ABSTRACT
Richard Cocks had barely been resident in Japan for a year when he described the nature of the Tokugawa régime to Lord Salisbury thus;
‘This government of Japan may well be accompted the greatest and powrefullest terrany that ever was heard of in the world, for all the rest are as slaves to the Emperour… whoe, upon the leaste suspition or jelosie, or being angry w’th any man (be he never soe great a man), will cause hym upon the recepte of his letter to cutt his belie, w’ch yf he refuse to doe, not only he but all the rest of their rase shall feele the smart thereof’. (Farrington, 1991, 259)
