El Filibusterismo. English

by José Rizal

  CHAPTER XI

  LOS BANOS

  His Excellency, the Captain-General and Governor of the PhilippineIslands, had been hunting in Bosoboso. But as he had to beaccompanied by a band of music,--since such an exalted personagewas not to be esteemed less than the wooden images carried in theprocessions,--and as devotion to the divine art of St. Cecilia hasnot yet been popularized among the deer and wild boars of Bosoboso,his Excellency, with the band of music and train of friars, soldiers,and clerks, had not been able to catch a single rat or a solitary bird.

  The provincial authorities foresaw dismissals and transfers, the poorgobernadorcillos and cabezas de barangay were restless and sleepless,fearing that the mighty hunter in his wrath might have a notion to makeup with their persons for the lack of submissiveness on the part of thebeasts of the forest, as had been done years before by an alcalde whohad traveled on the shoulders of impressed porters because he found nohorses gentle enough to guarantee his safety. There was not lackingan evil rumor that his Excellency had decided to take some action,since in this he saw the first symptoms of a rebellion which should bestrangled in its infancy, that a fruitless hunt hurt the prestige ofthe Spanish name, that he already had his eye on a wretch to be dressedup as a deer, when his Excellency, with clemency that Ben-Zayb lackedwords to extol sufficiently, dispelled all the fears by declaring thatit pained him to sacrifice to his pleasure the beasts of the forest.

  But to tell the truth, his Excellency was secretly very well satisfied,for what would have happened had he missed a shot at a deer, one ofthose not familiar with political etiquette? What would the prestigeof the sovereign power have come to then? A Captain-General of thePhilippines missing a shot, like a raw hunter? What would have beensaid by the Indians, among whom there were some fair huntsmen? Theintegrity of the fatherland would have been endangered.

  So it was that his Excellency, with a sheepish smile, and posing as adisappointed hunter, ordered an immediate return to Los Banos. Duringthe journey he related with an indifferent air his hunting exploitsin this or that forest of the Peninsula, adopting a tone somewhatdepreciative, as suited the case, toward hunting in Filipinas. The bathin Dampalit, the hot springs on the shore of the lake, card-games inthe palace, with an occasional excursion to some neighboring waterfall,or the lake infested with caymans, offered more attractions and fewerrisks to the integrity of the fatherland.

  Thus on one of the last days of December, his Excellency found himselfin the sala, taking a hand at cards while he awaited the breakfasthour. He had come from the bath, with the usual glass of coconut-milkand its soft meat, so he was in the best of humors for granting favorsand privileges. His good humor was increased by his winning a good manyhands, for Padre Irene and Padre Sibyla, with whom he was playing,were exercising all their skill in secretly trying to lose, to thegreat irritation of Padre Camorra, who on account of his late arrivalonly that morning was not informed as to the game they were playingon the General. The friar-artilleryman was playing in good faith andwith great care, so he turned red and bit his lip every time PadreSibyla seemed inattentive or blundered, but he dared not say a wordby reason of the respect he felt for the Dominican. In exchange hetook his revenge out on Padre Irene, whom he looked upon as a basefawner and despised for his coarseness. Padre Sibyla let him scold,while the humbler Padre Irene tried to excuse himself by rubbing hislong nose. His Excellency was enjoying it and took advantage, likethe good tactician that the Canon hinted he was, of all the mistakesof his opponents. Padre Camorra was ignorant of the fact that acrossthe table they were playing for the intellectual development of theFilipinos, the instruction in Castilian, but had he known it he woulddoubtless have joyfully entered into that _game_.

  The open balcony admitted the fresh, pure breeze and revealed the lake,whose waters murmured sweetly around the base of the edifice, as ifrendering homage. On the right, at a distance, appeared Talim Island,a deep blue in the midst of the lake, while almost in front lay thegreen and deserted islet of Kalamba, in the shape of a half-moon. Tothe left the picturesque shores were fringed with clumps of bamboo,then a hill overlooking the lake, with wide ricefields beyond, thenred roofs amid the deep green of the trees,--the town of Kalamba,--andbeyond the shore-line fading into the distance, with the horizon atthe back closing down over the water, giving the lake the appearanceof a sea and justifying the name the Indians give it of _dagat natabang_, or fresh-water sea.

