London
Fond memory of Rizal — The old librarian is suffering for his compulsory retirement — Encouraging the hero in his linguistic works — The Rost Collection on Philippine dialects — These are derived from the Tagalog or the Bisaya — The Malagasy language – News of his family.
[The original letter is in English]
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London, 1 Elsworthy Terrace, Primrose Hill, N. W.
26 April 1895
MR. JOSE RIZAL
MY DEAR DOCTOR RIZAL,
Your letter was received with jubilant rejoicing by the whole family. If we could but do something towards bringing you back here to settle permanently among us and be always with us, it would make all of us very happy. But that blissful consummation brooks no delay. For I am in my 74th year, and the worries and anxieties inflicted on me in consequence of my enforced retirement after so many years of loyal and self-devoted public service have severely told on my constitution, so that I now feel ten years older than I did two years ago.
It is obvious that I should take a keen interest in your literary work. Your Tagalog Grammar should be published without delay. The minor philological essays may subsequently be taken in hand and be brought out in a separate volume. An Asiatic Society has just been formed at the headquarters of the North Borneo Company, and I have no doubt but that they will be delighted to insert in their journal any literary communication you may be pleased to send to them. Otherwise I could always get your papers printed in the journals of the many Asiatic Societies with which I am connected. My own fine collection of works on the Philippine Languages has long since been made over to the library of the India Office where they will always remain accessible to scholars, whereas, if I had retained them, they would have been dispersed after my death. There was amongst them a grammar of the Ibanag language by Cuevas, which, though published about 70 years ago, could compete in philological acumen with the best productions of modern philology. I think you will hear me out when you have read the book. The many Philippine languages belong, so far as I can see, to either the Tagalog or the Bisaya group, so that a comparative Grammar of the whole family would show that each language had to be arranged round either of the two clusters. What do you say?
There is another question which has long been exercising me, it concerns the Malagasy. The position of this interesting language with regard to the other Malayan tongues has not yet been finally settled, though its affinity to the Philippine languages and those of Sumatra is generally admitted. In the hope of being able to work out this problem, I had gradually got together a mass of material on Malagasy. But as I have now to work for my living and have no time to indulge in luxuries I have had to sell my Malagasy books.
We are expecting Daisy with her husband (Benno Hultzsch) and her two children in a fortnight from Dresden, to stay with us part of May. Adolf has now and then work to do, but not regularly, and he does not earn enough to maintain himself. A sculptor’s profession is after all very precarious and uncertain. Ernest passed his final examination in January, and was declared qualified to practice. He will try to get into the Indian Medical Service. But the competition for it is keen.
My wife continues to be a great sufferer both through her tumor and her heart complaint; but she bears wonderfully up and plies her busy hands all day long. Little Min looks after household matters, sings and plays. I hope we shall all still be together when you return amongst us.
Ever affectionately yours,
R. ROST
04-851 [Misc.]