IEMITSU AND THE NAGASAKI BUGYO
家光と長崎奉行
Hotta Kaga-no-kami Masamori had a fine Chinese Tea-jar whith he prized greatly.
堀田加賀守正盛は自我自賛する中国の茶壷を所持していました。
Once when the Shogun Iemitsu honored him with a visit he showed it to him.
将軍家光が彼を謁見した時、彼はその壺を持参しました。
The Shogun's face clouded when he saw it and he immediately sent word to the Goroju: “A fne jar like this should have been submitted to me before it was sold.
壺を見た時に将軍の顔が曇り老中に「この様な至宝の壺を購入する場合、私たちに許可を得なければならないと思うが。」
There must have been carelessness on the part of the Bugyo of Nagasaki
長崎奉行の失態である。
Sent at once and investigate.”
一度調査をするように」と言いました。
• The port of Nagasaki was under the direct administration of the Shogunate which had the first choice in the purchase of all imported goods.
• 長崎港は将軍家直轄地で輸入品を一番最初に扱う特区でした。
This was accordingly done immediately and the answer came back from the officer, “I know nothing at all about Cha-no-yu.
その報告はすぐに返答があり、「茶の湯に関してはまったく知識が無りません。
But I have heard that only utensils of crooked and distorted shape are shape in demand for it, and normal ones are of no use at all, so I have always put aside any odd-looking piece for the use of His Highness, and the symmetrical ones I have passed for sale.”
品物の有様の報告を受けて形が湾曲したり壊れていたりで普通に使う事が出来ない奇妙な物はその藩なり大名に相談しなければならないので保留します。そして、均整の取れた物については許可をしています。」
When this was reported to the Roju they were very perplexed for they thought that if they repeated this speech to the Shougun he would be even more enraged, while on the other hand they did not know what to fabricate instead.
老中に報告されると、将軍へそのまま伝えると怒られてしまい、良い言い訳も思いつかずこまりはててしまいました。
Finally they resolved to tell him, and did so in fear and trembling.
おっかなびっくりでしたが、やはり、きちんと報告する事になりました。
But Iemitsu laughed loudly and clapped his hands when he heard it.
報告を聞いた家光は大声で笑いながら手をたたきました。
“Yea, yes, that's exactly it,” he exclaimed “it's just because he doesn't know anything about Cha-no-yu that he gives such an explanation.”
「そうかそうか」彼は叫ぶように「茶の湯について何も分っていなかったと言うことであるか。」
And he took no action against the Bugyo.
奉行については何も咎めませんでした。
The whole affair is most characteristic of Iemitsu.
この出来事は家光の性格をよく表しています。
On another occasion Iemitsu told Kobori Masakazu that he particularly wished to see the Tea-caddy called Hakata Bunrin formerly in the possession of Shimai Shoshitsu and now once more in that of the Kuroda family.
別の出来事として、家光は小堀政一へ島井宗室の「博多文琳」、現在は黒田家所持の茶入が見たい旨を伝えました。
Naturally the present head, Kuroda Uemon Suketada, could hardly refuse the Shogun's request, so he sent the famous Bunrin to Edo in the charge of a trusted retainer and two Tea Masters.
必然として、黒田右衛門祐忠へ将軍からの依頼として強く要請し、その文琳茶入は江戸へ送られ二人の茶頭と信頼厚い家来が警護しました。
When Iemitsu saw it he was astonished at its beauty and exclaimed that three years' revenue of the province of Chikuzen would not buy it, for there were few treasures in the land like it.
家光がそれを見て素晴しさに驚き、筑前の石高三年分よりも高額と聞き思わず声をだしました、まさに国の寶であると。
When it was returned and Kobori Enshu reported the opinion of the Shogun to Kuroda, he treasured it still more, and from that time it was decreed that it should only be brought out for inspection once in the lifetime of each lord, on the day that he entered into his inheritance.
