file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #ebibc-;h4htm or #ebibc-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#ebibc_/pg#ebibc-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#eb ibc_/ebibc-;h4zip7 ,note3 ,images of the original pages are available through the ,google ,books ,library ,project4 ,see https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/correspo ndence#jj;hersuoft ,transcriber's note3 ,when italics were used in the original book1 the corresponding text has been surrounded by underscores except in the case of single letter variables used in the ,notes section1 where the italics were not represented4 ,mixed fractions have been displayed with a hyphen between whole number and fraction for clarity4 ,superscripted characters are preceded by and when more than one character is superscripted1 they are surrounded by 4 ,some corrections have been made to the printed text4 ,these are listed in a second transcriber's note at the end of the text4 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,illustration3 ,joseph ,brown sc ,caroline ,herschel4 ,,tat #ib4 ,,memoir ,,and ,,correspondence ,,of ,,caroline ,,herschel4 by ,,mrs4 ,,john ,,herschel4 ,with ,portraits4 ,,second ,,edition4 ,london3 ,john ,murray1 ,albemarle ,street4 #ahgi4 ,,introduction4 ,,familiar to all as is the name this volume bears1 it is not without hesitation that the following pages are given to the world4 ,to subject the memorials of a deeply earnest life to the eyes of a generation overcrowded with books1 raises a certain amount of diffidence4 ,of ,caroline ,herschel herself most people will plead ignorance without feeling ashamed1 and yet may we not assert that ,caroline ,herschel is well worth knowing4 ,great men and great causes have always some helper of whom the outside world knows but little4 ,there always is1 and always has been1 some human being in whose life their roots have been nourished4 ,sometimes these helpers have been men1 sometimes they have been women1 who have given themselves to help and to strengthen those called upon to be leaders and workers1 inspiring them with courage1 keeping faith in their own idea alive1 in days of darkness1 ,when all the world seems adverse to desert4 ,these helpers and sustainers1 men or women1 have all the same quality in common--absolute devotion and unwavering faith in the individual or in the cause4 ,seeking nothing for themselves1 thinking nothing of themselves1 they have all an intense power of sympathy1 a noble love of giving themselves for the service of others1 which enables them to transfuse the force of their own personality into the object to which they dedicate their powers4 ,of this noble company of unknown helpers ,caroline ,herschel was one4 ,she stood beside her brother1 ,william ,herschel1 sharing his labours1 helping his life4 ,in the days when he gave up a lucrative career that he might devote himself to astronomy1 it was owing to her thrift and care that he was not harassed by the rankling vexations of money matters4 ,she had been his helper and assistant in the days when he was a leading musician2 she became his helper and assistant when he gave himself up to astronomy4 ,by sheer force of will and devoted affection1 she learned enough of mathematics and of methods of calculation1 which to those unlearned seem mysteries1 to be able to commit to writing the results of his researches4 ,she became his assistant in the workshop2 she helped him to grind and polish his mirrors2 she stood beside his telescope in the nights of midwinter1 to write down his observations1 when the very ink was frozen in the bottle4 ,she kept him alive by her care2 thinking nothing of herself1 she lived for him4 ,she loved him1 and believed in him1 and helped him1 with all her heart and with all her strength4 ,she might have become a distinguished woman on her own account1 for with the 8seven-foot ,newtonian sweeper0 given to her by her brother1 she discovered eight comets first and last4 ,but the pleasure of seeking and finding for herself was scarcely tasted4 ,she 8minded the heavens0 for her brother2 she worked for him1 not for herself1 and the unconscious self-denial with which she gave up her own pleasure in the use of her 8sweeper10 is not the least beautiful feature in her life4 ,she must have been witty and amusing1 to judge from her books of 8,recollections40 ,when past eighty1 she wrote what she called 8a little history of my life from #aggb-aggh0 for her nephew1 ,sir ,john ,herschel1 the son of her brother ,william1 that he might know something of his excellent grandparents1 as well as of the immense difficulties which his father had to surmount in his life and labours4 ,it was not to tell about herself1 but of others1 that she wrote them4 ,there is not any good biography of ,sir ,william ,herschel1 and the incidental revelations of him in these ,recollections are valuable4 ,they show how well he deserved the love and devotion she rendered to him4 ,great as were his achievements in science1 and his genius1 they were borne up and ennobled by the beauty and worth of his own inner life4 ,these memorials of his father and his aunt were much valued by ,sir ,john ,herschel1 and they are carefully preserved by the family along with her letters4 ,the perusal of them is like reading of another world4 ,the glimpses of the life of a soldier's family in ,hanover at the time the ,seven ,years' ,war was going on are very touching4 ,both father and mother must have been remarkable persons1 and the sterling quality of character developed in ,william and ,caroline ,herschel was evidently derived from them4 ,all the family seem to have been endowed with something like touches of genius1 but ,william and ,caroline were the only two who had the strong back-bone of perseverance and high principle which made genius in them fulfil its perfect work4 ,her own recollections go back to the ,great ,earthquake at ,lisbon2 she lived through the ,american ,war1 the old ,french ,revolution1 the rise and fall of ,napoleon1 and all manner of lesser events and wars4 ,she saw all the improvements and inventions1 from the lumbering post waggon in which she made her first journey from ,hanover1 to the railroads and electric telegraphs which have intersected all ,europe1 for she lived well down into the reign of ,victoria4 ,but her work of 8minding the heavens0 with her brother engrossed all her thoughts1 and she scarcely mentions any public event4 ,her own astronomical labours were remarkable1 and in her later life she met with honour and recognition from learned men and learned societies2 but her dominant idea was always the same--8,i am nothing1 ,i have done nothing2 all ,i am1 all ,i know1 ,i owe to my brother4 ,i am only the tool which he shaped to his use--a well-trained puppy-dog would have done as much40 ,every word said in her own praise seemed to be so much taken away from the honour due to her brother4 ,she had lived so many years in companionship with a truly great man1 and in the presence of the unfathomable depths of the starry heavens1 that praise of herself seemed childish exaggeration4 ,the ,letters and ,recollections contained in this volume will show what she really was4 ,she would have been very angry if she could have foreseen their publication1 yet1 in consideration of the great interest they possess1 we hope to be justified for making known to the world such an example of self-sacrifice and perseverance under difficulties4 ,the spelling has been modernised1--an old lady who had discovered eight comets might be allowed to spell in her own way2 but it is pleasanter to read what is written in an accustomed manner4 ,a word has been altered occasionally where the sense required it1 otherwise no change has been made1 and as little has been added as was possible1 and only with the view of giving a slight connecting thread of narrative4 ,if these ,recollections convey as much pleasure to the readers of them as they have given to the ,editor1 they will feel that they have gained another friend in ,caroline ,lucretia ,herschel4 ,december1 #ahge4 ,,note4 ,,when past ninety a second memoir was undertaken1 and in order to encourage her to continue it her niece1 ,lady ,herschel1 wrote to her as follows3--4444 8,now1 my dearest aunt1 you must let me make an earnest petition to you1 and that is1 that you will go on with your memoir until you leave ,england and take up your residence in ,hanover4 ,how can ,i tell you how much my heart is set upon the accomplishment of this work8444 ,you know you cannot be idle while you live4 ,but indeed1 if ,i could tell you the influence which a short account by a stranger of your labours with your dear ,brother had upon me when a child1 and of my choosing you 7then so unknown to me7 as my guiding star and example1 you would understand how the possession of such a record by your own hand would make me almost believe in auguries and presentiments1 and perhaps inspire some future generations more worthily1 as the record would be more genuine40 ,august #i1 #ahda4 ,may we not echo this hope1 and feel indeed that 8,,she ,,being ,,dead ,,yet ,,speaketh40 ,m4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,,early ,,life ,,in ,,hanover--,,musical ,,talents ,,of ,,her ,,brother ,,william--,,marriage ,,of ,,her ,,sister--,,the ,,regiment ,,ordered ,,to ,,england--,,her ,,father',s ,,industry--,,typhus ,,fever--,,confirmation--,,death ,,of ,,father--,,accompanies ,,william ,,to ,,england #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,life ,,in ,,bath--,,heimweh--,,the ,,mighty ,,telescope--,,last ,,performance ,,in ,,public--,,casting ,,the ,,great ,,mirror--,,william ,,herschel ,,goes ,,to ,,london--,,made ,,royal ,,astronomer--,,removal ,,to ,,datchet--,,accidents--,,grant ,,of #b1jjj--,,life ,,at ,,slough--,,letters ,,from ,,hanover--,,discovery ,,of ,a ,,comet #bi ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,william ,,herschel',s ,,marriage--,,discovery ,,of ,,the ,,eighth ,,comet--,,extracts ,,from ,,day-,,book ,,and ,,diary--,,visit ,,to ,,bath--,,return ,,to ,,slough--,,resides ,,at ,,upton--,,illness--,,fear ,,of ,,blindness #gh ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,extracts ,,from ,,diary--,,william ,,herschel ,,knighted--,,failing ,,health--,,her ,,brother',s ,,portrait--,,death ,,of ,,alexander--,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,william--,,her ,,return ,,to ,,hanover--,,recollections ,,written ,,at ,,hanover #aah ,,chapter ,v4 ,,retrospection--,,life ,,in ,,hanover--,,her ,,humility--,,her ,,works--,,made ,,hon4 ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,astronomical ,,society--,,her ,,sweepings--,,blank ,,in ,,her ,,life ,,at ,,hanover--,,letters ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel--,,letters ,,between ,,her ,,and ,,her ,,nephew--,,visit ,,from ,,her ,,nephew--,,finishes ,,her ,,catalogue ,,of ,,the ,,nebul #ada ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,life ,,in ,,hanover ,,continued--,,letters ,,between ,,her ,,and ,,her ,,nephew--,,her ,,will--,,first ,,chapter ,,of ,,her ,,history--,,receives ,,the ,,gold ,,medal ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,astronomical ,,society--,,fearful ,,storm--,,her ,,portrait--,,her ,,nephew',s ,,marriage--,,preparation ,,for ,,her ,,death--,,paganini--,,her ,,nephew ,,knighted--,,lady ,,herschel',s ,,death--,,retrospection #aif ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,letters ,,from ,,the ,,cape--,,hon4 ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,astronomical ,,society--,,catalogue ,,of ,,omitted ,,stars--,,letters--,,saturn ,,and ,,his ,,sixth ,,satellite--,,her ,,nephew',s ,,visit--,,hon4 ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,irish ,,academy--,,extracts ,,from ,,day-,,book--,,anecdote ,,of ,,the ,,old ,,telescope--,,christmas ,,in ,,hanover--,,gold ,,medal ,,from ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,prussia--,,declining ,,strength--,,death--,,funeral #bfb ,,to ,,binder4 ,portrait of ,caroline ,herschel4 ,frontispiece4 ,portrait of ,sir ,william ,herschel1 after the original by ,abbott1 in the ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 to face p4 #aah4 ,herschel's ,forty-foot ,telescope1 to face p4 #bi4 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,recollections ,,of ,,early ,,life ,,in ,,hanover4 ,,caroline ,,lucretia ,,herschel was born at ,hanover on the #afth of ,march1 #agej4 ,she was the eighth child and fourth daughter of ,isaac ,herschel1 by ,anna ,ilse ,moritzen1 to whom he was married in ,august1 #agcb4 ,the family consisted of ten children1 four of whom died in early childhood4 ,a memorandum in the handwriting of ,isaac ,herschel1 transcribed by his daughter in the original ,german at the beginning of her ,recollections1 traces the family back to the early part of the seventeenth century1 about which time1 it appears that three brothers ,herschel left ,moravia on account of their religion 7which was ,protestant71 and became possessors of land in ,saxony4 ,one of these brothers1 ,hans1 was a brewer at ,pirna1 a little town two miles from ,dresden1 and the father of two sons1 one of whom1 ,abraham by name1 was born in #afea1 was the father of the above-mentioned ,isaac1 and the grandfather of ,caroline ,lucretia ,herschel4 ,abraham ,herschel was employed in the royal gardens at ,dresden1 he received commissions from various quarters on account of his taste and skill as a landscape gardener4 ,of his four children1 ,eusebius1 the eldest1 appears to have kept up little or no intercourse with his family after the father's death in #agah4 ,the second child1 ,apollonia1 married a landed proprietor1 ,herr von ,thmer4 ,benjamin1 the second son1 died in his third year2 and ,isaac1 the youngest1 was born #adth of ,january1 #agjg1 and was thus an orphan at the early age of eleven years4 ,his parents wished him to be a gardener like his father1 but a passionate love of music led him to take every opportunity of practising on the violin1 besides studying music under a hautboy-player in the royal band4 ,when he was about one and twenty he resolved to seek his fortune1 and went to ,berlin1 where the style of hautboy playing was so little to his taste that he soon left it1 and went to ,potsdam1 where he studied for a year under the celebrated ,cappell ,meister ,pabrch1 the means for so doing being supplied by his mother and sister2 his brother1 as he quaintly remarks1 contenting himself with writing him letters in praise of the virtue of economy6 ,in ,july1 #agca1 he went to ,brunswick1 and in ,august to ,hanover1 where he at once obtained an engagement as hautboy-player in the band of the ,guards1 and in the ,august following he married as above stated4 ,sidenote3 #afge-agca4 ,early ,recollections4 ,the family group to which ,miss ,herschel's autobiography introduces us consisted of-- #a4 ,sophia ,elizabeth1 born in #agcc4 ,afterwards ,mrs4 ,griesbach4 #b4 ,henry ,anton ,jacob1 born #bjth ,november1 #agcd4 7#d7 #c4 ,frederic ,william1 born #aeth ,november1 #agch4 7#f7 #d4 ,john ,alexander1 born #acth ,november1 #agde4 7#h7 #e4 ,carolina ,lucretia1 born #afth ,march1 #agej2 and 7#aj7 #f4 ,the little ,dietrich1 born #acth ,september1 #agee4 ,with the exception of frequent absences from home which attendance on a regiment made inevitable1 the family life went on smoothly enough for some years1 the father taking every opportunity1 when at home1 to cultivate the musical talents of his sons1 who depended for the ordinary routine of education on the garrison school1 to which all the children went from the age of two to fourteen4 ,here the splendid talents of ,william early displayed themselves1 and the master confessed that the pupil had soon got beyond his teacher4 ,although four years younger than ,jacob1 when the two brothers had lessons in ,french1 the younger had mastered the language in half the time needed by the elder1 and he in some measure satisfied his eager desire for knowledge by attending out of school hours to learn all that his master could teach of ,latin and arithmetic4 ,at fourteen he was an excellent performer both on the oboe and violin4 ,sidenote3 #agdc-aged4 ,early ,recollections4 ,the first serious calamity recorded was the irreparable injury caused to the father's health by the hardships of war4 ,after the battle of ,dettingen 7,june #afth1 #agdc7 the troops remained all night on the field1 which was soaked by heavy rains4 ,the unfortunate bandmaster lay in a wet furrow1 which caused a complete loss of the use of his limbs for some time1 and left him with an impaired constitution and an asthmatical affection which afflicted him to the end of his life4 ,during the dark times of the ,seven ,years' ,war1 the little ,caroline1 then her mother's sole companion1 often heard this grievous trouble spoken of1 and the shadow of it cast a gloom over her childish recollections1 most of which are of a sombre character4 ,at three years old she was a deeply interested participator in all the family concerns1 and of that period she writes3-- 8,it must have been in #agec when my brother ,jacob1 aged #ai was chosen organist to the new organ in the garrison church2 for ,i remember my mother taking me with her the first ,sunday on its opening1 and that before she had time to shut the pew door1 ,i took fright at the beginning of a preludium with a full accompaniment1 so that ,i flew out of church and home again4 ,i also remember to have seen my brother ,william confirmed in his new obisten uniform40 ,the next interesting event was the marriage of the eldest daughter1 who was living with a family at ,brunswick1 and whom her sister says she had never seen until she came home to be married4 ,the bridegroom1 ,mr4 ,griesbach1 also a musician in the ,guard1 found no favour in the eyes of his sister-in-law1 and it is evidently some satisfaction to her to have been told that her father never cordially approved the match1 8for 444 he knew him at least to be but a very middling musician1 and this alone would have been enough for my father's disapprobation40 ,great preparations were made for 8providing and furnishing a habitation 7which happened to be in the same house where my parents lived71 which they did in as handsome a manner as their straitened income would allow1 and to which my dear brothers took delight in contributing to the best of their ability4 ,i remember how delighted ,i was when they were showing me the pretty framed pictures with which my brother ,william had decorated his sister's room1 and heard my mother relate afterwards1 that the brothers had taken two months' pay in advance for the wedding entertainment4444 ,though for stocking a family with household linen my mother was prepared at all times1 as perhaps never a more diligent spinner was heard of2 but to keep pace with the wishes of my dear brothers1 by whom my sister was1 as well as by her parents1 exceedingly beloved--the whole family were kept for a time in an agreeable bustle to see that nothing that could give either pleasure or comfort might be wanting in her future establishment4444 ,the fte 7without which it would have been scandalous in those days to get married7 ended with a ball1 at which ,i remember to have been dancing among the rest without a partner40 ,sidenote3 #agec-agee4 ,early ,recollections4 ,a little later1 when war troubles broke up the household1 and the bride returned to her mother1 we are told3 8my sister was not of a very patient temper1 and could not be reconciled to have children about her1 and ,i was mostly1 when not in school1 sent with ,alexander to play on the walls or with the neighbour's children1 in which ,i seldom could join1 and often stood freezing on shore to see my brother skating on the ,stadtgraben 7town ditch7 till he chose to go home4 ,in short1 there was no one who cared anything about me40 ,the earthquake which destroyed ,lisbon on the #ast ,november #agee1 was strongly felt at ,hanover1 and became closely associated in the poor little girl's mind with the trials and troubles which shortly afterwards fell upon the family4 ,she says3-- 8,one morning early ,i was with my father and mother alone in the room1 the latter putting my clothes on1 when all at once ,i saw both standing aghast and speechless before me2 at the same time my brothers1 my sister1 and ,griesbach came running in1 all being panic-struck by the earthquake40 ,for a little while the family enjoyed a peaceful interval1 during which the extraordinary proficiency of his two eldest sons was a growing source of delight to the father1 whose utmost ambition was to see them become accomplished musicians2 while the wider flights of ,william met with his most cordial sympathy4 ,the following passage is one of the very few which reflect the brighter side of the picture3-- 8,my brothers were often introduced as solo performers and assistants in the orchestra of the court1 and ,i remember that ,i was frequently prevented from going to sleep by the lively criticism on music on coming from a concert1 or conversations on philosophical subjects which lasted frequently till morning1 in which my father was a lively partaker and assistant of my brother ,william by contriving self-made instruments4444 ,often ,i would keep myself awake that ,i might listen to their animating remarks1 for it made me so happy to see them so happy4 ,but generally their conversation would branch out on philosophical subjects1 when my brother ,william and my father often argued with such warmth1 that my mother's interference became necessary1 when the names ,leibnitz1 ,newton1 and ,euler sounded rather too loud for the repose of her little ones1 who ought to be in school by seven in the morning4 ,but it seems that on the brothers retiring to their own room1 where they shared the same bed1 my brother ,william had still a great deal to say2 and frequently it happened that when he stopped for an assent or reply1 he found his hearer was gone to sleep1 and ,i suppose it was not till then that he bethought himself to do the same4 8,the recollection of these happy scenes confirms me in the belief1 that had my brother ,william not then been interrupted in his philosophical pursuits1 we should have had much earlier proofs of his inventive genius4 ,my father was a great admirer of astronomy1 and had some knowledge of that science2 for ,i remember his taking me1 on a clear frosty night1 into the street1 to make me acquainted with several of the most beautiful constellations1 after we had been gazing at a comet which was then visible4 ,and ,i well remember with what delight he used to assist my brother ,william in his various contrivances in the pursuit of his philosophical studies1 among which was a neatly turned #d-;inch globe1 upon which the equator and ecliptic were engraved by my brother40 ,sidenote3 #agee-agef4 ,early ,recollections4 ,towards the end of the year #agee the regiment was under orders for ,england1 and the little household was at once broken up4 ,a place in the court orchestra had been promised to ,jacob1 but the vacancy did not1 unfortunately1 occur in time1 and he was obliged to smother his discontent1 lower his ambition1 and accept a place in the band with his younger brother4 ,at length the sad hour of parting arrived3-- 8,in our room all was mute but in hurried action2 my dear father was thin and pale1 and my brother ,william almost equally so1 for he was of a delicate constitution and just then growing very fast4 ,of my brother ,jacob ,i only remember his starting difficulties at everything that was done for him1 as my father was busy to see that they were equipped with the necessaries for a march4444 ,the whole town was in motion with drums beating to march3 the troops hallooed and roared in the streets1 the drums beat louder1 ,griesbach came to join my father and brothers1 and in a moment they all were gone4 ,my sister fled to her own room4 ,alexander went with many others to follow their relatives for some miles to take a last look4 ,i found myself now with my mother alone in a room all in confusion1 in one corner of which my little brother ,dietrich lay in his cradle2 my tears flowed like my mother's1 but neither of us could speak4 ,i snatched a large handkerchief of my