At the University of Paris Thomas became deathly ill with "the plague" and on recovering was sent by someone in charge of his destiny to the University of Louvain in the Southern Netherlands (now Belgium), to study under Justus Lipsius. Thomas himself gives that as a reason, but otherwise does not have a clear explanation for the change, stating only that Belgium was a "safe refuge". Instead he was diverted from this plan by William Crichton, Jesuit, then Superior of the Scots College, Douai, which is a good indication that forces unknown to young Thomas were at work in his life. He did not matriculate at Louvain.