Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/579

Rh probability is that while both of them had a hand in it, it was brought into its present form by a third person. The Ochi-kubo Monogatari is the story of a young lady of rank who is persecuted by her stepmother, and kept out of sight in a sunken room, but is rescued by a nobleman, who marries her, and has by her a daughter who becomes empress. Minamoto no Shitagau is said to have been the author; Mabuchi is of opinion that even if this be not the fact, it must have been written about the reign of Reizei-In (967–'9). It is inferior to the Sumiyoshi in interest. Of all these romances the most celebrated is the Genji Monogatari, in 54 books, by the poetess Murasaki Shikibu, who flourished at the beginning of the 11th century, the composition of the work being referred usually to the year 1004. It relates the amorous adventures of Hikaru Genji, the son of the mikado's favorite concubine. The titles of the various books into which it is divided are chiefly taken from the names of the women whom he loved. In point of style it is considered to be far superior to all the other monogatari, being far more ornate; but the plot is devoid of interest, and it is only of value as marking a stage in the development of the language. The best edition is that entitled Kogetsusho, by Kitamura Kigin, a scholar of the 17th century. The Sagoromo, in 8 books, is a love story which takes its name from the hero. The author was Daini no Sammi, daughter of Murasaki Shikibu, and nurse to Ichijo-In (born 986), and it is thought to have been composed about 40 years later than the Genji Monogatari. The Idzumi Shikibu Monogatari is a diary of the amours of Idzumi Shikibu and the fourth son of Reizei-In, and contains all the verses which they sent to each other. Its date is about the end of the 10th century. The Torikaibaya is of later date than the Sagoromo, but the name of its author is unknown. A somewhat involved plot is founded upon the following incidents. A noble has two children, a girl and a boy, each of whom from a very early age displays the characteristics of the opposite sex, the boy being fond of playing with dolls and painted shells, averse to women, and of a retiring modest disposition, while the girl constantly seeks the society of young men, with whom she plays at foot ball, practises archery, blows the flute, and sings songs. The father is much troubled by the double perverseness of his children, and exclaims, "If I were to change them," which is the title of the romance. He puts this idea into execution, and brings up his daughter as a boy and his son as a girl. The consequences are of the same kind as those which follow upon Don Juan's introduction into the seraglio as a female slave. Of the Ima Monogatari, which was originally a large work, only one book now remains. It contains a number of uninteresting stories, invented no doubt to serve as settings to certain songs of no great value. The authorship is ascribed to Nobuzane, who flourished at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century. The Konjaku Monogatari is a collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian stories by Minamoto no Takakuni (died in 1077), in 60 volumes, divided into customs, wonders, crimes, retributions, Buddhism, and miscellaneous. The Uji Shiui Monogatari, in 15 volumes, is a supplement to the above. The Tsutsumi Chiunagon Monogatari, in one volume, is a collection of ten short tales, ascribed to Fujiwara no Kanesuke (877–933); and if this be correct, it is one of the earliest specimens of purely Japanese composition. The Aki no Yonaga Monogatari recounts the loves of a priest named Keikai and a young prince, the consequence of which was a war between the monasteries of Miidera and Hiyeizan, in the reign of Go-Horikawa (1222–'83). The boy drowned himself and the priest became a hermit. The style is overloaded with Buddhist terms, and it is evidently the composition of a priest. The Matsuho Monogatari is a similar love tale with a tragic ending. Among these romances are many which still remain in manuscript, and of those which have been printed no copies older than the 17th century exist. The consequence is that the text of many is extremely corrupt, or at least doubtful; but in spite of this defect they are of great value for philological as well as for other purposes. There is a small class of books called soshi or miscellanies, which belong to the classical period. The earliest of these is the Makura no Soshi, by Sei Shonagon, a daughter of Kiyowara Motosuke, and waiting woman to Joto-Monin (988–1077). It is a medley of autobiographical fragments, observations on society, descriptions of natural objects, court ceremonies, and scattered notes of all kinds, impregnated with wit of the highest order. The Boroboro no Soshi, in one book, by Mioye Shonin (1174–1233), who is said to have first introduced tea into Japan, is the history of the two sons of a Kioto woman who was never seen except at night; after her death they become mendicant priests. This composition ought no doubt to be classed with the monogatari. The most famous of the miscellanies is the Tsuredzure-gusa of Kenko Hoshi (1282–1350). It contains 244 short chapters on morals, offices, ancient customs, the seasons, the proper use of words, society, and anecdotes. In form it is an imitation of the Makura no Soshi, and its style is modelled on that of the Genji Monogatari, which in the 14th century was becoming obsolete. The commentaries on it are numerous, but that of Kitamura Kigin, entitled Mondansho, is the best. The Shosho Daisei is a variorum edition, and clumsily arranged. The Otogi Zoshi, in 23 volumes, is a collection of stories which belong to different periods, the latest being of the 17th century, and it ought properly to be classed with the monogatari. The Oriorigusa, by Tate Riotai, a pupil of Mabuchi, is a collection of notes made by the author on his travels. VIII.