father's from a chair and took a stool to place it at my mother's feet1 on which ,i sat down1 and put into her hands one corner of the handkerchief1 reserving the opposite one for myself2 this little action actually drew a momentary smile into her face4444 ,my father left half his pay for our support in the hands of an agent in ,hanover1 but ,griesbach1 instead of following my father's example1 gave up his lodging and brought his wife with her goods and chattels to her mother1 which arrangement was no small addition to our uncomfortable situation40 ,even at this early age1 it is not difficult to trace in these childish recollections the influence of that intense affection for her brother ,william which made him more and more the centre of all her interests2 next to him1 her father filled a large place in her heart4 ,of the long year of separation1 nothing is recorded4 ,at last ,jacob arrived 7having 8out of aggravation0 got permission to resign his place when the hoped-for vacancy in the orchestra had been otherwise filled7 he had travelled by post1 while his father and brother1 8who never forsook him for self-consideration10 were still toiling wearily on the march home4 8,my mother being very busy preparing dinner1 had suffered me to go all alone to the parade to meet my father1 but ,i could not find him anywhere1 nor anybody whom ,i knew2 so at last1 when nearly frozen to death1 ,i came home and found them all at table4 ,my dear brother ,william threw down his knife and fork1 and ran to welcome and crouched down to me1 which made me forget all my grievances4 ,the rest were so happy 444 at seeing one another again1 that my absence had never been perceived40 ,sidenote3 #agef-ageg4 ,early ,recollections4 ,the visit to ,england appears to have further developed the love of show and luxury which painfully distinguished ,jacob1 who must needs import specimens of ,english goods and ,english tailoring1 while all that ,william brought back was a copy of ,locke on the ,human ,understanding1 the purchase of which absorbed all his private means1 as he never willingly asked his father for a single penny4 ,but it was becoming apparent that he had not the physical strength to continue in the ,guard during war time1 and after the disastrous campaign of #ageg1 and the defeat at ,hastenbeck1#a #bfth ,july1 #ageg 7between #bj and #cj miles from ,hanover71 his parents resolved to remove him--a step apparently attended by no small difficulty1 as our faithful chronicler narrates3-- 8,i can now comprehend the reason why we little ones were continually sent out of the way1 and why ,i had only by chance a passing glimpse of my brother as ,i was sitting at the entrance of our street-door1 when he glided like a shadow along1 wrapped in a great coat1 followed by my mother with a parcel containing his accoutrements4 ,after he had succeeded in passing unnoticed beyond the last sentinel at ,herrenhausen he changed his dress4444 ,my brother's keeping himself so carefully from all notice was undoubtedly to avoid the danger of being pressed1 for all unengaged young men were forced into the service4 ,even the clergy1 unless they had livings1 were not exempted40 ,during these times of public and private peril1 the little girl was sent regularly to the garrison school with her brother ,alexander till three in the afternoon1 when she went to another school till six1 to learn knitting4 8,from that time forward ,i was fully employed in providing my brothers with stockings1 and remember that the first pair for ,alexander touched the floor when ,i stood upright finishing the front4 ,besides this my pen was frequently in requisition for writing not only my mother's letters to my father1 but for many a poor soldier's wife in our neighbourhood to her husband in the camp3 for it ought to be remembered that in the beginning of the last century very few women1 when they left country schools1 had been taught to write40 ,in addition to these occupations1 she was called upon to make herself useful when the fastidious ,jacob honoured the humble table with his presence1 8and poor ,i got many a whipping for being awkward at supplying the place of footman or waiter40 ,the sight of her mother constantly in tears2 the prolonged absence of her father2 the sister's unhappiness at being homeless when about to become a mother2 all these circumstances combined to sadden the personal recollections of a time of almost unsurpassed national calamity4 ,after the loss of the battle at ,hastenbeck1 the ,recollections thus conclude this period4 ,sidenote3 #ageg-agfj4 ,early ,recollections4 8,nothing but distressing reports came from our army1 and we were almost immediately in the power of the ,french troops1#b each house being crammed with men4 ,in that in which we were obliged to bewail in silence our cruel fate1 no less than #af privates were quartered1 besides some officers who occupied the best apartments1 and this lasted for about two years a note of later date says 8not so long0 before the town was liberated40 ,a gap occurs here1 between the years #ageg and #agfj1 several pages having been torn out in both the original 8,recollections0 and the unfinished memoir commenced in #ahdj4 ,in the former1 a sentence beginning 8the next time ,i saw him ,jacob was when he came running to my mother with a letter1 the contents of which10 remains unfinished1 and the narrative recommences with3 8,after reading over many pages1 ,i thought it best to destroy them1 and merely to write down what ,i remember to have passed in our family40 ,accordingly there is no record of anything preserved during this interval until ,may1 #agfj1 when the head of the family returned to it for good--broken in health and worn out by hardships to which he was no longer equal1 but strong in purpose and devoting himself at once to the musical education of his children and to giving lessons to the numerous pupils who soon came to seek instruction from so excellent a master4 ,jacob returned for the second time from ,england at the end of #agei1 and obtained the place of first violin in the court orchestra4 ,as usual the appearance of this member of the family caused a general upset of domestic comfort1 for 8when he came to dine with us1 it generally happened that before he departed his mother was as much out of humour with him as he was at the beefsteaks being hard1 and because ,i did not know how to clean knives and forks with brickdust40 ,sidenote3 #agfj-agfa4 ,early ,recollections4 ,the younger children made great progress under their father's careful training1 and with all her propensity for seeing the dark side1 the daughter's recollections of this period afford glimpses of a tolerably happy household4 ,if it was 8a helpless and distracted family0 to which1 as she writes1 her father returned1 those epithets could ill apply to the father himself1 for there is abundant evidence that he was a man of no ordinary character--one who1 in spite of constant suffering of a most distressing kind1 persisted in hard work to the very end1 and who set his children a noble example of patience1 unselfishness1 and self-denial4 ,to the last1 as his daughter records1-- 8,copying music employed every vacant moment1 even sometimes throughout half the night1 and the pen was not suffered to rest even when smoking a pipe1 which habit he indulged in rather on account of his asthmatical constitution than as a luxury2 for1 without all exception1 he was the most abstemious liver ,i ever have known2 and in every instance1 even in the article of clothing1 the utmost frugality was observed1 and yet he never was seen otherwise than very neat4444 ,with my brother ,dietrich now a little engaging creature of between four and five years old--he was very much pleased1 and on the first evening of his arrival at home before he went to rest1 the ,adempken 7a little violin7 was taken from the lumbering shelf and newly strung and the daily lessons immediately commenced4444 ,i do not recollect that he ever desired any other society than what he had opportunities of enjoying in many of the parties where he was introduced by his profession2 though far from being of a morose disposition2 he would frequently encourage my mother in keeping up a social intercourse among a few acquaintances1 whilst his afternoon hours generally were taken up in giving lessons to some scholars at home1 who gladly saved him the troublesome exertion of walking4444 ,he also found great pleasure in seeing ,dietrich's improvement1 who1 young as he was1 and of the most lively temper imaginable1 was always ready to receive his lessons1 leaving his little companions 7with whom our neighbourhood abounded7 with the greatest cheerfulness to go to his father1 who was so pleased with his performances that--,i think it must have been in ,october or ,november--he made him play a solo on the ,adempken in ,rake's concert1 being placed on a table before a crowded company1 for which he was very much applauded and caressed1 particularly by an ,english lady1 who put a gold coin in his little pocket4 8,it was not long before my father had as many scholars as he could find time to attend1 for some of those he had left behind returned to him again1 and several families who had sons of about the age of my little brother1 became his pupils and proved in time very good performers4 ,and when they assembled at my father's to make little concerts1 ,i was frequently called to join the second violin in an overture1 for my father found pleasure in giving me sometimes a lesson before the instruments were laid by after practising with ,dietrich1 for ,i never was missing at those hours1 sitting in a corner with my knitting and listening all the while40 ,a serious interruption of this and all other occupations was caused by a severe attack of typhus fever which in the summer of #agfa threatened to be fatal1 and 8reduced my strength to that degree that for several months after ,i was obliged to mount the stairs on my hands and feet like an infant2 but here ,i will remark that from that time to this present day 7,june #e1 #ahba7 ,i do not remember ever to have spent a whole day in bed40 ,in spite of her strong objections to learning1 the worthy mother had too correct a view of her duties to stand in the way of the necessary preparation for her daughter's confirmation1 who was accordingly1 but not without complaints at the loss of time1 released from her household avocations for this purpose4 ,alexander1 who had been taken as a sort of apprentice by ,griesbach1 was now of an age to turn his great musical talents to profitable account1 and returned to ,hanover1 where he obtained the somewhat mysterious situation of ,stadtmusicus 7,town ,musician71 the duties of which office involved 8little else to do but to give a daily lesson to an apprentice and to blow a ,corale from the ,markt ,thurm2 so that nearly all his time could be given to practice and receiving instruction from his father4 ,there was no doubt but that he would soon become a good violin player1 for his natural genius was such that nothing could spoil it40 ,sidenote3 #agfa-agfd4 ,early ,recollections4 ,although the absent brother ,william kept up regular correspondence with ,hanover1 many of his letters were written in ,english and addressed to ,jacob1 on such subjects as the ,theory of ,music1 in which the family in general could not participate4 ,year after year went by1 and ,william showed no inclination to leave ,england1 to which country he was becoming more and more attached2 the poor father1 who felt his strength steadily declining1 became painfully eager for his return4 ,on the #bnd ,april1 #agfd1 they were thrown into 8a tumult of joy0 by his appearance among them4 ,the visit was a very brief one1 offering no hope of any intention to settle in ,hanover2 the father was well aware that he at least could not look forward to another meeting on earth1 while to the poor little unnoticed girl1 this visit and its attendant circumstances stood out in her memory as fraught with anguish1 which even her unskilled pen succeeds in representing as a grief almost too deep for words4 8,of the joys and pleasures which all felt at this long-wished-for meeting with my--let me say my dearest brother1 but a small portion could fall to my share2 for with my constant attendance at church and school1 besides the time ,i was employed in doing the drudgery of the scullery1 it was but seldom ,i could make one in the group when the family were assembled together4 8,in the first week some of the orchestra were invited to a concert1 at which some of my brother ,william's compositions1 overtures1 c41 and some of my eldest brother ,jacob's were performed1 to the great delight of my dear father1 who hoped and expected that they would be turned to some profit by publishing them1 but there was no printer who bid high enough4 8,sunday the #hth was the--to me--eventful day of my confirmation1 and ,i left home not a little proud and encouraged by my dear brother ,william's approbation of my appearance in my new gown40 ,not only was she disappointed in her fervent hope that the longed-for brother would not come at the very time when she was obliged to be much from home1 but several of the precious days of his stay were spent in a visit to the ,griesbachs at ,coppenbrgge1 and the ,sunday fixed for his departure was the very day on which she was to receive her first communion4 ,sidenote3 #agfd-agfg4 ,early ,recollections4 8,the church was crowded and the door open3 the ,hamburger ,postwagen passed at eleven1 bearing away my dear brother1 from whom ,i had been obliged to part at #h o'clock4 ,it was within a dozen yards from the open door2 the postilion giving a smettering blast on his horn4 ,its effect on my shattered nerves1 ,i will not attempt to describe1 nor what ,i felt for days and weeks after4 ,i wish it were possible to say what ,i wish to say1 without feeling anew that feverish wretchedness which accompanied my walk in the afternoon with some of my school companions1 in my black silk dress and bouquet of artificial flowers--the same which had served my sister on her bridal day4 ,i could think of nothing but that on my return ,i should find nobody but my disconsolate father and mother1 for ,alexander's engagements allowed him to be with us only at certain hours1 and ,jacob was seldom at home except to dress and take his meals40 ,from the state of hopeless lethargy in which the poor sister describes herself as going mechanically about her daily tasks after that memorable day1 she was roused by a calamity which affected all alike4 ,the father had a paralytic seizure the ,august following1 by which he lost the use of his right side almost entirely1 and although he so far recovered as to be able still to receive pupils in his own house1 he never regained his former skill on the violin1 and was reduced to a sad state of suffering and infirmity2 a few months later he was pronounced to be in a confirmed dropsy4 ,changes of abode1 not always for the better2 anxieties1 on account of ,alexander's prospects and ,jacob's vagaries2 disappointment1 at seeing his daughter grow up without the education he had hoped to give her2 were the circumstances under which the worn-out sufferer struggled through the last three years of his life1 copying music at every spare moment1 assisting at a ,concert only a few weeks before his death1 and giving lessons until he was obliged to keep wholly to his bed4 ,he was released from his sufferings at the comparatively early age of sixty-one on the #bbnd ,march1 #agfg1 leaving to his children little more than the heritage of his good example1 unblemished character1 and those musical talents which he had so carefully educated1 and by which he probably hoped the more gifted of his sons would attain to eminence4 ,miss ,herschel describes herself as having fallen into 8a kind of stupefaction10 which lasted for many weeks after the loss of her father1 and the awakening to life had little of hope in the present or promise for the future1 so far as she could see then4 ,at the age of seventeen she had learned little beyond the first elements of education1 and she was now deprived of the one friend who encouraged and sympathised with her desire for better instruction4 ,the parents had never agreed on the subject4 8,when ,i had left school10 she writes1 ,sidenote3 #agfg4 ,early ,recollections4 8,my father wished to give me something like a polished education1 but my mother was particularly determined that it should be a rough1 but at the same time a useful one2 and nothing farther she thought was necessary but to send me two or three months to a sempstress to be taught to make household linen4 ,having added this accomplishment to my former ingenuities1 ,i never afterwards could find leisure for thinking of anything but to contrive and make for the family in all imaginable forms whatever was wanting1 and thus ,i learned to make bags and sword-knots long before ,i knew how to make caps and furbelows4444 ,my mother would not consent to my being taught ,french1 and my brother ,dietrich was even denied a dancing-master1 because she would not permit my learning along with him1 though the entrance had been paid for us both2 so all my father could do for me was to indulge me 7and please himself7 sometimes with a short lesson on the violin1 when my mother was either in good humour or out of the way4 ,though ,i have often felt myself exceedingly at a loss for the want of those few accomplishments of which ,i was thus1 by an erroneous though well-meant opinion of my mother1 deprived1 ,i could not help thinking but that she had cause for wishing me not to know more than was necessary for being useful in the family2 for it was her certain belief that my brother ,william would have returned to his country1 and my eldest brother not have looked so high1 if they had had a little less learning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but sometimes ,i found it scarcely possible to get through with the work required1 and felt very unhappy that no time at all was left for improving myself in music or fancy-work1 in which ,i had an opportunity of receiving some instruction from an ingenious young woman whose parents lived in the same house with us4 ,but the time wanted for spending a few hours together could only be obtained by our meeting at daybreak1 because by the time of the family's rising at seven1 ,i was obliged to be at my daily business4 ,but during the summer months of #agff very few mornings passed without our spending a few hours together1 to which ,i was called by my friend's loud cough at her window by way of notice that she was ready for me she could not sleep1 and was glad of my company4 ,i lost her soon after1 for she died of consumption4 ,though ,i had neither time nor means for producing anything immediately either for show or use1 ,i was content with keeping samples of all possible patterns in needlework1 beads1 bugles1 horsehair1 c41 for ,i could not help feeling troubled sometimes about my future destiny2 yet ,i could not bear the idea of being turned into an ,abigail or housemaid1 and thought that with the above and such like acquirements with a little notion of ,music1 ,i might obtain a place as governess in some family where the want of a knowledge of ,french would be no objection40 ,it was with the same object of fitting herself to earn her bread1 that1 after her father's death1 she obtained permission to go for a month or two to learn millinery and dress-making2 her eldest brother ,jacob1 before leaving them to join ,william at ,bath1 having graciously given his consent1 8if it was only meant to learn to make my own things1 but positively forbidding it for any other purpose40 ,the following account of this episode shows how customary such apprenticeship was among young ladies of good family1 as a part of their education3-- ,sidenote3 #agfh4 ,early ,recollections4 8,my mother found some difficulty in persuading the lady to whom ,i wished to go1 to receive me without paying the usual premium1 but at last she gave me leave to come on paying one thaler per month4 ,i felt myself rather humbled on going the first time among twenty-one young people with an elegant woman1 ,madame ,kster1 at their head1 directing them in various works of finery4 ,among the group were several young ladies of genteel families1 and as ,i came there on rather reduced terms1 ,i expected that ,i should be kept in the back ground1 doing nothing but the plain work of the business2 but contrary to my fears1 ,i gained in the school-mistress a valuable friend4444 ,here ,i found myself daily happy for a few hours1 and one of the young women1#c after a lapse of thirty-five years1 when ,i was introduced to her at the ,queen's ,lodge1 received me as an old acquaintance1 though ,i could but just remember having sometimes exchanged a nod and smile with a sweet little girl about ten or eleven years old4 ,but ,i soon was sensible of having found what hitherto ,i had looked for in vain--a sincere and disinterested friend to whom ,i might have applied for counsel and comfort in my deserted situation40 ,a proposal from ,jacob that ,dietrich1 whom the father on his deathbed had specially commended to his care1 should be sent to ,england1 caused his mother the utmost distress1 on account of his being still too young to be confirmed2 but her scruples were overcome and ,dietrich was despatched in the summer as soon as a fitting escort could be found4 8,but what was yet more aggravating was1 that the loss of his company was supplied by a country cousin whom my mother permitted to spend the summer with us in order to have the advantage of my mother's advice in making preparation for her marriage4444 ,this young woman1 full of good-nature and ignorance1 grew unfortunately so fond of me that she was for ever at my side1 and by that means ,i lost what little interval of leisure ,i might then have had for reading1 practising the violin1 c41 entirely4 ,besides this1 ,i was extremely discomposed at seeing ,alexander associating with young men who led him into all manner of expensive pleasures which involved him in debts for the hire of horses and carioles1 c41 and ,i was 7though he knew my inability of helping him7 made a partaker in his fears that these scrapes should come to the knowledge of our mother4 8,my time was1 however1 filled up pretty well with making household linen1 c41 against ,jacob's return4444 ,it was not1 however1 till the middle of the following summer that we saw him again1 and ,i suppose his stay must have been prolonged on account of waiting till he had had the honour of playing before their ,majesties1 for which 7in consequence of having composed and dedicated a set of six sonatas to the ,queen7 he was informed he would receive a summons4444 ,after this his salary was augmented by #ajj thalers10 and the promise of not being overlooked in future4 ,note4--,before ,i leave this subject ,i cannot help remembering the sacrifices these good people were making to pride4 ,they played nowhere for money1 for even when in #agfh 7,i think it was7 the ,king's theatre was first opened to the ,public1 and the ,court orchestra was called upon to play there1 they did it without any emolument1 so that there was no way left to increase their small salaries but by giving a few subscription concerts in the winter1 or by teaching4 ,so much1 by way of apology1 for the emigration of part of my family to ,england4 ,sidenote3 #agfh-aggj4 ,early ,recollections4 8,we passed the winter in the utmost quiet1 except when ,alexander took it into his head to entertain gentlemen in his own apartment1 which always made my mother very cross1 else in general nothing disturbed us in our occupation4 ,my mother spun1 ,i was at work on a set of ruffles of ,dresden-work for my brother ,jacob1 whilst ,alexander often sat by us and amused us and himself with making all sorts of things in pasteboard1 or contriving how to make a twelve-hour ,cuckoo clock go a week4444 ,as my mother saw that ,dietrich's confirmation was still uncertain1 she insisted on having him back again4444 ,accordingly at the end of ,july they ,jacob and ,dietrich arrived1 and ,dietrich entered school again immediately10 but remained only until his