The Reign of Greed is Charles Derbyshire’s 1912 English translation of José Rizal’s novel El Filibusterismo, the sequel to Noli Me Tangere. Set in the late Spanish colonial Philippines, it explores social injustice, corruption, and the difficult search for reform. It is worth listening to for its historical significance and Rizal’s mature reflection on colonial society.
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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
[Contents] [iii] The Reign of Greed A Complete English Version of EƯ FƗƯƗœǼǪǵŧǡƗǪƽLj from the Spanish of José Rizal By Charles Derbyshire Manila Philippine Education Company 1912
[iv]
[Contents]
Copyright, 1912, by Philippine Education Company.
Entered at Stationers’ Hall.
Registrado en las Islas Filipinas.
All rights reserved. [v]
[Contents]
TǡĵƿǪƯĵǵLjǡ’Ǫ IƿǵǡLjŠǼŕǵƗLjƿ
El Filibusterismo, the second of José Rizal’s novels of Philippine life, is a story of the last days of the Spanish régime in the Philippines.
Under the name of The Reign of Greed it is for the first time translated into English. Written some four or five years after Noli Me Tangere, the book represents Rizal’s more mature judgment on political and social conditions in the islands, and in its graver and less hopeful tone reflects the disappointments and discouragements which he had encountered in his efforts to lead the way to reform. Rizal’s dedication to the first edition is of special interest, as the writing of it was one of the grounds of accusation against him when he was condemned to death in 1896. It reads:
“To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old),
Don José Burgos (30 years old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February, 1872.
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