Riz_Ch.

14: RIZAL IN LONDON (1888-1889)

14.0. Reasons: (1) to improve his English, (2) annotate Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas, and (3) to carry out his fight against Spanish tyranny from a safe place
14.1. Trip Across the Atlantic: aboard the City of Rome; entertained the passengers with
yo-yo as an offensive weapon; Liverpool – “entrance is magnificent and the custom
house is quite good”
14.2. Life in London: stayed at Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor’s house, then as a boarder of the
Beckett family; met Dr. Reinhold Rold, librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who
called him “a pearl of a man” (una perla de hombre)
14.3. News from Home, good and bad: Bad -- (1) persecution of about 800 patriots who
signed the “Anti-Friar Petition of 1888” written by M.H. del Pilar; (2) persecution of
Calamba tenants, especially against his family; (3) attacks on Rizal by the Spanish
senators in the Spanish Cortes; (4) Brother-in-law Manuel T. Hidalgo was exiled by Gov.
Gen. Weyler to Bohol without due process, and; Laureano Viado, med. Student of UST
was jailed in Bilibid Prison for keeping a copy of the Noli in his house; Good – Fr.
Vicente Garcia’s defense of the Noli
14.4. Annotating Morga’s book (May 1888- March 1889), <originally published in
Mexico, 1609> (cf. link below)
14.5. Short Visit to Paris and Spain: Sept 1888 at Bibliotheque Nationale, entertained by
Juan Luna and wife Paz Pardo de Tavera (with son Andres) in Paris; Dec. 11 in Madrid &
Barcelona and met Marcelo H. del Pilar & Mariano Ponce
14.6. Returned to London, Dec. 24; sent Blumentritt a bust of Emperor Augustus which
he made; bust of Julius Caesar to Dr. Carlos Czepelak
14.7. As a Leader in Europe: members of Asociacion La Solidaridad (Dec. 31, 1888)
unanimously chose him as honorary president; Galicano Apacible, pres.; Lopez Jaena,
VP; Manuel Sta. Maria, sec; Mariano Ponce, treas; Jose Ma. Panganiban, accountant
14.8. La Solidaridad (LS) newspaper (founded Feb 15, 1889): to publish only the truth
14.9. First Article in LS: “Los Agricultores Filipinos” (farmers), March 25, 1889
14.10. Writings in London: “La Vision del Fray Rodriguez” using num de plume Dimas
Alang… “to write more stupidity so that all people may laugh at him”; “Letter to the
Young Women of Malolos” (Feb. 22, 1889) “… courage to establish a school where they
could learn Spanish” despite the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia of Malolos; also
published in Dr. Rost’s “Trubner’s Record” two articles
14.11. Romance with Gertrude Beckett: :”Gettie” and “Pettie”
14.12. Left London on March 19, 1889

For additional reading: a link to Dr. Morga’s History… thanks to the people of Gutenberg
www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/8phip10.txt