confirmation the following ,easter4 ,a new direction was suddenly given to all their plans by the arrival of letters from the absent brother ,william1 who proposed that his sister should join him at ,bath-- 444 8to make the trial if by his instruction ,i might not become a useful singer for his winter concerts and oratorios1 he advised my brother ,jacob to give me some lessons by way of beginning2 but that if after a trial of two years we should not find it answer our expectation he would bring me back again4 ,this at first seemed to be agreeable to all parties1 but by the time ,i had set my heart upon this change in my situation1 ,jacob began to turn the whole scheme into ridicule1 and1 of course1 he never heard the sound of my voice except in speaking1 and yet ,i was left in the harassing uncertainty whether ,i was to go or not4 ,i resolved at last to prepare1 as far as lay in my power1 for both cases1 by taking1 in the first place1 every opportunity when all were from home to imitate1 with a gag between my teeth1 the solo parts of concertos1 shake and all1 such as ,i had heard them play on the violin2 in consequence ,i had gained a tolerable execution before ,i knew how to sing4 ,i next began to knit ruffles1 which were intended for my brother ,william in case ,i remained at home--else they were to be ,jacob's4 ,for my mother and brother ,d4 ,i knitted as many cotton stockings as would last two years at least40 ,jacob remained with his family until the following ,july1 when he returned to ,bath1 this time taking ,alexander with him for two years' leave of absence1 the young ,dietrich being deemed competent not only to supply his place in the orchestra1 but also to attend his private pupils4 ,sidenote3 #aggb4 ,early ,recollections4 ,nothing is recorded in the interval between ,jacob's return to ,hanover in the autumn and the long expected arrival of ,william in ,april1 #aggb1 except one of the changes of abode1 which were of such frequent occurrence1 involving abundance of employment in making and altering articles of household use1 which afforded some relief to the conscientious daughter1 who was sorely troubled by uncertainty as to her duty in the matter of going to ,england or staying with her mother1 although the latter had given her consent to the change4 8,in this manner0 making prospective clothes for them 8,i tried to still the compunction ,i felt at leaving relatives who1 ,i feared1 would lose some of their comforts by my desertion1 and nothing but the belief of returning to them full of knowledge and accomplishments could have supported me in the parting moment1 which was much embittered by the absence of my brother ,jacob1 who was with the ,court which attended on the ,queen of ,denmark at the ,grde1 where my brother ,dietrich had also been for some time1 and but just returned when my brother ,william1 for whose safety we had for several weeks been under no small apprehension1 at last quite unexpectedly arrived4444 ,his stay at ,hanover could at the utmost not be prolonged above a fortnight4444 ,my mother had consented to my going with him1 and the anguish at my leaving her was somewhat alleviated by my brother settling a small annuity on her1 by which she would be enabled to keep an attendant to supply my place40 ,they all went over to ,coppenbrgge 8to see my sister--,i to take leave of her2 the remaining time was wasted in an unsatisfactory correspondence3 the letters from my brother ,jacob expressed nothing but regret and impatience at being thus disappointed1 and1 without being able to effect a meeting1 ,i was obliged to go without receiving the consent of my eldest brother to my going4444 99 99 99 99 99 8,but ,i will not attempt to describe my feelings when the parting moment arrived1 and ,i left my dear mother and most dear ,dietrich on ,sunday1 ,august #afth1 #aggb1 at the ,posthouse1 and after travelling for six days and nights on an open 7in those days very inconvenient7 ,postwagen1 we were on the following ,saturday conveyed in a small open vessel from the quay at ,helvotsluis on a stormy sea1 to the packet boat1 which lay two miles distant at anchor2 from which we were again obliged to go in an open boat to be set ashore1 or rather thrown like balls by two ,english sailors1 on the coast of ,yarmouth4#d ,for the vessel was almost a wreck1 without a main and another of its masts4 8,after having crawled to one of a row of neat low houses1 we found the party previously arrived from the ship devouring their breakfast2 several clean-dressed women employed in cutting bread and butter 7from fine wheaten loaves7 as fast as ever they could4 ,one of them went upstairs with me to help me to put on my clothes1 and after taking some tea we mounted some sort of a cart to bring us to the next place where diligences going to ,london would pass4 ,but we had hardly gone a quarter of an ,english mile when the horse1 which was not used to go in what they called the shafts1 ran away with us1 overturning the cart with trunk and passengers4 ,my brother1 another person1 and myself all throwing themselves out1 ,i flying into a dry ditch4 ,we all came off however1 with only the fright1 owing to the assistance of a gentleman who1 with his servant1 was accompanying us on horseback4 ,these persons had come in the packet with us1 and it was settled not to part till in ,london1 where we arrived at noon on the #bfth at an inn in the ,city4 ,here we remained till the evening of the #bgth4 ,my brother having business at the ,west-end of the town1 left me under the care of our fellow travellers2 but after his return1 in the evening when the shops were lighted up1 we went to see all that was to be seen in that part of ,london1 of which ,i only remember the opticians' shops1 for ,i do not think we stopped at any other4 8,the next day the mistress of the inn lent me a hat of her daughter's--mine was blown into one of the canals of ,holland1 for we had storms by land as well as at sea--and we went to see ,st4 ,paul's1 the ,bank1 c41 c4 ,mem3 only the outside1 except of ,st4 ,paul's and the ,bank1 and we were never off our legs1 except at meals in our inn4 ,towards evening we went to the ,west of the town1 where1 after having called on ,despatch ,secretary ,wiese and his lady 7,mr4 ,wiese conducted our correspondence with ,hanover7 we went to the inn1 from whence we at ten o'clock in the evening started by the night coach for ,bath on the #bhth of ,august4444 ,after taking some tea ,i went immediately to bed1 and ,i did not awake till the next day in the afternoon1 when ,i found my brother had but just left his room4 ,i for my part was1 from the privation of sleep for eleven or twelve days 7not having above twice been in what they called a bed7 almost annihilated40 --------------------- ,,end ,,of ,,recollections1 ,,vol4 ,i4 ,the only allusion to this journey in ,sir ,w4 ,herschel's ,journal is the brief entry3--8,august #af1 #aggb4 ,set off on my return to ,england in company with my sister40 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,,william ,,herschel',s ,,forty-,,foot ,,telescope ,,at ,,slough4 ,to face page #bi4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,brother ,,and ,,sister ,,in ,,bath4 ,,at the time when ,william ,herschel brought his sister back with him to ,bath1 he had established himself there as a teacher of music1 numbering among his pupils many ladies of rank4 ,he was also organist of the ,octagon ,chapel1 and frequently composed anthems1 chants1 and whole services for the choir under his management4 ,on the retirement of ,mr4 ,linley 7father of the celebrated singer1 afterwards the beautiful ,mrs4 ,sheridan7 from the direction of the ,public ,concerts1 he at once added this to his other avocations1 and was consequently immersed in business of the most laborious and harassing kind during the whole of the ,bath season4 ,but he considered all this professional work only as the means to an end2 devotion to music produced income and a certain degree of leisure1 and these were becoming every day more imperatively necessary4 ,every spare moment of the day1 and many hours stolen from the night1 had long been devoted to the studies which were compelling him to become himself an observer of the heavens4 ,insufficient mechanical means roused his inventive genius2 and1 as all the world knows1 the mirror for the mighty forty-foot telescope was the crowning result4 ,to his pupils he was known as not a music-master alone4 ,some ladies had lessons in astronomy from him1 and1 at the invitation of his friend ,dr4 ,watson1 he became a member of a philosophical society then recently started in ,bath1 to which he for several years contributed a great number of papers on various scientific subjects4 ,it soon came to pass that the gentlemen who sought interviews with him1 asking for a peep through the wonderful tube1 carried stories of what they had seen to ,london1 and these were not long in finding their way to ,st4 ,james's4 ,sidenote3 #aggb4 ,life in ,bath4 ,it was thus at the very turning-point of her brother's career that ,caroline ,herschel became his companion and fellow-worker4 ,no contrast could be sharper than that presented by the narrow domestic routine she had left to the life of ceaseless and inexhaustible activity into which she was plunged2--unless1 indeed1 it be that presented by the nature of the events she has to record1 and the tone in which they are recorded4 ,for ten years she persevered at ,bath1 singing when she was told to sing1 copying when she was told to copy1 8lending a hand0 in the workshop1 and taking her full share in all the stirring and exciting changes by which the musician became the ,king's astronomer and a celebrity2 but she never1 by a single word1 betrays how these wonderful events affected her2 nor ever indulges in the slightest approach to an original sentiment1 comment1 or reflection not strictly connected with the present fact4 ,whether it be to record the presentation of the 8golden medal10 or the dishonesty of the incorrigible ,betties who then1 and till her life's end1 so sorely tried her peace of mind1 there is no difference in the style or spirit of the 8,recollections40 ,partly as apology and partly as complaint1 the one grievance is harped on1 even when fifty years' experience might have convinced her that she had done something more for herself and the world than earn her bread by her own labour4 8,in short10 she writes1 8,i have been throughout annoyed and hindered in my endeavours at perfecting myself in any branch of knowledge by which ,i could hope to gain a creditable livelihood40 ,it is seldom1 however1 that she is diverted from the main theme to write about herself otherwise than incidentally1 and in a note addressed to her nephew1 she says3--8,my only reason for saying so much of myself is to show with what miserable assistance your father made shift to obtaining the means of exploring the heavens40 8,on the afternoon of ,august #bhth1 #aggb1 ,i arrived with my brother at his house ,no4 #g1 ,new ,king ,street1 ,bath1 where we were received only by ,mr4 ,bulman's family1 who occupied the parlour floor1 and had the management of his servant and household affairs4 ,my brother had formerly boarded with them at ,leeds1 whence1 on ,mr4 ,bulman's failure in business1 they had removed to ,bath1 where my brother procured for him the place of ,clerk at the ,octagon ,chapel4444 ,on our journey he had taken every opportunity to make me hope to find in ,mrs4 ,bulman a well-informed and well-meaning friend1 and in her daughter1 a few years younger than myself1 an agreeable companion4 ,but as ,i knew no more ,english than the few words which ,i had on our journey learned to repeat like a parrot1 it may be easily supposed that it would require some time before ,i could feel comfortable among strangers4 ,but as the season for the arrival of visitors to the ,baths does not begin till ,october1 my brother had leisure to try my capacity for becoming a useful singer for his concerts and oratorios1 and being very well satisfied with my voice1 ,i had two or three lessons every day1 and the hours which were not spent at the harpsichord were employed in putting me in the way of managing the family4444 ,on the second morning1 on meeting my brother at breakfast1 he began immediately to give me a lesson in ,english and arithmetic1 and showed me the way of booking and keeping accounts of cash received and laid out4444 ,by way of relaxation we talked of astronomy and the bright constellations with which ,i had made acquaintance during the fine nights we spent on the ,postwagen travelling through ,holland4 8,my brother ,alexander1 who had been some time in ,england1 boarded and lodged with his elder brother1 and with myself1 occupied the attic4 ,the first floor1 which was furnished in the newest and most handsome style1 my brother kept for himself4 ,the front room containing the harpsichord was always in order to receive his musical friends and scholars at little private concerts or rehearsals4444 ,sundays ,i received a sum for the weekly expenses1 of which my housekeeping book 7written in ,english7 showed the amount laid out1 and my purse the remaining cash4 ,one of the principal things required was to market1 and about six weeks after coming to ,england ,i was sent alone among fishwomen1 butchers1 basket-women1 c41 and ,i brought home whatever in my fright ,i could pick up4444 ,my brother ,alex1 who was now returned from his summer engagement1 used to watch me at a distance1 unknown to me1 till he saw me safe on my way home4 ,but all attempts to introduce any order in our little household proved vain1 owing to the servant my brother then had--a hot-headed old ,welshwoman4 ,all the articles1 tea-things1 c41 which ,i was to take in charge1 were almost all destroyed3 knives eaten up by rust1 heaters of the tea-urn found in the ash-hole1 c4 ,and what still further increased my difficulty was1 that my brother's time was entirely taken up with business1 so that ,i only saw him at meals4 ,breakfast was at #g o'clock or before 7much too early for me1 who would rather have remained up all night than be obliged to rise at so early an hour74444 8,the three winter months passed on very heavily4 ,i had to struggle against heimweh 7home sickness7 and low spirits1 and to answer my sister's melancholy letters on the death of her husband1 by which she became a widow with six children4 ,i knew too little ,english to derive any consolation from the society of those who were about me1 so that1 dinner-time excepted1 ,i was entirely left to myself40 ,sidenote3 #aggd-agge4 ,life in ,bath4 ,introductions to her brother's scholars led to occasional evening parties1 where her voice was in demand as well for single songs as to take part in duets and glees1 and one of these ladies1 ,mrs4 ,colebrook1 invited her to go to ,london on a visit4 ,this visit was prolonged for several weeks owing to the deep snow1 which rendered the roads impassable4 ,the ,duchess of ,ancaster is said to have offered any sum to have a passage cut near ,devizes1 but without success1 her ,grace was in consequence unable to be present on the #ahth ,january1 when the ,queen's birthday was kept4 ,operas1 plays1 auctions1 and all the usual amusements of the town1 gave ,miss ,herschel a glimpse of the gay world2 but the expense of dress and chairmen troubled her spirit too much to allow of her finding pleasure in these dissipations2 and although ,mrs4 ,colebrook is allowed to be both 8learned and clever10 her society does not appear to have contributed much more to her happiness than that of some younger ladies whose companionship was offered1 but whose visits she did not encourage1 because1 as she bluntly explains1 she 8thought them very little better than idiots40 8,the time when ,i could hope to receive a little more of my brother's instruction and attention was now drawing near2 for after ,easter1 ,bath becomes very empty2 only a few of his scholars whose families were resident in the neighbourhood remaining4 ,but1 ,i was greatly disappointed2 for1 in consequence of the harassing and fatiguing life he had led during the winter months1 he used to retire to bed with a bason of milk or glass of water1 and ,smith's #8,harmonics and ,optics1' ,ferguson's #8,astronomy1' c41 and so went to sleep buried under his favourite authors2 and his first thoughts on rising were how to obtain instruments for viewing those objects himself of which he had been reading4 ,there being in one of the shops a two and a half foot ,gregorian telescope to be let1 it was for some time taken in requisition1 and served not only for viewing the heavens but for making experiments on its construction4444 ,it soon appeared that my brother was not contented with knowing what former observers had seen1 for he began to contrive a telescope eighteen or twenty feet long 7,i believe after ,huyghens' description74444 ,i was much hindered in my musical practice by my help being continually wanted in the execution of the various contrivances1 and ,i had to amuse myself with making the tube of pasteboard for the glasses which were to arrive from ,london1 for at that time no optician had settled at ,bath4 ,but when all was finished1 no one besides my brother could get a glimpse of ,jupiter or ,saturn1 for the great length of the tube would not allow it to be kept in a straight line4 ,this difficulty1 however1 was soon removed by substituting tin tubes4444 ,my brother wrote to inquire the price of a reflecting mirror for 7,i believe7 a five or six foot telescope4 ,the answer was1 there were none of so large a size1 but a person offered to make one at a price much above what my brother thought proper to give4444 ,about this time he bought of a ,quaker resident at ,bath1 who had formerly made attempts at polishing mirrors1 all his rubbish of patterns1 tools1 hones1 polishers1 unfinished mirrors1 c41 but all for small ,gregorians1 and none above two or three inches diameter4 8,but nothing serious could be attempted1 for want of time1 till the beginning of ,june1 when some of my brother's scholars were leaving ,bath2 and then to my sorrow ,i saw almost every room turned into a workshop4 ,a cabinet-maker making a tube and stands of all descriptions in a handsomely furnished drawing-room2 ,alex putting up a huge turning machine 7which he had brought in the autumn from ,bristol1 where he used to spend the summer7 in a bedroom1 for turning patterns1 grinding glasses1 and turning eye-pieces1 c4 ,at the same time music durst not lie entirely dormant during the summer1 and my brother had frequent rehearsals at home1 where ,miss ,farinelli1 an ,italian singer1 was met by several of the principal performers he had engaged for the winter concerts4444 ,he composed glees1 catches1 c41 for such voices as he could secure1 as it was not easy to find a singer to take the place of ,miss ,linley4444 ,sometimes1 in the absence of ,fisher1 he gave a concerto on the oboe1 or a sonata on the harpsichord2 and the solos on the violoncello of my brother ,alexander were divine6444 ,he also took great delight in a choir of singers who performed the cathedral service at the ,octagon ,chapel1 for whom he composed many excellent anthems1 chants1 and psalm tunes4#e ,as soon as ,i could pronounce ,english well enough ,i was obliged to attend the rehearsals1 and on ,sundays at morning and evening service1 which1 though ,i did not much like at first1 ,i soon found to be both pleasant and useful4 ,sidenote3 #agge-aghb4 ,life in ,bath4 8,but every leisure moment was eagerly snatched at for resuming some work which was in progress1 without taking time for changing dress1 and many a lace ruffle was torn or bespattered by molten pitch1 c41 besides the danger to which he continually exposed himself by the uncommon precipitancy which accompanied all his actions1 of which we had a melancholy sample one ,saturday evening1 when both brothers returned from a concert between #aa and #ab o'clock1 my eldest brother pleasing himself all the way home with being at liberty to spend the next day 7except a few hours' attendance at chapel7 at the turning bench1 but recollecting that the tools wanted sharpening1 they ran with the lantern and tools to our landlord's grindstone in a public yard1 where they did not wish to be seen on a ,sunday morning4444 ,but my brother ,william was soon brought back fainting by ,alex with the loss of one of his finger-nails4 ,this happened in the winter of #agge1 at a house situated near ,walcot turnpike1 to which my brother had moved at midsummer1 #aggd4 ,on a grass plot behind the house preparation was immediately made for erecting a twenty-foot telescope1 for which1 among seven and ten foot mirrors then in hand1 one of twelve foot was preparing2 this house offered more room for workshops1 and a place on the roof for observing4 8,during this summer ,i lost the only female acquaintances 7not friends7 ,i ever had an opportunity of being very intimate with by ,bulmer's family returning again to ,leeds4 ,for my time was so much taken up with copying music and practising1 besides attendance on my brother when polishing1 since by way of keeping him alive ,i was constantly obliged to feed him by putting the victuals by bits into his mouth4 ,this was once the case when1 in order to finish a seven foot mirror1 he had not taken his hands from it for sixteen hours together4#f ,in general he was never unemployed at meals1 but was always at those times contriving or making drawings of whatever came in his mind4 ,generally ,i was obliged to read to him whilst he was at the turning lathe1 or polishing mirrors1 ,don ,quixote1 ,arabian ,nights' ,entertainment1 the novels of ,sterne1 ,fielding1 c42 serving tea and supper without interrupting the work with which he was engaged1 444 and sometimes lending a hand4 ,i became in time as useful a member of the workshop as a boy might be to his master in the first year of his apprenticeship4444 ,but as ,i was to take a part the next year in the oratorios1 ,i had for a whole twelvemonth two lessons per week from ,miss ,fleming1 the celebrated dancing mistress1 to drill me for a gentlewoman 7,god knows how she succeeded74 ,so we lived on without interruption4 ,my brother ,alex was absent from ,bath for some months every summer1 but when at home he took much pleasure to execute some turning or clockmaker's work for his brother40 ,news from ,hanover put a sudden stop for a time to all these labours4 ,the mother wrote1 in the utmost distress1 to say that ,dietrich had disappeared from his home1 it was supposed with the intention of going to ,india 8with a young idler not older than himself40 ,his brother immediately left the lathe at which he was turning an eye-piece in cocoanut1 and started for ,holland1 whence he proceeded to ,hanover1 failing to meet his brother as he expected4 ,meanwhile the sister received a letter to say that ,dietrich was laid up very ill at an inn in ,wapping4 ,alexander posted to town1 removed him to a lodging1 and after a fortnight's nursing1 brought him to ,bath1 where1 on his brother ,william's return1 he found him being well cared for by his sister1 who kept him to a diet of 8roasted apples and barley-water40 ,dietrich remained in ,england1 his brother easily procuring him employment until #aggi1 when he returned to ,hanover1 and shortly afterwards married a ,miss ,reif4 ,the family now moved to a larger house1 #ai1 ,new ,king ,street1 which had a garden behind it1 and open space down to the river4 ,it is incidentally mentioned1 8that here many interesting discoveries besides the ,georgium ,sidus were made40 ,in preparation for the oratorios to be performed during ,lent1 ,miss ,herschel mentions that she copied the scores of the 8,messiah0 and 8,judas ,maccabus0 into parts for an orchestra of nearly one hundred performers1 and the vocal parts of 8,samson10 besides instructing the treble singers1 of which she was now herself the first4 ,on the occasion of her first public appearance1 her brother presented her with ten guineas for her dress1-- 8,and that my choice could not have been a bad one ,i conclude from having been pronounced by ,mr4 ,palmer 7the then proprietor of the ,bath theatre7 to be an ornament to the stage4 ,and as to acquitting myself