Chapter 19.

El FilibuSterismo Published in Ghent (1891)

 He had begun writing it in October, 1887, while practising medicine in Calamba.

 He wrote more chapters in Paris and Madrid, and finished the manuscript in Biarritz on March
29,1891.
 It took him, therefore, three years to write his second novel.

Privations in Ghent.

 On July 5,1891, Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university city in Belgium.
 His reasons for moving to Ghent were (1) the cost of painting in Ghent was cheaper, than in
Brussels and (2) to escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne.
 In Ghent, he met two compatriots, Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga) and 'Edilberto Evangelista
(from Manila), both studying engineering in the world-famed University of Ghent.
 Owing to his limited funds, Rizal lived in a cheap boarding, house, with Jose Alejandro as room-
mate. To economize further, they prepared their own daily breakfast in their room.

The Printing of El Filihusterismo.

 At last, he did find a publisher - F. MEYER-VAN LOO PRESS, No. 66. Viaanderen Street - who was
willing to print his book on instalment basis.
 Meanwhile, as the printing was going on, he had received some money from Basa and P200
from Rodriguez Arias for the copies of Morga's Sucesos sold in Manila.
 On August 6, the printing had to be suspended, as Rizal ' feared, because he could no longer
give the necessary funds to the printer. He's on page 112 of the book.

Ventura, Savior of the Fili.

 Rizal’s Calvary in connection with the printing of the Noli was repeated in the Fili’s printing.
 Valentin Ventura in Paris learned of Rizal’s predicament and immediately sent him the necessary
funds.

The Fili Comes Off the Press.

 At last, on September 18, 1891, El Filibusterismo came off the press. Rizal, now a very happy
man, immediately sent on this date two printed copies to Hong Kong one for Basa and the other
for Sixto Lopez.
 To his friend in Paris, Valentin Ventura, who generously loaned him the funds needed to finish
the printing of the novel, Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an autographed
printed copy.
  The members of the Filipino colony of Barcelona published a tribute in La Publicidad, a
Barcelona newspaper, eulogizing the novel’s original style which “is comparable only to the
sublime Alexander Dumas” and may well be offered as “a model and a precious jewel in the now
decadent literature of Spain”
 The liberal Madrid newspaper, El Nuevo Regimen, serialized the novel in its issues of October,
1891.
 The book immediately became rare, and the few available Ghent copies were sold at very high
prices, reaching as high as 400 pesetas per copy.

Dedicated to Gom-Bur-Za.

 He dedicated El Filibusterismo to Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora. His dedication reads as
follows:

To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old), Don Jose Burgos (30 years
old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February,
1872.

 To straighten historical records, however, we must rectify Rizal‘s historical inaccuracies in his
dedicatory note. First of all, the martyrdom of Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora occurred on
February 17, 1872 -not on the 28th. Secondly, Father Gomez was 73 years old not 85, Father
Burgos was 35 years old --not 30, and Father Zamora was 37 years old --not 35.

The Manuscript and the Book.

 The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting is now preserved in the
Filipiana 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 sheets of paper.
 Two features in the manuscript do not appear in the printed book, namely: the FOREWORD and
the WARNING.

Inscription on Title Page.

 The title page of El Filibusterismo contains an inscription written by Ferdnand Blumentritt.

Synopsis of El Filibusterismo.

 This novel is a 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 from Noli. He
is a powerful figure not only because he is a rich jeweler, but also because he is a good friend
 and adviser of the governor general. His two magnificent obsessions are (1) to rescue Maria
Clara from the nunnery of Santa Clara and (2) to foment a revolution against the hated Spanish
masters.

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board the clumsy, roundish shaped steamer Tabo. Among the
passengers are:

Simoun, the rich jeweler

Dofla Vietorina, the ridiculously pro-Spanish native woman who is going to Laguna in search of her
henpecked husband, Tiburcio de Espadar‘na, who has deserted her

Paulita Gomez, beautiful niece of Dofla Vietorina

Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibaflez), a Spanish journalist who writes silly articles about the Filipinos

Padre Sibyla, Vice-Rector of the University of Santo Tomas

Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the town of Tiani

Don Custodio, a pro-Spanish Filipino holding a high position in the government

Padre Salvi, thin Franciscan friar and former cura of San Diego

Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a ,friend of the Filipino students

Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest

Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of Paulita;

Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose medical education is financed by his patron,
Capitan Tiago.

Simoun, because of his great influence in Malacañiang, he was called the “Brown Cardinal” or the “Black
Eminence”.

He smuggles arms into the country with the help of a rich Chinese merchant, Quiroga, who wants very
much to be Chinese consul of Manila.

