|
Miscellaneous Letters Exchanged Between José Rizal and Others in 1877
|
|
|
Miscellaneous Letters Exchanged Between José Rizal and Others in 1877
|
|
|
|
|
|
001. Fr. Jacinto Febres, Rome, 19 March 1877 Advice of a former professor – Cultivate the “flowers of virtue”. 002. Ricardo Aguado, Manila, 21 May 1877 Dedicated to Rizal by his classmate Ricardo Aguado 19 March 1877 003. Ricardo Aguado, Manila, 21 May 1877 Luna’s house assaulted by bandits. Four pesos – a volume of poems – A book by Jules Verne. –—
001. Fr. Jacinto Febres, Rome, 19 March 1877
Advice of a former professor – Cultivate the “flowers of virtue”.
Rome, 19 March 1877 Mr. José Rizal My very beloved José, In my room at the Colegio de Manila I received your letter written on the occasion of my departure for Europe for reasons of health. I cannot but give you a thousand thanks for the moving as well as poetic phrases with which you depict the grief which your good heart feels for my departure. I have read and reread that letter with great pleasure and solace. In it you allude to a remembrance I gave you showing the Divine Gardener planting a flower and this flower is planted in your heart; it is the flower of virtue. Watch it well to keep it in your possession, if your conscience is tranquil, because soon it will be withered, and in order to keep it fresh, sprinkle it with the holy water of frequent confession and communion.
Try to be good, to be bomb-proof, so that when you discover evil, when you see it, it may not take hold of your heart. Run to the Father Confessor and at his feet tell him about the temptation and like a good father, like a good gardener, he will know how to cultivate this flower of virtue. In this way it will grow and bear fruit which you will gather n heaven.
I have not sent this letter directly to your house because I think that you are still staying in the college. The Reverend Father Prefect will inform you where I live, in case you wish to write me. I am in Rome on my way to Florence, France, and Spain. My health is improving every day, though slowly. I hope you will offer a communion for me. Today, which is your saint’s day [19 March is Saint Joseph’s day (earthly father of Jesus) -- rly], I remember you in my poor prayers. Greet on my behalf Cucullu, Anzon Perez, and other collegians.
Your most affectionate watcher who loves you, Jacinto Febres, S.J.
=====
002. Ricardo Aguado, Manila, 21 May 1877
Dedicated to Rizal by his classmate Ricardo Aguado 19 March 1877
To my Dearest Friend José Rizal, on His Saint’s Day 19 March [1877 - rly]
That merciful heart divine Now lovingly inspires My psaltery unrefined With voices my mind doth seek To sing its ardent love. _____
Your pleasing image alone In my soft heart always engraved, Now loved star from sailor forlorn As in an agitated sea. _____
For you’re sweet friend of mine, The only joy of my soul, And always to be with you Is my incessant desire In this sad, unfortunate land. ____
But since my luck denies Me such happiness this day, My Muse with tenderness Its affection doth send to you At this pleasant hour of joy. _____
And cheerfully is content Kind heaven to implore To banish gloomy thoughts Away from your lusty soul And in it let dwell peace and joy. _____
That, as the ardent rays Of the sun eclipse feeble stars With mortal grief, As with belles-lettres [] you leave Behind ‘neath your footprints the rest. _____
That such enthusiasm your years Frustration, wickedness, sad fears Without perturbing your peace, Like a brook among flowers gay With thing of beauty pass by. _____
And if one day finally The Just calls you to His Happy home of ineffable joy, Your beautiful soul May enjoy celestial bliss.
Ricardo Aguado
Rizal Yesterday I could not give it to you because it was not yet finished, and then I went out and had no more time. Don’t show these verses to anybody, not even to one you trust most. (20 March 1877)
=====
003. Ricardo Aguado, Manila, 21 May 1877
Luna’s house assaulted by bandits.
