CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS. 



189 



care of the cloistered nuns, was the first nunnery Philip had 

 visited : they then saw a larger establishment, called the Grey 

 Nunnery: "they have 750 in the house, and as many in the 

 city, dependent on them for their bread." Much work was done 

 by the inmates. He was touched at finding " ladies, many of 

 them of the highest station, who consent to perform menial 

 and loathsome offices for the poorest and lowest people — 

 for those who have brought on their diseases by profligate 

 lives, or are dragging out an imbecile old age — simply for 

 the love of God." In the schools of the Christian Brethren, 

 the French boys were taught English, and the English French, 

 etc. "At eleven o'clock there was a sudden silence ; and 

 a boy got up and read, in a slow, serious tone, that at the 

 hour of eleven it was proper to remember that the Lord 

 was with us in our studies, etc., followed by an act of faith, of 

 hope, and of charity ; and some prayers in which they all 

 joined ; and then went on with lessons. There was nothing 

 constrained about the thing ; just as natural as when, in our 

 school romps, we subside and have a hymn and prayer. Of 



course, would say that all this time spent in religion 



might be devoted to Greek roots and other showy accomplish- 

 ments ; but, for my own part, I like children to associate 

 religion with everything, in their play and their work." He 

 was much pleased with the specimen of instruction which he 

 witnessed, and considered it a libel that the Catholics wanted 

 to keep the people in ignorance : " it is a special instruction to 

 all the visitors — the Sisters of Charity, and the Brothers of 

 St. Vincent de Paul — to urge the parents to send their children 

 to [these schools], and keep them there as long as possible." 

 He also went to see the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, conducted by 

 the Sisters of St. Joseph ; and Le Petit Seminaire, a kind of 

 high school for girls ; and the large Jesuits' College for Youths, 

 where there were 230 boarders. Here he was told that it was 

 absolutely forbidden to see the classes at work ; but they were 

 allowed to walk in the glazed passages between the class-rooms, 

 and formed a favourable opinion of the discipline maintained : 

 and he was pleased to find a museum, with philosophical 



