Chap. II. of W i L l i A 
ever the Dairy had been ; but he fuffered himfelf to be di~ 
verted from this Scheme by the Invafion of Corea. 
His Son, whofe Name, according to the Japonefe Chro- 
nicles, was Fide-Jori , fucceeded him, and is the young 
Prince mentioned by Captain Saris, whofe Tutors rebelled 
againft him, and who was at laft deprived of his Empire 
by that Monarch, who granted the Privilege of fettling in 
Japon to the Englijh , and whofe Name, according to the 
Chronicles before- mentioned, was Jefi-Jas , which explains 
the figning of his Letter, and of the Articles ; for as to 
the Title at the Head of them {Ogofloofamma) it is a Cor- 
ruption of the Words Cubo-Sama. After the Defeat of the 
young Prince, who in the Letters herein cited is called 
Fidai , he reigned without any farther Difpute ; and all the 
fucceeding Cubo-Sama's, whom our modern Writers call 
Emperors of Japon , are his diredt Delcendants. He was 
the greateft Polititian that ever this Country produced, and 
his Maxims have been fteadily followed by all his Suc- 
ceffors. 
Thefe Maxims were to reduce all the little Kingdoms 
into Provinces of his Empire, which he effected, to extir- 
pate the Chriftian Religion from a Principle of Policy, 
that the People might not be induced to take up Arms 
againft their Emperors from a Notion of Religion ; and 
upon the fame Principle his Succeffors expelled all Foreign- 
ers, and reftrained the Japonefe from going out of their 
own Country : For, it was the fettled Opinion of this new 
Legiflator, that the only Way for him and his Family to 
reign in Peace, was to exclude all Thoughts of Novelties^ 
and to keep the People clofely to their old Laws and Cu- 
ftoms, which he thought were belt adapted to the Main- 
tenance of the Imperial Dignity, and to their own Happi- 
nefs. If, in Exception to this general Rule, the Chinefe , 
the Siamefe , and the Dutch , are allowed lome kind of 
Commerce in this Empire, yet it is againft the Grain, and 
contrary to the Maxims of their Policy, as appears plainly 
by the fevere ReftriCtions under which thefe Nations are 
allowed to carry on their Commerce. It is no lefs certain, 
that the Japonefe hate and defpife thofe very Nations with 
whom they trade, for fubmitting to thefe Regulations, 
which were no lefs intended to exercife, and even to wear 
out their Patience, who were to be fubjedted to them, than 
for their Security and Prefervation, by whom, and for whofe 
fakes, they were impofed. 
For it is to be obferved, that the Inhabitants of this 
Empire, confidered freely, and without Prejudice, are as 
wife, as quick-witted, as fenfible, as generous, and as well 
bred a People as there are upon the Face of the Earth. 
They love Freedom, and underftand it much better than 
all other Nations ; they confider their Laws as Fences to 
that Freedom, and therefore never repine at the Severity 
with which they are executed •, but call that Tyranny, which 
exceeds the Meafure of thofe Laws, becaufe this proceeds 
from the Prince himfelf; whereas Severity, in the Execu- 
tion of Juftice, proceeds from the common Depravity of a 
Nation. In one thing their Law is very remarkable; 
they have Attainders as well as we; but if a Man expiates 
his Offence by voluntary Death, his Family fuffers nothing 
in Honour, Perfon, or Property. This paffionate Love 
of Freedom, joined to their natural Boldnefs and Contempt 
of Death, made them love the Engliflj extreamly, of which 
I can give the Reader a very fingular Proof, which at the 
fame time will refolve a Difficulty, that I muft confefs, 
when I fir ft entered upon this Scdion, I thought abfolutely 
beyond the Reach of Solution. 
They have amongft them a Title of Honour, which 
they call Cami, which the Spanijh and Portugueze Writers 
thought equivalent to Knighthood ; and the French, who 
only tranferibe thofe Authors, render it by the Word Che- 
valier. This Honour they conferred upon our Country- 
men Adams and Captain Saris: j and from hence, beyond 
Queftion, they came to be {filed the Chevaliers Adams and 
Saris ; and, I conceive, that it was a Diftindion no other 
Foreigners ever attained. It likewife appears by the Qiief- 
tions put to the laft Englijh Captain that was there, that 
thefe People were not a little chagrined at the Lofs of the 
Englijh Fadory, for which they could never account ; but 
probably underftood it to have ri fen from their Affedion to 
their Enemies the Portugueze , in which Error they were. 
m Adams. 871 
without doubt, confirmed by the Dutch , who have left no 
Method untried ; and, indeed, who can blame them for 
it, to keep this profitable Commerce entirely to them- 
felves. 
