As a matter of fact, when, on March the 2nd, two leading men, Godai and Ito (Prince Ito) came to see whether the life of Taki Zenzaburō might not possibly be spared, at the Council of Ministers which followed Sir Harry Parkes and M. de Graef van Polsbroek argued and actually voted in favour of the condemned man—but they were in a minority, and it was decided, wisely as I thought at the time, and still think, that the decree of the Mikado must be carried out. The Japanese petition for clemency was very half-hearted; and over and over again Japanese gentlemen of high position, amongst them one of the ablest of the Mikado’s ministers, in conversation with me endorsed the action of the Representatives; they took the same view that I did, saying that clemency would be mistaken for cowardice. There had been too many attacks upon foreigners, many of which had been unavenged. Here was a man of some condition guilty of what was the greatest outrage which the anti-foreign party had attempted. To excuse him would be to invite a repetition of such offences. The knowledge that this officer had expiated his deed under sentence from his Emperor would penetrate all Japan, and would prove that the Son of Heaven was not only in favour of foreign intercourse, but was prepared to punish any violation of the Treaties. That night, March the 2nd, came the last act of the tragedy. I have recounted it in my “Tales of Old Japan”; it need not be repeated here. * * * * * To go back a step or two. On the 8th of February Higashi Kuzé, one of the nobles of the Court, who had been banished by the former Emperor, brought to the Representatives the following notification: “The Emperor of Japan announces to the Sovereigns of all foreign countries and to their subjects that permission has been granted to the Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu in accordance with his request to hand back the governing power. We shall henceforward exercise the supreme authority in all the internal and external affairs of the country. Consequently the title of Emperor must be substituted for that of Tycoon under which the Treaties have been made. Officers are being appointed by us for the conduct of Foreign Affairs. It is desirable that the Representatives of the Treaty Powers should recognize this announcement. “Feb. 3, 1868. Mutsuhito—L.S.”