Biographies LXXXVIII: Jō-no-Nagamochi, Endō Moritō (Mongaku), and Taira-no-Tomoyasu

Jō-no-Nagamochi

¶Jō-no-Nagamochi, whose first name was Sukemoto, was styled Shirō (Note: following the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari. Some books write Nagamochi as Yūyō, and he is also written Nagamochi, Sukemochi, and Sukemochi with other characters. Shirō is also sometimes written Jirō). Nagamochi was a descendant of Taira-no-Koremochi, Chinjufu Shōgun, Commander of the Pacification Headquarters. Koremochi's son Shigemochi became Dewa-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Dewa, and held Akita Castle, and his descendants took "Jō," Castle, as their clan name. Nagamochi's father was named Kyūrō Sukekuni (Note: following the Heishi Keizu) and was known in the world as "Oni Kurō," Demon Kurō (Note: following the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki). His mother was a daughter of Kiyohara-no-Takehira. Nagamochi stood seven shaku tall and was said to be imposing and handsome in appearance (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His family had lived in Echigo for generations; as powerful local magnates there they were called "Shirakawa-no-Ontachi," the Lords of Shirakawa, by the people of the province (Note: following the Gyokuyō). His elder brother was named Tarō Sukenaga (Note: following the Gyokuyō, the Kikki, and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari. Sukenaga is also written Sukenaga and Sukenaga with other characters, and some examples write Sukemoto or Sukemoto with other characters, but these are probably errors).

¶In the fourth year of Jishō, when Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka raised troops in Shinano, Sukenaga memorialized the court: "In subduing Kai and Shinano, I wish to take the matter in hand with my own forces alone, and I have no intention of borrowing the strength of others." In the twelfth month the court appointed Sukenaga Governor of Echigo and ordered him to attack Yoshinaka. In the second month of the following year, when the letter of appointment reached Echigo, Sukenaga accepted it and at once prepared to send out five thousand troops to march on Shinano. On the way, however, he was struck by chūfū, apoplexy, and died. Nagamochi grieved deeply over this, and resolved to carry on his brother's purpose and accomplish the destruction of Yoshinaka.

¶In the sixth month (Note: the entry for the third day of the sixth month of Yōwa 1 in this work says, "On the twenty-fifth day of the second month Nagamochi was defeated at the Chikuma River," but this statement is placed under the sixth month. Yet the twenty-fifth of the second month was in fact the day on which his elder brother Sukenaga died, so it is suspected that this was originally an account concerning Sukenaga, and that its main text has dropped out. But there is now no way to verify this. Here, on the basis of the entry for the third month of Juei 2 in this work, together with the Teiō Hennenki, the Gyokuyō, the Kikki, the Ichidai Yōki, the Rekidai Kōki, and the Kōtei Ki Shō, the year and month have been corrected), Nagamochi called up sixty thousand troops of Echigo and Dewa and sent them toward Shinano in three divisions. He had Hama-no-Kohei-ta and others lead ten thousand men toward the Chikuma pass, and had Tsubari-no-Munechika (also written "Tsuba" with other characters) lead ten thousand men toward the Ueda pass. Nagamochi himself led forty thousand men into Shinano and fought Yoshinaka at Yokotagawara. But Nagamochi's army was utterly defeated, and Nagamochi fled back to Echigo alone and shut himself up in the provincial capital to defend it. Yoshinaka pursued at once, and many of the people of Echigo went over to him. Nagamochi could not hold the situation together, and in the end fled to Aizu (Note: following the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari. The Azuma Kagami records that on the thirteenth day of the eighth month of Yōwa 1, Taira-no-Sukenaga, acting on an imperial edict, attacked Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka, but died of a sudden illness on the third day of the ninth month. It also records that Shirō Nagayō (first named Sukemochi) succeeded his elder brother Sukemoto and attacked Yoshinaka, and was defeated at the Chikuma River on the ninth day of the tenth month of Juei 1. The Heike Monogatari says that on the first day of the second month of Yōwa 1 Sukenaga was made Governor of Echigo and set to attack Yoshinaka, but that on the sixteenth day of the sixth month, on the very night he was about to take the field for Shinano, he died of a sudden illness. It also records that when Sukemochi was made Governor of Echigo on the twenty-fourth day of the fifth month of Juei 1, Sukemochi begged to decline, saying, "This appointment, coming right after my elder brother Sukenaga's death, is inauspicious," but was not permitted, and for that reason changed his name to Nagamochi. It then says that he was defeated in battle at Yokotagawara on the second day of the ninth month. The Genpei Jōsuiki says that Jō Tarō Sukemoto changed his name to Sukenaga, and that Jirō Sukemochi changed his name to Nagamochi. On the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month of Yōwa 1, Sukenaga, by imperial command, tried to attack Yoshinaka at Yokotagawara but was defeated, and fled to Kanazawa in Dewa. On the twenty-fifth day of the eighth month the court made Sukenaga Governor of Echigo to attack Yoshinaka, but on the third day of the ninth month, just as he was about to set out, he died of a sudden illness. Nagamochi reported this to Rokuhara, and for that reason on the twenty-sixth day of the ninth month an order was issued for Taira-no-Michimori and others to send reinforcements. The accounts in the various books disagree in this way, and they are recorded together here in preparation for later examination).

