Friars and Filipinos An Abridged Translation of Dr. Jose Rizal's Tagalog Novel, 'Noli Me Tangere.'

José Rizal

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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. While serving on the staff of the first United States Commission to the Philippine Islands my attention was called to the life and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal. I found in his novel, Noli Me Tangere, the best picture of the life of the people of those islands under Spanish rule, and the clearest exposition of the governmental problems which Spain failed to solve, and with which our own people must deal. It occurred to me that an English translation of Rizal's work would be of great value at the present time. My first intention was to reproduce the entire novel as it was written, but, after careful consideration, I thought best to abridge the story by the omission of some parts which did not seem essential to the main purpose of the work. The present volume is the result.

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• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819916611
• Langue: English

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PREFACE.
While serving on the staff of the first UnitedStates Commission to the Philippine Islands my attention was calledto the life and writings of Dr. José Rizal. I found in his novel,"Noli Me Tangere," the best picture of the life of the people ofthose islands under Spanish rule, and the clearest exposition ofthe governmental problems which Spain failed to solve, and withwhich our own people must deal. It occurred to me that an Englishtranslation of Rizal's work would be of great value at the presenttime. My first intention was to reproduce the entire novel as itwas written, but, after careful consideration, I thought best toabridge the story by the omission of some parts which did not seemessential to the main purpose of the work. The present volume isthe result.
Readers should not understand any of Rizal'sreferences to priests and friars as reflections upon the RomanCatholic Church. He was throughout his life an ardent Catholic, anddied a firm adherent of the Church. But he objected to thereligious orders in the Philippine Islands, because he knew wellthat they were more zealous in furthering their own selfish endsthan in seeking the advancement of Christianity. From experience,Dr. Rizal knew that the friars, under cloak of the gospel ministry,oppressed his fellow countrymen, and took advantage of theirsuperstition and ignorance. These wrongs he was brave enough toexpose in his writings. In the friars he saw an obstacle to theeducation and enlightenment of the Filipino people, and, usingmoderate means, he did his utmost to secure reform. His writingswill explain to us the cause of the hatred shown by the Filipinostoward the religious corporations, and will make clearer the natureof one of the present problems in the Philippines.
There are in the Philippines five religious orders:the Dominicans, Franciscans, Recoletos, Augustines and Jesuits.According to John Foreman, an eminent authority, the members of allof these, except the last named, come from the lower classes inSpain, and are on the whole comparatively ignorant and uncultured.Under the Spanish system of government certain provinces wereassigned to each of the orders – except the Jesuits – and thefriars were distributed among the different parishes. In the townassigned to him the friar had much authority. He was chief adviserin all civil affairs, and, by his influence over the superstitiousnatives, maintained absolute control in all matters pertaining tothe local government as well as to the local church. So firm washis hold that he led the Spanish government to believe that theislands could not be ruled without his aid. Knowing that his powerrested on the ignorance of the people he discouraged educationamong them. When native Filipinos advanced so far as to prove anobstacle to the religious orders, as did Rizal and many others, thefriars sought to destroy them. Forgetting their holy mission, thereligious orders became commercial corporations, amassed enormouswealth, and gained possession of the most valuable parts of theislands, though to much of this property the titles are notclear.
From my own observation, and from informationderived from the Spaniards themselves, I am convinced that theauthor has not overdrawn his pictures. In fact I have learned ofinstances where the oppression and practices of the friars wereeven worse than those described. Dr. Rizal has given us a portrayalof the Filipino character from the viewpoint of the most advancedFilipino. He brings out many facts that are pertinent topresent-day questions, showing especially the Malayan ideas ofvengeance, which will put great difficulties in the way of thepacifying of the islands by our forces. The reader will not fail tonotice the striking similarity between the life of Ibarra, thehero, and that of Rizal, the author, a short sketch of whose careerhas been given in the following pages.
For assistance in preparing this volume forpublication I offer sincere thanks to William H. Glasson, Ph.D.,Instructor in History in the George School, Newtown, Pa. Dr.Glasson has read the entire manuscript and proofs, and I have beenglad to avail myself of his advice on many doubtful points. Idesire also to acknowledge my indebtedness for favors received toHoratio Green, Interpreter to the Supreme Court of the PhilippineIslands, to W. G. Richardson, of New York, and to the publishers.F. E. G. Ithaca, N. Y., Dec. 1, 1900.
