In the 2d year of the period Keian, on the 11th day of the 10th month, on the occasion of the festival of first lighting the fire on the hearth, the various Daimios and Hatamotos of distinction went to the castle of the Shogun, at Yedo, to offer their congratulations on this occasion.  During the ceremonies, my lord Hotta Kotsuke no Suke and Sakai Iwami no Kami, lord of the castle of Matsumoto, in the province of Shinshiu, had a quarrel, the origin of which was not made public; and Sakai Iwami no Kami, although he came of a brave and noble family, received so severe a wound that he died on the following day, at the age of forty-three; and in consequence of this, his family was ruined and disgraced.[67] My lord Kotsuke no Suke, by great good fortune, contrived to escape from the castle, and took refuge in his own house, whence, mounting a famous horse called Hira-Abumi,[68] he fled to his castle of Sakura, in Shimosa, accomplishing the distance, which is about sixty miles, in six hours.  When he arrived in front of the castle, he called out in a loud voice to the guard within to open the gate, answering, in reply to their challenge, that he was Kotsuke no Suke, the lord of the castle.  The guard, not believing their ears, sent word to the councillor in charge of the castle, who rushed out to see if the person demanding admittance were really their lord.  When he saw Kotsuke no Suke, he caused the gates to be opened, and, thinking it more than strange, said—­

“Is this indeed you, my lord?  What strange chance brings your lordship hither thus late at night, on horseback and alone, without a single follower?”

[Footnote 67:  In the old days, if a noble was murdered, and died outside his own house, he was disgraced, and his estates were forfeited.  When the Regent of the Shogun was murdered, some years since, outside the castle of Yedo, by a legal fiction it was given out that he had died in his own palace, in order that his son might succeed to his estates.]

[Footnote 68:  Level stirrups.]

With these words he ushered in Kotsuke no Suke, who, in reply to the anxious inquiries of his people as to the cause of his sudden appearance, said—­

“You may well be astonished.  I had a quarrel to-day in the castle at Yedo, with Sakai Iwami no Kami, the lord of the castle of Matsumoto, and I cut him down.  I shall soon be pursued; so we must strengthen the fortress, and prepare for an attack.”

The household, hearing this, were greatly alarmed, and the whole castle was thrown into confusion.  In the meanwhile the people of Kotsuke no Suke’s palace at Yedo, not knowing whether their lord had fled, were in the greatest anxiety, until a messenger came from Sakura, and reported his arrival there.

When the quarrel inside the castle of Yedo and Kotsuke no Suke’s flight had been taken cognizance of, he was attainted of treason, and soldiers were sent to seize him, dead or alive.  Midzuno Setsu no Kami and Goto Yamato no Kami were charged with the execution of the order, and sallied forth, on the 13th day of the 10th month, to carry it out.  When they arrived at the town of Sasai, they sent a herald with the following message—­