diced b Jos e S. Arc a, - non

had studied at the University of Santo Tomas, and presumably he would beinformed in some small way of the organization, the way of life, and thesocial and economic clout of the Dominicans. Was this knowledge used? Didhe have other sources when he wrote his novel? I think so, namely, ManriqueAlonso Lallave's Los Frailes en Filipinas.Manrique Alonso Lallave was born in Fuente de San Esteban, Salamancain 1839, arrived as a theology student in the Philippines in 1858 and, afterpriestly ordination, was parish priest in Manila and in Pangasinan. Expelledin 1871 from the Dominican order for reasons we do not know, he returned toSpain where he came into contact with the politicians and liberal thinkers ofthe time, living almost similarly to the former Franciscan Arriaga." Shortlyafter, in 1872, he published the book we are discussing. It is not much morethan a bloody criticism of the agonizing situation in the Philippines, and whatthe author himself wrote as a diagnosis of the disease, summed up in thisphrase: "the cause of the evils in that country . consists in having entrustedits civilization to the friars, and the absolute and exclusive dominion theyenjoy there. The friars will be useful for the conversion of the pagans, but notto civilize savages. Civilization is more than making the sign of the cross,assisting at mass and reciting the rosary, the only things the friars can teach inthe Philippines?"Lallave attacks all religious orders, and his former brethren, theDominicans, particularly and with more deadly aim. He criticizes everything,but especially their system of education and economic power, and yetaffirming he was not minutely informed because "the mysteries of theProcure only the fattened priests know." But this does not stop him frommaking a six-part elenchus of the main sources of their riches. The third partis the most important, referring to the "vast estates of Santa Rosa and Biftan inLaguna province; Lolomboy' and Pandi in Bulacan province . . . a total ofnine estates with imposing villas, granaries, and other things needed in farmhouses?"' H. P. de Tavera, a closed mind when it comes to denouncing thedefects of the clergy, has already noted (in a fit of honesty which it is good tomention) that the book was written ab irato and so of little credibility.Apparently Rizal had the book with him when he wrote his Noli. He wasnot satisfied with oral sources, and he usually based himself on written ones.Recall what we have indicated in note 35 above.88