Richard Cocks

“ At the end of August arrived the ship Oziander (or Hozeander) from England, and Captain Ralph Coppindall was sent up to court with the customary present. In a letter written after his return to Firando he records the unprofitable nature of the trade of Japan: “either we must procure a peaceable trade in China, or else, as the Hollanders do, to trade with them perforce. And if we set foot in the Moluccas, this place will be a fit storehouse from whence we may always have men, munition, and victuals good store, and at reasonable rates” (ii. 271) . ”

“ But now all was changed; churches and monasteries had been levelled with the earth, and even graveyards uprooted and “all the dead men’s bones taken out of the ground and cast forth.” The news of the union of the two companies will account for the English still remaining in their old quarters in Firando, to keep near the Dutch, instead of migrating to Nagasaki.
Death had also in this interval brought misfortunes to the English factory. The first loss was that of Whaw, the Chinaman, upon whom Cocks so much relied to obtain privileges for the China trade. Then Nealson died in March, 1620. ”

“ China trade: “The China Nocheda [36] hath too long deluded you, through your own simplicity, to give credit unto him. You have lived long enough in those parts to be better experienced of the fraudulent practices of those people.” The English buildings at Firando are to be handed over to the king, to hold in trust “until such time as we shall send thither again to repossess the same.” ”

“ Marche 13.—I went to Taccamon Dono in company of Capten Adames, and carid hym a barill wyne and 2 fyshes, nifon catange, and delivered hym my letter and paper consernyng my procese against the purcer, which he took in good parte, promising me justice when he had heard what the other cold aledg against me, but sent home the barill wyne and fyshes after me, for that no present was to be accepted when men came to crave justice. ”

“ In 1620, blacks and reds are in fashion (ii. 311) . Indian cloths sold not “so much for necessity as for the new and strange fashions and paintings thereof”, the Japanese “being a people desiring change” (ii. 273) .
After Saris’s departure, however, the English factory lost no time in attempting to establish trade in the country. At the beginning of the new year Wickham was sent as agent to Yedo; Eaton was stationed at Ozaka; and Sayers had a commission to [xix] the northern parts of Kiushiu and the neighbouring island of Tsushima, the first step to trade with Corea. ”

“ The Dutch had taken care to inform the Japanese of Charles’s marriage with a princess of [xlviii] the Roman Catholic family of Portugal; and the shogun refused to accept the friendship of one who had allied himself with a daughter of the enemies of Japan. So the Return sailed away on the 28th of August; and, after this, only indirect attempts to open negotiations by the mediation of the princes of Bantam, Amoy, Taiwan, Tonquin, and Siam were made in 1681 and 1683. [44]
The social relations of the English with their Japanese neighbours were on the whole friendly. ”

“ July 9.—I understand that yisterday the Hollanders cut a slave of theirs apeeces for theft, per order of justice, and thrust their comprador (or cats buyer) out of dores for a lecherous knave, who, with hym that is dead, have confessed of much goods (as cloves, mace, pepper, and stuffs) which are stolne per consent of Jacob Swager; which maketh much sturr in the Duch howse. Yet I think this cates buyer plaieth the knave and defameth Jacob, because he was the occation he was thrust out of servyce for haveing to do with his woman, the knave being a marid man. ”

“ The caboques, or dancing bears as Cocks calls them, that is, the dancing women or players, and their male companions, are present at every large entertainment mentioned in the diary. And, lastly, the readiness of the Japanese to adopt foreign customs is curiously exemplified in the rapidity with which tobacco-smoking spread among the people. ”

“ Wickham grows very sullen humorous and, as I am informed, geveth out that he is not the Companies servant, but at will, and therfore will rather seek out for his retorne for England in some shiping from Langasaque to Syam or Pattania. I think the reason is that he hath fingerd 5 or 6 cattis of good amber grees in the Liqueas, and thinketh to make an India voyag for hym selfe, and to retorne Capt. or Generall for the Company at his pleasure. Once truly I, and I think all the rest of the English in these parts, desyre rather his rowme then company. He is turbulent. ”

