Their origin is immemorial. They are bound by vows of obedience and chastity, not poverty, for the time that they remain. Hardly ever does one return to the world. The Père Coultins promised to visit for me the other convents of the town. This is what I could do for Ghent. At 6, I started by railway to Louvain, where I was received as an old acquaintance at the Hôtel de Suide. The Provincial sends me here for my retreat. In the train to Malines, I had Mr. Maude and Mr. Perry. Finished Journal, and to bed at near 12.
Saturday, July 20.— After mass at the cathedral, and breakfast, I went to the Seminary of the Jesuits, with a letter from the Provincial to Père Rosa, the rector. He introduced me to Père Vanderghote, who is to direct my retreat, and left me with him. We went to walk about the town, called on M. Malou, who undertook to translate a prayer from Dr. Wiseman's prayers for England, into French. I called on Mr. De Coux, and at I dined with these two fathers, and we went into the garden. I then wrote to Dr. Wiseman, Phillipps, and M. Bonquéan, and at ¼ to 5 began my retreat for eight days please God, till the end of which my present journal intermits. Orate pro me omnes qui diligitis Deum.
Monday, July 29.— I rose this morning out of my retreat, hoping that by the help of Almighty God I may preserve some of its fruit durably. I said mass once more at 7½ in the private chapel, then after a conversation with my kind Father Vanderghote, I went to the College du Saint Esprit, where I saw M. Malou, and then went into the hall, where theses were defended by a young priest called Bacten, and then degrees conferred, and a discourse in Latin pronounced by Abbé Malou. The Nuncio and the Bishop of Amiens were there, with many others. At 2 I dined with M. Malou. The chief guests were the Grand Vicaire de Bruges, a monseigneur, and Abbé Marais, of the Sorbonne; much conversation was on England, and some good interest excited. I went again to see Père Rosa, and Vanderghote, and at 6½ was on the railway to Malines with a multitude of priests. I went to the Petit Séminaire, and supped, and M. Bonquéan walked with me to the Grue.
Tuesday, July 30.— Said mass at the cathedral, and then at 8 went to the Archbishop's palace, where, with much trouble, I got at the Chanoine's private secretary, who introduced me to the Cardinal and his five suffragan Belgian Bishops of Bruges, Tournay, Gand, Namur, and Liege, sitting after breakfast. I sat down, and in a short conversation a great deal seemed to be done for the cause. I was desired to draw up documents with M. Bonquéan to-day, and to dine with the prelates at 1 to-morrow, to hear their conclusion. Laus Deo semper. At 10½ I went to M. Bonquéan, where I found two young Oxford men, whom I afterwards found were Christie of Oriel and his brother. They went with M. Bonquéan and me on all our rounds to the convents of the town to-day. At 12 I dined at the Petit Séminaire, then, with M. Bonquéan and M. Vandervelde, who was very zealous for England, I began to prepare for to-morrow; at 4½ the Christies came, and we walked till 7. The convents which we went to, and which all promised, and (except one which was cold) all with great warmth, were:—
Les Soeurs Hospitalières de Ste. Elisabeth, 21 nuns.
Les Marie Colae 17 nuns.
Soeurs de Charité, not St. Vincent's, but a house under the direction of the Grand Séminaire, 23 nuns.
Soeurs de Notre Dame, Abbé Bonquéan is Director here; we saw an interesting English novice, and stayed some time, 30 nuns.
Les Soeurs Apostolines, 24 nuns.
Les Pauvres Claires, not so zealous, 25 nuns.
Lastly, we visited a new house and institute called Frères de la Miséricorde, lately founded by a canon of the cathedral, by name Scheppers. There are now 27 brothers, of whom 25 are on their mission, which is to enter, several together, the prisons of the country, and devote themselves to the spiritual and bodily care and cure of the prisoners. The Government favours them remarkably; it seems a most notable institution, and the founder was a most interesting man. He promised warmly to engage all his brethren. At 7½ I went to the station, and met Elwes, on his way home from Kissengen. I brought him up, and we had supper at the Grue. I went to bed after a good bit of work to be got up, office, Journal, account, &c.
