is will.

History at this point gives us a glimpse of a curious state of affairs.
Go-Shirawaka, the emperor whom Kiyomori had raised to the throne in
1156, abdicated in 1159, shaved off his hair, and became a Buddhist
monk, professing to retire from the world within the holy cloisters of a
monastery. But nothing was farther from his thoughts. He was a man of
immoral desires, and found his post on the throne a check to the
debaucheries in which he wished to indulge. As a monk he exercised more
power than he had done as a mikado, retaining the control of affairs
during the reigns of his son and his two grandsons. The ranks and titles
of the empire were granted by him with a lavish hand, and their
disposition was controlled by Kiyomori, his powerful confederate, who,
in addition to raising his relatives to power, held himself several of
the highest offices in the realm.

The power of the Taira family increased until sixty men of the clan held
important posts at court, while their lands spread over thirty
provinces. They had splendid palaces in Kioto, the capital, and in
Fukuwara, overlooking the Inland Sea. The two sons of Kiyomori were made
generals of high rank, and his daughter became wife of the emperor
Takakura, a boy eleven years of age. The Taira chief was now at the
summit of power, and his foes in the depths of distress. The Fujiwara,
who had no military power, were unable to contend with him, and his most
dangerous rivals, the Minamoto, were slain or driven into exile.
Yoshitomo, the head of the house, was assassinated by a traitor bribed
by Kiyomori, his oldest son was beheaded, and the others--whom he
thought to be the last of the Minamoto--were either banished or immured
in monasteries. All the reins of power seemed to be in the regent's
grasp.

The story is here diversified by a legend well worth repeating. One of
the Minamoto, Tametomo by name, was an archer of marvellous powers. His
strength was equal to that of fifty ordinary men, and such was the power
of his right arm, which was shorter than his left, that he could draw a
bow which four common archers could not bend, and let fly a shaft five
feet long, with an enormous bolt as its head. This Japanese Hercules was
banished from the court at the instigation of the Taira, the muscles of
his arm were cut, and he was sent in a cage to Idzu.

Escaping from his guards, he fled to one of the smaller islands, and
remained in concealment until his arm had heal