Chapter 14

1888 - 1889 Rizal in London He chose the english city to be his new home for 3 reasons:
1. To improve his knowledge of the English language.
2. To study and annotate Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas.
3. London was safe place for him to carry on his fight against Spanish tyrrany –

Rizal was on board the "City of Rome"

- While on board, Rizal entertained the American and European passengers with his marvelous skill of
the yoyo as a defensive weapon.

- Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England, on May 24 1888.

> He spent his night at Adelphi Hotel
> He also wrote to his family - May 25, 1888 went to London

- He stayed as a guest at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma Regidor, an exile of 1872 and a practising
lawyer in London.

- By the end of may he was a border of the Beckett family.

> Mr. Beckett, an organist at St. Paul's Church
> Mrs. Beckett, his wife
> His 2 sons and 4 daughters, the eldest of the sisters was Gertrude, called "Gettie" or "Totie"

- Rizal came to know Dr. Reihold Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an
authority on Malayan languages and customs

- He called Rizal, "a pearl of a man" (una perla de hombre) in Spanish

- Rizal spent of his time in the British museum.

- Of the bad news were injustices committed by Spanish authorities on the Filipino people and the
Rizal family.
> Among which were as follows:
* Persecution of Filipino patriots who signed the "Anti-Friar Petition of 1888"
* Persecution of calmaba tenants, including Rizal's family and relatives
* Furious attack on Rizal by Senators Salamanca and Vida * Rizal's brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, was
exiled to Bohol without due process of law
* A friend of Rizal, Laureno Viado, was jailed in Bilibid prison because copies of Noli were found in his house
 - The greatest achievement of Rizal was annotating of Morga's Book, Sucecos De Los Islas Filipinas
(Historical Events of the Philippine Islands), which was published in Mexico, 1609.

- Rizal labroriously read the old histories of the Philippines written by Fr. Chirino, Fr. Colin, Fr.
Argensola, Fr. Plasencia, etc.

One good news cheered Rizal. * And that was Rev. Vicente Garcia's defence of the Noli against the
attacks of the friars. Short visit to Paris and Spain

- Early September, 1888 he visited Paris for a week

- He was entertained in this gay French metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife (Paz Prado de Tavera)

- On December 11, 1888, he went to Spain, visiting Madrid and Barcelona.

* He met Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Mariano Ponce Christmas in London (1888)

- Rizal returned to London on December 24 and spent Christmas and New Year with the Becketts

- He sent Christmas gifts to his friends:

* To Bluementritt, a bust of Emperor of Agustus
* To Dr. Carlos Czepelak, a bust of Julius Caesar
* To Rizal's landlady, Mrs. Beckett, a book entitled "The Life and Aventures of Valentine Vox,

The Ventriliquist" Rizal Became a Leader of Filipinos in Europe - Rizal learned that Filipinos in
Barcelona are were planning to establish a patriotic society, this society was called,

Asociacion La Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association) was inaugurated on December 31, 1888

* its aims were as follows:

1. To work peacefully for political and social reforms
2. To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines so that Spain may remedy them
3. To oppose evil forces of rection and medievalism
4. To advocate liberal ideas and progress
5. To champion the legtimate aspirations of Filipino people to life, democracy and happiness. First Article in

La Solidaridad - Rizal's first article was entitled

* Los Agricutores Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers), published on March 25, 1889
* 6 days after he left London for Paris Writings in London - Rizal received news on Fray Rodriguez' unabated
attack on his Noli

- In defence, he wrote a pamphlet;

La Vision del Fray Rodriguez (The Vision of Fray Rodriguez)
* Which was published in Barcelona under his nom-de-plume Dimas Alang
* In this pamphlet, Rizal demonstrated two things:
1. His profound knowledge in religion and
2. His biting satire "Young Women of Malolos" (Feb 22, 1889)

in Tagalog The main points of this letter were:

1. A Filipino mother should teach her children love of God, fatherland, and mankind
2. The Filipino mother should be glad, like the Spartan mother, to her sons in defense of the fatherland
3. A Filipino woman should know how to preserve her dignity and honor
4. A Filipino woman should educate herself, aside from retaining her good racial values
5. Faith is not merely retaining long prayers and wearing religious pictures but rather it is living in the real
Christian way, with good morals and good manners Cont...

- Dr. Host, editor of Trubner's Record, requested Rizal to contribute some articles
* In response, he prepared 2 articles:
1. Specimens of Tagalog Folklore, published in the journal in May 1889
2. Two Eastern People, 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 affectionally called, was a buxom English girl with brown hair, blue eyes, and rosy
cheeks
- Rizal eventually called her "Pettie"
- Before leaving London he finished 4 scupltural works:
1. Prometheus Bound
2. The Triumph of Death over Life
3. Triumph of Science over Death
4. A composite carving of the Beckett sisters
(the last named carving was a farewell gift to the Beckett sisters) 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