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Moralizing, Philosophizing and Sympathizing.

Introduction.

The following prose and verse is a translation from the Japanese language, and is dedicated to the Government and Goat Inspectors of all the islands of that great and enlightened Empire. The most amusing portion of the original matter is that of the Goat Act of 1085—printed on rice paper, eight hundred years ago, by the authority of the Japanese Government.

Notwithstanding the value and durability of the paper for such purposes, we think the meanest intellect will not fail to understand how much cruel persecution was evinced towards unfortunate goat farmers eight centuries ago; and, we think, we may ask ourselves the question, as to whether we are more advanced in civilization now than they were then, even in this our year of grace—One thousand eight hundred and eighty-five?

In the present age, forsooth, the Japanese legislation is of such an extraordinary kind, that their own page 4 countrymen do not understand it; therefore, we may conceive how puzzled Englishmen are to unravel the hidden and intricate meaning of their myriads of Acts and Clauses in each Act.

The original language would seem to treat of Goats, but Sheep is more likely to accord with English ideas; therefore, we have endeavoured to expound it in a general sense accordingly.

In the Japanese Empire the statutes are but little changed since olden times, and they still compel all graziers to afford the Goat 'Spectors, ingress, egress, and regress; but as their law punishes the innocent and the guilty both alike, the farmers have discontinued nursing their enemies with the choicest food, or giving them aqua fortis to quench their thirst, or even a feather bed whereon to rest their weary, minute brains, after the very great fatigues of the day. Neither will they allow their horses, asses, or mules, any grass, excepting that which may have been trampled upon when ingression, egression, and regression takes place; so that whenever Japanese just sympathy is lawfully aroused to take such things seriously to heart, it is then the manly, womanly, and childrenly innocent voices join together in singing their ancient following lays, which are none other than their country's songs of mutual love for equity and reformation.