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Letters Exchanged Between José Rizal and Other Reformers - 1888 (January to June) |
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Letters Exchanged Between José Rizal and Other Reformers - 1888 (January to June) |
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Letters that were exchanged between José Rizal and other reformers between January and July of 1888
053. Rizal, San Francisco, California, 30 April 1888 || To Mariano Ponce
Rizal wishes to correspond with Ponce – Orders the works of Larra to improve his command of the Spanish language with the proceeds from the sale of his Noli – He is en route to London.
San Francisco, California
30 April 1888
Mr. Mariano Ponce
My distinguished Countryman and dear Friend: Excuse me if I dare address you with the last title without having had yet the honor of meeting you, but I think that between us, and because of the favors I owe you, I should be honored by now with your friendship. Our mutual friend Viola (01) told me that you have disinterestedly taken charge of my works; I thank you very much for that and I hope that I will find an occasion to show you my gratitude. Now I am here in America on my way to Europe. For some time I will be in London, from where I will write you a letter, because I want to correspond with you. If I have some money there from the sale of my books, please buy me the complete works of Larra (02), already bound, that was published by Biblioteca Universal and send them to me by mail at London: Rizal, Esq., Billiter Street 12, London. If I have no money there and somebody is or you are willing to advance the payment, on my arrival at London I will remit the amount to cover all the expenses, postage, etc. etc. It can be sent as printed matter, etc. I am bothering you because I am in a hurry to read these masterpieces in order to catch up with the language. Give my many regards to Rogers (03), whom I am bothering by sending this letter to his house, as I do not know our address; I beg him to excuse me a thousand times. Regards to Rianzares and to all our other countrymen, and command me or order something form London, for I will be very glad to be useful to you.
Your affectionate José Rizal _____________
(01) Dr. Máximo Viola. (02) Mariano José de Larra (1809-1837), who had the pseudonym, “Figaro,” was a Spanish prose writer and trenchant critic. At 28 years of age he committed suicide. (03) See letter No. 39.
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054. Juan Luna, Paris, 30 May 1888
It is unfortunate to live in exile, writes Painter Luna to Rizal – Japanese painting is as advanced as that of Greece and Italy, he says in admiration.
175 Boulevard Pereire, Paris
30 May 1888
Mr. José Rizal
My dear friend Rizal: I received your letter from London and I congratulate you sincerely on your arrival at that capital without mishap or vexation, except leaving behind your family; for, when you wrote me that you were going back to Manila, I had a certain presentiment that you would return sooner than you expected. Mr. Blumentritt wrote me that some of your friends were amusing themselves by writing you at Malabon to make the friars believe you were there. Tell me what happened to you in our country, for you said nothing about it in the card, which I received from Hong Kong, except that you were forced to leave our country. It is really unfortunate to live in exile far away from all our most beloved ones. During my eleven years in Europe, I did nothing but think of going back, and as time passes by my desire to go back increases. In Paris I have a new family and to crown our wishes – I mean to say those of Paz and mine – a son has arrived who is our delight: (01) He is now 8 ½ months old; the little rascal is very smart and is named Andrés. Tell me about your travel impressions, especially about your stay in Japan whose people are so attractive to me. I am an enthusiastic admirer of their painting and I think that it is as advanced as that of Greece and Italy. We should study more that country that we resemble so much. Goodbye; regards from my family and thanks for all your kindness. Here, as you know, you have a true friend. With regards from Paz, kisses from Luling (Andrés), and an embrace of your affectionate [friend],
Juan Luna
P.S. This is my new address and your house. _____________
(01) Juan Luna’s wife was Paz Pardo de Tavera, sister of Dr. T. H. Pardo de Tavera. His son, Andrés Luna San Pedro, was a noted architect. He died in the Philippines on the 23rd of January 1952.
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055. Rizal, London, 5 June 1888
Rizal requests Ponce to send him the complete works of Larra.
