learning which consists in devoting oneself to the examination of the ancient language and thought with a mind wholly detached from Chinese prepossessions. Before the time of this master the study of poetry was confined to the Kokinshiu and later collections. The Manyōshiu was thought obscure and incomprehensible. Nobody dreamed of judging between the good and bad, of distinguishing the old from the more recent poems, or of mastering their language so as to use it as his own. But now, thanks to the teachings of this master, we have appropriated the ancient language. It has become possible to compose poetry in the style of the Manyōshiu, and even to write prose after the manner of antiquity. The men of this day fancy that this is due to their own exertions, but in reality they owe everything to Mabuchi. It is now universally acknowledged that in studying ancient books like the Kojiki and Nihongi, it is necessary to avoid being misled by Chinese notions, and having first thoroughly mastered the old language, to guide ourselves by its meaning. This is the very spirit of Mabuchi's teaching of the Manyōshiu."
Mabuchi was a purist in style, and aimed at the exclusion from his writings of words of Chinese derivation as far as this was possible. He has left numerous commentaries and other works of research, indispensable even now to the student of the older Japanese language. Among them may be mentioned treatises on pillow-words (Kanjikō), on poetry, and on prose composition, and commentaries on the Manyōshiu, on the Norito (Norito Kō), the Genji Monogatari, and other classical books. He was also a writer of Tanka and Naga-uta.
The greatest of the Wagakusha, and one of the most
