Chapter 14

Rizal In London(1888 - 1889)

Stay in London
Lived in London in May 1888 to March 1889
3 reasons why he stayed in London:
To improve his knowledge of the English
language
To study and annotate Morgas Sucesos de
las Islas Filipinas (Historical Events of the
Philippine Islands)
London was a safe place for him to carry on
his fight against Spanish tyranny

Stay in London
He engaged in Filipiniana studies
Completed annotating Morgas book
Wrote many articles for La Solidaridad in
defense of his people against Spansih critics
Penned a famous letter to the young women of
Malolos
Had a romance with Gertrude Beckett

Trip Across the Atlantic

Made friends in his voyage
Amazed and entertained American and
European passengers
Had a chat with newspaper men but became
disappointed
Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England, on May 24,
1888 and stayed at Adelphi Hotel

Trip Across the Atlantic

Liverpool is a big and beautiful
city and its celebrated port is
worthy of its great fame. The
entrance is magnificent and the
customhouse is quite good.

Life in London
Went to London on May 25, 1888
He stayed as a guest at the home of Dr.
Antonio Ma. Regidor
By the end of May, he became a boarder
of the Beckett family (No. 37 Chalcot
Crescent, Primrose Hill)

Life in London
He came to know Dr. Reinhold Rost. Dr.
Rost called Rizal a pearl of a man(una
perla de hombre)
Rizal spent much of his time in the British
Museum and visiting Dr. Regidor
He played cricket and boxed w/ Dr. Rosts
sons

News from Home, Good and

Bad

Bad News
Persecution of the Filipino patriots who signed the
Anti-Friar Petition of 1888
Persecution of Calamba tenants
Furious attacks on Rizal by Senators Salamanca and
Vida in the Spanish Cortes and by Desengaos
(Wenceslao E. Retana) and Quioquiap (Pablo Feced)
in Spanish newspapers
Rizals brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo was exiled
to Bohol w/o due process of law
Laureano Viado, his friend was arrested and jailed in
Bilibid Prison because copies of the Noli were found
in his house

News from Home, Good and

Bad
Good News
Rev. Vicente Garcias defense of the Noli
against the attacks of the friars

Later, on January 7, 1891 he wrote to

Father Garcia to express his personal
thanks.

Annotating Morgas Book

He spent many days in the reading room
of the British Museum poring over the
pages of Morgas book and laboriously
reading the old histories of the Philippines
Mariano Ponce urged him to edit a
newspaper but he refused

Annotating Morgas Book

On September 17, 1888, Rizal wrote to
Blumetritt
Morgas work is an excellent book; it
can be said that Morga is a modern
scholarly explorer. He does not have
the superficiality and exaggeration
which are found among Spaniards
today: he writes very simply, but one
has to read between the lines.....

British Museum

Dr. Reinhold Rost

Short Visit to Paris and Spain

On September 1888 he visited Paris for a week
to search for more historical materials in
Bibliotheque Nationale
Entertained in gay French Metropolis by Juan
Luna and his wife (Paz Pardo de Tavera)
On December 11, 1888, he went to Spain and
there he met Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano
Ponce

Bibliotheque Nationale

Christmas in London
Rizal returned to London on Dec. 24, 1888 and spent
his Christmas and new year s day with the Becketts
He sent as a gift to Blumentritt and Dr. Carlos Czepelak
(Polish scholar), he gave as Christmas gift a bust of
Julius Caesar
Received a gift from Mrs. Beckett
Mrs. Beckett, knowing of his interest I magic, gave him
a book entitled The Life and Adventure of Valentine
Vox, The Ventriloquist

Rizal becomes Leader of Filipinos in Europe

Rizal learned of the Asociacion La

Solidaridad (Inaugurated on December
31, 1888)
Officers of Solidaridad Association
President: Galicano Apacible
Vice ~ President: Graciano Lopez Jaena
Secretary: Manuel Santa Maria
Treasurer: Mariano Ponce
Accountant: Jose Ma. Panganiban

Rizal becomes Leader of Filipinos in Europe

By unanimous vote of all the members, Rizal
was chosen to be honorary president
He wrote a letter of thanks addressed to La
Solidaridad on Jan. 28, 1889, With the following
advice:
The individual should give way to the welfare of
the society
Great deal of integrity and much good will
Thrift, thrift, thrift. Seriousness and equal justice
for all

Rizal and the La Solidaridad Paper

On February 15, 1889, Graciano Lopez Jaena founded
the patriotic newspaper called La Solidaridad in
Barcelona, where he was then residing. This was a
fortnightly periodical which served as the organ of the
propaganda movement
Its aims were as follows:
To work peacefully for political and social reforms;
To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines so
that Spain may remedy them;
To oppose the evil forces of reaction and medievalism;
To advocate liberal ideas and progress;
To champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino
people to life, democracy, and happiness.

