68 Yoshida Shouin (an omission) The man originally responsible for the famous Shouka-son Juku school was Shouin's uncle, and he was in charge; but when Shouin returned home, he then took charge and became the second person to run the school. In the 9th month of the 3rd year of Ansei (1856), he wrote the Account of the Shouka Village School (Shouka-son Juku Ki). "To start with, the most important thing for people is the virtue of the lord and his subject. For the state, the most important thing is the distinction between the sublime and barbarous. What times we are faced with now ! The virtue of the lord and subject has not been taught for over 600 years, and in recent times the sublime and barbarous have joined and distinction betwixt the two has been lost. People are not concerned that they have fallen into this erroneous state, which they think is natural. As we were born in the land of the gods, we receive the favor of the Emperor; but within we have lost the virture of the load and subject and without we have forgotten the distinction between the sublime and the barbarous. Given this, where could be the point of learning being learning, and people being people ?" (an omission) These were the rules of the school: Item: You must on no account break any of the instructions of your parents. Item: You must inform your parents of your comings and goings. Item: You must rise early, wash and groom yourself; bow to your ancestors; bow to the lord's castle; facing east, you must bow toward the Imperial Palace. Even if you fall ill, you must not neglect to do this. Item: To those who are older than you or outrank you, including your older brothers, you must at all times be obedient and at no times be impolite; you must love those younger and of lesser rank than you even as your younger brother. Item: Within the school, the proper forms must be followed in all dealings and when moving about. (an omission) Shouin was twenty-nine. Though his life ended there, he faced death and, brush in hand, wrote the following on the head of a copy of the Ryuukonroku: "Though my body should rot on a field in Musashi, I with the spirit of Yamato will stay there." On the foot of the scroll, he wrote: "Even though I should be reborn seven times, could I ever forget this wish to expel the barbarian ?"

　

68　吉田松陰 　 （前略） 　有名な松下村塾は、初めは松陰の叔父がその責任者となり、指導者となっていました が、松陰が家に帰るに及んで、次第にその中心は松陰に移り、安政三年の九月には、松 陰は松下村塾記を作りました。その中に、 　「抑も人の最も重しとする所は、君臣の義なり。国の最も大なりとする所は、華夷の 弁なり。今天下いかなる時ぞや。君臣の義、講ぜざること六百余年、近時に至り、華夷 の弁をあわせて又之を失ふ。然り而して天下の人、まさに安然、計を得たりとなす。神 州の地に生まれて、皇室の恩を蒙り、内、君臣の義を失ひ、外、華夷の弁をわする、則 ち学の学たる所以、人の人たる所以、それいづくにや在りや。」 とあるあたり、その目標とするところが分かりましょう。 （中略） 　 　松下村塾の規則は、次の通りでした。 　規則 一、両親の命、必ず背くべからず。 一、両親へ、必ず出入を告ぐべし。 一、晨起盥梳（しんきかんそ）、先祖を拝し、御城にむかひて拝し、東にむかひ、天朝 を拝する事、仮令病に臥すとも怠るべからず。 一、兄はもとより、年長又は位高き人には、かならず順ひ敬ひ、無礼なる事なく、弟は いふもさら也、品卑き年すくなき人を愛すべし。 一、塾中において、よろづ応対と進退とを切に、礼儀を正しくすべす。 （中略） 　 　松陰三十年の生涯は、ここに終わりましたが、死に直面して筆を執った留魂録の巻頭 には、 　身はたとひ　武蔵の野辺に　朽ちぬとも 　　留め置かまし　大和魂 そして巻末には、 　七たびも　生かへりつつ　夷をぞ 　　攘はんこころ　吾れ忘れめや と書き残したのでありました。

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