The German Doctor

•Dominican objection to Noli Me Tangere

•decision to go to London for research on second book
•parental opposition to meeting with Leonor Rivera
•Under Civil Guard escort
 The German Doctor
• September 2 1887
– Rizal was summoned at short notice to the
Malacañan Palace for an interview with the
Governor and Captain General of the
Philippines, General Emilio Terrero Y
Perinat
The German Doctor cont’d
• Noli Me Tangere deemed “heretical,
impious, and scandalous with
regard to religion, and unpatriotic
and subversive to public order”
by the Committee of Dominican Friars.
• The Archbishop had advised Governor
General Terrero that the book should be
banned.
 Emilio Terrero
• Arrived a Carlist conservative in the Philippines,
but left as a liberal
• A freemason
• Did not intend to be coerced by the clerics and
had little esteem for their views on literature, but
did not disregard the warning of the Archbishop:
“Rizal and the book might be dangerous.” The
Governor decided to see for himself:
– “You have written a novel which is causing a good
deal of comment…” the Governor said. “… they tell me
there are subversive ideas in it. I would like to read it.”
 Emilio Terrero
• At the first interview liked Rizal and received
his copy of the book with thanks and was
most affable.
• Referred Noli Me Tangere to the Permanent
Commission on Censorship
– A committee of laymen as well as priests w/c
might receive a fairer hearing
• Arranged for Rizal to have a personal Civil
Guard escort whom he carefully selected.
 Jose Taviel de Andrade
• A well educated young Spanish officer
• Something of a Rarity in the Civil Guard
• Speaks French and English
• An amateur artist
 Jose Taviel de Andrade
• Chosen by Governor Terrero because he
might be able to make friends with Rizal and
inform the Governor of Rizal’s ideas,
activities and plans.
• The official explanation given, however, was
that Taviel de Andrade’s duty was to protect
Rizal from the clamour surrounding him.
 The German Doctor con’td
• On Rizal’s return from seeing the Governor he
wrote to Blummentritt:
– “Yes, my dear friend, I feel I must come back to
Europe and quickly, because in my own country no
one wishes even to be aware of me.”
• Rizal had been saving up from the prosper of
his clinic for his next trip abroad with the
immediate aim of writing another book.
 The Second Book
• Noli Me Tangere was a portrayal of the
present, next must come a book revealing
the past.
• Rizal believed in the idea that long before
the Spaniards came, the Philippines had
been a prosperous and happy country.
– Men are more industrious, more audacious,
more independent in their outlook.
– A race born without the slave mentality
brought about by the Spanish rule.
 The Second Book
• The book was to be based on indisputable
historical sources.
• Very little is known, however, about the
Philippines prior to 1565.
 Pre-Spanish Philippines
• The friars had found a Philippines in w/c
Hindu and animistic cults were gradually
giving way to Islamic influences coming from
the extreme south by way of Borneo by
Arabs and Malays.
• Had the Spaniards not come when they did,
it is probable that the Philippines would have
ended up as a Muslim country like Indonesia.
 Pre-Spanish Philippines
• Aware of the Hindu, Muslim and animistic
influences, the Spaniards in their zeal for
Christianity only wished to eradicate and forget
the past.
• They had in fact never made any really serious
attempt to study anything outside the context of the
Philippines as a Christian and Spanish country.
 Pre-Spanish Philippines
– It did not seem to them to be interesting.
– There was also never a proper compilation of
dictionaries of Filipino languages in which
they taught and preached.
Pre-Spanish Philippines cont’d.
• Rizal’s only hope of obtaining reliable
historical information about the Pre-Spanish
Philippines lay in the rare books and
manuscripts written by Spaniards and
others in the very early days of Spanish rule.
• Blumentritt had recommended that the best
place to research would be the British
Museum in London.
 Rizal’s hesitation to go to London
• Mourning for Olimpia’s death(sister)
• Watching over his sister’s little children, the
Ubaldos
• Wishing to visit Leonor Rivera
– 5 years had passed since they last met
– Although they had exchanged photographs,
Rizal was no longer sure of how she looked like
since she was only 15 the last time they met.
 Rizal’s hesitation to go to London
• Francisco Mercado forbid Jose from
visiting her in Dagupan.
– He didn’t want the Rivera family to be placed
in the same danger Jose was in– the stigma
borne by a filibustero.
 The 2 Joses
• Jose Taviel de Andrade’s(civil guard)
initial reaction to his unusual assignment
was initially unfavourable.
– He did not like the idea of accompanying a
bandit.
• Their first encounter was cold but this did
not last long.
– Taviel had quickly noticed the exceptional
nature of Jose Rizal.
 The 2 Joses cont’
• Soon they were treating each other almost as
friends.
• With their numerous excurions into the country
about Calamba, Taviel saw the atmosphere of
rumour which surrounded Rizal, and at one time
being involved in it himself:
– The two of them climbed Mt. Makiling and hoisted a
white cloth on top to signal to the Rizal household that
they had arrived. Rumour spread that Rizal and a
European had hoisted the German flag as a prelude to
launching a rebellion.
 The 2 Joses cont’d.
• Rizal was aware of the real purpose of
Taviel’s assignment:
– Survey Rizal more than to protect him.
• So it was important to Rizal that Taviel
understand his ideas and grasped them
thoroughly so that Taviel would have a
partiality towards Rizal.
• Taviel saw that Rizal was no ordinary
rebel, nor was he an enemy of Spain.
 The 2 Joses cont’d.
• “He was too intelligent not to understand that a
revolt in the state of immaturity in which his
countrymen were would only be a change of
masters” Taviel had described.
• But it was still a strain on Rizal with Taviel constantly
around
– Rizal never knew if any of the letters he wrote arrived.
– Rizal was allowing Taviel to see everything he wrote at
Taviel’s suggestion.
• Taviel often counselled Rizal to leave the
Philippines.
– He foresaw that the effect might be a death sentence.