Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/245

238 the occasion of a New Year's reception. The Oho-omi of the Right and Left and all the functionaries formed four lines outside of the purple gate. Ihimushi, Ahata no Omi, and three others were made to take the pheasant's litter and move off ahead, while the Oho-omi of the Right and Left at the head of all the functionaries and Phung-chyang, Lord of Pèkché, his younger brother Sē-syöng, Chhyung-seung, the physician to the King of Koryö, by name Mo-chhi, the scholar attached to the Court of Silla, and others, advanced into the Central Court. These four men, viz. Maro, Mikuni no Kimi, Takami, Wina no Kimi, Mikaho, Miwa no Kimi, and Maro Kida, Ki no Omi, taking up the pheasant's litter in turn, advanced in front of the Hall. Then the Oho-omi of the Right and Left approached and held the litter by the forward end. The Prince of Ise, Maro, Mikuni no Kimi, and Woguso, Kura no Omi, took hold of the hinder end of the litter and placed it before the Imperial throne. The Emperor straightway called the Prince Imperial, and they took it and examined it together. The Prince Imperial having retired, made repeated obeisances, and caused the Oho-omi Kose to offer a congratulatory address, saying:—"The Ministers and functionaries offer their congratulations. Inasmuch as Your Majesty governs the Empire with serene virtue, there is here a white pheasant, produced in the western region. This is a sign that Your Majesty will continue for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years peacefully to govern the Great-eight-islands of the four quarters. It is the prayer of the Ministers, functionaries, and people that they may serve Your Majesty with the utmost zeal and fidelity."

Having finished this congratulatory speech, he made repeated obeisances. The Emperor said:—

"When a sage Ruler appears in the world and rules the Empire, Heaven is responsive to him, and manifests favourable omens. In ancient times, during the reign of Ch‘ēng-wang of the Chou Dynasty, a ruler of the Western land, and again in the time of Ming Ti of the Han Dynasty, white pheasants were