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This collection contains correspondence, a journal of a tour in Greece in 1856, notebooks on classical subjects and other writings, and printed material primarily relating to his classical studies and lectures as Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge.

This material forms a series within the additional manuscripts series b, c, and d and are catalogued as Add.MS.b.115-119, Add.MS.c.72-73, Add.MS.c.158-160

The second of two boxes of correspondence shelved as Add.MS.c.72-73. Items 62-63 and 141 are addressed to W. H. Thompson's wife, Frances.

The first of two boxes of correspondence shelved as Add.MS.c.72-73. Items 15, 45, and 58 are addressed to Mrs Thompson.

Photocopy of Benson's article in vol. LIV (1886) and Goodwin's article in vol. LV (1887).

Two letters.

Thanks Sidgwick for his present of his new work on his 'favourite subject' [Outlines of the History of Ethics...?] Remarks that he hopes that the work, being historical, will be within the limits of his capacity. Announces that they are to leave Scarboro[ugh] for Harrowgate in a couple of days. Presumes that Sidgwick rejoices 'at the discomfitness of this most immoral of high-churchmen.' Sends their regards to Mrs Sidgwick.

Writes to inform Sidgwick that 'at a special meeting of the Council at which all 13 members were present', he was unanimously elected to a Fellowship of the College. His day of admission is to be the following Monday at 10.45.

Refers to a conversation they had some years previously [see 95/157] in relation to a review by John Sterling of Tennyson, which he had believed was to be found in the London Review, but on looking there, found that the article on Tennyson had been written by Mill. He did not find Sterling's article until the previous day, in Hare's collection of Sterling's pamphlets and other papers, where he had looked for and found his article on Carlyle. Reports that it purports to be taken from 'the Quarterly [Review] (of all organs of opinion) of 1842'. Remarks that the paper on Carlyle strikes him as poor, and that on Tennyson as 'Philistinish'. Comments that Starling 'had but a limited appreciation of poetry, and did not clearly know good from bad.' Congratulates Sidgwick 'on having passed through a 3rd edition.'

Asks if he may assume that Sidgwick would allow his name to be added to the list of Honorary Fellows, in accordance with 'the desire of the "Sixteen Fellows next on the Roll"'. States that he read Sidgwick's letter to the [Seniority]; that 'some discipline took place', and that further consideration was postponed until their next meeting.

He asks if Sidgwick will give him on paper the substance of his proposal in regard of Mr Ward. Says that there was no time to discuss the matter at the last [ ].

Three separate groups of material:

• An unbound notebook of miscellaneous items, which includes a dialogue between Plato and Paley, with various drawings, parts of poems and complete poems by William Wordsworth and Percy Bysshe Shelley, and a hand-drawn calendar listing plays printed in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.
• 5 copies of a pamphlet headed “Euripides (A lecture delivered in 1857)” signed W. H. T. at the end in wrappers, including one inscribed to H. Jackson and another to Professor Badham, with Thompson's corrections, and another with a note on the front indicating that it was to be revised and submitted to the Journal of Philology, with 13 copies of the offprints from that journal, vol. XI
• Catalogue of the valuable library of the Rev. W. H. Thompson, D.D., deceased…which will be sold by auction, by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge…on the 23rd of May, 1887 & the three days following. London, [1887]. With annotations throughout by an unidentified person.

Comments that Sidgwick's letter seem to him 'to meet the case very well', but suggests that one epithet at the end 'is perhaps a trifle too aggressive though perfectly just.' Recommends alternative adjectives to be used in place of those used by Sidgwick. Remarks that 'to check Furnivall is a feat hitherto unperformed, probably impossible', but that the threat of a general withdrawal may stop him for a time.

Two printed sermons by Thompson: "Old things and new." A sermon, preached in the chapel of Trinity College, on Wednesday, December 15, 1852, being Commemoration Day; and A sermon preached in Ely Cathedral on Sunday, November 14, 1858, being the Sunday next after the funeral of the Very Reverend George Peacock (2 copies).
Five offprints from The Journal of Philology: "On the Word κρουνχυτροληραîος in the Equites of Aristophanes v. 89" and "Platonica" (3 copies) from Vol. V; "Introductory remarks on the Philebus", from Vol. XI; "Babriana" (13 copies) and "On the Nubes of Aristophanes" (12 copies) from Vol. XII.
Accompanied by an MS poem by D. D. H. [Douglas Denon Heath?], written in 1832[?], with note 'returned to D. D. H. 23 June 90' [possibly originally with verses by others in Add.MS.c.158, as described in a folder listing there in William Aldis Wright's hand].

Travel journal of a tour of Greece dated 15 Apr.-11 June 1856 with rough sketches and geographical and architectural observations, notes on people met, food encountered, weather, and transportation (item 1). Accompanied by Latin and Greek compositions dating from early days with his private tutor Thomas Scott at Gawcott, and then at Trinity College, Cambridge, many of them drafts and fragments, and including compositions for Medal and Fellowship exhibitions, with compositions and verses by others: [John William?] Donaldson, Charles Merivale, E. M. Cope, and John [Smith?] Mansfield. The compositions include one headed "Macaronic verses written a few years ago by Professor Porson, during the alarm of an invasion", and two statistical tables in an unidentified hand, "A Display at one View, of the Number of Books, Chapters, Words and Verses contained in the Old and New Testaments, with other curious information connected with the Sacred Writings", and another listing numbers of people in the world, numbers of places of worship in London, consumption of good in London, inhabitants of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales in 1802. With other notes, possibly lecture notes, many of them fragmentary, and an undated letter from Elizabeth di Spineto.

Letter (158/1) referring to the 'enclosed contributions' [158/2] to Sidgwick's paper as meagre, but as being representative of what he had found time to read and think about during the summer. Believes that the passage in Plato's Republic must stand, and states that the true ruler 'ought to know enough of the true statecraft to govern without the consent of mutinous inferiors.' Dicusses the difference between statecraft and statesmanship. Hopes that Sidgwick will have enough papers printed for Thompson to have half a dozen.

158/2: transcription of a passage from Plato's Republic relating to a steersman and his crew. Refers to notes made some years before, which discuss the passage in terms of its literal and grammatical content. Refers to 'Mr S.'s' [Sidgwick's?] view on the passage.

Writes to tell Sidgwick that, on referring to the London Review, he finds that he had misinformed him about the authorship of the article on Tennyson, and states that it is by J.S. Mill. Mentions that he misses some criticisms 'which existed in the article [John] Sterling did write.' Suggests that this article may be found in Blackwood [it is in fact in the Quarterly Review of September 1842]. States that it is not in the 'Edinbro' [Edinburgh Review], 'but in the LXXXVIIth vol of the blue and yellow [ie the E. R.] there is a very good article by Spedding [on] the two vols. which appeared 1842.' Claims that he should recognise Sterling's 'fine Roman hand' if he saw it, but has no collection of Blackwoods of this kind. Reports that he 'ran down [Saint] Simeon Stylites with his usual vehemence, and rather scoffed at the Ode to Memory, comparing it, unfairly, and of course unfavorably, with Wordsworth's Platonic Ode'.