CHAPTER 16: IN BELGIAN BRUSSELS (1890)

Reporter:
Cristel Casmille Kay G Gacelos
 On January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for Brussels, capital of Belgium.

There are two reasons impelled Rizal to leave Paris, namely:

 The cost of Paris was very high because of the Universal
Exposition
 The gay social life of the city hampered his literary
works, especially the writing of his second novel El
filibusteresmo
Life in Brussels
ONE

Rizal was accompanied by Jose

Albert when he moved to
Brussels. They lived in a
modest boarding house on 38
Rue Philippe Champagne,
Which was run by two jaceby
sisters (Suzanne and Marie).
In Brussels, Rizal was busy writing his second novel which
was a continuation of the Noli. He was never adle even for
an hour. Aside from writing its chapters, he wrote articles for
La Solidaridad and letters to his family and friends.

Speaking of Rizal's frugality Jose Alejandro, his

roommate in Brussels, said: " In Brussels we took our
meals in a house and Rizal on one occasion suggested
that we eat pansit.
Article published in La
Solidaridad
1. "A La Defensa" (To La
Defensa), April 30, 1889.
2. "La Verdad Para Todos"
(The Truth For All), May
30, 1889
3. "Vicente Barrantes' Teatro
Tagalo," June 15, 1889
4. "Una Profanacion" (A
Profanation), July 31, 1889.
5. "Verdades Nuevas" (New
Truths), July 31, 1889.
6. "Crueldad" (Cruelty), August
15, 1889
7. "Diferencias" (Differences),
September 15, 1889.
8. "Inconsequencias"
(Inconsequences), November 30,
1889.
9. "Llanto y Risas" ( Tears and
Laughter), November 30, 1889.
10. "Ingratitudes" (Ingratitude)
January 15, 1890.
New Orthography of
Tagalog Language
In spite of his European education and his knowledge of
foreign languages, Rizal loved his own native language. He
was the first to advocate the Filipinization of its orthography.

As early as in September, 1886, when he was in Leipzig,

Rizal adopted the Filipinized Tagalog orthography in his
Tagalog translations of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell and
Andersen's Fairy Tales and again he used it in his first novel
Noli Me Tangere ( Berlin, 1887).
While he was sojourning in Brussels, his article entitled "Sobre la
Nueva Ortografia de la Laguna Tagala" (The new Orthography
of the Tagalog Language) was published in La Solidaridad on
April 15, 1890.

raphy to Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, author of the

celebrated work El Sansrito en la Lengua Tagala (Sanskrit in the
Tagalog Language) which was published in Paris, 181884.
Rizal Criticizes Madrid
Filipino for Gambling.
 Rizal received news from Juan Luna and Valentin Ventura
that the Filipino in Spain were destroying the good name of
their nation by gambling too much. These two compatriots
in Paris urged him to do something about it.

the gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry when they

learned of Rizal's moralizing. They derisively called him
"papa" (pope) instead of pepe
Bad news from home
Letters from home which Rizal received in Brussels worried
him. The Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse. The
management of the Dominican hacienda continually raised the
land rents until such time that Rizal's father refused to pay his
rent. Other tenants, inspired by Don Francisco's courage, also
refused to pay the unreasonable rents.

The sad news from home depressed Rizal. His heart bled to know
the sorrowful plight of his. parents, brother, and brother's in -law
from Brussels, he wrote to his sister Soledad on June 6, 1890
Presentiment of Death.
 In his moment of despair Rizal had bad dreams during the
nights in Brussels when he was restless because he was
always thinking of his unhappy family in Calamba.
Preparation to go home
In the face of the sufferings which afflicted his family, Rizal
planned to go home. He could not stay in Brussels writing a book
while his parents, relatives, and friends in the distant Philippines
were persecuted. Upon hearing that Graciano Lopez Jaena was
planning to go to Cuba, he wrote to Ponce on July 9, 1890
opposing Graciano's plan of action.
Decision to go to Madrid
Rizal ignored the dire warning friends. No threat of danger could
change his plan.

another letter to Ponce, written at Brussels, July 29, announced

that he was leaving Brussels at the begin- following month and
would arrive in Madrid about 4th (August)."
",To My Muse" (1890)
It was against a background of mental ning of anguish in
Brussels, during those sad days when he was worried by family
disasters, that he wrote his pathetic poem, "A Mi.. (To my Muse).
This poem lacks the exquisiteness of "To the Flowers of
Heidelberg" and is less polished than "To the Filipino Youth," but
it is passionate in feeling.
Romance with Petite
Jacoby.
 Two things brought some mes sure of cheer to the despondent Rizal,
as he was preparing for his trip to Madrid. First was the summertime
festival of Belgium

which was celebrated in carnival style - with colorful costumes,

fantastic floats, and many days of merriment. Second was his romance
with Petite Jacoby, the pretty niece of his landladies.
Like other women - Segunda Katigbak, Orang Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera,
O-Sei-San, Gettie Beckett, Consuelo Ortiga y Perez and the Nellie
Boustead - Suzanne fell in love with Rizal. She cried when he left toward
the end of July, 1890 for Madrid, stopping for a few days in Paris.
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