and won for her suggestions a
measure of deference which they did not intrinsically deserve. Soon
the court became divided into two cliques, distinguished as the
"civil" and the "military." At the head of the latter stood
Hideyoshi's wife, Yae, a lady gifted with large discernment, who had
shared all the vicissitudes of her husband's fortunes, and acted as
his shrewd and loyal adviser on many occasions. With her were Kato
Kiyomasa and other generals and nobles of distinction. The civil
party espoused the cause of the lady Yodo, and among its followers
was Ishida Katsushige, to whom chiefly the ultimate catastrophe is
attributed by history.

*It is by this title, "Taiko," that Hideyoshi is most frequently
spoken of in History.

The birth of Hideyori on August 29, 1593, immediately actuated the
dissensions among these two cliques. Ishida Katsushige, acting in
Hideyori's interests, set himself to convince the Taiko that
Hidetsugu harboured treacherous designs, and Hideyoshi, too readily
allowing himself to credit tales which promised to remove the one
obstacle to his son's succession, ordered Hidetsugu to commit
suicide, and at the same time (August 8, 1595), sentenced his
concubines to be executed in the dry bed of the river Sanjo. Their
heads, together with that of Hidetsugu himself, were buried in the
same grave, over which was set a tablet bearing the inscription,
"Tomb of the Traitor, Hidetsugu." To this day, historians remain
uncertain as to Hidetsugu's guilt. If the evidence sufficed to
convict him, it does not appear to have been transmitted to
posterity. The Taiko was not by nature a cruel man. Occasionally fits
of passion betrayed him to deeds of great violence. Thus, on one
occasion he ordered the crucifixion of twenty youths whose sole
offence consisted in scribbling on the gate-posts of the Juraku
palace. But in cold blood he always showed himself forebearing, and
letters written by his own hand to his mother, his wife, and others
disclose an affectionate and sympathetic disposition. It would be
unjust to assume that without full testimony such a man sentenced a
whole family of his own relatives to be executed.

ENGRAVING: MAEDA TOSHIIYE

HIDEYOSHI'S DEATH

A few months after the Daigo fete, Hideyoshi was overtaken by mortal
sickness. His last days were tormented by the thought that all his
skill as an organizer and all his power as a ruler were incompetent
to devise a system such as would secure the s