1 July 1889

Manila

Manila, 1 July 1889

To Mama[1], [Jose Rizal?]

DEAR FRIEND,

I received your pleasing letter of 6 April together with Mr. Rizal’s letter to Trinidad and his original letter to Plaridel dated 15 May last. Informed of their enthusiasm, expressing my complete agreement to what you tell me therein.

I admire you form here and I applaud your worthy attitude.

Not so Serrano. With his former glacial indifference, comparable only to the cold disappointment of an unfortunate man or the behavior of a bronze, he took the letters that I handed to him, read them swinging on his two feet, and afterwards returned them to me smiling, and the more I showed eagerness to know his opinion the more he shut himself up in his shell . . . . . . . shield that the “friar is the salvation of the country”. What a base fellow he is!

Let us see if his friends the Jesuits do not disappoint him soon. They are also fed up with him but they know how to dissimulate showing him their smile that they inherited from their father St. Ignatius. The other friars are availing themselves of the Jesuits to pump out secrets from him.

For the present, the other friars are already intriguing against Serrano, and as he is dependent on the Dominicans, I believe that with this . . . . I have already said everything.

Angered at him, I told him all this so that he will not merely smile at everything we tell him that he should keep away from the Jesuits, which is already being criticized by many. But what makes my blood boil is that his usual answer is a smile and unconcern. It seems as if he has something that emboldens him, whereas he can only be sure of the help of his own comrade.

Now he keeps repeating your saying that “the coconut that is taped yields tuba which invigorates the blood.” And then he adds that “for a weak body, only broth is suitable . . . . . . . . . . . . and if his strength improves, then it will be time for him to eat roasts pig.”

He is like a madman sometimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I do not know if he has lost his mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Judge for yourself if this man should be taken seriously.

But this comedy of his may bring good results, so that he has many friends who are increasing every day. Only the Jesuits no longer believe him.

In the next mail I shall write you what the Jesuits did to him once and if you do not get angry it is because you do not know how to rejoice.

This is all and receive an embrace of

O. R. SERNA

02-417 [Blumentritt V.1]