Rizal in Gay Paris, 1889-90

CHAPTER 16

“IN GAY PARIS ”

(1889-90)
 CHAPTER 16
“The truth is that Paris is
not the perfect city imagined
by many Parsiennes.”
 Difficulty of Finding Living
Quarters
 
• March 1889- It was extremely difficult for a visitor to find living quarters

in Paris.

• International Exposition of 1889

-attracted thousands of tourists so that all hotel accommodations

were taken.

To the great disgust of Rizal, the cost of living spiraled high because the

French landlords, taking advantage of great demand for living quarters,

raised the rents of their rooms.

   where he lived for a
• Valentin Ventura-Rizal’s friend
short time.
• No. 45 Rue Maubeugue- the address of Ventura’s
house where Rizal polished his annotated edition of
Morga’s book.
Filipino Roommates of Rizal
1. Capitan Justo Trinidad-former gobernadorcillo of
Santa Ana, Manila & a refugee from Spanish tyranny.
2. Jose Albert-young student from Manila.
 Life in Paris
1. Rizal spent most of his time in the reading room of Bibliotheque
Nationale.  
2. During his spare hours, he used to dine at the homes of his friends:
-Pardo de Taveras
-the Venturas
-the Ramirezes
- the Rochas
3. Frequent visitor of the Boustead family
4. Continue his study of languages
5. On Sundays, he attended the fencing lessons at the studio of Luna.
6. He carried on his artistic hobby.
 The Three Pardo de Taveras
The Three Pardo de Taveras
1.Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera- physician by vocation & philologist by avocation.
 
2.Dr. Felix Pardo de Tavera-also a physician by vocation & an
artist & sculptor.
3.Paz Pardo de Tavera-wife of Juan luna and the one who said that Rizal was “very fond of Philippine
dishes.”
These three Pardo de Taveras were the good friends of Rizal.
Don Joaquin Pardo de Tavera

-was born in the Philippines, the son of a rich French businessman of Singapore & had married a daughter

prominent Genato family of Manila. He has two daughters named Nelly and Adelina.
 The Kidlat Club
Towards the end of March 1889, shortly after the arrival in Paris,
Rizal organized his paisanos into a society called kidlat Club.
 
Members of Kidlat Club
1. Antonio Luna 5. Gregorio Aguilera
2. Juan Luna 6. Fernando Canon
3. Lauro Dimayuga 7. Gregorio Pautu
4. Baldomero Roxas 8. Julio Llorente
KIDLAT CLUB-was purely a social club of temporary nature.
-founded by Rizal simply to bring together the young
Filipinos in the French capital so that they could enjoy their
sojourn in the city during the international exposition.
  
He wrote to Blumentritt: “Kidlat in Tagalog means

lightning, and for the same reason this club will live

only during the exposition. We thought of it and

established it in hour. And it will soon disappear like

lightning.”
 INDIOS BRAVOS “ Why should we
Rizal and the resent being called
members of the
Kidlat Club
& were
 
impressed by the
Indios by the
Spaniards. Look at
American the American
usually went Indians wearing
sightseeing trips, Indians. “
war paints and They were not
at the exposition feathers, proudly
grounds in one ashamed of their
riding their race. Let us be like
group. Rizal, who horses like
could speak them. Let us be
centaurs. The proud of the name
French fluently, tall, dignified
acted as their Indio & make
proud, & Spaniards revise
guide & powerfully built
interpreter. In one their conception of
Indians ignited the term. We shall
of their Rizal’s
sightseeing trips, become Indios
imagination. He Bravos!”
they saw Buffalo told his friends:
Bill’s troupe
 Indios Bravos
-was the new society of Filipinos which was establish
in Paris.  
-replaced the Kidlat Club.
Members:
1. Aguilera 5. Antonio Luna
2. Dimayuga 6. Juan Luna
3. Pautu 7. Llorente
4. Canon 8. Roxas
 Annotated Edition of Morga Published

  date of Rizal’s
• January 1890-the publication
annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos.
• Morga’s Sucesos
-Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris which
he wrote in the British Museum.
-printed by Garnier Freres.
-dedicated this historical work “TO THE
FILIPINOS.”
Blumentritt revealed Rizal’s errors in historical work, namely;
 
1.Rizal commits the error of many historians in appraising the
events of the past in the light of present standards; and

2.Rizal’s attacks on the church were unfair & unjustified

because the abuses of the friars should not be construed to
mean that Catholicism is bad.
 Reason why Rizal annotated & published Morga’s
Sucesos
 
