ABSTRACT

IYESHIGE'S INFIRMITY AND FOLLY.-The ninth Shogun, Iyeshige (1744-63), was a paralytic who could not speak plainly, and the fact that he was allowed to succeed shows that the Shogun was a mere figurehead. Various stories are told to show what a feeble creature he was, and as the Chamberlain, Tadamitsu Ooka, was one of the few who could understand his halting speech, this man finally grasped the reins of power firmly in his own hands.