|
Miscellaneous Letters Exchanged Between José Rizal and Others in 1878
|
|
|
Miscellaneous Letters Exchanged Between José Rizal and Others in 1878
|
|
|
|
|
|
005. Fr. José Vilaclara, Cebú, 16 July 1878 He asks Rizal for altar designs – Advises Rizal to frequent the sacraments – Invites him to spend his vacation at the Jesuit mission house. 006. Enrique Lete, San Fernando, La Unión, 15 September 1878 The brother of Eduardo Lete asks Rizal about a student conspiracy in which his brother is reported to be involved. 007. Enrique Lete, San Fernando, La Unión, 8 October 1878 Enrique Lete proposes an exchange of bobbin. 008. Rizal, Manila, 27 November 1878 || to Enrique Lete y Cornell Rizal is studying painting, solfeggio, piano, singing, and fencing. –—
005. Fr. José Vilaclara, Cebú, 16 July 1878
He asks Rizal for altar designs – Advises Rizal to frequent the sacraments – Invites him to spend his vacation at the Jesuit mission house. JHS
Cebú, 16 July 1878
Very esteemed in Christ my former student José Rizal I received your letter of 24 March towards the end of June, a few days before my fever compelled me to leave my dear Mission of Dipolog. You continue as until the present, always employing your time piously and achieve the best results in virtue and science. I felicitate you with all my heart and you will do it also in my name to Viejo and Jovellanos. For God’s sake, do not fail to attend the Congregation and to frequent the sacraments which are the most efficacious means of preventing one from getting lost and of guarding against the thousand tricks with which the enemy of the soul will snare you. If you only knew how many times I have remembered you and how many other times you have been the conversation of the fathers, my companions in the Mission. We have already agreed to invite you to spend your vacation here and to draw some altar designs that some inspired sculptors can use who, until now, for lack of models, turn out very inferior things. If I continue with the Mission, consider yourself invited for next year, and I assure you that you will not spend a poor vacation on those beautiful beaches and fertile fields which yield one hundred percent to one who wishes to cultivate them. Could you not do for me or draw for me, even though only with pencil and plainly, some designs of the best altars in the city and copy the plan of our future church? You could afterwards give it to one of the fathers so that he can send it to me while I am here at Cebú where communications are so easy. Next time tell me about other former students of the Ateneo. What career is Moises Santiago pursuing? Is Mr. Eleisegui still the prefect of the Congregation? How is the health of my dear Anacleto del Rosario? And others? Farewell, be very good and pray for me so that one day, not distant, we can see each other and solace ourselves in heaven. I remain your former professor who desires your greatest good and offers himself to assist you to achieve it. Jose Vilaclara, S.J.
=====
006. Enrique Lete, San Fernando, La Unión, 15 September 1878
The brother of Eduardo Lete asks Rizal about a student conspiracy in which his brother is reported to be involved.
San Fernando, La Unión 15 September 1878
Dear and unforgettable Rizal, Without any letter of yours to answer I write this wishing you, as always, the joys of good health which I enjoy; thank God. In one of the letters my brother has written me, which I have misplaced, I seem to have read that you are his classmate, or you go to his class, or something like that. The thing is, whether it is true or not, I am going to ask you to please tell me f you know something of the conspiracy plotted by the upper class students against one of their professors – I do not know who of them. The case is that we have been told that Eduardo is among them, and as my Papa is anxious to know it, I should like you to tell me, if you are in his class, promising you that I will not tell anyone, the names of all those who are involved in the plot, the reason for the conspiracy, in short, all about the case; and if you are not in his class, what you know and what you have heard. With nothing more then, hoping to receive this favor from you, I remain your most affectionate friend and servant who esteems you. Enrique Lete P.S. You will receive this letter through Glicerio
=====
007. Enrique Lete, San Fernando, La Unión, 8 October 1878
Enrique Lete proposes an exchange of bobbin.