37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill, NW. London, 5 June 1888
Mr. Mariano Ponce
My dear Friend, From America I wrote you a letter through Mr. Rogers, the only countryman whose address I can remember. Undoubtedly you have not received it, inasmuch as you have not answered me. In that letter I expressed to you my appreciation for the trouble you have taken for my books. I requested you to send me a copy of the complete works of “Figaro” or Larra (01) published by the Bibliotheca Universal there. I shall pay the cost with the money received from the sale of my books there, and if it is not enough, I will pay you by the next mail after receiving the books. I also requested you to have them bound and send them by mail as printed matter. I now offer you the address of my house and my services as a friend and countryman. If you want to write me, address your letter to José Rizal, Esq., 37 Primrose Hill, N.W., London. Send me your address and those of some friends and countrymen, as I don’t know of any of them. Your affectionate friend,
Rizal _____________
(01) Rizal reads the best Spanish writers to improve his command of the language.
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056. Mariano Ponce, Barcelona, 13 June 1888
Ponce sends Rizal a compilation of Larra’s articles and addresses of several friends.
Barcelona, 13 June 1888
My dear Friend, At this very moment I have the pleasant surprise of receiving your letter of the 5th of this month. I suppose that our friend (Rogers) has not received your letter, as I see him almost everyday at the Café, and he has not told me anything about it. I hasten to send you the Collection of Articles of Larra (Figaro) by registered mail. You don’t have to send me any money, because, having sold some copies of Noli me tángere, I am the one who should remit some money to you. I cannot tell exactly the total amount, because I have not settled the amount with the bookseller. But if you wish, I have no objection to do so and send you the amount due you. You need not thank me for anything. All that we can do for you will be little. The address of our friend Rogers is: Provenza 256, 1st. We have here also our friend Galicano Apacible, who arrived less than a month ago and lives at Hospital St., No. 57, 3rd floor. I gave him your address and he said that he will soon write you. Our friend Fernando Canon lives at San Gervasio with his wife and her family. I cannot remember the street and its number. We have here a good Filipino colony. Pablo Rianzares Bautista lives with Apacible.
Your affectionate friend, countryman, and servant, Mariano Ponce
c/o Rambla Canaletas 2-3rd. Canon’s address is: Fernando Canon, Alfonso XII, 53, 1.o, San Gervasio, Provincia de Barcelona.
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057. Rizal, London, 16 June 1888
Larra, the best Spanish prose writer of the century – All the works of great men are worthy of study – Rizal prefers the complete, not selected, works of Larra – In Madrid, where Rizal had many friends, his work could not even get in – Condemnation of his work at Manila – Need for unity among the Filipinos.
37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill, N.W. London, 16 June 1888
Mr. Mariano Ponce
My dear Friend: With an interval of a few hours, I received your affectionate letter together with that of Rogers and the essays of Larra. I thank you infinitely for both tings as well as for your kindness. Though I like the book you have sent me and it pleases me much, because they are the best articles of the best Spanish prose writer of this century, however, as I always prefer the complete works of great authors to the selected ones, I would request you to send me the complete works of Larra published by Bibliotheca Universal, such as Mundo Físico, Obras del Duque de Rivas, etc. Nevertheless, I will be glad to keep this in order to compare it with other editions. My reason in preferring the complete works to the selected ones is that I believe that all the writings of great men are worthy of study, and it is very difficult to say positively which ones are better or which are worse. Regarding my money (?) let it remain there in trust and I’ll ask for it when the younger brother (01) is ready to come out, using the funds of the older one. Why, having the ability to use the pen, the only weapon left to us, you do not use it for our moral amelioration? In searching now for friendly hearts in Europe, I turn my eyes more to Barcelona than anywhere else. In Madrid, where I had so many friends among our countrymen, my work not only did not find support, but also was not even permitted to enter, due to the neglect and the strange conduct of others, according to a friend, my only one remaining there, it seems. I don’t mind it personally; I’m sorry for what it signifies; I’m sorry because I see fading out even our last virtue, which is our unconditional unity when it concerns the welfare of our country. If we lose that, what will become of us but be miserable in everything, what virtues have we learned, we who come to Europe, and what superiority would we have to our other blind brothers? In Manila, illustrious countrymen have tried to blacken my work, and I smiled to myself; now that the Filipino colony of Madrid, the most patriotic, the most advanced, behaves that way towards me; I am very sorry, because this is an implied condemnation of my work by my countrymen, if not something worse, which would be moral degeneration. Between the two, I would rather be sacrificed. I repeat what I have said: I believed that we should be united, you from Barcelona, the industrial capital of Spain, and we, the few that still survive abroad. Now my cousin Galicano (02) has arrived there and he is promising and can do much, if he does not lose his head. I am working here, devoting my time to the study of English, of the country, of the history of our country, and to writing some impressions of everything. Convey my regards to the whole Filipino colony there and hope that nothing, no mishap, would discourage us in our studies. I am here at your disposal.
