TADAOKI SELLS HIS TEA VESSELS

忠興、収集の茶碗を売る

In the third yare of Kwan-ei (1627) there was a great drought in the province of Buzen that lasted from spring till autumn, so that all the crops failed and the people were reduced to extremities. The officials asked what they should do, for there was not only the calamity of this yare to consider, but there was no hope for next. "This is no ordinary case," replied Tadaoki, "I must sell my tea utensils to raise money to help the people." So he got together all the tea things that he had inherited from his father Yusai, and handed them over to one of his chief retainers, telling him to hurry to Kyoto and turn them into money. "If possible I should have liked to put them in pawn to tide over this emergency," he remarked, "but I doubt if that can be done successfully, so get the best price you can and sell the lot." As soon as Tadaoki's retainer made his mission known in the capital there was no lack of wealthy collectors to bid for his master's famous treasures, but, thinking it almost certain that difficulty of some sort would arise if such rarities were disposed of privately he determined to put them up for public sale, and with this intention approached the Shoshidai Itakura Suwo-no-kami Shigemune. "To any help I can give you about the pedigree of these tea vessels you are vary welcome," replied Shigemune, "but I don't think there will be any difficulty in the case of the possessions of such a famous family. Let those who went them did for them openly, and when the transaction is all finished and the money paid, I should like to be permitted to view them myself; for though I have often heard of them I have never seen then, and this will be a lucky opportunity." So they were all sold by auction to the highest bidders and Tadaoki took the money to Osaka and bought rice and wheat and distributed it to the people of his province, And all admitted that he was a model feudal lord. Six years afterwards, when Kato Higo-no-kami Tadahiro had his fiefs confiscated he received the castle town of Kumamoto in Higo.

寛永三年の春から秋にかけて、豊前地方を干ばつが襲いました。作物は枯れ人々の生活は極限まで追い込まれてしまったのです。役所では、これは一時的な災難ではとどまらず、来年の生活までにも影響する旨を報告しました。「これはただごとでは無い」っと忠興は言い。「細川家の茶道具を売って人々を助けなければならない」っと決断しました。父、幽斎から引き継いだ道具を含めすべてを取り出し、家臣へ京都へ行ってお金に代えてくるように託したのです。「もし可能ならば緊急避難的に質入れとしたい、が、それがかなわなければ、とにかく、高く売れるように頑張ってくれ」。忠興の家臣は大至急君主の意向をお金に事欠かない収集家に対して細川家所有の有名な茶道具を競売する旨を知らせたのです。しかし、ちょっと考えました。こうやって競売してしますと個人的な隠匿物として消えてしまう懸念がある。そこで、この入札を公とする事を決め、京都所司代板倉下総守重宗へ話をもって行きました。彼は「もしだれも手を出さなければ、この由緒あるすばらしい道具は私が欲しいくらいです。しかし、このような有名な家の茶道具をだれもいらないとは考えられません」「とにかく。公に競売に掛け、売買成立をしたら代金をお支払いいたします」「私自身、かねがね、是非拝見してみたいと思っていたすばらしい逸品を、拝見できる機会がもててとても嬉しいかぎりです」っという方向で話が進んで行きました。 もちろん、すべての道具が高値完売、忠興はそのお金をもって大阪へ行きお米と麦を買い、領民に分け与えました。この出来事は、封建君主の鏡として賞されました。 それから六年後、加藤肥後守忠広が細川家の隣接領地を没収された時、忠興はその後を受け肥後熊本城を与えられたのです。

Hosokawa Tadaoki had a particularly valuable tea caddy which a certain person took a great fancy to and bought of him for a sword of Aoi make and a thousand pieces of silver. It afterward became known therefore as the Aoi tea caddy. Tadaoki was criticized for being grasping in this transaction, but the buyer came to the conclusion that he had not given enough, and added another thousand pieces of silver. This too Tadaoki did not refuse. "I don't care much about money," he said, "and if anyone is very anxious for anything I have, I leave the question of price entirely to them, and let them have it because I think it is not right to withhold it."

