The Abbot was out, which I much regretted, for he
belongs to the Montos, the most advanced sect of Buddhism, and has
more than once remarked to English visitors that he thought their own
principles were so enlightened that they were paving the way for a
higher form of religion, in the shape of Christianity--rather a
startling confession to come from the lips of a Buddhist priest.
After spending a long time among the paintings, wood-carvings,
lacquers, bronzes, and gardens, we left the temple, and crossed
several court-yards, before the main street was reached. Then, after a
short walk, we came to another beautiful garden, laid out like a
miniature park, with lakes, bridges, rocks, streams, canals,
pavilions, &c. All these surround a house built by the celebrated
Tycoon, Tako Sama, in the fifteenth century. Here, again, everything
was prepared for our reception. Fires were lighted, flowers arranged,
carpets laid down, and fruit and cakes placed in readiness, with
_hibatchis_ to warm each and all of us. We went all over the house,
which differs little from a Japanese house of the present day, except
that a higher style of art was employed in its construction and
decoration.
From here we went to quite another quarter of the city to see what was
formerly the Tycoon's palace, now used as a sort of police office.
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