Page:Historical account of Lisbon college.djvu/137

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HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF LISBON COLLEGE.
127

plinarian Father Winstanley was and how anxiously he guarded those under him from anything which he thought might tend to weaken the ecclesiastical spirit, can imagine how such a proposition was likely to be received. Something, probably, in his look or manner betrayed the state of his feelings, which the Admiral readily detected. He, however, quickly turned the difficulty by jocosely remarking: " You are right, Mr. President, I quite see that if your fellows came on board, the discipline of my ship would be absolutely upset. Thus the matter ended pleasantly.

On the death of Father Le Clerc the Rev. Joseph Ilsley was appointed Vice-President and was succeeded in the Procuratorship by the Rev. Peter Baines, and in 1837, the Rev. Peter Davies was elected Superior and took charge of the Classical Studies completing again the staff of Professors.

Besides the aid which the College was able to give to the English Mission by the regular dispatch of numerous zealous priests educated within its walls, the interests of religion were in no small degree promoted by it in Lisbon itself. It was a centre whence radiated the light of good example. The exemplary conduct both of priests and students, the staunch loyalty and devotion it ever manifested towards the Holy See, the order and reverence with which all the solemn services of the Church were carried out and the active missionary work which to some extent it was able to perform, were a stay and encouragement to the religiously disposed, and won the respect and good will of the public in general. This influence came no doubt to be more clearly recognized after the suppression of the Religious Communities, one of the first acts of the Constitutional or Liberal Government set up by Don Pedro in 1834.

The universal expression of regret elicited by the death of the Rev. Father Le Clerc is abundant evidence of what has been stated and it is further illustrated by a work commenced at this time and for many years zealously maintained by the Rev. Joseph Ilsley, for the