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” In 1701, by command of Iyenobu, Hakusek1 composed his greatest work, the Hankampu, a history of the Daimios of Japan from 1600 to 1680. It is in thirty volumes and must have required immense research, yet it was written in afew months. Having received the order in the first month, he began the draft on the eleventh day of the seventh month. The manuscript was completed in the eleventh month, and a fair copy was made by Hakuseki himself and laid before Iyenobu on the nineteenth day of the second month of the following year. Haku- seki mentions these details with obvious pride in his HAKUSEKI 2409 autobiography. They are very characteristic of the extreme rapidity of composition of Japanese authors during this period. They expended no superfluous labour of the file upon their works. Yet the Hankampu cannot be called a carelessly written book. Not only does it contain most valuable material for the future historian of Japan, but the style is highly commended by the best native critics for its combined elegance and vigour, neither leaning too much to Chinese pedantry on the one hand, nor to Japanese purism on the other. So far as a “ Western barbarian” may be allowed an opinion, this praise is not undeserved, though it is perhaps unnecessary to endorse the language of a native admirer who declares that ‘“ Hakuseki’s heart is brocade, his bowels are rich embroidery, his spittle produces pearls, and his half-conscious mutterings form harmonious music.” The Hankampu contains much genealogical and other matter which has little interest for the European reader. Even Hakuseki’s countrymen at the present day will probably admit that there is more than enough of this element. Although one of the most important works of the Yedo period, I doubt whether it has been printed. The Shoguns’ government was much given to cachotterie in matters of state, and very many of the most interesting political works of this period were only circulated privately among the official class. Two copies in my possession are both in manuscript, the form in which Hakuseki’s works are usually met with. In the case of the Hankampu there were probably substantial reasons for refraining from publication. It was hardly possible, especially for a man of Hakuseki’s fearless and uncompromising nature, to relate without offence the history of three hundred and thirty-seven 250 — JAPANESE LITERATURE noble houses down to twenty years before the time of writing. The following extract will give some idea of the scope and character of this work :— ITAKURA SHIGEHIDE AS A JUDGE OF CRIMINAL CASES “It is impossible fully to set forth here the reputation of this man while he remained in office, or his fame throughout the Empire. I shall only take one principal instance. ; “From the time that he received his appointment, he was in the habit, when on his way to the tribunal and before taking his place there, to pay distant worship in a corridor which faced the west. Here a tea-mill! was placed, and the paper slides being drawn, Shigehide seated himself behind them and heard the cases while grinding the tea with his own hand. Everybody won- dered at this conduct, but no one dared to question him. Many years afterwards he was asked the reason, and replied : ‘Well, the reason why I worshipped afar in a corridor which faced the west before taking my place in the tribunal was this: I was worshipping the gods of Atago. I was told that among all the many gods these were the most efficacious, and I offered a prayer to them when I thus worshipped. I said in my prayer: “In deciding the. cases which are brought before Shigehide this day, may there be nothing to which his heart is un- equal. If he errs and allows selfish motives to influence him, may the gods be pleased that same moment to take away his life.” And I adjured them daily, in virtue of my ? A small hand-mill of stone used for reducing tea to powder before making the infusion. The whole is then drunk—leaves and all, HAKUSEKI 251 profound trust in them for years, not to let me live if self should get the better of me. “* Another thing which I thought to interfere with clearness of judgment is the emotion of the heart. A really good man will not allow such emotion to arise. Shigehide [himself], however, could not reach this per- fection. So in order to test my heart and ascertain whether it was calm or perturbed, the only expedient I could think of was to grind tea. When my heart was steady and calm, my hand was accordant with it. The mill then went round smoothly, and the powdered tea which fell from it was beautifully fine. I knew when the tea fell down in a fine powder that my heart was free from emotion. Not till then did I pronounce judgment. “<The reason why I heard cases with a paper screen interposed was this: Taking men in