Japan and the Japanese

EMBASSY FROM THE PHILIPPINES. 171
The letter from the emperor to the king of England did not
differ very materially from that to the prince of Orange, already
given. [See Appendix, iS'ote I.]
In the original draught of the Privileges, there had been an
additional article, to the effect that, as the Chinese had refused to
trade with the English, in case the English should capture any
Chinese ships, they might be allowed the privilege of selling such
prizes in the Japanese ports ; but this article, upon consideration,
the emperor refused to grant.
While these documents were under consideration, a Spanish
ambassador from the Philippines had arrived at Suruga with the
request that such Portuguese and Spaniards as were in the em-
peror's territories without authority from the king of Spain might
be delivered up to be transported to the Philippines a request
occasioned by the great want of men to defend the Spanish posts
in the Moluccas against the Dutch, who \vere then preparing to
make an absolute conquest of the whole of those islands. But to
this demand the emperor replied that his country was a free coun-
try, and nobody should be forced out of it ; but if the ambassador
could persuade any of his countrymen to go, they should not be
prevented ; whereupon the ambassador departed,
not a little dis-
contented.
The day after receiving the emperor's letter and the Privileges,
being the 9th of October, Captain Saris and his company set out by
land for Miako, where the presents were to be delivered to him, over
the same road by which they had travelled from Osaka to Suruga ;
but, owing to the heavy rains and the rising of the river, their
progress was much delayed.
Miako they found to be the greatest and most commercial city of
Japan. Here, too, was the largest fotogui, or temple, in the whole
country, built of freestone, begun by the late emperor, and just
finished by the present one, as long, they estimated, as the part of
St. Paul's, in London, westerly from the choir, being as high-arched,
and borne upon pillars like that.* This temple was attended upon by
a great many bonzes, or priests, who thus obtained their living, being
* The old Gothic edifice, afterwards destroyed in the great fire of 1666, is
the one here referred to.