RIZAL IN LONDON o Rizal could not enjoy their

companionship because they were

• Rizal lived in London from May 1888 to intellectually inferior to him.
March 1889
• He chose this English city for 3 reasons:
1. To improve his knowledge of the
Arrival in Liverpool, England
English language
2. To study and annotate Morga’s • Rizal arrived on May 24, 1888
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas • He stayed one day in this “port city”,
3. London was a safe place for him to spending the night at the Adelphi Hotel
carry on his fight against Spanish • Liverpool, as described in a letter by Rizal to
tyranny his family, is a big and beautiful city and its
• Rizal engaged in Filipiniana studies and celebrated port is worthy of its great fame
completed annotating Morga’s book o The entrance is magnificent and the
• Wrote many articles for La Solidaridad in customhouse is quite good
defense of his people against Spanish
critics
• Penned a famous letter to the young Life in London
women of Malolos
• Carried on his voluminous • Rizal arrived on May 25, 1888, a day after
correspondence with Blumentritt and docking at Liverpool
relatives • For a short time, he stayed as a guest at
• And, had a romance with Gertrude Beckett the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Reigdor, an
exile of 1872 and a practicing lawyer in
London
Trip Across the Atlantic • By the end of May, he found a modest
• The trans-Atlantic voyage of Rizal from New boarding place at No. 37 Chalcot
York to Liverpool was a pleasant one Crescent, Primrose Hill
• Rizal won many friends of different • He was a boarder of the Beckett family
nationalities on board the palatial City of • The Becketts were:
Rome because of his friendly nature and 1. Mr. Beckett, organist of St. Paul’s
his ability to be a linguist Church
• Rizal entertained the American and 2. Mrs. Beckett
European passengers with his marvelous 3. Two sons and four daughters
skill with the yo-yo and as an offensive o The oldest of the Beckett sisters
weapon was Gertrude, called “Gettie” or
o The yo-yo is a small wooden disc “Tottie” by her friends
attached to a string from the finger • The Beckett home was conveniently
o It is used by Filipino children as a located for Rizal
toy o It was near the public parks and
o Rizal manipulated it as a weapon of was within walking distance to the
offense, to the great amazement of British Museum where he expected
the foreigners to do much research work
• On board the steamer was some American o Rizal came to know Dr. Reinhold
newspaperman Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of
o Rizal discussed with them the Foreign Affairs and an authority on
current social and political Malayan languages and customs
problems of mankind, and found ▪ Dr. Rost was impressed by
them to be inadequate in geo- Rizal’s leaning and
politics character
 ▪ He gladly recommended
him to the authorities of
d) Rizal’s brother-in-law, Manuel T.
the British Museum
Hidalgo, husband of Saturnina, was
▪ He called Rizal “a pearl of a
exiled by Governor-General Weyler to
man” (una perla de hombre)
Bohol without due process of law
• Rizal spent most of his time at the British
e) A friend of Rizal, Laureano Viado, a
Museum poring over the pages of Morga’s
medical student at the University of
Sucesos and other rare historical works
Santo Tomas, was arrested and jailed
on the Philippines
in Bilibid Prison because copies of Noli
• He frequently visited Dr. Regidor and
Me Tangere were found in his house
discussed with him problems pertaining
to the Philippines affairs 2. Good News
o He spent Sundays in the house of
Dr. Rost, with whom he had many • One good news cheered Rizal, and that was
pleasant discussions on Rev. Vicente Garcia’s defense of the Noli
linguistics against the attacks of the friars
o He also played cricket (popular o He heard the good news from Mariano
English game) and boxed with Dr. Ponce
Rost’s sons o He was deeply gratified by the
courageous action of Father Garcia,
a venerable Filipino Canon of the
News from Home, Good and Bad Manila Cathedral
o On January 7, 1891, Rizal wrote
1. Bad News
Father Garcia a letter expressing his
• Injustices committed by the Spanish
personal thanks
authorities on the Filipino people and the
Rizal family
• Among which were as follows: Annotating Morga’s Book