in giving my songs and recitatives in the #8,messiah1' #8,judas ,maccabus1' c41 ,i had the satisfaction of being complimented by my friends1 the ,marchioness of ,lothian1 c41 who were present at the rehearsals1 for pronouncing my words like an ,englishwoman40 ,it is evident that had she chosen to persevere1 her reputation as a singer would have been secure4 ,the following year she was first singer at the concerts1 and was offered an engagement for the ,birmingham ,festival1 which she declined1 having resolved only to sing in public where her brother was conductor4 ,at this time he had repeated proposals from ,london publishers to bring out some of his vocal compositions1 but with the exception of 8,the ,echo0 catch1 none of them ever appeared in print4 ,besides the regular ,sunday services1 concerts and oratorios had to be prepared for and performed in steady routine1 sometimes at ,bristol also1 while the poor prima-donna-housekeeper 8hobbled on0 with one dishonest servant after another1 until ,whit ,sunday1 #aghb1 when both brother and sister played and sung for the last time1 in ,st4 ,margaret's ,chapel4 ,on this occasion1 their last performance in public1 the anthem selected for the day was one of the last compositions1 of which mention has been made above4 ,the name of ,william ,herschel was fast becoming famous1 as a writer1 a discoverer1 and the possessor and inventor of instruments of unheard-of power4 ,he was now about to be released from the necessity of devoting the time to music which he was eager to give to astronomical science4#g ,it came about as follows3-- 444 8,he was now frequently interrupted by visitors who were introduced by some of his resident scholars1 among whom ,i remember ,sir ,harry ,engelfield1 ,dr4 ,blagden1 and ,dr4 ,maskelyne4 ,with the latter he was engaged in a long conversation1 which to me sounded like quarrelling1 and the first words my brother said after he was gone was3 #8,that is a devil of a fellow4'444 ,i suppose their names were not known1 or were forgotten2 for it was not till the year #aghb or #aghc that a memorandum of the names of visitors was thought of4444 ,my brother applied himself to perfect his mirrors1 erecting in his garden a stand for his twenty-foot telescope2 many trials were necessary before the required motions for such an unwieldy machine could be contrived4 ,many attempts were made by way of experiment against a mirror for an intended thirty-foot telescope could be completed1 for which1 between whiles 7not interrupting the observations with seven1 ten1 and twenty-foot1 and writing papers for both the ,royal and ,bath ,philosophical ,societies7 gauges1 shapes1 weight1 c41 of the mirror were calculated1 and trials of the composition of the metal were made4 ,in short1 ,i saw nothing else and heard nothing else talked of but about these things when my brothers were together4 ,alex was always very alert1 assisting when anything new was going forward1 but he wanted perseverance1 and never liked to confine himself at home for many hours together4 ,and so it happened that my brother ,william was obliged to make trial of my abilities in copying for him catalogues1 tables1 c41 and sometimes whole papers which were lent him for his perusal4 ,among them was one by ,mr4 ,michel and a catalogue of ,christian ,mayer in ,latin1 which kept me employed when my brother was at the telescope at night4 ,when ,i found that a hand was sometimes wanted when any particular measures were to be made with the lamp micrometer1 c41 or a fire to be kept up1 or a dish of coffee necessary during a long night's watching1 ,i undertook with pleasure what others might have thought a hardship4444 ,since the discovery of the ,georgium ,sidus ,march #ac1 #agha1 ,i believe few men of learning or consequence left ,bath before they had seen and conversed with its discoverer1 and thought themselves fortunate in finding him at home on their repeated visits4 ,sir ,william ,watson#h was almost an intimate1 for hardly a day passed but he had something to communicate from the letters which he received from ,sir ,joseph ,banks and other members of the ,royal ,society1 from which it appeared that my brother was expected in town to receive the gold medal4 ,the end of ,november was the most precarious season for absenting himself4 ,but ,sir ,william went with him1 and it was arranged so that they set out with the diligence at night1 and by that means his absence did not last above three or four days1 when my brother returned alone1 ,sir ,william remaining with his father4 8,now a very busy winter was commencing2 for my brother had engaged himself to conduct the oratorios conjointly with ,ronzini1 and had made himself answerable for the payment of the engaged performers1 for his credit ever stood high in the opinion of every one he had to deal with4 7,he lost considerably by this arrangement47 ,but1 though at times much harassed with business1 the mirror for the thirty-foot reflector was never out of his mind1 and if a minute could but be spared in going from one scholar to another1 or giving one the slip1 he called at home to see how the men went on with the furnace1 which was built in a room below1 even with the garden4 8,the mirror was to be cast in a mould of loam prepared from horse dung1 of which an immense quantity was to be pounded in a mortar and sifted through a fine sieve4 ,it was an endless piece of work1 and served me for many an hour's exercise2 and ,alex frequently took his turn at it1 for we were all eager to do something towards the great undertaking4 ,even ,sir ,william ,watson would sometimes take the pestle from me when he found me in the work-room1 where he expected to find his friend1 in whose concerns he took so much interest that he felt much disappointed at not being allowed to pay for the metal4 ,but ,i do not think my brother ever accepted pecuniary assistance from any one of his friends1 and on this occasion he declined the offer by saying it was paid for already4 8,among the ,bath visitors were many philosophical gentlemen who used to frequent the leves at ,st4 ,james's1 when in town4 ,colonel ,walsh1 in particular1 informed my brother that from a conversation he had had with ,his ,majesty1 it appeared that in the spring he was to come with his seven-foot telescope to the ,king4 ,similar reports he received from many others1 but they made no great impression nor caused any interruption in his occupation or study1 and as soon as the season for the concerts was over1 and the mould1 c41 in readiness1 a day was set apart for casting1 and the metal was in the furnace1 but unfortunately it began to leak at the moment when ready for pouring1 and both my brothers and the caster with his men were obliged to run out at opposite doors1 for the stone flooring 7which ought to have been taken up7 flew about in all directions1 as high as the ceiling4 ,my poor brother fell1 exhausted with heat and exertion1 on a heap of brickbats4 ,before the second casting was attempted1 everything which could ensure success had been attended to1 and a very perfect metal was found in the mould1 which had cracked in the cooling4 8,but a total stop and derangement now took place1 and nearly six or seven months elapsed before my brother could return to the undisturbed enjoyment of his instruments and observations4 ,for one morning in ,passion week1 as ,sir ,william ,watson was with my brother1 talking about the pending journey to town1 my eldest nephew#i arrived to pay us a visit1 and brought the confirmation that his uncle was expected with his instrument in town4 ,a chaise was at the door to take us to ,bristol for a rehearsal in the forenoon1 of the #8,messiah1' which was to be performed the same evening4 ,the conductor being still lost in conversation with his friend1 was obliged to trust to my poor abilities for filling the music box with the necessary parts for between ninety and one hundred performers4 ,my nephew had travelled all night1 but we took him with us1 for we had not one night in the week1 except ,friday1 but what was set apart for an oratorio either at ,bath or ,bristol4 ,soon after ,easter a new organ being erected in ,st4 ,james's ,church1 it was opened with two performances of the #8,messiah2' this again took up some of my brother's time4444 444 ,the ,tuesday after ,whit ,sunday1 ,may #hth1 my brother left ,bath to join ,sir ,william ,watson at his father's in ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields1 furnished with everything necessary for viewing double stars1 of which the first catalogue had just then appeared in the #8,philosophical ,transactions4' ,a new seven-foot stand and steps were made to go in a moderate sized box1 to be screwed together on the spot where wanted4 ,flamsteed's ,atlas1 in which the stars had during the winter been numbered1 catalogues of double stars1 micrometers1 tables1 c41 and everything which could facilitate reviewing objects1 had been attended to in the preparation for the journey4 8,but when almost double the time had elapsed which my brother could safely be absent from his scholars1 ,alex1 as well as myself1 were much at a loss how to answer their inquiries1 for1 from the letters we received1 we could learn nothing but that he had been introduced to the ,king and ,queen1 and had permission to come to the concerts at ,buckingham ,house1 where the ,king conversed with him about astronomy40 ,it was during his absence at this time that the three following letters were written and received3-- ,,dear ,,lina1-- ,i have had an audience of ,his ,majesty this morning1 and met with a very gracious reception4 ,i presented him with the drawing of the solar system1 and had the honour of explaining it to him and the ,queen4 ,my telescope is in three weeks' time to go to ,richmond1 and meanwhile to be put up at ,greenwich1 where ,i shall accordingly carry it to-day4 ,so you see1 ,lina1 that you must not think of seeing me in less than a month4 ,i shall write to ,miss ,lee myself2 and other scholars who inquire for me1 you may tell that ,i cannot wait on them till ,his ,majesty shall be pleased to give me leave to return1 or rather to dismiss me1 for till then ,i must attend4 ,i will also write to ,mr4 ,palmer to acquaint him with it4 ,i am in a great hurry1 therefore can write no more at present4 ,tell ,alexander that everything looks very likely as if ,i were to stay here4 ,the ,king inquired after him1 and after my great speculum4 ,he also gave me leave to come to hear the ,griesbachs play at the private concert which he has every evening4 ,my having seen the ,king need not be kept a secret1 but about my staying here it will be best not to say anything1 but only that ,i must remain here till ,his ,majesty has observed the planets with my telescope4 ,yesterday ,i dined with ,colonel ,walsh1 who inquired after you4 ,there were ,mr4 ,aubert and ,dr4 ,maskelyne4 ,dr4 ,maskelyne in public declared his obligations to me for having introduced to them the high powers1 for ,mr4 ,aubert has so much succeeded with them that he says he looks down upon #bjj1 #cjj1 or #djj with contempt1 and immediately begins with #hjj4 ,he has used #bejj very completely1 and seen my fine double stars with them4 ,all my papers are printing1 with the postscript and all1 and are allowed to be very valuable4 ,you see1 ,lina1 ,i tell you all these things4 ,you know vanity is not my foible1 therefore ,i need not fear your censure4 ,farewell4 ,i am1 your affectionate brother1 ,,wm4 ,,herschel4 ,saturday ,morning1 probably ,may #be4 ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,monday ,evening1 ,june #c1 #aghb4 ,,dear ,,lina1-- ,i pass my time between ,greenwich and ,london agreeably enough1 but am rather at a loss for work that ,i like4 ,company is not always pleasing1 and ,i would much rather be polishing a speculum4 ,last ,friday ,i was at the ,king's concert to hear ,george play4 ,the ,king spoke to me as soon as he saw me1 and kept me in conversation for half an hour4 ,he asked ,george to play a solo-concerto on purpose that ,i might hear him2 and ,george plays extremely well1 is very much improved1 and the ,king likes him very much4 ,these two last nights ,i have been star-gazing at ,greenwich with ,dr4 ,maskelyne and ,mr4 ,aubert4 ,we have compared our telescopes together1 and mine was found very superior to any of the ,royal ,observatory4 ,double stars which they could not see with their instruments ,i had the pleasure to show them very plainly1 and my mechanism is so much approved of that ,dr4 ,maskelyne has already ordered a model to be taken from mine and a stand to be made by it to his reflector4 ,he is1 however1 now so much out of love with his instrument that he begins to doubt whether it deserves a new stand4 ,i have had the influenza1 but am now quite well again4 ,it lasted only five or six days1 and ,i never was confined with it4444 ,there is hardly one single person here but what has had it4 ,i am introduced to the best company4 ,to-morrow ,i dine at ,lord ,palmerston's1 next day with ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 c41 c4 ,among opticians and astronomers nothing now is talked of but what they call my great discoveries4 ,alas6 this shows how far they are behind1 when such trifles as ,i have seen and done are called great4 ,let me but get at it again6 ,i will make such telescopes1 and see such things--that is1 ,i will endeavour to do so4 ,the letter ends abruptly with this sentence1 and only one more was written during this momentous interval4 ,sidenote3 #agge-aghb4 ,impending ,changes4 ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,july #c1 #aghb4 ,,dear ,,carolina1-- ,i have been so much employed that you will not wonder at my not writing sooner4 ,the letter you sent me last ,monday came very safe to me4 ,as ,dr4 ,watson has been so good as to acquaint you and ,alexander with my situation1 ,i was still more easy in my silence to you4 ,last night the ,king1 the ,queen1 the ,prince of ,wales1 the ,princess ,royal1 ,princess ,sophia1 ,princess ,augusta1 c41 ,duke of ,montague1 ,dr4 ,heberden1 ,m4 de ,luc1 c41 c41 saw my telescope1 and it was a very fine evening4 ,my instrument gave general satisfaction4 ,the ,king has very good eyes1 and enjoys observations with telescopes exceedingly4 ,this evening1 as the ,king and ,queen are gone to ,kew1 the ,princesses were desirous of seeing my telescope1 but wanted to know if it was possible to see without going out on the grass1 and were much pleased when they heard that my telescope could be carried into any place they liked best to have it4 ,about #h o'clock it was moved into the ,queen's apartments1 and we waited some time in hopes of seeing ,jupiter or ,saturn4 ,meanwhile ,i showed the ,princesses1 and several other ladies who were present1 the speculum1 the micrometers1 the movements of the telescope1 and other things that seemed to excite their curiosity4 ,when the evening appeared to be totally unpromising1 ,i proposed an artificial ,saturn as an object1 since we could not have the real one4 ,i had beforehand prepared this little piece1 as ,i guessed by the appearance of the weather in the afternoon we should have no stars to look at4 ,this being accepted with great pleasure1 ,i had the lamps lighted up which illuminated the picture of a ,saturn 7cut out in pasteboard7 at the bottom of the garden wall4 ,the effect was fine1 and so natural that the best astronomer might have been deceived4 ,their royal highnesses and other ladies seemed to be much pleased with the artifice4 ,i remained in the ,queen's apartment with the ladies till about half after ten1 when in conversation with them ,i found them extremely well instructed in every subject that was introduced1 and they seemed to be most amiable characters4 ,to-morrow evening they hope to have better luck1 and nothing will give me greater happiness than to be able to show them some of those beautiful objects with which the heavens are so gloriously ornamented4 ,sir ,william ,watson returned to ,bath after a fortnight or three weeks' stay4 ,from him we heard that my brother was invited to ,greenwich with the telescope1 where he was met by a numerous party of astronomical and learned gentlemen1 and trials of his instrument were made4 ,in these letters he complained of being obliged to lead an idle life1 having nothing to do but to pass between ,london and ,greenwich4 ,sir ,william received many letters which he was so kind as to communicate to us4 ,by these1 and from those to ,alexander or to me1 we learned that the ,king wished to see the telescope at ,windsor4 ,at last a letter1 dated ,july #b1 arrived from ,therese1 and from this and several succeeding ones we gathered that the ,king would not suffer my brother to return to his profession again1 and by his writing several times for a supply of money we could only suppose that he himself was in uncertainty about the time of his return4 ,in the last week of ,july my brother came home1 and immediately prepared for removing to ,datchet1 where he had taken a house with a garden and grass-plot annexed1 quite suitable for the purpose of an observing-place4 ,sir ,wm4 ,watson spent nearly the whole time at our house1 and he was not the only friend who truly grieved at my brother's going from ,bath2 or feared his having perhaps agreed to no very advantageous offers2 their fears were1 in fact1 not without reason4444 ,the prospect of entering again on the toils of teaching1 c41 which awaited my brother at home 7the months of leisure being now almost gone by71 appeared to him an intolerable waste of time1 and by way of alternative he chose to be ,royal ,astronomer1 with a salary of #bjj a year4 ,sir ,william ,watson was the only one to whom the sum was mentioned1 and he exclaimed1 8,never bought monarch honour so cheap60 ,to every other inquirer1 my brother's answer was that the ,king had provided for him4 ,sidenote3 #aghb4 ,removal to ,datchet4 ,everything was immediately packed for the removal1 and on the #ast of ,august1 when the brothers and sister walked over to ,datchet from ,slough 7where the coach passed71 they found the waggon1 with its precious load of instruments1 as well as household furniture1 waiting to be unpacked4 ,the new home was a large neglected place1 the house in a deplorably ruinous condition1 the garden and grounds overgrown with weeds4 ,for a fortnight they had no female servant at all2 an old woman1 the gardener's wife1 showed ,miss ,herschel the shops1 where the prices of everything1 from coals to butcher's meat1 appalled her4 ,but these considerations weighed for nothing in her brother's eyes against the delight of stables where mirrors could be ground1 a roomy laundry1 which was to serve for a library1 with one door opening on a large grass-plot1 where 8the small twenty-foot0 was to be erected2 he gaily assured her that they could live on eggs and bacon1 which would cost nothing to speak of now that they were really in the country6 ,the beginning of ,october1 ,alexander was obliged to return to ,bath4 ,the separation was truly painful to us all1 and ,i was particularly affected by it1 for till now ,i had not had time to consider the consequence of giving up the prospect of making myself independent by becoming 7with a little more uninterrupted application7 a useful member of the musical profession4 ,but besides that my brother ,william would have been very much at a loss for my assistance1 ,i had not spirit enough to throw myself on the public after losing his protection4 ,poor ,alexander6 we had hoped at first to persuade him to change ,bath for ,london1 where he had the offer of the most profitable engagements1 and we should then have had him near us 444 but he refused1 and before we saw him again the next year he was married4 ,much of my brother's time was taken up in going1 when the evenings were clear1 to the ,queen's ,lodge to show the ,king1 c41 objects through the seven-foot4 ,but when the days began to shorten1 this was found impossible1 for the telescope was often 7at no small expense and risk of damage7 obliged to be transported in the dark back to ,datchet1 for the purpose of spending the rest of the night with observations on double stars for a second ,catalogue4 ,my brother was besides obliged to be absent for a week or ten days for the purpose of bringing home the metal of the cracked thirty-foot mirror1 and the remaining materials from his work-room4 ,before the furnace was taken down at ,bath1 a second twenty-foot mirror1 twelve-inch diameter1 was cast1 which happened to be very fortunate1 for on the #ast of ,january1 #aghc1 a very fine one cracked by frost in the tube4 ,i remember to have seen the thermometer #a degree below zero for several nights in the same year4444 ,sidenote3 #aghc4 ,life at ,datchet4 444 ,in my brother's absence from home1 ,i was of course left solely to amuse myself with my own thoughts1 which were anything but cheerful4 ,i found ,i was to be trained for an assistant-astronomer1 and by way of encouragement a telescope adapted for 8sweeping10 consisting of a tube with two glasses1 such as are commonly used in a 8finder10 was given me4 ,i was 8to sweep for comets10 and ,i see by my journal that ,i began ,august #bbnd1 #aghb1 to write down and describe all remarkable appearances ,i saw in my 8sweeps10 which were horizontal4 ,but it was not till the last two months of the same year that ,i felt the least encouragement to spend the star-light nights on a grass-plot covered with dew or hoar frost1 without a human being near enough to be within call4 ,i knew too little of the real heavens to be able to point out every object so as to find it again without losing too much time by consulting the ,atlas4 ,but all these troubles were removed when ,i knew my brother to be at no great distance making observations with his various instruments on double stars1 planets1 c41 and ,i could have his assistance immediately when ,i found a nebula1 or cluster of stars1 of which ,i intended to give a catalogue2 but at the end of #aghc ,i had only marked fourteen1 when my sweeping was interrupted by being employed to write down my brother's observations with the large twenty-foot4 ,i had1 however1 the comfort to see that my brother was satisfied with my endeavours to assist him when he wanted another person1 either to run to the clocks1 write down a memorandum1 fetch and carry instruments1 or measure the ground with poles1 c41 c41 of which something of the kind every moment would occur4 ,for the assiduity with which the measurements on the diameter of the ,georgium ,sidus1 and observations of other planets1 double stars1 c41 c41 were made1 was incredible1 as may be seen by the various papers that were given to the ,royal ,society in #aghc1 which papers were written in the daytime1 or when cloudy nights interfered4 ,besides this1 the twelve-inch speculum was perfected before the spring1 and many hours were spent at the turning bench1 as not a night clear enough for observing ever passed but that some improvements were planned for perfecting the mounting and motions of the various instruments then in use1 or some trials were made of new constructed eye-pieces1 which were mostly executed by my brother's own hands4 ,wishing to save his time1 he began to have some work of that kind done by a watchmaker who had retired from business and lived on ,datchet ,common1 but the work was so bad1 and the charges so unreasonable1 that he could not be employed4 ,it was not till some time afterwards in his frequent visits to the meetings of the ,royal ,society 7made in moonlight nights71 that he had an opportunity of looking about for mathematical workmen1 opticians1 and founders4 ,but the work seldom answered expectation1 and it was kept to be executed with improvements by ,alexander during the few months he spent with us4 ,the summer months passed in the most active preparation for getting the large twenty-foot ready against the next winter4 ,the carpenters and smiths of ,datchet were in daily requisition1 and as soon as patterns for tools and mirrors were ready1 my brother went to town to have them cast1 and during the three or four months ,alexander could be absent from ,bath1 the mirrors and optical parts were nearly completed4 ,but that the nights after a day