lOMoARcPSD|11232395
CHAPTER 16
IN BELGIAN BRUSSELS (1890)
January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for Brussels for two reasons:
1. The cost of living in Paris was very expensive
2. The gay social life of the city hampered his literary works, especially the writings of his second novel
El Filibusterismo
Life in Brussels
He was accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to Brussels
They lived in a modest boarding house run by two Jacoby sisters, Suzanne and Marie.
Albert left the city, replaced by Jose Alejandrino
He was busy writing his second novel
Wrote articles for La Solidaridad and letters to his family and friends
He spent part of his time in the medical clinic
He had gymnastics, target practice and fencing
Jose Alejandrino narrated, “in Brussels, we took our meals in a house and Rizal on one occasion
suggested that we eat pansit…”
1. New Orthography of the Tagalog Language
He was the first to advocate the Filipinization of its orthography
The tagalog letters k and w should be used instead of c and o
Example. Salacot – salakot; arao – araw
While in Brussels, his article was published in La Solidaridad entitled, Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la
Lengua Tagala (The New Orthography of the Tagalog Language).
In this article, he laid down the rules of the new Tagalog orthography
Rizal gave the credit for the adoption of his new orthography to Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera
2. Rizal Criticizes Madrid Filipinos for Gambling
Rizal received news from Juan Luna and Valentin Ventura that the Filipinos in Spain were destroying
good name of their nation by gambling too much
Rizal wrote to MH del Pilar to remind Filipinos in Madrid that they did not come to Europe to gamble,
but to work for their fatherland’s freedom
The gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry when they learned of Rizal’s moralizing
They called him Papa (Pope) instead of Pepe
3. Bad News from Home
The Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse
Don Francisco refused to pay higher rents imposed by the Dominican landlords
Dominican Order filed cases to dispossess Rizal family of their land in Calamba
Relatives were deported – Paciano, Antonio Lopez (husband of Narcisa), Silvestre Ubaldo (husband of
Olimpia), Manuel Hidalgo (husband of Saturnina)
4. Presentiments of His Death
He had bad dreams during the nights in Brussels
He feared he would not live long
He was not afraid to die, not until he finished his second novel
In a letter to MH del Pilar, Rizal wrote “sad presentiments assaults me though I do not give them entire
credence. In my childhood, I had a strange belief that I would not reach thirty years of age… I am
preparing myself for death. Laong Laan (Ever Ready) is my true name…”
Preparation to go Home
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“We have only once to die, and if we do not die well, we lose the opportunity which will not again be
presented to us.” – Rizal
Decision to Go to Madrid
Paciano wrote to Rizal about their cases against the Dominicans
Cases were appealed to the Supreme Court in Spain
He wrote to Del Pilar, getting him as their counsel and notified that he will be going to Madrid to
supervise the handling of their cases
To my muse
It was against the background of mental anguish in Brussels, during those sad days when he was
worried by family disasters, that he wrote his pathetic poem, “A Mi”
Romance with Petite Susanne Jacoby
Two things brought some measures of cheers to the despondent Rizal as he was preparing to leave.
1. Summer time Festival of Belgium which was celebrated in carnival style, with colorful
costumes, fantastic floats, and many days of merriment
2. Romance with Susanne Jacoby
Rizal was so charming and dignified a gentleman that Petite Susanne was attracted to him
He was lonely in a strange country and Leonor was so far away
Like other women, Suzanne fell in love with Rizal
She cried when he left toward the end of July, 1890 for Madrid
CHAPTER 17
MISFORTUNES IN MADRID
Early in August of 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid
He tried all legal means to seek justice for his family and the Calamba tenants
He immediately sought the help of the Filipino colony, the Associacion Hispano-Filipina, and the liberal
newspapers – La Justicia, El Globo, El Resumen, La Republica
Together with MH del Pilar and Dominador Gomez, the secretary of the Associacion, he called on the
Minister of Colonies (Fabie) in order to protest the injustices committed by the Governor-General
Valeriano Weyler and the Dominicans against the Calamba folks
Nothing came out of Rizal’s interview with Senor Fabie
As El Resumen said, “TO COVER THE EARS, TO OPEN THE PURSE AND TO FOLD THE ARMS –
this is the Spanish Colonial Policy.”