a) Persecution of the Filipino patriots
who signed the “Anti-Friar Petition of • The greatest achievement of Rizal in
1888” which was presented by Doroteo London was the annotating of Morga’s
Cortes, prominent Mason and lawyer, book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
to Jose Centeneo, Civil Governor of (Historical Events of the Philippine
the Province of Manila on March 1, Islands) which was published in Mexico,
1888 1609
o This petition was signed by • Rizal spent many days in the reading room
about 800 patriots and was of the British Museum poring over the
actually written by M.H. del Pilar pages of this book and laboriously reading
o It was addressed to the Queen the old histories of the Philippines
Regent of Spain requesting the o He laboriously read works written by Fr.
expulsion of the friars, Chirino, Fr. Colin, Fr. Argensola, Fr.
including Archbishop Pedro Plasencia, etc
Payo (Dominican) of Manila o Out of all the written histories
b) Persecution of the Clamaba tenants, published during the early years of
including Rizal’s family and relatives, the Spanish regime, that of Dr. Morga
for their courage to petition the was, in Rizal’s opinion, was the best
government for agrarian reforms o In a letter to Blumentritt, September
c) Furious attacks on Rizal by Senators 17, 1888, Rizal says that:
Salamanca and Vida in the Spanish ▪ Morga’s work is an excellent
Cortes and by the Desenganos book
(Wenceslao E. Retana) and Quioquiap ▪ It can be said that Morga is a
(Pablo Feced) in Spanish newspapers modern scholarly explorer
 ▪ He does not have the o Rizal exchanged ideas with these
superficiality and exaggeration new friends and promised to
which are found among cooperate in the fight for reforms
Spaniards today
▪ Morga writes very simply, but one
has to read between the lines Christmas in London (1888)
• For about ten months (May 1888-March
1889) Rizal was deeply immersed in his • Rizal returned to London on December 24
historical studies in London and spent Christmas and New Year’s Day
• In this time, Rizals’ compatriots in Spain with the Beckett’s
were waging the crusade for Philippine o He experienced a delightful Christmas
reforms Eve, his first on English soil
o One time, Mariano Ponce, whom Rizal o That night he wrote to Blumentritt:
never met and was living in ▪ “It is now Noche Buena (Christmas
Barcelona, urged him to edit a Eve); it is the holiday I like the best
newspaper which would defend the to celebrate. It reminds me of
Filipino interests from the scurrilous many good days not only of my
attacks of their Spanish detractors infancy, but also of history. A great
▪ Rizal refused this request because Genius was born who preached
he was busy truth and love. He suffered on
▪ On October 12, 1888, Rizal wrote account of His mission, but
a letter to Ponce: because of His sufferings the
• “Today, I am dedicated day world has improved, if not
and night to certain studies, saved...”
so that I do not want to edit ▪ Rizal sent Blumentritt a bust of
any newspaper.” Emperor Augustus which he
made
✓ This emperor was the ruler
of the Roman Empire when
Short Visit to Paris
Jesus Christ was born in
• Early in September, 1888, Rizal visited Bethlehem
Paris for a week in order to search for more ▪ To another friend, Dr. Carlos
historical materials in the Bibliotheque Czepelak (Polish scholar), he gave
Nationale as a Christmas gift a bust of Julius
• He was entertained in this gay French Caesar
metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife (Paz ▪ Rizal’s Landlady, Mrs. Beckett,
Pardo de Tavera), who proudly showed him knowing of his interest in magic,
their little son Andres (nickname Luling) gave him as a Christmas gift a
• After poring over the old books and book entitled The Life and
manuscript in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Adventures of Valentine Vox, the
he returned to London Ventriloquist
✓ Rizal was delighted to
receive this book, for he had
Short Visit to Spain great admiration for the
British magician who was
• On December 11, 1888, Rizal went to
famous for his ventriloquism
Spain, visiting Madrid and Barcelona
o He contacted his compatriots and
surveyed the political situation
with regards to the agitation for the
Philippine Movement
Rizal Becomes leader of Filipinos in Europe