¶In the eighth month the court appointed Nagamochi Governor of Echigo, and again ordered him to pursue and attack Yoshinaka (Note: following the Gyokuyō, the Kikki, the Hyakurenshō, and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari. The Azuma Kagami says that on the thirteenth day of the eighth month of Yōwa 1 Jō Shirō Sukenaga was made Governor of Echigo, but Shirō is Nagamochi and not Sukenaga. The various books all say that Nagamochi was made Governor of Echigo on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, from which it appears that the Azuma Kagami mistook Nagamochi's deeds for Sukenaga's). But by that time Echigo had been entirely taken over by Yoshinaka, and Nagamochi was never able to carry out the administration of Echigo.

¶When the Taira were destroyed, Minamoto-no-Yoritomo searched for Nagamochi, seized him, and confined him in the residence of Kajiwara-no-Kagetoki. Yoritomo was on friendly terms with a monk, Jōnin, and Nagamochi too had formed ties of friendship with this Jōnin. For this reason Jōnin repeatedly recommended Nagamochi to Yoritomo, and Yoritomo came to be inclined to pardon and employ him, and summoned him, seating himself within the blinds. With the senior retainers ranged in seats to left and right, Nagamochi showed not the slightest servility; he stepped forward, went up to the place of honor, and sat down with his back to Yoritomo. Yoritomo in the end did not speak a single word. Jōnin was ashamed and terrified, and Kagetoki scolded Nagamochi and made him withdraw. Nagamochi rose proudly from his seat and walked out.

¶In the fifth year of Bunji, when Yoritomo attacked Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira, Kagetoki urged Yoritomo: "The prisoner Nagamochi has no equal in valor. I beg the General to employ him." Yoritomo agreed. Nagamochi himself asked: "Now that I am a prisoner, I can no longer raise my family's banner. I beg to be granted another banner." But Yoritomo, on the contrary, ordered that Nagamochi's own family banner be used as it was. Nagamochi was delighted and said, "I shall be able to raise this banner again!" and for that reason his former retainers gradually gathered to him. When the army reached Niwatobe, Yoritomo had his generals submit rolls of the troops under them. Nagamochi's following numbered more than two hundred men, and Yoritomo wondered at so many. Kagetoki explained: "Nagamochi originally maintained several hundred soldiers, but when he was defeated they all scattered. This place is near Nagamochi's home country, and having heard that he has joined this expedition, they have no doubt come hurrying back." Hearing this, Yoritomo was pleased.

¶When Yoritomo died and Yoriie succeeded him, Nagamochi secretly came to harbor thoughts of rebellion. In the first year of Kennin, when the emperor went to call on the Retired Emperor, Oyama-no-Tomomasa accompanied the procession. Nagamochi led troops into the capital and surrounded Tomomasa's residence, but Tomomasa's retainers beat him back. Nagamochi turned his spears and attacked the Retired Emperor's palace, closed the gates on all four sides, and demanded that an imperial edict be granted for the destruction of Yoriie. There was no reply. Realizing that his cause had failed, Nagamochi fled into hiding at Yoshino and shaved his head to become a monk. But Yoriie's search was relentless, and in the end Nagamochi was captured and put to death.

