LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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l\J8 MISSIONARY WORK IN JAPAN. steal, lie, and murder. Law cannot prevent evil thinking. But day has dawned for me, and I now see the path, utterly unknown before, which I have long been unconsciously seeking." When, therefore, in April, Mr. Neesima laid his plans before the gov­ernor of Kyoto, Mr. Yamamoto gave them his warm support, and through his influence the governor was subsequently led to sanction the establishment of a school in which science and Christianity should be taught. In June, 1875, Mr. Neesima visited Kyoto again with Dr. Davis, and bought of Mr. Yamamoto a lot of five and one half acres, the site of the future Doshisha. It was admirably situated for the purpose, in a quiet and healthy district of the city between a large temple grove and the vacant palace of the Mi­kado, having formerly been the site of the residence of the Prince of Satsuma. Although the approval of the local authorities had been obtained, that of the central government was still necessary, as also per­mission for a missionary to teach in the school and reside in the city. Accordingly in August Mr. Neesima set out for Tokyo to present his petition in person. He had al­ready written to Mr. Tanaka, now minister of educa­tion, and had received the promise of his influence in behalf of the school. On reaching the capital he con­ferred at once with the minister, as also with his old friends Mori and Kido, urging the general cause of religious freedom, and it is safe to say that the success of his effort to penetrate this stronghold of Buddhism was due to the esteem and confidence in which he was held by these liberal statesmen. After many inter­views and a sununer of much anxiety the petition was finally granted, with the caution that nothing should

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