Chapter 18
He refused to give up his
Bearritz Vacation and Romance with
Nellie Boustead
To seek solace for his disappointments in
Madrid, Rizal took a vacation in the
resort city of Bearittz. He was a guest of
the rich Boustead family.
With the Bousteads in Biarittz
 Rizal arrived in Bearritz in February
1891
 He was welcomed by the
Bousteads; Mr. Boustead together
with Mrs. Boustead, Adelina, Nellie
and Aunt Isabel
 The one-month vacation worked
wonders for Rizal
Romance with Nellie Boustead
• Bearritz, with its romantic gardens,
delightful villas, and panoramic
beauties, is an ideal setting for
romance.
• On an emotional rebounce, Rizal
having lost his beloved Leonor,
came to entertain considerable
affection for Nellie.
• He found her to be a real Filipina,
highly intelligent, vivacious in
temperament and morally upright.
• He wrote to his intimate friends* of
his love for Nellie, also called Nelly,
and his intention to propose
marriage to her.
• *Rizal courted Nelly who, in return,
reciprocated his affection.
• Unfortunately, their romance did
not have a happy fairy tale finale.
• Rizal’s marriage proposal failed for
two reasons:
1.
Catholic faith and be
converted to Protestantism,
as Nelly demanded and,
2. Nelly’s mother did not like
Rizal as a son-in-law.
• Although they could not get
married, Rizal and Nellie parted as
good friends.
El Filibusterismo Finished in Biarritz
• Frustrated in romance, Rizal found
consolation in writing.
• While he was enjoying so “many
magnificent moonlight nights” with
Nellie, he kept on working on his
second novel which he began to
write in Calamba in 1887.
• On March 29, 1891, the eve of his
departure from Biarritz to Paris, He
finished the manuscript of El
Filibusterismo.
To Paris and Back to Brussels
• Rizal bade farewell to the
hospitable and friendly Bousteads
on March 30, 1891 and proceeded
to Paris by train.
• In Paris, he stayed at the home of
his friend, Valentin Ventura, on 4
Rue de Chateaudum.
• From Paris, he wrote to his friend,
Jose Ma. Basa, in Hong Kong, on
April 4, expressing his desire to go
to that British colony and practice
ophthalmology in order to earn his
living.
• In the middle of April 1891, Rizal
was back in Brussels.
 • He was happily received by Marie Chapter 19
and Suzzane Jacoby (his landladies)
El Filibusterismo published in Ghent
and, above all, by Petite Suzzane
(1891)
(the Belgian girl who loved him.)
He begun writing his second novel in
Retirement from the Propaganda
October, 1987, while practicing medicine
Movement
in Calamba. The following year (1888), in
• Since abdicating* his leadership in
London, he made some changes in the
Madrid in January, 1891, Rizal
plot and corrected some chapters
retired from the Propaganda
already written. He wrote more chapters
Movement, or reform crusade.
in Paris and Madrid and finished the
• He desired to publish his second
manuscript in Bearritz on March 29,
novel, to practice his medical
1891. It took him Three years to write El
profession, and later, when
Filibusterismo.
financially independent, he
PRIVATIONS IN GHENT
expected to make a more vigorous
 On July 5, 1891, Rizal left Brussels
campaign for his country’s
for Ghent.
redemption.
 Reasons:
• May 1, 1891, he notified the
1. The cost of printing in Ghent
propaganda authorities in Manila
was cheaper
to cancel his monthly allowance
2. To escape from the enticing
(P50).
attraction of Petite Suzzane.
Rizal Stopped Writing for La Solidaridad.
 In Ghent, He met two compatriots.
Rizal ceased writing articles for La
Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga)
Solidaridad.
and Edilberto Evangelista (from
Reasons:
Manila) both studying engineering
1. He needed time to work on
in the University of Ghent.
his book;
 Because of his limited funds, Rizal
2. He wanted other Filipinos to
lived in a cheap boarding house,
work also;
with Jose Alberto as room-mate.
3. He wanted to have unity in
The Printing of El Filibusterismo
the work.
 F. MAYER VAN LOO PRESS, No. 66
Viaanderen Street — the publisher
Revising the Fili for Publication
who was willing to print his book in
• May 30, 1891, completed the installment basis.
revision of El Filibusterismo’s  He pawned his jewels to pay the
manuscript and ready for press. down payment during the printing
of the novel.
