Part 48 (1/2)
[6] The Jesuit College in Manila, established in 1859.--Tr.
[7] Natives of Spain; to distinguish them from the Filipinos, _i.e.,_ descendants of Spaniards born in the Philippines. See Glossary: ”Indian.”--Tr.
[8] It was a common saying among the old Filipinos that the Spaniards (white men) were fire (activity), while they themselves were water (pa.s.sivity).--Tr.
[9] The ”liberal” demonstrations in Manila, and the mutiny in the Cavite a.r.s.enal, resulting in the garroting of the three native priests to whom this work was dedicated: the first of a series of fatal mistakes, culminating in the execution of the author, that cost Spain the loyalty of the Filipinos.--Tr.
[10] Archbishop of Manila from 1767 to 1787.--Tr.
[11] ”Between this island (Talim) and Halahala point extends a strait a mile wide and a league long, which the Indians call 'Kinabutasan,'
a name that in their language means 'place that was cleft open'; from which it is inferred that in other times the island was joined to the mainland and was separated from it by some severe earthquake, thus leaving this strait: of this there is an old tradition among the Indians.”--Fray Martinez de Zuniga's _Estadismo_ (1803).
[12] The reference is to the novel _Noli Me Tangere_ (_The Social Cancer_), the author's first work, of which, the present is in a way a continuation.--Tr.
[13] This legend is still current among the Tagalogs. It circulates in various forms, the commonest being that the king was so confined for defying the lightning; and it takes no great stretch of the imagination to fancy in this idea a reference to the firearms used by the Spanish conquerors. Quite recently (January 1909), when the nearly extinct volcano of Banahao shook itself and scattered a few tons of mud over the surrounding landscape, the people thereabout recalled this old legend, saying that it was their King Bernardo making another effort to get that right foot loose.--Tr.
[14] The reference is to _Noli Me Tangere,_ in which Sinang appears.
[15] The Dominican school of secondary instruction in Manila.--Tr.
[16] ”The studies of secondary instruction given in Santo Tomas, in the college of San Juan de Letran, and of San Jose, and in the private schools, had the defects inherent in the plan of instruction which the friars developed in the Philippines. It suited their plans that scientific and literary knowledge should not become general nor very extensive, for which reason they took but little interest in the study of those subjects or in the quality of the instruction. Their educational establishments were places of luxury for the children of wealthy and well-to-do families rather than establishments in which to perfect and develop the minds of the Filipino youth. It is true they were careful to give them a religious education, tending to make them respect the omnipotent power (_sic_) of the monastic corporations.
”The intellectual powers were made dormant by devoting a greater part of the time to the study of Latin, to which they attached an extraordinary importance, for the purpose of discouraging pupils from studying the exact and experimental sciences and from gaining a knowledge of true literary studies.
”The philosophic system explained was naturally the scholastic one, with an exceedingly refined and subtile logic, and with deficient ideas upon physics. By the study of Latin, and their philosophic systems, they converted their pupils into automatic machines rather than into practical men prepared to battle with life.”--_Census of the Philippine Islands (Was.h.i.+ngton, 1905), Volume III, pp. 601, 602._
[17] The nature of this booklet, in Tagalog, is made clear in several pa.s.sages. It was issued by the Franciscans, but proved too outspoken for even Latin refinement, and was suppressed by the Order itself.--Tr.
[18] The rectory or parish house.
[19] Friends of the author, who suffered in Weyler's expedition, mentioned below.--Tr.
[20] The Dominican corporation, at whose instigation Captain-General Valeriano Weyler sent a battery of artillery to Kalamba to destroy the property of tenants who were contesting in the courts the friars' t.i.tles to land there. The author's family were the largest sufferers.--Tr.
[21] A relative of the author, whose body was dragged from the tomb and thrown to the dogs, on the pretext that he had died without receiving final absolution.--Tr.
[22] Under the Spanish regime the government paid no attention to education, the schools (!) being under the control of the religious orders and the friar-curates of the towns.--Tr.
[23] The c.o.c.kpits are farmed out annually by the local governments, the terms ”contract,” and ”contractor,” having now been softened into ”license” and ”licensee.”--Tr.
[24] The ”Munic.i.p.al School for Girls” was founded by the munic.i.p.ality of Manila in 1864.... The inst.i.tution was in charge of the Sisters of Charity.--_Census of the Philippine Islands, Vol. III, p. 615_.
[25] Now known as Plaza Espana.--Tr.
[26] Patroness of the Dominican Order. She was formally and sumptuously recrowned a queen of the skies in 1907.--Tr.
[27] A burlesque on an a.s.sociation of students known as the _Milicia Angelica_, organized by the Dominicans to strengthen their hold on the people. The name used is significant, ”carbineers” being the local revenue officers, notorious in their later days for graft and abuse.--Tr.
[28] ”Tinamaan ng lintik!”--a Tagalog exclamation of anger, disappointment, or dismay, regarded as a very strong expression, equivalent to profanity. Literally, ”May the lightning strike you!”--Tr.