serfs. His two assistants, Yenowi no Muraji and Oshizaka no Muraji, did not correct the faults of their chief, but on the contrary joined with him in prosecuting their own advantage. They have moreover taken away horses belonging to the Kuni no Miyakko. Sumi, Utena no Atahe, although at first he remonstrated with his chief, yet at last became corrupt along with him. The inferior officials are all guilty of offences. The offence of Ki no Marikida no Omi consists in having sent men to Asakura no Kimi and Winouhe[1] no Kimi to fetch their horses for him to look at. Further, he made Asakura no Kimi manufacture swords. Further, he got from Asakura no Kimi his bow-cloth.[2] Further, he did not honestly return to their owners the articles sent by the Kuni no Miyakko in lieu of weapons, but delivered them to the Kuni no Miyakko in an irregular manner.[3] Further, in the province committed to his charge, he allowed himself to be robbed of a sword. Further, in (XXV. 25.) the province of Yamato he allowed himself to be robbed of a sword. These are the offences of Ki no Omi and of his assistants, Oho-guchi, Miwa no Kimi, and Momoyori, Kahabe no Omi. Their subordinate officials, Shihatsu, Kahabe no Omi, Tajihi no Fukame, Mozu no Nagaye, Katsuraki no Saigusa, Naniha no Kuhikame, Inukahi no Isogimi, Maro, Iki no Fubito, Tajihi no Inume[4]—these eight persons, all are guilty of offences. The offence of Adzumi no Muraji consists in this—that when Wadoku no Fubito was ill, he caused the Kuni no Miyakko to send (him?) government property. Further, he took horses belonging to the Yube.[5] The offence of his assistant Momoyori,
- ↑ Now pronounced Inoüye.
- ↑ The meaning of this phrase is not quite clear. Cloth was the money of the period, and perhaps the bow-cloth was by way of commutation for bows to be furnished, or an allowance for making bows. Or it may have been one of the articles referred to in the next clause as deposited with the local authorities as a security for arms lent out.
- ↑ The "Shukai" editor's rendering is—"reported falsely to the Kuni no Miyakko that they had done so."
- ↑ It may be observed that the higher ranks of the local authorities seem to have been filled from the old nobility. Most of the subordinates, as appears from this passage, had no titles, only a personal name and a name indicative of the locality of their birth or residence.
- ↑ The Yube was originally a Be for the purpose of providing hot baths for some Emperor or Prince. This term was also applied to the village where
