翻刻
乍恐以口上書奉願上候御事
去ル卯年四月勝間村勝蔵頼ニ付松岡屋又右衛門を以
私方江申入候儀者大坂出生鍛冶職辰五郎与申者
当時松本升屋伊七方江養子ニ相成此度御当所ニ而
職行致度旨私方江頼ミ申来り候ニ付私申候者当時
諸色高直ニ而多分入用相掛り候儀者難出来段断
申候所勝蔵申聞候者職道具幷所帯向入用方之
金子何程相懸り候共私方ニ而元入仕候間
御上様御願向町方請家請等之義者世話致呉候様
至而被頼候ニ付無拠私召抱御願済之上御水改
等茂御上納仕来り候処翌辰年六月辰五郎直出仕
候処江勝蔵参り貸金も有之由を申鍛冶道具取集メ
持出候ニ付家内いし与申者私方江申参り候ニ付直々
清水町江出向差留置丁代藤蔵方江預ケ置段々
及掛合ニ候得共自分勝手意申聞何分片付ニ相成
不申候所江辰五郎立帰り清水町同職伝兵衛方を頼ミ
現代語訳
恐れながら口上書をもって願い上げ申し上げる件について
去る卯年四月、勝間村の勝蔵の頼みにより、松岡屋又右衛門を通じて私のところに申し入れがありました件は、大坂生まれの鍛冶職人で辰五郎という者が、現在松本の升屋伊七のところに養子となっており、この度当地において職業を営みたい旨を私のところに頼んで参りました。これに対して私が申しましたのは、現在諸物価が高騰しており、多額の費用がかかる件は困難である旨をお断り申し上げました。すると勝蔵が申し聞かせましたのは、職人道具並びに所帯一式の入用にかかる金子がどれほどかかろうとも、自分のところで元手を出しますので、
お上様への願い出や町方の請家・身元保証等の件については世話をしてくれるよう、非常にお頼みされましたので、やむを得ず私が身元を引き受け、願い出が済んだ上で水改め等も上納して参りました。ところが翌辰年六月、辰五郎が家を出て行こうとしたところに勝蔵が参り、貸金もあるとのことを申して鍛冶道具を取り集めて持ち出そうとしましたので、家内のいしという者が私のところに申して参りましたので、直接清水町に出向いて差し止め、町代の藤蔵のところに預け置き、段々と掛け合いを重ねましたが、自分勝手なことを申し聞かせ、どうしても片付きません。そこに辰五郎が立ち帰り、清水町の同職の伝兵衛のところを頼んで
英語訳
Respectfully submitting a petition through this written statement
In the fourth month of the previous year of the Rabbit, through Matsuokaya Matauemon at the request of Katsuzō from Katsuma village, an application was made to me regarding a matter concerning a blacksmith named Tatsugoro, born in Osaka, who had currently become an adopted son at Masaya Ishichi's place in Matsumoto. He had come to request that I help him establish his trade in our locality. In response, I told him that with current commodity prices being very high, it would be difficult to manage such a costly undertaking, and I declined.
However, Katsuzō explained that regardless of how much money would be required for the craftsman's tools and household setup, he would provide the initial capital himself.
He earnestly requested that I handle matters such as petitions to the authorities, town guarantorship, and personal guarantees. Having no choice, I took him under my care, and after the petition was approved, I also paid the water inspection fees and other required payments. However, in the sixth month of the following year of the Dragon, when Tatsugoro was about to leave directly, Katsuzō came and claimed there were outstanding debts, attempting to collect and take away the blacksmith tools. When a woman named Ishi from the household came to inform me, I went directly to Shimizu-chō to stop this, had the tools placed in the custody of town representative Tōzō, and engaged in repeated negotiations. However, he insisted on his selfish demands and the matter could not be resolved at all. Then Tatsugoro returned and sought help from Denbei, a fellow craftsman in Shimizu-chō.