18 December 1891

Letter of Rizal’s mother to the Queen — Money order for the honorarium of the lawyer of the tenants — Asks again for the books he ordered through Rizal — Power of attorney for the prosecution of those responsible for his banishment or for the investigation of Weyler — Glad to hear good news about their father — His children had smallpox — He is not in favor of the project[1] — Without having exhausted the means for the country’s welfare shall we go to a foreign land? — For what then are so many sacrifices?

* * *.

18 December 1891

DEAR PEPE,

I received your letter dated the 9th.

I enclose the letter to the Queen that I drafted with Mother’s consent. Please send it at the first opportunity. Let it be handed to the Queen herself and not to the Palace Majordomo in accordance with the customary procedure.

The draft I sent you is from the 31 citizens of Kalamba and is to be used to pay the honorarium of the solicitor and Attorney Gumersindo de Azcárate in the lawsuit against the Dominicans which will go for cassation today at the Supreme Court. As you have made another use of it, let us see how…

I have not received the note of Fernando Fé on the books that I ordered through you that you mention. Don’t send me Hahnemann’s work written in French for here there is one in Spanish.

The book I asked you to get me are these: Código Civil y Enjuiciamiento Civil para Filipinas, published by the Ministerio de Ultramar or official edition, Compilación legislativa de Gobierno y Administracion Civil de Ultramar in the Ministerio de Ultramar, Los Comentarios de César, in Spanish, Las obras de Alejandro by Plutarch, in Spanish, Espiritu de las Leyes by Montesquieu, in Spanish, Las luchas de nuestros dias by Pi y Margall, and Pequeñeces by Father Coloma.

Again I ask you about the second power of attorney which I sent you in January 1890 because I want it used for the civil or criminal action against the author or authors of my banishment or when General Weyler is investigated at the end of his term.

I’m glad that the three have arrived there and that our father is gaining weight and improving his color. May he recover his health that he has lost for his continuous sufferings here! There go the four.

The children are well, robust and healthy. In June Adela and Alfredo had smallpox. Adela had very many and malignant. I treated her with water and now the scars are not visible. Alfredo had few, but on the other hand he had them in the joint of his two arms and now the bones are dislocated. However, he can use them, though not freely as before. When Alfredo had tumors, I called a physician who cured him, but I don’t know how the luxation remained.

The Borneo project is not good. Shall we leave the Philippines, this beautiful country of ours? And what will they say? For what have sacrifices been made? Without having exhausted all our forces for the welfare of the land that has sustained us since the cradle, shall we leave for a foreign land? You decide it.

Neneng is well, robust, healthy, and always jolly. Love to all of you and we kiss our father’s hand.

Yours,

HIDALGO

P.S.

I’m expecting from my brother-in-law P. lo del diam te punt. y el agujero seis vec.s repetido en éste.

04-679 [Misc.]