The violence
of the ministerial Tarquin only served to direct attention to
the illegality of his master's rule; and people began to turn
their allegiance from Yeddo and the Shogun to the long-
forgotten Mikado in his seclusion at Kioto. At this
juncture, whether in consequence or not, the relations
between these two rulers became strained; and the Shogun's
minister set forth for Kioto to put another affront upon the
rightful sovereign. The circumstance was well fitted to
precipitate events. It was a piece of religion to defend the
Mikado; it was a plain piece of political righteousness to
oppose a tyrannical and bloody usurpation. To Yoshida the
moment for action seemed to have arrived. He was himself
still confined in Choshu. Nothing was free but his
intelligence; but with that he sharpened a sword for the
Shogun's minister. A party of his followers were to waylay
the tyrant at a village on the Yeddo and Kioto road, present
him with a petition, and put him to the sword. But Yoshida
and his friends were closely observed; and the too great
expedition of two of the conspirators, a boy of eighteen and
his brother, wakened the suspicion of the authorities, and
led to a full discovery of the plot and the arrest of all who
were concerned.
In Yeddo, to which he was taken, Yoshida was thrown again
into a strict confinement.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205