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244

"KO-JI-KI," OR RECORDS OF ANCIENT MATTERS.

[vol. xxxii.

Heavenly Sovereign [numbered] altogether twenty-six (eleven Kings and fifteen Queens). Of these His Augustness Oho-sazaki [was he who after wards] ruled the Empire.


[SECT. CV.—EMPEROR Ō-JIN (PART II.—HE DIVIDES THE INHERITANCE BETWEEN HIS THREE SONS).]

Hereupon the Heavenly Sovereign asked His Augustness Oho-yama-mori and His Augustness Oho-sazaki, saying: "Which think ye the dearer, "an elder child or a younger child?" (The reason why the Heavenly Sovereign propounded this question was because it was his intention[1] to make Uji-no-waki-iratsuko rule the Empire.) Then His Augustness Oho-yama-mori said: "The elder child is the dearer." Next His Augustness Oho-sazaki, knowing the august feehng which made the Heavenly Sovereign deign to ask [the question] , said: "The elder child, having already become a man, gives no trouble; but the younger child, not being yet a man, is the dearer." Then the Heavenly Sovereign said: "My lord Sazaki's words agree with my thoughts," and forthwith ordained the division [of the inheritance] thus: His Augustness Oho-yama-mori to administer the government of the mountains and the sea,[2] His Augustness Oho-sazaki to take and deign to report on the government of the realm,[3] and Uji-no-waki-iratsuko to rule the succession of Heaven's sun.[4] So His Augustness Oho-sazaki was not disobedient to the Heavenly Sovereign's commands.[5]


[SECT. CVI.—EMPEROR Ō-JIN (PART III. HE WOOES PRINCESS MIYA-NUSHI-YA-KAHA-YE).]

One day[6] the Heavenly Sovereign, when he had crossed over into the land of Afumi, augustly stood on the moor of Uji, gazed on the moor of Kadzu, and sang, saying:

  1. ↑ Literally, "heart."
  2. ↑ I.e., Motowori thinks, to have control over the guilds of foresters and fishermen.
  3. ↑ I.e., to act as regent or minister.
  4. ↑ I.e., to inherit the empire.—It will be remembered that the Japanese Emperors claim to descend from the Sun-Goddess.
  5. ↑ This statement refers proleptically to the contrary course which was taken by the elder Oho-yama-mori.
  6. ↑ Literally, "one time."
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