Manila, 21 May 1877 Dear José, I do not understand what you tell me about “the expedition going on.” Who are the boys at your house? On Sunday, the 20th, after Mass, I was standing at the door of the convent when I saw Mr. Patricio Lesaca (I call him “Mr.” because he did not even greet me) passing by in a vehicle. I was talking with Alaejos, Jugo S., and Olavides, a classmate. When we saw him, we called him, but not even for that did he look at us. On the 19th, at 7:15 in the evening, an event occurred and it is this: At the Barraca, as you already know, lives Luna, your classmate. Well then, 30 bandits, more or less assaulted his house at 7:15, as I said. And do you know who they were? Chinese dressed as Indians. They went up, tied the coachmen, and once upstairs two rushed to Luna’s father, one to his wife, seized her by the hair and dragged her through the house. Luna’s father snatched a bolo from one of the two who were with him and thus defended himself. The other one, who was holding his wife, seeing that the two bandits could not stop Luna’s father, left his wife and rushed to Luna’s father. It was then that they wounded him seriously on the left eyebrow, while his wife, as soon as she was freed by the one holding her by the hair ran to the terrace and began shouting, “Help! Help!” Another bandit was with his sons and daughters. One of the coachmen, who were tied, escaped and went to the quarters of the veteran Guard in the district of Binondo and reported that bandits were at his master’s house. An officer with eight men instantly left; they stationed two sentinels at the door, and another two at the corner of San Fernando and Riverita Streets. The immediately went up and found Mr. Luna wounded. According to the family the bandits had fled towards Riverita Street. They went down immediately after receiving this information and when they were going in the direction of Riverita Street, they found a straw hat, a dagger, two scabbards for bolo, and the scabbard of the dagger, and a torn and bloody shirt. They proceeded towards Riverita Street, inquiring at all the stores (for they were open) if they had seen something, but they answered in the negative. They also questioned all those they met on the street and all said they had not seen anything. They returned to the house and they did their duty searching everywhere but found nobody. When at 11:00my uncle told them to go home, it occurred to one guard to look behind some large boards at the adjoining house. When he was about to pull down a board a Chinese shouted and he seized him and he whistled so that his companions would come. They came and they took down his declaration and he confessed where they lived and who they were. They went there and they caught only four and afterwards the rest. What is missing I shall write in my next letter. Ricardo Aguado
=====
Four pesos – a volume of poems – A book by Jules Verne. (Date? 1887) Mr. José Rizal Esteemed Rizal This has no other object but to ask you a favor that I have no doubt you will grant me.
As you already know, in the college one cannot
keep money and I do not ask my guardian for you already know what he is
like. I ask you to do me the favor of giving me
I have appealed to you because I have no confidence in other boys and it seemed to me better to appeal to you who have never denied me any favor that I have asked you. With nothing for now you know I esteem you. Command at your pleasure your friend, Eduardo Lete [01] P.S. I will soon return your book of poems that I have, but I should like to copy some compositions. I will give you the second volume of Jules Verne when I finish Los Hijos del Capitan Grant [from the French Les Enfants du Capitaine Grant. In English it was printed as both The Children of Capltain Grant and In Search of the Castaways -- rly] that I lack. The Same Please do not let Catigbac, [02] who lives in the same house, know about this because, as you already know, he is not very friendly with me and I don’t want any trouble with him. ______________ [01] Eduardo Lete was a classmate of Rizal at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and brother of Enrique Lete, also a friend of Rizal. Later, in Spain, he added “de” to his name. [02] Mariano Catigbac (also spelled Katigbak), a friend of Rizal and brother of Miss Segunda Catigbac, a fellow student of Rizal’s sisters at the Colegio de la Concordia or Colegio de la Immaculada Concepcion, at Sta. Ana, a district of Manila.
–— |
|
RIZAL'S LIFE |
RIZAL'S WRITINGS |
KIDS REFLECTIONS |
||||
|
4
before Sunday. When you give it on a day when you have your topography
class, give it to Enrique before or after the class, as it suits you, placed
in an envelope because I do not want Enrique to know about my affairs. It
seems to me that it will not cost you vey much to grant me this favor.
