hearts of the people,' perhaps France will become a Republic nation.

"The inner complement 'Shin' means to move, and the outer 'Kon' a difficulty. The hexagram then implies that the subject moves in a calamity and encounters a difficulty. Applying this to the two nations, the inner complement is France and the outer Prussia. Now the inner complement moves first and encounters the difficulty of the outer, which is the emblem of the France's opening the war and being hindered by the Prussian soldiers. Once more, the positive element represents leaders and the negative the soldiers. But the leader of Prussia is the 'Positive V' and is at the middle of the complement; thus he is guarded by his soldiers completely around him. The leader of the French army or the 'Positive I' is not in the middle. It is then clear that the leader and the soldiers are united and agreed in Prussia, while they are not in France.

"The leader of France is then behind the 'Kon' so that he is sending his soldiers out, he himself retiring in the rear, and is treating the people as if they were articles waged in gambling. The occurrence of betragers may be detected as the first and the fourth are homologous to each other and the fifth and the second too. He who betrays France to the leader or 'Positive V' of Prussia is the 'Negative II' who is situated in the middle position of the lower complement or France. This betrayer will be effective. He who betrays Prussia to France is the 'Negative IV' who is not occupying the middle position of the upper complement. This betrayer will be uneffective. Again as the change is from a positive into a negative, France will lose her leader, and then her defeat is evident.

When viewed from the side of Prussia, we have the change of 'Mô ()' into 'Shi (f),' which is obtained by inverting the whole hexagram. The' Positive

VI' says, 'Positive VI attacks Mò. Disadvantageous to make an assault, but advantageous to defend against an assault.' Now, that party who broke the peace of Europe and waged a war against a colleague, is France. That party who stands against the assault is Prussia. Then France is 'Mô' or an infant, and her conduct is that of an infant, and Prussia is she who opens the 'Mồ.' This is the more the case as Prussia is only defending against the assault of France, and not making an assault. The advantageousness of Prussia is clear.

"The inner complement 'Kan' intimates a difficulty and a difficulty can not be attacked from outside. The outer complement 'Gon' means stationary, and things stationary can not move. We have now an emblem that though France is the originator of the struggle, she can not advance. The conquest of Prussia is now far from admitting a doubt."

"Stop!" interrupted Mr. Masuda, "Such a vague dissertation on the diagrams of the 'Eki' is not worth believing."

I then explained him the rigorousness of the 'Eki,' and proceeded to the result of the struggle as the following;

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'You were in France for some time and you are fully assured of her strength; but your observations are merely superficial, and you do not know the real state of things. The 'Eki revelates the previously determined divine will and there is not a slightest error in its assertion. Although Napoleon III, who took the cause of people in the civil war of 1848, and finally stole the imperial throne, is an eminent personage, yet the 'Eki' predicts against him in this particular case. I dare not put any

suspicion on it."

Mr. Masuda did not at last submit to my opinion, nay, the sacred revelation of the 'Eki.'

But as you are

well acquainted with the history of that famous hostility, the truth of the divination was established. Marshal Bazaine turned out to be a traitor! Sedan surrendered! Napoleon III himself was obliged to take no other alternative than to submit to his hateful adversary.

MY OWN FATE, IN PRISON.

Being led on by the recklessness of my adolescence, in the 6th. year of Ansei, I committed a crime unintentionally, and was imprisoned. I found the second volume of the 'Book of Eki' there, perhaps left by a previous prisoner. As I had nothing to do in the prison, I took it up and read it very carefully through and through. At first, it was very difficult indeed, and I could only read the characters, without understanding their meaning. After a time, I recollected myself thus,— "Books were written by sages to instruct the people, and they are means of awakening our faculties. These wise personages surely did not mean to trouble us with intentional fastidious expressions. My present perplexity must be from the insufficiency of my endeavours."

I now excited myself, committed the whole volume into my memory, and deliberated upon the meaning of each expression. After an incessant endeavour of this sort for three years, I was able to grasp the general principles of the Book. It was then in the first year of Bunkyu. I prepared a set of paper ropes as the substitute for the "divining sticks," and first of all, I divined my own fate, and obtained the change of "Chun (it)" into "Setsu()." The interpretation was stated as the following:

"Chun' implies difficulty and is the emblem of being obstructed when endeavouring to advance. Also the water' of Kan' lies in front, without wading

which, the difficulty of Chun' does not terminate.

The

Negative II' says, 'Negative Il is perplexed and receding; She mounts a horse; but is unable to advance.' This means that the 'Negative II' which is a weak element is in the time of the difficulty of Chun,' and can not follow the help of the Positive V Again, the Interpretation' says, The difficulty of Negative II lies in her being above a strong one. That she marries ten years hence, is owing to the recovery of her situation to a normal state,' by which, perhaps, I can not follow the 'right help' until the number terminates and the time changes? On considering that the difficulty of Chun' can not be dispelled without passing the water,' and that it requires ten years to be restored, it may be, perhaps, I shall be banished for so long as ten years?"

After two years, I was banished to Tsukuda-Jima, thus obliged to wade water. Two years since, I was set free, in the first year of Kei-ō. From that time, surveying the fate of time, delineating the nature of men, consulting the courses to be taken with the " Eki," and following the example and leadership of the government, I was able to set out the four great deeds of Mailsteamers, of Railways, of Gas-lighting, and of School. They were began in the 3rd. year of Meiji, exactly ten years since I divined in the prison.

It must be observed that all the affairs of mankind are previously decided in the Heaven and the "Eki" expresses them previously, and tells them when sought heartily. The phrase "Perfectly auspicious" has been in my experience, and I fully believe and can prove by this matter that the "Superior men do not deceive 28.””

FATE OF A CERTAIN BANK.

A friend lawyer came to see me. (19th. year of Meiji.) After a time of miscellaneous conversations he said; "When once I was serving a court in a province, I was persuaded by a friend to become one of the shareholders of a bank there, which was then a rising and illustrious one. I bought some capital stocks, and am keeping them still now. I have been of late told, however, that bank is on its last legs. Should it come to grief, my circumstances will be greatly affected. Will you please kindly divine the fate of that bank?"

I calculated and obtained the change of "Chun ( " into "Fuku (1)." The "Positive V says, "To withhold benevolence," whose "Interpretation," "To withhold benevolence, signifies that his charity is not yet extensive.' The following interpretation was made:

"Chun' is the hexagram in which the difficulty is enormous, and even the 'Throne of Universe' of the ‘Positive V' can not bless the earth with its 'blessing rain.' Applying this to the bank, it is the emblem of a pecuniary embarrassment; so that they can not pay the profits to the shareholders. But 'Universally auspicious' of the 'Exposition' and 'Honourable men accordingly set the affairs of state in order' of the 'Interpretation' show that, though the bank is now in a distress, it will by and by open its course and arrive at a time of perfect auspiciousness.' This interval of distress will be ten years, as will be seen from the expression,-'That she marries ten years hence, is owing to the recovery of her situation to a normal state.' The tenth year from the 'Negative II' is the 'Negative V of ‘Mô ),' and as four years are already gone, the bank will become an illustrious and flourishing one, six years hence. Moreover the 'Negative V' of 'Mô' says,