of toil were not given to rest1 may be seen by the observations on ,mars1 of which a paper1 dated ,december #a1 #aghc1 was given to the ,royal ,society4 ,some trouble also was often thrown away during those nights in the attempt to teach me to re-measure double stars with the same micrometers with which former measures had been taken1 and the small twenty-foot was given me for that purpose4444 ,i had also to ascertain their places by a transit instrument lent for that purpose by ,mr4 ,dalrymple1 but after many fruitless attempts it was seen that the instrument was perhaps as much in fault as my observations4 ,july #h4--;,i began to use the new ,newtonian small sweeper1 7for a description of this instrument see note to ,neb4 ,no4 #a1 ,v4 class1 at the end of the catalogue of first #ajjj ,neb4 and ,cl471 but it could hardly be expected that ,i should meet with any comets in the part of the heavens where ,i swept1 for ,i generally chose my situation by the side of my brother's instrument1 that ,i might be ready to run to the clock or write down memorandums4 ,in the beginning of ,december ,i became entirely attached to the writing-desk1 and had seldom an opportunity after that time of using my newly-acquired instrument4 ,my brother began his series of sweeps when the instrument was yet in a very unfinished state1 and my feelings were not very comfortable when every moment ,i was alarmed by a crack or fall1 knowing him to be elevated fifteen feet or more on a temporary cross-beam instead of a safe gallery4 ,the ladders had not even their braces at the bottom2 and one night1 in a very high wind1 he had hardly touched the ground before the whole apparatus came down4 ,some labouring men were called up to help in extricating the mirror1 which was fortunately uninjured1 but much work was cut out for carpenters next day4 ,that my fears of danger and accidents were not wholly imaginary1 ,i had an unlucky proof on the night of the #cast ,december4 ,the evening had been cloudy1 but about ten o'clock a few stars became visible1 and in the greatest hurry all was got ready for observing4 ,my brother1 at the front of the telescope1 directed me to make some alteration in the lateral motion1 which was done by machinery1 on which the point of support of the tube and mirror rested4 ,at each end of the machine or trough was an iron hook1 such as butchers use for hanging their joints upon1 and having to run in the dark on ground covered a foot deep with melting snow1 ,i fell on one of these hooks1 which entered my right leg above the knee4 ,my brother's call1 8,make haste60 ,i could only answer by a pitiful cry1 8,i am hooked60 ,he and the workmen were instantly with me1 but they could not lift me without leaving nearly two ounces of my flesh behind4 ,the workman's wife was called1 but was afraid to do anything1 and ,i was obliged to be my own surgeon by applying aquabusade and tying a kerchief about it for some days1 till ,dr4 ,lind1 hearing of my accident1 brought me ointment and lint1 and told me how to use them4 ,at the end of six weeks ,i began to have some fears about my poor limb1 and asked again for ,dr4 ,lind's opinion3 he said if a soldier had met with such a hurt he would have been entitled to six weeks' nursing in a hospital4 ,i had1 however1 the comfort to know that my brother was no loser through this accident1 for the remainder of the night was cloudy1 and several nights afterwards afforded only a few short intervals favourable for sweeping1 and until the #afth ,january there was no necessity for my exposing myself for a whole night to the severity of the season4 ,i could give a pretty long list of accidents which were near proving fatal to my brother as well as myself4 ,to make observations with such large machinery1 where all around is in darkness1 is not unattended with danger1 especially when personal safety is the last thing with which the mind is occupied2 even poor ,piazzi#aj did not go home without getting broken shins by falling over the rack-bar1 which projects in high altitudes in front of the telescope1 when in the hurry the cap had been forgotten to be put over it4 ,in the long days of the summer months many ten- and seven-foot mirrors were finished2 there was nothing but grinding and polishing to be seen4 ,for ten-foot several had been cast with ribbed backs by way of experiment to reduce the weight in large mirrors4 ,in my leisure hours ,i ground seven-foot and plain mirrors from rough to fining down1 and was indulged with polishing and the last finishing of a very beautiful mirror for ,sir ,william ,watson4 ,an account of the discoveries made with the twenty-foot and the improvements of the mechanical parts of that instrument during the winter of #aghe1 is given with the ,catalogue of the first #ajjj new nebul4 ,by which account it must plainly appear that the expenses of these improvements1 and those which were yet to be made in the apparatus of the twenty-foot 7which in fact proved to be a model of a larger instrument71 could not be supplied out of a salary of #bjj a year1 especially as my brother's finances had been too much reduced during the six months before he received his first quarterly payment of fifty pounds 7which was ,michaelmas1 #aghb74 ,travelling from ,bath to ,london1 ,greenwich1 ,windsor1 backwards and forwards1 transporting the telescope1 c41 breaking up his establishment at ,bath and forming a new one near the ,court1 all this1 even leaving such personal conveniences as he had for many years been used to1 out of the question1 could not be obtained for a trifle2 a good large piece of ground was required for the use of the instruments1 and a habitation in which he could receive and offer a bed to an astronomical friend1 was necessary after a night's observation4 ,it seemed to be supposed that enough had been done when my brother was enabled to leave his profession that he might have time to make and sell telescopes4 ,the ,king ordered four ten-foot himself1 and many seven-foot besides had been bespoke1 and much time had already been expended on polishing the mirrors for the same4 ,but all this was only retarding the work of a thirty or forty-foot instrument1 which it was my brother's chief object to obtain as soon as possible2 for he was then on the wrong side of forty-five1 and felt how great an injustice he would be doing to himself and to the cause of ,astronomy by giving up his time to making telescopes for other observers4 ,sir ,william ,watson1 who often in the lifetime of his father came to make some stay with us at ,datchet1 saw my brother's difficulties1 and expressed great dissatisfaction4 ,on his return to ,bath he met among the visitors there several belonging to the ,court 7among the rest ,mde4 ,schwellenberg71 to whom he gave his opinion concerning his friend and his situation very freely4 ,in consequence of this my brother had soon after1 through ,sir ,j4 ,banks1 the promise that #bjjj would be granted for enabling him to make himself an instrument4 ,immediately every preparation for beginning the great work commenced4 ,a very ingenious smith 7,campion71 who was seeking employment1 was secured by my brother1 and a temporary forge erected in an upstairs room4 ,sidenote3 #aghd-aghe4 ,removal from ,datchet to ,clay ,hall4 ,it soon became evident that the big1 tumble-down old house1 which had been taken possession of with such eagerness1 would not do3 the rain came through the ceilings2 the damp situation brought on ague1 and in ,june the brother and sister left it for a place called ,clay ,hall1 ,old ,windsor4 ,but here again unlooked-for troubles arose in consequence of the landlady being a 8litigious woman10 who refused to be bound to reasonable terms1 and at length1 on the #crd of ,april1 #aghf1 the house and garden at ,,slough were taken1 and all the apparatus and machinery immediately removed there4 ,sidenote3 #aghf4 ,removal from ,clay ,hall to ,slough4 444 ,and here ,i must remember that among all this hurrying business1 every moment after daylight was allotted to observing4 ,the last night at ,clay ,hall was spent in sweeping till daylight1 and by the next evening the telescope stood ready for observation at ,slough4444 ,a workman for the brass and optical parts was engaged1 and two smiths were at work throughout the summer on different parts for the forty-foot telescope1 and a whole troop of labourers were engaged in grinding the iron tools to a proper shape for the mirror to be ground on 7the polishing and grinding by machines was not begun till about the end of #aghh74 ,these heavy articles were cast in town1 and caused my brother frequent journeys to ,london1 they were brought by water as far as ,windsor4444 ,at ,slough no steady out-of-door workman for the sweeping handle could be met with1 and a man-servant was engaged as soon as one could be found fit for the purpose4 ,meanwhile ,campion assisted1 but many memorandums were put down3 8,lost a neb4 by the blunder of the person at the handle40 ,if it had not been sometimes for the intervention of a cloudy or moonlight night1 ,i know not when my brother 7or ,i either71 should have got any sleep2 for with the morning came also his workpeople1 of whom there were no less than between thirty and forty at work for upwards of three months together1 some employed in felling and rooting out trees1 some digging and preparing the ground for the bricklayers who were laying the foundation for the telescope1 and the carpenter in ,slough1 with all his men4 ,the smith1 meanwhile1 was converting a washhouse into a forge1 and manufacturing complete sets of tools required for the work he was to enter upon4 ,many expensive tools also were furnished by the ironmongers in ,windsor1 as well for the forge as for the turner and brass man4 ,in short1 the place was at one time a complete workshop for making optical instruments1 and it was a pleasure to go into it to see how attentively the men listened to and executed their master's orders2 ,i had frequent opportunities for doing this when ,i was obliged to run to him with my papers or slate1 when stopped in my work by some doubt or other4 ,i cannot leave this subject without regretting1 even twenty years after1 that so much labour and expense should have been thrown away on a swarm of pilfering work-people1 both men and women1 with which ,slough1 ,i believe1 was particularly infested4 ,for at last everything that could be carried away was gone1 and nothing but rubbish left4 ,even tables for the use of workrooms vanished3 one in particular ,i remember1 the drawer of which was filled with slips of experiments made on the rays of light and heat1 was lost out of the room in which the women had been ironing4 ,this could not but produce the greatest disorder and inconvenience in the library and in the room into which the apparatus for observing had been moved1 when the observatory was wanted for some other purpose2 they were at last so encumbered by stores and tools of all sorts that no room for a desk or an ,atlas remained4 ,it required my utmost exertion to rescue the manuscripts in hand from destruction by falling into unhallowed hands or being devoured by mice4 ,but ,i will now return to ,july1 #aghf1 when my brother was obliged to deliver a ten-foot telescope as a present from the ,king to the ,observatory of ,gttingen4 ,before he left ,slough on ,july #crd1 the stand of the forty-foot telescope stood on two circular walls capped with ,portland stone 7which1 cracking by frost1 were afterwards covered with oak7 ready to receive the tube4 ,the smith was left to continue to work at the tube1 which was sufficient employment cut out for him before he would want farther direction4 ,the mirror was also pretty far advanced1 and ready for the polish1 for ,i remember to have seen twelve or fourteen men daily employed in grinding or polishing4 ,sidenote3 #aghf4 ,life and ,work at ,slough4 ,to give a description of the task 7or rather tasks7 which fell to my share1 the readiest way ,i think will be to transcribe out of a day-book which ,i began to keep at that time1 and called 8,book of work done40 ,july #c4--,my brothers ,william and ,alex4 left ,slough to begin their journey to ,germany4 ,mrs4 ,alex4 ,herschel was left with me at ,slough4 ,by way of not suffering too much by sadness1 ,i began with bustling work4 ,i cleaned all the brass-work for seven and ten-foot telescopes1 and put curtains before the shelves to hinder the dust from settling upon them again4 #dth4--,i cleaned and put the polishing-room in order1 and made the gardener clear the work-yard1 put everything in safety1 and mend the fences4 #eth4--,i spent the morning in needle-work4 ,in the afternoon went with ,mrs4 ,herschel to ,windsor4 ,we chose the hours from two to six for shopping and other business1 to be from home at the time most unlikely for any persons to call1 but there had been four foreign gentlemen looking at the instruments in the garden1 they had not left their names4 ,in the evening ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,kelly 7,mr4 ,dollond's daughter7 and ,mr4 ,gordon came to see me4 #fth4--,i put all the philosophical letters in order1 and the collection of each year in a separate cover4 99 99 99 99 99 #abth4--,i put paper in press for a register1 and calculated for ,flamsteed's ,catalogue4 ,mem4--,when ,flamsteed's ,catalogue was brought into zones in #aghc1 it was only taken up at #de from the ,pole1 the apparatus not being then ready for sweeping in the zenith4 ,by ,july #bcrd the whole ,catalogue was completed all but writing it in the clear1 which at that time was a very necessary provision1 as it was not till the year #aghi that ,wollaston's ,catalogue made its appearance4 ,many sweeps nearer the ,pole than the register of sweeps1 which only began at #de1 being made1 it became necessary to provide a register for marking those sweeps and the nebul discovered in them4 #adth4--,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,maskelyne called here with ,dr4 ,shepherd4 #aeth4--,i spent the day with ,mrs4 ,herschel at ,mrs4 ,kelly's4 ,we met ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,maskelyne and ,dr4 ,shepherd1 ,marquis of ,huntley1 c41 c41 there4 #afth4--,i ruled part of the register of sweeps4 99 99 99 99 99 #ahth4--,i spent the whole day in ruling paper for the register2 except that at breakfast ,i cut out ruffles for shirts4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,kelly and ,mrs4 ,ramsden 7,dollond's sister7 called this evening4 ,i tried to sweep1 but it is cloudy1 and the moon rises at half-past ten4 #aith4--,in the evening we swept from eleven till one4 #bjth4--,prince ,charles 7,queen's brother7 ,duke of ,saxe-,gotha and the ,duke of ,montague were here this morning4 ,i had a message from the ,king to show them the instruments4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had intended to go on with my ,diary till my brother's return1 but it would be tedious1 so of the rest ,i shall give only a summary account1 and will mention in this place that all what follows would but be the same thing over again2 for the advantage of being quietly at work in the presence of my brother to whom ,i could apply for information the moment a doubt occurred1 never returned again1 and often have ,i been racking my poor brains through a day and a night to very little purpose4 ,i found it necessary to continue my memoranda of 8work done0 to the last day ,i had the care of my brother's ,,ms4 papers4 ,but ,i had rather copy a few days more1 as they contain the discovery of my first comet1 and will serve also to show that ,i attempted to register all discovered nebul1 after a precept my brother had left me1 as this was necessary for revising the ,,ms4 of the catalogue of the first thousand nebul1 which he expected at his return to find ready for correction from the printers4 #bbnd4--,i calculated all the day for ,flamsteed's ,catalogue4 ,lord ,mulgrave called this evening44444 #bcrd4--,received letters from ,hanover4 ,finished calculating for ,flamsteed's ,catalogue4 ,the two following short letters were carefully preserved1 and1 though they contain nothing of importance1 they are of interest as being of the very few from the same pen which are not on scientific subjects4 ,,from ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,friday1 ,july #ad1 #aghf4 ,,dear ,,sister1-- ,this morning we arrived safely at ,hanover4 ,we are a little tired1 but perfectly well in health4 ,we travelled extra post all the way through very bad roads4 ,the post is going out in a very little time1 so that ,i write in a hurry that you might hear from us so much sooner4 ,after a night or two of sleep here 7by way of recovery7 ,i shall go on to ,gttingen2 but when ,i have collected my thoughts better together ,i will write more4 ,mamma is perfectly well and looks well4 ,jacob looks a little older1 but not nearly so much as ,i expected4 ,in ,sophy ,mrs4 ,griesbach there is hardly any change1 but a few white hairs on her head4 ,john ,dietrich is just the same as before1 his little boy seems to be a charming creature4 ,farewell1 dear ,lina4 ,i hope we shall see you again in a few weeks4 ,i must finish for ,alexander to write4 ,adieu once more4 ,,from ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,august1 #aghf4 ,,dear ,,lina1-- ,we are still in ,hanover1 and find it a most agreeable place4 ,i have been in ,gttingen1 where ,jacob went along with me1 and the ,king's telescope arrived there in perfect order4 ,the ,society of ,gttingen have elected me a member4 ,we long very much to hear from you1 as we have never had a letter yet4 ,this is the fourth we have sent you1 and we hope you received the former ones4 ,this day fortnight we have fixed for our setting out from this place1 and be assured that we shall be happy to see old ,england again1 though old ,germany is no bad place4 ,yesterday and the day before ,i have seen the ,bishop of ,osnaburgh and the ,prince ,edward4 ,if an inquiry should be made about our return1 you may say 7,i hope with truth7 that we shall be back by about the #bdth of ,august4 ,adieu1 ,lina4 #bdth4--,i registered some sweeps in present time and ,pole distance4 ,prince ,resonico came with ,dr4 ,shepherd to see the instruments4 ,i swept from ten till one4 99 99 99 99 99 #bhth4--,i wrote part of ,flamsteed's ,catalogue in the clear4 ,it was a stormy night1 we could not go to bed4 #bith4--,i paid the smith4 ,he received to-day the plates for the forty-foot tube4 ,above half of them are bad1 but he thinks there will be as many good among them as will be wanted1 and ,i believe he intends to keep the rest till they return4 ,paid the gardener for four days which he worked with the smith4 ,i registered sweeps to-day4 ,by way of memorandum ,i will set down in this book in what manner ,i proceed4 ,i began some time ago with the last sweep which is booked in the old register 7,flamsteed's time and ,p4 ,d471 viz41 #ega1 and at different times ,i booked #egj1 #efi1 #efh1 #efg1 #eff1 #efe4 ,to-day ,i booked #efd2 #efc is marked not to be registered2 #efj and #efa ,i was obliged to pass over on account of some difficulty4 ,the rest of the day ,i wrote in ,flamsteed's ,catalogue4 ,the storm continued all the day1 but now1 #h o'clock1 it turns to a gentle rain4 #cjth4--,i wound up the sidereal timepiece1 ,field's and ,alexander's clocks1 and made covers for the new and old registers4 #cast4--,i booked #eeh1 #eeg1 and #eed2 #eef1 #eee1 ,i was obliged to leave out on account of some difficulty4 ,mem4--,i find ,i cannot go on fast enough with the registering of sweeps to be serviceable to the ,catalogue of ,nebul4 ,therefore ,i will begin immediately to recalculate them1 and hope to finish them before they return4 ,besides1 ,i think the consequences of registering the sweeps backwards will be bad4 ,sidenote3 #aghf4 ,slough4--,the first ,comet4 ,august #a4--;,i have counted one hundred nebul to-day1 and this evening ,i saw an object which ,i believe will prove to-morrow night to be a comet4 #bnd4--,to-day ,i calculated #aej nebul4 ,i fear it will not be clear to-night4 ,it has been raining throughout the whole day1 but seems now to clear up a little4 #a o'clock4--,the object of last night is a comet4 #crd4--,i did not go to rest till ,i had wrote to ,dr4 ,blagden and ,mr4 ,aubert to announce the comet4 ,after a few hours' sleep1 ,i went in the afternoon to ,dr4 ,lind1 who1 with ,mr4 ,cavallo1 accompanied me to ,slough1 with the intention of seeing the comet1 but it was cloudy1 and remained so all night4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,dr4 ,,blagden4 ,august #b1 #aghf4 ,,sir1-- ,in consequence of the friendship which ,i know to exist between you and my brother1 ,i venture to trouble you1 in his absence1 with the following imperfect account of a comet3-- ,the employment of writing down the observations when my brother uses the twenty-foot reflector does not often allow me time to look at the heavens1 but as he is now on a visit to ,germany1 ,i have taken the opportunity to sweep in the neighbourhood of the sun in search of comets2 and last night1 the #ast of ,august1 about #aj o'clock1 ,i found an object very much resembling in colour and brightness the #bg nebula of the ,connoissance des ,temps1 with the difference1 however1 of being round4 ,i suspected it to be a comet2 but a haziness coming on1 it was not possible to satisfy myself as to its motion till this evening4 ,i made several drawings of the stars in the field of view with it1 and have enclosed a copy of them1 with my observations annexed1 that you may compare them together4 ,august #a1 #aghf1 #i;h #ej4 ,fig4 #a4 ,the object in the centre is like a star out of focus1 while the rest are perfectly distinct1 and ,i suspect it to be a comet4 #aj;h #cc4 ,fig4 #b4 ,the suspected comet makes now a perfect isosceles triangle with the two stars a and b4 #aa;h #h4 ,i think the situation of the comet is now as in ,fig4 #c1 but it is so hazy that ,i cannot sufficiently see the small star b to be assured of the motion4 ,by the naked eye the comet is between the #ed and #ec ,urs ,majoris and the #ad1 #ae1 and #af ,com ,berenices1 and makes an obtuse triangle with them1 the vertex of which is turned towards the south4 ,aug4 #bnd1 #aj;h #i4 ,the comet is now1 with respect to the stars a and b1 situated as in ,fig4 #d1 therefore the motion since last night is evident4 #aj;h #cj4 ,another considerable star1 c1 may be taken into the field with it by placing a in the centre1 when the comet and the other star will both appear in the circumference1 as in ,fig4 #e4 ,these observations were made with a ,newtonian sweeper of #bg-;inch focal length1 and a power of about #bj4 ,the field of view is #b #ab4 ,i cannot find the stars a or c in any catalogue1 but suppose they may easily be traced in the heavens1 whence the situation of the comet1 as it was last night at #aj;h #cc1 may be pretty nearly ascertained4 ,you will do me the favour of communicating these observations to my brother's astronomical friends4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,sir1 ,your most obedient1 humble servant1 ,,carolina ,,herschel4 ,august #bnd1 #aghf4 ,,slough1 ,,near ,,windsor4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,alex4 ,,aubert1 ,,esq4 ,,slough1 ,august #b1 #aghf4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,august #ast1 in the evening1 at #aj o'clock1 ,i saw an object very much resembling 7in colour and brightness7 the #bg of ,mr4 ,messier's ,nebul1 except this object being round4 ,i suspected it to be a comet2 but a haziness came on before ,i could convince myself of its having moved4 ,i made several figures of the objects in the field1 whereof ,i take the liberty to send the first1 that you might compare it with what ,i saw to-night4 ,in ,fig4 #a ,i observed the nebulous spot in the centre1 a bright red but small star upwards1 another very faint white star following1 and in the situation as marked in the figure4 ,there is a third star preceding1 but exceedingly faint4 ,i suspected several more1 which may perhaps appear in a finer evening1 but they were not distinct enough to take account of4 ,in ,fig4 #b1 ,august #bnd1 are only the red and its following star3 the preceding1 in ,fig4 #a1 is partly hid in the rays