Rue de Champagne, Brussels
Mutual dreams – “When I am already there then you will come with your whole family and you will live with me” – “I shall devote myself to the sciences, I shall read and write history; I shall establish a school… and you will be its director” – “The cream of the youth of the country will come to s” – Blumentritt and Rizal will remain in the memory of the Filipino people
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38 Rue de Philippe de Champagne, Brussels
31 March 1890
Jose Rizal
My Brother,
The letter in which you relate to me your dream has touched me deeply.
It is too beautiful!
Yesterday, I don’t know why, I also dreamed of you, for I always dream. But my dream was not as beautiful as yours. I dreamed in Calamba; I was at home seated at a table in your company, but I was furious because they have forgotten the wine, bread, and the other European dishes; you could not eat anything. I said to the servants: “What will the Professor say about our hospitality when he returns to Europe? What will he say about the Philippine gratitude?” But you remained silent and pained by the lack of attention of the Filipinos. Then I woke up tired and sweating; it was very hot on the bed.
Yes, I believe that the time is approaching when I can return to the Philippines. Then, when I am already there, you will come with your whole family and you will live with me.
I have a large library. I shall order a little house built on a hill. Then I shall devote myself to the sciences, I shall read and write history, I shall establish a school and if you can stand the climate, then you will be its director. I am sure that all the young men, the cream of the youth of the country, will come to us. Blumentritt and Rizal will remain in the memory of the Filipino people, like Goethe and Schiller, like Horace and Virgil, like the two Humboldts, in their respective countries. All these ideas came to my mind because the Cortes has approved with pleasure the plan of granting Philippine representation. When we shall have obtained this great concession, then we shall rest and devote our strength to the education of the people, which is my supreme aspiration. I believe that when we shall have a voice in the congress, abuses will not be committed so easily and I shall have more security in my country. I trust that no countryman of mine will plot against me. If I am dreaming or I see too far, time will tell.
They have burned the house of our friend Pilar.[1] It is believe there that this was done by order of the curate and so the inhabitants of the town opened a public subscription and they have already collected two thousand pesos. Whether the curate is the author or not, I cannot say; but the people are so accustomed to charge everything bad against the curates – for they believe them to be so conscienceless and depraved – that they consider them the only ones responsible for all kinds of shameful things. Imagine the state of religion there and how corrupted is the people’s sentiment that venerates what it despises. On account of this, I believe that if Becerra cannot find a satisfactory solution to our problems, a great crisis will have to occur, inasmuch as nature cannot support much longer such a situation.
My gratitude to the good Mrs. Blumentritt.
Greetings and kisses to the children.
Yours,
Rizal
03-515 [Reformists]
[1] Marcelo H. del Pilar (Plaridel) (1850-1896) who was hated by the friars for his anti-clerical writings.