The Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal

NOTE: The Sole Surviving Letter of 1885 is from Ceferino de León to José Rizal

017 Ceferino de León, Madrid, 9 October 1885

The Filipinos at Madrid congratulate Rizal, who was then at Paris, on his article published at Barcelona.

Madrid, 9 October 1885

Mr. José Rizal

(Paris)

Dear Pepe,

I received your letter and I am informed of your happy trip. I suppose that the picturesque and diverting trip did not disagree with you.

I delivered to Desmont his and to Tiangco his also. They thank you infinitely for the letters you sent them.

I shall send you towards the beginning of this fortnight the box of books with the prize that tomorrow I shall pick up at the office of the secretary and soon you will have them in your possession.

Enclosed I send you two letters that were brought by the last mail, but I do not know if there are others that were not delivered to me.

Tell Mino (1) that I advance 18 pesos and some pesetas for his matriculation fee for three subjects of the preparatory course.

I shall send Valentín the 50 pesos I owe him.

Today the mail arrived and I received the 50 that I sent to Bentín.

The colony (2) is well. Veloso has not married yet; it seems to me that he will not settle down so soon.

Your article was well received by all the Inchics. (3) All send you their congratulations on the latest campaign you made in the article published in Barcelona.

For a sample of a well-written letter I send you the bill of Crescencia, which is worthy to figure in the museum of fine arts. We no longer talk to the indecent landladies -- enough of . . . .

An embrace from

León

Regards to the whole colony. (4)

_____________

(1) Pet name for Maximino Paterno, one of the Paterno brothers studying at Madrid.

(2) He refers to the Filipinos at Madrid.

(3) The Tagalog term for Chinese. The Filipinos at Madrid sometimes referred to themselves as Inchic.

(4) That is, the Filipinos of Paris.