The sun., 1919-07-27

emperor, had. In tho remote past, Deem
apportioned and let to lords or land
barons in consideration OF service to
their master. One-ninth OF each farm
was cultivated for the Mikado and its
produce was annually delivered to the
imperial treasury with great ceremony
which was also made the occasion for
much festivity. The quantity Of land
allotted to different lords varied ac-
cordling to their influence at court, ana
some Of them controlled immense ter
ritories. These overiords were called
Daimyos. Their fiefs ran in value
from those assessed at 10000 bales OF
rice per year to the richest, that OF
Kaea, which returned to the treasury
not less than a million bales year.
The introduction from China OF
Buddhism in the sixth century after
Christ. worked a momentous change
In Japanese customs and thought, and
Chinese institutions crept in with the
new religion. Undoubtedly the most
far reaching OF these innovations was
the doctrine of Capitalization of gov
ornmental power, with the Mikado as
the chief and provincial governors
under him. The idea of mystical re-
| search and contemplation, SO ele-
mental a concept Of the Buddhist cult.
became prevalent, and the practice
grew UP for the emperors. as old age
approached, to abdicate their Office in
order to spend their declining years
In meditation and prayer, a custom
which before long degenerated to such
an extent that the Mikados surren-
dered themselves, from youth, to lives
of Incidence and debauchry, sur
rounded by women and priests. or. less
often. to the pursuit of literature and
art. This enabled the more powerful
and ambitious mobiles gradually to Sc
| cure the reins of Government, and,
from the beginning of the eighth CEN
| fury on, the power OF the State was
engrossed by one puissant family after
another. its chief assuming the title
Of Shotgun. Nevertheless, as has been
stated, the Mikado always remained
the titular head Of authority, and, in
deed, the profound reverence of the
| people for the Heaven descended i'm
| periaf line forbade even a thought of
its deposition.
The term Shotgun" means literally
generalissimo. and was first employed
to designate the commander of the
imperial armies sent to subdue the
aboriginal Anus in the northern part
Of the empire. About 1884, Yoritomo
a man of great force, who then bore
the title, made himself the custodian
of the person of the Mikado, and as
Stunning the further title of keeper OF
the palace, boldly monopolized the rule
Of the nation. His relatives were APP
pointed to be military governors OF
the principal provinces, and he estab-
lished headquarters, virtually second
court, at Kamakura, whence he
exercised his dictatorship over the
land. From that date each successive
Shotgun continued in the same course
Naturally feuds arose between pow
erful families which led to bloody in
ternal contests and changes of rule
but the victor always exerted supreme
power in the same manner as had his
predecessor. Thus Japan was con-
trolled by the F'ujiwara (670-1050)
Minamoto t1050-1200), HOBO (12O5.
1880, Ashikaga Q33s-1575) and To.
kugawa G600-1S67) families for more
than a millennium. The outstanding
figures in this long period were Yori.
tomo (1184), Nobunaga (1574), Hide.
yoshi (6S6) and, most revered of al
and regarded as a demigod, Iyeyasl
$4,000, who founded Yedo, the modern
lefty OF Toxic. In later years, afteI
japan had been opened to the west
ern world by our own Commodore
Perry, the Shoguns were known as
Tycoons, name supposed by some to
be a western corruption Of the native
word.
Next in rank to the Shotgun were
the Daimyos, whose direction of their
provinces was little interfered with
from Kyoto, so long as they produced
their allotted taxes and furnished
troops when required. Many of them
of course. were enormously wealthy
and welded almost unlimited power
and when, in the middle of the six
toenth century. in the endeavor tc
stamp out Christianity which had
been introduced in the island by Port.
uguese and Spanish friars, the coun-
try fell into a state of practical an
archy. each baron became a law unto
himself and preyed upon his weaker
fellows. Some went further an6
Ipreyed upon the world at large anC
iamassed immense riches as pirates or
he high seas. To protect their owr
domains or to enlarge their boundar,
les, they found 1t convenient to create
land maintain permanent bodies O
armed retalners who eventually de
veloped into a distinct military caste
the dominant class, distinguished al
Samurai, a designation first applied t.
the guards of the imperial palace O
Kyoto. while the farmers gradually de
Perforated into mere serfs. tillers o
the soil and producers OF taxes. hardly
better in condition than slaves. In tn,
later days since the revolution OF 1867
the Samurai have formed the clan o
, gentlemen II not rulers in Japan an,
to them much of the Initiative Of tn
race is attributable.
The following account of a LondoI
sale has special interest for New
, Workers., as Knoedler & Co wer
among the most important buyers.
On June "a, at Christie's, tapestrie
from the late Duke of NorfoIk's col
lection and from other sources wer
: sold. Three Brussels panels of An
III The Bush Ter