細川忠興は特別な価値のある茶入をもっています。ある人がとても惚れ込んで、それをアオイと言う刀と銀１０００枚と交換しました。その事でこの茶入れはアオイの茶入と言います。この道具を手に入れるにあたって、彼はずいぶんと批判されました。売り手がこれだけでは足りないあと銀１０００枚欲しい、っと言うと忠興は平気で追加で支払ったりしたのです。「お金の事は心配無用、どなたかがこの件で色々言われるが、私はこの茶入がどうしても欲しいっと思って対価を払うのです」っと言ってのけました。

In the family of Hosokawa there was a Katatsuki Tea-caddy that somehow found its way into the possession of Ankokuji Eikei. Now before the battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu was in Koyama arranging for the campaign against the west, and Tsuda Kokeiji happened to be there with him, Ieyasu asked him what reward he would like in the event of the campaign proving successful. Koheiji replied that the success was not in any doubt, but that he did not particularly wish for anything. "There is no one who does not wish for anything," replied Ieyasu, "please speak out." "Well, then," said Koheiji, "I should like Ankokuji Eikei's Katatsuki Tea-caddy." "There will be no difficulty about that," answered Ieyasu. And sure enough when the battle was won and the spoils of the enemy confiscated, he sent the Tea-caddy to Koheiji. When Hosokawa Yusai, who was an intimate friend of his, came to hear of it, he was consumed with envy and offered to buy it for a huge sum. But Koheiji said he wanted no large sum money but would be very pleased if his friend would accept it, and sent it to him. Yusai was immensely delight and sent five hundred pieces of gold as a return present. He gave it the name of Nakayama, and regarded it as one of his chief treasures. When his son sold his Tea-things to help his people, this Nakayama caddy was sold for a thousand eight hundred pieces of gold to Sakai Kunaidaiyu Tadakatsu through the good office of Doi Oi-no-kami Toshikatsu, and sum also was spent on the work of relief.

細川家にはある一つの肩衝茶入を所持していて、それは安国寺恵瓊の由緒がありました。関ヶ原の合戦中、徳川家康の陣において軍議が開かれ、そこに津田小兵治と言う武将が列席していた時の事です。家康が彼に「報酬は何を所望されるか」っと尋ねると彼は「この戦は我が方の勝利に間違いはござらん」っと言い、何が欲しいとは言いませんでした。家康は続けて何が欲しいかをまた尋ねると、小兵治は「それでは」っと言い「安国寺恵瓊の肩衝茶入が欲しいです」っと言いました。「それは造作もないこと、戦利品として召し上げ貴殿にお渡しいたしましょう」っとその場でこのことは決まりました。その話を小兵治の親友である細川幽斎が聞きつけやって来ました。彼はうらやましく、是非それを高額で買いたい旨小兵治へ申し出ました。すると小兵治は、「いやいやお金で買い取るなど、親友が欲しいとおっしゃっるなら喜んで差し上げましょう」っと言い、幽斎は大喜び、金５００両をお礼として彼に進呈したのです。幽斎はこの茶入を家宝とし、中山肩衝茶入と名付け大切にしました。大飢饉が細川領を襲い、大量の茶道具類を競売に出したときにも、もちろん、この中山肩衝茶入は売りに出されました。酒井宮内大輔忠勝と言う人物へ、幕府要人土井利勝を通して金１８００両で売られ、領民の救援の一翼を担いました。



Another version of how he got it differs somewhat. Tsuda koheiji koan, retainer of Takigawa Kazumasu, amused himself with Cha-no-yu when he retired. He had a famous Tea caddy called Nakayama that had formerly belonged to Hosokawa Yusai. Hosokawa wanted it buck but did not like to ask for it, but one day he asked to see it and then slipped it into his sleeve when Koan's back was turned and left the Tea-room quoting to the other guests the line "Lnochi nari keri soyano nakayama" (…my life this Nakayama). When they told the host he only smiled, observing that he had been overreached and there was nothing else to be done. But next day Hosokawa sent 200 pieces of gold with asked and fish and cloth as a complimentary present, whereat Koan smiled again, and when his retainers asked if he might keep it he said he saw no objection.

少しちがう話が伝わっております。津田小兵治興庵は滝川一益の家来で茶の湯を好み、引退したら三昧をしようと思っているくらいの人でした。この中山肩衝茶入はもともと細川三斎の持物でしたが興庵へ譲られたもの、がしかし、三斎はその事を非常に後悔、返してくれとも言えない状況でした。ある日、茶入を見せて欲しいと申し入れ興庵が茶事をした折りの事です。興庵がよそ見をしている間に三斎はその茶入れを懐に入れて、さっさと茶室を出ていってしまったのです。回りにいた客の一人が「命なりけりさやの中山」っと西行法師の詩を引用したのがその名の由来なのです。その時興庵少しもあわてず、ただ笑っていたとか。 翌日、三斎は２００両の金と酒と肴、絹を彼に送ったと言うことです。興庵の家来が返してくれないかもしれませんと言うと、すておけすておけっと笑っていたそうです。