Rizal and the La Solidaridad Paper

Rizal congratulated GracianoLopez Jaena
and the associates and wrote articles
He advised Gracino Lopez Jaena that
great care should be taken in publishing
only the truth in La Solidaridad, Be
Careful and There is no need for
knaveries

First Article in La Solidaridad

Rizals first article which appeared in La solidaridad was entitled
Los Agricultores Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers)
Published Mar. 25, 1889
Depicted the deplorable conditions in the Philippines which
cause the backwardness of the country. He wrote:
The Filipino farmers has to struggle not only against petty
tyrants and robbers.Against the first, defense indeed was permitted;
against the latter not always
After the floods, locusts, fires, bad harvests, and the like the
farmer capitalist has to deal with constable who takes away from his
laborer s for personal service, some public works repair of roads,
bridges and others; with the civil guards who arrests them for various
reasons sometimes for not carrying with them their personal cedulas
(certificates) for not saluting properly,

First Article in La Solidaridad

For being suspicious persons or for no reason
whatsoever, and they manacle them to clean the barracks and
thus compel the capitalist to live on better terms with the chief
and, if not, they take away his carabaos, oxen, inspite of many
protests.
At times it is not the constable or the civil guard who
opposes so indirectly
the minister of colonies. An official of the
court or the provincial government,
dissatisfied with the
farmer, urgently summons this or that laborer, if not two or three.
The unfortunate man underyakes a tripof two or three days,
uneasy and distrustful, spends his savings, arrives, presents
himself, waits, returns the next day
and waits, finally to be
asked a frown and the look of a judge, abstruse and unknown
things. He is lucky if he comes out free from questioning, for not
infrequently after it, he is sent to jail from which he comes out
lateras stupid as before.

WRITINGS IN LONDON
Rizal wrote a pamphlet entitled La Vision del Fray
Rodriguez (The Vision of Fray Rodriguez) which was
published in Barcelona under his nom-de-plume Dimas
Alang
He wrote the famous Letter to the Young Women of
Malolos (February 22, 1889) in Tagalog
In response to Dr. Rosts request, Rizal prepared two
articles (1) Specimens of Tagal Folklore which was
published in the journal in May, 1889; and (2) Two
Eastern Fables, published in June 1889

ROMANCE WITH GERTRUDE

BECKETT
Rizal had a romantic interlude with the oldest of
the three Beckett sisters Gertrude, Gettie, as
she was affectionately called, was a buxom
English girl with brown hair, blue eyes, and rosy
cheeks
Their friendship drifted towards romance
Rizal affectionately called her Gettie, in
reciprocation, she fondly called him Pettie

ROMANCE WITH GERTRUDE

BECKETT
As their flirtation was fast approaching the point of no
return, Rizal suddenly realized that he could not marry
Gettie for he had a mission to fulfill in life
Before leaving London, he finished four sculptural works
(1) Prometheus Bound, (2) The Triumph of Death over
Life, (3) The Triumph of Science over Death, and (4) a
composite carving of the heads of the Beckett sisters. He
gave this carving as a farewell gift to the Beckett sisters
He packed The Triumph of Science over Death and sent
them to his friend, Professor Blumentritt Leitmeritz

ADIOS, LONDON
Suddenly on March 19, 1889, Rizal bade
goodbye to the kind Beckett family
(particularly Gertrude) and left London for
Paris
He was sad as he crossed the English
Channel, for he cherished so many
beautiful memories of London

CHAPTER 15

Rizals Second Sojourn in Paris and the

Universal Exposition of 1889

Difficulty of Finding Quarters

Because of the Universal exposition of 1889 which was scheduled
to open on March 6,1889 attracted thousands of tourists so that all
hotel accommodations were taken and the hotel rates and house
rates were soaring sky high
Valentin Ventura
Rizals friend, who live in No.45 Rue Maubeuge
In the house of Ventura where Rizal polished his annotated
edition of Morgas book
Rizals roommate
Capitan Justo Trinidad- former gobernadorcillo of Sta. Ana,
Manila, and a refugee from Spanish tyranny
Jose Albert- a young student from Manila

Life in Paris
He used most of his time reading in the room of
the Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library)
Checking up his historical annotations on
Morgas book
Writing letters to his family and his friends
Doing physical exercises in gymnasium

Life in Paris
Visiting his friends
Rizal used to dine in at the homes of his
friends such as the:
Pardo de Taveras
Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera
Dr. Felix Pardo de Tavera
Paz Pardo de Tavera

The Venturas
The Bousteads
The Lunas, etc.

