01-086 [Family]
1883.09.11 San Miguel, Madrid
From: José Rizal
To: Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso
Vacillating between the law course and the philosophy and letters course — Madrid summer disagrees with him — Discusses the future prospects of Tacio and Dandoy, two Calamba youths — Filipinos at Madrid — Comparing Filipino and Japanese students — Only one Filipino is studying agriculture — Probable new minister of colonies.
* * *
7-1st Floor, center, San Miguel, Madrid
1l September 1883
MY DEAR PARENTS,
From the 31st August, the date of my last letter, to the present few events worthy of mention have occurred here. Since the sixth of this month, I’ve been in this house whose address is indicated above and where I pay 16 reales a day, that is, four pesetas, without light, which I myself have to buy. However, as I don’t feel well here, I intend to look for another house in order to see if, for the same price, I find another with better conditions. I’m vacillating whether to take the examination in Roman Law and pursue the law course, which here lasts seven years, or to give it up and take literature and philosophy to pursue the course in Philosophy and Letters, which is not known there, of three years duration, and qualifies one for a professorship.
I’ve read here the terrible happenings in Java, an Island near there, which have horrified us. I’m prepared to hear elaborate censure of this affair.[1]
The prevailing temperature here is tolerable at present and the cold that is sometimes felt is quite notable.
As I’m not yet sure of keeping this room, I wish you to continue sending your letters to the house of Esteban, No. 34 4th floor, Calle del Barquillo, where Esteban Villanueva lives.
Vicente Gonzalez is going there on the first of October. It is very probable that he will be the one to carry my letters for that time.
Summer here was very bad for me and because of it I’m somewhat thin, though my health has not been impaired in the least. I believe that winter will restore my former good health.
The family of Villa Abrille is here; his son has just called on me.
As you will perhaps reply to this letter towards the end of October or the beginning of November, I’ll receive it here towards the end of December at most. I expect by then some news about Christmas.
I don’t know what had become of Tacio, whether he has been definitely expelled from the college of the Jesuit Fathers or not. In the first case, I believe Capitán Juan can send him to some school abroad, for Tacio does not lack ability; he only lacks the proper environment and good guidance. I believe that his disposition will be corrected in distant lands. However, I don’t favor his studying at Madrid. If by chance his father wants Tacio to study a course of his choice, it seems to me that there is no country better than England to make a useful and serious man out of his son. England has a character very much in harmony with the manner of thinking of Capitán Juan.
I don’t know how Dandoy[2] is now that the principal obstacle that formerly stood in his way has unfortunately disappeared. If he plans to come, study music, he can take advantage of this opportunity to go to Italy, a country where the cost of living is very cheap, or Germany where one can also live with little, in order to cultivate and perfect his art for which he manifests so much aptitude. Luna[3] is now at Rome and he is a great painter; he earns his own livelihood. I don’t despair then of seeing Dandoy here, warbling in Italian or coughing in German.
Filipinos abound here. There are merchants, travelers, tourists, employees, military men, students, artists, lawyers, physicians, agents, politicians, cooks, servants, coachmen, men, children, old men. I can’t ascertain what the effect of this will be after the end of ten years. It’s highly to be desired that we don’t remain behind. In spite of the fact that not everything sown is harvested, nevertheless I believe the harvest will exceed the grain sown. We are waiting here for some countrymen who would like to engage in industry, like for example, the manufacture of paper, glass, porcelain, textile, and other products that would be of very great utility over there.
The majority of the Japanese who are at Paris study artillery and engineering, while we study law and medicine; why don’t we study arts and industry? We already have one countryman who is studying agriculture but unfortunately he is the only one.[4]
I’m expecting a letter from you by this mail. I haven’t received a letter from the family for so long a time.
Because we absolutely lack news about the doings and happenings in that country, which the newspapers here scarcely remember, we long and wait for the arrival of the mail boats, which quite often disappoint us.
It seems that the present ministry is going to fall and will be replaced by the minister of the colonies, the Count of Xiquerra, a personage of very good intentions and very good aspirations, who is known to be very slightly venal or not at all, and a man of a rather independent mind. He is moreover very energetic and endowed with good will. Above all he is modest.
With nothing more, please bless me. I embrace all my sisters and brothers-in-law, kisses to the little nephews. When shall I receive a letter from Emilio or from any one of them?
Regards to my friends and relatives, also to Capitán Juan Banatin.
J. RIZAL
[1] Rizal is talking about the devastating 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, which occurred on the 26th of August, a Sunday. The effects of the cataclysm was across the globe, and it split the island off the coast of Java into three.
[2] Leandro López, brother of Antonino López, Rizal’s brother-in-law, of promising musical ability.
[3] The celebrated Filipino painter Juan Luna (1857-1899). Rizal wrote an article about him which appeared in the weekly La Ilustracion, Barcelona, 28 February 1886.
[4] Mariano Cunanan, wealthy landowner of Pampanga, who was then studying agriculture at Paris. It was he who offered to finance the Colegio Moderno that Rizal planned to establish at Hong Kong.