as for Heijiuro, he fell sick at the end of the 7th month, and on the 11th day of the 8th month died, being forty-seven years old that year.  These three men, who had loved Sogoro as the fishes love water, were true to him to the last.  Heijiuro was buried on Mount Koya.  Kakushin wandered through the country as a priest, praying for the entry of Sogoro and his children into the perfection of paradise; and, after visiting all the shrines and temples, came back at last to his own province of Shimosa, and took up his abode at the temple Riukakuji, in the village of Kano, and in the district of Imban, praying and making offerings on behalf of the souls of Sogoro, his wife and children.  Hanzayemon, now known as the priest Zensho, remained at Shinagawa, a suburb of Yedo, and, by the charity of good people, collected enough money to erect six bronze Buddhas, which remain standing to this day.  He fell sick and died, at the age of seventy, on the 10th day of the 2d month of the 13th year of the period styled Kambun.  Zembei, who, as a priest, had changed his name to Kakushin, died, at the age of seventy-six, on the 17th day of the 10th month of the 2d year of the period styled Empo.  Thus did those men, for the sake of Sogoro and his family, give themselves up to works of devotion; and the other villagers also brought food to soothe the spirits of the dead, and prayed for their entry into paradise; and as litanies were repeated without intermission, there can be no doubt that Sogoro attained salvation.

“In paradise, where the blessings of God are distributed without favour, the soul learns its faults by the measure of the rewards given.  The lusts of the flesh are abandoned; and the soul, purified, attains to the glory of Buddha."[64]

[Footnote 64:  Buddhist text.]

On the 11th day of the 2d month of the 2d year of Shoho, Sogoro having been convicted of a heinous crime, a scaffold was erected at Ewaradai, and the councillor who resided at Yedo and the councillor who resided on the estate, with the other officers, proceeded to the place in all solemnity.  Then the priests of Tokoji, in the village of Sakenaga, followed by coffin-bearers, took their places in front of the councillors, and said—­

“We humbly beg leave to present a petition.”

“What have your reverences to say?”

“We are men who have forsaken the world and entered the priesthood,” answered the monks, respectfully; “and we would fain, if it be possible, receive the bodies of those who are to die, that we may bury them decently.  It will be a great joy to us if our humble petition be graciously heard and granted.”

“Your request shall be granted; but as the crime of Sogoro was great, his body must be exposed for three days and three nights, after which the corpse shall be given to you.”