Life in Paris
June 24, 1889 ~ a baby girl was born to
Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera. She
was their second child, the first was a boy
named Andres(luling). Her baptismal
godfather was Rizal, who chose her name
Maria de la Paz, Blanca, Laurena,
Hermenegilda Juana Luna y Pardo de
Tavera

Rizal and Paris Exposition of

1889
Universal Exposition of Paris which opened on
May 6,1889
The greatest attraction of this Exposition was
the Eiffel Tower, 984 feet high and was built by
Alexander Eiffel
President Sadi Carnot of the third French
Republic, who cuts the ribbon of the said
ceremonies

Alexander Eiffel and

President Sadi Carnot

Rizal and Paris Exposition of

1889
One of the features of the Exposition was the
International Art Competition, in which Felix R. Hidalgo,
Juan Luna, Felix Pardo de Tavera, and Rizal participated
2nd prize ~ Hidalgo
3rd prize ~ Juan Luna and Felix Pardo de Tavera
Rizal got no prize but the bust he made was quite good
to qualify for the exhibition, but not good enough to win
an international prize

Kidlat Club
March 19,1889 the same day when he arrived in Paris
from London, Rizal organized his paisanos (compatriots)
into a society called Kidlat Club
Was purely a social society of a temporary nature.
Simply to bring together the young Filipinos in the
French capital so that they could enjoy their sojourn in
the city during the duration of the Universal Exposition
Members:

Antonio Luna
Juan Luna
Gregorio Aguilera
Fernando Canon
Lauro Dimayuga
Julio Llorente
Guillermo Pautu
Baldomero Roxas

Indios Bravos

Rizal and the members of the kidlat club were

amazed to see the buffalo show which featured
American Indians
Rizal was enchanted by the dignified and proud
bearing of the American Indians. They are not
ashamed of their name . Rizal wants to be like them
and make their Spanish enemies revise their
conception of the term. The Indios Bravos was french
(Brave Indians)
It replaced the Kidlat club. They practiced the use of
sword and pistol. Rizal taught them Judo, an Asian
art of self defense, that he learned in Japan

R.D.L.M. Society
A secret society founded by Rizal in Paris during the
Universal Exposition of 1889
A society so secret that it was only mentioned in two
letters (1) Rizals letter to Jose Maria Basa, Paris,
September 21, 1889 and (2) Rizals letter to Marcelo H.
del Pilar, Paris, November 4, 1889
According to Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal, grandnephew of the
hero, the society has a symbol represented by a circle
divided into three parts by two semi-circles having in the
center the interlocked letters I and B meaning Indios
Bravos, and the letters R.D.L.M placed outside on the
upper, lower, left and right sides of the circle

R.D.L.M. Society
The letters R.D.L.M. are believed to be the initials of the societys
secret name Reduncion de los Malayos (Redemption of the Malays)
So much mystery surrounded the society because Rizal rigidly
guarded its secret existence. Evidently, it was patterned after
Freemasonry. It had various degrees of membership, with the
members not knowing each other. Only a few of Rizals trusted
friends became members, namely:

Gregorio Aguilera
Jose Ma. Basa
Julio Llorente
Marcelo H. del Pilar
Mariano Ponce
Baldomero Roxas
Father Jose Maria Changco

R.D.L.M. Society
The aims of the soicety:
The propagation of all useful knowledge scientific, artistic,
literary, etc. in the Philippines.
Redemption of the Malay race.

He was inspired by the book Max Havelaar written by

Multatuli.
He told Blumentritt,

I shall not be a planter (plantador) but the

leader (caudillo) of the planters who are thinking of emigrating there with
me. I feel flattered by the idea that I can still serve my country with my
pen. You know very well that always, at all times, I am ready to serve my
fatherland would demand this sacrifice. But as I see that I am getting old,
my ideals and dreams are fading; if it is impossible for me to give freedom
to my country, at least I should like to give it to those noble compatriots in
other lands.

Max Havelaar

Annotated Edition of Morga

Published

Printed by Garnier Freres. The prologue was written by

Blumentritt
Rizals errors (1) Rizal commits the error of many
historians in appraising the events of the past in the
light of present standards and (2) Rizals attacks on the
church were unfair and unjustified because the abuses
of the friars should nit be construed to mean that
Catholicism is bad
Rizal dedicated his new edition of Morga to the Filipino
people so that they would know of their glorious past

Morga and his book

Comment on Morgas Publication

Date
The title page of Rizals annotated edition
of Morga reads: Paris, Libreria de Garnier
Hermanos, 1890.
Blumentritt October 12, 1889
Dr. Baldomero Roxas December 28,
1889
Mariano Ponce December 31, 1889

