翻刻
一寛政元酉年
一五月廿三日水谷次郎助申聞ハ御機嫌伺其外御歓書状上
之儀向後左之通可相
心得旨
年始暑寒其外恐悦之節是迄御方々様へ別段書状被指上
候処此節御省略
之御時節御銘々様へ指上候へハ書状数通も相成候ニ付
向後ㇵ御方々様へ一紙ニ相
認可被指出候且又御前様計へ書状被指上候節も江戸御
用人宛品ニ而可相認
事御五方様へ一紙ニ而書状指上候節左之通
一筆致啓上候 上々様益御機嫌能云々右御歓為可申
上之
殿様若殿様取計書状指上候節左之通
一筆致啓上候 殿様 若殿様益御機嫌能■右御歓為
可申上之
但御一方様へ指上候節ハ右ニ准シ可被相認事
〆
一七月廿二日水谷次郎助申聞候ハ向後別紙之通可心得旨申聞
候ニ付御徒目付并組之者へ申
付之候
一飛脚之節諸向御用状たり共随分かさ高ニ不相成候様可致
事
一御役人共へ手筋を以相頼候書状之儀前々ゟ広々相達候通
取次之儀決而可為無
用事
一江戸留守之面々宿状之儀随分かさ高ニ不相成様可被致候
畢竟書状共相残候へハ
面々用事も指支ニ相成可申事ニ候
一江戸定府親類且知行御擬作等取次之面々無余儀用事并他
所文通之義ハ格
別其外年始暑寒吉凶不依何事支配頭たり共一通り之文通
ハ文通ハ決而可為無用事
右之趣前々申達候得共相ゆるミ猥ニ相成候間改而相触之心得違無之様可被致候
七月
〇以手紙申達是迄他国往来出立日着日■■【重キヵ】御日柄之分相除候得共向後御
構無之様左様可被相心得候以上
八月七日 月番西村■■■殿
追而本文之趣組支配有面々ハ可申聞
現代語訳
**寛政元年（1789年）酉年**
**五月二十三日**、水谷次郎助より申し聞かされたことには：機嫌伺いその他、お祝いの書状を差し上げる件について、今後は左の通り心得るべき旨。
年始・暑中・寒中見舞い、その外、恐悦（慶賀）の節に、これまでは御方々様（奥方・姫君方など）へ別々に書状を差し上げていたところ、この節は御省略の御時節であり、各御方様へ個別に差し上げると書状が数通にもなることから、今後は御方々様へ一枚の紙にまとめて認めて差し出すべきこと。
また、御前様（正室）だけへ書状を差し上げる節も、江戸御用人宛ての体裁で認めるべきこと。
御五方様（五人の奥方・姫君方）へ一通の書状で差し上げる場合の書き方は左の通り。
> 「一筆啓上仕り候。上々様方、益々御機嫌よく……右御祝儀申し上げたく……」
殿様・若殿様宛て、取り計らいの書状を差し上げる場合の書き方は左の通り。
> 「一筆啓上仕り候。殿様・若殿様、益々御機嫌よく……右御祝儀申し上げたく……」
但し、御一方様（一名の方）へ差し上げる節は、右に準じて認めるべきこと。
〆
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**七月二十二日**、水谷次郎助より申し聞かされたことには：今後は別紙の通り心得るべき旨申し聞かされたので、御徒目付および組の者へ申し付けた。
一、飛脚（急便・定期便）の節には、諸向けの御用状（公用書状）であっても、なるべく嵩高（かさだか）にならないよう努めること。
一、御役人らへ縁故（手筋）を通じて頼む書状については、以前から広く達せられている通り、取り次ぎは一切無用とすること。
一、江戸留守居の面々への宿（じゅく）状（滞在先への書状）については、なるべく嵩高にならないよう努めること。つまるところ、書状が積み残されると、各自の用事にも差し支えが生じることになるからである。
一、江戸定府（江戸常駐）の親類、および知行の御擬作（仮割り当て）等の取り次ぎをする面々の、やむを得ない用事、および他所との文通については格別とする。その外、年始・暑中・寒中、吉凶を問わず何事であれ、支配頭であっても、通り一遍の文通（儀礼的な書状）は一切無用とすること。
右の趣旨は以前にも申し達したところ、次第にゆるみ、みだりな状態となってきたため、改めて触れ知らせる。心得違いのないようにすること。
七月
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〇手紙をもって申し達す：これまで、他国への往来（旅行・出張）の出立日・着日については、重要な御日柄（縁起の悪い日）を除いて取り計らっていたが、今後は一切御構いなく（気にせず）、そのように心得るべきこと。以上。
八月七日 月番 西村〔某〕殿
追って、本文の趣旨について、組を支配する立場にある面々は、配下の者へ申し聞かせること。
英語訳
**Kansei 1st Year (1789), Year of the Rooster**
**23rd day of the 5th month:** Mizutani Jirōsuke communicated the following: regarding the matter of sending letters of inquiry after one's health and congratulatory letters henceforth, the following rules are to be observed:
On occasions such as the New Year, midsummer greetings, midwinter greetings, and other celebratory occasions, it has been the practice until now to send separate letters to each of the ladies of the household. However, as this is a time of retrenchment and economy, and since sending individual letters to each lady results in a large number of letters, henceforth a single sheet is to be composed and sent collectively to all the ladies of the household.
Furthermore, even when sending a letter solely to the Principal Lady (go-mae-sama / the lord's principal consort), it should be composed in the format of a letter addressed to the Edo retainer officials (go-yōnin).
The format for sending a single letter collectively to the Five Ladies (go-go-kata-sama) is as follows:
