diced b Jos e S. Arc a, - non

Ibanez had also offered to act as adviser and proof-reader, 131umentritt was ingood company.Of course, Blumentritt's involvement with the Noli may be said to havestarted with the famous letter of 27 March 18877 in which the friend not onlyappreciates the book but added the prophecy about Rizal which has sinceassumed historic proportions:In the first place accept my cordial felicitations on your beautiful social novelwhich interests me extraordinarily. Your work, as Germans say, has been writtenwith the blood of the heart ("mit Herzblut") and for this reason it speaks also tothe heart . . . . I already knew that you were a man of extraordinary talent . . . butthis notwithstanding your work has exceeded my expectations and I considermyself lucky that you have honoured me with your friendship. But not only I butyour people also can be called lucky for having in you a son and loyal patriot.And Blumetritt adds those fateful words that.until today have stood as aperfect characterization of Rizal:If you will continue thus, you can become for your people one of those great menwho will exert a definite influence on their spiritual development.Finally Blumentritt's grand assault on what he considered the critics,opponents, slanderets, and distortioners of the Noli was launched when theImprenta Iberia de Francisco Fossas (123 Rambla de Catalufia, Barcelona)published El Noli me Tangere de Rizal—Juzgado por el ProfesorBlumentritt.8 An appendix was added by Marcelo H. del Pilar and Rizalprovided the essay which introduced Blumentritt to the Spanish and Filipinoreading public,'° although ‘Rizal wrote there was no need to give hisbiography because "all those who are interested in geography, ethnography,and linguistics, all Orientalists, all those who are engaged in the study of thePhilippines know his name which is respected and honoured in the civilizedworld of Europe." Still, Rizal rightly expected that the opinions expressed byBlumentritt might raise protests from those who had pretensions toinfallibility or who denounced everybody airing a different opinion as a"filibustero," a heretic, or a Protestant. And Rizal assured his readers that"Professor Blumentritt is a fervent Catholic and obedient son of the RomanChurch, which he considers the only true one, the only one that can redeemmankind." Furthermore, the Philippine national hero set out to prove that hisAustrian friend could not be branded a "filibustero" because he wasdefending Spanish rights on all questions, for which he had been honored anddecorated by the Madrid government. Lastly, Rizal pointed out that Blumen-233