Japan -- History; Japan -- Politics and government
Ishida, Jiboo no sho, being now a prisoner, was not likely to receive
much mercy at the hands of Iyeyas. Letters had passed between them
which reduced their position to a personal quarrel. He had already
been once spared by his foe, and had retired on parole to his castle
of Sawoyama. Thinking that an opportunity for revenge had arrived,
he put himself at the head of the army of the confederates. He had
again failed, and now found himself a prisoner in an ignominious and
dishonorable position. But Konishi Setsu, or Tsu no kami, also a
prisoner, ran the risk of losing his life, more probably from jealousy
of his military capacity than from any other reason. He was the son of
a drug merchant in Sakkai. The eulogiums pronounced upon him by the
Christian writers may pass for what each values them at; but he had
been trusted in a very responsible position by Taikosama in Corea. He
had subsequently been degraded at the instigation of his rivals, and
afterward reinstated for the accomplishment of schemes requiring the
utmost acuteness in diplomacy, as well as for the execution of plans
requiring military skill and prowess. He had shown himself capable of
both. As an evidence of the position to which he had raised himself
was the marriage of his son to the granddaughter of Iyeyas himself. He
had been appointed to the office then known as viceroy of the island
of Kiusiu, and was at the same time commander-in-chief both of the
naval and military forces in the Corean war. Had Iyeyas acted with
his ordinary clemency and judgment, he would after his victory have
pardoned such a rival and family connection; but there were hungry
wolves who personally hated Don Austin, who gloated over his downfall,
and cast longing eyes on his territories, about to be confiscated.
Chief of these was Toronosuqui, “Vir ter execrandus,” as the Jesuits
style him, one of the coarsest men of Japanese history, but since his
death canonized as a saint in the Japanese calendar as Say sho go sama
of the Nitchi ren sect of Buddhists. Hitherto known by this name of
Toronosuqui, he figures in the subsequent letters of the Jesuits as
Canzuge dono, or properly, as the title now is, Kazuyay no kami.
After his capture, Konishi seems to have been treated with great
rigor--not being allowed to see any of his relatives or any foreign
priest--and was beheaded, along with the Jiboo no sho, at Awata
ngootchi, the common execution-ground at Miako. His young son was
shortly afterward inveigled and murdered by Mowori, who thought to
please Iyeyas and save himself, after his mean surrender of himself
and his position, by sending the head of Don Austin’s child to his
wife’s grandfather; but Iyeyas was disgusted, and Mowori in the end was
stripped of the greater part of his possessions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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