more especially to women and children, and their language is the ordinary colloquial speech of Kiōto and Ōsaka. Works of this kind are much despised in Japan by the learned, who look upon the language of ordinary life as quite unfitted for literature. These discourses, however, are not without merit; the style is homely, but vigorous and direct, and they are admirably suited to arouse the minds of the ignorant to some sense of the cardinal truths which underlie all systems of morality.
The best are the collections entitled Kiuō Dōwa, Shingaku Dōwa, and Teshima Dōwa. Of these the Kiuō Dōwa is undoubtedly the most amusing. Indeed, it may safely be said that few more entertaining sermons are to be found anywhere. But the reader must not be squeamish. For although of unexceptionable morality, and addressed virginibus puerisque, the stories and illustrations with which this and others of these collections abound are frequently of a very Rabelaisian character. The Shingaku Dōwa is somewhat more scrupulous in this respect, and reaches a higher level in every other way except that it is unfortunately less amusing.
Three sermons from the Kiuō Dōwa have been translated by Mr. Mitford in his Tales of Old Japan. One of these, comprising the original text, notes, a romanised version, and an English translation, was published by the late J. O'Neill as a First Japanese Book.
The Shingaku movement received a good deal of official support and countenance, and attracted much public attention, during the first half of the nineteenth century; but it is not surprising that it ultimately proved abortive. The attempt to reconcile three such conflicting elements as Buddhism, Shinto, and Confucianism was in reality hopeless.