¶Nagamochi's nephew Kotarō Sukemori, intending to avenge him, built a fortress at Torisaka in Echigo and held it. Yoriie sent Sasaki-no-Moritsuna to attack it. Sukemori's men fought to the death, arrows fell like rain, and Moritsuna's army suffered many dead and wounded. Sukemori's aunt was named Hangaku; she was brave and strong, a skilled archer, and versed in the arts of war. She bound her hair up in the style of a child, put on a haramaki, a body-wrap armor, and shot from atop a tower, and every arrow she loosed struck its mark. Fujisawa-no-Kiyochika, a man of Shinano, circled behind the fortress and, from the mountain above, took aim at Hangaku and shot her through both thighs. Hangaku fell and was taken captive on the spot. Sukemori's army was routed and scattered, and Kiyochika arrived in Kamakura with Hangaku. Yoriie summoned Hangaku and received her. Hangaku came forward as far as the front of the blinds; though her features were coarse and ugly, she showed not the slightest sign of yielding. Asari-no-Yoshitō asked Yoriie to give Hangaku to him as his wife.

¶(Going back in time,) when Shigemochi was first born, the infant once suddenly vanished. His father Koremochi, grieving, searched for him everywhere, but after four years had not found him. Then one night, by a dream-oracle, he found the child at Kitsunezuka, the Fox Mound, and brought him home. At that time, it is said, a fox appeared in the form of an old man and gave Shigemochi a sword and a comb for dressing the hair, and the sword was handed down in the family through the generations. But after Sukemori's defeat, the whereabouts of the sword were never known again (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

Endō Moritō

¶Endō Moritō's father was named Mochitō (Note: following the various texts of the Heike Monogatari. The Genpei Jōsuiki writes Mitsumitsu, the Endō Keizu writes Tamenaga, and the Genkō Shakusho writes Mochitō with other characters). He was Sakon'e-no-shōgen, Lieutenant of the Left Palace Guards, but though he grew old he had no child, and he made a pilgrimage to Hasedera and prayed that a child might be granted him. One night his wife dreamed that a kite's feather entered her sleeve, and she conceived, and in due time bore Moritō. Moritō lost both parents while still a nursing infant and was raised in the household of Haruki Dōzen. As he grew a little older he became a rough and unmanageable child; every day he led the village children about, beating oxen and horses and trampling the fields, so that people found him a trial. When he was thirteen, a kinsman, Endō Tōmitsu, performed the ceremony of coming of age for him and gave him his name. Moritō was large and sturdy of build, quick and fierce in his movements, and well versed in the martial arts. But by nature he was tender-hearted, and whenever he spoke to others of having lost his parents in infancy, he would shed tears and mourn his longing for them (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki).

¶Through his father's connections he became a samurai of the Hokumen, the Northern Guard, of Jōsaimon-in, and was also appointed to the Musha-dokoro, the Warriors' Office, of the Retired Emperor. At the age of eighteen he killed by mistake Kesa, the wife of Minamoto-no-Wataru, Saemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards, and was so tormented by grief and remorse that he could find no place to rest (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari). He therefore shaved his head, left the world, and changed his name to Mongaku. His ascetic practice was truly fierce. In the full heat of midsummer and the bitter cold of midwinter he slept in the open on beds of grass, and stood motionless beneath waterfalls; he took on every manner of austerity and several times came to the brink of death. There was hardly a famous mountain or river or ancient shrine or temple to which he did not go; he walked the fields and lodged in the fields, and in the end went as far as fasting.

