Life of Count Rumford. 35 



that when in 1818-19, as a college student, he taught 

 school in a district of Wilmington, following Thomp- 

 son at a distance of forty-seven or forty-eight years, 

 the oldest people there very well remembered their 

 distinguished and eccentric master of the former age. 

 Strange stories were told of certain athletic and gymnastic 

 performances and feats, not to say tricks, in which he 

 sometimes exercised himself and his scholars, within the 

 walls as well as outside. In the winter of 1770, Thomp- 

 son was confined five weeks with a fever. 



Going back a little from some of the later contents 

 of these memoranda, particular reference must be made 

 to the envied privilege which young Thompson enjoyed 

 in attending some of the scientific lectures at Harvard 

 College. He refers to his temporary absence from Dr. 

 Hay's as beginning June 12, 1771, on occasion of 

 such attendance, and he seems to imply that he lived, 

 during the interval, at Cambridge. He may have found 

 lodging and board there for a short time. But it has 

 always been affirmed that so ardent was his desire thus 

 to gratify his scientific passion, that, while compelled to 

 make his visits to Cam-bridge consistent with duties in 

 Wobnrn, he walked, with his friend Baldwin, over the 

 distance, some eight miles or more. Some time be- 

 fore this, Mr. Baldwin, not being a student at the 

 College, had sought, and through the interest of a 

 friend in Boston had obtained, the privilege of attend- 

 ing upon Professor Winthrop's lectures there. He 

 secured the same privilege for his younger friend. We 

 may be sure that among those whose names were on the 

 class-lists there were none who more valued this rich 

 opportunity, or turned it to better account, than these 