“ October 27.—We set the mastes of our junck the Sea Adventure this day; at the doing whereof were 3 or 400 men persons, all the neighboures, or rather all the towne, sending their servantes, and came themselves (them that were of accointance) and brought presents (nifon catange) , after Japon maner, of wyne and other eating comodety, abord the junk, wishing a prosperouse voyag, all the offecers haveing eache one a present of a littell barso of wyne, and should have had lykewaies each one a bar of plate advanced on their wagese, but I referd that till the coming of Capt. Adames. ”

“ Neither he nor Nobunaga received the title of shogun. The highest rank to which he attained was that of kuwambaku, or premier. [5]
Hidéyoshi died in 1598 [6] leaving an infant son, Hidéyori (the Fidaia Sama of Cocks’s diary) , whom [vi] he had married to the grand-daughter of his old fellow-soldier Iyéyasu, in the hope of thus disarming a dangerous rival, who was also appointed one of the guardians of the boy. But these precautions went for nothing. Even in Nobunaga’s days Iyéyasu was a powerful leader, and he had only submitted to Taiko Sama after some hesitation. ”

“ January 3.—This mornyng very cold wether, being a greate snowe, the greatest I saw since our arivall in Japon, with a stiffe gale wind northerly, rack from W. all day, and snow per fitts all day, but littell or non per night. The King of Firandos host at Osekay came againe and brought a present of figges, telling me he was to retorne to his howse, the king haveing rewarded hym well, as all the caveleros in his kingdom did the lyke, towardes the setting him up a new howse, his ould being burned in the wars with all that ever he had. ”

“ He made answer, he was not now at his owne dispose, being servant to the English nation, and therefore could not serve two masters. They asked hym whether he had heard tell of any ilands called les Ladrones, or of the theeves. He answered yis, but that his opinion was that they were of no moment, in respect the Spaniards had not taken them, they lying in his way as they passed from New Spanie to the Phillippinas. They also spoake of an other iland, called by the Spaniards Hermosa (or Rico en oro y plata) . He answered he had heard of such a place in conferrence with Spaniardes. ”

“ As we have already seen, Hidéyori had been left in comparative freedom after the battle of Sékigahara. He had now grown to man’s estate, and had the sympathy of a large part of the country; and Cocks especially notices that the people of the southern parts “affect the young man more than the old.” ”

“ Adames came ashore to dyner, having unrigged the junck at Cochi. He gave me a present of 3 nestes gocas, [75] with their trenchers and ladells of mother of perle, with 10 spoons same, and a peece of white Liquea cloth.
I receved a letter from Jorge Durois, dated in Langasaque, le 22nd of June, new stile, wherin he advized me that no one man would buy all our wheate till the shiping come from the Manillias. He wrot me that above 2,600 persons are dead in Langasaque this yeare of the smallpox, amongst whome his boy Domingo and a woman slave are two, since he wrot me his last letter. ”

“ In his letter of the 7th September, 1622, Cocks records the receipt of orders “to leave off our consortship of the Fleet of Defence with the Hollanders, and to send our five ships for Jaccatra with as much speed as conveniently we could”; all money and merchandise was to be withdrawn, except a small “cargezon” or stock worth 5,000 taels, to be left in charge of Osterwick and a couple of assistants; and Cocks, Eaton, and Sayers were to “come along in the said ships for Jaccatra, for lessening charges in [xxxix] the factory.” ”

“ There is new edicts sent out into all partes of Japon, as namely to Langasaque, Arima, Umbra, and Bongo, which are most of them Christians, to see to it, that no padres [174] be fownd amongst them, and them in whose howse they are fownd shall be put to death with all their generation. ”

“ Of the latter Adams was one, and was selected to be sent up to the court of Iyéyasu, the famous soldier who then ruled Japan.
The moment at which Adams set foot in this unknown land was a critical one in the history of the country. The dual form of government, by mikado and shogun, had been in existence some four hundred years. ”

