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#27 27. TERAO SHIGETSUNE'S LETTER TO HIS SON SHIGEMICHI, 1277 (A copy in Terao docs.; also KK, VIII.) "PROBABLY on Yo-ichi's petition, Kishima no emon nyu-do was sent [to Jo-Butsu] as envoy from lord Musashi no nyu-do,1 on the 12th day of the 5th month [14 June], with the message that his lordship desired [Jo-Butsu] to revoke his disavowal2 of Yo-ichi. But since [Jo-Butsu] had reported to lord Sagami no kami,3 through lord Suwa, that, for the offense of having gone to another lord without letting Jo-Butsu know, [the latter] had repudiated Yo-ichi and Shichiro, and had not yet received an answer from his lordship, [Jo-Butsu] asked [Kishima] how he should conduct him- self. The envoy remarked that, in such matters, one should merely say that he accepted the command, and all would be well; and on [Jo-Butsu's] saying that he respect- fully received [the message the envoy had brought, the latter] remarked: 'Then we might call Yo-ichi dono.' To this [Jo-Butsu] replied that that would not do, and re- tired into . . .4 Thereafter, Yo-ichi invaded [Jo-Butsu's] residence and declared P156 that this disavowal of him had been lifted. This was indeed unreasonable. Moreover, he went to the house of Hayasume and, to [Jo-Butsu's] regret, cut down5 the crops. Though [Jo-Butsu] did write to Yo-ichi while he was at Toshima6 letters regarding domains, since he has disobeyed his father's command, [Jo-Butsu's] earlier signatures7 shall all be invalid.8 All the letters of devise that he gives to his sons and grandsons are autographic. Not a single tan or bu of his estate should after his death be given to Yo-ichi or Shichiro. If even a dog should [be allowed to] go between you and them, because you were brothers, [Jo-Butsu] would in his grave9 consider it wrong. Though he fears you may not be able to read his poor writing,10 he thus leaves his word. "Ken-chi 3 y. 6 m. 24 d. [26 July 1277]. Monogram [of Jo-Butsu.] "To Terao no Iya-shiro11 dono."
1Hojo Yoshimasa, governor of Musashi, a chief executive of the feudal government at Kama- kura. 2Kan-do, repudiation and severance of blood tie. 3Hojo Tokimune, governor of Sagami and the regent. 4One or two characters are unintelligible. 5And robbed. 6Toshima refers very likely to Shibuya, in Toshima kori, Musashi kuni, now on the western outskirt of the vast city of Tokyo. Many legends were current till lately in this region concerning members of the Shibuya family, specially Shibuya Konno-Maru of the late 12th century, who are said to have lived here. Tradition ascribed to this family the same origin as that of its namesake whose abode was the neighboring kuni Sagami, and whose branches, as we know, migrated to Sat- suma and Mimasaka. As these local legends in Musashi seemed incredible, the compilers of the official history of the kuni under the Tokugawa shogunate, Shin-pen Musa-shi fu-do ki ko, surmised that probably a branch of the Shibuya in Sagami had come to Musashi and its memories had been mythi- fied through tradition, (X, 10). It is of some interest to note that the supposition receives confirma- tion from these documents we are now bringing to light for the first time: in 1277 a member of the Terao branch of the Shibuya family had been in Musashi. It is highly probable that he had visited his kinsmen who were permanently settled there. 7That is, earlier documents bearing his signature. 8Ho-gu, literally, waste paper. According to the rule expliditly stated in the feudal code of judica- ture, Jo-ei shiki-moku, the parent could revoke his devise to a child who subsequently proved him- self unfilial. See No. 41, n. 6. 9Kusa no kage, literally, "in the shade of grass" growing in the graveyard. 10The document is written in kana syllabaries, with a sprinkling of local mispronunciations and wrong characters. 11Jo-Butsu's son and successor Shigemichi.