1. It was the best of many histories of the Philippines
written by the early Spanish writers.
2. It has accurate narration of events.
3. It was unbiased in judgment.
4. It was unmarred by childish fantasies.
 International Association of Filipinologists
• January 14, 1889-Rizal broached the idea of establishing
the International Association of  Filipinologists & its
inaugural convention in the French capital to Blumentritt
through a letter and the latter gladly supported him.
• Blumentritt-wrote the prospectus of this international
association. According to his prospectus, the aim of the
association is “to study the Philippines from the scientific
& historical point of view.”
 Officers of IAF
• President: Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt (Austrian)
•   (French)
V-President: Mr. Edmund Plauchut
• Counsellor: Dr. Reinhold Rost (Anglo-German)
• Counsellor: Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor (Filipino-Spanish)
• Secretary: Dr. Jose Rizal (Filipino)
AUGUST 1889-the scheduled date made by Rizal in holding
the inaugural convention of the International Association of
Filipinologists in Paris.
Rizal invited the following renowned scholars in
Europe:
 
1. Dr. Rost 4. Dr. A.B. Meyer
2. Dr. Yule 5. Dr. Kern
3. Dr. Jagor 6. Dr. Czepelak
The inaugural convention did not materialize because
the French government discouraged the holding of
conferences by private organizations during the period
of the international exposition .
 FILIPINO COLLEGE IN HONGKONG
 To establish a modern college in Hongkong
-was another magnificent project of Rizal in Paris.
 
 Jose Maria Basa-Rizal’s friend whom he wrote a letter
about this matter.
According to Rizal, this college aims “to train &
educate men of good family & financial means in
accordance with the demands of modern times &
circumstances.
 Mr. Cunanan-a rich Filipino resident , promised to help
him raise Php 40,000 as initial capital for the
the college.
 FILIPINO COLLEGE IN HONGKONG
 The curriculum consisted of the following subjects:
Ethics-Study of Religions-Natural Law-Civil Law
Deportment-Hygiene
 
Mathematics-Physics & Chemistry-Natural History-
Geography-Political Economy
Universal History-Philippine History-Logic, Rhetoric
and Poetics
Spanish-English-French-German-Chinese-Tagalog
Gymnastics-Equitation-Fencing-Swimming-Music
Drawing-Dancing
 Por Telefono
 Rizal defended his Noli from slanderous attack of
Fray Jose Rodriguez by penning a satirical booklet
entitled La Vision del Fray  Rodriguez.
 Por Telefono-another satirical work written by Rizal
in the fall of 1889 as a reply to another slanderer, Fr.
Salvador Font, who masterminded the banning of
Noli. It was published in booklet form in Barcelona in
the year 1889.
 August 13, 1889-Rizal received the printed copies
from Mariano Ponce, as revealed by his letter to the
latter in Paris.
 Rizal and Boustead Sisters
Adelina Boustead-another romantic of Rizal in Paris.
-younger sister of the vivacious Nelly
 
(Nellie), who is quiet, refined &
dignified.
 Nelly Boustead-gay-hearted and sports-minded, who was
attracted to Antonio Luna, a dashing man of violent
passions.
November 16, 1889-Luna wrote to Rizal, announcing his
trip to Barcelona to seek a duel with Mir Deas, Spanish
newspaperman who was writing articles against the
Filipinos.
 Rizal and Boustead Sisters
1891-Rizal was grieving over Leonor Rivera’s coming
marriage to an Englishman, Mr. Henry C. Kipping.
 
Biarritz on the beautiful French Riviera is an spot for
romance.
Rizal’s marriage proposal to Adelina did not prosper for 3
reasons:
1.Adelina was not sure he loved her because of his broken
engagement with Leonor Rivera;
2. Rizal refused to accept the condition that he become a
Protestant like her; and
3. Adelina’s mother opposed the match because Rizal was not
rich enough to support a family in style.
 Christmas in Paris
December 25, 1889-was a wintry day in Paris.
1.Rizal, Jose Albert together with Capitan Justo Trinidad, who
 
were living together planned to have a sumptuous dinner.
2. They scraped enough money to celebrate yuletide.
3. They prepared a Christmas dinner with a fried chicken,

rice and vegetables.

Two Reasons of Rizal’s Visit to London:

2.to compare his printed annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos
with the original copy in the British Museum; and
2. to visit Gertrude Beckett for the last time.
Thank you!