¶He lived beside Jingoji on Mount Takao, but lamenting that the halls were in ruin, he wished to restore them and so to aid the repose of his late father and mother. He drew up a statement of purpose for a subscription drive and appealed widely to gentry and commoners for contributions. One day he went to the Hōjūji palace intending to present his petition, but the Retired Emperor happened to be holding a banquet with his courtiers, the sounds of the shō, the mouth organ, and of singing were at their height, and no one would relay his request; the day grew dark and he received no reply. Mongaku flew into a rage, convinced that the attendants were obstructing him, and pushed straight into the palace courtyard and read out his subscription statement in a loud voice, so that the palace was thrown into alarm and uproar. When Taira-no-Sukeyuki, a Kebiishi, Police Commissioner, scolded him and tried to drive him off, Mongaku struck him on the head with the scroll-roller of the statement and thrust at his chest, knocking him down. About ten samurai of the Northern Guard rushed forward in a clamor. Mongaku held the statement in his left hand, and with his right drew a small knife he had hidden in his robe and brandished it, and the Retired Emperor, in a panic, rose from his seat and withdrew (Note: compared against the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki).

¶Tachibana-no-Kintomo, Hyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Military Guards, said to Mongaku: "An imperial edict has been issued. Leave at once. If you do not leave, you will be arrested." Mongaku answered: "I have long believed that only with the support of the imperial house could I fulfill this vow. If my long-held purpose cannot be achieved, what use is it to live? To give up this body for the sake of the Buddhist Law is exactly what I desire. Even if the blood of my severed head should stain the palace courtyard, I will on no account leave. Whether this wish is granted or not rests wholly on the sovereign's judgment." So he declared, raising his voice in remonstrance and reviling the Retired Emperor in foul language (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). When Andō Musha Sukemune stepped forward to seize him, Mongaku stabbed him in the arm. Even so Sukemune did not let go, and the palace guards swarmed over Mongaku, pinned him down, bound him, and in the end sent him to prison (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari).

¶Even in prison Mongaku abused the court day after day and went on cursing it. Even after he was released from prison by an amnesty, his spirit was not in the least diminished; he vented his rage and resentment and spoke in sarcasm without any restraint. When this became known to the court (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki), the court ordered Minamoto-no-Nakatsuna, Governor of Izu, to arrest Mongaku and exiled him to Izu. When the ship passed through the Tenryū Sea off Tōtōmi, a great wind blew up and the ship seemed about to capsize, and everyone aboard wept and cried out, but Mongaku lay calmly with his head high on a pillow, chanting poetry. When the boatmen repeatedly begged him to pray and drive off the calamity, Mongaku sat up and shouted in a great voice: "This is the ship in which Mongaku is riding. Dragon gods, why would you try to block it?" Before long the wind died down, and the boatmen lined up and bowed to him, revering Mongaku as though he were a god. Indeed, when setting out Mongaku had sworn an oath to himself: "My purpose is certain to be fulfilled, and I will not die on this journey. If it is otherwise, let the gods take my life." In fact, it is said that he fasted for thirty-one days and yet talked and laughed as he did at ordinary times.

¶On reaching Izu he lived at Nagoyadera (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki; the Heike Monogatari was also compared). He claimed to be skilled at physiognomy, and many people gathered to him from far and near. Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, Sakiuhyōe-no-suke, former Assistant Captain of the Right Military Guards, had also been exiled to Izu, and had long wished to meet Mongaku; through Adachi-no-Morinaga he had his wishes conveyed to Mongaku's disciple Sōshō, then went to Mongaku and met him. Mongaku sat with a screen between them, his eyes glaring, and said nothing. After a while he suddenly said: "Ah, are you not a son of the late Shimotsuke-dono (Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo)? To have been exiled and brought to such a state is truly pitiable." Then he abruptly rose and made a full bow, and said: "I once traveled through the provinces and met those who are called members of the Minamoto clan, but all were people unequal to a great undertaking. Now, fortunately, I see that your heart is settled and that you possess the capacity worthy of a commander." He went on to encourage Yoritomo by citing the rise and fall of Gaozu of Han and Xiang Yu of Chu.

