Review of Reviews, ljSj06. 



Leading Articles. 



189 



THE MIKADO, HIS SUBJECTS AND HIS WIVES. 



Mrs. Hugh I'raser contributes to the Fortnightly 

 Rcvieiv a most interesting paper on the Emperor of 

 Japan. She recalls that it was during the first sum- 

 mer of the Emperor's life that Commodore Vexry 

 made his memorable descent upon Japan, and adds, 

 "It is as if a thousand years of the world's history 

 had been pressed by some magical alembic into the 

 span of one human life." The extraordinary venera- 

 tion in which the Emperor's person and influence are 

 held by his subjects is declared to be no fashion or 

 pretence, but a real faith: — 



When such men as Marshal Oyama, General Kuroki, 

 General Nogi. Admiral Togo, aat-ribe victories, every detail 

 of which tliey have strenuously and patiently organised, to 

 the " Virtue of the Emperor," I know that it is not a form 

 of words, hut the expression of an immutable belief that 

 without such protection their best efforts would have been 

 made in vain. 



■• THE MOVING FORCE WITH US IS EEUGION." 



The explanation of this strange " Virtue of the 



I'.mperor '' was given to the writer by one who stands 



liij^h in his Majesty's immediate entourage: — 



■ We do not call ourselves Christians," said my friend. 

 ■ liut the very truth about us is that the moving force 

 ^^ ith us is Religion. This is the iiever-to-be-sltaken founda- 

 tion of our loyalty, our statesmanship, our naval and mili- 

 tary prowess. We feel th.at the Ancestors of the Emperor 

 (who are also ours, since the whole nation forms but one 

 family) are on our side, that tliey watch over ua, and 

 assist U3 to overcome our enemies. This is what we mean 

 when we speak of winning victories by the virtue of the 

 Emperor. You in Europe say ' By tlie protection of Heaven,' 

 ' Bj- Divine intervention," but I believe that in reality most 

 of the credit of success goes to the men wlio a.re tlie visible 

 instruments of it. Our leaders, indeed, leave notliing to 

 chance. The most earnest consultation ta.kes place before 

 every move, and no effort is spared to assure the restilt. 

 But generals, officers, men feel that those efforts would be 

 ol small avail were not the ui.seen Heavenly Powers on 

 tlieir side, and these are, for us, the Imperial Ancestors, 

 who, beholding the people loyal to their representative on 

 earth, reward his virtues and his subjects' fidelity by be- 

 st-owing all necessar.y assistance and protection. The Em- 

 lieror is our Father— each of us feels towards him the 

 strongest filial affection — and you know what t.he words 

 mean in Japan ; but he is also to us as a God, and so 

 long as we are faithful and ol>edient to htm we are ful- 

 filling the mandates of religion.^' 



EDUCATION OF PRINCESSES AND PEERESSES. 



Mrs. Eraser says that through the cloud of mys- 

 ti-ry which envelops the throne there shines out 

 slowly a distinct and luminous personality, a very 

 great and remarkably noble man. His mother, who 

 still lives, was the concubine of the Emperor Komei. 

 Although the Emperor has done so much to ad- 

 \ance women's education, his daughters have been 

 brought up very much on the old lines. They have 

 been taught no sciences, and their education, com- 

 pared with that received by daughters of the no- 

 bility, seems very old-fashioned. The writer suggests 

 till- Emperor wishes to see one generation more of 

 t\Iiiral Japanese great ladies before the species 

 |i:i.s.ses away, for it is passing. The hundreds of 

 I'larming girls turned by Western education into 

 i:ill, strong, broad-shouldered women do not retain 

 the charm and urbanitv of their mothers: — 



The mothers look small and fragile beside their daugh- 

 ters; the physical advantages of modern training have 

 completely altered the physique of growing girls in .Tapan ; 

 but the manners have changed, too. and it ia only among 

 the older women that one sees them in their perfection. 



ROYAL CONCUBINAGE. 



The Emperor married the Empress when he was 

 si.xteen and she eighteen. She was a woman of 

 much ability, high character, and practical sense, 

 but she had no child. Though the practice of poly- 

 gamy is dying out, the Crown Prince not following 

 it, yet the Emperor began his reign under the old 

 regime : — 



When his Majesty came to the Throne it would havs 

 caused anxiety to the nation had he not followed the 

 custom of his forefathers. That custom was hedged rpiind 

 with stringent rules; a-ny lady chosen to fill the position 

 of handmaid to an Emperor must belong to the old Kyoto 

 nobility, and be of irreproachable character; it is always 

 kept in mind that she may become the mother of the heir 

 to the Throne. She has, it is true, no official status, and 

 never appears in society; but until recent times the 

 Mistress of the House was equally invisible. In obedience 

 to the claims of modern life she has emerged from her 

 seclusion, but the secondary ladies of an Imperial House- 

 hold have no place in the public order of things, because 

 they have no duties there. Nevertheless, in their calm, 

 uno'btrusive lives they are surrounded with affection and 

 respect— each having a perfectly organised establishment of 

 the most dignified kind. 



THE EMPEROR AT HOME. 



Mrs. Eraser reports that the Emperor finds great 

 pleasure and comfort in the society of the Empress. 

 His dav begins at five in the morning, when he goes 

 to his study to prepare for the day. He takes Sun- 

 day as a day of rest, excepting during war time. In 

 his' study he works from five till nine. He grants 

 audiences from nine to two, and then resumes his 

 work, which continues frequently till midnight. Then 

 he repairs to the Empress's apartment, and they talk 

 over things. She tries to find new interests and 

 pleasures for these periods of relaxation, which last 

 half an hour. Then the attendants withdraw. 



■' I WISH TO BE CLOSE TO THE POOREST." 



Referring to his religious functions, Mrs. Eraser 

 specially mentions his journey to the birthplace of 

 his line to give thanks at the ancient shrine of Is6 

 for the victorious end of the war. The poor little 

 old town could afford no fit lodging for the Emperor, 

 even the best houses w-ere all too mean for him. He 

 deliberately chose a little house close to the street, 

 among mean little shops, the abode of hawkers and 

 the poor: — 



" But .vour Majesty— this will never do." cried the hor- 

 rified officials; "if indeed this house is to be honoured 

 by the Imperial presence, trade must he stopped, tlie shops 

 closed, this crowd of low class people must be sent awa.v." 



"I have a wish." replied the Emperor, " to l>e close to the 

 poorest of m.v subjects for these few days. Not only shall 

 none of them be sent away, but I forbid the slightest 

 interference with the occupation by which t-hey gain their 

 livelihood. Let everything go on as if I were not here." 



The paper ends with a little poem written by the 

 Emperor for his troops in 1904 : — 



Tlie foe that strikes thee, for thy country's sake 

 Strike him with all thy might, but while thou strik'st 

 Forget not still to love him. 



In the Biblintheca Sacra for April, Mr. H. M. 

 Whitnev writes boldly upon " Fear as a Religious 

 Motive." It is a reasoned plea based on the laws of 

 nature — which governs onlv by fear — for a return to 

 the hell-nre cycle of former days. 



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