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the Shogunate have fallen together; and the policy of Iyeyas, but a few years since of such importance to the politician, is now of interest to the student of history only.
A number of Japanese gentlemen were present and appeared to take much interest in the proceedings, and several ladies raced gthe meeting with their attendance.
The Chairman stated that the first business was to read the minutes of the last meeting; but the Corresponding Secretary explained that the minute book was in the custody of the Recording Secretary who resides in Yokohama and that the reading of the minutes must be postponed till the next meeting it Yokohama. Mr. Dallas was then requested to act as Recording Secretary for the meeting.
Mr. W. G. Aston then read a paper “On an ancient Japanese Classic,” at the conclusion of which the Chairman remarked that the Society was much indebted to Mr. Aston for his paper, as being quite different to anything that had hitherto been laid before this Society. The light thus thrown on the manners and habits of Japanese nearly a thousand years ago was most valuable; but one point that had particularly struck his attention was the touching manner in which the writer of the diary referred to the loss of his daughter, while the dry humour running through so many of his comments shows that he was not a morose nor a melancholy man, but one who could turn even annoyances into pleasantry.
In reply to Mrs. Chaplin Ayrton Mr. Aston explained that the Go-hei are the strips of white paper to be seen in all the Shintô temples, and that they are usually taken to be an emblem of purity; but professed himself unable to satisfy Mr. Ayrton as to the meaning of the twist in the strips of paper.
Mr. Syle inquired whether there was any satisfactory evidence that the Go-hei were symbolical in the way mentioned, and also as representing, in their form, the appearance of lightning;—yet further, if there was any play on the word kami, as used to mean Deity. If so, then the Japanese had attained to a felicity of symbolism very remarkable, by exressing Puruty, Fire and Deity, all combined in a simple form.
Mr. Aston remarked that as the Go-hei were originally made of cloth not paper, he thought it improbable that any emblematic meaning was to be found in the fact that the word for paper, kami is also the word for deity.
Sir Harry Parkes pointed out the value of Mr. Aston’s paper