“ And I sent the China Capt. a salmon and a phan.
I was enformed that the King of Firando spake not with the Emperour, but only was permitted to enter into a chamber, where they said he la sick in a littell cabbin coverd with paper, Codgkin Dono, the secretary, going into it and telling hym that the Tono of Firando was there to vizet hym, and came out againe, telling hym the Emperour thanked hym and gave hym lycense to retorne to his cuntrey. But they verely beleeve he is dead, and that they keepe it secret; yet it may be a pollecie to see whether any will rise against hym in armes. ”

“ May 20.—I went to Soyemon Dono to tell hym I marveled them of Umbra used the scrivano (alius Mr. Wm. Eaton) soe hardly that they would suffer no man to speake with hym nor let hym have victuelles for money. He answered me that the Umbrians kept such ward about hym for his good, because the Fingonians, being above 150 persons, had mad bragges they would kill hym, and, Ikanoura being a littell towne or village, were afeard of the worst, and so kept ward ”

“ Our bark with goodes for Osekay retorned.
December 14.—We dyned abord the great Holland shipp and had 3 pec. ordinance shot of at our retorne ashore. Capt. Speeck came not to dyner. He is over great in conceate.
December 15.—I wrot a letter to Jorge Durois by a China, to send me of all sortes of garden seeds.
December 16.—Capt. Whaw, the China Capt. brother, sent me a barrell of figges or jar of Japon green figges for a present. We envited the masters of the Hollander shipps and juncks to dyner to morrow, they being now ready to goe to sea with first good wind. ”

“ Adames came from Cochi in a greate rage against my jurebasso, Jno. Goresano, saying he was the occation the carpenters went not to work upon our junck. But this I know was an untruth, and the master carpenter and Zanzabers knavery. And Capt. Adames scrivano or purcer of our junk retorned from Miaco. And towardes night Capt. Adames fell into an extreame fever, with vomiting, and could not make water, soe he went to Zanzabars to take phisick. God send him his health. ”

“ July 3.—I went and viseted Tonomon Samme, the kinges brother, and carid hym 2 barsos wyne and 2 cordes drid fyshes, exskewsing my not coming before since his brothers departure. He asked me whie we did not take China junkes, as well as the Hollanders. I answerd hym we could not take any that were frendes to the King of England, as the Chinas weare and all others till wars were procleamed. He also asked me whether we would take Spaniardes or Portingall shipps, yf we met them. ”

“ October 28.—Goresanos wife brought her doughter of 20 daies ould to the English howse, with a present of a barsoe of wyne, figges, and oringes, desiring a name to be given her, which was per consent Elizabeth.
Calsa Samme tould me he had receaved letters from his master that the Emperour was to retorne to Osekay, and his master with hym, to fortefie the ruenated fortresse and put garrison into it; which is a signe that warse are lyke to ensue. God grant all may fall out for the best. ”

“ There came certen caveleros Japons from Edo, and came to see the English howse, and looked on such comodeties as we had, but bought non. They report that the Emperour will have all the kyngs (or tonos) in Japon to goe for Edo, and there to remeane for the space of 7 yeares, and to carry their wives with them, and live every one in his howse aparte, with a servant of the Emperours to be allwaies [100] in company with them—I meane with each one, to heare and see what passeth. This he doeth to prevent them from insurrections, and will not have sonns nor kynsmen, but the kinges them selves. ”

“ July 7.—Here is reports that the Emperour hath staid the King of Shashma and all the tonos of these partes, and pretendeth to shifte them out of their governmentes (or kingdoms) , and put them into other provinces to the northward, and them of the northern parts in their places. But I rather (in parte) esteem it to be the escape of Fidaia Samme, whoe may ly in secret in som of their cuntries, expecting opertunety and their retorns; which to prevent, he keepeth them by hym till he can understand the certen truth whether he be alive or dead. ”

“ December 25.—Chrismas Day. Taccamon Dono sent 2 barilles wyne and 2 fishes for a present; the king 2 pec. wale fyshe; the China Capt. a jarr of China wine; and other neighbors other trifles per reason of Chrismas.
[92]
December 26.—I sent our jurebasso to thank the king and Takamon Dono for the presents they sent, according to Japon order. ”