Yours affectionately, José Rizal ______________
(01) The “younger brother” was El Filibusterismo; from the sale of Noli me tángere Rizal hoped to defray the cost of the printing of his second novel but he would be disappointed. (02) Rizal writes of Galicano Apacible who became a physician and figured prominently in Philippine politics in the early part of the 20th century.
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058. Mariano Ponce, Barcelona, 22 June 1888
In Barcelona the Filipinos are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their country – Enthusiasm for the work of Rizal – “Those who criticize acts of heroism and self-denial deserve eternal condemnation in the history of the motherland” – Awaiting the second novel of Rizal.
Barcelona, 22 June 1888 Rambla Canaletas, 2-3rd
Mr. José Rizal
My dearest Friend: I received your letter dated the 16th of June. I did not want to answer you until I could find a way of sending you the book you are ordering. Due to my mistake and inaccurate information I did not know that there was another edition of Larra’s works, aside from the one I sent you. I beg you to excuse my stupidity. I have some difficulty in sending the book that you ordered. They do not want to accept it at the post office, because it exceeds two kilograms in weight. I cannot send it either by parcel post, because England is not a member of the International Parcel Post Service. I see no other way out except to send the package to Paris as freight or as parcel post, from where it will be easier to forward it to London. You undoubtedly have friends in that capital who can take care of receiving and forwarding it to you, and therefore I hope you will tell me the name of the person to whom I should address it, if you consider this a good way. In your search for friendly hearts in Europe, we felt proud that you have turned to Barcelona. Small as we are, we are ready to make a sacrifice for the sake of our unfortunate country. I don’t understand, nor can I explain, the unfavorable reception given to Noli me tángere by some of our countrymen. What I can say is that my friends, upon receiving the first copies, which I mailed them soon after my arrival at Barcelona last June, asked me for more copies and spoke enthusiastically about your work. Then I found out that you embarked from Marseille in July of that year and I sent you my most enthusiastic felicitation through Mr. Viola. Your work continues to arouse enthusiasm among our countrymen, with very few exceptions – exceptions that I cannot understand nor explain, considering that it is an eminently patriotic work in which you have staked your name, exposing yourself to the vultures of clericalism, just to prescribe some remedy to the infinite maladies of which our unhappy country is complaining. Those who criticize such acts of self-denial and sacrifice deserve eternal condemnation in the history of our motherland. You are right in saying that we should be solidly united together, every one of us within his own sphere, towards the same end. Let us have faith. You ask me why I do not write and my answer is that I have no ability for writing. Some of my poor articles published in a newspaper in this capital told me the truth. Not all those who wish to write can write. Receive the embraces of your affectionate
M. Ponce
P.S. My friends from the Philippines have asked me to send them immediately the first copies of the 2nd part of Noli me tángere as soon as it is published.
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059. Evaristo Aguirre, Madrid, 26 June 1888
Rizal’s impressions are not surprising after his visit to his country – Only time and the efforts of those called to regenerate her can overthrow the secular power, transforming little by little her way of life – First the ideological ground should be won for cultivation – Our country is where our affection lies – The whip and the muzzle will increase the ranks of the awakened ones.
