CHAPTER 14

rizal in London
Rizal lived in London from May 1888 to Mar. 1889, He choose English City to
be his new home for 3 reasons why he stayed there:
• To improve the his knowledge of the English Language
• To study and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas
• London was a safe place for him to carry on his fight against Spanish Tyranny
Filipiniana studies
• Completing annotating Morga’s books
• Wrote many articles in La Solidaridad
• Penned Young Women of Malolos
 Trip Across Anlantic
• Rizal entertained the American and European passenger with his marvelous skill
with his weapon yo-yo as an offence. The yo-yo is a small wooden disc attached
to a string from finger , it is used by Filipino children as a toy .
• Rizal arrived at Liverpool,England on May 24,1888, and he stayed one day and
spend the night at Adelphi Hotel. And he wrote to his Family “Liverpool is a big
and beautiful city and its celebrated port is worthy of its great fame. The entrance
is magnificent and the custom house is quite good.”
May 25,1888, Rizal went to London,he stayed as a guest at the home of Dr.Anrtonio
Ma. Regidor an exile of 1872 and practicing Lawyer in London. By the end of May
he became a boarder of the Beckett Family.
The Becketts were Mr. beckett organist of St. Paul’s Xchurch, Mrs.Beckett(his
wife) ,two sons,and Four daughters.The Oldest of the Beckett sister was Gertrude
called “Gettie” or “Tottie” by her friends.The Beckett home was located at Rizal
conveniently near to the public market with walking distance to the British
Museum.
Rizal came to know Dr. Reinhold Rost , the librarian of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and an authority of Malayan language and customs. Dr.
Rost was impressed y Rizal learnings and character , and he recommend to
the authorities of the British Museum, and Rizal called “ A pearl of man”
News From Home, Good and Bad
Both good and bad news from home reached Rizal in London.
The Bad news were the injustices committed by the Spanish authorities on the Filipino people,
an Rizal Family. Among which were follow;
• “Persecution of the Filipino patriots who signed the Anti-Friar petition of 188”
• Persecution of the Calamba tenants
• Furious attacks on Rizal by senator Salamanca and Vida in Spanish Cortes and by Desenganos and quioquiap
in Spanish newspaper.
• Rizal’s brother in Law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, husband of Saturnina was exiled by Governor General Weyler to
Bohol without due process of Law.
• A friend of Rizal , Laureano Viado, a medical student was arrested and jailed in Bilibid prison, because copies
of the Noli were found in his home.
 One good news cheered Rizal , and that was Rev. Vicente Garcia defence of the Noli against the attacks of the friars. He heard this good news from
Mariano Ponce. He was deeply greatly gratified by the courageous actionof Father Gacia a venerable Filipino canon of the manila Cathedral.
January 7 1891- he wrote to Father Garcia expressing his personal thanks. In this famous letter he said; “We young Filipinos are trying to make over a
nation and must not halt in our onward march, but from time to time turn our gaze upon our elders. We shall wish to read in their countenances approval
of our actions. We are anxious to learn of the Philippines’ past which we need to understand in order to plan intelligently for the future. We want to know
all that our ancestors knew, and then add our own studies to theirs. Thus he shall progress the faster because we can goon from where they left off.”

“ Annotating Morga’s Book

It is the greatest achievement of Rizal in London, Sucesos de ias Islas Filipina
( Historical Events of the Philippine Islands) which was published in Mexico
1609.He spent many days in the reading room of British Museum poring over the
pages of this book and laboriously reading the old history of the Philippine.

In a letter to Blumentritt , dated September 17 1888 Rizal said;” Morga’s works 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 by to read the line…”
 May 1888-March 1889 Rizal was deeply immersed in his historical studies in
London . At one time Mariano Ponce whom he had met and urged him to edit a
newspaper which would defend the Filipino Interest but he refused Ponce’s
request. On October 12,1888 he wrote to Ponce “ I am dedicated day and night
certain studies , so that I do not want to edit news paper”.

Short visit to Paris and Spain

September 1888 he visited Paris for a week in order to search for more historical materials
in the Bibliotheque Nationals. He was entertained in this gay French metropolis by Juan
Luna and his wife (Paz Pardo De Tavera) who proudly showed him their son Andres
“Luling “ .After poring over the old books and manuscript , he returned to London.
By the end of May He was a boarder of the Beckett Family. The Becketts, Mr. Beckett
the organist of St. Paul church , Ms. Becketts ( his wife) , two sons, and four
daughters . The oldest of the becketts sister was Gertrude called “Gettie” or Tottie” by
her friends.
 Christmas in London
• December 24,188 – Rizal returned to London and
spent the Christmas and New Year’s day with the
Becketts. .He experienced a dekightful Christmas eve,
His first on English soil. That night he wrote to
Blumentritt “ It is now Noche Buena,….It is athe
holiday ,I like best to celebrate .It reminds me of the
many good days not only of my infancy , but also of
history.