jbhe. 1900.1 SHIRAI.—RAftZAN 0X0. 113 



In 1808, lie was now 80 years old. His grandson and 

 pupils celebrated his 80th birth day on the 21st of March.* 

 He then published a small book entitled "Tetsuen-shotoku " (;g|||j| 

 /Win)' ar, d distributed it among his pupils as a return gift 

 for their kind entertainment. In 1809, he was 81 j-ears old. 

 He sat to Tani, a very famous artist, for his portrait. At 

 first his right profile was drawn, but he was not satisfied with 

 it, and wished to have a large excrescence on his left shoulder 

 brought out, which was produced in his later age and was 

 believed at that time to be a sign of longevity ; so this time 

 a portrait as lie was viewed from his left side was made, 

 which pleased him very much. In Januar}' 1810 he was sick 

 from the beginning of the month, but on the 25th of the same 

 month, he had the temerit\- to deliver an opening lecture in 

 " Igakkwan " (^jf^Jftff ) (another name of Seijukwan) and showed 

 to his pupils a manuscript of his new views on the origin of 

 a sort of Ginseng (AH) entitled "Kwojinsetsu " (IsSIJlift)- I' 1 

 spite of his great illness he corrected this manuscript till the 

 day of his death, which occurred on the early morning of the 

 27th of January, even as he leaned on his desk. This manuscript 

 in fac-simile was published by his grandson, and forms one of 

 the exhibits on the present occasion. As an example of his 

 good memory and acute observation, it is stated that one day 

 when he was more than 70 years old, he was invited to the 

 mansion of a high officer, in the government of Vedo, HoTTA 

 SetTSU-no-kami (#f|}IlHii£i'|t'.'j : ). and when he saw a flower-stand 

 carved out of the wood of PrutlUS Mumc, he said "This musl 

 be the wood of the- Mume-ttee of Dazaifu in the province oi 



Chikuzcn." As such was rcaly the case, Mr. HOTTA wondered 



very much at Ids remark and risked him how he came to know 

 it. He answered as follows : "When I was very young, I went 

 to Dazaifu and saw there an old Mume-tree being cut down; 

 and the form and size of the section of thai tree was exactly 

 that of this flower stand." He had extraordinary patience and 



* March i nol the exact month of his birth bill for convenience Hike, thi time 



of i he j eai t ted. 



i 5 ) 



