Chapter - XVI

In Gay Paris (1889-90)

The Truth is that Paris is not the perfect city imagined by
many Parsienness
- Rizal

Difficulty of Finding Living Quarters

March 1889 during the Exposition
For short time, Rizal lived in the house of
his Friend Valentin Ventura, at No. 45 Rue
Maubeuge, where he polish his annotated
edition of Morgas book.
Finally, he lived a little room, together with
two Filipinos:
Capitan Justo Trinidad former
Gobernadorcillo of Santa Ana, Manila,
and a refugee from Spanish Tyranny.
Jose Alberto a young student from
Manila.

Life in Paris
He spent most of his time in the reading
room of the Bibliotheque Nationale.
Checking up his historical annotations on
Morgas book and his quarters rewriting and
polishing the manuscript.
In his spare hours used to dine at the homes
of his friends, such as the Pardo Taveras, the
Venturas, the Ramirezes, the Rochas

 He was a good friend of the three Pardo de

Taveras:
Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera physician
by vocation and philologist by
avocation.
Dr. Felix Pardo de Tavera also
physician by vocation an artist and
sculptor by avocation.
Paz Pardo de Tavera wife of Juan Luna.
Don Joaquin Pardo de Tavera an exile of
1872 who escape from the Marianas and
lived in France.

 Rizal also frequent visitor of the

Boustead family at No. 3 Rue de
Bassins.
Mr. Edward Boustead was born in
the Philippines, the son of a rich
French businessman of Singapore,
and had married a daughter of the
prominent Genato family of Manila.
He had two attractive daughters
Nelly (Nellie) and Adelina.

 On Sundays, he attended the fencing

lessons at the studio of Luna which were
given by a French fencing master.
He fenced with Luna brothers (Juan and
Antonio), Valentin Ventura, and the
Boustead Brothers.

He carried his artistic hobbies and

made two statues
The Beggar
The Maid With A Basket
Which he sent to Blumentritt,
together with an artistic wallet
(petaca) made of Philippine vine
(nito).

The Kidlat Club

Shortly after his arrival in Paris, Rizal
organized his paisanos into a society
called Kidlat Club.
Among members were Antonio and Juan
Luna, Lauro Dimayuga, Baldomero Roxas,
Gregorio Aguilera, Fernando Canon,
Gregorio Pautu, and Julio Llorente.
Kidlat in Tagalog means lightning and
for the same reason this club will live
only during the exposition

Indios Bravos
Indios Bravos means, Brave Indians.
Its member pledged to win the admiration
of
the
foreigners,
particularly
the
Spaniards.
They practiced the use of swords and pistol,
and Rizal taught them judo/jiujutsu, which
he learn in Japan.

Annotated Edition of Morga Published

Rizal's outstanding achievement in Paris
was the publication in 1890 of his
annotated edition of Morga's Sucecos. It
was printed by Garnier Freres.
The prologue was written by Professor Blumentritt, he frankly
censured Rizal for 2 things;
(1) commits the same error of many historians in appraising
the events of the past in the light of present standards
(2) attacks on the Church were unfair and unjustified because
the abuses of the friars should not be construed to mean that
Catholicism is bad.
He chose to annotate and publish Morga's work because it
was the best of the many histories of the Philippines written
by the early Spanish writers.

 Rizal dedicated this work to the Filipino

people.
In this work, Rizal proved that the Filipinos
were already civilized before the advent
of Spain; Rizal blasted the historical
heresies of the Spanish writers who
claimed that the early Filipinos were
savages.

1. International Association of
Filipinologist
2. Modern Filipino College in Hongkong

International Association of
Filipinologist
association that aim to study the
Philippines from the scientific and
historical point of view.

Modern Filipino in Hongkong

a college that aims to train and educate
men of good family and financial means
in according with the demands of modern
times and circumstances.
Mr. Cunanan - promised Rizal to help him
raise money as initial capital for the
college.
P40,000 amount needed as capital for
the
college.

Por Telepono
another satirical work of Rizal that is a reply
to fr. Salvador Font, who mastermind the
banning of his Noli. was published in booklet
form in Barcelona, 1889.
Dimasalang pen name used by Rizal in
writing Por Telepono.

Paris and Boustead Sisters

Nellie Boustead another romance of Rizal
in Paris.
Antonio Luna a dashing man of violent
passions who is madly in love with Nelly
(Adelinas sister)
Mir Deas Spanish newspaperman who was
writing articles against Filipinos.

Reasons that Rizals marriage proposal did

not prosper:
1. Nellie was not sure Jose loved her because
of his broken engagement
2. Rizal refused to accept the condition that
he will become a protestant like her
3. Nellies mother opposed the match
because Rizal was not rich enough to support
a family in style.

Christmas in Paris
December 25, 1889 was a wintry day in
Paris, Rizal and Jose Albert planned to
have a sumptuous Christmas dinner.
This dinner proved to be Rizal's last
Christmas dinner in Paris.
Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a brief
visit to London to check up his annotated
edition of Morga's Sucesos and to see
Gertude Beckett for the last time.