Then you are informed flatly that you are an ignoramus, a "dollar-grinder," and that, as you never see any Japanese of the better class, but only coolies and hucksters, what you are pleased to call your opinion is a mere impertinence worth less than nothing.
All things considered, the would-be critic of Japanese mind, manners, and morals has a thankless task before him. The present writer feels that he cannot hope to escape being classed in some one or other of the above-named categories of pariahs not fit to have an opinion of their own. He has, therefore, decided to express none at all, but simply to quote the opinions of others. Perhaps he may thus avoid blame and unpleasantness. He has chosen the opinions impartially, or rather he has not chosen them, but taken them at random from his commonplace-book. He has not, it is true, thought fit to include all or any of the absurdities of the casual passer-by;—one French count, for instance, a stripling of twenty, who spent just three months in the country and then wrote a book about it, sums up his acquired wisdom in the tremendous assertion, "Le japonais n'est pas intelligent." Of trash of this kind there is enough to fill many volumes. But who would care to wade through it? The opinions which we quote will be seen to be in some cases judgments of the people, in others judgments of the country. But it is not practicable to separate one class from the other:—
"This nation is the delight of my soul." (St. Francis Xavier, middle of sixteenth century.)
"The people of this Iland of Iapon are good of nature, curteous aboue measure and valiant in warre: their justice is seuerely executed without any partialitie vpon transgressors of the law. They are gouerned in great ciuilitie. I meane, not a land better gouerned in the world by ciuill policie. The people be verie superstitious in their religion, and are of diuers opinions."—This last sentence does not fit the present day. No one now accuses the Japanese of superstitious religionism. Our author is again in touch with modern times when he speaks of "the peopell veri subject to