of the comet1 and by one or two glimpses ,i had1 ,i think it is got before it4 ,in ,fig4 #c ,i took the comet in the edge by way of taking in the assistance of another star of about the same size and colour as that in the centre4 ,the only stars ,i can possibly see with the naked eye which might be of service to point out the place of the comet are #ec and #ed ,urs ,maj41 from which it is at about an equal distance with the #ad1 #ae1 and #af ,com ,ber41 and makes an obtuse angle with them4 ,i think it must be about #a above the parallel of the #ae ,com4 ,i made these observations with my little ,newtonian sweeper1 and used a power of about #cj3 the field is about #a degree4 ,i hope1 sir1 you will excuse the trouble ,i give you with my wag qy4 vague description1 which is owing to my being a bad 7or what is better7 no observer at all4 ,for these last three years ,i have not had an opportunity to look as many hours in the telescope4 ,lastly1 ,i beg of you1 sir1 if this comet should not have been seen before1 to take it under your protection in regard to ,a4 ,r4 and ,d4 ,c4 ,with my respectful compliments to the ladies1 your sisters1 ,i have the honour to be1 ,sir1 ,your most obedient1 humble servant1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,dr4 ,,blagden ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,gower ,,street1 ,,bedford ,,square1 ,august #e1 #aghf4 ,,madam1-- ,mr4 ,aubert's letter1 as well as that with which you favoured me1 both arrived safe4 ,the evening was fine on ,thursday1 but ,mr4 ,aubert was prevented from going to ,loam ,pit ,hill1 and ,i have no opportunity of making astronomical observations here1 so that ,i believe the comet has not yet been seen by anyone in ,england but yourself4 ,yesterday the visitation of the ,royal ,observatory at ,greenwich was held1 where most of the principal astronomers in and near ,london attended1 which afforded an opportunity of spreading the news of your discovery1 and ,i doubt not but many of them will verify it the next clear night4 ,i also mentioned it in a letter to ,paris1 and in another ,i had occasion to write to ,munich1 in ,germany4 ,if the weather should be favourable on ,sunday evening1 it is not impossible that ,sir ,joseph ,banks and some friends from his house may wait upon you to beg the favour of viewing this phenomenon through your telescope4 ,accept my best thanks for your obliging attention in communicating to me the news1 and believe me to be1 with great esteem1 ,your obedient1 humble servant1 ,c4 ,,blagden4 ,,alex4 ,,aubert1 ,,esq41 ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,london1 #gth ,august1 #aghf4 ,,dear ,,miss ,,herschel1-- ,i am sure you have a better opinion of me than to think ,i have been ungrateful for your very1 very kind letter of the #bnd ,august4 ,you will have judged ,i wished to give you some account of your comet before ,i answered it4 ,i wish you joy1 most sincerely1 on the discovery4 ,i am more pleased than you can well conceive that you have made it1 and ,i think ,i see your wonderfully clever and wonderfully amiable brother1 upon the news of it1 shed a tear of joy4 ,you have immortalized your name1 and you deserve such a reward from the ,being who has ordered all these things to move as we find them1 for your assiduity in the business of astronomy1 and for your love for so celebrated and so deserving a brother4 ,i received your very kind letter about the comet on the #crd1 but have not been able to observe it till ,saturday1 the #eth1 owing to cloudy weather4 ,i found it immediately by your directions2 it is very curious1 and in every respect as you describe it4 ,i have compared it to a fixed star1 on ,saturday night and ,sunday night4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,you see it travels very fast--at the rate of #b #aj per day--and moves but little in ,n4 ,p4 ,d4 ,these observations were made with an equatorial micrometer of ,mr4 ,smeaton's construction1 which your brother must recollect to have seen at ,loam ,pit ,hill4 ,i need not tell you that meridian observations with my transit instrument and mural quadrant must have been much more accurate4 ,i give you a little figure of its appearance last night and the preceding night upon the scale of ,flamsteed's ,atlas ,clestis here follows the sketch-figure4 ,by the above1 you will see it will be very near #ai of ,com ,berenices to-night1 and it will be a curious observation if it should prove an occultation of one of the stars of the ,com4 ,notice has been given to astronomers at home and abroad of the discovery4 ,i shall continue to observe it1 and will give you by-and-by a further account of it4 ,in the meanwhile believe me to be1 with much gratitude and regard1 ,dear ,miss ,herschel1 ,your most obedient and obliged humble servant1 ,,alex4 ,,aubert4 ,p4,s4--,i was glad to hear to-day1 by my friends at our club1 that they had seen you last night in good health2 pray let me know what news you have of your brother1 and when we may expect to see him4 ,i have had twice at ,loam ,pit ,hill his serene highness the ,duke of ,saxe ,gotha1 and entertained him1 ,count ,bruhl1 and ,mr4 ,oriani 7a ,milanese astronomer71 with your comet last night4 ,my sisters return you many thanks for your kind remembrance1 and1 with their best compliments1 enjoin me to wish you joy4 ,sidenote3 #aghf4 ,employments at ,slough4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,dietrich ,,herschel4 ,,slough1 ,august #d1 #aghf4 ,,dear ,,brother1-- ,we received yesterday ,william's and ,alexander's letter1 and find that they intend to leave ,hanover on the #hth of ,august1 therefore they will not see the contents of this4 ,however1 as you have an instrument1 ,i think you are entitled to information of a telescopic comet which ,i happened to discover on the #ast of ,august1 and which ,i found1 by the observations of the #bnd1 to have moved nearly three-quarters of a degree4 ,last night it was cloudy1 but ,i hope the weather will be more favourable another night1 that we may see a little more of it4 ,i believe you have a pair of ,harris's maps2 the place where ,i saw the comet is between #ec and #ed ,urs ,maj4 and the #ad1 #ae1 and #af ,com ,ber4 of ,flamsteed's ,catalogue4 ,all stars of ,flamst4 are in ,bode's ,cat4 to be found1 and if you cannot do without it1 ,i dare say it is to be met with at ,hanover4444 ,i found it with a magnifier of about #cj1 with a field of about #a degree4 ,now1 if you have a piece which is nearly like this1 ,i would advise you to make use of that in sweeping all around this place1 for it must be1 by the time you receive this letter1 at a considerable distance4 ,when ,i saw it1 it appeared like a very bright1 but round1 small nebula4 ,the first letter ,i received from ,hanover from ,william gave us the greatest satisfaction imaginable1 for it contained an account of the good health of all our dear relations4 ,i hope our dear mother does not grieve too much now they have left her4 ,i dare say ,william will pay soon another visit1 and then ,i will take that opportunity of coming to see her4 ,farewell1 dear brother2 give my best love1 c4 ,to this period of ,miss ,herschel's life belongs a folio manuscript book1 written with the utmost neatness1 which she sent with one of her various consignments of papers to her nephew after her return to ,hanover1 and introduced as follows3-- ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,this is the fragment of a book which was too bulky for the portfolio in which ,i was collecting such papers as ,i wished might not fall into any other but your own hands4 ,they contain chiefly answers of your father to the inquiries ,i used to make when at breakfast before we separated each for our daily tasks4 ,sidenote3 #aghf-aghg4 ,employments at ,slough4 ,the information is of a very miscellaneous kind1 but matters connected with her special study form the greater part of the questions4 ,for instance3-- 8,given the true time of the transit--take a transit4 ,do the same thing another way4 ,to find what star ,mercury is nearest4 ,take its place in the ,nautical ,almanac4 ,another way4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,time of a star's motion to be turned into space4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to adjust the quadrant when fastened to the telescope4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a logarithm given1 to find the angle4 ,oblique spherical triangles40 #dth4--,i wrote to-day to ,hanover1 booked my observations1 and made a fair copy of three letters4 ,made accounts4 ,the night is cloudy4 #eth4--,i calculated nebul all day4 ,the night was tolerably fine1 and ,i saw the comet4 #fth4--,i booked my observations of last night4 ,received a letter from ,dr4 ,blagden in the morning1 and in the evening ,sir ,j4 ,banks1 ,lord ,palmerston1 and ,dr4 ,blagden1 came and saw the comet4 ,the evening was very fine4 #gth1 #hth4--,booked my observations2 was hindered much by being obliged to find a man to assist the smith4 ,dr4 ,lind and ,mr4 ,cavallo came on the #hth1 and ,mr4 ,paradise in the afternoon1 but the evening was cloudy4 #ith4--,i calculated #ajj nebul4444 #ajth4--,calculated #ajj nebul4 ,the smith borrowed a guinea4 ,he complains of ,turner 7the gardener71 but we will1 if possible1 have patience till my brother returns4 #aath4 ,i completed to-day the catalogue of the first thousand4 #abth4 444 calculated #bjj nebul of the second thousand4 #acth4 ,professor ,kratzensteine1 from ,copenhagen1 was here to-day4 ,in the evening ,i saw the comet and swept4 #adth4 444 ,i calculated #adj nebul to-day1 which brought me up to the last discovered nebul1 and1 therefore1 this work is finished4 #aeth4 ,i went up with ,mrs4 ,h4 to ,windsor to pay some bills and to buy several articles against my brother's return4 #afth4 444 my brothers returned about three in the afternoon4 ,it would be impossible for me1 if it were required1 to give a regular account of all that passed around me in the lapse of the following two years1 for they were spent in a perfect chaos of business4 ,the garden and workrooms were swarming with labourers and workmen1 smiths and carpenters going to and fro between the forge and the forty-foot machinery1 and ,i ought not to forget that there is not one screw-bolt about the whole apparatus but what was fixed under the immediate eye of my brother4 ,i have seen him lie stretched many an hour in a burning sun1 across the top beam whilst the iron work for the various motions was being fixed4 ,at one time no less than twenty-four men 7twelve and twelve relieving each other7 kept polishing day and night2 my brother1 of course1 never leaving them all the while1 taking his food without allowing himself time to sit down to table4 ,the moonlight nights were generally taken advantage of for experiments1 and for the frequent journeys to town which he was obliged to make to order and provide the tools and materials which were continually wanting1 ,i may say by wholesale4 ,the discovery of the ,georgian satellites caused many breaks in the sweeps which were made at the end of #aghf and beginning of #aghg1 by leaving off abruptly against the meridian passage of the planet1 which occasioned much work1 both in shifting of the instrument and booking the observations4 ,much confusion at first prevailed among the loose papers on which the first observations were noted1 and some of them have perhaps been lost2 for ,i remember several configurations of the situation of the satellites having been made by ,sir ,william ,watson and ,mr4 ,marsden1 and only one could be found4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,that the discovery of these satellites must have brought many nocturnal visitors to ,slough may easily be imagined1 and many times have ,i listened with pain to the conversation my brother held with his astronomical friends when quite exhausted by answering their numerous questions4 ,for ,i well knew that on such occasions1 instead of renewing his strength by going to rest1 that there were too many who could not go on without his direction1 among whom ,i often was included1 for ,i very seldom could get a paper out of his hands time enough for finishing the copy against the appointed day for its being taken to town4 ,but considering that no less than seven papers were delivered to the ,royal ,society in #aghf-aghg1 it may easily be judged that my brother's study had not been entirely deserted4 ,i had always some kind of work in hand with which ,i could proceed without troubling him with questions2 such as the temporary index which ,i began in ,june1 #aghg4 ,some years after1 the index to ,flamsteed's observations1 calculating the beginning and ending of sweeps and their breadth1 for filling up the vacant places in the registers1 and works of that kind1 filled up the intervals when nothing more necessary was in hand4 ,my brother ,jacob was with us from ,april till ,october1 #aghg1 when he returned to ,hanover again4 ,alexander came only for a short time to give his brother the meeting1 ,mrs4 ,h4 being too ill to be left long alone4 7,she died in ,january of #aghh47 ,professor ,snaidecky often saw some objects through the twenty-foot telescope1 among others the ,georgian satellites4 ,he had taken lodgings in ,slough for the purpose of seeing and hearing my brother whenever he could find him at leisure2 he was a very silent man4 ,my brother's bust was taken by ,loche1 according to ,sir ,wm4 ,watson's order4 ,professor ,wilson and my brother ,jacob#aa were present4 ,in ,august an additional man-servant was engaged1 who would be wanted at the handles of the motions of the forty-foot1 for which the mirror in the beginning of ,july was so far finished as to be used for occasional observations on trial4 ,sidenote3 #aghf-aghg4 ,slough--,appointed ,assistant ,astronomer4 ,such a person was also necessary for showing the telescopes to the curious strangers1 as by their numerous visits my brother or myself had for some time past been much incommoded4 ,in consequence of an application made through ,sir ,j4 ,banks to the ,king1 my brother had in ,august a second #b1jjj granted for completing the forty-foot1 and #bjj yearly for the expense of repairs1 such as ropes1 painting1 c41 c41 and the keep and clothing of the men who attended at night4 ,a salary of fifty pounds a year was also settled on me as an assistant to my brother1 and in ,october ,i received twelve pounds ten1 being the first quarterly payment of my salary1 and the first money ,i ever in all my lifetime thought myself to be at liberty to spend to my own liking4 ,a great uneasiness was by this means removed from my mind1 for though ,i had generally 7and especially during the last busy six years7 been almost the keeper of my brother's purse1 with a charge to provide for my personal wants1 only annexing in my accounts the memorandum for ,car4 to the sums so laid out--when cast up1 they hardly amounted to seven or eight pounds per year since the time we had left ,bath4 ,nothing but bankruptcy had all the while been running through my silly head1 when looking at the sums of my weekly accounts and knowing they could be but trifling in comparison with what had been and had yet to be paid in town1 for my brother had not been fortunate enough to meet with a reasonable man for a caster who could also furnish the crane1 c41 and his bills came in greatly overcharged4 ,but more of this in another place4 ,i will only add that from this time the utmost activity prevailed to forward the completion of the forty-foot4 ,an additional optical workman was engaged1 and preparation made for casting the second mirror4 ,journeys to town were made for moulding1 and at the end of ,january a fine cast mirror arrived safely at ,slough4 ,several seven-foot telescopes were finished and sent off4 ,the fine nights were not neglected1 though observations were often interrupted by visitors4 ,messrs4 ,cassini1 ,mechain1 ,le ,genre1 and ,carochet spent ,november #bfth and #bgth with my brother1 and saw many objects in the twenty-foot and other instruments4 ,sidenote3 #aghg-aghh4 ,slough--,marriage of ,dr4 ,herschel4 ,the ,catalogue of the second thousand new nebul wanted but a few numbers in ,march to being complete4 ,the observations on the ,georgian satellites furnished a paper which was delivered to the ,royal ,society in ,may4 ,the #hth of that month being fixed on for my brother's marriage1 it may easily be supposed that ,i must have been fully employed 7besides minding the heavens7 to prepare everything as well as ,i could against the time ,i was to give up the place of a housekeeper1 which was the #hth of ,may1 #aghh4 ,,end ,,of ,,recollections4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,life ,,after ,,her ,,brother',s ,,marriage4 ,,with the second volume of 8,recollections0 all connected narrative and detailed relation of daily events ceases1 and for the ten years from #aghh to #agih there is not even the journal1 which1 however1 was resumed in the latter year4 ,all has been destroyed4 ,an event so important as her brother's marriage#ab is only noticed as fixing the date when the 8place of a housekeeper0 had to be resigned4 ,miss ,herschel lived from henceforth in lodgings1 coming every day for her work1 and in all respects continuing the same labours as her brother's assistant and secretary as before4 ,but it is not to be supposed that a nature so strong and a heart so affectionate should accept the new state of things without much and bitter suffering4 ,to resign the supreme place by her brother's side which she had filled for sixteen years with such hearty devotion could not be otherwise than painful in any case2 but how much more so in this where equal devotion to the same pursuit must have made identity of interest and purpose as complete as it is rare4 ,one who could both feel and express herself so strongly was not likely to fall into her new place without some outward expression of what it cost her--tradition confirms the assumption--and it is easy to understand how this long significant silence is due to the light of later wisdom and calmer judgment which counselled the destruction of all record of what was likely to be painful to survivors4 ,her later letters abundantly show that she had learned to love the gentle sister-in-law whom she so pathetically entreats to hold on with her in their common old age1 and the journals of her astronomical researches sufficiently prove that her zeal in 8minding the ,heavens0 knew no abatement4 ,it was at this period also that she made some of her most important discoveries4 ,before the end of #agig she had announced the discovery of eight comets1 to five of which the priority of her claim over other observers is unquestioned4 ,a packet1 in coarse paper1 bearing the superscription1 8,this is what ,i call the ,bills and ,receipts of my ,comets10 contains some data connected with the discovery of these objects1 each folded in a separate paper1 and marked 8,first ,comet10 8,second ,comet10 c41 c4 ,some of the correspondence on the occasion of her first discovery has already been quoted1 and in a note she explains that many of the letters from distinguished men which she received had been given to collectors of autographs4 ,the letter to the ,astronomer ,royal1 announcing the discovery of her second comet1 has been preserved1 with his answer4 ,sidenote3 #aghh4 ,second ,comet discovered4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,maskelyne4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,last night1 ,december #bast1 at #g;h #de1 ,i discovered a comet1 a little more than one degree south--preceding ,lyr4 ,this morning1 between five and six1 ,i saw it again1 when it appeared to have moved about a quarter of a degree towards of the same constellation4 ,i beg the favour of you to take it under your protection4 ,mrs4 ,herschel and my brothers join with me in compliments to ,mrs4 ,maskelyne and yourself1 and ,i have the honour to remain1 ,dear sir1 ,your most obliged1 humble servant1 ,,carolina ,,herschel4 ,,slough1 ,dec4 #bb1 #aghh4 ,p4,s4--,the comet precedes ,lyr #g #e in time1 and is in the parallel of the small star 7 being double74 ,see fifth class1 third star1 of my catalogue4--,,wm4 ,h4 ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,maskelyne ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,greenwich1 ,december #bg1 #aghh4 ,,dear ,,miss ,,caroline1-- ,i thank you for your favour of the #bbnd instant1 containing an account of your discovery of a second comet on the #bast1 and recommending it to my attention4 ,i received it only on the #bdth1 at ten in the morning1 owing to the slowness of our penny post4 ,i delayed acknowledging it till ,i could inform you at the same time ,i had seen it4 ,the frost1 unfortunately for us astronomers1 broke up the very same morning that your letter arrived1 in consequence of which the weather has been so bad that ,i could not get a sight of your comet till last night1 the #bfth1 when1 at #f;h #cd1 it followed ,lyr in the ,a4 ,r41 #c #g of time1 and was #b #cj ,s4 of it4 ,this only by the divisions of the equatorial and meridian circles1 but true to a minute or two of declination and five seconds of time4 ,i compared it more accurately with a small telescopic star nearer it1 which1 when settled hereafter1 will determine its place within #cj of a degree4 ,hence its ,a4 ,r4 was about #ah;h #cc #ee1 and distance from the ,north ,pole #ec #ei4 ,by your observation of ,december #bbnd1 #e;h #ca in the morning1 its ,a4 ,r4 was #ah;h #ce #ab1 and ,p4 ,d4 #ef #ef4 ,hence it has moved retrograde in ,a4 ,r4 about the rate of #ag of time per day1 and #cj per day northward in declination1 which agrees nearly with your observation of its approach towards ,lyr4 ,its motion is fortunately favourable for our keeping sight of it for some time1 which may be very useful1 especially if it should be moving from us1 which there is an equal chance for1 as the contrary4 ,it appeared to me very faint1 and rather small1 but the air was hazy4 ,by its faintness and slow motion1 it is probably at a considerable distance from the earth4 ,time will explain these things4 ,let us hope the best1 and that it is approaching the earth to please and instruct us1 and not to destroy us1 for true astronomers have no fears of that kind4 ,witness ,sir ,harry ,englefield's valuable tables of the apparent places of the ,comet of #affa1 expected to return at this time1 with a delineation of its orbit1 who1 in page #g1 speaks of the possibility of seeing a curious and beautiful transit of it over the sun's disk1 should the earth and comet be in the line of the nodes at the same time1 without horror at the thought of our being involved in its immense tail4 ,i would not affirm that there may not exist some astronomers so enthusiastic that they would not dislike to be whisked away from this low terrestrial spot into the higher regions of the heavens by the tail of a comet1 and exchange our narrow uniform orbit for one vastly more extended and varied4 ,but ,i hope you1 dear ,miss ,caroline1 for the benefit of terrestrial astronomy1 will not think of taking such a flight1 at least till your friends are ready to accompany you4 ,mrs4 ,maskelyne joins me in best compliments to yourself and ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,herschel4 ,if your observation was precise as to the difference of ,a4,r4 of the comet and ,lyr1 it may be of use for determining the orbit1 especially if the comet should be going off from us4 ,i have not yet examined whether it can be the ,french comet discovered by ,m4 ,messier1 on the #bfth of last month1 which was going from the earth4 ,its apparent motion must have turned at right angles to its former one1 which is possible1 but not very probable4 ,i could not see your comet with the night glass1 nor would its faintness allow of illuminating the wires4 ,i remain1 dear ,miss ,caroline1 ,your obedient and obliged humble servant1 ,n4 ,,maskelyne4 ,,dr4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,h4 ,,englefield4 ,december #bb1 #aghh4 ,,sir1-- ,your intelligence of the comet ,i received1 but on account of the long time elapsed since the #bnd and #crd of this month we have not been able to recover the fugitive4 ,last