it was the rainy season at nara, and floods were reported every day as doing damage in the neighborhood. the river tatsuta, which flowed through the imperial palace grounds, was swollen to the top of its banks, and the roaring of the torrents of water rushing along a narrow bed so disturbed the emperor's rest day and night, that a serious nervous disorder was the result. an imperial edict was sent forth to all the buddhist temples commanding the priests to offer up continuous prayers to heaven to stop the noise of the flood. but this was of no avail.