Rizal as a Historian
His splendid annotations to Morgas book showed his
familiarity with the basic principles of historiography
His knowledge of foreign languages enabled Rizal to
read historical documents and books in the languages
in which they were originally written
By his extensive reading of archival resources and
books in foreign countries , he acquired wide
knowledge not only of Philippine history, but also the
history of European colonization in Asia

The Philippines Within a

Century
In this article Rizal expressed his views on the
Spanish colonization in the Philippines and
predicted with amazing accuracy the tragic end of
Spains sovereignty in Asia. He portrayed at the
beginning of his article the glorious past of the
Filipino people, then described their economic
stagnation and unhappiness under the harsh and
bungling Spanish rule. Toward the last paragraphs
of the article, he peered into the future and warned
Spain of what would happen to her colonial empire
in Asia if she would not adopt a more liberal and
enlighten policy toward the Philippines

The Indolence of the Filipinos

Rizal made a critical study of the causes
why his people did not work hard during
the Spanish regime.
The Spanish conquest of the country
brought about a decline in economic
activities because the Filipinos had
abandoned their pre-Spanish industries
and worked less than their ancestors.

The Indolence of the Filipinos

Decline in economic life was due to:
The native revolts and other internal disorders
which followed the establishment of Spanish
rule;
The wars which the Filipinos fought for Spain
against Dutch, Portuguese, English and other
enemies;
The frightful raids on the coastal towns and
village of Christian Philippines by the Muslim
pirates of Mindanao and Sulu;
The forced labor which compelled thousands of
Filipino laborers;
Lack of stimulus to work harder because the
people couldnt enjoy the fruits of their labor;

The Indolence of the Filipinos

Government neglect and indifference to
agriculture, industry, and commerce;
Bad example shown by Spaniards in despising
manual labor;
The teaching of Spanish missionaries that it is
easier for a poor man to enter heaven than for
a rich man;
Encouragement and propagation of gambling
by the Spanish authorities;
System of Spanish education did not promote
economic enterprise and activity.

International Association of
Filipinologists
He first submitted the idea to Blumentritt in a letter
dated January 14, 1889
The aim of the association is to study the Philippines
from the scientific and historical point of view.
The officers were:
President: Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt (Austrian)
Vice ~ President: Mr. Edmund Plauchut (French)
Counselor: Dr. Reinhold Rost (Anglo-German)
Counselor: Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor (Filipino-Spanish)
Secretary: Dr. Jose Rizal (Filipino)

International Association of
Filipinologists
The inaugural convention was scheduled in Paris in
August, 1889
Rizal invited renowned scholars in Europe, such as Dr.
Reinhold Rost, Sir Henry Yule, Dr. Feodor Jagor,
Dr. A.B. Meer, Dr. H. Kern and Dr. Czepelak
But then the convention did not materialize because
the French government discourage the holding of
conferences during the period of international
exposition

Project for Filipino College in

Hong Kong
Rizal plan to establish a modern college in Hong
Kong
The college aims to train and educate men of
good family and financial means in accordance
with the demands of modern times and
circumstances. Mr. Mariano Cunanan, a rich
Filipino resident in Paris, promised to help him
raise P40,000 as initial capital for college

Project for Filipino College

in Hong Kong
The curriculum consisted of the following subjects:
Ethics Study of Religion Natural Law Civil Law Deportment
Hygiene
Mathematics Physics and Chemistry natural History
Geography Political Economy
Universal History Philippine History Logic, Rhetoric, and Poetics
Spanish English French German Chinese Tagalog
Gymnastics Equitation Fencing Swimming Music Drawing
Dancing

Project for Filipino College

in Hong Kong
Unfortunately, this project did not
materialize
However, years later, during his exile in
Dapitan, he founded a school for boys in
which he put into practice some of his
splendid pedagogical concepts

Por Telefono
Was published in booklet form in Barcelona, 1889
Rizal received the printed copies from Mariano
Ponce dated Paris, August 13, 1889
This satirical pamphlet under the authorship of
Dimas Alang, Rizals pen name, is a witty satire
which ridicules Father Font
It does not only demonstrates Rizals sparkling
wit, but also his prophetic insight

Christmas in Paris
December 25, 1889 was a wintry day in
Paris
Rizal and Jose Albert planned to have a
sumptuous Christmas dinner
They prepared a Christmas dinner with
fried chicken, rice and vegetables
It was Rizals last Christmas in Paris

Christmas in Paris
After New year, Rizal made a brief visit to
London
His visit to London may be due to:
To check up his annotated edition of Morgas
Sucesos with original copy in the British Museum
and;
To see Gertrude Beckett for the last time

By the middle of January 1890, he was

back in Paris