  At the end of the sala, seated before a table covered with documents,was the secretary. His Excellency was a great worker and did notlike to lose time, so he attended to business in the intervals ofthe game or while dealing the cards. Meanwhile, the bored secretaryyawned and despaired. That morning he had worked, as usual, overtransfers, suspensions of employees, deportations, pardons, and thelike, but had not yet touched the great question that had stirred somuch interest--the petition of the students requesting permission toestablish an academy of Castilian. Pacing from one end of the room tothe other and conversing animatedly but in low tones were to be seenDon Custodio, a high official, and a friar named Padre Fernandez, whohung his head with an air either of meditation or annoyance. From anadjoining room issued the click of balls striking together and burstsof laughter, amid which might be heard the sharp, dry voice of Simoun,who was playing billiards with Ben-Zayb.

  Suddenly Padre Camorra arose. "The devil with this game, _punales!_"he exclaimed, throwing his cards at Padre Irene's head. "_Punales_,that trick, if not all the others, was assured and we lost bydefault! _Punales!_ The devil with this game!"

  He explained the situation angrily to all the occupants of the sala,addressing himself especially to the three walking about, as if he hadselected them for judges. The general played thus, he replied withsuch a card, Padre Irene had a certain card; he led, and then thatfool of a Padre Irene didn't play his card! Padre Irene was givingthe game away! It was a devil of a way to play! His mother's son hadnot come here to rack his brains for nothing and lose his money!

  Then he added, turning very red, "If the booby thinks my money growson every bush!... On top of the fact that my Indians are beginning tohaggle over payments!" Fuming, and disregarding the excuses of PadreIrene, who tried to explain while he rubbed the tip of his beak inorder to conceal his sly smile, he went into the billiardroom.

  "Padre Fernandez, would you like to take a hand?" asked Fray Sibyla.

  "I'm a very poor player," replied the friar with a grimace.

  "Then get Simoun," said the General. "Eh, Simoun! Eh, Mister, won'tyou try a hand?"

  "What is your disposition concerning the arms for sportingpurposes?" asked the secretary, taking advantage of the pause.

  Simoun thrust his head through the doorway.

  "Don't you want to take Padre Camorra's place, Senor Sindbad?" inquiredPadre Irene. "You can bet diamonds instead of chips."

  "I don't care if I do," replied Simoun, advancing while he brushedthe chalk from his hands. "What will you bet?"

  "What should we bet?" returned Padre Sibyla. "The General can betwhat he likes, but we priests, clerics--"

  "Bah!" interrupted Simoun ironically. "You and Padre Irene can paywith deeds of charity, prayers, and virtues, eh?"

  "You know that the virtues a person may possess," gravely arguedPadre Sibyla, "are not like the diamonds that may pass from hand tohand, to be sold and resold. They are inherent in the being, theyare essential attributes of the subject--"

  "I'll be satisfied then if you pay me with promises," replied Simounjestingly. "You, Padre Sibyla, instead of paying me five somethingor other in money, will say, for example: for five days I renouncepoverty, humility, and obedience. You, Padre Irene: I renouncechastity, liberality, and so on. Those are small matters, and I'mputting up my diamonds."

  "What a peculiar man this Simoun is, what notions he has!" exclaimedPadre Irene with a smile.

  "And _he_," continued Simoun, slapping his Excellency familiarly onthe shoulder, "he will pay me with an order for five days in prison,or five months, or
an order of deportation made out in blank, or letus say a summary execution by the Civil Guard while my man is beingconducted from one town to another."

  This was a strange proposition, so the three who had been pacingabout gathered around.

  "But, Senor Simoun," asked the high official, "what good will youget out of winning promises of virtues, or lives and deportationsand summary executions?"

  "A great deal! I'm tired of hearing virtues talked about and wouldlike to have the whole of them, all there are in the world, tied upin a sack, in order to throw them into the sea, even though I had touse my diamonds for sinkers."

  "What an idea!" exclaimed Padre Irene with another smile. "And thedeportations and executions, what of them?"

  "Well, to clean the country and destroy every evil seed."

