appointed moment. Having heard a song in a dream, he felt that he should continue the succession; having reached the water at night, he knew that he should receive the inheritance. Nevertheless Heaven’s time was not yet, and he escaped like the cicada to the Southern Mountains; both men and matters were favourable, and he marched like the tiger to the Eastern Land. Suddenly riding in the Imperial Palanquin, he forced his way across mountains and rivers: the Six Divisions rolled like thunder, the Three Hosts sped like lightning. The erect spears lifted up their might, and the bold warriors arose like smoke: the crimson flags glistened among the weapons, and the ill-omened crew were shattered like tiles. Or ere a day had elapsed, the evil influences were purified: forthwith were the cattle let loose and the horses given repose, as with shouts of victory they returned to the Flowery Summer; the flags were rolled up and the javelins put away, as with dances and chants they came to rest in the capital city. The year was that of the Cock, and it was in the Second Moon.[1] At the Great Palace
- ↑ I.e., March (20th as the “Chronicles” tell us), A. D. 673. The original, to
is the River Yoko, which we read of in the “Chronicles” as having been crossed by him. The characters somewhat freely rendered by the English words “succession” and “inheritance” are 業 and 基, which approximate to that sense in this context. The “Southern Mountains” are the Mountains of Yoshino, whither he escaped for a season as a cicada escapes from its cast-off shell; the “Eastern Land” denotes the eastern provinces of Japan where he organized his army. The “Six Divisions” and the “Three Hosts” are Chinese designations of the Imperial troops, while the “ill-omened crew” of course refers to Tem-mu’s enemies,—Prince Ohotomo and his followers. In the ensuing sentence we see peace restored: Tem-mu has returned to the capital (for which the words “Flowery Summer” are a Chinese periphrasis), he has taken in his hands the insignia of office, and reigns supreme over the Six Cardinal Points (North, South, East, West, Above, and Below) and over the “Eight Wildernesses” (i.e., the barbarous regions on all sides). The writer concludes this division of his Preface by a glowing panegyric of the Monarch, who was, he says, superior to Hsüan Hou (軒后 Jap. Ken-Kō), and Chou Wang (周王 Jap. Shiū-Ō), famous Chinese sovereigns of the legendary period. So intelligent were his efforts, so perfect was his conformity with the ways of Heaven as displayed ni the workings of the Active and Passive Essences, that the Five Elements (Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth) all interacted with due regularity, and laudable usages alone prevailed throughout the laud. Up to this point the preface may be said to be purely ornamental.
