The History of Japan (Kaempfer)/Volume 1/Preface
The
Author’s Preface.
ermany was as yet not engaged in war with the Ottoman Porte and the moſt Chriſtian King, when the Swediſh Embaſſy, which I had the honour to attend as Secretary, was diſmiſs’d by the Perſian Court. It agreed beſt with my inclination to undertake a farther journey, and I choſe rather to lead the reſtleſs and troubleſome life of a Traveller, than by coming home to ſubject myſelf to a ſhare in that train of calamities my native Country was then involved in. Therefore I took my leave of the Ambaſſador, and his retinue, (who did me the honour to attend me a mile out of Iſpahan) with a firm reſolution to ſpend ſome years longer in ſeeing other Eaſtern Courts, Countries and Nations. I was never uſed to receive large ſupplies of money from home: ’Twas by my own induſtry I had till then ſupported myſelf, and the very ſame means maintain’d me afterwards, as long as I ſtaid abroad, and enabled me to ſerve the Dutch Eaſt-India Company, though in a leſs honourable employment. This off-ſpring of Japhet enjoys, more than any other European nation, the bleſſing of Noah, to live in the tents of Shem, and to have Canaan for their ſervant. God hath ſo bleſſed their valour and conduct, that they have enlarged their trade, conqueſts and poſſeſſions throughout Aſia, to the very extremities of the Eaſt, and there hath never been wanting among them a ſucceſſion of prudent and able men, who have promoted their intereſt and welfare to the utmoſt of their capacity. But to come to the point. It was by the gracious leave, and under the protection of this honourable Company, that I have often obtain’d my end in the Indies, and have had the ſatisfaction at laſt to ſee the remote Empire of Japan, and the Court of its powerful Monarch. ’Tis the preſent ſtate of this Court and Empire, which I herewith offer to the publick, before my other works, which I have lately promiſed in the Preface to my Amœnitates Exoticæ. I can aſſure the Reader, that both my deſcription and repreſentations of things, though perhaps leſs elegant and perfect, are yet ſtrictly agreeable to truth, and without embelliſhments, ſuch as they occurred to me. I muſt own, that as to the more private affairs of the Empire, I could not procure full and ample informations enough: It is known, how difficult a matter it is for a foreigner to do it in any Country, and I found by experience, that it is much more ſo in Japan. Ever ſince the Roman Catholick Religion hath been extirpated, the Dutch and Chineſe Merchants in a manner impriſon’d, and the whole Empire ſhut up to all Commerce and communication with foreign nations, the natives muſt be extreamly cautious and reſerved in their behaviour with regard to thoſe foreigners, who are permitted to trade and are tolerated among them. Thoſe in particular who are more immediately concerned with our affairs, are all obliged, by a ſolemn oath, not to diſcourſe with us, nor to diſcover any thing to us, of the condition of their Country, the Religions therein eſtabliſhed, the private tranſactions at Court and in the Empire, and other things, and they are ſo far neceſſitated to be upon their guard, as by the ſame oath they are tied down to watch and to betray one another. For a farther confirmation, this oath is renew’d to them every year. In ſo low a condition is at preſent the credit of foreigners in Japan: The Dutch, who are ſuffer’d to trade there, have found it by long experience, and are of opinion, that it is impoſſible for them to procure any information concerning the preſent condition of the Empire, foraſmuch as they have neither proper opportunities, nor liberty enough for it, as M. Cleyer, who was himſelf Diretor of our trade there, and our Ambaſſador to the Emperor’s Court, complains in a letter to the learned Scheffer. The difficulties, I own, are great and conſiderable, but not altogether inſuperable. They may be overcome by proper management, even notwithſtanding all the precautions the Japaneſe government hath taken to the contrary. The Japaneſe, a prudent and valiant nation, are not ſo eaſily to be bound by an oath taken to ſuch Gods, or Spirits, as are not worſhip’d by many, and unknown to moſt: If they do comply with it, ’tis more for fear of the puniſhment, which would inevitably attend them, if betray’d. Beſides, their pride and warlike humour being ſet aſide, they are as civil, as polite and curious a nation as any in the world, naturally inclined to commerce and familiarity with foreigners, and deſirous, to exceſs, to be informed of their hiſtories, arts and ſciences. But as we are only merchants, whom they place in the loweſt claſs of mankind, and as the narrow inſpection, we are kept under, muſt naturally lead them to ſome jealouſy and miſtruſt, ſo there is no other way to gain their friendſhip, and to win them over to our intereſt, but a willingneſs to comply with their deſire, a liberality to pleaſe their avaricious inclinations, and a ſubmiſſive conduct to flatter their vanity. ’Twas by theſe means I work’d myſelf into ſuch a friendſhip and familiarity with our interpreters, and the officers of our iſland, who daily come over to us, as I believe none before me could boaſt of, ever ſince we have been put under ſuch narrow regulations. Liberally aſſiſting them, as I did, with my advice and medicines, with what information I was able to give them in Aſtronomy and Mathematicks, and with a cordial and plentiful ſupply of European liquors, I could alſo, in my turn, freely put to them what queſtions I pleaſed, about the affairs of their Country, whether relating to the government in Civil or Eccleſiaſtical affairs, to the cuſtoms of the natives, to the natural and political hiſtory, and there was none that ever refuſed to give me all the information he could, even when we were alone, in ſuch things, which they are otherwiſe ſtrictly charged to keep ſecret. Theſe private informations I procured from thoſe who came to viſit me, were of great uſe to me in collecting materials for my intended hiſtory of this Country, but yet they fell far ſhort of being altogether ſatisfatory, and I ſhould not perhaps have been able to compaſs that deſign, if I had not, by good luck, met with other opportunities, and in particular the aſſiſtance of a diſcreet young man, by whoſe means I was richly ſupplied with whatever notice I wanted, concerning the affairs of Japan. He was about twenty-four years of age, well vers’d in the Chineſe and Japaneſe languages, and very deſirous of improving himſelf. Upon my arrival, he was appointed to wait on me, as my ſervant, and at the ſame time to be by me inſtructed in Phyſick and Surgery. The Ottona, who is the chief officer of our iſland, having been by him, though under my inſpection, taken care of in a diſtemper of his, ſuffer’d him to continue in my ſervice during the whole time of my abode in the Country, which was two years, and to attend me in our two journeys to Court, conſequently four times almoſt from one end of the Empire to the other, a favour which is ſeldom granted to young men of his age, but was never done for ſo long a time. As I could not well have obtain’d my end without giving him a competent knowledge of the Dutch language, I inſtructed him therein with ſo much ſucceſs, that in a year’s time he could write and read it better than any of our interpreters: I alſo gave him all the information I could in Anatomy and Phyſick, and farther allow’d him a handſome yearly ſalary, to the beſt of my abilities. In return, I employ’d him to procure me as ample accounts, as poſſible, of the then ſtate and condition of the Country, its Government, the Imperial Court, the Religions eſtabliſh’d in the Empire, the Hiſtory of former ages, and remarkable daily Occurrences. There was not a Book I deſired to ſee, on theſe and other ſubjects, which he did not bring to me, and explain to me, out of it, whatever I wanted to know. And becauſe he was obliged, in ſeveral things, to enquire, to borrow, or to buy of other people, I never diſmiſs’d him without providing him with money for ſuch purpoſes, beſides his yearly allowance. So expenſive, ſo difficult a thing is it to foreigners, ever ſince the ſhutting up of the Japaneſe Empire, to procure any information about it: What I have been able to do, I freely communicate to the Publick in this preſent Hiſtory.