  "Get out! You're still sore at the tulisanes. But you were luckythat they didn't demand a larger ransom or keep all your jewels. Man,don't be ungrateful!"

  Simoun proceeded to relate how he had been intercepted by a band oftulisanes, who, after entertaining him for a day, had let him go onhis way without exacting other ransom than his two fine revolvers andthe two boxes of cartridges he carried with him. He added that thetulisanes had charged him with many kind regards for his Excellency,the Captain-General.

  As a result of this, and as Simoun reported that the tulisanes werewell provided with shotguns, rifles, and revolvers, and against suchpersons one man alone, no matter how well armed, could not defendhimself, his Excellency, to prevent the tulisanes from gettingweapons in the future, was about to dictate a new decree forbiddingthe introduction of sporting arms.

  "On the contrary, on the contrary!" protested Simoun, "for me thetulisanes are the most respectable men in the country, they're theonly ones who earn their living honestly. Suppose I had fallen intothe hands--well, of you yourselves, for example, would you have letme escape without taking half of my jewels, at least?"

  Don Custodio was on the point of protesting; that Simoun was reallya rude American mulatto taking advantage of his friendship with theCaptain-General to insult Padre Irene, although it may be true alsothat Padre Irene would hardly have set him free for so little.

  "The evil is not," went on Simoun, "in that there are tulisanes inthe mountains and uninhabited parts--the evil lies in the tulisanesin the towns and cities."

  "Like yourself," put in the Canon with a smile.

  "Yes, like myself, like all of us! Let's be frank, for no Indianis listening to us here," continued the jeweler. "The evil is thatwe're not all openly declared tulisanes. When that happens and we alltake to the woods, on that day the country will be saved, on thatday will rise a new social order which will take care of itself,and his Excellency will be able to play his game in peace, withoutthe necessity of having his attention diverted by his secretary."

  The person mentioned at that moment yawned, extending his foldedarms above his head and stretching his crossed legs under the tableas far as possible, upon noticing which all laughed. His Excellencywished to change the course of the conversation, so, throwing downthe cards he had been shuffling, he said half seriously: "Come, come,enough of jokes and cards! Let's get to work, to work in earnest,since we still have a half-hour before breakfast. Are there manymatters to be got through with?"

  All now gave their attention. That was the day for joining battleover the question of instruction in Castilian, for which purposePadre Sibyla and Padre Irene had been there several days. It was knownthat the former, as Vice-Rector, was opposed to the project and thatthe latter supported it, and his activity was in turn supported bythe Countess.

  "What is there, what is there?" asked his Excellency impatiently.

  "The petition about sporting arms," replied the secretary with astifled yawn.

  "Forbidden!"

  "Pardon, General," said the high official gravely, "your Excellencywill permit me to invite your attention to the fact that the use ofsporting arms is permitted in all the countries of the world."

  The General shrugged his shoulders and remarked dryly, "We are notimitating any nation in the world."

  Between his Excellency and the high official there was always adifference of opinion, so it was sufficient that the latter offerany suggestion whatsoever to have the former remain stubborn.

  The high official tried another tack. "Sporting arms can harm onlyrats and chickens. They'll say--"

  "But are we chickens?" interrupted the General, again shrugging hisshoulders. "Am I? I've demonstrated that I'm not."

  "But there's another thing," observed the secretary. "Four months ago,when the possession of arms was prohibited, the foreign importerswere assured that sporting arms would be admitted."

  His Excellency knitted his brows.

  "That can be arranged," suggested Simoun.

  "How?"

  "Very simply. Sporting arms nearly all have a caliber of sixmillimeters, at least those now in the market. Authorize only thesale of those that haven't these six millimeters."

  All approved this idea of Simoun's, except the high official, whomuttered into Padre Fernandez's ear that this was not dignified,nor was it the way to govern.

  "The schoolmaster of Tiani," proceeded the secretary, shuffling somepapers about, "asks for a better location for--"

  "What better location can he want than the storehouse that he hasall to himself?" interrupted Padre Camorra, who had returned, havingforgotten about the card-game.

  "He says that it's roofless," replied the secretary, "and that havingpurchased out of his own pocket some maps and pictures, he doesn'twant to expose them to the weather."

