352 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA t 
sort of numbers of the most genteel people of 
the town, and has a very gay appearance. 
Opposite to the chateau there is a monastery 
belonging to the Recollets or Franciscan friars; 
a very few only of the order are now left. Con¬ 
tiguous to this building is the college belong¬ 
ing to the Jesuits, whose numbers have dimi¬ 
nished even still faster than that of the Recol¬ 
lets ; one old man alone of the brotherhood is 
left, and in him are centered the immense pos¬ 
sessions of that once powerful body in Canada, 
bringing in a yearly revenue of 10,000/. ster¬ 
ling. This old man, whose lot it has been to 
outlive all the rest of the order, is by birth a 
Swiss: in his youth he was no more than a 
porter to the college, but having some merit 
be was taken notice of, promoted to a higher 
situation, and in the end created a lay brother. 
Though a very old man he is extremely healthy; 
he possesses an amiable disposition, and is much 
"beloved on account of the excellent use he 
makes of his large fortune, which is chiefly em¬ 
ployed in charitable purposes. On his death 
the property falls to the crown. 
The nunneries are three in number, and as 
there is no restriction upon the female religious 
orders, they are all well filled. The largest of 
them, called LTIopiial General, stands in the 
suburbs, outside of the walls; another, of the 
order of St. Ursulc, is not far distant from the 
chateau. 10 
