Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/48

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Kimmei.

41

Anahobe. [Otherwise called the Imperial Prince Amatsuka no ko: one writing has, "otherwise called the Imperial Prince Sumuto."] The fifth was called the Imperial Prince Hasebe.

One writing has:—"The first was called the Imperial Prince Mubaragi. The second was called the Imperial Princess Hasetsukabe Anahobe. The third was called the Imperial Prince Hasetsukabe Anahobe, otherwise called the Imperial Prince Sumuto. The fourth was called the Imperial Prince Katsuraki. The fifth was called the Imperial Prince Hasebe." One writing says:—"The first was called the Imperial Prince Mubaragi. The second was called the Imperial Prince Sumuto. The third was called the Imperial Princess Hasetsukabe Anahobe. The fourth was called the Imperial Prince Hasetsukabe Anahobe, also called the Imperial Prince Amatsuka no ko. The fifth was called the Imperial Prince Hasebe." In (XIX. 7.) the original record of the Emperors there are many old characters, which underwent frequent alterations in the hands of the compilers. Later men, in learning to read them, modified them to suit the meaning, and, owing to their being handed down by repeated copying, errors eventually arose, by which the order was disturbed, and elder and younger mistaken for one another. We have now investigated old and new, and restored the truth. In cases where it was difficult to ascertain it, we have selected and followed one (MS.?) and noted down carefully the variants. All other (passages) follow the same rule.^[1]

The next (consort) was the daughter of Kasuga no Hifuri no Omi, by name Nukako. She bore the Imperial Princess Kasuga no Yamada, and the Imperial Prince Tachibana no Maro.

↑ It is difficult to say anything of the authorship of this note. It is clearly not from the pen of the compiler of the "Nihongi." The word I have rendered "modified" is engrave (or carve)—alter (刊改), which looks rather as if block-printing were referred to. This would bring the writer down to the thirteenth century or thereabouts. The "original record of the Emperors" is very like the title of one of the parts of Shōtoku Daishi's "Kiujiki." See below, XXII. 32. The Japanese commentators give no help here.

[1] It is difficult to say anything of the authorship of this note. It is clearly not from the pen of the compiler of the "Nihongi." The word I have rendered "modified" is engrave (or carve)—alter (刊改), which looks rather as if block-printing were referred to. This would bring the writer down to the thirteenth century or thereabouts. The "original record of the Emperors" is very like the title of one of the parts of Shōtoku Daishi's "Kiujiki." See below, XXII. 32. The Japanese commentators give no help here.

[1]