1883.11.21 Madrid
From: José Rizal
To: Parents and siblings
Unfair treatment of Filipino engraver Figueroa in the filing of a professorial chair at the Acadamia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando — Rumors of war between France and Germany — Announcing his graduation from the medical college in 1884 — Some of the food sent to him arrived spoiled or in broken containers — Republican demonstration at Madrid.
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15 Bafio, First floor, Madrid
21 November 1883
MY DEAR PARENTS AND BROTHERS,
Although it may seem strange, living in a city may also be monotonous, even if this city is called Madrid; but the truth is that leading a regulated life and not mixing in other people’s business is also monotonous and I have no news to give you. I’m well, healthy as one can be in this cold weather and the chilblains that it produces.
Our fellow countryman Figueroa[1] who competed for the professorship of engraving at the Academia de San Fernando had the bad luck of being treated with the same very natural and common injustice as they did to another, because they preferred one whose works occupied the third place. In vain were the protests presented by the… [illegible] competitors and newspapers. The position was already assigned before the competition was held. I don’t know what this young man will decide to do now.
The crown prince of Germany will arrive here day after tomorrow. This event is given much importance which, it seems, may lead to a Hispanic-German alliance or German-Hispanic alliance. It is said that the war between France and Germany is inevitable. I believe that we shall witness stupendous things and events.
Next June when the academic year ends I shall graduate in medicine. If you want me to get the degree of Doctor of Medicine, you then write me. It’s a matter of one year more and hundreds of pesos for fees.
Of the things that you sent me the guava jelly and the two jars of bagoong arrived in very good condition; the mango jelly was rather fair; the sotanjon, miqui, bijon[2] etc. good; the rest were broken and spoiled.
We aren’t badly off in our little house. It only seems that the maids steal our petroleum for their light. But this is inevitable. The cold weather is late in coining, but the chilblains abound.
You’ll probably receive this letter towards the end of this year. I therefore wish you a happier and better New Year than that of last year. Please tell it to my brothers-in-law and other relatives. For that date I expect some letters from you, because it is five months now that I don’t receive even a line from the family. I hear that letters are intercepted and you don’t receive my letters. Hence, I intend to stop writing until you inform me of what is happening to them. I’m so little informed of what is happening there that I don’t know if my sister Olimpia is living at home or in the town or at Taal; the same about Sra. Neneng and Sra. Sisa. It’s a little bothersome to find out these things from persons who are strangers and not close to us.
With nothing more for now, I wish you are all well and in good health. Regards to my siblings, brothers-in-law, friends, and relatives.
RIZAL
P.S.
One recent Sunday there was held here a republican demonstration. Four thousand men went to the tomb of Figueras, the first president of the Republic, to pay him homage. There they delivered speeches, letters were read, they made protests. All this in the very center of the capital city. Such occurrences describe these communities.
[1] Melecio Figueroa, considered one of the best Filipino engravers who studied at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando at Madrid.
[2] These are different kinds of Chinese noodles very much relished by the Filipinos.