返却されるに及んで小堀遠州は黒田家へ将軍の言葉を伝え、それを聞いた彼は尚一層家の宝であると思い、それ以来、藩主交代の時のみに次の当主が観覧出来る事として末代までの秘伝家宝としました。
Takahashi Soan, when recently making a complete survey of all the famous ‘Meibutsu' for his work the ‘Taiso Meiki-kwan' and taking photographs of them, was unable to get one of this Bunrin for it is still only displayed on the occasion of the succession of the heir, and it was explained to him that some misfortune would happen if they showed it at any other time.
高橋箒庵は「大正名器鑑」と言う有名な茶道具の完全な写真、測量検分書を出版し、その中で文琳はまだ先祖代々の後継者によって守られている事が記載されていますが、彼によれば例外があったとも。
One who saw it when it was on view related that it was put in a row with five others so exactly like it that it was impossible to say which it was.
五人の近親が口論中の席で披露され、この事はけして口外はしないという事です。
There is a note after this story to the effect that in the lifetime of Kuroda Chikuzen-no-kami Nagahiro an exhibition was held at Ueno at which this Bunrin tea-caddy was shown, and that a certain European, paying no attention to the other exhibits, examined it for three days in succession with a microscope, and informed its guardian that he thought it one of the great art treasures of the world.
その後の記録として黒田筑前守長溥（筑前福岡藩１１代目）が上野での展覧会で文琳茶入を出品した事があるそうです。西洋人が一人やって来て、他の物には目もくれず開催中の三日間顕微鏡で調査、側には至寶の為に警備員を配置していたそうですが。
The guardian, out of curiosity, asked him what he thought it was worth, and the foreigner told him more than twenty million dollars.
興味のない警備員がその価値を尋ねると、その外国人は「二十万ドルは下らない」と答えました。
The editor adds that he would like to know who European critic was.
記録者はその西洋人は多分美術評論家だと書いています。
It would indeed be interesting to know.
とにかく興味津々だったのでしょう。
It is related of Okubo Hikozaemon Tadanori that on one occasion he met the procession of the Shogun's tea jars on the road.
大久保彦左衛門忠教が将軍家の茶壷行列に同席した時の話です。
And he was one of the Roju at time.
彼は老中でした。
He refused to get out of the way as even greatest lord must do, and when the official in charge challenged him, he enquired: “And what is all this about?” “It road!” was the reply.
彼はおなり行列に同行する事を承認しませんでしたが、家来がお願いしようとした時彼が尋ねました「これは何だ？」、「おなり行列です！」と家来が返しました。
“Well, I am the minister of His Highness the Shogun,” answered Okubo, “Is tea more important than man?
「私は将軍さまの腹心であるが」大久保は答え「この茶壷は人よりも大切であるのか？」
It is that which should get out of my way, I think.”
「私の理解を超えているわ。」
A similar story is told of the famous literary daimyo Ikeda Shosho Mitsumasa, lord of Bizen.
似たような話が備前藩主池田少将光政で有名です。
He came upon the August Tea Jars one day on the road, but on this occasion they were not in motion but left on the highway, while their escort sat in a tea-house and rested.
彼が八月に茶壷のおなり行列を行った時のこと、一行が道中のある茶室にて休憩中でまだ出発していませんでした。
Suddenly some of them ran out shouting: “What do you mean by butting into the August Tea Jars?
警備役人の何人かが走ってきて「八月に茶壷とどう言う意味でござるか？」
Do you think we can overlook that sort of thing?” in the hope of getting a bribe to keep quiet.
「それを整理検分する事が出来るとお考えか？」賄賂を要求するような言い回しでした。
“Overlooking the august Tea Jars and leaving them in the road and then making a fuss because I come up to them is a pretty kind of conduct,” retorted Mitsumasa: “I will lay a complaint against you in Edo for treating them with disrespect.”
「八月の茶壷おなり行列は私が好意にてお持ちした、にもかかわらず苦情とは、」光政は言い返し「江戸で我々の扱いに対し苦情を言うことになる。」
Where at the officials climbed down in a hurry and apologized profusely.
警備の役人達は平身低頭謝りました。