Sogoro heard his sentence with pure courage.

The six men were banished; but three of them lived to be pardoned on the occasion of the death of the Shogun, Prince Genyuin,[63] and returned to their country.

[Footnote 63:  The name assigned after death to Iyetsuna, the fourth of the dynasty of Tokugawa, who died on the 8th day of the 5th month of the year A.D. 1680.]

According to the above decision, the taxes were remitted; and men and women, young and old, rejoiced over the advantage that had been gained for them by Sogoro and by the six elders, and there was not one that did not mourn for their fate.

When the officers of the several villages left the Court-house, one Zembei, the chief of the village of Sakato, told the others that he had some important subjects to speak to them upon, and begged them to meet him in the temple called Fukushoin.  Every man having consented, and the hundred and thirty-six men having assembled at the temple, Zembei addressed them as follows:—­

“The success of our petition, in obtaining the reduction of our taxes to the same amount as was levied by our former lord, is owing to Master Sogoro, who has thus thrown away his life for us.  He and his wife and children are now to suffer as criminals for the sake of the one hundred and thirty-six villages.  That such a thing should take place before our very eyes seems to me not to be borne.  What say you, my masters?”

“Ay! ay! what you say is just from top to bottom,” replied the others.  Then Hanzayemon, the elder of the village of Katsuta, stepped forward and said—­

“As Master Zembei has just said, Sogoro is condemned to die for a matter in which all the village elders are concerned to a man.  We cannot look on unconcerned.  Full well I know that it is useless our pleading for Sogoro; but we may, at least, petition that the lives of his wife and children may be spared.”

The assembled elders having all applauded this speech, they determined to draw up a memorial; and they resolved, should their petition not be accepted by the local authorities, to present it at their lord’s palace in Yedo, and, should that fail, to appeal to the Government.  Accordingly, before noon on the following day, they all affixed their seals to the memorial, which four of them, including Zembei and Hanzayemon, composed, as follows:—­

“With deep fear we humbly venture to present the following petition, which the elders of the one hundred and thirty-six villages of this estate have sealed with their seals.  In consequence of the humble petition which we lately offered up, the taxes have graciously been reduced to the rates levied by the former lord of the estate, and new laws have been vouchsafed to us.  With reverence and joy the peasants, great and small, have gratefully acknowledged these favours.  With regard to Sogoro, the elder of the village of Iwahashi, who ventured to petition his highness the Shogun in person, thus being guilty