The family received ejectment order by the Dominicans against Francisco Rizal and the Calamba
tenants
Paciano, Antonio, Silvestre, Teong, and Dandoy were deported to Mindoro
Their parents were forcibly ejected from their home and live in the house of Narcisa
Blumentritt in his letter urged him to see Queen Regent Maria Cristina, then the ruler of Spain
Aborted duel with Antonio Luna
Towards the end of August 1890, Rizal attended a social reunion of the Filipinos in Madrid
At that time, Luna was bitter of his frustrated romance with Nellie Boustead
Luna was blaming Rizal for his failure to win her heart, although Rizal had previously explained he had
nothing to do about it
Luna uttered certain unsavory remarks about Nellie
Rizal heard him and he challenged Luna to a duel
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, lOMoARcPSD|11232395
Rizal was a better pistol shooter than Luna
Luna was superior in sword
Luna, as the challenged party, had the choice of weapons
Luna, when he became sober, realized that he had made a fool of himself and apologized to Rizal
Rizal Challenges Retana to Duel
Wenceslao E. Retana wrote an article in La Epoca (Spanish Newspaper) asserting that the family and
friends of Rizal had not paid their rents so that they were ejected from their lands in Calamba by the
Dominicans
Rizal immediately challenged Retana to a duel. Only Retana’s blood or his apology could vindicate the
good name of Rizal’s family and friends
Years later, Retana became Rizal’s biographer
Infidelity of Leonor Rivera
Early in December, 1890, Rizal received a letter from Leonor Rivera, announcing her coming marriage
to an Englishman Henry Kipping and asking for forgiveness
Rizal – Del Pilar Rivalry
Del Pilar was gaining prestige in Madrid for his vagarious editorials in La Solidaridad, which he came to
own
He purchased the periodical from Pablo Rianzares, its first proprietor, and replaced Graciano Lopez
Jaena as its editor
Rizal’s leadership declined because some of his former admirers and supporters turned against him
because they resented his interference in their private lives
Rizal and his close friends objected to the periodical’s editorial policy which was occasionally contrary
to Rizal’s political view
To avert the break-up between Rizal and Del Pilar, Filipinos in Madrid (90) met to intensify the
campaign for reform and they declared a leader called Responsible, he chosen to determine the
editorial policy of La Solidaridad
Responsible should be elected by a two-thirds vote of the Filipino community.
Rizal Abdicates His Leadership
The Filipinos were divided into two camps – Rizalistas and Pilaristas
1st day of Voting – Rizal was winning but could not obtain the required 2/3 vote
2nd day of Voting – Rizal was winning but could not obtain the required 2/3 vote
3rd day of Voting – Mariano Ponce appealed to his countrymen to vote for Rizal. Thus, Rizal obtained
the necessary 2/3 votes and was proclaimed Responsible
Rizal, a man of honor and dignity, with a high sense of delicadeza, graciously declined the coveted
position
He knew that some of his compatriots who supported del Pilar despised or disliked him so he preferred
to abdicate his leadership rather than be the cause of disunity and bitterness among his countrymen
Sadly, he paced up his bags and boarded a train leaving for Biarritz
As his train pulled of the railway station, he gazed through the city of Madrid, where he was happy
during his first sojourn but unhappy on his second visit
CHAPTER 18
BIARRITZ VACATION AND ROMANCE WITH NELLY BOUSTEAD (1891)
Downloaded by Purity Kimani ()
CHAPTER 16
IN BELGIAN BRUSSELS (1890)
January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for Brussels for two reasons:
1. The cost of living in Paris was very expensive
2. The gay social life of the city hampered his literary works, especially the writings of his second novel
El Filibusterismo
Life in Brussels
He was accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to Brussels
They lived in a modest boarding house run by two Jacoby sisters, Suzanne and Marie.
Albert left the city, replaced by Jose Alejandrino
He was busy writing his second novel
Wrote articles for La Solidaridad and letters to his family and friends
He spent part of his time in the medical clinic
He had gymnastics, target practice and fencing
Jose Alejandrino narrated, “in Brussels, we took our meals in a house and Rizal on one occasion
suggested that we eat pansit…”
1. New Orthography of the Tagalog Language
He was the first to advocate the Filipinization of its orthography
The tagalog letters k and w should be used instead of c and o
Example. Salacot – salakot; arao – araw
While in Brussels, his article was published in La Solidaridad entitled, Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la
Lengua Tagala (The New Orthography of the Tagalog Language).
In this article, he laid down the rules of the new Tagalog orthography
Rizal gave the credit for the adoption of his new orthography to Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera
2. Rizal Criticizes Madrid Filipinos for Gambling
Rizal received news from Juan Luna and Valentin Ventura that the Filipinos in Spain were destroying
good name of their nation by gambling too much
Rizal wrote to MH del Pilar to remind Filipinos in Madrid that they did not come to Europe to gamble,
but to work for their fatherland’s freedom
The gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry when they learned of Rizal’s moralizing
They called him Papa (Pope) instead of Pepe
3. Bad News from Home
The Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse
Don Francisco refused to pay higher rents imposed by the Dominican landlords
Dominican Order filed cases to dispossess Rizal family of their land in Calamba
Relatives were deported – Paciano, Antonio Lopez (husband of Narcisa), Silvestre Ubaldo (husband of
Olimpia), Manuel Hidalgo (husband of Saturnina)
4. Presentiments of His Death
He had bad dreams during the nights in Brussels
He feared he would not live long
He was not afraid to die, not until he finished his second novel
In a letter to MH del Pilar, Rizal wrote “sad presentiments assaults me though I do not give them entire
credence. In my childhood, I had a strange belief that I would not reach thirty years of age… I am
preparing myself for death. Laong Laan (Ever Ready) is my true name…”
Preparation to go Home
Downloaded by Purity Kimani ()
, lOMoARcPSD|11232395
“We have only once to die, and if we do not die well, we lose the opportunity which will not again be
presented to us.” – Rizal
Decision to Go to Madrid
Paciano wrote to Rizal about their cases against the Dominicans
Cases were appealed to the Supreme Court in Spain
He wrote to Del Pilar, getting him as their counsel and notified that he will be going to Madrid to
supervise the handling of their cases
To my muse
It was against the background of mental anguish in Brussels, during those sad days when he was
worried by family disasters, that he wrote his pathetic poem, “A Mi”
Romance with Petite Susanne Jacoby
Two things brought some measures of cheers to the despondent Rizal as he was preparing to leave.
