Japan and the Japanese

VALIGNANl'S AUDIENCE. 107
After dinner the emperor again made his appearance in undress,
and, seating himself beside Father Valignani, conversed with him for
some time. He also conversed freely with the four returned Japanese,
arid seemed much pleased at hearing them sing and play in the
European fashion. He made great offers to one of them ; but they
had all made up their minds to enter the company of the Jesuits,
which, in spite of a good deal of opposition on the part of their
friends and relations, they presently did.* Passing into the hall
where the ambassador's suite had dined, the emperor addressed
them with great familiarity, and they improved the opportunity to
complain of some oppressions, on the part of the collector of the
port of Nagasaki, which he promised should be redressed.! In the
evening, Rodriguez, a young Portuguese Jesuit, who acted as one
of Valignani's interpreters, was sent for to show the emperor how
to wind up a clock which the ambassador had presented to him.
The emperor seemed much pleased wjth Rodriguez's conversation,
detaining him till late at night. On dismissing him, he bade
him say to Father Valignani that he was at liberty to remain at
Miako or wherever he pleased, till an answer to the viceroy's let-
ter was prepared, but that he must take care that the ecclesiastics
who accompanied him comported themselves with discretion, so as
not to drive him into striking disagreeable blows. Not long after
Rodriguez was selected as the emperor's interpreter,
in which
capacity he became attached to the court, and, by his access to the
emperor and influence with him, had opportunities of rendering
essential service to his order.!
* Letters from the ambassadors to Sixtus V., written at Nagasaki after their
arrival there, and giving an account of their voyage home, may be found in
Hay's collection.
t Valignani was not the first European to obtain an imperial audience.
The same favor had been granted, as already mentioned, by Josi Tir to
Father Vilela, in 1659. Louis Froez had also been admitted, in 1665, to an
audience of the same emperor, of which he has given a short but interesting
account.
t This is the same Rodriguez whose Japanese grammars are mentioned in
note A, Appendix, and who subsequently was the writer of many annual
letters from Japan.