ACT IV.

Enya Hangwan being confined in his house, the town-mansion at Ogigayatsu has its gates closed with large bamboo poles, and none but the members of the household is allowed to go in or out; strictly is the house guarded. Even in such a plight, gay are the waiting-women as they amuse themselves in the inner rooms. Lady Kaoyo sits with Oboshi Rikiya at her side. To enliven her lord’s spirits, she has laid before her a basket of cherry-blossoms, double and treble flowered, from the hills of Kamakura; but far more beautiful than the flowers is the lady who is arranging them. Along the passage of the Willow Chamber comes Hara Goemon, a chief of troops, followed by Ono Kudayu.

Goemon. Ah, Master Chikara, you have come early.

Chikara. No; until my father arrives from the country, I attend here day and night.

Goemon. That is very dutiful of you.

Recitative. Goemon lays both his hands on the mat.

Goemon. How does my lord feel, this morning?

Kaoyo. Thank you for coming, both of you. I feared much lest my lord should sink into low spirits and fall ill; but he looks cheerful and gazes from morning till evening at the flowers in the garden. And so, for his diversion, I have had these famous cherry-blossoms brought and am arranging them as you see.

Goemon. Yes, it is as you say, my lady. Your idea is that as the flowers open, they presage that the gates will be opened and our lord released from confinement. I thought, too, of bringing something of the sort; only I am a poor hand in devising emblems. But I have forgotten to speak of an important matter. I hear that the Shogun’s envoys will be here to-day, and I have no doubt they will come to release our lord from confinement. Do you not think so, Master Kudayu?

Kudayu. Ha, ha, ha! Why, Master Goemon, these flowers gladden men’s eyes only for a while, and then are scattered by the wind. Your words are like them. To give others pleasure, you pay in a way unworthy of a samurai compliments, from which the gilt comes off as readily as from the New Year’s wishes. Ask me why I say so. Our lord, whose duty it was to entertain the guests, wounded one who is the head of the government and caused a great uproar in the Palace; the penalty for his offence is at the lightest banishment and at the heaviest seppuku. It was, in fact, a great mistake of our lord to make an enemy of Lord Moronao.

Goemon. What, do you, then, wish for our lord’s banishment or death?

Kudayu. No, I do not wish for it; but I only speak the plain truth. It all arose from your stinginess, Master Goemon. If you had thrown gold to Moronao, it would not have happened.

Recitative. From his own greed he judges of others.

Goemon. No, it is unworthy of a knight to fawn upon others. Do you not think so, Master Rikiya?

Kaoyo. Do not quarrel, you two. My husband’s trouble arose entirely from me. The other day, when there was an entertainment at Tsurugaoka, that lawless Moronao urged his insolent love to me who have a lord. I wished to punish him by humiliating him; and so, without telling my lord, I sent him an old ode on chastity on the pretence of asking his criticism of my own composition. Put to shame, he abused Lord Hangwan in revenge for my rejection of his love. Was it not natural that my lord, who is hasty of temper, could ill brook his insults?

Recitative. When she has spoken, both Goemon and Rikiya show in their looks their deep sympathy for their lord in his anger. The envoys’ arrival is announced at the porch and in the reception-room, and is also reported in the inner rooms; Lady Kaoyo sits back, and the three men have hardly gone forward to meet them before the envoys enter. They are Ishido Umanojo and Moronao’s intimate friend, Yakushiji Jirozaemon. As they have come on duty, they pass without ceremony and take seats in the upper part of the chamber. From another room quietly comes in Enya Hangwan.

Hangwan. Ha, my Lord Ishido, I thank you for coming as the Shogun’s Envoy. Tell them to prepare wine. When I have heard His Highness’s will, I will partake of wine with you all and cheer my spirits.

Yakushiji. Yes, that is a bright idea, and I, too, will drink with you. But I fancy, when you have heard His Highness’s order, the wine will hardly go down your throat.

Ishido. Now, listen carefully to the order which we have brought to you to-day.

Recitative. He draws the written order from his breast and opens it; and Hangwan sits with reverence.

Ishido. These are the words: “Where-as Enya Hangwan Takasada did, out of private hate and malice, attack and wound the Governor Kono Moronao and cause a great disturbance in the Palace, his domain is confiscated and he is ordered to commit seppuku.”

Recitative. On hearing this, Lady Kaoyo is amazed; and the retainers in the chamber exchange glances, and are dumbfounded. Hangwan remains calm and composed.

Hangwan. I humbly submit to His Highness’s will. Now, you will rest yourselves after your arduous duty is done and take a cup of wine.