Wednesday, July 31. St. Ignatius.— Elwes and I said mass at the cathedral. From 10 till near 1 he and I were both at work copying an address for the Bishops, of which I thought to give each a copy. At one I went to dine at the Cardinal's. There were there six Bishops and the Nuncio, and many of the chief clergy. I sat next to Mgr. de Namur; afterwards I took an hour's walk in the garden, and at 4 attended the meeting of the Bishops, who came to a happy resolution of granting an indulgence of 40 days for every mass, every communion, even hearing mass, or saying it with a memento for England, and reciting a prayer which they determined on. The Cardinal was full of noble kindness. This grant was more than I had proposed in my paper, and so my morning's work and Elwes's was useless in a very agreeable way. I went to the Grue and found M. Bonquéan and the Christies with Elwes. In packing up I found my passport was lost, and went off, therefore, uncertain whether I could pass the frontier without writing for one to Brussels. The Christies travelled with me. I had some interesting conversation with each about their position in the Church of England. They took it with great gentleness, and answered well. They seem not to have thought of coming over, and yet to be in good disposition to do what they shall see right. We met very agreeably with the very priest of whom we have heard so much, who learnt English to instruct a lady in his parish near Bruges, whose daughter was already a convert, and writes letters to Dr. Wiseman for publication in England (Miss Heron). We became great friends, and he, with another young priest, his neighbour, who are taking a little tour together, came with us to the Aigle Noir, nearer the Redemptorists than l'Hôtel de France. We were very nearly upset in the omnibus, as we came up from the station; it was overloaded with luggage, and struck the wheels on the right in the sand, having got off the paving. We got out, unhurt, into another omnibus passing by; supper, and to bed.
Thursday, August 1.— Said mass at the Redemptorists. Le Père Van Held invited us all to breakfast, i.e., the Christies and the priests, our new friends. I met there the Bishop's secretary, who gave me a letter to the Governor of Liege, Baron Van der Stein, who, happily, was come this morning into town, and gave me my passport. I then went on with my vigilante to see the Miss Nicholls, who have been living two years at the Benedictine convent, Quai d'Avroy. I met them last at Boulogne, in 1838. They promised to be busy in getting prayers. I then visited the Jesuits' College, and Abbé Marsomme. Dined at 1 at the table d'hôte with the Christies, whom Père Van Held had sent about sight-seeing with one of his priests. At 2.45 we took the convoy to Cologne, which we reached duly at 9¼, and went to the Hôtel du Douane, Gasthof zum Kölner Dom, close to the cathedral; we took a walk round the cathedral by moonlight after supper.
Friday, August 2.— I went to say mass in the cathedral, which we then looked round. It gives a melancholy spectacle of what miserable times have been gone through while it remained thus unfinished so long; but it is a consolation to see the glorious restoration now going on. The most beautiful points of the decoration of the choir are the fresco paintings above the pillars, and the rich gilded diapering on the lower part of them round the choir, in which one column alone is finished; and beautiful figures under canopies on each column, half-way to the top. The building is surrounded with great masses of stones for the completing of it. It is expected that it will be finished, fit for consecration, in four years, but not quite complete till twenty years hence, please God, if we have peace. After breakfast we went to call on Professor Michel, at the Seminary. He could not come with us. We saw the Jesuits' church, and returned to assist at part of a requiem mass at the cathedral, the anniversary of the Archbishop Ferdinand. I spoke to the Vicar-General about England, then went home, wrote to M. Malou, dined alone; and at 1 set off by a steamboat on the Rhine for Koenigswinter, parting from the Christies in the boat. I had nothing very remarkable in the passage; reached Koenigswinter at 5. I took up my lodgings at the Hôtel de Berlin, where the Phillippses had been for twelve days. They came in from a ride in the mountains about 6, and we went to tea with Count and Countess Kurtzrock. He is Mrs. Ambrose's second cousin. Their daughter Marie and her governess gave us music.