1. Summer time Festival of Belgium which was celebrated in carnival style, with colorful
costumes, fantastic floats, and many days of merriment
2. Romance with Susanne Jacoby
Rizal was so charming and dignified a gentleman that Petite Susanne was attracted to him
He was lonely in a strange country and Leonor was so far away
Like other women, Suzanne fell in love with Rizal
She cried when he left toward the end of July, 1890 for Madrid
CHAPTER 17
MISFORTUNES IN MADRID
Early in August of 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid
He tried all legal means to seek justice for his family and the Calamba tenants
He immediately sought the help of the Filipino colony, the Associacion Hispano-Filipina, and the liberal
newspapers – La Justicia, El Globo, El Resumen, La Republica
Together with MH del Pilar and Dominador Gomez, the secretary of the Associacion, he called on the
Minister of Colonies (Fabie) in order to protest the injustices committed by the Governor-General
Valeriano Weyler and the Dominicans against the Calamba folks
Nothing came out of Rizal’s interview with Senor Fabie
As El Resumen said, “TO COVER THE EARS, TO OPEN THE PURSE AND TO FOLD THE ARMS –
this is the Spanish Colonial Policy.”
The family received ejectment order by the Dominicans against Francisco Rizal and the Calamba
tenants
Paciano, Antonio, Silvestre, Teong, and Dandoy were deported to Mindoro
Their parents were forcibly ejected from their home and live in the house of Narcisa
Blumentritt in his letter urged him to see Queen Regent Maria Cristina, then the ruler of Spain
Aborted duel with Antonio Luna
Towards the end of August 1890, Rizal attended a social reunion of the Filipinos in Madrid
At that time, Luna was bitter of his frustrated romance with Nellie Boustead
Luna was blaming Rizal for his failure to win her heart, although Rizal had previously explained he had
nothing to do about it
Luna uttered certain unsavory remarks about Nellie
Rizal heard him and he challenged Luna to a duel
Downloaded by Purity Kimani ()
, lOMoARcPSD|11232395
Rizal was a better pistol shooter than Luna
Luna was superior in sword
Luna, as the challenged party, had the choice of weapons
Luna, when he became sober, realized that he had made a fool of himself and apologized to Rizal
Rizal Challenges Retana to Duel
Wenceslao E. Retana wrote an article in La Epoca (Spanish Newspaper) asserting that the family and
friends of Rizal had not paid their rents so that they were ejected from their lands in Calamba by the
Dominicans
Rizal immediately challenged Retana to a duel. Only Retana’s blood or his apology could vindicate the
good name of Rizal’s family and friends
Years later, Retana became Rizal’s biographer
Infidelity of Leonor Rivera
Early in December, 1890, Rizal received a letter from Leonor Rivera, announcing her coming marriage
to an Englishman Henry Kipping and asking for forgiveness
Rizal – Del Pilar Rivalry
Del Pilar was gaining prestige in Madrid for his vagarious editorials in La Solidaridad, which he came to
own
He purchased the periodical from Pablo Rianzares, its first proprietor, and replaced Graciano Lopez
Jaena as its editor
Rizal’s leadership declined because some of his former admirers and supporters turned against him
because they resented his interference in their private lives
Rizal and his close friends objected to the periodical’s editorial policy which was occasionally contrary
to Rizal’s political view
To avert the break-up between Rizal and Del Pilar, Filipinos in Madrid (90) met to intensify the
campaign for reform and they declared a leader called Responsible, he chosen to determine the
editorial policy of La Solidaridad
Responsible should be elected by a two-thirds vote of the Filipino community.
Rizal Abdicates His Leadership
The Filipinos were divided into two camps – Rizalistas and Pilaristas
1st day of Voting – Rizal was winning but could not obtain the required 2/3 vote
2nd day of Voting – Rizal was winning but could not obtain the required 2/3 vote
3rd day of Voting – Mariano Ponce appealed to his countrymen to vote for Rizal. Thus, Rizal obtained
the necessary 2/3 votes and was proclaimed Responsible
Rizal, a man of honor and dignity, with a high sense of delicadeza, graciously declined the coveted
position
He knew that some of his compatriots who supported del Pilar despised or disliked him so he preferred
to abdicate his leadership rather than be the cause of disunity and bitterness among his countrymen
Sadly, he paced up his bags and boarded a train leaving for Biarritz
As his train pulled of the railway station, he gazed through the city of Madrid, where he was happy
during his first sojourn but unhappy on his second visit
CHAPTER 18
BIARRITZ VACATION AND ROMANCE WITH NELLY BOUSTEAD (1891)
Downloaded by Purity Kimani ()