On the occasion of the wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he gives as wedding gift to them a
beautiful lamp. Only he and his confidential associate, Basilio (Sisa’s son who joined his revolutionary
cause), know that when the wick of his lamp bums lower the nitroglycerine, hidden in its secret
compartment, will explode, destroying the house where the wedding feast is going to be held and killing
all the guests, including the govern‘or general, the friars, and the government officials. Simultaneously,
all the government buildings in Manila will be blown by Simoun’s followers.
As the wedding feast begins, the poet lsagani, who has been rejected by Paulita because of his liberal
ideas, is standing outside the house, watching sOrrowfully the merriment inside. Basilio, his friend,
warns him to go away because the lighted lamp will soon explode.

Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isaganirealizes that his beloved Paulita was in grave
danger. To save her life, he rushes into the house, seizes the lighted lamp, and hurls it into the river,
where it explodes.

The revolutionary plot was thus discovered. Simoun was cornered by the soldiers, but he escaped.
Mortany wounded, and carrying his treasure chest, he sought refuge in the home of Padre Florentino by
the sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learns of his presence in the house of Padre Florentino. Lieutenant
Perez of the Guardia Civil informs the priest by letter that he Would come at'eight o’clock that night to
arrest ~Sim'oun.

Simoun eluded arrest by taking poison. As he 15 dying, he 'confesses to Padre Florentino, revealing his
true identity, his dastardly plan to use his wealth to avenge himself, and his sinister .aim to destroy his
friends and enemies.

The confession of the dying Simoun IS long and painful. It is already night when Padre Florentino, wiping
the sweat from his wrinkled b'ro‘w, rises and begins to meditate. He. consoles the dying man,
saying: .“God will forgive you, Seiior Simoun. He knows that we are fallible. He has seen that you have
suffered, and in ordaining that the chastisement foryoiu faults should come as death from the very ones
you have instigated

There are other characters in El Filibhsterismo. There is Cabesang Tales, who is dispossessed of his land
in Tiani by the friars like that of Rizal’s father. In desperation, he becomes a bandit Chieftain. named
Matanglawin. His daughter Juli, sweetheart of Basilio -(Sisa’s son), kills herself rather thzin be
dishonored by Padre Camorra. There is Macaraig, a rich student and leader of the Filipino students in
their movement to ‘have an academy where they could learn Spanish. There is the bigoted Dominican
hiar-professor, Padre Millon, who teaches physics in the University of Santo Tomas without. scientific
experiments. One of his students, Placido Penitente from Batangas, becomes . discontented with the
poor method of instruction in the university. And there is Senior Pasta, the old Filipino lawyer, who
refuses to help the Filipino students in their petition to the government for educational reforms.

Other characters in El Filibusterismo are Tandang Selo, grandfather of Juli .a'nd Cabesang Tales’ father;
Mr. American impressario who owned the sideshow at the feria (fair) of Quiapo exhibiting an Egyptian
mummy; Sandoval, a Spanish student who supports the cause of the Filipino students to propagate the
teacing of Spanish; Pecson, one of the Filipino students who agitates for the teaching of Spanish;
Cabesana Andang, the mother of Placido Penitente; Pepay; the pretty dancer and mistress of Don
Custodio; Padre Fernandez: a gcod Dominican friar and friend of Isagani; Don Timoteo, the father of
Juanito Pelaez; Tano, the son of Cabesang Tales and brother of Juli; and Chichay, the Silversmith who
made the bridal earrings for Paulita Gomez.

As in the Noli the characters in El Filibusterismo were drawn by Rizal from real life. For instance, Padre
Florentino was Father Leoncio Lopez, Rizal’s friend and priest of Calamba; Isagani. the poet was Vicente
Ilustre, Batanguefto friend of Rizal in Madrid and Paulita 'Gomez, the girl who loved lsagani but married
Juanito Pelaez, was Leonor Rivera.

“Noli” ana “Fili” Compared. The two novels of Rizal vary in many respects, although they are written by
the same author ' and are supposed to be dealing with the same story and have the same characters.
The Noli is a romantic novel; it is a “work of the heart” a “book of feeling”; it has freshness, color,
humor, lightness, and wit.

On the other hand, the Fili is a political novel; it is a “work of the head” -a “book of the thought”; it
contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence, and sorrow.

The original intention of Rizal was to make the Fili longer than the Noli. As printed, however, it is shorter
than the Noli. It contains 38 chapters as against the Noli’ s 64. Rizal had to cut the Fili drastically owing
to lack of funds.

