history of japan - Library

had been confiscated, and the house of Kira ruined. Ōishi
voiced the gratitude of the rōnin for the punishment meted
out to the house of their foe, though indeed, he said, they
had no cause for ill-will against Sahyōye himself.
Then one after another, according to their rank, they were
summoned to the platform expressly reared for the purpose
outside the great reception hall, and there in due order
calmly made an end of themselves.
It must not be forgotten that at the time, Ōishi and his
comrades were lordless men, and so not legally entitled to
the privileges of samurai. But, as a matter of fact, the death
sentence on them was pronounced and carried out in a
fashion that had never before fallen to the lot of mere
ordinary retainers. The treatment accorded the whole band
was such as was wont to be accorded great Daimyō, and
other immediate feudatories of the Shōgun.
For an exhaustive examination of all the official and other
documents bearing upon this famous episode, we are
indebted to Mr. Shigeno, one of the most scientific of
modern Japanese historians. One result of his laborious
researches is that, while a certain amount of the
picturesque gets consigned to the limbo of the storytellers'
hall (Yosé), the true story of Ōishi Kuranosuke adds
considerably to his moral and intellectual stature. The
authentic evidence goes to show that his conduct
throughout was marked with singular moderation and