Yakushiji. Now, Hangwan, be silent. You ought to be thankful that for your crime, for which the penalty should be death by strangling, you are ordered by His Highness’s clemency to commit seppuku; and you should at once prepare for death. Besides, there is the etiquette for committing seppuku. What do you mean by dressing yourself up in a long haori[1] of the present fashion? Have you been drinking, or have you run mad? You are wanting in courtesy to Lord Ishido and me, Yakushiji, who are here by His Highness’s command.

Recitative. As he rebukes him, Hangwan smiles.

Hangwan. I am neither merry with wine, nor am I mad. When I heard that the envoys were coming to-day, I expected to receive this sentence. I will show you how I am prepared.

Recitative. He puts down his swords and takes off his haori and upper garment; and he appears in the white, uncrested robe of death. All are astonished at the sight; and Yakushiji, disappointed, sinks into sulky silence. Umanojo approaches Hangwan.

Ishido. I heartily sympathise with you. I am here to see the sentence carried out. You will calmly prepare yourself.

Hangwan. I thank you for your kind words. When I drew my sword, I was prepared for the sentence. My only regret is that I was held back by Kakogawa Honzo in the Palace and prevented from slaying Moronao. I am mortified beyond expression and can never forget it. Like Kusunoki Masashige[2] who declared at Minatogawa that he would lengthen his life by the force of his iron will at the last moment, I will return to life again and again until my vengeance is wreaked.

Recitative. While he utters these angry words, the sliding-door of the adjoining room is rapped.

Retainers. We, the retainers of the house, beg to be permitted to look once more upon our lord’s face. May we present ourselves before him? Inquire for us, Master Goemon.

Recitative. On hearing the retainers’ request, Goemon turns to his lord.

Goemon. How shall I answer them, my lord?

Hangwan. Their request is natural; but I cannot permit them until Yuranosuke comes.

Recitative. Goemon turns to the sliding-door of the next room.

Goemon. You have heard our lord’s will, and not one of you may come in.

Recitative. The retainers have not a word to say in reply, and the whole room is deadly still. At the word from his lord, Rikiya brings the dirk which he has ready for the self-immolation and places it before his lord. Calmly Hangwan doffs the kataginu[3] and sits more at ease.

Hangwan. Now, my lords, see the sentence carried out.

Recitative. He draws the wooden stand towards him and, taking up the dirk, raises it to his head.

Hangwan. Rikiya, Rikiya.

Rikiya. My lord.

Hangwan. Yuranosuke.......

Rikiya. Has not yet come, my lord.

Hangwan. H’m. I am sorry, I deeply regret, that I cannot see him before I die. There is no help for it. I can wait no longer.

Recitative. He takes the dirk with the point towards him, and driving it into his left side, drags it to the right. Lady Kaoyo cannot bear to look on, but turns away, prayers on her lips and tears in her eyes. The door of the passage is suddenly pushed open, and in rushes Oboshi Yuranosuke. No sooner does he see his master’s plight than he flings himself down and bows to the floor. After him hurry in Senzaki, Yazama, and the other retainers of the house.

Hangwan. I have long been waiting for you, Yuranosuke.

Yuranosuke. To be able to look upon my lord while he is living, it is to me............

Hangwan. It is to me, too, a pleasure, a great pleasure. You have no doubt heard it all. I am truly mortified.

Yuranosuke. I have heard it all. Now that things have come to this pass, I know not what to say to my lord. I only beg that you will die bravely.

Hangwan. Oh, little need you to say so.

Recitative. With both hands he draws the dirk from side to side, and panting with pain, he takes a long breath.

Hangwan. This dirk I bequeath to you, Yuranosuke; and with it you will revenge my death.

Recitative. With the point of the dirk, he cuts his wind-pipe, and throwing down the bloody weapon, he falls forward; and his breath is gone. While his lady and the retainers present wait with closed eyes, bated breath, and clenched teeth, Yuranosuke shuffles close to his lord, and taking up the dirk, bows to it. He gazes at the bloodstained point, and clenching his fist, he weeps with despair. The last words of Hangwan have penetrated to his heart’s core. And at this moment he forms that resolution which will hand down Oboshi’s name for faith and loyalty to the remotest posterity. Yakushiji suddenly rises to his feet.

Yakushiji. Now that Hangwan is dead and gone, deliver this mansion at once.

Ishido. Nay, do not be peremptory, Yakushiji. Enya was the lord of a province and a castle. You gentlemen, when you have performed the funeral ceremony, you will quietly leave this mansion. I, who have come to carry out the sentence, will now go and report that I have seen your lord slay himself. I sympathise with you in your sorrow, Yuranosuke; and if you have anything to say to me, I will hear it, and do not scruple to tell me.

Recitative. He bows silently to the retainers present and calmly goes out.

