him  like  a 
melon.  His  tightly  closed  lips  and  mouth  were  then  torn  in  pieces. 
The  head  was  struck  off  the  dying  man,  and  it  was  carried  away  for 
exposure  at  Kawachi.  Saiko  was  46  years  old.  Narichika,  40  years 
old,  was  Shigemori's  brother-in-law. 


MEMORANDA  AND  ERRATA.  451 

this  Shishi-ga-tani  conspiracy  was  the  Tokudaiji-Dainagon 
Sanesada,  for  by  the  beginning  of  1178  A.D.  he  was 
Sadaisho,  Shigemori  being  deprived  of  the  office  by  Kiyo- 
mori  who  bestowed  it  on  the  late  conspirator ;  and  reading 
the  lecturings,  scoldings,  and  tears  bestowed  by  the  son  on 
the  father  one  is  not  much  surprised.  Well  deserved  were 
the  former.  This  Komatsu  Shigemori  is  one  of  the  few 
fine  characters  portrayed  in  the  literature  of  this  twelfth 
century  Japan  ;  the  Japanese  Bayard.  Sanesada,  it  can 
be  added,  secured  his  position  through  the  wise  advice  of 
To-Hangwan  Tayu  Shigekane  to  bring  the  good  offices  of 
the  Miyajima  Naiji  (women)  into  the  affair.  Sanesada 
did  so  and  brought  ten  of  them  to  Miyako  on  the  bribe  of 
sight-seeing,  and  then  dumped  them  on  Kiyomori.  Their 
pleadings  were  successful. 


Page    18 — line  11  from  the  top  read  "  kaze  "  for  "  kage." 

„       25 — line  8  from  the  top,  add  Shogun  to  the  end 
of  the  line. 

„     105 — line  14  from  bottom   read   ''thirty  one"  for 
"thirty  two." 

,,,     127 — line  2  read  "  Saikaido  "  for  Nankaido." 

,,     242 — In  the  original  the  song  reads  : 

"  Ari  no  susami  no  nikuki  da  ni  ariki  no  ato  wa, 
koishiki  ni  arite  hanareshi  omokage  wo  itsu  no 
yo  ni  ka  wa  wasurubeki.  Wakare  no  koto  ni 
kanashiki  wa  oya  no  wakare,  ko  no  wakare ; 
sugurete  geni  kanashiki  wa  fusai  no  wakare 
narikeri." 

„     253 — line  3  from  top,  for  ''Yoritomo"  read  "Hata- 
keyama." 


Page  00-  Une  18  from  the  top.  "  he ''-  the  reference 
should  be  to  Yoshiiye,  not  to  Yoshitome. 


ignorance  of  the  affair.  Kiyomori  took  direction  in  person. 
Detachments  were  sent  out  to  bring  by  fair  means  or  foul 
the  men  involved  to  his  presence.  Saiko  when  brought 
before  him  was  the  haughty  noble,  and  reproached  Kiyo- 
mori in  scurvy  tones  for  daring  to  aspire  to  positions  far 
beyond  his  social  rank.  In  a  great  rage  Kiyomori  kicked 
the  bound  and  helpless  prisoner  in  the  face  and  maltreated 
him.  Saiko  was  put  to  severe  torture  and  is  said  to  have 
confessed  the  whole  affair.*  Narichika  when  summoned 
in  his  turn  denied  the  charge  of  conspiracy  and  was 
confronted  with  Saiko's  confession.  Kiyomori  bitterly 
reproached  this  inveterate  weaver  of  plots.  Then  he 
ordered  Namba  Rokuro  and  Seno-o  Juro  to  torture  him, 
and  pressed  his  ear  to  the  wall  to  hear  the  confession. 
The  two  retainers  feared  Shigemori,  and  apparently 
mauling  Narichika  severely,  whispered  to  him  to  groan 
and  cry  out  loudly.  The  louder  he  shrieked  the  more 
Kiyomori  urged  on  his  men,  and  the  more  they  urged  on 
Narichika.  Just  as  the  latter's  lungs  gave  out  Komatsu  Shi- 
gemori entered  the  palace.  He  "pooh-poohed  "  the  whole 
affair  and  earnestly  besought  a  reprieve  for  Narichika — 
**  once  more."  This  was  granted  by  Kiyomori  and  the 
Shin-Dainagon  was  exiled  to  Kojima  in  Bizen.  Soon  after 
he  got  there,  safely  in  ward,  his  guards  tried  to  poison  his 
sake.  The  poison  had  no  effect  so  binding  him  they 
threw  him  from  the  top  of  a  high  cliff  into  the  valley 
below.  Although  involved  in  this  affair,  for  his 
garments  were  hardly  dry  of  the  mud  in  which  Namba 
and  Seno-o  had  rolled  him  in  revenge  for  the  similar 
treatment  of  Sukemori,  Motofusa  the  Kwambaku  escaped 
further  attentions   from   Kiyomori  until  he  advised    Go- 