general, a glance at their faces shows that some are ill-favoured and others prepossessing ; some are honest-looking, others knavish. There are many such varieties—more than I can tell. On looking at them we are apt to conclude that the honest- looking man’s evidence is true, and that the actions of the knavish-looking fellow are all false, though they may be straightforward enough. We think that the plaint of the man of prepossessing appearance shows that he has been wronged, and that the contention of the ill-favoured man is erroneous. In all these cases the heart is moved by what we see with our eyes. Even before the wit- nesses utter a word, we say in our hearts, “Such a one is a knave, such a one is right, such a one is straightforward,” so that when we come to hear the evidence we are apt to wrest it to our preconceived ideas. But very frequently it is seen during the trial that among prepossessing coun- 252 JAPANESE LITERATURE tenances some belong to men who are truly detestable, and that of ill-favoured men some are deserving of sym- pathy. Among the honest-looking there are knaves, and true men among the knavish-looking. Men’s hearts are hard to know, and the plan of judging of them by their looks will not answer. . . . Even for those against whom there is no charge, it must be a terrible thing to appear in a court of justice. Some there are who, when they see before them the man in whose hands are life and death, are bewildered and cast down to such a degree as to be unable to plead what they might in their defence. When I reflected on this I felt that it was after all better that the judge and the prisoner should not see,one another face to face. This was my reason for taking my seat with a screen interposed,’” Next to the Hankampu, Hakuseki’s most important work is the Zokushi Yoron, which was written by order of lyenobu in 1712. It gives for the first time a general view of Japanese history for two thousand years, dwelling more particularly on periods of change and revolution, and showing the connection of events in a way which had never been previously attempted. Its historical value is considerable, but the style is not considered equal to that of his earlier work. Iyenobu became Shogun in 1709. From this time forward Hakuseki, although holding no definite position in the government, was his constant adviser in state affairs. His influence was given on the side of common- sense and justice. One of the first matters he was con- cerned in was a currency question. To meet the expenses of the installation of the new Shogun, the Minister of Finance, Hagiwara Shigehide, proposed various schemes a eS a ee en HAKUSEKI 25 3 involving the debasing of the currency. These were vigorously opposed by Hakuseki, and with complete success, Hagiwara being deprived of office, and the cur- rency at length (in 1714) placed on a solid foundation. A more doubtful financial measure taken by his advice restricted the export of gold and silver, and limited the number of vessels engaged in foreign commerce. Throughout Iyenobu’s reign Hakuseki was the acknow- ledged authority on financial matters. In 1741 an embassy arrived from Corea. He was charged with the negotia- tions, and acquitted himself with great credit. At this time he received the title of Chikugo no Kami, and a grant of 500 kokus of rice annually. His strong interest in foreign affairs is evidenced by a little work called Gojiryaku, a collection of memoranda (still in manu- script) on Loochoo, the forms of diplomatic intercourse, the movement of specie, &c. To us Europeans the most interesting episode in Hakuseki’s life is his relations with an unfortunate Italian missionary, Father Sidotti, who landed alone in the province of Satsuma in 1708, with some wild hope of being allowed to preach the Christian religion in Japan. He was at once arrested, and ultimately sent to Yedo, where, after some time had elapsed, he was handed over to Hakuseki for examination. In the Sezya Kibun (“Notes of the Western Ocean”), Hakuseki has given a history of this affair, to which he has appended such information regarding the geography and history of European countries as he was able to extract from this unhappy man. Owing chiefly to difh- culties of interpretation, it is meagre in the extreme, but yet interesting as the first attempt of a Japanese writer to give an account of Europe. 254 JAPANESE LITERATURE Sidotti produced in Hakuseki that mixed feeling of perplexity and irritation which contact with a profound religious faith so often excites in thinkers of the positive type. The devotion to his sovereign and religious chief (for so Hakuseki thought it) which prompted him at the _ Pope’s command to journey to so distant a country, and there for six years to undergo peril and suffering, ap- pealed strongly to a man who had himself a stern sense of duty.