Since after the battle of Sekigahara, Hosokawa Sansai Tadaoki had rendered the greatest service of the house of Tokugawa, he was treated with the greatest favor by the three Shoguns Ieyasu, Hidetada and Iemitsu. On the second day of the tenth month of the second year of Kanei (1625), he was received in audience by Iemitsu on the occasion of his return to his province. He one more greeted the former Shogun Hidetada and was presented by him with some medicine for the journey and handed a valuable short sword by Shimizu Toshiro. "When we were both young men in the service of the Taiko Hideyoshi I remember that you said that if you had this sword at your side, and were able to make tea in the Tea-caddy of Rikyu called Bulge-bottom, life would have no more to offer you, so now gird it on, and make your tea as you wish." It seems that Tadaoki had already obtained the Tea-caddy, and he left Hidetada's presence overcome by gratitude at his thoughtful consideration. (Tokugawa Jikki) In the ninth year of Kanwei (1633) it was that he retired and handed over his fief to his son, and again in the eleventh month of the nineteenth yare (1643) he had audience with Iemitsu when leaving Edo for his province, and the Shogun invited him to Cha-no-yu. On this occation Iemitsu had two scrolls produced, one a rare writing and the other a joint composition of Shunzei and Taika, and through Sakai Tadakatsu addressed him follows; "It is entirely owing to the great merit of you Tadaoki that your son Tadatoshi has been permitted to inherit your great fief. And though you have retired we trust that you will take care of your health and live long yet to be of some service to the Empire. These two Kakemono are thing that we greatly value, but on occasion of your exceptionally distinguished service we wish you to chose whichever of them you like best a present." Tadaoki chose the one with the Japanese poems of Shunzei and Teika, saying that he had on a former occasion been favoured with the Chinese writing called that of the "Handing over of the Money" and Iemitsu took it and graciously presented it to him with his own hand.

関ヶ原の戦いの後、細川三斎忠興は徳川家に対し忠節を尽くし、家康、秀忠、家光の三将軍より厚い信頼を得ていました。寛永二年十月二日、三斎が領地へ戻る折、将軍家光と前将軍秀忠へ謁見の期を得ました。秀忠は長旅の為の薬とＳｈｉｍｉｚｕ　Ｔｏｓｈｉｒｏ作の貴重な短剣を彼に手渡し言いました。「我々がまだ太閤秀吉殿の仕えている若かりし頃、貴殿がこの短剣を見て、二人とも生き残ってその刀を身につけ利休の下膨の茶入で茶を飲みましょうっとおっしゃった」「いま。その時が来ました。どうぞこの短剣を腰につけてください」利休の茶入は三斎がすでに入手してありました。三斎は秀忠の好意に心から感謝をしました。（徳川事記） 寛永九年に三斎は隠居し、領地を息子へ譲りました。寛永十九年十一月三斎が再び江戸へ出向いた折、家光は彼を呼び寄せ茶の湯に招待しました。その時、二本の貴重な軸をもって来て、内の一本はＳｈｕｎｚｅｉとＴｅｉｋａの合作による詩文でした。大老酒井忠勝の手紙が添えられこのように書いてありました。「貴殿の領地はつつがなくご子息細川忠利殿に委譲され恐悦至極です。そして貴殿も健康で何より、長年にわたり我が徳川家の為に尽くしていただき心より感謝いたす所存。ついては特別な感謝として軸を進呈いたしたく思います。この二本の内お好きな方をお納め下さい」。 三斎は以前に頂戴した中国の墨跡の事を話、今回はこちらの日本の詩、ＳｈｉｎｚｅｉとＴｅｉｋａの軸を所望することにしました。家光はその軸を手に取り、自ら三斎へ感謝を込めて手渡したのです。

When Sen-no-Rikyu fell under the displeasure of Hideyoshi, Hosokawa Yusai and his son Sansai repeatedly pleaded with the Taiko on his behalf, but to no effect. And when Rikyu was ordered to remain in confinement in his house at Sakai these two and Furuta Oribe were the only visitors he had, for his former friends and pupils all forsook him. Even after his death these two continued to maintain to Hideyoshi that he had been guiltless of any offence, though the Taiko would not have it.

利休が太閤秀吉の激にふれた時、細川幽斎、三斎親子は利休を擁護しましたが、怒りは収まりませんでした。利休が堺の自宅に謹慎中、そこを訪れたのは細川親子と古田織部三人だけで、それまでの友人や同門の弟子達は利休を見捨てました。その後、彼は切腹になりましたが、細川親子は利休の潔白を太閤へ上申し続けました。が、聞き入られることはありませんでした。









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