CHAPTER 15

Life and Works

in London
(1888-89)
I AM DEDICATING MYSELF NIGHT AND
DAY TO CERTAIN STUDIES ABOUT
OUR COUNTRY, ITS HISTORY, ITS
ADMINISTRATION THE VERY RICH
COLLECTION OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM,
A COLLECTION WHICH CANNOT BE
FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE IS SERVING
MY PURPOSE. FOR THIS REASON, I WILL
STAY HERE FOR A LONG TIME.

-JOSE RIZAL

Lived in London May 1888 to March 1889
3 reasons why he stayed there:
To improve his knowledge of the English
Language
To study and annotate Morgas Sucesos de
Las Islas Filipinas
London was a safe place for him to
carry on his fight against Spanish Tyranny
engaged deeply in Filipiniana studies
Completed annotating Morgas books
Wrote many articles in La Solidaridad
Penned Young Women of Malolos
carried his voluminous correspondence with
Blumentritt & other friends ad relatives
Trip Across the Atlantic

Made friends in his
Atlantic voyage
The American and
European passengers were
amused of his marvelous skill in using yo-yo (a small wooden disc attached to a string from a finger)
as a weapon.
Had a chat with news-
papermen but became
disappointed
Arrived on Liverpool
May 24, 1888


Life in London

Went to London May 25, 1888
Stayed as a guest at Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidors
home
Became a boarder at the
Becketts by the end of May
Was called A Pearl of A Man (una
perla de hombre) by Dr. Reinhold Rost
Played Cricket and Boxing with
Dr. Rosts sons.

According to Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, the noted Filipinologist, and Rizals
friend, the Spanish historian Dr. Antonio Morga wrote Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas which was published in Mexico in 1609. Many scholars considered this
history of the Philippines a much better and honest description of the conditions
in the country pertaining to the Spanish conquest.
CRICKET
Good and Bad News from
Home

Bad News
Persecution of the Filipino patriots who signed the Anti-friar Petition
of 1888
Persecution of Calamba tenants
Furious attacks on Rizal by Senator Salamanca and Vida in the
Spanish Cortes and by Desengaos (Wenseslao E. Retana) and
Quioquiap (Pablo Feced) in Spanish newspapers
Rizals brother-in-law, Manuel Hidalgo was exiled in Bohol
Laureano Viado, his friend was arrested and jailed because copies of
Noli were found in his house
Good and Bad News from
Home

Good News
The only good news was Rev. Father Vicente Garcias defense of the
Noli.
Content of the letter
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 contenances 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 we shall progress the faster because
we can go on from where they left off.

Annotating Morgas
books
his greatest achievement in London
Spent many days in the reading room of the British
Museum reading Morgas books and old stories of the
Philippines
For Rizal Dr. Antonio de Morgas Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas was the best/excellent book.
Mariano Ponce urged him to edit a newspaper but refused

Dr. Antonio de Morga
Short Visit to
Paris and Spain

September 1888 he visited
Paris
he stayed here for a week to study more
historical materials in the Bibliotheque
Nationale
Entertained in a gay French Metropolis
by Juan Luna and his wife
He returned to London
On December 11, 1888- he visited
Madrid and Barcelona


Met Marcelo H. del Pilar and
Mariano Ponce
he first met Mariano Ponce andMarcelo H. del
Pilar
started to be involved officially in the Propaganda
Movement.
Christmas in London

Rizal returned to London on Dec. 24, 1888 and spent his
Christmas and new year s day with the Becketts.
his first Christmas on English soil.
Rizal reflected on the true meaning of Christmas, not as a mere
holiday but a remarkable day to remember Christs birth.



Rizal becomes leader of
Filipinos in Europe

Chosen to be honorary president
Wrote a letter of thanks adressed to the members of
Asociacion La Solidaridad on Jan. 28, 1889
Letter content
When defeated never surrender
Great deal of integrity and much good will

Rizal and the La Solidaridad
paper

Graciano Lopez
Jaena founded La Solidaridad on
Feb.15,1889 at Barcelona
Marcelo H. del Pilar about their newspaper
Rizal congratulated Lopez Jaena and the
associates and wrote articles

Romance with Gertrude Beckett
Gertrude Beckett
Buxom English girl with brown
hair, blue eyes, and pinkcheeks
Eldest of the three sisters
She was attracted to Rizal and had
always loved to be with him.
helped him in his painting
and sculpture
Gettie



Although he did not pursue his love
for Gertrude because he was still in a
relationship with Leonor Rivera at the time
and would not want to be unfaithful.
It was this romantic affair that drove
Rizal to Paris in 1889, leaving London for
he could marry Gertrude.
Writings in London

Other than annotating Morgas work, Rizal wrote a lot in London including
articles in La Solidaridad.

La Vision del Fray Rodriguez- a counter-attack on the irrational criticisms of
Fray Rodriguez on Noli.

Under the pseudonym Dimas Alang, Rizal satirically attacked Fray
Rodriquez through presenting a spirited conversation between the friar and St.
Augustine.

It exposed how senseless was Fray Rodriguezs writing and that it deserves
punishment. People will find him ridiculous.

Letter to the Women of Malolos- written in Tagalog.
The Malolos women pursued the establishment of their school
despite the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia.
The letters main points:
1) Filipino mother should teach her children love of God,
fatherland and mankind;
2) should be glad, like Spartan mother to offer her sons in
the defense of the fatherland;
3) Filipino woman should know how to preserve
her dignity and honor;
4) should know how she should educate herself,
aside from retaining her good racial values;
5) Faith is not merely reciting long prayers and
wearing religious pictures, but rather, it is living the real
Christian way, with good morals and good manners.
His articles: 1)Specimens of Tagalog Folklore and 2)Two
Eastern Fables as requested contributions from Rizal in Dr.
Rosts Trubners Record.
Specimens of Tagalog Folklore consists of Filipino
proverbs and puzzles.
Two Eastern Fables was acomparative study of Philippine
and Japanese folklore.

Writings in London

Specimens of Tagalog Folklore
Two Eastern Fables
Requested by: Dr. Rost



Rizal became an active
contributor to the newspaper
(as Laong Laan and Dimas
Alang.
Adios London

Rizal was forced to leave London because Gertrudes love for him has
turned serious.

He could not take advantage of her affection and she would not be happy
because Rizal was in love with Leonor Rivera.

He decided to move to Paris so she
may forget him.
Before leaving London, he carved several fine sculptural works:
1.Prometheus Bound
2.The Triumph of Death over Life;
3.The Triumph of Science over Death
4.a composite carving of the heads of the three Beckett sisters.
* Later he gave the 2
nd
and
the 3
rd

Prometheus Bound
The Triumph of Science over
Death (left)
Sacred Heart of Jesus (center)
The Triumph of Death over Life
(right)
In the middle of March, 1889, Rizal departed
for Paris. He was sad as he crossed the
English Channel for he had many beautiful
memories of London.

E N D .
.