gality always occupied a prominent place in the Bakufu's list of
essentials. Frequent and strenuous efforts were made by successive
shoguns to encourage people in this virtue, but with the long peace
enjoyed by the country under Tokugawa rule, a tendency to increasing
luxury constantly prevailed, and the Government's aims in this
respect were not realized except for brief periods. During the
administration of the first three Tokugawa shoguns, and under the
eighth shogun (Yoshimune), some success attended official injunctions
of economy, but on the whole a steady growth of extravagance
characterized the era.

"(13) The lords of domain (kokushu, masters of provinces) must select
men of capacity for office.

"The way to govern is to get hold of the proper men. The merits and
demerits (of retainers) should be closely scanned, and reward or
reproof unflinchingly distributed accordingly. If there be capable
men in the administration, that domain is sure to flourish; if there
be not capable men, then the domain is sure to go to ruin. This is an
admonition which the wise ones of antiquity all agree in giving
forth."

"The tenor of the foregoing rules must be obeyed.

"Keicho, 20th year, 7th month (September 23, 1615)."

The above body of laws may be regarded as the Tokugawa Constitution.
They were re-enacted by each shogun in succession on assuming office.
The custom was to summon all the daimyo to Yedo, and to require their
attendance at the Tokugawa palace, where, in the presence of the
incoming shogun, they listened with faces bowed on the mats to the
reading of the laws. Modifications and additions were, of course,
made on each occasion, but the provisions quoted above remained
unaltered in their essentials. Up to the time of the third shogun
(Iemitsu), the duty of reading aloud the laws at the solemn
ceremonial of the new shogun's investiture devolved on a high
Buddhist priest, but it was thereafter transferred to the
representative of the Hayashi family (to be presently spoken
of). Any infraction of the laws was punished mercilessly, and
as their occasionally loose phraseology left room for arbitrary
interpretation, the provisions were sometimes utilized in the
interest of the shogun and at the expense of his enemies.

RULES FOR THE IMPERIAL COURT AND COURT NOBLES

In the same month of the same year there was promulgated a body of
laws called the "Rules of the Imperial Court, and the Court Nobles"
(Kinchu narabi