The friends of Rizal and our Rizalists today differ in opinion as to which is the superior novel -the Noli or
the Fili. Rizal himself considered the Noli as superior to the Fili as a novel, thereby agreeing with M.H.
del Pilar who had the same opinion.12
Retana, Rizal’s first Spanish3 biographer, also believes that the Noli is superior to the Fili.l3

However, others -including Blumentritt, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Dr. Rafael Palmal4 are of the opinion
that the Fili is superior to the Noli. Lopez Jaena, in a letter to Rizal dated October 2, 1891, said: “El
Filibusterismo is a novel superior to your Nolz' Me Tangere, as much for its exquisite delicate, literary
style, its easy and correct dialogue, its clear phraseology, vigorous and elegant, as for its profound ideas
and sublime thoughts”. ‘5 However he was not satisfied fully with the Fili as a political novel because its
“end is not a worthy climax to am work so beautiful”. Accordingly, he advised Rizal to write another
novel which would give a definite solution to the country’ 5 problem so that “the coming of the beautiful
day of

our redemption” may be hastened

The issue of whichis the superior novel -the Nolz' or the Fili -is purely academic. Both are good novels
from the point of view of history. Both depict with realistic colors the actual conditions of the Philippines
and the Filipinos during the decadent days of Spanish rule; both are instrumental in awakening the spirit
of Filipino nationalism; and both are responsible in paving the ground for the Philippine Revolution that
brought about the downfall of Spain. Neither the Noli nor the Fili is superior to one another. As Mariano
Ponce aptly told Rizal, after reading the Fili: “It is, indeed, excellent, I can say nothing of your book,
but'this: It is really marvelous like all the brilliant productions of your pen. It is a true twin of the N01” .‘6

Rizal’s Uniin‘shed Third Novel. Even before Lopez Jaena suggested the writing of another novel, Rizal
had already in mind to pen a third novel. On September 22, 1891, four days after the Fili came off the
press, he wrote to Blumentritt: “I am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the modem sense of the
word, but this time politics will not find much space ,in it, but ethics will play the principal role. I shall
deal mainly with the habits and customs of ' the Filipinos, and only two ” Spaniards, the friar curate and
the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil will be there. I wish to be there. I wish to be humorous, satirical and
witty, to weep and to laugh, to laugh amidst tears, thatis,to cry bitterly «_ ”.17

On October 18, 1891, Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for Hong Kong. During
the voyage he began writing the third novel in Tagalog which he intended for Tagalog readers. In Hong
Kong he continued it, but ’for some reason or another he did not finish it.
The unfinished third novel has no title. It consists of 44 ----pages (33 cm. x 21 cm.) in Rizal‘s handwriting.
still in manuscript form, it is preserved in the National Library. Manila.

The story of this unfinished novel begins with the solemn ”BuHaTof Prince Tagulima, son of Sultan Zaide
0f Ternate, on' Malapad-na-Bato, a big rock on the bank of the Pasig River. Sultan Zaide, with his royal
family and retainers. was taken prisoner by the Spaniards during the wars in the Moluccas and brought
to Manila. The old sultan, his children, and followers were promised good treatment, but the Spaniards
forgot their promise and let them die one by one in misery.

The hero of the novel was Kamandagan, a descendant of Lakan-Dula, last king of Tondo. He plotted to
regain the lost freedom of his fathers. One day he saved his two beautiful granddaughters, Maligaya and
Sinagtala, from the lustful Spaniards the cura and the encomendero of Bay, Laguna.

It is said that Rizal was fortunate not to have finished this

novel, because it would have caused greater scandal and more ' Spanish vengeance on him.18

Rizal’s Other Unfinished Novels. Rizal had other unfinished novels. One of them is entitled Makamisa, a
novel in Tagalog. ‘ It is written in a light sarcastic style and is incomplete for only

two chapters are finished. The manuscript consists of 20 pages, ‘ 34 2 cm. x 22 cm. '

Another novel which Rizal "started to write was-' entitled Dapz’tan. It is unfinished, written in ironic
Spanish. He wrote it ’during his exile in Dapitan to depict the town life and customs.

The manuscript consists of 8 pages, 23 cm; x 16 cm.

~ 1. A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna, «.15 also unfinished. The manuscript
consists of 147 pages 8" x "" 6’5", without title. Among the characters are the following: Padre ”:JAgaton
a Spanish friar; Capitan Panchong‘ and Capitana Barang;

Qecilia, their pretty daughter; Isagani, lover of Cecilia; Capitan

Crispin, political rival of Panchong; and Dr. Lopez, 3 free thinker.

Another unfinished novel of Rizal, also without title, is about Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student who
has returned from Eumpe. The manuscript consists of 34 pages, 81/2" x 61/4". Among the characters
are Cristobal, who has studied for 12 years in Europe; Amelia, his sweetheart; Capitan Ramon, the father
of Cristobal; 3 Dominican friar; a Franciscan friar; and a Spanish lieutenant of the Guardia Civil.

The beginnings of another novel are contained in two notebooks -the first notebook contains 31 written
pages, 35.5 cm. x 22 cm. and the second 12 written pages, 22 cm. x 17 cm. Through the mouth of the
celestial characters, the author describes the deplorable conditions of the Philippines. This unfinished
novel is written in Spanish, and the style is ironic.