night1 however1 my sister discovered a comet near ,lyr1 which you will find no difficulty to follow as its motion is very slow1 and the comet a pretty visible object4 ,we saw it again this morning1 and it seems to go towards ,lyr1 you will see it pass by ,lyr4 ,it is a much larger object than the nebula near ,lyr1 discovered by ,mr4 ,darquier1 of ,toulouse 7,connoissance des ,temps1 #ge74 ,,sir ,h4 ,,englefield ,,to ,,dr4 ,,herschel4 ,,petersham1 ,december #be1 #aghh4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,i am much obliged to you for your account of the comet1 and beg you to make my compliments to ,miss ,herschel on her discovery4 ,she will soon be the great comet finder1 and bear away the prize from ,messier and ,mechain4 ,the weather yesternight was bad1 and to-night ,i have looked for it1 in the moments of fine weather1 with a good night-glass1 but am not sure that ,i saw it1 though ,i thought ,i perceived it about half-way between and ,lyr4 ,the glass ,i used showed ,d',arquier's nebula1 though but faintly4 ,before ,i could get any other telescope ready1 the weather clouded4 ,if you have seen it again1 pray be so good as to give me its place when you saw it last1 and with what power and light it may be seen4 ,i was going to write to ,messier about his comet1 but have deferred it1 as ,i would not mention yours without your leave1 and could not find it in my heart to write without doing it4 ,believe me1 dear ,sir1 ,with all the wishes of the season1 ,your much obliged and faithful ,h4 ,c4 ,,englefield4 ,sidenote3 #aghh-agij4 ,the ,third ,comet seen4 ,,dr4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,,banks4 ,,sir1-- ,the last time ,i was in town1 you expressed a wish to see my observations on the comet which my sister1 ,caroline ,herschel1 discovered in the evening of the #bast of last ,december1 not far from ,lyr4 ,as she immediately acquainted the ,reverend ,dr4 ,maskelyne and several other gentlemen with her discovery1 the comet was observed by many of them4 ,the ,astronomer ,royal in particular having1 ,i find1 obtained a very good set of valuable observations on its path1 it will be sufficient if ,i communicate only those particulars which relate to its first appearance1 and a few other circumstances that may perhaps deserve to be noticed4 ,dec4 #bast1 #aghh4--;,about #h o'clock ,i viewed the comet which my sister had a little while before pointed out to me with her small ,newtonian sweeper4 ,in my instrument1 which was a ten-foot reflector1 it had the appearance of a considerably bright nebula1 of an irregular round form1 very gradually brighter in the middle1 and about five or six minutes in diameter4 ,the situation was low1 and not very proper for instruments with high powers4 ,dec4 #bbnd4--,about half-after #e o'clock in the morning ,i viewed it again1 and perceived that it had moved apparently in a direction towards ,lyr1 or thereabout4 ,i had been engaged all night with the twenty-foot instrument1 so that there had been no leisure to prepare my apparatus for taking the place of the comet2 but in the evening of the same day ,i took its situation three times4444 ,in every observation ,i found the small star which accompanies ,lyr exactly in the parallel of the comet4 ,these transits were taken with a ten-foot reflector1 and the difference in right ascension1 ,i should suppose1 may be depended upon to within a second of time4 ,the determination also of the parallel can hardly err so much as #ae seconds of a degree4 ,this1 and several evenings afterwards1 ,i viewed the comet again with such powers as its diluted light would permit1 but could not perceive any sort of nucleus which1 had it been a single second in diameter1 ,i think1 could not well have escaped me4 ,this circumstance seems to be of some consequence to those who turn their thoughts on the investigation of the nature of comets1 especially as ,i have also formerly made the same remark on one of the comets discovered by ,mr4 ,mechain in #aghg1 a former one of my sister's in #aghf1 and one of ,mr4 ,pigott's in #aghc in neither of which any defined1 solid nucleus1 could be perceived4 ,i have the honour to remain1 ,sir1 c41 ,,wm4 ,,herschel4 ,,slough1 ,,near ,,windsor1 ,march #c1 #aghi4 ,the third comet was discovered on the #gth ,january1 #agij2 the fourth on the #agth ,april of the same year1 during her brother's absence from home4 ,it was announced to ,sir ,joseph ,banks in the following letter3-- ,april #aith1 #agij4 ,,sir1-- ,i am very unwilling to trouble you with incomplete observations1 and for that reason did not acquaint you yesterday with the discovery of a comet4 ,i wrote an account of it to ,dr4 ,maskelyne and ,mr4 ,aubert1 in hopes that either of those gentlemen1 or my brother1 whom ,i expect every day to return1 would have furnished me with the means of pointing it out in a proper manner4 ,but as perhaps several days might pass before ,i could have any answer to my letters1 or my brother return1 ,i would not wish to be thought neglectful1 and therefore if you think1 sir1 the following description is sufficient1 and that more of my brother's astronomical friends should be made acquainted with it1 ,i should be very happy if you would be so kind as to do it for the sake of astronomy4 ,the comet is a little more than #c following ,andromed1 and about #a above the parallel of that star4 ,i saw it first on ,april #agth1 #af;h #bd sidereal time1 and the first view ,i could have of it last night was #af;h #e4 ,as far as ,i am able to judge1 it has decreased in ,p4 ,d4 nearly #a1 and increased in ,a4 ,r4 something above #a4 ,these are only estimations from the field of view1 and ,i only mention it to show that its motion is not so very rapid4 ,i am1 c41 ,c4 ,h4 ,sidenote3 #agij4 ,letters about the ,third ,comet4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,alex4 ,,aubert1 ,,esq4 ,,slough1 ,april #ah1 #agij4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,i am almost ashamed to write to you1 because ,i never think of doing so but when ,i am in distress4 ,i found last night1 at #af;h #bd sidereal time1 a comet1 and do not know what to do with it1 for my new sweeper is not half finished2 and besides1 ,i broke the handle of the perpendicular motion in my brother's absence 7who is on a little tour into ,yorkshire74 ,he has furnished me to that instrument a ,rumboides1 but the wires are too thin1 and ,i have no contrivance for illuminating them4 ,all my hopes were that ,i should not find anything which would make me feel the want of these things in his absence2 but1 as it happens1 here is an object in a place where there is no nebula1 or anything which could look like a comet1 and ,i would be much obliged to you1 sir1 if you would look at the place where the annexed eye-draft will direct you to4 ,my brother has swept that part of the heavens1 and has many nebul there1 but none which ,i must expect to see with my instrument4 ,i will not write to ,sir ,j4 ,banks or ,dr4 ,maskelyne1 or anybody1 till you1 sir1 have seen it2 but if you could1 without much trouble1 give my best respects and that part of this letter which points out the place of the comet to ,mr4 ,wollaston1 you would make me very happy4 ,i am1 dear sir1 c41 c41 ,c4 ,h4 ,,sir ,,joseph ,,banks ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,soho ,,square1 ,april #bj1 #agij4 ,,madam1-- ,i return you many thanks for the communication you were so good as to make to me this day of your discovery of a comet4 ,i shall take care to make our astronomical friends acquainted with the obligations they are under to your diligence4 ,i am always happy to hear from you1 but never more so than when you give me an opportunity of expressing my obligations to you for advancing the science you cultivate with so much success4 ,dear ,madam1 ,your faithful servant1 ,j4 ,,banks4 ,,alex4 ,,aubert1 ,,esq4 ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,london1 the #bast ,april1 ,wednesday1 #agij4 ,,dear ,,miss ,,herschel1-- ,i am much obliged to you for your kind letter4 ,the night before last was cloudy4 ,last night1 or rather this morning1 about half-past two1 ,i got up to look for the phenomenon2 it was somewhat hazy4 ,i observed with a common night-glass of ,dollond's a faint something in a line between and ,andromed1 much like a faint star2 it had no coma nor fuzzy appearance4 ,by looking at ,flamsteed's ,atlas ,i find no small star there4 ,i was preparing to attack it with a good magnifying power1 and to get its place with my ,smeaton's equatorial micrometer1 but when ,i was ready a haze came on and soon after too much daylight1 so ,i can say no more to it as yet4 ,if ,i saw what you judged a comet1 it must have moved but little since you saw it2 it was as large as a star of #gth magnitude1 but rather faint4 ,i sent this morning to ,dr4 ,maskelyne3 he says he could see nothing with a good night glass1 but will try again the next fair morning1 and after trying he will answer you2 in the meanwhile he begs his best compliments4 ,i will also try again4 ,pray let me know if you think it was the comet ,i saw4 ,i have mentioned it to no one but to ,mr4 ,wollaston1 who thanks you sincerely1 but did not find himself well enough to observe2 he lives in ,charter ,house ,square2 direct upon occasion there to the ,rev4 ,francis ,wollaston4 ,you cannot1 my dear ,miss ,herschel1 judge of the pleasure ,i feel when your reputation and fame increase2 everyone must admire your and your brother's knowledge1 industry1 and behaviour4 ,god grant you many years health and happiness4 ,i will soon pay you a visit1 as soon as your brother returns4 ,if ,i have any instrument you wish to use1 it is at your service4 ,believe me1 c41 c41 ,,alexander ,,aubert4 ,sidenote3 #agij4 ,letters from ,astronomers4 ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,maskelyne ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,greenwich1 ,april #bb1 #agij4 ,,dear ,,miss ,,herschel1-- 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,if ,i misunderstand anything ,i shall be obliged to you for an explanation4 ,the weather has not permitted me to see anything of the comet yet1 but it seems now mending1 and ,i hope to be able to make something of it to-morrow morning4 ,your second communication1 at the same time that it gives me fresh spirits as to the certainty of its being a comet1 will certainly assist me in more readily finding it4 ,i feared that your using your new telescope might make that a bright comet to you which might prove but a very faint one1 if at all visible1 in a common night-glass1 which is what we first use to discover a comet with4 ,as soon as ,i shall have seen it ,i will send you a line4 ,i sent intelligence of your discovery to ,m4 ,mechain1 at ,paris1 last ,tuesday1 and will send to him your farther communication next ,friday4 ,mr4 ,maskelyne joins me in best compliments to yourself and ,mrs4 ,herschel1 and ,dr4 ,herschel on his return4 ,dr4 ,shepherd sent advice of it from me last ,tuesday to the ,master of ,trinity1 at ,cambridge1 who perhaps may convey the agreeable intelligence to your brother4 ,i remain1 dear ,miss ,herschel1 ,my worthy sister in astronomy1 ,your faithful and obliged humble servant1 ,n4 ,,maskelyne4 ,j4 ,,de ,,la ,,lande ,,to ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,,rue ,,coll,,ge ,,royal1 le #ab ,juillet1 #agij4 ,,ma ,,ch,,re ,,et ,,savante ,,comm,,re1-- ,j'ai reu avec la plus dlicieuse satisfaction la premire lettre dont vous m'avez honor2 je ne pouvois attribuer votre silence une timidit que votre reputation condamne1 mais je l'aurais attribu mon peu de mrite si vous aviez continu de me refuser une rponse4 ,vous crivez si bien que vous ne pouvez pas avoir cet gard une excuse lgitime4 ,sidenote3 #agij4 ,letters4 ,vous verrez bientt ,m4 ,ungeschick1 qui a baptis votre filleule ,caroline2 dites-lui qu'elle se porte beaucoup mieux1 ainsi que le petit ,isaac 7je l'ai ainsi nomm en mmoire d',isaac ,newton72 pour sa sur je ne pouvois lui donner un nom plus illustre que le vtre2 c'est ce que j'ai fait remarquer en annonant sa naissance dans notre ,moniteur ou ,gazette ,nationale du #ca janvier4 ,je ne pouvois vous donner un compre d'un plus grand mrite que ,m4 ,delambre4 ,il fait actuellement des tables des ,satellites de ,jupiter qui surpassent de beaucoup celles de ,m4 ,wargentin4 ,votre commre ma nice calcule des tables pour trouver l'heure en mer par la hauteur du soleil4 ,mde4 du ,piery calcule des observations d'clipses4 ,pour moi1 je suis occup des toiles1 j'en ai dj #f1jjj2 votre compre ,le-,franais#ac y met beaucoup de soin4 ,nous tchons tous de seconder vos heureux travaux et ceux de votre illustre frre2 nous vous prions tous de recevoir vous-mme et de lui prsenter nos respects4 ,remerciez-le bien de la complaisance qu'il a eu de m'envoyer la rotation de l'anneau1 dont j'tois bien curieux4 ,je suis avec autant d'attachement que de respect1 ,savante ,miss1 ,votre trs-humble et trs obissant serviteur1 ,,de ,,la ,,lande4 ,plusieurs de mes toiles ont servi comparer votre comte qui a disparu le #cj juin1 mais que ,m4 ,messier et ,m4 ,mchain ont suivis sans interruption1 jusques dans le crpuscule4 ,je vous prie de demander les bonts de votre digne frre pour ,m4 ,ungeschick1 qui est un astronome de mrite1 et qui a bien du zle1 mais en vous voyant le zle augmentera4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,m4 ,,de ,,la ,,lande4 ,,slough1 ,sept4 #abth1 #agij4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,our good friend1 ,general ,komavzewski1 will persuade me to believe that ,i am capable of giving you pleasure by writing a few lines2 but ,i am under an apprehension that he is overrating my abilities4 ,you1 my dear sir1 certainly overrated them when you thought me deserving of expressing your esteem for me in so public a manner as the ,general and ,mr4 ,ungeschick have informed me of4 ,i do not only owe you my sincerest thanks for your good opinion of me1 but my utmost endeavours shall be to make myself worthy of it if possible4 ,my good brother has not been omissive in furnishing me with the means of becoming so in some respects4 ,an excellent ,newtonian sweeper1 of five-feet focal length1 is nearly completed1 which1 being mounted at the top of the house1 will always be in readiness for observing whenever my attendance on the forty or twenty-foot telescopes is not required4 ,i hope the little god-daughter is in good health1 and wish she may grow and give happiness and pleasure to her parents and uncle4 ,i beg to present many respectful compliments to the ingenious ladies you mentioned in your letter4 ,mrs4 ,herschel desires to be remembered to you1 sir4 ,we do not give up the hopes of seeing you again at ,slough1 and are wishing it may not be long before you visit ,england again4 ,i remain1 dear sir1 ,with greatest esteem1 c41 c41 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #agia-agie4 ,two more ,comets discovered4 ,another foreign correspondent was inspired to soar above the ordinary level of scientific communications1 and addressed ,miss ,herschel in a strain of high-flown adulation1 of which the following is a translation3-- ,g,,ttingen1 ,may #aj1 about #agic4 ,permit me1 most revered lady1 to bring to your remembrance a man who has held you in the highest esteem ever since he had the good fortune to enter the ,temple of ,urania1 at ,slough1 and to pay his respects to its priestess4 ,i still recall the happy hours passed in ,england in earlier days of sweet remembrance1 and above all1 those which ,i was privileged to spend near you in a society as genial as it was intellectual4 ,give me leave1 noble and worthy priestess of the new heavens1 to lay at your feet my small offering on eclipses of the sun1 and at the same time to express my gratitude and deepest reverence4 ,the bearer is a young ,mr4 ,johnston1 who has been studying here1 and is now returning to ,england4 ,he is a young man of excellent character1 and possessed of unusual capacity and attainments4 ,may ,i venture to ask1 most honoured ,miss1 that when you or your brother make any discovery1 you will grant me early notice of it1 as you once had the kindness to promise to do4 ,you can hardly fail to make them at ,slough1 where every day is rich in discovery1 especially when one of your own subjects--the comets--comes to offer its homage4 ,how happy should ,i esteem myself if there were any service ,i could render you here1 most admirable lady astronomer1 that ,i might be permitted to prove how entirely my heart is devoted to you4 ,,prof4 ,,seyffer4 ,the fifth comet was discovered ,december #aeth1 #agia1 and a simple record of the fact is all that the packet devoted to it contains1 with the information1 8,my brother wrote an account of it to ,sir ,j4 ,banks1 ,dr4 ,maskelyne1 and to several astronomical correspondents40 ,the discovery of the sixth is treated with equal brevity4 8,oct4 #g1 at #h;h4 mean time4 ,i discovered a comet1 my brother settled its place on the #hth1 and ,i wrote to ,sir ,j4 ,banks1 ,dr4 ,maskelyne1 and to ,mr4 ,planta4 ,the letter to ,mr4 ,planta is printed in the ,philosophical ,transactions40 ,none of the correspondence in connection with the seventh has been preserved1 excepting her own letter announcing its discovery to ,sir ,j4 ,banks4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,joseph ,,banks4 ,,slough1 ,nov4 #h1 #agie4 ,,sir1-- ,last night1 in sweeping over a part of the heavens with my five-foot reflector1 ,i met with a telescopic comet4 ,to point out its situation ,i transcribe my brother's observations of it from his journal4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,it will probably pass between the head of the ,swan and the constellation of the ,lyre1 in its descent towards the sun4 ,the direction of its motion is retrograde4#ad 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,as the appearance of one of these objects is almost become a novelty1 ,i flatter myself that this intelligence will not be uninteresting to astronomers1 and therefore hope1 sir1 you will1 with your usual kindness1 recommend it to their notice4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,with great respect1 c41 c41 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,two years later the eighth and last comet was discovered1 on the #fth of ,august1 #agig4 ,it was the occasion of the following letter3-- ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,joseph ,,banks4 ,august1 #ag1 #agig4 ,,sir1-- ,this is not a letter from an astronomer to the ,president of the ,royal ,society announcing a comet1 but only a few lines from ,caroline ,herschel to a friend of her brother's1 by way of apology for not sending intelligence of that kind immediately where they are due4 ,i have so little faith in the expedition of messengers of all descriptions that ,i undertook to be my own1 with an intention of stopping in town and write and deliver a letter myself1 but unfortunately ,i undertook the task with only the preparation of one hour's sleep1 and having in the course of five years never rode above two miles at a time1 the twenty to ,london1 and the idea of six or seven more to ,greenwich in reserve1 totally unfitted me for any action4 ,dr4 ,maskelyne was so kind as to take some pains to persuade me to go this morning to pay my respects to ,sir ,joseph1 but ,i thought a woman who knows so little of the world ought not to aim at such an honour1 but go home1 where she ought to be1 as soon as possible4 ,the letter which you sent1 sir1 to my brother1 was the only one received at ,slough in my absence2 it arrived towards noon on the #afth1 and was brought by a porter from an inn4 ,i hope you will excuse the trouble ,i give by sending this1 though ,i know it is entirely useless1 because ,dr4 ,maskelyne had probably my memorandum which ,i took to ,greenwich with him when he called in ,soho ,square1 and therefore ,i can say nothing but what you1 sir1 are acquainted with already2 but ,i shall be a little more comfortable when ,i can say to my brother ,i have written to ,sir ,j4 ,banks concerning the comet4 ,with the utmost respect1 ,i remain1 sir1 ,your most obedient servant1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #agie-agig4 ,ceases to reside with her ,brother4 ,we are now reduced to the short diary-like entries in a small book entitled 8,extracts from a ,day-,book kept during the years #agig and #ahba10 which begins3 8#agig1 in ,october ,i went to lodge and board with one of my brother's workmen 7,sprat71 whose wife was to attend on me4 ,my telescopes on the roof1 to which ,i was to have occasional access1 as also to the room with the sweeping and observing apparatus1 remained in its former order1 where ,i most days spent some hours in preparing work to go on with at my lodging40 ,a chance memorandum shows how the leisure time was employed2 thus--8,at the ending of #aghg1 or beginning of #aghh1 began to make use of some of the proof-sheets of ,wollaston's ,catalogue along with ,flamsteed's20 and again1 8,december #bdth1 #agig1 received notice for printing the ,index1 which was not at all adapted for that purpose2 but ,march #hth1 #agih1 the copy was completed1 and taken to the ,royal ,society1 and in the course of the summer the print was corrected40 ,the following letter to the ,astronomer ,royal bears on this subject3-- ,sidenote3 #agig-agih4 ,astronomical4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,maskelyne4 ,,slough1 ,sept4 #agih4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,i have for a long while past felt a desire of expressing my thanks to you for having interested yourself so kindly for the little production of my industry by being the promoter of the printing of the ,index to ,flamsteed's ,observations4 ,i thought the pains it had cost me were1 and would be1 sufficiently rewarded in the use it had already been1 and might be in future1 to my brother4 ,but your having thought it worthy of the press has flattered my vanity not a little4 ,you see1 sir1 ,i do own myself to be vain1 because ,i would not wish to be singular2 and was there ever a woman without vanity8 or a man either8 only with this difference1 that among gentlemen the commodity is generally styled ambition4 ,i wish it were possible to offer something which could be of use to our ,royal ,astronomer than merely thanks4 ,perhaps the enclosed catalogue may be of some little service on some occasion or other4 ,i was obliged to bring it into that form by way of scrutinizing the real number of omitted stars1 and find it now very useful when my brother1 in sweeping1 c41 observes stars which are not contained in ,wollaston's ,catalogue1 to know immediately by this order of ,r4 ,a4 if they are in any of ,flamsteed's omitted stars1 and if they are1 what number they bear in the catalogue of omitted stars1 which number we find in the first column4 ,the rest of the columns will want no explanation1 except the last1 which would not be complete1 or even intelligible1 without the assistance of the catalogue of omitted stars1 and the notes to that catalogue1 for they are short memorandums collected from the descriptions in the catalogue1 and from the notes to some of the stars4 ,as our ,index contains all the corrections and information which ,i possibly could collect1 those corrections and memorandums of which ,i had the pleasure1 about eighteen months ago1 to write a copy for ,dr4 ,maskelyne1 will consequently be laid aside1 else ,i ought to take notice that there are one or two errors and several omissions which should have been corrected in that copy1 but with which it will now be needless to trouble you1 sir4 ,what has laid me under particular obligation to you1 my dear sir1 was your timely information1 the ,august before last1 of your having proposed the printing of the ,index to the ,p4 ,r4 ,s4 ,the papers were then in so incomplete a state1 that it needed each moment which could possibly be spared from other business to deliver them with some confidence of their being pretty correct4 ,many times do ,i think with pleasure and comfort on the friendly invitations ,mrs4 ,maskelyne and yourself have given me to spend a few days at ,greenwich4 ,i hope yet to have that pleasure next spring or summer4 ,this last has passed away1 and ,i