. The mikado's empire. irty provinces. They had splendidpalaces in Kioto and at Fukuwara, where the modern treaty-port ofIliogo now stands overlooking the splendid scenery of the Inland at nothing that would add to his glory or power, Kiyo-mori, in 1171, imitating his predecessors, made his daughter the con- THE BE0INNING OF MILITARY DOMINATION. 121 cubine, and afterward the wife, of the Emperor Takakura, a boy elevenyears old. Of his children one was now empress, and his two sonswere generals of highest rank. His cup of power was full. The fortunes of the Fujiwara and Minamoto
. The mikado's empire. irty provinces. They had splendidpalaces in Kioto and at Fukuwara, where the modern treaty-port ofIliogo now stands overlooking the splendid scenery of the Inland at nothing that would add to his glory or power, Kiyo-mori, in 1171, imitating his predecessors, made his daughter the con- THE BE0INNING OF MILITARY DOMINATION. 121 cubine, and afterward the wife, of the Emperor Takakura, a boy elevenyears old. Of his children one was now empress, and his two sonswere generals of highest rank. His cup of power was full. The fortunes of the Fujiwara and Minamoto were under hopelesseclipse, the former having no military power, the latter being scat-tered in exile. Yoshitomo, his rival, had been killed, while in his bath,by Osada, his own traitorous retainer, who was bribed by Kiyomori todo the deed. The head of Yoshitomos eldest son had fallen underthe sword at Kioto, and his younger sons—the last of the Minamoto,as he supposed—were in banishment, or immured in Tametomo defying the Taira men, after sinking their Ship. (From the vignette opthe greenback national-bank notes, drawn by a native artist.) The most famous archer, Minamoto Tametomo, took part in manyof the struggles of the two rival families. His great strength, equalto that of many men (fifty, according to the legends), and the factthat his right arm was shorter than his left, enabled him to draw abow which four ordinary warriors could not bend, and send a shaftfive feet long, with enormous bolt-head. The court, influenced bythe Taira, banished him, in a cage, to Idzu (after cutting the musclesof his arm), under a guard. He escaped, and fled to the islands ofOshima and Hachijo, and the chain south of the Bay of Yedo. Hisarm having healed, he ruled over the people, ordering them not tosend tribute to Idzu or Kioto. A fleet of boats was sent againsthim. Tametomo, on the strand of Oshima, sped a shaft at one of the 122 THE 3nKAYOS EMPIBE. approaching vessels tha
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Keywords: ., bookauthorgriffisw, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookyear1894
