Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/109

102 relic on the food of abstinence, and presented it to Mŭmako no Sukune. Mŭmako no Sukune, by way of experiment, took the relic, and placing it on the middle of a block of iron, beat it with an iron sledge-hammer, which he flourished aloft. The block and the sledge-hammer were shattered to atoms, but the relic could not be crushed. Then the relic was cast into water, when it floated on the water or sank as one desired. In consequence of this, Mŭmako no Sukune, Ikenobe no Hida, and Shiba Tattō held faith in Buddhism and practised it unremittingly. Mŭmako no Sukune built another Buddhist Temple at his house in Ishikaha. From this arose the beginning of Buddhism.

14th year, Spring, 2nd month, 15th day. Soga no Oho-omi, Mŭmako no Sukune, erected a pagoda north of the Hill of Ohono, and having held a general meeting to partake of maigre food, deposited the relic obtained by Tattō on the top of the pillar.

24th day. Soga no Oho-omi took ill. Having made inquiry of a diviner, the diviner answered and said:—"It is a curse sent by will of the Buddha worshipped in thy father's time." Soga no Oho-omi accordingly sent a young man of his family to report to the Emperor the nature of the divination. The Emperor gave orders, saying:—"In accordance with the words of the diviner, let thy father's Gods be worshipped." The Oho-omi, in obedience to the Emperor's commands, worshipped the stone image, and prayed that his life might be prolonged. At this time there was a pestilence rife in the land, and many of the people died.

3rd month, 1st day. Mononobe no Yugehi no Moriya no Ohomuraji and Nakatomi no Katsumi no Daibu addressed the Emperor, saying:—"Why hast thou not consented to follow thy servants' counsel? Is not the prevalence of pestilence from the reign of the late Emperor thy father down to thine, so that