Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 1.djvu/192

 of all rank and office, and His Majesty's favour was courted not solely by displays of poetising skill or administrative ability, but also by the more elementary device of female influence.

There could be only one Empress. To that high dignity, therefore, not many aspired. But no limit existed as to the number of ladies having the entrée of the Imperial bed-chamber, and since any one of these nyogo (imperial dames), or koi (ladies of the wardrobe), as they were called, might become an "Imperial Resting Place" (Myasudokoro), if she had the good fortune to bear a child to the sovereign, or might attain the splendid title of "national mother" (Kokubo) if her son was nominated heir apparent; and since, even in the absence of any such incident, she might hope to win her Imperial master's favour by other means, the great nobles vied with each other to get their daughters or sisters into the palace. Some sacrifice had to be made for the purpose. The lady was required to have a guardian prepared to defray all the expenses of her apparel and paraphernalia, and to superintend her personal affairs. Without a guardian a girl's prospects were hopeless, and the same was true of a boy. However noble his birth, he ceased to be an object of consideration if, on the death of his parents, no man of position and means undertook responsibility for him.

But if the general body of the nobles were allowed to compete for their daughters' admission