My dear Talbot
I marvel much not to have written to you before, one on whom I must have counted for certain in such case as this if you knew all the circs of it: a muster of all the Johnians supported by nearly all the Small Colls merely to put down a Trinity man, tho’ they do not deny me the best claim on the University.<1> The enemy say they have 300 promises, nearly 2ce as many as they polled last time: & I fear our friends will be lukewarm, conceiving my superior claims over Wordsworth’s to be such as to insuring success. You never had & probably never will have such an opporty of doing good service to the College, the principle of fair play, & perhaps I may say of Detur digniori:<2> for there is no objection made to me but that no man from Trinity ought to be elected to any more offices in the Univy It is my duty to those who have been fighting this uphill battle with rather than for me, to press you very urgently to come down as others are doing on both sides from a much greater distance. You will oblige others when you regard our Trinity as well as
with yrs very sincerely
T. Thorp
W. H. F. Talbot Esq
Notes:
1. In 1836, a new Public Orator was elected at Cambridge University, Christopher Wordsworth DD (1807-1885), man of letters, later Bishop of Lincoln. He was the nephew of the poet and son of Christopher Wordsworth DD (1774-1846), Master of Trinity. However, Wordsworth was soon appointed Headmaster of Harrow School, necessitating a second election for Public Orator. Thorp is enlisting WHFT’s support in this election. Held on 27 April 1836, the results were Rev Thomas Crick of St John’s College 359 votes and Rev Thomas Thorp of Trinity College 318 votes. See also Doc. No: 03263.
2. Let it be given to the more worthy.