Leitmeritz, Bohemia, Austria
The sufferings of Rizal’s family – Imagination is not an enemy of style – not every style should be original – Only geniuses have originality – Rizal’s book should be written in French – Scheidnagel tries to sell a collection of ethnographic objects of the Philippines to the Dresden Museum.
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Leitmeritz, Bohemia, Austria
29 June 1890
Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt
Dr. Jose Rizal
Brussels
My Brother,
We are very sorry to hear the news of your sister’s misfortune and we pray God that she might recover quickly from her sufferings. The sufferings and the bad treatment of your family are proofs of the wickedness of our adversaries and should be revealed to the public as evidence of such despicable sentiments of the anti-Filipinos.
The observations of Mr. Chapusset seem to me fitting but not his conclusion. To my way of thinking, imagination is not an enemy of style, rather it develops and elevates it. To be sure imagination can be dangerous when style is governed too much by riles. But, is a man, bound by a hundred different rules, in a position to accomplish something worthwhile? I don’t believe that style should be original; only men of genius possess originality and a man of genius who lacks a vivid imagination is entirely unthinkable.
A style which attempts to satisfy all the demands of the reading public with a hundred rules makes me think of Doncella of the poet Mirza Schaffy;
Die allen es recht madchen will,
Die macht es allen schlecht,
Die tausenden gefallen will,
Gefallt nicht Einem recht.[1]
I like Geibel’s dictum:
Lass Dich nicht irren von Kritikastern
Und wie du bist, so gibe Dich ganz,
Tragst Du nicht Rosen, so tragst Du doch Astern,
Auch diese finden ihre Stelle im Kranz.[2]
I await with eagerness the book that you will write in French. I can foresee that it will create an enormous sensation.
Entre nous [between us], Scheidnagel is trying to sell a collection of ethnographic objects of the Philippine Islands to the Dresden Museum for money and a decoration. In Saxony as in the other German states, we are even more thrifty and parsimonious in awarding decorations than in the use of money.
I should stop now, because the classes will be closed on the 15th and I have much to do.
With affectionate greetings from all of us to you all.
Yours,
Blumentritt
01-550 [Family]
[1] Who will make it right for all, Makes it bad for all, Who will please thousands, Pleases not one right.
[2] Allow thyself not to be mislead by criticasters, And how thou art, so gives thyself whole, Bearst thou not roses , so bearst thou still asters, These find their places also in the crown. (Free translation by Prof. Dr. Cecilio López of the University of the Philippines.)