9 September 1888

Paris

EpVb there is a letter from September 9, 1889 from rue de Maubeuge where Rizal references baptism of Bibi:

“La hija de Luna fue bautizada hoy. Se llama Maria de la Paz.”

An impostor’s letter to Blumentritt — “Could it be a bait?” — “The attack against you proves that you are useful, noble, and intelligent.” — Regidor will publish in Spain information on Noli me tángere – Here in Paris, Rizal often visits the houses of the Lunas, the Pardo de Taveras, and F. R. Hidalgo.

* * *

Hotel de Restaurant de Rome, Garnier

111 Rue St. Lazare

17, Place du Havre, Paris

9 September 1888

My dear Friend,

I will answer at once your letter that I received this morning for I have many things to tell you.

You say that you have received a letter from a Filipino and if the author were not a Filipino? I am very distrustful. My countrymen are so timid that I can hardly believe that a Filipino had written that letter. If I, for instance, were in the Philippines and I would like to hurt a poor Filipino, I could write a letter like that, sign it with his name but with my address, and when the letter is returned to me, have it opened, thus making you and him, who is my enemy, suspects. If that letter had been written by a genuine Filipino, why would he want it to be returned to him yet? In any case he would have told you in the letter, “Burn it!” If he feared that you might betray him later, the return of the letter would not save him, inasmuch as you could keep a copy of it and show it to other persons. So I believe and I am almost sure that the author is not a Filipino, and if he were, he ought to be so stupid that he deserves to be jailed. Beware! Perhaps that letter is a bait. Perhaps they want to know if you are in accord with such ideas. If it is not something worse! Do not believe so easily in such letters. Beware! Beware! Beware! No Filipino, even if he enjoys my full confidence, has ever written me such letters. Caviling I ask myself always and always myself: Why does the author of the letter want its return?

I was completely ignorant that you could have been attacked in a Manila newspaper; but if this is true, I congratulate you, because this proves that you are an intelligent, noble, useful, and good man. Accept then my felicitations!

Mr. Ramos[1] is the same person who wished to publish a review; he is the publisher of Isabelo.[2] Regidor[3] went to Spain and he will take charge of advertising the Noli me tángere in the newspapers.

I often visit with the families of Pardo[4] and Luna[5] as well as of Hidalgo,[6] and others. Today I lunched with Luna for it is the birthday of his little son. The guests were all Filipinos and we ate Filipino dishes.

I repeat, be careful. I believe that you should not return the letter. Something in my heart tells me that its signer is not the true author of it. The imitation may be perfect, but I cannot understand how a Filipino would dare to write you such letters.

Greetings to the family and Dr. Czepelack.

Yours,

Rizal

02-329 [Blumentritt V.1]