The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER LXIII 309
[85] The full dress of the Filipino women, consisting of the camisa, pañuelo, and saya suelta, the latter a
heavy skirt with a long train. The name mestiza is not inappropriate, as well from its composition as its use,
since the first two are distinctly native, antedating the conquest, while the saya suelta was no doubt introduced
by the Spaniards.
[86] The nunnery of St. Clara, situated on the Pasig River just east of Fort Santiago, was founded in 1621 by
the Poor Clares, an order of nuns affiliated with the Franciscans, and was taken under the royal patronage as
the "Real Monasterio de Santa Clara" in 1662. It is still in existence and is perhaps the most curious of all the
curious relics of the Middle Ages in old Manila.--TR.
[87] The principal character in Calderon de la Barca's La Vida es Sueño. There is also a Tagalog corrido, or
metrical romance, with this title.--TR.
[88] The Douay version.--TR.
[89] "Errare humanum est": "To err is human."
[90] To the Philippine Chinese "d" and "l" look and sound about the same.--TR.
[91] "Brothers in Christ."
[92] "Venerable patron saint."
[93] Muy Reverendo Padre: Very Reverend Father.
[94] Very rich landlord. The United States Philippine Commission, constituting the government of the
Archipelago, paid to the religious orders "a lump sum of $7,239,000, more or less," for the bulk of the lands
claimed by them. See the Annual Report of the Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War, December 23,
1903.--TR.
[95] Cumare and cumpare are corruptions of the Spanish comadre and compadre, which have an origin
analogous to the English "gossip" in its original meaning of "sponsor in baptism." In the Philippines these
words are used among the simpler folk as familiar forms of address, "friend," "neighbor."--TR.
[96] Dominus vobiscum.
[97] The Spanish proverb equivalent to the English "Birds of a feather flock together."--TR.
[98] For "filibustero."
[99] Tarantado is a Spanish vulgarism meaning "blunderhead," "bungler." Saragate (or zaragate) is a
Mexican provincialism meaning "disturber," "mischief-maker."--TR.
[100] Vete á la porra is a vulgarism almost the same in meaning and use as the English slang, "Tell it to the
policeman," porra being the Spanish term for the policeman's "billy."--TR.
[101] For sospechoso, "a suspicious character."--TR.
[102] Sanctus Deus and Requiem aeternam (so called from their first words) are prayers for the dead.--TR.
[103] Spanish etiquette requires that the possessor of an object immediately offer it to any person who asks
about it with the conventional phrase, "It is yours." Capitan Tiago is rather overdoing his Latin