Madrid, 26 June 1888
Dear Friend: I felt very happy when I received your letter dated the 21st of June. Not many days ago I came to know that you are in that capital, after having heard of your trip to Japan and San Francisco. Welcome, my friend! Now that you are once more in Europe, it will not be long or difficult to be able to embrace you here in Madrid, if you are coming as I heard. Ah! My dear friend, I am not surprised at your impressions after visiting our country; I am not surprised at the truth of what is unfortunately happening there; I was expecting your bitter complaints, your disenchantment, as the precursor of terrible discouragement! But no, my friend: Don’t ask for the impossible; do not expect expansion within the narrow regime; do not demand lofty ideas, daring manifestations, resolute attitude, reckless courage, open fight, imposing clamor amidst that state of things, that special situation, the product of time and the institutions in which an entire people have been educated, without even experimenting. What do I say? Without even a glimpse of the excellence of a better government, of another more advantageous system to substitute for the existing one [we are bound to fail. (? – rly)] Time alone, and with time the patience and constant work of those called upon to carry out the regeneration of that people, beginning with ideas, enlightening their minds, showing them new horizons, awakening in their hearts and minds the true ideals, can demolish the secular work, change and improve gradually their way of living. This must disappear, that condition should be changed, we should combat it with all our strength, we who have been able to escape its pernicious influence; and once we have attained this (in which struggle the enemies themselves shall provide us with weapons to strike them, and here and there we shall not fail to find men of good faith to help us) then we can expect response and cooperation from all or the majority of those who are still subjected to that powerful influence. We cannot expect, before deciding to fight, that our unhappy brothers would begin shaking the yoke; if this were possible, if we could accomplish this, there is nothing to be done, the fight would be useless. First fight and fight in all spheres and little by little in each sphere and on appropriate ground, as the occasion demands. We are in the sphere of ideas; we have to win the fight in order to scatter the seed; then we enter into the sphere of reforms, and we start gathering the fruits, and thus successively. There is still a mother country, Veremundo! Yes, there is, my friend, and it is there where you left it. It is not the country, no; it is the religious element who hates light and loves to scatter and to have around them darkness so that they can reign despotically; it is not the official element, military or civil, who produce nothing good, but do exploit, regardless of the means, seconding the religious element and completing its calamitous work; people are not the selfish ones, children of the Golden Calf (Chinese or otherwise) incapable of seeing beyond their noses and of aspiring to nothing noble or lofty; the people are not even the ungrateful sons who, though knowing the common welfare, instead of devoting their efforts to it, they deserved them for the service of foreign interests, injuring those of the community with their aloofness or with factions and divisions which they create among themselves with unjustifiable reasons. Not that at all. Don’t look for the country anywhere else except where our affections are, there where our hearts lead us fatally and necessarily. Our hearts are the best guide in our wearisome path, they are the ones which will take us, if not to the end, at least nearer to our goal. There is the country; the country is that beloved piece of land, saturated with sacred memories, sowed with sweet affections, watered with the tears of our ancestors, blessed by the love of many generations – that is the country where so many profane footprints leave us not an inch of soil which we can kiss with our lips, where we have the right to live in peace because it is the legacy of our fathers. That is the country, my friend, you know it and you feel it; and it is enough that it exists, so that we may not fail in our efforts. That people, courageous though ignorant, shall be even more so when properly educated considering that an enlightened mind has an advantage, instinct. The truth is that much is still lacking for that people to be called educated; and we cannot demand civic virtues from a few who are not in a position to fight against greater forces on one hand, and the indifference of some elements on the other. This is the question, in my opinion, and I hope you will agree with me, if you will study it carefully. I say that the country is not ready. How explain otherwise, my poor friend, that your family should suffer the consequences of the publication of your work? Why be surprised that a few would secretly visit you and