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Chapter 03: Santo Thomas
This picture of the historic University of Santo Tomas was taken shortly after its liberation from the Japanese in World War II
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Chapter 03: Santo Thomas
This picture of the historic University of Santo Tomas was taken shortly after its liberation from the Japanese in World War II
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In April, 1877, Rizal, then nearly sixteen, matriculated in the University of Santo Tomas as a medical student. He was led to that profession, first of all, by the cataracts that caused his mothers' blindness, and second, by the desperate need of his country. Terrible scourges of cholera, smallpox, and plague, added to the unending ravages of malaria, dysentery, beriberi, and tuberculosis, made Rizal's heart bleed. But at the same time the instincts of his nature called for art and natural sciences. He continued to carry some subjects in the Ateneo, where faculty and students were warm friends.
A sketch Rizal made of himself
Suddenly he blossomed out into fame wider than the walls of his school. He
submitted a poem for the poetry contest which had been organized for
Filipinos by the Manila Lyceum of Art and Literature, and though he was but
eighteen years of age (1879), he won the first prize, a silver pen. This
poem, one of his most famous and most difficult to translate, was dedicated
to the Filipino Youth.
Period Picture: The Library of the University of Santo Tomas
This poem was strikingly different from any he had before written. He had
frequently depicted the renowned Spanish explorers and kings and generals,
until Spanish hearts must have been thrilled. He had pictured Education
(brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards) as "the breath of life
instilling charming virtue". He had written of one of his Spanish teachers
as having brought "the light of the eternal splendor". But in this
new prize winning poem, it is the Filipino Youth who are the Moreover he had dedicated the poem to "A la Juventud Filipina". (To the Youthful Filipino). Now it happened that a society called "El Juventud Escolar" (The Youthful Scholar) had been suppressed in 1872 when Father Burgos was garroted. The Spanish Governor General who handed young José the prize had never heard of "El Juventud Escolar", but the Filipinos got much delight out of repeating that Rizal's poem had been dedicated to that suppressed organization. It was not long before Spanish circles heard whispers and began to realize that here was heresy! In Spanish salas (parlors) stories began to circulate of how young Rizal had been the ring leader of the Filipinos in their frequent fights with the Spanish students. This poem showed him in his true colors -- he had the makings of a dangerous man -- like his brother Paciano -- like his father. . . . It had been the custom of the Spanish students in the Ateneo to mistreat the Filipinos in every way. Rizal, though small, had built up muscles of steel by his daily exercises, and he had in him the same spirit that got his father into trouble. He put courage into the hearts of frightened Filipino students and led them forth to many an encounter with their insolent Spanish fellows. One of these was a decisive battle in his history. (01) He had his head beaten and was led bleeding and covered with dirt to his boarding house, which happened to be the home of his uncle Antonio Rivera. His twelve year old cousin Leonor Rivera, shocked at the bloody sight, ran for water and bandages, and washed and bound up the wounds of eighteen-year old José. And that instant they knew they were in love. It was a pure, noble, heavenly emotion for José Rizal, as profound and beautiful as the love he felt for his mother. A year later they were open betrothed.
To this period also perhaps belongs one of the loveliest sonnets in any
language. Can anybody translate it in verse without losing its exquisite
witchery? The Lyceum held another poetry contest for Filipinos, Mestizos, and Spaniards. The competitors entered with assumed names. The first prize was awarded to a beautiful allegory called "The Council of the Gods". But when the Spanish judges learned that its author was a Filipino they reversed the decision, an experience which cut very deep into José's soul. A Spaniard received the prize. The rumbling of resentment that found expression among Filipinos gave the Spanish community new reason to hate José Rizal.
He had written a drama called "Beside the Pasig" On December 8, 1880, some
of the students of the Ateneo enacted the melodramatic play. One of the
characters was the devil, who denounced Spain for her policies. The
Philippines -- so the devil declares -- The Jesuits in the Ateneo laughed at this as clever satire, for they loved and admired the young genius and took much credit for his achievements. But the Dominicans in Santo Tomas, who were at that time hostile to the Jesuits, gave Rizal icy stares of dislike when he entered their classes. Spies carried the dangerous words of the devil to the government. One night as Rizal was visiting his parents in Calamba, he stepped out into the dark street as a man was passing. He failed to see that the passerby was one of the Civil Guards, and so did not salute. Suddenly a sword struck him across the back. When he recovered from the sword wound, which fortunately was not serious, he complained to the authorities. He was informed that the Civil Guard had done his duty, and that, instead of complaining, the victim ought to be thankful that he was alive. (03)
It may have been while he was convalescing that he wrote his lonely sonnet
to the Virgin Mary, -- the first sad poem he had written.
Gregorio Aglipay One of his fellow students in Santo Tomas was Gregorio Aglipay, who many years later became the founder and Archbishop of the Independent Filipino church. Rizal urged Aglipay not to study law, as he had planned, but to enter the priesthood. Then he added: "Aglipay, in all parts of the world where an honest man lifts his thoughts to reform, he encounters a Golgotha. Do not let that frighten you! Christ had nowhere to lay his head while Herod and Pilate governed. The same thing will happen in the Philippines. Popular ignorance will exalt the power of false idols who, instead of promoting the public welfare, work its ruination; on the other hand, it is probable that they will not only be executed but they will try to bring about my moral death as well by covering my memory with slander. But do not let that frighten you! We will be oriental Quixotes, Quixotes of the mind!" (04)
Saturnina Rizal The unfriendliness in Santo Tomas and the rumor that he was on the black list of the government, led to his following the advice of Antonio Rivera, father of Leonor, who urged him to flee from the country. This fitted into the ever deepening purpose of his life, for he must get the best education he could find, and answer his life question: what could he do to help his oppressed Motherland? He could not hope to secure a passport from the government, so a cousin secured one under the name "José Mercado". His brother Paciano gave José seven hundred pesos for the journey and his oldest sister Saturnina gave him her diamond ring to sell in case of an emergency. (05) The other members of the family were not told the secret. José went home to Calamba to attend a festival and so elude any possible spies. He returned to Manila under cover of darkness, rode about the city on horseback for five hours with his sister Soledad, bade his betrothed Leonor a tender farewell, and stole aboard his steamer May 5, 1882. He did not know that it was the last time he should ever see Leonor, but both of them felt the separation deeply.
Leonor Riverra
Five years later, in Noli Me Tangere he immortalized her in the
exquisitely beautiful character of Maria Clara. The Song of Maria Clara
is strange and sad, the last stanza revealing the premonition which Rizal
had of coming doom. How could the fugitive have hoped for anything but
disaster, unless, of course, he abandoned the cause of his Motherland? But
that cause he loved more than his own life. |
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