The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER XXXII 154
Tasio, the Sage, who was walking about there thoughtfully, murmured: "Perchance some day when this
edifice, which is today begun, has grown old and after many vicissitudes has fallen into ruins, either from the
visitations of Nature or the destructive hand of man, and above the ruins grow the ivy and the moss,--then
when Time has destroyed the moss and ivy, and scattered the ashes of the ruins themselves to the winds,
wiping from the pages of History the recollection of it and of those who destroyed it, long since lost from the
memory of man: perchance when the races have been buried in their mantle of earth or have disappeared, only
by accident the pick of some miner striking a spark from this rock will dig up mysteries and enigmas from the
depths of the soil. Perchance the learned men of the nation that dwells in these regions will labor, as do the
present Egyptologists, with the remains of a great civilization which occupied itself with eternity, little
dreaming that upon it was descending so long a night. Perchance some learned professor will say to his
students of five or six years of age, in a language spoken by all mankind, 'Gentlemen, after studying and
examining carefully the objects found in the depths of our soil, after deciphering some symbols and
translating a few words, we can without the shadow of a doubt conclude that these objects belonged to the
barbaric age of man, to that obscure era which we are accustomed to speak of as fabulous. In short,
gentlemen, in order that you may form an approximate idea of the backwardness of our ancestors, it will be
sufficient that I point out to you the fact that those who lived here not only recognized kings, but also for the
purpose of settling questions of local government they had to go to the other side of the earth, just as if we
should say that a body in order to move itself would need to consult a head existing in another part of the
globe, perhaps in regions now sunk under the waves. This incredible defect, however improbable it may seem
to us now, must have existed, if we take into consideration the circumstances surrounding those beings, whom
I scarcely dare to call human! In those primitive times men were still (or at least so they believed) in direct
communication with their Creator, since they had ministers from Him, beings different from the rest,
designated always with the mysterious letters "M. R. P.", [93] concerning the meaning of which our learned
men do not agree. According to the professor of languages whom we have here, rather mediocre, since he
does not speak more than a hundred of the imperfect languages of the past, "M. R. P." may signify "Muy Rico
Propietario." [94] These ministers were a species of demigods, very virtuous and enlightened, and were very
eloquent orators, who, in spite of their great power and prestige, never committed the slightest fault, which
fact strengthens my belief in supposing that they were of a nature distinct from the rest. If this were not
sufficient to sustain my belief, there yet remains the argument, disputed by no one and day by day confirmed,
that these mysterious beings could make God descend to earth merely by saying a few words, that God could
speak only through their mouths, that they ate His flesh and drank His blood, and even at times allowed the
common folk to do the same.'"
These and other opinions the skeptical Sage put into the mouths of all the corrupt men of the future. Perhaps,
as may easily be the case, old Tasio was mistaken, but we must return to our story.
In the kiosks which we saw two days ago occupied by the schoolmaster and his pupils, there was now spread
out a toothsome and abundant meal. Noteworthy is the fact that on the table prepared for the school children
there was not a single bottle of wine but an abundance of fruits. In the arbors joining the two kiosks were the
seats for the musicians and a table covered with sweetmeats and confections, with bottles of water for the
thirsty public, all decorated with leaves and flowers. The schoolmaster had erected near by a greased pole and
hurdles, and had hung up pots and pans for a number of games.
The crowd, resplendent in bright-colored garments, gathered as people fled from the burning sun, some into
the shade of the trees, others under the arbor. The boys climbed up into the branches or on the stones in order
to see the ceremony better, making up in this way for their short stature. They looked with envy at the clean
and well-dressed school children, who occupied a place especially assigned to them and whose parents were
overjoyed, as they, poor country folk, would see their children eat from a white tablecloth, almost the same as
the curate or the alcalde. Thinking of this alone was enough to drive away hunger, and such an event would be
recounted from father to son.
Soon were heard the distant strains of the band, which was preceded by a motley throng made up of persons