ABSTRACT
Summer, 5th month. The Imperial Prince Anahobe tried to force his way into the Palace of temporary interment in order to ravish the Empress Consort Kashikiya hime.s But the favourite l\linister, Sakahe, Miwa no Kimi, called out the
guards, \vho firmly fastened the Palace Gate, alld resIsting his entrance, would not let him in. The Imperial Prince Anahobe demanded of them, saying :-" Who is it that is here?" The guards answered and said :-" Sakahe, Miwa no Kimi, is here." Seven times he shouted at them to open the gate, but they steadily refused to admit him. Hereupon the Imperial Prince Anahobe addressed the Oho-omi and the Ohomuraji, saying: -" Sakahe is incessantly insulting me. In the funeral eulogy delivered b:r him at the Court of temporary interment he s3.id :--' Thy Court shall not be left desolate, but shall be kept pure as the surface of a mirror, and thy servant will preserve peace in dutiful service to thee.' This is an insult. At this moment there are many young men of the Emperor's family, and there are two Chief Ministers present. Who has any right wantonly to monopolize talk of dutiful service? Moreover when I ,vished to see the interior of the place of temporary interment, I was prevented, and not allowed to enter. Seven times I myself called out, 'Open the gate,' but there was no answer. I request that I may be allowed to put hinl to death." The t\VO Chief Ministers 1 said :-" Be it as thou hast commanded." Upon this, the Imperial Prince Anahobe, while secretly planning to make himself ruler of the Empire, falsel)' gave out that his object was to kill Sakahe no Kimi. At length, along with Mononobe no Moriya no Ohomuraji, he led troops with which they surrounded Ikenobe in Ihare. This having come to the knowledge of Sakahe no Kimi, he concealed himself on Mount Mimoro. That day, at midnight, he came awa)T stealthily from the mountain and hid in the hinder 2 palace, [meaning the Empress Kashikiya hime's country-house. It was called the Palace of Tsubaki ichi]. Relatives of Sakahe
XXI. 4-named Shiratsutsumi and Yokoyama told where Sakahe no I{imi was, and the Imperial Prince Anahobe straightway sent to Moriya no Ohomuraji [one book says :-"The Imperial Princes Anahobe and Hatsusebe having consulted together, sent to Moriya no Ohomuraji "], saying to him :-" Thou must go and slay Sakahe no Kimi, and likewise his two children." The Ohomuraji at length went off in command of an armed force. Saga
1°9 no Miimako no Sukune, having heard from an outside source of this conspiracy, went to the place where the Imperial Prince was. He accordingly arrived before the gate ~the gate of the Imperial Prince's house is meant -: ,and finding him on the point of going to the place where the Ohomuraji was, remonstrated with him, saying :-" A ruler does not approach a criminal. Thou shouldst not go thyself." The Imperial Prince would not listen to him, but \vent. Mumako no Sukune forthwith departed in his train, and arrived at Ihare. There he urgently remonstrated with him, and the Prince yielded to his remonstrances and stopped. In this place, accordingly, he remained seated on a chair and \vaited for the Ohomuraji. A good while later the latter arrived with his troops and reported the result of his commission, saying :-" I have executed Sakahe and the others." [One books says :-" The Imperial Prince went in person and shot them dead."] Hereupon Mumako no Sukune broke into bitter lamentations, saying :-" Civil disorder in the Empire is not far off." The Ohomuraji hearing this, answered and said :-" Thy position is that of a small minister; 1 thou dost not know."