JOSÉ RIZAL.
Dr. José Rizal, of whose "Noli Me Tangere," thefollowing story, is an abridgement, is the most striking characterto be found in the history of the Philippine Islands. He was notonly a great martyr to the cause of liberty, and to the advancementof his fellow men, but he was without doubt the greatest Filipinoever born, and his memory is cherished to-day by his people as weourselves cherish the memory of Washington.
Rizal was born on June 19th, 1861, in the pueblo ofCalamba, in the province of Laguna, on the Island of Luzon. He cameof a Tagalog family, which, it is said, acknowledged a slightmixture of Chinese blood, and possessed considerable property. As achild he gave evidence of extraordinary precocity. He is said tohave written poetry in his native tongue at eight years of age,produced a successful melodrama at fourteen, and later to have wonprizes in literary contests with writers of recognized ability.
After passing through the University of Manila, andreceiving much instruction at the hands of the Jesuit fathers, hewas sent to Europe to complete his education. He pursued courses ofstudy in Spanish and German universities, and won the degrees ofDoctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy. Besides acquiring aknowledge of seven languages he gained a brilliant reputation forproficiency in the branch of optical surgery. For a time he was theleading assistant in the office of a world-renowned specialist atVienna.
While in Europe Rizal wrote several books and alsogave considerable time to sculpture and painting. His artisticability was great, and some of his productions are now treasured byfriends into whose possession they came. Rizal's best known work ishis "Noli Me Tangere," written in Belgium about 1886 or 1887. Thisnovel, with its vivid picture of life in the Philippines, and itsexposure of Spanish misrule and oppression, won for him the bitterhatred of the friars, and inspired the relentless persecution whichonly ended with the taking of his life.
In 1889 Dr. Rizal returned to the Philippines, butwas soon compelled to leave his native land in order to escapeforcible banishment. After a short residence in Japan, he went toLondon, where he published a work on the History of the PhilippineIslands. About the same time a sequel to "Noli Me Tangere,"entitled "El Filibusterismo," was published. The hatred of thepriests against him was further inflamed by this production, andthe government in Manila was forced by the friars to forbid thecirculation of any of his writings. Copies of his novels wereburned in the public squares, and it was worth one's life to befound possessing a copy. Until very recently it has been almostimpossible to obtain a copy of Rizal's works, and it was necessaryto go to Europe to secure the one from which the following abridgedtranslation was made.
In 1892 Dr. Rizal was so overcome with a desire tosee again his beautiful fatherland that he ventured, in the face ofall the dangers that threatened him, to return to Manila. He hadscarcely set foot on shore, however, before he was arrested andthrown in prison. The friars demanded his execution on the groundthat he carried incendiary leaflets for the purpose of stirring upa rebellion, but subsequent inquiries showed that such leaflets hadbeen introduced into his baggage at the custom house through theintrigues of the Augustine friars. Despite his indignantprotestations of innocence; Rizal was summarily condemned by theSpanish General, Despujols, to banishment at Dapitan in the islandof Mindanao. Although the trickery of the friars became known tohim, Despujols lacked courage to revoke his order of banishment,for fear that he, too, would incur the hatred of the powerfulreligious corporations.
After four years of exile Rizal saw plainly that thehostility of the friars would make it impossible for him to live inhis native land. In 1896 a plague of yellow fever broke out in theisland of Cuba and Rizal volunteered to lend his medical servicesto the Spanish government. Ramon Blanco, then general-in-chief ofthe Spanish forces in the Philippines, accepted the generous offerand recalled the young man to Manila that he might sail at once forCuba. Alarmed by demonstrations of popular affection for Rizal, whorepresented the aspirations of the Filipino people, the Spanishauthorities broke faith with him and imprisoned him in the Fuerzade Santiago. He was arraigned on false charges, given a militarytrial, and at the dictation of the religious orders was sentencedto be shot as a traitor.
At dawn on December 30th, 1896, he was led to theplace of execution on the beautiful Luneta, overlooking thetranquil surface of Manila Bay. Notices of the event had beenpublished throughout the islands and the day on which it was tooccur was proclaimed a fiesta. Thousands gathered around the placeselected, and so evident was the sympathy of the helpless Filipinosfor the man who was to die for their sake that Spain marshalled tenregiments of her soldiers about the spot. The populace must beintimidated. A nation's hero was about to become a nation's martyr.With face uplifted he glanced at the multitude about him andsmiled. They tied his arms behind him and made him face the watersof the bay. In vain he protested and begged that he might diefacing his executioners. A squad of his fellow countrymen, who wereserving in Spain's army, were selected for the bloody work. Theydrew in position to shoot him in the back. The order was given tofire, but only one had the courage to obey. The bullet wentstraight and the hero fel