Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/98

Rh The Emperor hearing this was exceedingly vexed, and flushing up, exclaimed, saying:—"How sorry I am! The names of these Envoys were already announced to the Emperor, my deceased father." So he despatched the Ministers to the official residence of Sagaraka to inspect and take note of the tribute offered by them, and to cause them to be sent on to the capital.

15th day. The Emperor took the Koryö memorial, and passing it on to the Oho-omi, assembled all the scribes and directed them to read and explain it. At this time all the scribes for the space of three days were unable to read it. Now there was one Ō Chin-ni, founder of the family of the Funa no fubito, who was able to read it and explain its meaning to the Emperor. Consequently the Emperor and the Oho-omi, both together, complimented him, saying:—"What diligence, Chin-ni! Well done, Chin-ni! If thou hadst not been fond of learning, who could have done the interpretation? From this time forward let thy attendance be near Us in the Palace." After this, an edict was issued to the scribes of East and West, saying:—"How is it that the art which ye practise has come to naught? Though ye are many, none of you is equal to Chin-ni." Nor was this all. The memorial presented by Koryö was written on crow's feathers, and the characters, like the feathers, being black, nobody had been able to read them. Chin-ni accordingly steamed the feathers in the vapour from boiled rice, and took an impression of them on a piece of silk, whereupon all the characters were transferred to it, to the wonder of the Court.

6th month. The Chief Koryö Envoy addressed the Associate Envoys, saying:—"In the time of the Emperor of Shikishima, ye, contrary to my advice, allowed yourselves to be deceived by others. You unauthorizedly shared the national tribute, and without due consideration granted it to mean persons. Were you not to blame in this? If the King of our country were to hear of it, he would certainly have you executed." The Associate Envoys then said to one another:—"If on our return