trare!' This means,
'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, who close to men the Kingdom of
God, and neither enter nor allow others to enter!'

"Now, to you personally, I will say: You are an unfortunate fool,
who speak numberless absurdities, although I could not expect aught
else from you, and would not punish you for them. But you have had the
audacity of not only insulting others, by which you forgot truth and
charity, but praised yourself and called attention to your own praise.

"Referring to yourself, you said. This Father, whom I well know (liar,
you do not even know yourself), although he may appear a little hard
headed (a little hard-headed? Ask my crosier if your head is not harder
than stone), never speaks in vain (this is true; every word you say
causes as much laughter on earth as in Heaven), nor uses words without
first thinking (if such is true, your intelligence is very limited).

"For such foolish vanity I ought to punish you severely, so that you
would stop forever your senseless writings, saving me the trouble of
coming to reprimand you at every instance.

"Were I to judge you according to your own theory, you should at
least go to your Purgatory. But, after all, you are not so bad,
as many learned persons are made to laugh at your writings.

"It would be well for your pride if you allowed the Indians to pass
by you without taking off their hats or kissing your hand. But then,
they would be imprisoned or exiled, and it would not do to increase
the wrong you do them.

"Shall I make you lame and dumb? No! Your brothers would claim it
was a trial of your forbearance, to which God had submitted you. No;
you won't catch me on that!

"What shall I do with you?"

The old Bishop meditated for a few moments, and then, he exclaimed:

"Ah! Now I know! Your own sin shall be your punishment!

"I condemn you to continue saying and writing nonsense for the rest
of your life, so that the world may laugh at you, and also, that on
the Day of Judgment you may be judged according to your deserts!"

"Amen!" replied Friar Rodriguez.

The vision then disappeared; the light of the lamp regained its
yellowish flame, and the soft perfume dispersed.

On the following day Friar Rodriguez started writing greater nonsense,
with renewed energy.

Amen!

_Jose Rizal._

Note.--The foregoing admirable translations from the writings of
Dr. Rizal were made by Mr. F.M. de Rivas, of Chicago.

CHAPTER XV

Events of