Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 2.djvu/204

 These exhortations embody the rudiments of the bushi's creed, faith in the divinity of the sovereign, and absolute loyalty even to the unquestioning sacrifice of life; a fine foundation for building a strong nation. How far did such sentiments permeate the people? Were they generally entertained or must they be regarded as the creed of a small section only?

It has already been shown in these pages that in the earliest times revealed by history the Japanese nation consisted entirely of soldiers. The sovereign was the commander-in-chief; the Oomi and Omuraji were his lieutenants. There was no distinction of "civil" and "military." When occasion arose, the Emperor or a prince of the blood led the army, and the duty of serving in the ranks devolved on all subjects alike, the great nobles forming a patriarchal council of Generals. But at the close of the seventh century, when the Empress Jito sat upon the throne, the social system of the Tang Dynasty of China commended itself for adoption. The civil and the military were then divided for the first time. Certain officers received commissions appointing them to special posts—as the Generals of the Left and of the Right (Sa-konye and U-konye); the Brigadiers of the Left and of the Right (Sa-hiyoye and U-hiyoye); the Captains of the Left and of the Right (Sa-yemon and U-yemon); a war-office (hyobu-sho) was organised, as were also Cavalry Departments of the Left