翻刻
甚以難渋ニ相成候午未両年利金之内壱両宛被遣
候得共申年已来者曾而不被遣凌方礑与行詰候
仕合金右金子之儀者長左衛門者病中之姑兄弟江
茂不致申談叟船様御実意二任セ置候所右様之次第
不得其意奉存候今更困窮者勿論親類共江対し申
訳茂無之身分難相立候間以 御慈悲御糺明之上急
度返金被 仰付被下度旨申之相手方ニ而答上候者
右四拾両金之儀者造酒売溜金追々子極月迠金五拾四両
預り申處丑之暮ニ至利息壱割五分二付既断候得共
御米代不納等を申立掛先押領二取立且者内借勘定
合等茂不行届候故外聞を憚兄武右衛門弟忠左衛門
申談之上押而私方江相頼度由ニ候得共高利金之儀難預
併壱割弐分五厘廻之儀ニ候ハゝ元〆御役所江差上世話筋
可致段申聞候處是非相頼度与申二付寅極月勘定合
茂相改金六拾両元〆御役所江差上置年之暮ニ至御利足
江御仕切書相添相渡巳年金弐拾両御下ヶ金相願残而
金四拾両差上置候處相違無御座候是迠年之御仕切
ニ而勘定相立来候処右之始末親類共江談茂無之相対ニ而
預ヶ置難渋二相成候段全偽二御座候然ル處去ㇽ午年一統
年延御断被 仰出候ニ付右之当人幷武右衛門被申聞候之
處打驚当惑仕厄介養育之凌如何共無致方十方二
暮候次第只管相願候ニ付御年限中ニ者如何様二茂御願
申上候様可致旨申聞午未両年者金壱両宛致合力
候得共不如意之私行々見継茂出来不申候二付御訴訟
現代語訳
大変困窮することとなり、午年・未年の両年は利息として一両ずつ支払われましたが、申年以来は全く支払われず、やりくりが立ち行かない状況となりました。
この金子の件については、長左衛門は病中のため、義姉・兄弟にも相談せず、叟船様のお心遣いにお任せしていたところ、このような次第で納得がいきません。今更困窮するのはもちろん、親類に対しても申し訳が立たず、立場が困難になりましたので、ご慈悲をもってお調べいただき、必ず返金をお命じくださいますよう申し立てました。相手方では次のように答弁いたします。
その四十両の件については、造酒売上金を次々と年の暮れまでに金五十四両お預かりしたところ、丑年の暮れに至り利息一割五分で約束いたしましたが、お米代不納などを申し立て、強引に取り立て、また内借勘定合わせなども行き届かないため、外聞を憚り兄武右衛門、弟忠左衛門と相談の上、どうしても私どもに頼みたいとのことでしたが、高利の件はお預かりしにくく、しかし一割二分五厘回りのことでしたら、元締御役所へ差し上げ、世話をいたしましょうと申し聞かせたところ、ぜひ頼みたいと申すので、寅年の暮れに勘定合わせも改め、金六十両を元締御役所へ差し上げ、年の暮れに至りご利息のお仕切書を添えて渡し、巳年に金二十両のお下げ金を願い出て、残りの金四十両を差し上げておきました。これに相違はございません。これまでの年のお仕切りで勘定が成り立っていたところ、この始末を親類とも相談せず、相対で預け置き困窮になったというのは全く偽りでございます。しかし、去る午年に一統に年延べご断りが仰せ出されたため、その当人並びに武右衛門に申し聞かせたところ、大いに驚き当惑し、厄介者の養育のやりくりがどうにもならず、十方に暮れる次第をひたすら願い出るので、ご年限中にはどのようにでもご願い申し上げるようにいたしますと申し聞かせ、午年・未年の両年は金一両ずつ援助いたしましたが、不如意で私も続けて見継ぎもできませんので、ご訴訟
英語訳
This caused extreme hardship, and while during the Years of the Horse and Sheep one ryō each was paid as interest, from the Year of the Monkey onwards nothing was paid at all, making it impossible to make ends meet.
Regarding this money matter, since Chōzaemon was ill and did not consult with his sister-in-law or brothers, leaving everything to Rōsen-sama's consideration, we cannot understand such proceedings. Now facing destitution and having no excuse to offer to relatives, our position has become untenable, so we petition that through your compassion you investigate and order definite repayment. The opposing party responds as follows:
Regarding those forty ryō, we received sake sales proceeds totaling fifty-four ryō by year's end, and by the end of the Year of the Ox agreed on interest at fifteen percent. However, claiming unpaid rice fees and forcibly collecting payments, and since private loan accounting was also inadequate, to avoid public embarrassment, after consulting with elder brother Buuemon and younger brother Chūzaemon, they insisted on relying on us. While high-interest loans were difficult to accept, we said that if it were at twelve and a half percent, we could submit it to the chief clerk's office and provide assistance. When they insisted on this arrangement, we revised the year-end accounting for the Year of the Tiger, submitted sixty ryō to the chief clerk's office, provided settlement documents with interest at year's end, requested a twenty ryō withdrawal in the Year of the Snake, and submitted the remaining forty ryō. There is no discrepancy in this. While accounting had been maintained through annual settlements up to this point, claiming hardship from private deposits without consulting relatives is entirely false. However, when the universal extension notice was issued in the recent Year of the Horse, upon informing the person in question and Buuemon, they were greatly surprised and distressed, with no way to manage support for dependents, facing difficulties in all directions and earnestly petitioning. We told them we would petition the authorities during the extended term, and provided one ryō assistance each during the Years of the Horse and Sheep, but due to our own financial difficulties, we could not continue support, leading to this lawsuit.