Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 3.djvu/35

Rh outside. There is also a philosophy of the art. It is supposed to educate certain moral qualities in those that practise it sincerely; to wean them from earthly thoughts; to lighten the burdens of life; to impart gentleness and courtesy to the demeanour, and to purge the heart of selfishness. It has its rival schools, and some of them have sought to win credit by imparting esoteric elements into their methods. But such things are mere unessential mannerisms, entirely distinct from the cult itself.

To these refinements of life specially developed in the Military epoch may be added those bequeathed from previous ages,—flower-viewing at all seasons, even in winter, when, by a pretty fancy, the snow was regarded as the bloom of the time and the "silvered world" became a landscape garden; moonlight picnics in autumn; pulling young pines at the New Year; fishing with hand-nets; mushroom-picking parties; maple gathering; go; chess; couplet composing; foot-ball, and so forth. Foot-ball merits special notice, for it attained extraordinary vogue. It had the honour of being classed with poetry-writing as one of the "two ways," and noblemen took as much pride in excelling in it as ever Anglo-Saxon youths did in gaining fame at cricket or base-ball. Great families, families which enjoyed an hereditary title to such offices as councillor of State and minister of justice, constituted themselves professional instructors of the art, and the