Japan and the Japanese

372 JAPAN. A. 1). 1C91 1G92.
fluid and comfort the spirits. This general answer proved not
altogether satisfactory; for I was quickly desired to let them know
the name of this excellent medicine, upon which, knowing that
whatever was esteemed by the Japanese had long and high-sounding
names, I returned in answer it was the Sal volatile Oleosum Sylrii.
This name was minuted down behind the lattices, lor which purpose
I was commanded to repeat it several times. The next question
was, who it was that found it out, and where it was found out ?
I answered, Professor Sylvius, in Holland. Then they asked
whether I could make it up. Upon this our resident whispered
me to say no but I ; answered, yes, I could make it up, but not
here. Then it was asked whether it could be had at Batavia ; and
having returned, in answer, that it was to be had there, the emperor
desired that it should be sent over by the next ships.
" The emperor, hitherto seated almost opposite to us, at a
considerable distance, now drew nearer, and sat himself down
on our right, behind the lattices, as near us as possible. He or-
dered us to take off our cappas, or cloaks, being our garments of
ceremony; then to stand upright, that he might
have a lull view of
us; again to walk, to stand still, to compliment each other, to dance,
to jump, to play the drunkard, to speak broken Japanese, to read
Dutch, to paint, to
sing,
to put our cloaks on and off. Meanwhile
we obeyed the emperor's commands in the best manner we could, I
joining to my dance a love-song in High German. In this manner,
and with innumerable such other apish tricks, we must suffer our
selves to contribute to the emperor's and the court's diversion. The
ambassador, however, is free from these and the like commands, ibr,
as he represents the authority of his masters, some care is taken
that nothing should be done to injure or prejudice the same ; and
besides he showed so much gravity on his countenance and whole
behavior, as was sufficient to convince the Japanese that he was
not at all a fit person to have such ridiculous and comical commands
laid upon him.
" Having been thus exercised for a matter of two hours, though
with great apparent civility, some shaved servants came in and put
before each of us a small table with Japanese victuals, and a couple
of ivory sticks instead of knives and forks. We took and eat some
little things, and our old chief interpreter, though scarce able to