praise your novel, while no enemy is listening? Among a mature people who enjoy all their rights, that thing cannot happen. There is no doubt that their own errors, the whip, and the muzzle, will contribute to increase the number of the enlightened ones, which, though deplorable, are as good as any other means. But don’t be surprised at the atrocities that are said in the Cortes and in the press regarding some matters there; and much less should the conduct of a Salamanca, (01) surprise anyone, who even here is discredited and capable of selling himself to the friars; As everywhere, here everybody sees the phantom of peril endangering the integrity of the nation, as there are still few who are convinced of how harmful are the friars there. As the popular adage says – and it does not hurt them even if it is a fact – a known evil is better than unknown good. With reference to that people, they are more inclined to agree with everything rather than change the existing order of things. And not finding anything to hold on in that statement against the friars, they maintain that it is also against the Archbishop, who is a dignitary in the Archipelago, and contempt has been committed according to the laws, which is true, legally speaking. All in all you are the most injured. Patience, my dear friend, you have won the right to be done justice in due time. Until the next, dear, I now conclude this letter. Leonor appreciates your regards and she is returning them affectionately. I will greet your other friends in your behalf. Wishing you good health, command your affectionate friend and countryman,
Cauit (Evaristo Aguirre)
P.S. If you do not know the newspaper La Paz of Mr. La Serna, I am going to send you some issues, and enclosed are the Dominicales. _______________
(01) General José de Salamanca, senator, denounced the Noli me tángere and its author on the floor of the Spanish senate in June 1888. Senator Fernando Vida supported him. Senator Luis Ma. Paredes also called attention to the Rizal novel at another session of the senate (April 12, 1889).
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060. Rizal, London, 27 June 1888 || To Mariano Ponce
No one would take the slightest step to enable Rizal’s works to enter Madrid – Send to Manila copies of the Noli, even if they are not paid for – Some German doctors felicitate him – Literature is a secondary matter; the principal thing is to think and feel rightly – One ought to work always with the head and the heart and with the arms when the time comes – What I want is to eclipsed by a pleiad of fellow at the time of my death.
37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill, N.W., London 27 June 1888
Mr. Mariano Ponce
My very esteemed Friend, I have received your cordial letter of the 22nd instant and I am sincerely grateful to you for the promptness with which you have always complied with my bothersome requests. There is nothing for which I have to forgive you because the edition (01) that you sent me is very useful and if you had not sent it and I had known it, I would have surely asked you for it. I still have to be grateful to you for it. If you can send me the book to Paris, you can do it by addressing it either to Luna (02) at 175 Boulevard Periere (For Mr. Rizal), Paris, or to Mr. Félix Hidalgo, (03) 65 Boulevard Arago (For Mr. Rizal), Paris. You may use any of the two addresses, though the latter one, being out of town, it would be better to address it to Luna. Please see to it that the remittance is the safest and least costly B.B.B. A fellow countryman, friend of mine, resident of Madrid, has advised me of the unfavorable reception by many of our countrymen over there, calling their behavior as downright inexpressible. According to this friend, no one wanted to take the slightest step to enable my works to reach Madrid and they were already at the frontier, the freight paid, and the authorization was granted. It happened that I had to leave for the Philippines and until my return this June; the wretched copies had not yet been able to enter. At the present moment, I don’t know whether they have entered or not. One who judges adversely my work after having read it does not hurt me or make me sad, because the most that this can show is that I have written badly; but he who judges it unfavorably without having read it tells me a great deal, that many bricks are still clay and the house cannot be built. I have had to destroy my work already begun and rewrite anew the chapters already written, because I have changed my plan entirely; so that the earliest that it can come out will be June or August of next year. I do not lack patience and may my friends have a little of it also, and we shall march forward. The news from Galicano has awakened in my mind extremely pleasant ideas. “Now we have a Mother Country, Vermundo,” I repeat here the celebrated verse of Pelayo. Now one can work with more spirit, assured that not all that is sowed is lost. On this I congratulate myself now inasmuch as I have