  "But I haven't anything to do with that," muttered his Excellency. "Heshould address the head secretary, [22] the governor of the province,or the nuncio."

  "I want to tell you," declared Padre Camorra, "that this littleschoolmaster is a discontented filibuster. Just imagine--the hereticteaches that corpses rot just the same, whether buried with great pompor without any! Some day I'm going to punch him!" Here he doubled uphis fists.

  "To tell the truth," observed Padre Sibyla, as if speaking only toPadre Irene, "he who wishes to teach, teaches everywhere, in the openair. Socrates taught in the public streets, Plato in the gardens ofthe Academy, even Christ among the mountains and lakes."

  "I've heard several complaints against this schoolmaster," said hisExcellency, exchanging a glance with Simoun. "I think the best thingwould be to suspend him."

  "Suspended!" repeated the secretary.

  The luck of that unfortunate, who had asked for help and receivedhis dismissal, pained the high official and he tried to do somethingfor him.

  "It's certain," he insinuated rather timidly, "that education is notat all well provided for--"

  "I've already decreed large sums for the purchase of supplies,"exclaimed his Excellency haughtily, as if to say, "I've done morethan I ought to have done."

  "But since suitable locations are lacking, the supplies purchasedget ruined."

  "Everything can't be done at once," said his Excellency dryly. "Theschoolmasters here are doing wrong in asking for buildings when thosein Spain starve to death. It's great presumption to be better offhere than in the mother country itself!"

  "Filibusterism--"

  "Before everything the fatherland! Before everything else we areSpaniards!" added Ben-Zayb, his eyes glowing with patriotism, but heblushed somewhat when he noticed that he was speaking alone.

  "In the future," decided the General, "all who complain will besuspended."

  "If my project were accepted--" Don Custodio ventured to remark,as if talking to himself.

  "For the construction of schoolhouses?"

  "It's simple, practical, economical, and, like all my projects,derived from long experience and knowledge of the country. The townswould have schools without costing the government a cuarto."

  "That's easy," observed the secretary sarcastically. "Compel thetowns to construct them at their own expense," whereupon all laughed.

  "No, sir! No, si
r!" cried the exasperated Don Custodio, turningvery red. "The buildings are already constructed and only wait to beutilized. Hygienic, unsurpassable, spacious--"

  The friars looked at one another uneasily. Would Don Custodio proposethat the churches and conventos be converted into schoolhouses?

  "Let's hear it," said the General with a frown.

  "Well, General, it's very simple," replied Don Custodio, drawinghimself up and assuming his hollow voice of ceremony. "The schoolsare open only on week-days and the cockpits on holidays. Then convertthese into schoolhouses, at least during the week."

  "Man, man, man!"

  "What a lovely idea!"

  "What's the matter with you, Don Custodio?"

  "That's a grand suggestion!"

  "That beats them all!"

  "But, gentlemen," cried Don Custodio, in answer to so manyexclamations, "let's be practical--what places are more suitablethan the cockpits? They're large, well constructed, and under acurse for the use to which they are put during the week-days. Froma moral standpoint my project would be acceptable, by serving as akind of expiation and weekly purification of the temple of chance,as we might say."

  "But the fact remains that sometimes there are cockfights during theweek," objected Padre Camorra, "and it wouldn't be right when thecontractors of the cockpits pay the government--" [23]

  "Well, on those days close the school!"

  "Man, man!" exclaimed the scandalized Captain-General. "Such an outrageshall never be perpetrated while I govern! To close the schools inorder to gamble! Man, man, I'll resign first!" His Excellency wasreally horrified.

  "But, General, it's better to close them for a few days than formonths."

  "It would be immoral," observed Padre Irene, more indignant even thanhis Excellency.

  "It's more immoral that vice has good buildings and learningnone. Let's be practical, gentlemen, and not be carried away bysentiment. In politics there's nothing worse than sentiment. Whilefrom humane considerations we forbid the cultivation of opium in ourcolonies, we tolerate the smoking of it, and the result is that wedo not combat the vice but impoverish ourselves."

  "But remember that it yields to the government, without any effort,more than four hundred and fifty thousand pesos," objected Padre Irene,who was getting more and more on the governmental side.