Shirakawa,  two  year  later,   to   confiscate   fV.P   f>^f^  

belong^'""-"   ■"'     ""  ' 
secure( 

*    Th€ 

game,  bi 
fession. 
melon. 
The  hea 
exposure 
old,  was 


MEMORANDA  AND  ERRATA.  451 

this  Shishi-ga-tani  conspiracy  was  the  Tokudaiji-Dainagon 
Sanesada,  for  by  the  beginning  of  1178  A.D.  he  was 
Sadaisho,  Shigemori  being  deprived  of  the  office  by  Kiyo- 
mori  who  bestowed  it  on  the  late  conspirator ;  and  reading 
the  lecturings,  scoldings,  and  tears  bestowed  by  the  son  on 
the  father  one  is  not  much  surprised.  Well  deserved  were 
the  former.  This  Komatsu  Shigemori  is  one  of  the  few 
fine  characters  portrayed  in  the  literature  of  this  twelfth 
century  Japan  ;  the  Japanese  Bayard.  Sanesada,  it  can 
be  added,  secured  his  position  through  the  wise  advice  of 
To-Hangwan  Tayu  Shigekane  to  bring  the  good  offices  of 
the  Miyajima  Naiji  (women)  into  the  affair.  Sanesada 
did  so  and  brought  ten  of  them  to  Miyako  on  the  bribe  of 
sight-seeing,  and  then  dumped  them  on  Kiyomori.  Their 
pleadings  were  successful. 


Page    18 — -line  11  from  the  top  read  "  kaze  "  for  '*  kage." 
„       25 — line  8  from  the  top,  add  Shogun  to  the  end 

of  the  line. 
„     105 — line  14  from  bottom   read   '^ thirty  one"  for 

"thirty  two." 
,,     127 — line  2  read  "  Saikaido  "  for  Nankaido." 
„     242 — In  the  original  the  song  reads  : 

"  Ari  no  susami  no  nikuki  da  ni  ariki  no  ato  wa, 

koishiki  ni  arite  hanareshi  omokage  wo   itsu  no 

yo  ni  ka  wa   wasurubeki.     Wakare  no  koto  ni 

kanashiki   wa  oya  no  wakare,   ko   no   wakare ; 

sugurete   geni    kanashiki   wa   fusai   no   wakare 

narikeri." 
„     253 — line  3  from  top,  for  "  Yoritomo  "  read  *'  Hata- 

keyama." 
„     266 — line  3  from  top.      Add  "it "  to  the  end  of  the 

line. 


SOURCES  OF  THE  CONTENTS 

OF  THE 

SAITO  MUSASHI-BO  BENKEI. 
(1154-1200  A.D.) 


Gempei  Seisuiki. 

Heike  Monogatari. 

Benkei  Monogatari.     (Mitsushige). 

Yoshitsune  Chijun-ki. 

Yoshitsune  Ichidaiki.     (Kisekite  Jazan). 

Yoshitsune  Kunko  Zue.     (Yamada  Toshio). 

Musashi-bo  Benkei.     (Kamio  Tetsugoro — Shinshinsai 

Toyo). 
Me-Enshu. 

Dai  Nihon  Jimmei  Jiten. 
Nihon  Kekishi  Jiten. 
Jitsuyo  Teikoku  Chimmei  Jiten. 
Gen-Kai. 

Shin-Gunsho-Euishfi . 
Sompi  Bunpa. 
Adzuma  Kagami. 
Dai-Nihon-Shi-Eyo. 
0-Dai-Ichiran. 

Osliu  Takadachi  Enganshi.     (Terazaki  Seiken). 
Dai-Nihon-Eekishi.     (Ariga  Nagao). 
Bramsen's  Tables.     (Transactions :  Asiatic  Society  of 

Japan  XXXVII  Supplement) . 
Joruri  Meisaku-shu. 
Gidaiyu,  Nihyaku  Danshu. 


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3  1197  00648  8560 


DATE  DUE