Thefe Obfervations and Remarks have coft me a great 
deal of Pains and Trouble; but if they prove entertaining 
and fatisfadory to thofejudicious Perfons, who have hither- 
to expreffed a Regard for this Work, I fhall think they are 
fully repaid ; and it is from the Hopes of this that I fhall 
adventure to clofe this Sedion with fome Thoughts on the 
Means of recovering this long loft Trade. As we are ex- 
cluded at prefent from Japon , upon a Principle of Policy 
only, and not from any adual Mifdemeanour, as was the 
Cafe of the Portugueze , who, under Colour of propagating 
the Chriftian Religion, interfered with the civil Concerns 
of that Nation, and gave their Government a great deal of 
Trouble, fo, I conceive, that the only way to obtain Ad- 
million again into Japon , is to remove the Prejudices that 
have been conceived againft us. 
This too, I apprehend, might be very eafily done, if 
the Government of that Country were apprized of the 
Change that has happened in our Conftitution, by which it 
is become impoftible that any of our Princes fhould ally 
themfelves by Marriage, either to the Crowns of France , 
Spain , or any other Popifh Power. I do not pretend to 
fay, that this would afford them any real Security, or that 
they would be at all in lefs Danger from us now than they 
were before ; but then, if it be confidered, that they were 
in no Danger then, and are in no Danger now, but that 
their Apprehenfions flow entirely from an ill-grounded Pre- 
judice, the removing that Prejudice, however ill-ground- 
ed, may be of Ufe to us. In the next place, if the Dutch 
have a great Commerce with the Chinefe at Batavia , and 
are thereby enabled to furnifh a proper Cargo for Japon , 
we have a direCt Trade to China , and confequently lie 
under no Impediment that Way, as we did at the Time 
our former Factory was fettled there. But it will be faid. 
How fhall the Japonefe be informed of this ? Can it be ex- 
pedited that the Dutch will acquaint them ? and if they will 
not, how are they to be informed ? Why, truly, that is 
the very Queftion ; for, I conceive, that if they were once 
fatisfied in that Point, the reft would very eafily follow. 
The Means therefore that I would propofe, fhould be 
the landing in the Northern Part of the great Ifland of 
Niphon, two or three Perfons properly inftruCted, who, 
under pretence of Shipwreck, might defire and obtain a 
Paffage to the Dutch Port ; and as this is the biggeft of the 
three Hands that compofe the Empire of Japon , I conceive, 
that in their Paffage acrofs it, they might have many Op- 
portunities, efpecially if they took Pains to learn the Lan- 
guage, to inform a People fo inquifitive as thefe are, of the 
Particulars which it concerns us moft that they fhould 
know ; and if at a proper Seafon a Ship fhould be lent from 
the Coaft of China to the Port of Nangazaqui , to enquire 
after thefe People, it might afford us an Opportunity of 
feeling the Pulfes at leaft of the Japonefe once more. 
I forefee a Multitude of Objections that may be made 
to this Scheme, fuch as, that it will be found extreamly 
hard, if not impoftible, to meet with Perfons, either capa- 
ble, or willing to undertake it. But I have confidered thefe 
Objections, and I do not think they have much Weight. 
There are fo many People, who at this Juncture, fhip 
themfelves for the Eajt-Indies in the moft low and labori- 
ous Stations, in hopes of bettering their Fortunes, that I 
am perfuaded, if a Reward of three thoufand Pounds, or 
fome fuch Sum, was promiled to be paid immediately on 
their coming back, there would not want fome who would 
offer themfelves for this Service ; and then as to their Ca- 
pacities, they might be tried, and even improved, before 
they were fent ; and they might have fuch InftruCtions 
given them, though not in Writing, for that might hazard 
all by being found upon them, as might enable them to 
execute this Commiflion with great Probability of Succefs. 
That they fhould at onT obtain a Privilege and fettled 
Trade there, is what I am not fanguine enough to expeCh, 
nor is it what I mean by the Probability of executing their 
Commiffion with Succefs ; but that they might be able to 
learn fome News of the Japonefe, and carry them fome 
News of usj which in Time, and with proper Helps, might 
come 
