Hayashi, who was then probably the leading Confucianist in Japan, warmly defended his countrymen and superiors against the charge of intentional cruelty, and denounced the lawless character of many of the foreign sailors.  Like most Japanese of his school and age, he wound up with panegyrics on the pre-eminence in virtue and humanity, above all nations, of the Country Ruled by a Theocratic Dynasty, and on the glory and goodness of the great Tokugawa family, which had given peace to the land during two centuries or more.[32]

It is manifest, however, that so far as this hostility to foreigners, and this blind bigotry of “patriotism” were based on Chinese codes of morals, as officially taught in Yedo, they belonged as much to the old Confucianism as to the new.  Wherever the narrow philosophy of the sage has dominated, it has made Asia Chinese and nations hermits.  As a rule, the only way in which foreigners could come peacefully into China or the countries which she intellectually dominated was as vassals, tribute-bearers, or “barbarians.”  The mental attitude of China, Korea, Annam and Japan has for ages been that of the Jews in Herodian times, who set up, between the Court of Israel and the Court of the Gentiles, their graven stones of warning which read:[33]

    “No foreigner to proceed within the partition wall and enclosure
    around the sanctuary; whoever is caught in the same will on that
    account be liable to incur death.”

CHAPTER V — CONFUCIANISM IN ITS PHILOSOPHICAL FORM

    “After a thousand years the pine decays; the flower has its
    glory in blooming for a day.”—­Hakkyoi, Chinese Poet of the Tang
    Dynasty.

    “The morning-glory of an hour differs not in heart from the
    pine-tree of a thousand years.”—­Matsunaga of Japan.

    “The pine’s heart is not of a thousand years, nor the
    morning-glory’s of an hour, but only that they may fulfil their
    destiny.”

“Since Iyeyasu, his hair brushed by the wind, his body anointed with rain, with lifelong labor caused confusion to cease and order to prevail, for more than a hundred years there has been no war.  The waves of the four seas have been unruffled and no one has failed of the blessing of peace.  The common folk must speak with reverence, yet it is the duty of scholars to celebrate the virtue of the Government.”—­Ky[=u]so of Yedo.

    “A ruler must have faithful ministers.  He who sees the error of
    his lord and remonstrates, not fearing his wrath, is braver than
    he who bears the foremost spear in battle.”—­Iyeyasu.