¶On another day Mongaku further urged: "In the past the Minamoto and the Taira alike held the military power of the realm, but the Minamoto gradually declined and the Taira attained their aims. The Dajō Nyūdō (Taira-no-Kiyomori) has taken advantage of the tide and seized every opportunity and has wielded power solely at his own pleasure, but his offenses have piled up, and the Mandate of Heaven has already left him. His heir Shigemori had talents and strategy beyond other men, but unfortunately died young. The rest are all mediocre and not vessels to save the age. I have looked at the faces of a great many people, and I can read signs of fortune and misfortune as easily as pointing to my palm. Among all of them, there is none with so noble a countenance as yours. You should be the very first to raise a righteous army, to avenge your wrongs and wipe away your shame. The ancients also said: 'If one does not take what Heaven gives, one is in turn blamed for it; if the time comes and one does not act, one in turn suffers calamity.' I beg you to decide quickly." Yoritomo was inwardly delighted, but feared that Mongaku's words were a cunning scheme that might in turn bring trouble upon himself, and merely deflected them with a modest "Yes, yes."

¶Perceiving Yoritomo's thoughts, Mongaku took a skull from his robe and falsely declared it to be the head of the late Yoshitomo: "While I was in prison, I stole this and kept it hidden. Had I not been exiled, I would have shown it to you and let you meet your late father," and he wept bitter tears. Though Yoritomo inwardly found this doubtful, on hearing these words he wept and sobbed. Mongaku calmly said to Yoritomo: "I have long wished to restore Jingoji and have not yet been able to. If you one day achieve your aims, I should like to accomplish it then." Yoritomo answered: "I am a prisoner; how could I undertake such a thing?" Mongaku said: "If you truly intend to raise a great undertaking, obtaining a decree from the Retired Emperor is not difficult. I shall arrange it for you." He hurried to Fukuhara, called on Fujiwara-no-Mitsuyoshi, Sakiuhyōe-no-kami, former Captain of the Right Military Guards, a close courtier of the Retired Emperor, begged a decree, and returned with it. He then said to Yoritomo: "If you wish to obtain the Retired Emperor's decree, you should first donate estates to Jingoji." Yoritomo answered: "When the matter is accomplished, I shall respond to you as you wish with no more than a province." Mongaku had a brush brought and had a deed written granting thirteen fertile tracts in Tanba, Harima, and Tosa to the temple in perpetuity, and then he took out the decree he had mentioned and showed it to Yoritomo. And so Yoritomo at last resolved to raise troops (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki. The various texts of the Heike Monogatari contain the text of this decree, but the wording differs in each. If one decree had been issued, how could the text differ from manuscript to manuscript? Examining records of the veritable-record type, one finds almost nothing reliable. Probably Mongaku had an extraordinary eagerness for the restoration of Jingoji, and, wishing to let Yoritomo carry out his own original design, he falsely used a decree in order to accomplish his own aim. Or perhaps Yoritomo secretly acquiesced and had Mongaku do it. The actions of heroes are not easily fathomed, but one can perceive that this decree was false. The Gukanshō says that the story current in the world, that Mitsuyoshi falsely claimed to be conveying the Retired Emperor's wishes and had Mongaku urge Yoritomo to raise troops, is mistaken, and that Mongaku secretly read the times and falsely used the Retired Emperor's name. From this it appears that this theory already existed at the time, but the authors of the two books [the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki] recorded it as fact without examining whether it was true. Readers should consider it carefully).

¶When Yoritomo's Daishōgun-fu, shogunal headquarters, was established, Mongaku shamelessly relied on his might and exercised authority as he pleased (Note: following the Meigetsuki). In this way he at last completed the restoration of Jingoji, and the construction was lavish in the extreme. He also restored Tōji, and Yoritomo's courtesy toward him grew warmer by the day (Note: following the Genkō Shakusho). After the Taira were destroyed, Hōjō-no-Tokimasa went up to the capital and searched for the descendants of the Taira in hiding. Rokudai, the son of Taira-no-Koremori, was seized and was about to be executed, but Mongaku extended a helping hand and saved him (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari).

¶By nature Mongaku was arrogant and stubborn, and did not change even in old age. Though he lived in the mountains and forests, he still went on slandering the government of the court. At that time Emperor Go-Toba was fond of amusements and given to neglecting affairs of state. Imperial Prince Morisada, the emperor's elder brother, had the support of public opinion, and Mongaku secretly considered plotting a deposition, but because Yoritomo was still alive, he did not dare to act. In the first year of Shōji, when Yoritomo died, Mongaku secretly planned a seditious scheme. But this was discovered, and he was exiled to Sado (Note: Sado follows the Teiō Hennenki and the Hyakurenshō. Elsewhere in this work it is given as Oki).