San Fernando, La Unión 8 October 1878
My dear friend Rizal, With your letter of the last mail before me, by which I see that you are well as I am here, I write you this. I thank you for the accurate explanation that you give me of what I asked you, only I ask you to excuse me of my promise, for I did not want to offend you with it. With my letter of the past mail you must have received my picture, unless it has been lost and I believe that you will agree with what I tell you about the group. In that letter I asked you to also buy me a pair of iron weights and to tell me its price in your reply so that I can send it to you through the bearer of the picture, but I forgot to tell you to do me the favor also to see if in some drugstore or bazaar there is for sale some alembic [a container used for distillation -- rly] like that in the College, though a little larger. Buy it and tell me also its price so that I can pay you.
Now I am
going to propose to you an exchange, which, if you accept it, I shall
appreciate very much: It is your bobbin,
[a reel
or spool for thread or yarn used in spinning, weaving, or sewing -- rly]
that one in the small box, for mine which you have also seen, plus an amount
that you want to add, for yours costs more than mine. I tell you this for
the bichromate
[A
compound containing the divalent negative ion, Cr2O7,
usually having a characteristic orange-red color. Also called dichromate -
rly]
pile that I have does not make mine work, except a little, and there you can
get Bunsen piles
[?
Perhaps a “Bunsen
burner,”
or gas burner, commonly used in scientific laboratories. - rly] for you do
not lack ingredients. I hope you will tell me then whether or not you like
to exchange; if you do, I can send it through the same bearer of the
picture. Mine
has its pile and Geisler tube [a
glass tube having two electrodes and containing a gas which, when
electrified, takes on a luminous glow of a color characteristic of the gas:
used in spectroscopy, etc. - rly]
just as I bought it for
With nothing more to tell you and wishing you good health, I remain as ever your most affectionate friend. Enrique
==== 008. Rizal, Manila, 27 November 1878 || to Enrique Lete y Cornell
Rizal is studying painting, solfeggio, piano, singing, and fencing.
Mr. Enrique Lete y Cornell
My very dear and never-forgotten Enrique, I have just received your letter and I am informed of its contents. Though I do not see you, it seems to me I see you grown up like a ball with two feet.
I
received the letter to which you refer, but the reply undoubtedly must have
been lost. The weights cost
The bobbin [a reel or spool for thread or yarn used in spinning, weaving, or sewing -- rly], my son, is doubtful. Do not expect the exchange, because yours will not be useful to my sisters. As for me, I would accept the exchange. Mariano Catigbac [01] ought to have been married day before yesterday to . . . . But you? I continue studying painting, I do heads from the natural in oil. I have an ambition to become a landscape painter. I am among corpses and human bones having become inhuman, a quack; [02] formerly I was very finical. [particular - rly] My hand is trembling for I have just played moro moro, [03] for you must know that I aspire to become a sort of swordsman. For a month and a half I studied solfeggio, [A singing exercise in which the sol-fa syllables are used instead of text. -- rly] piano, and singing. If you hear me sing, you would say that you were in Spain, for you would hear the braying of an ass. [04] Farewell. Commend your friend who loves you and my compliments to your whole family, thought I do not have the pleasure to know them. J. Rizal _______________ [01] Mariano Catigbac was Rizal’s friend and a brother of Miss Segunda Catigbac, a student at Concordia college, Manila, with whom Rizal fell in love. Catigbac married Miss Isabel Macarandang. [02] Rizal was already a first-year student of medicine and at the same time was studying painting and fencing. [03] Moro moro is the common name given to popular dramas where there are plenty of sword battles between Muslims and Christians. [04] This paragraph, as well as the first one, reveals Rizal’s sense of humor.
|
|
RIZAL'S LIFE |
RIZAL'S WRITINGS |
KIDS REFLECTIONS |
||||
|
1.
Yes or no? You know me already, if you do not want to give it up, tell me
frankly “No,” and if it seems to you all right, “Yes.” Either way I shall
be grateful to you. On my first trip to that city we shall settle accounts.
