Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 2.djvu/142

JAPAN on the street had to be closed lest any one should "look down" on the great man. To pass across the ranks of the procession or in any way to interrupt its progress, exposed the offender to instant death under the swords of the guards.

Even an ordinary gentleman when he rode abroad was followed by at least one attendant on foot. He always carried his own bow and quiver, and sometimes his two swords also, but it was a common practice to entrust the long sword to the attendant, who bore it at the "carry." When there were two attendants, one shouldered a lance, the other a spare bow; and when a gentleman went on foot, one attendant marched behind carrying his master's long sword. The common samurai, of course, had no attendant. An exact code of etiquette guided the behaviour of processions passing each other, as well as of gentlemen meeting a procession, and any departure from the provisions of this code was regarded as a grave offence.

The military class constituted an immense standing army supported at the public charges. It was an exceptionally costly army, for the families of the samurai had to be maintained as well as the samurai themselves, and the officers, that is to say, the feudal nobles and their chief vassals, enjoyed revenues far in excess of any emoluments ever granted elsewhere on account of military service. It is now necessary to consider whence funds were obtained to meet this great outlay. 116