been in a terribly bad humor for days on account of the news from Madrid. Try to send copies of the Noli me tángere to Manila through any possible means. I believe that the book will do well there even if they do not pay for the copies. Some German doctors of Berlin have just written me today congratulating me on my Noli. This congratulation satisfies my self-love because they are not under any obligation to compliment me. Neither did I give them a copy of the book, nor did I ask them for their opinion. We should not now be vain; I am communicating it to you because I believe that the news will please you. That you have had little success in journalism does not mean that you are not fit to write. Not all of us are born journalists, nor are literary men all journalists. As for me, the question of writing in more or less literary style is secondary; the principal thing is to think and feel rightly, work with a purpose, and the pen will take care of transmitting it. The principal thing that should be demanded from a Filipino of our generation is not to be a literary man but to be a good man, a good citizen, who would help his country to progress with his head, his heart, and if need be, with his arms. With the head and the heart we ought to work always and with the arms when the time comes. Now the principal instrument of the heart and the head is the pen. Others prefer the brush, others the chisel; I prefer the pen. Now, it does not seem to us that the instrument is the primordial object. Sometimes with a poor one great works can be produced; let the Philippine bolo speak. Sometimes in poor literature great truths can be said. I am neither immortal nor invulnerable, and my greatest joy will be to see myself eclipsed by a pleiad [= galaxy - rly] of fellow countrymen at the hour of my death. If they kill or hang one, at least twenty or thirty would take his place, so that they may go cautiously about killing and hanging us. Many people do not want to kill ants because they say the more they multiply. Why should we not be like ants? Well, it is true that while one is studying he cannot devote himself to writing because he has no time. Let us wait. [I have] Nothing more for now. Please send me your photographs because I am collecting pictures of the Filipinos.
At your command, Rizal
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01 Rizal refers to the selected essays of Larra. See the preceding letter, No. 46. 02 Juan Luna, Painter, (1857-1899). 03 Felix Resurreción Hidalgo (1855-1913).
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061. Valentin Ventura, Paris, [1888?]
Ventura gives Rizal news of his trip to Europe and wishes to hear from him.
45 Rue de Maubeuge, Paris (No date is given)
Mr. José Rizal y Mercado London
Dear Friend Pepe, After thirty days of traveling, including the obligatory ten days in Singapore, at last we reached Marseille on 24 June without mishap. With regard to the crossing, I tell you that I suffered everything – bad, fair, and good. From Singapore to Aden, the worst; it could not have been worse; from Aden to Suez, fair, because, though the weather was not bad, on the other hand it was very hot; from Suez to Marseille, good, neither bad weather nor hot. So that you may have an idea of our trip from Singapore to Marseille, I will only tell you that of the forty passengers that we were in the first class, five at in the dining-room, if . . . . Despite the bad weather, I had the greatest luck of not getting seasick, but the rest of the passengers, especially a fellow countryman of ours who came with me, were all seasick. The poor chap spent the thirteen days that the trip from Singapore to Marseille lasted laying down on the deck, unable to move, for the moment he did so, he became quite nauseated. At Marseille, I stayed more than a day. I could have stayed less for, five hours after my arrival, the express departed for this city. But I preferred to stay in order to show a little of Marseille to my companion, and then arrange his trip to Barcelona where he had to go and where he is now. I arrived at Paris on the 26th and here you have me again after. . . . . months and a half of absence from here, which is my residence, and, as always, is wholly at your disposal. And you, how was your trip? Since your last letter from Hong Kong, I have not heard from you again. Don’t be lazy and write, giving me details of everything, for you must have had a most interesting trip. Tell me also when you are planning to come here and what you are intending to do. I have collected the order for five hundred francs and I should like you to tell me frankly if you need this amount so that I may send it to you because, if you do not need it, I will make use of it and I shall not be able to pay you until December when I expect an extraordinario. This figure is called a stroke of the saber. Affectionate regards from Elsa and receive a close embrace of your friend who esteems you.
Valentin Ventura
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