Hi! So I posted this for those guys who are looking for an ebook of Noli Me Tangere. I don't know how I got this but I decided to share it with you guys anyway ^^
This Isn't Mine, I got this at Project Gutenberg. Anyway, this is an English version and Also an INCOMPLETE one. Sooo I wouldn't recommend using this in your classes. Still stick to the textbooks for your Filipino Class but you can use this, I guess. But i left you a warning na.
In This chapter you'll find the credits and Jose Rizal's life. But you may skip this chapter to go forth with the story
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Friars and Filipinos, by Jose Rizal This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
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with this eBook or online at .net
Title: Friars and Filipinos
An Abridged Translation of Dr. Jose Rizal's Tagalog Novel,
'Noli Me Tangere.'
Author: Jose Rizal
Translator: Frank Ernest Gannett
Release Date: October 17, 2009 [EBook #30278]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRIARS AND FILIPINOS ***
Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at .net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Friars and Filipinos
An abridged translation of
Dr. Jose Rizal's
Tagalog Novel, "Noli Me Tangere."
By
Frank Ernest Gannett.
New York:
The St. James Press.
Copyright, 1900,
by
Frank Ernest Gannett.
To
Jacob Gould Schurman,
President of Cornell University.
PREFACE.
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.
Readers should not understand any of Rizal's references to priests
and friars as reflections upon the Roman Catholic Church. He was
throughout his life an ardent Catholic, and died a firm adherent
of the Church. But he objected to the religious orders in the
Philippine Islands, because he knew well that they were more zealous
in furthering their own selfish ends than 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 their superstition and ignorance. These wrongs
he was brave enough to expose in his writings. In the friars he saw an
obstacle to the education and enlightenment of the Filipino people,
and, using moderate means, he did his utmost to secure reform. His
writings will explain to us the cause of the hatred shown by the
Filipinos toward the religious corporations, and will make clearer
the nature of 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 all of these, except
the last named, come from the lower classes in Spain, and are on
the whole comparatively ignorant and uncultured. Under the Spanish
system of government certain provinces were assigned to each of the
orders-except the Jesuits-and the friars were distributed among
the different parishes. In the town assigned to him the friar had
much authority. He was chief adviser in all civil affairs, and, by
his influence over the superstitious natives, maintained absolute
control in all matters pertaining to the local government as well
as to the local church. So firm was his hold that he led the Spanish
government to believe that the islands could not be ruled without his
aid. Knowing that his power rested on the ignorance of the people he
discouraged education among them. When native Filipinos advanced so
far as to prove an obstacle to the religious orders, as did Rizal and
many others, the friars sought to destroy them. Forgetting their holy
mission, the religious orders became commercial corporations, amassed
enormous wealth, and gained possession of the most valuable parts of
the islands, though to much of this property the titles are not clear.
From my own observation, and from information derived from the
Spaniards themselves, I am convinced that the author has not
overdrawn his pictures. In fact I have learned of instances where
the oppression and practices of the friars were even worse than those
described. Dr. Rizal has given us a portrayal of the Filipino character
from the viewpoint of the most advanced Filipino. He brings out many
facts that are pertinent to present-day questions, showing especially
the Malayan ideas of vengeance, which will put great difficulties
in the way of the pacifying of the islands by our forces. The reader
will not fail to notice the striking similarity between the life of
Ibarra, the hero, and that of Rizal, the author, a short sketch of
whose career has been given in the following pages.
For assistance in preparing this volume for publication 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 been glad to avail myself of his
advice on many doubtful points. I desire also to acknowledge my
indebtedness for favors received to Horatio Green, Interpreter to
the Supreme Court of the Philippine Islands, to W. G. Richardson,
of New York, and to the publishers.
F. E. G.
Ithaca, N. Y., Dec. 1, 1900.
JOSE RIZAL.
Dr. Jose Rizal, of whose "Noli Me Tangere," the following story, is
an abridgement, is the most striking character to be found in the
history of the Philippine Islands. He was not only a great martyr
to the cause of liberty, and to the advancement of his fellow men,
but he was without doubt the greatest Filipino ever born, and his
memory is cherished to-day by his people as we ourselves cherish the
memory of Washington.
Rizal was born on June 19th, 1861, in the pueblo of Calamba, in the
province of Laguna, on the Island of Luzon. He came of a Tagalog
family, which, it is said, acknowledged a slight mixture of Chinese
blood, and possessed considerable property. As a child he gave evidence
of extraordinary precocity. He is said to have written poetry in his
native tongue at eight years of age, produced a successful melodrama
at fourteen, and later to have won prizes in literary contests with
writers of recognized ability.
