228 



The National Geographic Magazine 



able unit in the comity of nations. 

 Much need not be said about his public 

 acts. Facts are too abundant and con- 

 spicuous to make explanation necessary. 



His Majesty the Emperor Mutsuhito 

 was born on the 3d of November, 1852, 

 and ascended the throne in February, 

 1867. He is a person above the ordi- 

 nary Japanese height, with large, wide- 

 set eyes and broad forehead. He is 

 robust in health, studious in habit, 

 kind and sympathetic in sentiment, and 

 strong and loyal in character. Out of 

 the civil list, which is only $1,500,000 

 a year, he supports, borrowing the words 

 of Captain Brinkley, " the whole of the 

 princely families, including that of the 

 Crown Prince; he accompanies all pat- 

 ents of nobility with handsome sums; 

 he makes liberal allowances to cabinet 

 ministers by way of supplement to their 

 salaries; he pays the honoraria that goes 

 with orders and medals; he gives large 

 amounts to charitable purposes, many 

 of which escape the public attention al- 

 together, and he devotes considerable 

 sums to the encouragement of art." 

 The $65,000 which were given for the 

 entertainment of the soldiers on the 

 nth of February last, the occasion of 

 the anniversary of the foundation of the 

 Empire by the first Emperor, Jimmu, 

 came out of the Imperial purse. " His 

 manner of life is simple and frugal, and 

 it may be truly said that his record does 



not show one act unworthy of the rev- 

 erence with which his subjects regard 

 him." Indeed, the people of Japan love, 

 honor, and respect His Majesty, who 

 has so faithfully and assiduously ful- 

 filled the oath which he took on his 

 accession to the throne. 



I have heard sometimes certain sar- 

 castic remarks on the reports to the 

 Emperor from the generals and ad- 

 mirals on the field, which generally end 

 with the phrase " This glorious success 

 is due to the virtue of your Majesty." 

 To your ears this may sound strange. 

 Foreigners may take it as a mere form 

 of oriental flattery ; but to our mind 

 there is nothing more truthful and sin- 

 cere. In Japan loyalty and patriotism 

 are interchangeable terms. Were it not 

 for the devotion of men and officers to 

 "Our Lord and country," no admiral 

 or general, however great a military 

 genius he may be, could ever achieve 

 the glorious successes which crowned 

 their efforts during the present war. 



The sentiment expressed in our na- 

 tional hymn that 



" May our Lord's dominion last 

 Till a thousand years have passed 

 Twice four thousand times o'ertold. 

 Firm as changeless rock, earth-rooted, 

 Moss of ages uncomputed," 



truthfully reflects the hearts' wishes of 

 the fifty millions of his most loyal sub- 

 jects. 



