342 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
and chastity in women, of self-sacrifice in performance of duty, that were 
demanded of the Samurai and even of the common people. 
In April of 1868 the Emperor swore the following memorable oath, 
known as the Imperial Oath of Five Articles : — 
1. Deliberative assemblies shall be established, and all measures of 
government shall be decided by public opinion. 
2. All classes, high and low, shall unite in vigorously carrying out the 
plan of the government. 
3. Officials, civil and military, and all the common people shall, as far as 
possible, be allowed to fulfil their just desires, so that there may 
not be any discontent among them 
4. Uncivilised customs of former times shall be broken through, and 
everything shall be based upon the just and equitable principles 
of nature. 
5. Knowledge shall be sought for throughout the whole world, so that 
the welfare of the empire may be promoted. 
Thus, as I said at the beginning of my address, we set out deliberately 
to introduce Western civilisation ; and I have tried to show that we were 
not wholly unequipped mentally and morally for the task, and that, 
through it all, we have tried to keep the Japanese spirit, the fundamental 
character of our nationality, intact. 
(Issued separately October 5 , 1907 .) 