> "I respectfully write this letter. I trust that all the Honored Ladies continue to enjoy excellent health… I write to convey these congratulations…"
The format for a letter addressed to the Lord and the Young Lord, arranged as appropriate, is as follows:
> "I respectfully write this letter. I trust the Lord and the Young Lord continue to enjoy excellent health… I write to convey these congratulations…"
Note: When addressing a single person, compose the letter in accordance with the above format as appropriate.
〆 (End of notice)
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**22nd day of the 7th month:** Mizutani Jirōsuke communicated the following: henceforth, the attached instructions are to be observed. This having been communicated, the foot inspectors (okachi-metsuke) and members of their units have been so instructed.
1. During courier dispatches (hikyaku), even official correspondence (goyō-jō) of various kinds is to be kept from becoming excessively bulky in volume.
2. Regarding letters entrusted through personal connections (tesujii) to retainer officials — as has been widely communicated previously — the forwarding of such letters shall in no case be permitted. This is entirely unnecessary.
3. Regarding letters sent to the residences of those remaining in Edo (Edo rusukyō), efforts are to be made to prevent these from becoming excessively bulky. Ultimately, if letters accumulate and are left undelivered, this will result in inconvenience for each person's own affairs.
4. For those serving as intermediaries for the unavoidable personal affairs of Edo-resident (jōfu) relatives and matters such as the forwarding of stipend provisional allocations (gisaku), as well as correspondence with other locations: these are treated as exceptional cases. However, beyond such cases — regardless of whether it concerns the New Year, midsummer, midwinter, auspicious or inauspicious events of any kind — even section chiefs (shihai-gashira) are not to engage in routine, formulaic correspondence. Such correspondence is entirely unnecessary.
The above has been communicated previously, but as compliance has gradually grown lax and the situation has become disorderly, this notice is issued anew. Ensure there are no misunderstandings.
7th month
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〇 This is communicated by letter: until now, regarding the departure and arrival dates for travel to and from other provinces, days considered inauspicious (omigara / calendrical taboo days) have been excluded and avoided. However, henceforth, no such consideration need be given. Please be aware of this accordingly. The above.
8th day of the 8th month Monthly duty officer: Nishimura [name unclear]
Furthermore, regarding the above contents: those who hold supervisory authority over units (kumi) are to communicate this to those under their command.