After passing through the University of Manila, and receiving much
instruction at the hands of the Jesuit fathers, he was sent to Europe
to complete his education. He pursued courses of study in Spanish
and German universities, and won the degrees of Doctor of Medicine
and Doctor of Philosophy. Besides acquiring a knowledge of seven
languages he gained a brilliant reputation for proficiency in the
branch of optical surgery. For a time he was the leading assistant
in the office of a world-renowned specialist at Vienna.
While in Europe Rizal wrote several books and also gave considerable
time to sculpture and painting. His artistic ability was great,
and some of his productions are now treasured by friends into whose
possession they came. Rizal's best known work is his "Noli Me Tangere,"
written in Belgium about 1886 or 1887. This novel, with its vivid
picture of life in the Philippines, and its exposure of Spanish
misrule and oppression, won for him the bitter hatred of the friars,
and inspired the relentless persecution which only ended with the
taking of his life.
In 1889 Dr. Rizal returned to the Philippines, but was soon compelled
to leave his native land in order to escape forcible banishment. After
a short residence in Japan, he went to London, where he published
a work on the History of the Philippine Islands. About the same
time a sequel to "Noli Me Tangere," entitled "El Filibusterismo,"
was published. The hatred of the priests against him was further
inflamed by this production, and the government in Manila was forced
by the friars to forbid the circulation of any of his writings. Copies
of his novels were burned in the public squares, and it was worth
one's life to be found possessing a copy. Until very recently it has
been almost impossible to obtain a copy of Rizal's works, and it was
necessary to go to Europe to secure the one from which the following
abridged translation was made.
In 1892 Dr. Rizal was so overcome with a desire to see again his
beautiful fatherland that he ventured, in the face of all the dangers
that threatened him, to return to Manila. He had scarcely set foot
on shore, however, before he was arrested and thrown in prison. The
friars demanded his execution on the ground that he carried incendiary
leaflets for the purpose of stirring up a rebellion, but subsequent
inquiries showed that such leaflets had been introduced into his
baggage at the custom house through the intrigues of the Augustine
friars. Despite his indignant protestations of innocence; Rizal was
summarily condemned by the Spanish General, Despujols, to banishment
at Dapitan in the island of Mindanao. Although the trickery of the
friars became known to him, Despujols lacked courage to revoke his
order of banishment, for fear that he, too, would incur the hatred
of the powerful religious corporations.
After four years of exile Rizal saw plainly that the hostility of
the friars would make it impossible for him to live in his native
land. In 1896 a plague of yellow fever broke out in the island
of Cuba and Rizal volunteered to lend his medical services to the
Spanish government. Ramon Blanco, then general-in-chief of the Spanish
forces in the Philippines, accepted the generous offer and recalled
the young man to Manila that he might sail at once for Cuba. Alarmed
by demonstrations of popular affection for Rizal, who represented the
aspirations of the Filipino people, the Spanish authorities broke faith
with him and imprisoned him in the Fuerza de Santiago. He was arraigned
on false charges, given a military trial, and at the dictation of
the religious orders was sentenced to be shot as a traitor.
At dawn on December 30th, 1896, he was led to the place of execution
on the beautiful Luneta, overlooking the tranquil surface of Manila
Bay. Notices of the event had been published throughout the islands
and the day on which it was to occur was proclaimed a fiesta. Thousands
gathered around the place selected, and so evident was the sympathy of
the helpless Filipinos for the man who was to die for their sake that
Spain marshalled ten regiments of her soldiers about the spot. The
populace must be intimidated. A nation's hero was about to become a
nation's martyr. With face uplifted he glanced at the multitude about
him and smiled. They tied his arms behind him and made him face the
waters of the bay. In vain he protested and begged that he might die
facing his executioners. A squad of his fellow countrymen, who were
serving in Spain's army, were selected for the bloody work. They drew
in position to shoot him in the back. The order was given to fire,
but only one had the courage to obey. The bullet went straight and the
hero fell, but another shot was necessary to despatch his life. His
newly wedded wife remained with him to the end. The best hope of the
Filipino people was crushed; a light in a dark place was snuffed out.
Rizal was no extremist, no believer in harsh and bloody methods, no
revolutionist. He aimed to secure moderate and reasonable reforms, to
lessen the oppressive exactions of the friars, to examine into titles
of their land, and to make possible the education and uplifting of
his people. He loved Spain as he did his own country, and repeatedly
used his influence against the rebellious measures proposed by other
Filipino leaders. His execution was only one of the numerous outrages
which characterized Spain's reign in the Philippines.
In closing this short sketch of Rizal's life we can do no better
than to quote the estimate of him made by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt,
professor in the University of Leitmeritz, Austria, who prepared a
biographical sketch of Rizal. Dr. Blumentritt said:
"Not only is Rizal the most prominent man of his own people, but the
greatest man the Malayan race has produced. His memory will never
perish in his fatherland, and future generations of Spaniards will
yet learn to utter his name with respect and reverence."
