Paris
The Fili touches the Filipino wounds of his first novel – Exposing the social cancer – Rizal the creator of the Philippine novel – His writings should be sent to the Philippines – But he himself must remain in Europe for the good of the native land – The friars will remove treacherously a man with “noble and lofty ideas.” – Doña Juliana, Luna’s mother-in-law, an admirer of Rizal’s books.
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Paris
23 September1891
Juan Luna
Mr. Jose Rizal
Ghent
Dear Rizal,
Ventura brought me your new book and the copies for Trinidad and Felix which I have already delivered to them.
I congratulate you on your new masterpiece, for in my poor opinion, you continue touching the Filipino wounds of your first novel that describes the state of our poor Philippines and in your ideas are assimilated thousands and thousands of unfortunates. In short, you are the creator of our novel who will establish with his writings freedom of thought, which is the foremost liberty, if not the only one that man possesses.
Now I hope and I augur that so much writings done by you go to the Philippines and you remain in Europe to work for the welfare of the millions of Filipinos that we are.
With the new law on banditry, they will hit you with four shots in a quarter of an hour of bad humor and vengeance of the sergeant-major of the Civil Guard, and what is done is done. In short, you think it over well. One cannot go there with noble and lofty ideas, because the friars do not have them and they will remove a nuisance treacherously in order to continue their iniquities.
If you come here, save one or two copies for me, inasmuch as you are so kind as to offer it to me.
Doña Juliana is one of your admirers, in her own way, and I believe you ought to inscribe one for her. I tell you this because she said that you had presented her a copy of your first book. Do not say that I have told you about it. Antonio is coming soon.
Regards to our countrymen there and congratulations to the engineers for their studiousness.
Yours,
Luna
03-652 [Reformists]