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VIIIRIZAL BEYOND THE GRAVEscientific undertaking. As an honest and sincere atternpl, therefore,the present work is offered to the public in clarification ofthe question about Dr. Jose Rizal's Retraction. We cannot nowafford to let prejudice take the better of us. For that reason,the writer has endeavored to present facts and evidence for hisproofs—preferring the factual and mute evidence to testimonies—in the honest persecuticn of the modern tendency both in legalprocedure and scientific research. One virtue, if it were a virtueat all, that the writer claims for this work is that he has refrainedto speak for his evidence, for he avoids theorics beforefacts are gathered, but has always let, his evidence speak forhim. If there be a science in fact., that science must have for itsfoundation facts and evidence, and evidence should speak for itselfand for the scientist, rather than that the scientist shouldspeak for his evidence, in order to avoid the danger of lettingbelief produce circumstantial evidence, just so that circumstantialevidence would produce time knowledge.The writer is more than aware of the possibility that thepresent work would have cosi too dearly had it been written duringthe time when our Hero lived, both for him and his family, buttimes have changed and things must change with them, too.That no such persecuticn could ever occur even under differentcloaks in these days the writer is quite skeptical, because nobodyis ever master of every circumstance in which he "lives andmoves and has his being." But why did he write it, nevertheless?Because he is ever hopeful, too, that the spirit of ModernAge would not allow the repetition of ruthless tyranny, intoleronce,and hypocrisy in modern times. Nevertheless, if in this socalled Modern Age, men would still, even unconsciously—unconsciousnessis a very vicious but quite a fashionable excuse fora directed and aimed Action fruitful of destructivo results—manifestits atavistic tendency to narrowness, fanaticism, persecution,and the like, feasting over the slain Mies of its victims whowould rather perish than yield, believing that such jubilation isthe will of God—which belief, if it be true, would make that Godthe God of the godless—, and celebrating such achievement to bethe only way to consecrate civilization, even calling unto the Almightyto keep them strong to effect such ruthless destructionof freedom of thought, consciente, and worship, if, I repeat, thisModern Age would allow the repetition of such curse on humanily,which ought by now to be matters of history, then it is hightime for as, all of us, to disillusion ourselves regarding this Age