  "Enough, enough, enough!" exclaimed his Excellency, to end thediscussion. "I have my own plans in this regard and will devote specialattention to the matter of public instruction. Is there anything else?"

  The secretary looked uneasily toward Padre Sibyla and Padre Irene. Thecat was about to come out of the bag. Both prepared themselves.

  "The petition of the students requesting authorization to open anacademy of Castilian," answered the secretary.

  A general movement was noted among those in the room. After glancingat one another they fixed their eyes on the General to learn whathis disposition would be. For six months the petition had lain thereawaiting a decision and had become converted into a kind of _casusbelli_ in certain circles. His Excellency had lowered his eyes,as if to keep his thoughts from being read.

  The silence became embarrassing, as the General understood, so heasked the high official, "What do you think?"

  "What should I think, General?" responded the person addressed, witha shrug of his shoulders and a bitter smile. "What should I thinkbut that the petition is just, very just, and that I am surprisedthat six months should have been taken to consider it."

  "The fact is that it involves other considerations," said Padre Sibylacoldly, as he half closed his eyes.

  The high official again shrugged his shoulders, like one who did notcomprehend what those considerations could be.

  "Besides the intemperateness of the demand," went on the Dominican,"besides the fact that it is in the nature of an infringement onour prerogatives--"

  Padre Sibyla dared not go on, but looked at Simoun.

  "The petition has a somewhat suspicious character," corroboratedthat individual, exchanging a look with the Dominican, who winkedseveral times.

  Padre Irene noticed these things and realized that his cause wasalmost lost--Simoun was against him.

  "It's a peaceful rebellion, a revolution on stamped paper," addedPadre Sibyla.

  "Revolution? Rebellion?" inquired the high official, staring fromone to the other as if he did not understand what they could mean.

  "It's headed by some young men charged with being too radical andtoo much interested in reforms, not to use stronger terms," remarkedthe secretary, with a look at the Dominican. "Among them is a certainIsagani, a poorly balanced head, nephew of a native priest--"

  "He's a pupil of mine," put in Padre Fernandez, "and I'm much pleasedwith him."

  "_Punales,_ I like your taste!" exclaimed Padre Camorra. "On thesteamer we nearly had a fight. He's so insolent that when I gave hima shove aside he returned it."

  "There's also one Makaragui or Makarai--"

  "Makaraig," Padre Irene joined in. "A very pleasant and agreeableyoung man."

  Then he murmured into the General's ear, "He's the one I've talkedto you about, he's very rich. The Countess recommends him strongly."

  "Ah!"

  "A medical student, one Basilio--"

  "Of that Basilio, I'll say nothing," observed Padre Irene, raisinghis hands and opening them, as if to say _Dominus vobiscum_. "He'stoo deep for me. I've never succeeded in fathoming what he wants orwhat he is thinking about. It's a pity that Padre Salvi isn't presentto tell us something about his antecedents. I believe that I've heardthat when a boy he got into trouble with the Civil Guard. His fatherwas killed in--I don't remember what disturbance."

  Simoun smiled faintly, silently, showing his sharp white teeth.

  "Aha! Aha!" said his Excellency nodding. "That's the kind we have! Makea note of that name."

  "But, General," objected the high official, seeing that the matterwas taking a bad turn, "up to now nothing positive is known againstthese young men. Their position is a very just one, and we have noright to deny it on the ground of mere conjectures. My opinion is thatthe government, by exhibiting confidence in the people and in its ownstability, should grant what is asked, then it could freely revoke thepermission when it saw that its kindness was being abused--reasonsand pretexts would not be wanting, we can watch them. Why causedisaffection among some young men, who later on may feel resentment,when what they ask is commanded by royal decrees?"

  Padre Irene, Don Custodio, and Padre Fernandez nodded in agreement.

  "But the Indians must not understand Castilian, you know," cried PadreCamorra. "They mustn't learn it, for then they'll enter into argumentswith us, and the Indians must not argue, but obey and pay. They mustn'ttry to interpret the meaning of the laws and the books, they're sotricky and pettifogish! Just as soon as they learn Castilian theybecome enemies of God and of Spain. Just read the _Tandang BasioMacunat_--that's a book! It tells truths like this!" And he held uphis clenched fists.