  Valentin Ventura in Paris learned
of Rizal’s predicament and
immediately sent him the
necessary funds. Thus, makes
Ventura the savior of the El Fili.
The Fili comes off the press
 September 18, 1891, El
Filibusterismo came off the press.
 Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to
the martyr priests Fathers Gomez,
Burgos and Zamora.
The manuscript and the book
 The original manuscript of El
Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own
handwriting is now preserved in
the Filipinana Division of the
Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila.
 It had been acquired by the
Philippine Government from
Valentin Ventura for P10,000. It
consists of 279 pages of long sheet
of paper.
Synopsis of El Filibusterismo
 This novel is sequel to the Noli . It
has little humor, less idealism and
less romance than the Noli Me
Tangere. It is more revolutionary,
more tragic than the first novel.
 The hero of El Filibusterismo is a
rich jeweler named Simoun. He
was Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli,
who, with Elias’ help, escaped from
the pursuing soldiers at Laguna de
Bay, dug up his buried treasure,
and fled to Cuba where he became
rich and befriended many Spanish
officials. After many years, he
returns to the Philippines, where
he freely moved around. He is a
powerful figure*.
 Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of
Spain. However, deep in his heart,
he is secretly cherishing a terrible
revenge against the Spanish
authorities. His two obsessions are
(1) to rescue Maria Clara from the
nunnery of Santa Clara and (2) to
foment a revolution against the
hated Spanish masters.
“Noli” and “Fili” compared
Rizal’s unfinished third novel
 On October 18, 1891, Rizal
boarded the steamer Melbourne in
Merseilles bound for Hong Kong.
CHAPTER 20
Ophthalmic Surgeon in Hong Kong
(1891-92)
After the publication of El Filibusterismo,
Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong
• His reasons for leaving Europe:
1. life was unbearable in Europe
because of his political differences
with M.H. del Pilar and other
Filipinos in Spain and
2. To be near his idolized Philippines
and family.
ARRIVED IN HONG KONG
 Rizal arrived in Hong Kong on
November 20, 1891. He was
welcomed by the Filipino residents,
 especially his old friend, Jose Ma.
Basa
 He established his residence at No.
5 D’ Aguilar Street, No. 2
Rednaxola Terrace, where he also
opened his medical clinic.
FAMILY REUNION IN HONG KONG
 Before Christmas of 1891, he was
gladdened by the arrival of his
father, brother and Silvestre
Ubaldo (his brother-in-law) in Hong
Kong. Not long afterwards, his
mother and sisters Lucia, Josefa
and Trinidad also arrived.
OPHTHALMIC SURGEON IN HONG KONG
 To earn a living for himself and for
his family, Rizal practiced medicine.
 In due time, Dr. Rizal became a
successful and well-known medical
practitioner in the British colony.
BORNEO COLONIZATION PROJECT
 On March 7, 1892, he went to
Sandakan on board the ship
Menon to negotiate with the
British authorities for the
establishment of a Filipino colony.
 His mission was successful
 The British authorities of Borneo
(now Sabah) were willing to give
100,000 acres of land, a good
harbor and a good government for
999 years, free of all charges.
 By April 20, he was back in Hong
Kong.
DECISION TO RETURN TO MANILA
In May, 1892, Rizal made up his mind to
return to Manila. Tjis decision was
spurred by the following:
1. To confer with Governor
Despujol regarding the
Borneo colonization project;
2. To establish the Liga Filipina
in Manila; and
3. To prove that Eduardo de
Lete was wrong in attacking
him in Madrid through an
printed article in the La
Solidaridad which M. H. del
Pilar had permitted.
RIZAL FALLS INTO SPANISH TRAP
 On June 21, Rizal and his sister
Lucia, left Hong Kong for Manila.
The carried a special passport or
“safe-conduct” issued by the
Spanish consul-general in Hong
Kong.
 Immediately after Rizal departure
from Hong Kong, the Spanish
consul-general sent a cablegram to
Governor Despujol that the victim
“is in the trap”.
 A secret case was filed in Manila
against Rizal and hi followers “for
anti-religious and anti-patriotic
agitation”.
 Meanwhile, Rizal and his sister
were peacefully crossing the China
Sea (now West Philippine Sea) fully
unaware of the Spanish duplicity