The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
mAssroAE LrrrnhrUns or SArAE
n Dates from the EiGhth Century Of Our
Ere, and e Yoluminoua.
Fron D. london onA cAfna T.karapA.

Japan" by w. g. Aston. @. NJ. G.. was read.
The Chairman said that tho author Of the
paper was one Of the four great authorities on
the Japanese language and literature. tho
others being Prof. Chamberlain. Mr.. Gubbins
and Sir Ernest Satow.
Mr.. Aston then proceeded to read his paper.
in the course of which he stated: The title Of
this paper will probably suggest the inquiry
whether the Japanese have any literature
which can be Justly styled classical" l ven
ture to answer this question in the Affirmative.
No doubt the term must be taken with a differ-
ence. as Is so often the case In connection with
things Japanese. We hardly expect TO ind in
any Eastern country anything like IN exact
counterpart OF the classical literature Of Greece
and Rome. But 1 think 1t will be found that
the essentials are not wanting. All three are
characterized by coherent method. lucidity and
conciseness OF style. The vehicle OF all is q
homogeneous language which has been sum-
ciently cultivated for the utterance OF the
thoughts and sentiments Of the people who
spake and wrote 1t. The same spirit which
pervades other classical literatures anlmates
that OF Japan also. namely. a refined com-
mon sense and good taste which rejects all
extravaganza, and aims rather Mt the at ex-
preston OF what ia felt and known by all than
re- rea sisF.'H Il is h nGtabHle. IN short 2r ln for fts aErtis saS
qualities rather than for It's matter. and In this
I EissPsss sO n, , fRs as, st,rittSi king gs with The TI q P%SYeS
whatever its other merits, the canons of COR
rect literary composition are little attended to.
China is indisputaple. Their obligations to tho
older classical Chinese, literature are well
TO the study Of the writings Of the Tang
dynasty, than has yet been acknowledged.
o TSE1 aSthG IP Ct th kS per. period aS 8 gqst named am fn aSkg "
have been q ~favorite with the japanese in the
tenth century. But there 10 eomparatlyely
ences. Whatever was borrowed was passed
through the alembic Of the native. genius and
out transformed into something genu-
The classical age Of Japanese literature OK
tends. roughly speaking. over q period OF 900
eleventh and twelfth centuries Of our era. The
nrst section, o. it THE Nara period begins with
more permanent basis at Nara, a beautiful spot
In the province OF Yamato. which is doubtless
we'll known to many members Of this society.
Almost all traces OF the previous one-reign
capitals have now. disappeared. But SUFFICIENT
architectural. sculpturaI and other remains are
~istence of a civilization, narrow it may be In
point Of mere geographical extent. but In some
The Nara, period corresponds pretty clogely
to our eighth century. The prose Of thise% earlier
over without notice; 1t Is not classical in char
acter or considerable In point OF quantity; It is
the Nara age is famous. The Manyoshin"
consists OF several thousand pieces, most of
which are in the metre. known as Tanka, or
short poems. the remainder being chiefly what
are called Maya nta or long POEMS, The sub
Mill humanurn a nil dtienum puto was not their
motto. There are no epics. no drama, hardly
firss oa ana s ea psr anything o dids;ct tic Or Ro re ! ss-
Nearly all are lyrical. such as elegies, courtly
effusions. sententious or sentimental ~stanzas.
moon, flowers. the song OF birds, and the vary
ing aspects OF nature are very numerous, and
testify. to the gentle disposition and refined cul-
Who were the authors Of the ,"Manyoshin"
poems? First Of all their number is legion.
Hardly any individual poets stand out con-
portion Of the 1000 or 5000 pieces Of which it
named Hitomaro and Akahito, the former noted
for. his Naga-nta, the second for his skill in
-, They formed the only cultivated class. and
was their work. But one important Character
this time shared in the mental culture Of the
stronger sex, and a Large, and important part Of
pens. Several poetesses appear in the pages OF
the " Manyoshin." while in the prose literature
Of the Heian period-the most perfect Of jig
ones are those of women. This is a very remark
able fact. more especially when We compare
HtaTe It v aao f a6asF e F tSs .l PfFifPa "a Ssg ghosan iite!'
which was written exclusively by men.
The sse IItsraf fsetiG IS that Ss t ths S%Ia1 in Sist ess Of q
the Heian period, viz, that when Heianjo(or
Kiotol was the real centre Of government Of the
49, when Kioto was made the capital. until
] when Yorit9mo tablished the rule, of the
ming ofthis period the phonetic script known
as the Kama came into use. 1t greatly simplifled
the art Of writing the Japanese language; The
exclusively Of short poems Of thirty;one syllH
to be regretted that a metre which had far
capabilities than the tiny Tanka should
have fallen into neglect for SO many centuries.
Of the "Kokinshin" are. however, of the great
est possible excellence attainable under the
One Of the principal poets of the 'Kokinshin"
was Tsurayuki. who. like, every one else whose
mems mems t niPPeaT was 9R a t t6s f2lr q Be ,i ! Syo faTS in
ing. to the "Kokinshin" some Of the best Tanka
which Il contains, he was also the chief mem;
it. The, preface by his hand is the first speci-
men OF the, true Wabul. or literary Japanese
time at which It was Written. namely. early Yin in
the tenth century. being n thoughtful and most
elegantly phrased essay on the nature OF poetry.
Another work OF the Heian period to be
noticed Is the ."'Taketori Monogatari." which
quainted with in tho translation by Mr.. F. V.
Dickins. 1t Is the first specimen Of a kind OF
great If%aaSyoriRte in Japan INA namely. ' the e0f fairS y
tale, or, to be more accurate. the mahrcfen.
1t Is the story of a moon-maiden banished
to earth for an offence against the, lunar laws,
and who gives, much trouble to her earthly
the Mikado himself included. before
she returns to her celestial home ina flying
both sentiment and humor,, but the Language
has hardly yot attained to classical perfection.
Of Japanese literature are the ",Genji Monoga-
tart and the "Maknra Zoshi." both written by
about A. d. 1000; The author OF the CENT was
n Indy of noble birth. known to us as Mura-
saki no Shikikp. who held ar. Official position
IN the court OF the Mi ado OF the day. 1t ia the
OF the love adventures of n beautiful
and accomplished Prince named Hlkaru Gonil,
Is Of enormous length and brings the life Of the
down, to his ffty-third year. comprising
y;four books in all. About n third. OF the
book has been translated into English
by Mr.. X. Suyematsu.
What Murasaki no Shikiku did for Japanese
was to add to it a new kind Of compo-
sitio4. viz. the novel or epic of real life. as 1t
has been called. She was the Richardson OF
Japan. nnd her genius rcsembled his in many
70 MS or to the authors modern Gountrynen.