Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 2.djvu/288

JAPAN its furniture, Kobori, by openly approving the inventor's taste and ingenuity, helped not only to make him famous, but also to relax the austere canons of the old masters. That he did all this with open eyes is proved by his recorded reply to a critic who sought some explanation of his readiness to vary the principles of Sen-no-Rikiu: "Rikiu is the father of Japanese Cha-no-yu. His methods are followed to this day by every sincere disciple of the cult. They have never been equalled, though rival methods may appeal more strongly to individual tastes. Even inscriptions and certificates written by his hand rank with the autographs of sainted priests. His was one of those rare cases where a great opportunity finds an equally great man to deal with it. Furuta and I, Kobori, only endeavour to imitate Rikiu's methods, with the object of uniting into a strong brotherhood, and cultivating the friendship of, men who devote themselves to promoting the peace of society and the well-being of the nation. We cannot even claim a deep knowledge of the spirit of Rikiu's art. If we depart from the styles which he prescribed, it is not of deliberate choice, but because the manners of men must adapt themselves to the mood of their times."

But though, as years went by, fashion and fancy introduced various innovations, the general character of the Tea Ceremonial remained unchanged. Notably invariable were six rules originated by Rikiu, but reduced to writing by 258