Yakushiji. I, too, will rest in another room till this dead body is got rid of. Let my servants come. Now, throw out of the gate these retainers’ rubbish. And don’t let these new ronin make off with Hangwan’s personal property.

Recitative. He glares all around the chamber and enters another room. Lady Kaoyo bursts out crying.

Kaoyo. Ah me, is there anything more sorrowful than the samurai’s life? There was many a thing I longed to say to my lord at his last moment; but I bore my grief in silence because I feared the envoys would despise me as a faint-hearted woman. Alas, my poor, poor lord!

Recitative. She throws herself upon the body and let loose her sorrows, regardless of all around her.

Yuranosuke. Come, Rikiya. Escort at once our lord’s remains together with our lady, to the family temple of Komyoji. I will overtake you and perform the funeral ceremony. Hori, Yazama, Odera, Hazama, and others, guard them on the way.

Recitative. Immediately, the palanquin is brought in and set on a stand. The door is opened; and they all come forward and, with tears, place the remains within and silently lift up the palanquin. They comfort their lady who is lamenting piteously. The retainers escort the palanquin and hurry to the family temple. A few see it to the door and, returning, resume their seats. Out speaks Ono Kudayu.

Kudayu. Master Oboshi, you succeeded your father, Master Yawata Rokuro, as Chief Councillor. Though I am next to you in rank, I and all of us are from to-day ronin. We have no means of supporting wife and children. Let us, then, divide among ourselves the money which our lord kept for military use, and deliver this mansion at once, or we shall be wanting in respect to Yakushiji.

Yagoro. No; in my opinion, since it arouses our anger to see our enemy Kono Moronao still alive, we should prepare for the attack of our enemy and make our last stand in this mansion.

Sadakuro. Ah, wait. It is a bad idea, that of dying in fight. The best plan is, as my father Kudayu says, to hand over the mansion and divide the money.

Recitative. During this discussion, Yuranosuke has remained silent; but now he speaks out.

Yuranosuke. The proposal that Yagoro has made in this council agrees with my plan. We should really die and follow our lord; but I have decided that, instead of our slaying ourselves to no purpose, we should wait for the troops of Ashikaga and die in battle.

Kudayu. Eh, what do you say? I thought you would give us good counsel; but no, with a ronin’s fatuous obstinacy, you would take up arms against Lord Ashikaga. That is recklessness. I cannot agree to it.

Sadakuro. Yes, you are right, father. I will not agree, either. We would be left out of this consultation. It is useless to remain here any longer. Let us go home.

Kudayu. Yes, we will do so. I take my leave; but pray, do not go yet, gentlemen.

Recitative. And father and son, they go home together.

Yagoro. Ha, the avaricious Ono and his son! What cowards, to be filled with fear when they hear that we are going to die fighting, and then to run away. Do not mind them, Master Oboshi, but let us prepare to meet the enemy.

Yuranosuke. No, no, Yagoro. What cause of anger have we against Lord Ashikaga that we should take up arms against him? It was only my plot to test the spirit of those two, father and son. Let us deliver the mansion to Yakushiji and go each his way. We will meet again at Yamashina, near the Capital, and there open our minds to one another and consult upon our future plans.

Recitative. No sooner has he spoken than Jirozaemon comes out of a room.

Yakushiji. What, still consulting? When you have got rid of the body, make over the house at once.

Goemon. Yes, we have kept you waiting. Examine well before you take over our lord’s

furniture and his arms and equipages. Come, let us go, Master Yuranosuke.

Yuranosuke. Yes, we will go.

Recitative. They quietly rise; and as the thought comes to them that they are looking for the last time to-day at the mansion where their families for generations served day and night their lord’s house, they linger and gaze back, loth to leave it.

(Here the stage revolves)

Recitative. As they stand outside the gate, Rikiya, Yazama, Hori, Odera, and others, who escorted their lord, return running.

Rikiya and Others. Have you, then, given up the mansion? We will now wait for Tadayoshi’s troops and die fighting.

Yuranosuke. No, no. Now is not the time to die. See this, all of you.

Recitative. He draws and holds up his lord’s bequest.

Yuranosuke. This is the dirk, with its tip stained with our lord’s blood, on which his soul still rests thirsting for vengeance. And with this dirk we must cut off Moronao’s head and so accomplish our object.

Recitative. The retainers are stirred by his words. Within the mansion Yakushiji is having the gate-doors clamped.

Yakushiji. They are punished by Heaven for the attack on Lord Moronao. It serves them right.

Recitative. His servants clap their hands and laugh long and loud. The younger samurai run back to the gate, crying:—

Samurai. Do you hear that?

Yuranosuke. Have you no wish to avenge our late lord’s death?

Recitative. Hearing his words, they all go out together, looking back with anger at the mansion.