Page:Twelve Years in a Monastery (1897).djvu/33

Rh named the 'Seraphic' Saint), are a recent innovation on their scheme of studies, on account of the falling-off of vocations amongst more advanced students. The college was not a grave incubus upon the time and resources of the friars at that period. One of their number, an estimable and energetic priest, whose only defect was his weakness in classics, was appointed to conduct the classical studies and generally supervise and instruct the few aspirants to the order who presented themselves. We numbered eight that year, and it may be safely doubted whether there was an idler and more mischievous set of collegiates in the United Kingdom. Our worthy professor knew little more of boys than he did of girls, and he had numerous ministerial engagements to fulfil in addition to his professorial duties. The rector of the college, a worthy and religious-minded but delightfully obtuse old Belgian friar, would have discharged his function equally well if he had lived on Mars.

In spite, however, of the discouraging circumstances we contrived to attain our object very rapidly. We were all anxious to begin our monastic career in robe and tonsure as soon as possible, and all that the order required as a preliminary condition was a moderate acquaintance with Latin—the language of the Liturgy. Our professor, indeed, had a higher but imperfectly grasped ideal: he added French and Greek to our programme. Physics and mathematics were unthought-of luxuries, and our English was left at its