 |
| Hosokawa's residence |
41p
In the Hosokawa family, every time a person has a bath, they quickly
drain the bath of the old hot water and refil it with new hot water,
so Tominomori-Sukeemon asserted his feeling. "I think it is wasteful
to
refil the bath with fresh hot water after only one person has had a bath,
so please don't waste your time.." Then they started to refil the
bath
with fresh after every third person. It is said that Ecchunokami and
his retainers also visited the shrine to pray for Ako-Roushi's lives.
The receptionist in the Hosokawa family, Horiuchi-Denemon was told a
lot of things by the seventeen Ako-Roushi and made a note of them in
"Oboegaki(memorandum) of Horiuchi-Denemon". These notes his notices
became very important documentary for people to know and understand
about this event. The Ako-Roushi who were heads of a family also wrote
to their families and people close to them.
The event of their revenge attack was known all over the country, of cause
including the city of Edo. The Ako-Roshi had heard that people praised
them.
"Hyoujosho"(the supreme court of justice of Shougnate) which
consisted
of fourteen comrades, "Ohmetsuke", "Zishabugyo", "Machibugyo",
"Kanjobugyo" collected their opinions on what punishment to give
for their
opinion are as follows: Their opnions are as follows:
@ * Even if Kouzukenosuke's adopted child, Yoshichika had died, he should
have guarded his parents' life. It seems that "hara-kiri" is
a
suitable punishument for him .
 |
| Ogyu-Sorai |
42p
* Kouzukenosuke's retainers who didn't meet the enemy head-on should
be beheaded because such a thing compromises warriors' honor.
* Tusnanori Uesugi and his son overlooked the Ako-Roushi, so they their
teritories should be confiscated.
* It is the true loyalty that Takuminokami's retainers revenged
themselves on Kouzoukenosuke to attain their lord's aim. Their
action is also suitable for "the shogunate Joumoku "(the itemized
document) of "applying themselves to civil and military arts,
loyalty and dutifulness...." Their action is against the Joumoku
which prohibits the forming a gang and taking an oath, but it
is unavoidable because if they don't have the same aim, they
can't attain their long-cherished desire. Though, however, if they made
mistakes, we can't regard them as the gang.
"Hyojosho" stated these things and they sympathized with all
the Ako-Roushi
and defended them . And finally, "Hyoujosho " said that they
had better
decide on their punishments soon. This was on December 23rd.
The shogunate's opinions was divided on the punishment of the forty-
six Ako-Roushi. Some scholars agreed to their vengeance, and others
didn't. Kyuso Muro praised their action as a true act of loyalty .
|