¶Mongaku raged and cursed: "I am already old and decrepit, with little time left. Even if I have committed an offense, why did they not exile me to a place near the capital, rather than drive me out to this remote end of the earth? When I die I shall become a vengeful spirit, and I will surely come here to fetch that little monk with the gitchō stick (the emperor)." At that time the young emperor was fond of playing at gitchō, a game with ball and mallet, and for that reason he spoke thus (Note: following the Heike Monogatari. In another place this work records that at the time of the Jōkyū Disturbance the emperor was in fact exiled to Oki, and that Mongaku's spirit appeared repeatedly and spoke with the emperor, confirming what Mongaku had once said. But according to the Teiō Hennenki and the Hyakurenshō, Mongaku was exiled to Sado, and this story in the present work is an unfounded embellishment, so it is not adopted here).

¶Mongaku finally fasted to death. He was eighty years old at the time (Note: following the Yasaka-bon Heike Monogatari. Examining the Tōji Chōja Bunin, it records that on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of Kennin 2 Mongaku was summoned by imperial command, but no corresponding entry is found in the other books. Moreover, it places his exile in the fifth month of Kenkyū 9, which conflicts with the accounts in the Hyakurenshō and others, so this too is not adopted. ○ There is a collection of Kamakura-period letters known in the world as Shibugaki, and in it is included a letter from Mongaku to Yoriie. It warns against useless prayers and excessive hunting, and urges that he should strive to employ loyal and good ministers and dismiss the treacherous and wicked; its words are earnest and to the point, and seem just like Mongaku's own manner of speech, and it is worth recording as a caution. But when the various books are compared, Yoritomo died in the first month of Shōji 1 and Yoriie succeeded him, and in the third month Mongaku was exiled to Sado. However lacking in principle Yoriie may have been, it is hard to imagine him taking pleasure in hunting during a period of mourning, and the sense of the letter conflicts in many places. It was probably made up by someone of a later age borrowing Mongaku's name, so it is not adopted here).

Taira-no-Tomoyasu

¶Taira-no-Tomoyasu was appointed Saemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards (Note: following the Gyokuyō. The Azuma Kagami gives his surname as Fujiwara), and concurrently held the post of Kebiishi. Because his father Tomochika was Iki-no-kami, Governor of Iki, Tomoyasu was called "Iki Hōgan," the Iki Judge, and served the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Because he was skilled at beating the tsuzumi, the hand drum, he was also called "Tsuzumi Hōgan," the Drum Judge, in the world. He was frivolous by nature and fond of jokes and buffoonery, but the Retired Emperor favored him and kept him close.

¶In the second year of Juei, Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka entered the capital, but he did not keep his men in order, and his soldiers burst into the town every day and plundered as they pleased. Gentry and commoners lost heart, and cries of resentment arose. The Retired Emperor sent Tomoyasu to Yoshinaka to admonish him, but Yoshinaka received the edict with insolence, stared at Tomoyasu, and said: "They tell me that in the world you are called the Drum Judge, but surely that does not mean the kind of drum that people beat? How did you come by such a name?" Tomoyasu returned ashamed and angry, and reported to the Retired Emperor: "Unless this rebel is removed, the capital will not be at peace. We should gather troops at once and attack him." The Retired Emperor, who already hated Yoshinaka's conduct, agreed deeply, quickly settled the plan without consulting the court nobles, put Tomoyasu in charge of military affairs, and had him make preparations for battle at the Hōjūji palace.

¶By edict he had Myōun, Tendai Zasu, Abbot of the Tendai sect, and Enne, Onjōji Chōri, Head of Onjōji, raise warrior-monks from the two temples, but the rest were almost all city ruffians, and those who gathered in response to the call numbered more than twenty thousand. On the walls on all four sides of the palace he hung images of the various Buddhas, hoping that the power of charms would drive off malign influences. Those who saw this perceived that the battle would surely be lost, but Tomoyasu sat on a camp stool, drew out an arrow, twisted the shaft and turned the nock, and boasted: "With a single arrow I will pierce the rebel's head."

