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334 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
when the imperial court opened a hall wherein all
samurai might freely express their opinions on political
affairs. This was mightily different from the
old days of repression of speech and thought, when
hara-kiri was the penalty of discussion or innova-
tion. Nevertheless there were fanatics who could
and a few months
not discern the signs of the times ;
later, in this same year, they shed the blood of Sakuma
Ei in the streets of Kyoto, because he used a
European saddle and bridle and advocated opening
Japan to foreign civilization.
The Tycoon and his gorgeous train arrived in the
capital late in April. Before the imperial throne
and the Mikado, who sat behind a screen, his face
being invisible, he made his obeisance on his knees
as vassal of the emperor. He stayed in the castle
of Nijo, while the prince of Satsuma left the city.
The one burning question which was now on all
lips in Kyoto was that of driving out the foreigners
and shutting up Yokohama and the ports. The
court sent the prince of Mito to Yedo to superin-
tend the ugly job, which the most ignorant Japanese,
like hermits or children, supposed they could accom-
plish ;
and all the daimios whose dominions bordered
the sea were ordered home to prepare for war.
The ronins and samurai came frequently to wait
upon the prince of Echizen on the subject, and
urged him to name a day when the foreigners should
be swept away like vermin ; but this enlightened
prince knew only too well the difficulties in the way,
the power of the nations of Christendom, the weak-