[79] Bowring (Visit to the Philippines, p. 194) says of the condition of Santo Tomás: "In the university of St. Thomas there are about a thousand students. The professorships are of theology, the canon and civil law, metaphysics and grammar; but no attention is given to the natural sciences, to the modern languages, nor have any of the educational reforms which have penetrated most of the colleges of Europe and America found their way to the Philippines." [80] Of the college of Santo Tomás, the report of the Dominican friars in 1883 to the colonial exposition of Amsterdam says: "The building occupied by the university of Santo Tomás has contained since 1611 the college of the same name, which is under the direction of the Dominican friars, who gratuitously educate therein from 30 to 40 youths, the children of poor families, generally providing all the expenses for their career, and preparing them so that in the future they can fill an unembarrassed and suitable place in society. Many of these youths have become distinguished in scientific circles, and for their honesty in the legal profession, while others have been honored with the miter of a bishop, and have occupied venerable positions in ecclesiastical chapters. The youths educated in this college were not only Spaniards, but included also natives and mestizos, some of whom entered as servants, which was an honor solicited by many; and on some occasions four large dormitories of this college have been completely filled. There was a period when some entered and paid a moderate amount, according to the archives in the college, but this period was a very short one, because the documents on file in the archives show that at the beginning and at the middle of the seventeenth century, and during a greater part of the eighteenth century, no free pupils were admitted, and the few who were admitted paid a moderate tuition fee in proportion to the means of the family. In the beginning the only branches of secondary instruction taught in the college were the so-called philological or grammatical studies, and after proficiency therein any of the careers established in the university was followed." See Census of Philippines, iii, pp. 596, 597.