The Golden Country Read Free Page B

young any more.
    TOMONAGA: You still have a long way to go. I'm the one that's getting old. And the work too has gradually become unpleasant. I've just returned from Hirado where I tried to settle a dispute between the Dutch and the English traders. Since there is something to be said for both sides, I came to consult Inoue.
    HIRATA: Men have come in their ships across vast oceans to this far end of the earth. Men from the southern barbarian nations of Portugal and Spain, men from the northern barbarian countries of England and Holland.
    They have come to us in pursuit of a vision, in search of a golden country. It occurs to me that our country is something like a man of good fortune chased after by a number of women. All four ladies, Spain, Portugal, England, and Holland, are energetically in pursuit.
    TOMONAGA: Ho, ho. That's not a bad comparison. Of all these women, which will Japan take to wife? Which would you take to wife?
During the above conversation Inoue has entered and has been silently watching Tomonaga.
    HIRATA (seeing Inoue, but pretending not to): If I were a Christian, I'd have to follow the law of one husband-one wife. So I'd have to do as you urge—choose one from the four. But since I've never been a Christian, there's no need to make a choice.
    TOMONAGA: No need to make a choice?
    HIRATA: I'll make love to all of them.
    TOMONAGA (laughing): No, no, my friend. If you wish to lead a life that is in any way human, you can't very well make love to a number of women at the same time.
    HIRATA (sarcastically): Hear, hear! You're very strait-laced aren't you? A human life, you say? You must know, I'm sure, that a long time ago several daimyo of Kyushu who wanted Portuguese and Spanish trade gave up the whole project when they heard from the Fathers that a man wasn't permitted to keep another woman besides his legal wife. The Fathers must have told them what you're telling me now.
    INOUE: Hirata, Hirata. Tomonaga Sakuemon is of quite a different stamp from you. He is a true samurai, who after death separated him from his wife never remarried but has remained continent to this day. Tomonaga, I'm afraid your work in Hirado has been fatiguing.
Tomonaga is flustered and turning to Inoue, greets him.
    TOMONAGA: I've just now returned.
    INOUE: But, Tomonaga, there is something after all to what Hirata says. I also feel, as Hirata has put it, that our country is like a man set upon by four females. But to my mind, all of the four are nothing but harlots. People often speak of the whore with the heart of gold, as if only a whore really knew how to love. All the same, if one is chased by a pack of gold-hearted whores, there is no reason to pick one of them to be his wife. Long ago when I was a retainer in the Gamo clan, Lord Gamo maintained four households in addition to that of his legal wife. But his four concubines were extremely jealous of one another, and were constantly quarreling among themselves. So what do you think he did? He kicked all four out of his castle. The four barbarian nations, Spain and Portugal, England and Holland, have come to Japan obsessed by the dream of finding here a golden country. It seems to me that they are exactly like the four concubines I mentioned. They are jealous of one another and always backbiting. To Japan the unwanted attentions of these whores are a troublesome nuisance. That's what I think.
    HIRATA: In that case, will you follow the example of the Lord of Gamo and throw all four out of the castle?
    INOUE: No. I should say that that too would show lack of foresight. The concubines that were thrown out revealed to Nobunaga the inner affairs of the Gamo clan, and this was one of the causes for its downfall. But, Tomonaga, tell me the news from Hirado.
    TOMONAGA: I agree with what you've just said. The traders from England and Holland are quarreling among themselves and making all kinds of accusations against one another. I've just returned here troubled.
    INOUE: You shouldn't be