Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/241

234 and died. His wife and children, to the number of eight persons, sacrificed themselves with him.

On this day, Oho-tomo no Koma no Muraji and Soga no Hiuga no Omi were sent as Generals in command of a body of troops to pursue the Oho-omi. General Ohotomo no Muraji and his colleague had gone as far as Kuroyama when Mu, Hashi no Muraji, and Omimaro, Uneme no Omi, came running from the Yamada Temple, and brought information that the Oho-omi Soga, with his three sons and one daughter, had already committed suicide together by strangulation. The Generals therefore returned from Tajihi no Saka.

26th day. The wife, children, and personal attendants of the Oho-omi Yamada, who committed suicide by strangulation, were many. Kurafu, Hodzumi no Omi, arrested in a body the Oho-omi's people, viz. Tsukushi, Taguchi no Omi, and others, placed cangues round their necks, and tied their hands behind their backs. That night, Maro, Ki no Omi, Hiuga, Soga no Omi, and Kurafu, Hodzumi no Omi, having surrounded the Temple with an armed force, called Shiho, Mononobe no Futsuta no Miyakko, and ordered him to cut off the Oho-omi's head. Upon this Futsuta no Shiho drew his sword, raised up the body on its point, yelled and reviled, and then cut it off.

30th day. There were executed, as implicated with the Oho-omi, Soga no Yamada, Tsukushi, Taguchi no Omi, Miminashi no Dōtoko, Takada no Shikowo, Nukadabe no Yumasu no Muraji, Hada no Adera and others, fourteen persons in all. Nine were strangled, and fifteen banished.

In this month, messengers were sent to take over the property of the Oho-omi, Yamada. Among his property was a beautiful book with the inscription "Book belonging to the Prince Imperial," and a valuable object inscribed "Property of the Prince Imperial." When the messengers returned and reported the circumstances of their having taken over the property, the Prince Imperial recognized for the first time that the heart of the Oho-omi had remained pure and unspotted. He was seized with shame and remorse for the past, and bewailed his fate