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BOOK XXII.[1]

THE EMPRESS TOYO-MIKE KASHIKI-YA-HIME.[2]

(SUIKO[3] TENNŌ.)

The Empress Toyo-mike Kashiki-ya-hime was the second[4] daughter of the Emperor Ame-kuni oshi-hiraki hiro-niha[5] and a younger sister by the same mother of the Emperor Tachibana no toyo-hi.[6] In her childhood she was called the Princess Nukada-be. Her appearance was beautiful, and her conduct was marked by propriety. At the age of eighteen, she was appointed Empress-consort of the Emperor Nunakura futo-dama-shiki.[7] When she was thirty-four years of age, the Emperor Nunakura futo-dama-shiki died. When she was thirty-nine years of age, in the 5th year and the 11th month of the reign of the Emperor Hatsuse-be,[8] the Emperor was murdered by the Oho-omi Mŭmako no Sukune, and the succession to the Dignity being vacant, the Ministers besought the Empress-consort of the Emperor Nunakura futo-dama-shiki, viz. the Princess Nukada-be, to ascend the throne. The Empress refused, but the public functionaries urged her in memorials three times until she consented, and they accordingly delivered to her the Imperial Seal.

Winter, 12th month, 8th day. The Empress-consort assumed the Imperial Dignity in the Palace of Toyora.[9]

A.D. 593. 1st year, Spring, 1st month, 15th day. Relics of Buddha

  1. From this point to the end of the work I have had the great advantage of consulting Dr. Florenz's German translation.
  2. Toyo, abundant; mi, august; ke, food; Kashikiya, cook-house; hime, princess.
  3. Suiko means "to reason from antiquity."
  4. Literally middle.
  5. Kimmei.
  6. Yōmei.
  7. Bidatsu.
  8. Sujun.
  9. In Yamato.