  Padre Sibyla rubbed his hand over his tonsure in sign ofimpatience. "One word," he began in the most conciliatory tone, thoughfuming with irritation, "here we're not dealing with the instructionin Castilian alone. Here there is an underhand fight between thestudents and the University of Santo Tomas. If the students win this,our prestige will be trampled in the dirt, they will say that they'vebeaten us and will exult accordingly. Then, good-by to moral strength,good-by to everything! The first dike broken down, who will restrainthis youth? With our fall we do no more than signal your own. Afterus, the government!"

  "_Punales_, that's not so!" exclaimed Padre Camorra. "We'll see firstwho has the biggest fists!"

  At this point Padre Fernandez, who thus far in the discussion hadmerely contented himself with smiling, began to talk. All gave himtheir attention, for they knew him to be a thoughtful man.

  "Don't take it ill of me, Padre Sibyla, if I differ from your viewof the affair, but it's my peculiar fate to be almost always inopposition to my brethren. I say, then, that
we ought not to be sopessimistic. The instruction in Castilian can be allowed without anyrisk whatever, and in order that it may not appear to be a defeatof the University, we Dominicans ought to put forth our efforts andbe the first to rejoice over it--that should be our policy. To whatend are we to be engaged in an everlasting struggle with the people,when after all we are the few and they are the many, when we need themand they do not need us? Wait, Padre Camorra, wait! Admit that now thepeople may be weak and ignorant--I also believe that--but it will notbe true tomorrow or the day after. Tomorrow and the next day they willbe the stronger, they will know what is good for them, and we cannotkeep it from them, just as it is not possible to keep from childrenthe knowledge of many things when they reach a certain age. I say,then, why should we not take advantage of this condition of ignoranceto change our policy completely, to place it upon a basis solid andenduring--on the basis of justice, for example, instead of on the basisof ignorance? There's nothing like being just; that I've always said tomy brethren, but they won't believe me. The Indian idolizes justice,like every race in its youth; he asks for punishment when he hasdone wrong, just as he is exasperated when he has not deserved it. Istheirs a just desire? Then grant it! Let's give them all the schoolsthey want, until they are tired of them. Youth is lazy, and what urgesthem to activity is our opposition. Our bond of prestige, Padre Sibyla,is about worn out, so let's prepare another, the bond of gratitude,for example. Let's not be fools, let's do as the crafty Jesuits--"

  "Padre Fernandez!" Anything could be tolerated by Padre Sibyla exceptto propose the Jesuits to him as a model. Pale and trembling, hebroke out into bitter recrimination. "A Franciscan first! Anythingbefore a Jesuit!" He was beside himself.

  "Oh, oh!"

  "Eh, Padre--"

  A general discussion broke out, regardless of the Captain-General. Alltalked at once, they yelled, they misunderstood and contradictedone another. Ben-Zayb and Padre Camorra shook their fists in eachother's faces, one talking of simpletons and the other of ink-slingers,Padre Sibyla kept harping on the _Capitulum_, and Padre Fernandez onthe _Summa_ of St. Thomas, until the curate of Los Banos entered toannounce that breakfast was served.

  His Excellency arose and so ended the discussion. "Well, gentlemen,"he said, "we've worked like niggers and yet we're on a vacation. Someone has said that grave matters should he considered at dessert. I'mentirely of that opinion."

  "We might get indigestion," remarked the secretary, alluding to theheat of the discussion.

  "Then we'll lay it aside until tomorrow."

  As they rose the high official whispered to the General, "YourExcellency, the daughter of Cabesang Tales has been here again beggingfor the release of her sick grandfather, who was arrested in placeof her father."

  His Excellency looked at him with an expression of impatience andrubbed his hand across his broad forehead. "_Carambas_! Can't one beleft to eat his breakfast in peace?"

  "This is the third day she has come. She's a poor girl--"

  "Oh, the devil!" exclaimed Padre Camorra. "I've just thought of it. Ihave something to say to the General about that--that's what I cameover for--to support that girl's petition."

  The General scratched the back of his ear and said, "Oh, go along! Havethe secretary make out an order to the lieutenant of the Civil Guardfor the old man's release. They sha'n't say that we're not clementand merciful."

  He looked at Ben-Zayb. The journalist winked.