, 1894-06-16

Abiding to the prosperity of the society, Sir
Edwin said II liken it III my W mind to
the bamboo clump i'll my garden at Azabu,
which grew so fast that my NyeEya-- my
gardener-said '1f you hang your hat upon
it, Danna San, to night, you will want a lad
der to get it in the morning" Laughter
Nor let it be supposed that we English ina
CINE ourselves to be the teachers and you OF
Japan merely the learners in this happy anti
increasing friendship between the two EN-
pires. There can be no countryman Of mine
here present, knowing the beautiful islands
whu will not agree with me that Japan can
instruct US in much. We admire the secret of
that delicate, artistic gift, which IS so uni
versal IN your nation and makes you the
Greeks of Asia. Our less supple Western
fingers will never sweep subtle and instanta-
neous curves of life and motion with q moist
brush like those Of Okyo and Hokusai, nor
turn tiny worries into exquisite laughing
A.etsaktes. nor mould and chisel bronze and
copper eagles, which can almost futter their
pinions and blink at the sun their eyes. But
teach us, if you can. more OF the soft and
gracious manners which render existence ia
your high-bredi land a dignity and delight.
Imp!ant in Us some of the noble reverence
for age, that gratitude TO parents, that honour
able respect for the past which makes grey
hairs in Japan a natural diadem, and which,
by accustoming children to render back to
their parents the debts of love and duty, have
banished from Japanese homes a%yarice,
covetousness, and domestic anxiety. In
struct us in the arts by which, while we here
expend 500, 000, 900 per year on our paupers
you have no poor law at oil, no unions, and
yet no mendicants in your streets. Tell US
how we can make our population delight in
cleanliness, as yours d. es, so that the Ommon
kuramai 40 can boast a skin like the lady Of
the Court ana feet and hands as fair and
seemly. Impart not your religion, for Ne
have plenty of that here, but the gentle and
gladstone spirit in Japan which beantites
piety and takes away from life it's idle worries
and from death It's needless terrors. | often
sadly think that the japanese common people
derive more natural Joy III one year Of their
earthly exis tence than the communities OF
England IN d America enjoy in their entire
worldly SD an. 1t is impossible that a
splendid future should not lie before She
Empire of the Rising Sun. History ~fOreSecs
it in the wonderful aGapt;veness With which
Japan has passed through The OjishiH-
the great earthquake of her revolution, in the
homogeueity of her 100000 900 OF Inhabitants,
in their patriotism, courage, simplicity, en- :
dutance, artistic aud industrial gifts. Histo-
ry ~foresees it i'll the happy fortune which
gave her, at the crisis Of destiny, an Emperor
80 enlightened, r~esolute, and such wise
Imperial advisers, of whom We behold ID the
chair a very worthy example, to assist his
Minister'S c%ounSels. | had the honour, by
Imperial invitation, to be present OF the
military maneuvIes near Nagoya, two or
three years ago, and saw in the field 10000
japanese troops, which, for marching and
fighting powers, would thoroughly have sat
isfed the highest and the best military
critics. And once, when | asked of Captain
Ingles, chief Naval Adviser to the Japanese
Admiralty of Dat Nippon, what he privately
thought of the japanese bluejackets, his
reply was Il do not know where to find fault
with them, allow or aloft." But, perhaps,
most of all found my hopes of the future
greatness and happiness of Japan upon her
women. We are honoured here tonight by
the presence of japanese ladies, and l wilS
suffer that gentle inspiration to encourage me
to repeat what I once said before an impOr-
tant assembly Of the noble ladies of Tokyo.
l had received a command from them to
speak on Western education in regard to-
women, and | commenced with the words,
whatever else we Of the West may wish or
propose to teach you, neither | nor anybody
else may pretend to instruct you how to be
better daug hters, better sisters, better wives,
or better mothers than you are here and
now" In proceeding to offer the toast Sir