XLVII. KON (To be in difficulty).

Kon. Auspicious.

Constant; great

men will be lucky and free from blame. Words are not believed.

Exposition. Kon is this, that strong elements are surrounded [by weak ones]. It is dangerous and yet joyful: it is in difficulty, and yet loses not an auspicious way out of it.' Who but honourable men can do this? "Constant; great men will be lucky," because strong elements occupy middle positions. "Words are not believed "that is, one gets into difficulty on account of his reliance on words.

Interpretation.

A pond without water is [the emblem of] Kon. Honourable men accordingly trust themselves to fate, and accomplish their object.

Negative I. The hip is in difficulty on the stump of a tree. He enters a deep valley and is not seen for three years.

Interpretation. To "enter a deep valley" means to become dark and devoid of light.

Positive II. Is in difficulty about drink and food. A red apron comes to him. Advantageous to offer sacrifices. Unlucky to advance. Free from blame.

Interpretation. ‘[Positive II] is in difficulty about drink and food"-[the consequence will be, that] he will be felicitous, because he pursues a middle course.

Negative III. Is in difficulty on a stone; leans on thorns; enters his house, but does not see his wife.. Unlucky.

Interpretation. To "lean on thorns" means to sit upon strong elements. It is inauspicious that he "enters his house, but does not see his wife."

Positive IV. Is slow in coming; is in difficulty about a golden cart. Inauspicious, but he will have a good end.

Interpretation. "[Positive IV] is slow in coming," that is, his mind is turned towards the inferior. His position is not proper, but he has friends.

Positive V. Is deprived of his nose and feet, and is in difficulty about red aprons, slowly comes glad news, and advantageous to offer sacrifices.

Interpretation. To be "deprived of his nose and feet," means that he has not yet been able to accomplish his object. "Slowly comes glad news," because the position is middle and just. "Advantageous to offer sacrifices"-this implies that he is felicitous.

Negative VI. Is in difficulty on account of the motion of vines. He will have remorse, if he moves, When there is remorse, it will he lucky to advance.

Interpretation. "[Negative VI] is in difficulty on account of vines," because his position is not proper. If he has remorse [by moving], knowing that remorse will be produced by moving, the action will be lucky.

EXAMPLES.

WILL MR.

BE INFECTED WITH CHOLERA?

In July of 1886, a friend from Yokohama came to me and said, "During the last month, Cholera was raging in Osaka and Hyōgo, but as it did not invade Yokohama and Tokyo, we were congratulating with one another. But since a single patient has appeared in Hanasakichō of Yokohama, this month, it has began predominating, and to-day it has infected three persons in our city. As it attacks people unexpectedly, no one is at ease now. Will

you please divine whether I shall be infected or not? He kept beseeching me to divine, and as I can not repulse an implore of a friend, I calculated and obtained the "Negative I" of "Kon ("

"The Interpretation,' says 'A pond without water is Kon.' 'Kon' means to be in difficulty. The 'Da' of the upper complement is keeping its mouth above and vomitting, and the 'Kan' of the lower is purging out water. It is the emblem of the bowels decaying and being purged out; therefore it says, 'A pond without water. As the 'Negative I' is at the beginning, you are not yet infected, but will be if you stay here, so that you must avoid it at Hakone, or Ikaho, or any other place, where there is no sign of Cholera. The 'Negative I' says, 'The hip is in difficulty on the stump of a tree. He enters a deep valley and is not seen for three years.' 'The hip is in difficulty on the stump of a tree,' means that, if you will stay at chlorated Yokohama without knowing the necessity of avoiding it, you will be sure to be infected. 'Enters a deep valley' means you will die, and be buried under the ground. Not seen for three years' means that, as you die, you can not be seen however long we may wait for you.'

Mr.

was very much astonished, and went to Ikaho on the very day, and thus got rid of the pest that year.

DEATH OF A CHOLERATE (FOR MR. FUJITA).

During the month of July of the year 1885, I stayed at the hot spring of Kiga of Hakone, for the purpose of avoiding the pest of Cholera, there. Mr. Fujita, a merchant of Tōkyō, was staying at the same hotel with me, for the same purpose. He came to my room with a letter from Tōkyō and said, "I have now obtained a

news that the wife of a relative of mine was infected by the pestilence. Please divine whether she will die or not?" I divined and obtained the "Negative III" of "Kon()."

"It says, "Negative III' is in difficulty on a stone; leans on thorns; enters his house, but does not see his wife; unlucky," which is explained in the 'Appendix,' as: 'He is troubling himself, where he needs not be troubled; his name will be blamed. He is leaning on where he needs not lean; his life will be perilous. Already blamed and perilous. The time of dying is come. How can the wife be seen!' Cholera is different from ordinary diseases, and its cause has not yet been ascertained even by the most eminent physicians, the only way of avoiding it being to go to a district where it does not predominate. Should any one be unhappily infected by it, no physician, no medicine, are able to cure him generally. In fact, the disease is very fierce and is insensible to any medicine, as a block of stone is. For any one to fear it, without receding from it, is troubling himself, and leaning on. absurdity. Now, the 'Negative III' is neither in the middle nor in the right position, and is at the extremity of the difficulty of 'Kan,' so it indicates that she has been taken by this incurable disease, thus already blamed and perilous.' 'The time of dying is come and how can the wife be seen' means that the wife will die and she will be seen in the world no more. Again, the third changed we have 'Taikwa,' whose 'Appendix' gives the history of the use of the coffin in the funeral rites. Now the lady, whom you are regretting, is already dead and in the coffin."

Next day he received a telegram of her death. Her enterment into the coffin was just at the time of my divination.

XLVIII. SEI (# A well).

Sei. A village may be shifted, but a

well can not be.

nothing is gained.

Nothing is lost, and

Those who go and

those who come equally use a well as a well [ought to be used]. A well is almost approached, but before a rope is attached to the well (-bucket), the bucket is broken. lucky.

Un

"A

Exposition. Sei is this: water is drawn up by going into water. A well is fed and is inexhaustible. village may be shifted, but a well can not be," because a strong element occupies a middle position. "A well is almost approached, but before a rope is attached to the well (-bucket)”—this signifies that a result has not yet been achieved. "The bucket is broken," and hence,

"unlucky."

Interpretation. Water lying on wood is [the emblem of] Sei. Honourable men accordingly make the people work, and encourage and help them.

Negative I. The well is muddy and [its water] is not fit for drink. No bird is found near the old well.

Interpretation. "The well is muddy and [its water] is not fit for drink," because the water is at the bottom. "No bird is found near the old well," that is, the well is discarded by the times.

Positive II. Shoots the funa (a kind of fish resembling the carp) in the side hole of a well. The bucket is broken and leaks.

Interpretation. "Positive II] shoots the funa in the side hole of a well"-this signifies that he is friendless. Positive III. The well is clean, but [its water] is not used for drink. One feels sad on this account. The