41V,,,,,! • "9.41.3. - non

14 RIZAL BEYOND THE GRAVEputed document the spacing for margin was quite habitual to theperson who wrote it, and so also was that of the "Defensa"? Ifnot, then under what condition, that must be great enough toarrest the habit of the person, was this disputed document written?But if both were habitual to the person or persons concerned inthe two documents, how can we explain the difference in thetwo habits? If only one person wrote both documents then wemust show that both habits existed in that person. As far ascould determine, in the examination of Rizal's writings previousto the date in question 14 , his margin did not exceed one fifthof the width of the paper used. This noted difference in marginspacing is of course quite minor only.SLANT—We shall now compare the slants of the retractionwith those of the genuine writings of Rizal. The slant of writingis sometimes variable with some persons and with others, a littleless variable. With some, the limits of variation are prettyclose, that is, the slants of letters are very near to each other.With other people, however, the limits of slants are quite wide,so that the variation is great. But this great variation is not simplygreat variation and in it any slant is not just possible. Withincertain limits, i.e., between the most vertical and the most slantingletters, any variation in slant is possible with a given writer.In so far as the genuine standard writings of Rizal as near to thisdate as possible are available, we can say that the slants in thewritings of Rizal are variable. But it is not simply variable. Itis variable within certain limits. Now, it is absolutely wrong toconclude that because the writings of a certain particular personare variable in slants, that therefore, any variation in slants is possibletherein. The variability of slant in writing is, within givenlimits, determined only,by the examination of the various writingsof that person. In Figure XIV, we have the variable slants ofRizal's writings, both formal and informal, in ink and in pencil,which described the possible limits of the slants in Rizal's writing.In this illustration, I have measured in degrees the slants of thelong letters of Rizal's writings, as they occurred in the writingsillustrated in the various figures aboye. The first graph in thisFigure is that of the slants of Rizal's "Defensa" written in pencil.The second is the slants of his letter to his defender, Andrade,14 I have seen and measured the margins of various writings of Rizal, somedated 1896, 1893, 1892, 1890, including letters, diaries, post cards, thru thecourtesy of the Filipiniana Division of the National Library.