WM. THOMPSON, ESQ. 
XX111 
“amid the monotonous din of the- work-shop,” the vocation in which Mr. 
Davis was then engaged being that of a muslin weaver, “ an employment 
not very remarkable for its remunerative qualities.” He now fills the re- 
sponsible situation of Librarian and Secretary to the Working Classes’ 
Association at Belfast ; and, on being applied to by one of the Editors of 
the present volume, most kindly forwarded the following letter respecting 
his intercourse with Mr. Thompson : — 
TO ROBERT PATTERSON, ESQ. 
Belfast, 
November 22nd, 1854. 
Sir, 
Touching our distinguished townsman, the late William Thompson, 
Esq., and your desire to know something of the manner of that gentleman’s ac- 
quaintance with me, I shall endeavour to state its origin and progression as 
briefly as possible. Some time after the publication of my first volume of 
verses, or towards the latter end of the year 1847, I was one day employed at 
my accustomed labour, when a fellow-workman, coming in, told me that a per- 
son outside wished to speak with me. On going to the door of the workshop, I 
was accosted by a gentleman, who asked me if my name were Davis, and whe- 
ther I was the person who, under that name, had lately published a volume of 
poetry. On being answered in the affirmative, he said that he had for some time 
been making inquiries after me. He said he had felt delighted to think that a 
Belfast-man, in so humble a position, had won for himself such favourable 
opinions as those he had been lately reading in the Athenaeum and in the Critic. 
He had read my book himself, he said, and was highly gratified by the tone of 
independence which characterized it. He asked me whether I considered 
politics the more legitimate sphere of a poet ? I said that was a subject I had 
never thought upon, but that my opinion was, if but one individual could be 
taught, through verses, to look more kindly upon those who might think proper 
to differ with him in religion or politics, whole volumes of such had not been 
written in vain. He seemed to be much pleased with the reply, and said it was 
the duty of every man to do what good he could ; and if, when doing his best, 
he might happen to err, it was only in judgment — in such cases, a mere matter 
of opinion. He then — and not till then — told me that his name was Thompson, 
gave me his address, mentioned the hours he was likely to be at home, and said 
he would be very happy at seeing me call upon him as often as I could make it 
convenient. Before leaving, he spoke of the Museum, the Botanic Gardens, and 
Linen-hall Library, asking me if I were in the habit of visiting them. On my 
saying that I had never been to any of them, he asked me whether I would not 
wish to have the privilege of doing so when I thought proper. I said that no- 
thing could be more gratifying to me : he then took his departure, promising 
to let me hear from him the next day. I did hear from him the next day ; 
I received a circular entitling me to attend, on that night, at a “ Reading ” 
delivered to the Natural H. S., of which Mr. Thompson at the time was Pre- 
sident. On the same night, I received from his hands the authority of the dif- 
ferent Committees to visit the Museum, the Linen-hall Library, and the Botanic 
Garden, at any time I thought proper. From that time till the time of his death, 
Mr. Thompson was to me, not merely a friend and patron, but & father — a kind 
and indulgent father. For two or three years before I had seen Mr. Thompson, 
my health had been gradually on the decline, and, in a few months after our first 
interview, I became so reduced in bodily strength that I was compelled to give 
up my ordinary occupation, to which Mr. Thompson never afterwards would 
allow me to speak of returning. A situation more suited to my constitution, he 
reasoned, would “ turn up to me some time.” Alas ! his words, though pro- 
phetic, he did not live to see fulfilled. 
