designed it. Three of the manuscripts appeared to me so curious that I
obtained leave to have copies taken of them.

The first is the receipt given by the retainers of Kôtsuké no Suké's
son in return for the head of their lord's father, which the priests
restored to the family, and runs as follows:--

"MEMORANDUM:--
ITEM. ONE HEAD.
ITEM. ONE PAPER PARCEL.
The above articles are acknowledged to have been received.
Signed, { SAYADA MAGOBELI. (_Loc. sigill._)
{ SAITÔ KUNAI. (_Loc. sigill._)

"To the priests deputed from the Temple Sengakuji,
His Reverence SEKISHI,
His Reverence ICHIDON."

The second paper is a document explanatory of their conduct, a copy of
which was found on the person of each of the forty-seven men:--

"Last year, in the third month, Asano Takumi no Kami, upon the
occasion of the entertainment of the Imperial ambassador, was
driven, by the force of circumstances, to attack and wound my
Lord Kôtsuké no Suké in the castle, in order to avenge an
insult offered to him. Having done this without considering the
dignity of the place, and having thus disregarded all rules of
propriety, he was condemned to _hara-kiri,_ and his property
and castle of Akô were forfeited to the State, and were
delivered up by his retainers to the officers deputed by the