404 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



teenth. But besides the mutilated^ tomb, of which no 

 restoration was possible, parsimony and Philistinism had 

 combined to make the rest of the church hideous. High 

 bare fir pews, an unsightly gallery at one end, lath, plaster, 

 and whitewash, floods of harsh light from many windows, 

 ugliness could no farther go. To the removal of these 

 deformities and the restoration of the church, not to its 

 ancient beauty that was not possible but to somewhat 

 greater seemliness Forbes gave his undivided attention 

 for one whole winter. At his earnest advocacy, a more 

 liberal government than we have of late years enjoyed 

 undertook to restore the body of the church, and what 

 with seemly oaken seats, a raftered roof, and more 

 appropriate mullions and tracery in the old pointed 

 windows, the work has been so done as to render the 

 College church, if not as perfect as might be desired, at 

 any rate a great improvement on what it was. By his 

 solicitations, the College and private persons were stirred 

 up to substitute for the former common glass, with its 

 untempered garishness, new painted windows, which, by 

 toning down the light, give at least solemnity to the 

 churck As the result of all these exertions, the College 

 church, if it has not re-attained its pristine beauty, has 

 certainly lost its former repulsiveness, and been rendered 

 one of the most soothing and attractive places of worship 

 in which Presbyterians at this day meet. 



But though the church was restored, Principal Forbes' 

 troubles with it were not yet over. 



The chapel of St. Salvator's had been used for a gene- 

 ration or two as a parish church also by the congregation 

 of St. Leonard's. This had come about in the following 

 way. When the old parish church of St. Leonard's fell 

 into disrepair, the Professors of the United College, who 

 were the chief heritors in the parish, being loth to incur 

 the expense of renewing it, offered to accommodate St. 

 Leonard's congregation in their own College chapel. And 

 so it came to pass that the congregation, after they had 

 worshipped in it for some time along with the Professors 

 and the students, came to believe that the College had 