• Rizal learned that his compatriots in 2. A great deal of integrity and much
Barcelona were planning to establish a good will
patriotic society which would cooperate in a. No member should expect
the crusade for reforms rewards or honors for what
• This society was called Asociacion La he does
Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association) b. He who does his duty in the
o Was inaugurated on December 31, expectation of rewards is
1888 usually disappointed
o Officers were: because almost no one
▪ President – Galicano believes himself
Apacible sufficiently rewarded
▪ Vice-president – Graciano i. There may not be
Lopez Jaena discontented or ill-
▪ Secretary – Manuel Santa rewarded members, it
Maria is advisable for each
▪ Treasurer – Mariano Ponce one to do his duty just
▪ Accountant – Jose Ma. for its own sake and at
Panginiban best expect to be later
• Rizal was voted unanimously as the treated unjustly,
honorary president because in
• This was a recognition of his leadership anomalous countries,
among all Filipino patriots in Europe injustice is the prize
• As the leader of his countrymen in Europe, for those who fulfill
Rizal wrote a letter which addressed to the their duties
members of the Asociacion La c. Thrift, thrift, thrift
Solidaridad, on January 28, 1889 d. Seriousness and equal
o Rizal expressed his thanks for the justice for all
honor of making him honorary
president and gave the following Rizal and The La Solidaridad Newspaper
advice:
1. In young associations the spirit of • On February 15, 1889, Graciano Lopez
tolerance ought to prevail when it Jaena founded the patriotic newspaper
concerns trifles that do not affect called La Solidaridad in Barcelona, where
essential part of a thing; in the he was then residing
discussions, the conciliatory o This was a fortnightly periodical
tendency ought to dominate before which served as the organ
the tendency to oppose Propaganda Movement
a. No one should resent o Its aims were as follows:
defeat ▪ To work peacefully for
b. When any opinion is political and social reforms
rejected, its author, instead ▪ To portray the deplorable
of despairing and conditions of the
withdrawing, should on the Philippines so that Spain
contrary wait for another may remedy them
occasion which justice may ▪ To oppose the evil forces of
be done to him reaction and medievalism
c. The individual should give ▪ To advocate liberal ideas
way to the welfare of and progress
society ▪ To champion the legitimate
aspirations of the Filipino
 people to life, democracy, caused the backwardness of the
and happiness country
• Two days after birth of La Solidaridad, M.H. ▪ “After floods, locusts, fires,
del Pilar wrote to Rizal in London: bad harvests, and the like,
o “At last our little newspaper was the farmer capitalist had to
born. It is democratic in its opinion, deal with the constable who
but very much more so in the takes away from his
organization of its staff laborers and personal
▪ One should see how editor service…”
Graciano writes, corrects, ▪ “Civil guards arrest them for
proofs, directs the printing, various reasons:
distributes the copies, and • Not carrying
even takes them to the mail personal cedulas
▪ Naning, the manager (certificates)
gathers the data, edits, and • Not saluting
also distributes the copies properly
• Rizal congratulated Lopez Jaena and his • Being suspicious
associates in founding La Solidaridad persons
o As evidence of his approval and • For no reason
cooperation, he prepared articles whatsoever
for the periodical which were
subsequently published
• In Rizal’s letter to Lopez Jaena, he advised Writings in London
him that great care should be taken in
publishing only the truth in La Solidaridad • Rizal received news on Fray Rodriguez
o “Be careful not to publish unabated attack on his Noli
exaggerations or lies or imitate o In defense, Rizal wrote a pamphlet
others, who avail themselves of entitled La Vision del
dishonest means and of vulgar and
ignoble language to attain their
ends”
o See that the periodical is just
honest, and truthful so that its
opinion may always be respected
o It is necessary to show our enemies
that we are more worthy than they,
morally and humanly speaking
o Should we tell the truth, we shall
have won our cause because
reason and justice are on our
sides”

First Article in La Solidaridad

▪ Rizal’s first articles which appeared in La
Solidaridad was entitled Los Agricultores
Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers)
o It was published on March 25, 1889,
six days after he left London for
Paris
o Rizal depicted the deplorable
conditions in the Philippines which