POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Sta. Mesa, Manila

College of Science



WRITTEN REPORT
CHAPTER 16 LIFE IN
BRUSSELS (Part 1)



(BUHAY, MGA GAWAIN, AT ISINULAT NI RIZAL)
HIST 1023


Toledo, Mary Joyce M.
BSND 4-1N
Chapter 16
Rizal left Paris for Brussels which is the capital of Belgium on January 28, 1890.
Why did he left Paris? The two reasons were:
The cost of living in Paris was very high because of the Universal Exposition. The
Universal Exposition as discussed on Chapter 15 brought thousands of tourists to Paris.
Because of the Great demand, the French landlords take advantage and increase rent of
their boarding houses.
The gay social life of the city that hampered his literary works especially the writing of
his second novel which is El Filibusterismo.
His friends, including M.H Del Pilar and Valentin Ventura thought that the reason why Rizal
left Paris is because he was running away from a girl just as he left London. When he told them
that the reason for his leaving Paris was economic because his money was dwindling, Ventura
generously invited him to live with him in Paris without paying rent but Rizal didnt accept the
invitation because of his high sense of dignity that he would not accept charity from other
people.
Life in Brussels
When Rizal moved to Paris he was accompanied by Jose Albert. They lived in 38 Rue
Philippe Champagne, a modest boarding house which was run by two Jaceby sisters - Suzanne
and Marie. After Albert left the city, he was replaced by Jose Alejandro, an engineering student.
In Brussels, Rizal was busy writing his second novel. He wrote articles for La Solidaridad
as well. He wrote letters to his family and friends. Being a physician, he spent part of his time in
the medical clinic. And for recreation, He had gymnastics at the gymnasium and target practice
and fencing at the armory. He was never idle even for an hour. Speaking of
During his stay in Brussels, he wrote articles published in La Solaridad in defense of his
oppressedpeople and to point out the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines. The articles are:
A La Defensa (April 30, 1889) - Reply to an anti-Filipino writing of a Spanish
author Patricio de la Escosura which was published by La Defensa on March 30,
1889
La Verdad Para Todos (The Truth for All on May 31, 1889) - Defense against the
Spanish charges that the native local officials were ignorant and depraved
Vicente Barrantes Teatro Tagalog (June 15, 1889) -
Una Profonacion or A Profanation (July 31, 1889) - Bitter attack against the friars
for denying Christian burial to Mariano Herbosa (husband of Lucia) in Calamba
because he was a brother-in-law of Rizal. Mariano died because of cholera on
May 23, 1889.
Verdades Nuevas or New Truths (July 31, 1889) - Reply to Vicente Belloc
Sanchezs letter published in La Patria (Madrid Newspaper) which asserted that
the granting of reforms in the Philippines would ruin the peaceful and maternal
rule of the friars
Crueldad or Cruelty (August 15, 1889) - A brilliant defense of Blumentrit from the
scurillous attacks of his enemies
Differencias or Differences (September 15, 1889) - A reply to a biased article
entitles Old Truths which ridiculed those Filipinos who asked for reforms
Inconsequencias or Inconsequences (November 30, 1889) - A defense of Antonio
Luna against the attack of Pablo Mir Deas
Llanto y Risas or Tears and Laughter (November 30, 1889) - A denunciation of
Spanish racial prejudice against the brown Filipinos. In this article, Rizal
mentioned how the audience which includes Mestizos and Spaniards stopped
applauding when Rizal got the first place on a Literary contest in 1880
Ingratitudes or Ingratitude (January 15, 1890) - A reply to Governor General
Valeriano Weyler who told the people in Calamba that they should not allow
themselves to be deceived by the vain promises of their ungrateful sons.

New Orthography of Tagalog Language
Even if Rizal studied in Europe and knows how to speak different language
fluently, he still love and will never forget his own language. Rizal was the first to
advocate the Filipinization of its orthography. K and W should be used instead of the
Spanish C and O. Thus, salacot (peasantshead gear) should be written salakot and arao
should be araw. On September 1886 & 1887 when he was in Leipzig and Berlin, he
adopted the Filipinized tagalog orthography in his tagalog translations of Scheillers
Willhelm Tell and Andersens Fairy Tales and Noli Me Tangere
April 15, 1890 Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la Lengua (The New Orthography
of the Tagalog Language) this article mentioned the rules of new Orthography of the
tagalong language. Rizal, with modesty and sincerity gave the credit for the adaptation
of orthography of tagalog Language to Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, the author of
celebrated work entitiled El Sanscrito en la Lengua Tagala (Sanskrit in the Tagalog
Language) published in Paris in 1884
I put this on record so that when the history of this orthography is traced, which is
already being adopted by the enlightened Tagalists, that what is Caesars be given to
Caesar. The innovation is due solely to Dr. Pardo de taveras studies on tagalismo. I was
one of its most zealous propagandists. -Rizal
Criticized Madrid Filipinos for Gambling
According to Luna and Ventura, Filipinos in Spain were destroying the good name of
their nation by gambling too much.
Luna in Paris complains of the gambling of the Filipinos in Madrid, so does
Ventura. They say that, according to news from the Philippines, the parents are very
much disgusted... I am afraid we are serving the friars scheme. There is nothing at home
to remind them that the Filipino does not come to Europe to gamble and amuse himself,
but to work for his liberty and for the dignity of his race. It is not necessary to leave the
Philippines to gamble, for there they already gamble very much. If we who are called
their modest hopes, spend our time in these things precisely when the years of youth
should be employed in something more noble and lofty for the very reason that youth is
noble illusion and that, instead of being worthy of liberty, we are worthy of slavery.
I appeal to the patriotism of all Filipinos to give the Spanish people proof that
we are superior to our misfortune and that neither are we capable of being brutalized,
nor can our noble sentiments be defeated with the corruption of customs. -Rizal
Rizal wrote the letter above to remind his fellow Filipinos in Madrid that they
didnt went to Europe to gamble but to work to get their fatherlands freedom. When
the Filipino heard that Rizal was scolding them, they called him Papa or Pope instead
of Pepe.
Bad news from home
Rizal received news from home that the Calamba agrarian trouble was getting
worse because management of the Dominican hacienda continually raised the land
rents until Rizals father refused to pay the rent. Other tenants, including Don Francisco
also refused to pay the unreasonable rents. The Dominican order filed a case in the
court to take out Rizals family to their land in Calamba. Meanwhile the tenants,
including the rizals family were persecuted. Paciano, Antonio Lopez husband of
Narcissa, and Silvestre Ubaldo husband of Olympia were deported to Mindoro. While
Manuel T. Hidalgo husband of Saturinawas banished to Bohol for the second time. Rizal
got depressed when he heard that his parents, brother and brothers-in-law were
suffering thats why he wrote to Soledad.
Letter to Soledad, June 6, 1890
I have caused much harm to our family, but at least there remains to us the consolation
of knowing that the motive is not disgraceful not does it humiliate anybody. On the
contrary it raises us up and gives us more dignity in the eyes of our very enemies
themselves; to fall with the head high and the brow serene is not to fall, it is to triumph.
The sad thing is to fall with the stain of dishonor. Moreover, I may be what my enemies
themselves desire me to be, yet never an accusation are they able to hurl against me
which makes me blush o lower my forehead, and I hope that God will be merciful enough
with me to prevent me from committing one of those faults which would involve my
family