Life of Count Rumford. 93 



confidence and friendship reposed in him by Mr. Bald- 

 win, to make such statements concerning that period 

 of his life before he left Concord. I have found no 

 reason for doubting that, if Thompson had been treated 

 in a conciliatory manner after his examination, and 

 had been gratified in his desire to have a position 

 in the American army, he would have faithfully served 

 his native country. Nor do I imagine that under any 

 circumstances he would have proved an Arnold. That 

 he was deeply wounded in spirit and irritated in tem- 

 per when he formed his plan of exile either to some 

 distant part of this country or abroad is very evident. 

 But that this sense of wrong, or irritation, excited in 

 him a vengeful purpose, is not shown by anything 

 known to have been said by him, nor is it necessarily 

 indicated by what he did. Neither is there any evi- 

 dence that when Major Thompson left Woburn, ac- 

 cording to the intention which he frankly communicated 

 to his father-in-law, he had resolved to join the ranks 

 of the enemy, or even to seek their civil protection. 

 Pictet, in a paragraph which I have omitted from the 

 above quotation, says that Thompson left his home in 

 November, 1773, and Cuvier says that his daughter 

 was not born till after his departure. These errors as 

 to matters of fact may persuade us that both Pictet 

 and Cuvier erred also in matters of inference as to the 

 early predilections of Thompson for the royalist cause. 

 Probably circumstances and the opening of opportuni- 

 ties, more than any settled purpose, decided the course 

 of this forlorn and ill-treated young husband and fa- 

 ther, adrift on the world, when he found himself, loosed 

 from all home ties, beginning to wander in distracted 

 times. 



