Page:Things Japanese (1905).djvu/158

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Esotericism.

Do you striking this man for that?

Yes.

But do not strike him for it is forbided.

I strike him no more.

**********

The author teaches his policemen, not only to converse, but to moralise. Thus:

Japanese Police Force consists of nice young men.

But I regret that their attires are not perfectly neat.

When a constable come in conduct with a people he shall be polite and tender in his manner of speaking and movement.

If he will terrify or scold the people with enormous voice, he will become himself an object of fear for the people.

Civilized people is meek, but barbarous peoples is vain and haugty.

A cloud-like writing of Chinese character, and performance of the Chinese poem, or cross hung on the breast, would no more worthy, to pretend others to avail himself to be a great man.

Those Japanese who aquired a little of foreign language, think that they have the knowledge of foreign countries, as Chinese, English or French, there is nothing hard to success what they attempt.

They would imitate themselves to Cæsar, the ablest hero of Rome, who has been raised the army against his own country, crossing the river Rabicon.

A gleam of diffidence seems to cross the police mind when one policeman says to the other "You speak the English very well," and the other replies "You jest."

Book recommended. Miss Duncan's delightful book, A Social Departure, Chap. VII. gives a side-splitting specimen of the dialect under consideration, in the shape of an interview conducted in English by a young Japanese journalist.


Esotericism. When an Englishman hears the word "esoteric," the first thing, probably, that comes into his head is Buddhism, the second the name of Mr. Sinnett or Mrs. Annie Besant. Matters stand somewhat differently in Japan. Not religion only, but every art, every pastime, here is or has been esoteric,—poetry, music, porcelain-making, fencing, football, even bone-setting, and cookery itself. Esotericism is not a unique mystery shrouding a special class of subjects. It is a general