in the most arbitrary manner for several years, he was thought
to hate more than he did any other person in Japan, except his only
son, the heir to the empire. The dislike he bore to the former was,
because the minister, under pretence that he could not govern the senate
without disposing of employments among them, would not suffer his master
to oblige one single person, but disposed of all to his own relations
and dependants. But, as to that continued and virulent hatred he bore to
the prince his son, from the beginning of his reign to his death, the
historian hath not accounted for it, further than by various
conjectures, which do not deserve to be related.

The minister above mentioned was of a family not contemptible, had been
early a senator, and from his youth a mortal enemy to the Yortes. He had
been formerly disgraced in the senate, for some frauds in the management
of a public trust.[211] He was perfectly skilled, by long practice, in
the senatorial forms; and dexterous in the purchasing of votes, from
those who could find their accounts better in complying with his
measures, than they could probably lose by any tax that might be charged
on the kingdom. He seemed to fail, in point of policy, by not concealing
his gettings, never scrupling openly to lay out vast sums of money in
paintings, buildings, and purchasing estates; when it was known, that,
upon his first coming into business, upon the death of the Empress Nena,
his fortune was but inconsiderable. He had the most boldness, and the
least magnanimity that ever any mortal was endowed with. By enriching
his relations, friends, and dependants, in a most exorbitant manner, he
was weak enough to imagine that he had provided a support against an
evil day. He had the best among all false appearances of courage, which
was a most unlimited assurance, whereby he would swagger the boldest men
into a dread of his power, but had not the smallest portion of
magnanimity, growing jealous, and disgracing every man, who was known to
bear the least civility to those he disliked. He had some small
smattering in books, but no manner of politeness; nor, in his whole
life, was ever known to advance any one person, upon the score of wit,
learning, or abilities for business. The whole system of his ministry
was corruption; and he never gave bribe or pension, without frankly
telling the receivers what he expected from them, and threatening them
to put an end to his bounty, if they f