¶When Yoshinaka's troops pressed against the palace gate, Tomoyasu, holding a halberd in his left hand and a kongōrei, a vajra bell, in his right, climbed onto the wall, danced, and laughed riotously. Then, catching sight of Yoshinaka in the distance, he reviled him in a loud voice: "In the old days, when an imperial edict was read out, withered trees bloomed and flying birds fell of themselves. Though this is the latter days, the Mandate of Heaven has not yet changed. Who are you, to take up bow and arrow against the Most Revered?" Yoshinaka laughed loudly in scorn and signaled his troops to advance. A fierce north wind was blowing just then, and Yoshinaka's troops took advantage of it to set fires, and the flames rose until they seemed to scorch the heavens. Seeing this, Tomoyasu was seized with terror, climbed over the wall, and fled. Even so, he still had the bell in his hand, so that as he ran it went jingling. Yoshinaka's soldiers shouted, "The one holding the bell is the ringleader!" and rushed to that spot, each trying to be first. Tomoyasu, flustered, threw away the bell and fled.

¶The men who had been gathered had never been used to battle in the first place, and having lost their commander as well, they collapsed at once, and not one dared to face the enemy. Many of the court nobles were humiliated by the unruly soldiers, and people everywhere blamed Tomoyasu for rashly stirring up trouble and so ruining the country and bringing the affair to disaster. Tachibana-no-Kintomo, a Kebiishi, and Fujiwara-no-Tokinari, Saemon-no-jō, went to Kamakura to report this disturbance. Yoritomo said: "If Yoshinaka was guilty, it should have been left to me, Yoritomo, to attack him. Instead, they have now rashly believed Tomoyasu's words and opened the seed of so great a conflict, shaking the palace with alarm and greatly damaging the dignity of the state. Yoshinaka comes from a house of generals through the generations, and is not at all an opponent that mere samurai of the Northern Guard could face. How could they not be defeated?"

¶Tomoyasu, holding that the affair had begun with himself, resolved to meet Yoritomo and explain in person, and went to Kamakura. But Yoritomo disliked his character and would not readily grant an audience. Tomoyasu went to the Samurai-dokoro, the Retainers' Office, and asked those coming and going to relay his request, but no one paid him any attention. Yoritomo happened to be watching this through the blinds, and handed a tsuzumi to his son Ichiman (Yoriie), saying: "That man is said to be skilled at beating the drum. Give it to him and let him display his skill to the full." Ichiman did as he was told. Tomoyasu, not ashamed to flatter and fawn, gladly accepted it and sat, stood, and bowed his head, showing himself in a most unseemly manner. Yoritomo looked on. Tomoyasu took the opportunity to explain the old affair of Yoshinaka, but Yoritomo, with an expressionless face, made no answer. Tomoyasu withdrew in shame, and afterward did not return to the capital but stayed on and lived in Kamakura.

¶In Yoriie's time Tomoyasu gradually drew close to his side, and devoted himself wholly to winning his favor with skillful flattery. Once, when Yoriie entertained his mother Hōjō-shi (Masako), Tomoyasu also attended the banquet, and in his cups teased Hōjō-no-Tokitsura, saying: "Gorō-dono (Tokitsura) carries himself with a bearing above that of ordinary men, but his name is truly ill-matched to him. Does the 'tsura' of Tokitsura mean threading cash on a string? How vulgar. Or does he mean to follow in the footsteps of Ki-no-Tsurayuki, the poet-immortal? He should change it at once" (Note: "tsura" and "nuki" are connected in their kun readings). Hōjō-shi did not like this and said: "The disturbance with Yoshinaka was caused wholly by this man. Not chastened by one failure, afterward he sided with Yoshitsune. For that reason the late shōgun (Yoritomo) hated him and had the offices he held memorialized and taken away. Yet now, forgetting his fault, you keep him by your side; this truly goes against the intention of the late shōgun." When Yoriie was later deposed, all his attendants were found guilty, and Tomoyasu too could no longer remain in Kamakura and returned again to the capital (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).