never thought myself well or in spirits enough to venture from home4 ,if the heavens had befriended me1 and afforded us a comet1 ,i might1 under its convoy1 perhaps have ventured at an emigration4 ,however1 ,i cannot help thinking that ,i shall meet with some little reward for the denial it has been to me not coming this summer in seeing the improvements ,miss ,maskelyne has made 7more perceptibly7 in those accomplishments she seemed to be in so fair a way of attaining when ,i was there last4 ,with my best respects and compliments to ,mrs4 ,m41 ,i remain1 with the greatest esteem1 ,your most obliged and humble servant1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #agih4 ,extracts from ,day-book4 ,,diary4 ,may #bith and #cjth4--,was mostly spent at the ,observatory1 ,professor ,vince#ae being there4 ,july #cjth4--,my brother went with his family to ,bath and ,dawlish4 ,i went daily to the ,observatory and work-rooms to work1 and returned home to my meals1 and at night1 except in fine weather1 ,i spent some hours on the roof1 and was fetched home by ,sprat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,september #aath4--,dined at my brother's4 ,professor ,pictet and ,dr4 ,ingenhouse1 c41 were there4 ,cloudy night4 ,october #gth4--,finished the ,,ms4 ,catalogue of omitted stars for ,dr4 ,maskelyne4 99 99 99 99 99 ,december #cast4--,mem4 ,uncommonly harassed in consequence of the loss of time necessary for going backward and forward1 and not having immediate access to each book or paper at the moment when wanted4 ,sidenote3 #agii4 ,extracts from ,day-book4 ,january #dth4--,spent the evening at my brother's4 ,sir ,wm4 ,watson#af and ,mr4 ,wilson#ag were there4 ,february #aath4--,my brother went to ,bath to make some stay there1 having taken a house on ,sion ,hill4 ,february #bfth4--,mrs4 ,herschel1 ,miss ,cobet1 and the servants left ,slough for ,bath4 ,russell1 the horse-keeper1 and his wife1 were1 along with me1 left in charge of the house1 from which ,i seldom was absent at any other time but to go to dinner at my lodging every day at one o'clock4 ,march #bith4--,the ,prince of ,orange stepped in to ask some questions about planets1 c4#ah ,lord ,kirkwall and a gentleman came to see the instruments4 ,april #ast4--,my brother arrived at ,slough1 and on the #aath he took a paper to the ,r4 ,s41 which he brought with him for me to copy in the clear4 ,the fine nights were spent with sweeping4 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #adth4--,was interrupted in works on account of the ,montem4 ,montem4--,was visited by ,mrs4 ,owen1 the ,elds1 ,linds1#ai c41 at my lodgings1 or wherever they could find me4 ,june4--,began re-calculating all the sweeps as a constant work for leisure time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #hth4--,my brother returned4 ,i drank tea with him and ,mrs4 ,h41 and at seven went home to my lodgings4 99 99 99 99 99 ,july #aeth4--,agreed for apartments at ,newby's1 the tailor1 in ,slough 7,mr4 ,s4 and ,mrs4 ,b4 speaking well of them as sober1 industrious people71 ,i am to enter at ,michaelmas4 99 99 99 99 99 ,august #aith4--,i went to ,greenwich to meet some company at ,dr4 ,maskelyne's1 and after having spent a week at the ,r4 ,observatory1 ,i went with ,dr41 ,mrs41 and ,miss ,m4 to pay a visit to ,sir ,george ,schuckburgh1 at ,buxted ,place1 where ,i left the ,ms4 on the #cjth1 and arrived at ,slough the #cast4 ,it was so very rarely that ,miss ,herschel ever slept from home1 that this visit was a memorable event in her experience4 ,a small sheet1 written by ,miss ,maskelyne1 headed 8,journal from the #aith to the #cjth of ,august1 #agii10 is preserved1 with the superscription3 8,by ,miss ,maskelyne's memorandum only ,i found it possible to have any recollection of the occurrences during the eleven days ,i had intended to spend at ,greenwich for the purpose of copying the memorandums from my brother's second volume of ,flamsteed's ,observations into ,dr4 ,maskelyne's volume4 ,but the succession of amusements1 c41 c41 left me no alternative between contenting myself with one or two hours' sleep per night during the six days ,i was at ,greenwich1 or to go home without having fulfilled my purpose40 ,the journal was enclosed in a letter from ,mrs4 ,maskelyne1 which bears pleasant testimony to the agreeable impression which her visitor must have made on the ladies1 as well as the astronomer4 ,,buxted ,,place1 ,august #cj1 #agii4 ,,dear ,,miss ,,herschel1 ,we thank you for your polite message1 are sorry you left ,buxted at eight o'clock2 hoped you would have taken two dishes of coffee1 and not gone till half-past eight1 for we were up at seven1 to be ready to accompany you to ,uckfield4 ,margaret has sent the enclosed1 and will be glad to hear if it is what you meant2 she was writing it when you stopped at the door1 but did not venture to open it for fear of disturbing us4 ,present our compliments to ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,herschel4 ,pray let me know what sort of a journey you have had to your dear sweeper1 and accept our love4 ,i am1 dear ,miss ,herschel1 ,your humble servant1 ,s4 ,,maskelyne4 ,sidenote3 #agii-ahjj4 ,letters4 ,the following letter has reference to this visit1 and is inserted here1 although belonging to a somewhat later date3-- ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,maskelyne4 ,january1 #ahjj4 ,,dear ,,sir1 ,if it was not highly necessary to make you acquainted with the safe arrival of your valuable present at ,slough1 ,i might perhaps be a long while before ,i should think myself sufficiently collected to express the grateful feelings the sight of it occasioned me4 ,my being pleased at having two such useful and convenient instruments has but very little connection with my present ideas2 and if they had come to me from any other hands but those of the ,astronomer ,royal1 ,i should use them as occasion required1 and think myself much obliged to the giver4 ,but as it is1 ,i cannot help wishing ,i were capable of doing something to make myself deserving of all these kind attentions4 ,i feel gratified in particular when ,i think of the stipulation ,i was making when you were taking measure of the distance apart of my eyes3 viz41 that if you in future should change in opinion1 and not think me worthy of the present1 not to bestow it on me4 ,mrs4 ,maskelyne's good-natured looks1 and all she said at the time1 come now again to my remembrance1 and seeing not only the binocular 7which ,i had but a conditional expectation of receiving71 but also the night-glass1 makes me hope that during the time ,i had the honour of being in the company of such esteemed friends1 ,i have suffered no loss in their former good opinion of me1 which was a circumstance ,i often feared might have happened2 for ,i have too little knowledge of the rules of society to trust much to my acquitting myself so as to give hope of having made any favourable impressions4 ,you see1 dear sir1 that you have done me more good than you were perhaps aware of3 you have not only enabled me to peep at the heavens1 but have put me into good humour with myself4 ,with my respectful compliments to ,mrs4 and ,miss ,maskelyne1 ,i remain1 with many thanks1 ,dear sir1 ,your much obliged and humble servant1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,the following is from a friend who took the deepest interest in the career of both brother and sister3-- ,,ed4 ,,pigott1 ,,esq4 ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,bath1 ,,st4 ,,james',s ,,square1 ,april #cj1 #agii4 ,,madam1 ,it is with much satisfaction that ,i received through the hands of ,dr4 ,herschel1 the valuable publication you are so kind as to send me1 and which indeed is the more welcome as ,i have the volumes of the 8,historia ,clestis10 and shall most probably have occasion to use them4 ,were ,flamsteed alive1 how cordially would he thank you for thus rendering the labours of his life so much more useful and acceptable to posterity1 for he surely little thought that his great work required to be elucidated by an additional folio volume of explanations1 errata1 and indexes1 the advantages of which1 by their excellence and accuracy1 must every day be more and more acknowledged1 and future astronomers1 as well as those of the present times will doubtless often be conscious of the merit and obligation you are entitled to4 ,with many thanks1 ,i remain1 ,dear madam1 ,your most obedient ,,edwd4 ,,pigott4 ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,herschel1 whom ,i have occasionally the pleasure of seeing1 though by no means so often as ,i could wish1 are well1 and desired to be mentioned to you4 ,sidenote3 #agii-ahjj4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,august #cast4--,at six in the evening both my brothers arrived from ,bath4 ,alexander gave me a call4 ,september #hth4--,professor ,vince1 his lady1 and ,alexander came to see me4 ,october #ahth4--,my brother returned from ,bath1 but with a violent cough and cold1 and was obliged to go to ,newbury for change of air and meet ,mrs4 ,h41 who was there on a visit4 ,november #aith4--,the bailiffs took possession of my landlord's goods1 and ,i found my property was not safe in my new habitation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,december #cast4--,the king had been at the ,observatory4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,february #ast4--,my brother went to ,bath4 ,mem4--,miss ,baldwin a niece of ,mrs4 ,herschel's and little ,john#bj frequently call on me4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,april #bhth4--,my brother went to town for a fortnight4 ,i was at the ,observatory after he was gone1 from ten till two1 to select work for me to do at home4 ,april #bith4--,from ten till three at the ,observatory to make order in the books and ,,mss4 ,may #ast4--,dined with ,dr4 ,lind4 ,fetched my nephew from ,mrs4 ,clark and brought him to his boarding-dame1 ,mrs4 ,howard1 at ,eton4 ,worked every day some hours at the ,observatory4 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #bfth4--,i went to take leave of my nephew1 who entered at ,dr4 ,gretton's ,school4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #bcrd4--,paid my rent1 and gave notice of quitting my apartments at ,michaelmas4 ,june #beth4--,began to pack up what ,i must take to ,bath with me1 for there ,i am to go6 ,june #bith4--,i dined with ,mrs4 ,h4 and went with her to the ,terrace1 where ,i took leave of my friends at the ,lodge4 ,everything was arranged for my books and furniture to remain at my lodging1 to which my brother was to keep the keys4 ,but on receiving information they would be seized along with my landlord's goods by bailiffs1 ,i prepared the same night for their removal1 and all was safely lodged in a garret at ,mrs4 ,h4's by ,july #b at night4 ,july #crd4--,i left ,slough by the nine o'clock ,newbury coach1 and remained with the ,miss ,whites at ,newbury till next morning4 ,july #dth4--,at six in the evening ,i was received at ,bath by my brother ,alex4 and his old housekeeper in a house ,mrs4 ,h4 had taken for the next winter in ,little ,stanhope ,street4 ,the house had been uninhabited1 and the furniture moved into it from the house on ,sion ,hill by strangers1 labourers2 the things met me helter-skelter in the passage1 some belonging to the drawing-room amongst curry-combs and bridles and other stable utensils4 ,my first care was to make an inventory of the whole1 before ,i let a stranger come into the house1 but by the #ajth of ,july ,i hired a maid of all work to assist me to bring the house into habitable order1 and by ,july #bith ,i was ready for resuming the work of re-calculating sweeps1 or despatching some copying1 c41 which was sent me by the coach from ,slough1 and from the printer in ,london1 my brother being with his family at ,tunbridge ,wells4 ,sept4 #ajth4--,i received a box from ,slough4 ,my brother was come home1 and ,alex4 went to assist in re-polishing the forty-foot mirror1 and left ,bath ,sept4 #ae2 he returned ,oct4 #bnd4--,some of my time during his absence ,i spent at his house on ,margaret's ,hill to clean and repair his furniture1 and making his habitation comfortable against his return4 ,oct4 #bith4--,i received notice that in about a fortnight ,i should be wanted at ,slough4 ,,from ,,dr4 ,,herschel ,,in ,,london ,,to ,,caroline ,,herschel ,,at ,,bath4 ,,london1 ,nov4 #g1 #ahjj4 ,,dear ,,sister1-- ,last night my paper on which ,i have been so long at work was read at the society4 ,i came to ,london to bring it1 and have been so hurried as not to be able to look out any work for you1 but shall now be at liberty to do something of that kind4 ,my things here are in considerable disorder1 and in a short time ,mrs4 ,herschel and myself wish to come for a little time to ,bath1 then we will let you know if it's soon1 that you may come here on a visit before we go1 that ,i may point out to you the work that is most necessary to be done in our short absence4 ,i thought it best to give you this early notice1 because1 though we have not fixed upon the time1 it will be towards the latter end of this month that we mean to come for perhaps a fortnight or three weeks1 according to the weather2 for1 if that should be fine we shall return1 that ,i may have a few sweeps before you go back to ,bath4 ,miss ,baldwin is at ,slough1 and stays while we are away1 so that you will have company1 and the chaise will also be left1 so that you can pay visits at ,windsor1 and show yourself to all your friends and ours4 ,my last paper consisted of eighty pages1 so that you will have a piece of work to gather it together out of the scraps ,i leave4 ,some part of it was brought together in the beginning by ,miss ,baldwin and ,mrs4 ,herschel which will show the order1 but the rest remains in bits1 which ,i have gathered together and numbered4444 ,remember me to our good brother ,alexander1 and1 with compliments from ,mrs4 ,herschel1 ,i remain1 dear sister1 ,your affectionate brother1 ,,wm4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,the bacon and cheese are very excellent4 ,i have not had time to try ,alexander's green lenses2 they look beautiful4 ,sidenote3 #ahjj-ahja4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,nov4 #adth4--,i left ,bath1 slept the night at the inn at ,newbury1 and left there between three and four4 ,nov4 #aeth4--,i arrived at my brother's house1 and as soon as ,i had dined began to calculate and copy a paper which was to go to the ,r4,s4 ,nov4 #bdth4--,my brother went with ,mrs4 ,h4 and ,miss ,baldwin to ,bath1 the keys to ,obs41 c41 were given me to make order and for despatching memorandums which would have employed me for much longer time than it was likely ,i should be allowed for doing them to my own satisfaction4 ,dec4 #aeth4--,the family returned1 my brother extremely ill1 and the next day ,i had my furniture transported to ,windsor1 where ,i had taken a couple of rooms to board and lodge with my eldest nephew1 ,g4 ,griesbach1 and ,dec4 #agth4--,i slept there for the first night4 ,march #bhth4--,the ,,mss4 and astronomical books in general were removed out of the observatory above stairs and lodged in my brother's library4 ,this alteration proved to be an additional clog to my business 7which besides was daily increasing on me7 for ,i lost by this means my workroom and found it very difficult to keep the necessary order among the ,,mss4 99 99 99 99 99 ,april #bjth4--,moved from ,windsor to a small house at ,chalvy1 rented from ,mr4 ,house1 the wood-cutter4 ,june #ith4--,my brother went to ,bath2 by the #beth he was returned4 ,july #ast4--,alexander came from ,bath4 ,july #bith4--,i went to ,slough to take 7along with ,alex47 care of the house whilst my brother1 with his family1 were from home4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,february #bjth4--,the first time ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's#ba name being mentioned in my memorandums as having dined with her1 and the whole party leaving the dining-room on the ,princesses ,augusta1 ,amelia1 and the ,duke of ,cambridge coming in to see me4 ,march #bnd4--,i went with ,mrs4 ,h4 and ,miss ,baldwin to town on a visit to ,dr4 and ,miss ,wilson1 and went with a party to ,f4 ,griesbach's concert at the ,opera ,house4 ,the #dth we returned4 ,april #gth4--,i shut my house at ,chalvy1 and went with my maid to ,slough1 the latter to supply the place of the servants ,mrs4 ,h4 took with her to town4 ,may #fth4--,my brother went to take a paper to the ,r4 ,s41 and remained there till the #aeth4 ,may #bfth4--,i returned home to ,chalvy very ill with a bad leg1 having waited too long before ,i called in assistance4 ,june #bgth4--,the carriage was sent to take me to ,slough4 ,hitherto work had been daily sent me4 ,july #acth4--,my brother1 ,mrs4 ,h41 my nephew ,john1 and ,miss ,baldwin left ,slough to go to ,paris4 ,august #beth4--,all returned with my nephew dangerously ill4 ,going daily for some hours to work at the ,observatory1 and to receive visitors and letters1 had not hastened my recovery1 for it required no less than seven months before ,i could be without the attendance of ,dr4 ,pope4 ,march #beth4--,i moved from ,chalvy to ,upton4 ,april #crd4--,spent the day at ,slough4 ,dr4 and ,miss ,wilson1 ,miss ,whites1 and ,professor ,johnes1 from ,cambridge1 were there4 ,april #abth4--,had an account of my sister ,griesbach's death4 ,she died ,march #cjth4 ,may #ast4--,from the #ast till the #ahth ,i worked with my brother at ,slough1 when he went to town1 and ,i returned to ,upton2 but went daily to the library to work till the #bfth1 when my brother1 with his family1 came home from town4 ,june #acth4--,alexander arrived from ,bath4 ,june #beth4--,spent a melancholy day at the ,queen's ,lodge on account of the ,french having taken ,hanover4 ,september #ahth4--,my brother ,alex4 returned to ,bath4 ,october #ahth4--,i changed my rooms for the accommodation of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,slaughter1 who had taken the house and gardens at ,upton1 excepting two rooms for my habitation4 ,november #fth4--,i spent the day at ,slough4 ,professor ,valis1#bb with his lady1 from ,marlow1 was there4 ,november #aith4--,i dined at ,slough to meet ,dr41 ,mrs41 and ,miss ,maskelyne4 ,december4--,almost throughout the whole month ,i worked at ,slough from breakfast till nine in the evening4 ,sidenote3 #ahja-ahje4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,march #afth4--,finished re-calculating sweeps4 ,mem4--,above #h1gfj observations have been brought to the year #ahjj4 ,april #dth4--,dined at ,slough to meet ,mrs4 ,bates and a large party4 ,in the evening we heard ,mrs4 ,b4 sing ,mad ,bess1 c41 c4 ,april #ahth4--,i went to ,slough4 ,my brother went1 with his family1 to ,bath4 ,may #ajth4--,my brother returned4 ,august #eth4--,my brother ,alexander came from ,bath4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,november #bbnd4--,i went to make some stay at ,slough during the time my brother spent in town with his family4 ,december #ajth4--,i returned to ,upton4 ,january #adth4--,i went1 with my brother's family1 to a morning concert1 to my nephew1 ,h4 ,griesbach1 to hear the ,hanoverian ,concert-,meister ,le ,vec play4 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #eth4--,went to make some stay with my brother at ,slough1 ,mrs4 ,h4 being in town4 ,march #bgth4--,all returned1 and ,i went with my work to ,upton again4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,august #adth4--,i went to stay with ,alex4 at ,slough while my eldest brother went with his family from home4 ,they had intended to have left ,slough on the #abth1 but were detained in consequence of a report of an expected invasion4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,september was much hindered in my work by the packing of the ,spanish telescope1 which was done at the barn and rick-yard at ,upton1 my room being all the while filled with the optical apparatus4 ,september #bdth4--,i went to work with my brother at ,slough4 ,october #ast4--,when ,mrs4 ,h41 with her niece1 returned from ,newbury1 ,i went again to ,upton4 ,the ,spanish telescope left ,england in ,october4#bc ,november #acth4--,i went to ,slough1 the family to town2 but1 in the absence of the moon1 my brother was at home1 and much observing1 and work was despatched4 ,december #ast4--,all came home1 and ,i went to my solitude again4#bd ,during the winter months ,i suffered much from a violent cough and cold1 and found great difficulty in despatching the copying1 c41 which daily was sent to me when ,i was unable to go to my brother4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahje-ahjf4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,may #ast4--,i went to ,slough to make some stay with my brother4 99 99 99 99 99 ,july #dth4--,my brother went to ,gravesend to meet my youngest brother 7who came to pay us a visit71 and was detained there for a passport4 ,july #fth4--,in the evening they both arrived at ,slough4 ,july #ajth4--,alexander joined us from ,bath4444 ,the same day my eldest brother went to the visitation of the ,observatory at ,greenwich1 and my brother ,d4 accompanied him4 ,they returned on the #abth4 ,july #acth4--,we went all to the ,terrace1 and took our tea with ,mrs4 ,bremeyer and ,mr4 ,beckedorff at the ,castle4 ,july #bcrd4--,dietrich took leave of his friends at ,cumberland ,lodge4 ,alex4 and ,i accompanied him4 ,in ,windsor ,i went shopping to buy presents for my ,hanoverian relations4 ,july #bdth4--,d4 left us4 ,my eldest brother and ,mrs4 ,h4 accompanied him to ,london4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,august #ast4--,i left ,upton for ,slough4 ,my brother went with ,mrs4 ,h4 and ,miss ,b4 on an excursion4 ,my nephew went to spend the holidays at ,newbury1 at the ,miss ,whites4 ,one man and a woman were left with me to take care of the house4 ,i distracted my thoughts by undertaking an amazing deal of work2 among the rest1 ,i made catalogues of all books and ,,mss4 my brother's library contained1 and arranged them1 to the best of my knowledge1 according to what the confined room would allow4 ,sidenote3 #ahjf-ahjg4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,september #hth4--,my brother and family returned1 and ,i went with my works to ,upton4 ,dr4 and ,miss ,wilson were at ,slough from ,september #bbnd to ,september #cjth4 ,mem4--,during ,september1 and the early part of ,october1 many days were spent at ,slough in assisting my brother when the #dj-;foot mirror was re-polishing4 ,december #bhth4--,i went to see ,mrs4 ,bremeyer1 but found she had died ten hours before my arrival at the ,castle4 ,january #aeth4--,my brother went to ,bath to see his brother and ,sir ,wm4 ,watson4 ,january #bdth1 #eth1 and #fth4--,i spent with my friends at ,windsor4 ,my brother returned with a violent cough1 added to a nervous headache which it had been hoped would1 by change of air1 have been removed4 ,my brother brought the place of a comet announced in the papers with him4 ,i had also heard of it at the ,castle1 and saw it on the #bgth at ,upton4 ,next day ,i had my sweeper carried to ,slough1 but the nights of the #bhth1 #bith1 and #cjth were not clear enough1 and ,i could not find it again till the #cast1 when my brother began his observations on it4444 ,may #bnd4--,i left ,upton for ,slough1 to work with my brother4 ,mrs4 ,h4 being in town till ,june #ahth4--,spent the day at ,slough1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,watt being there on a visit1 and a large party to dinner4 ,aug4 #acth4--,i went with ,mrs4 ,h4 and my nephew to pay a visit to our friends at ,cumberland ,lodge4 ,my brother1 again finding it necessary to recruit his strength by absenting himself for a few days from his work-rooms1 had left ,slough for ,tunbridge ,wells just the day before1 and at our return we found the ,duke of ,kent1 with the ,dukes of ,orleans1 c41 waiting for us1 and my nephew tat4 #ae and myself showed them ,jupiter1 the ,moon1 c41 in the seven-foot4 ,aug4 #bith4--,i dined at the ,castle4 ,the ,queen and ,princess ,elizabeth honoured me with kind enquiries after the health of my brother1 c4 ,the ,princesses ,augusta and ,mary also came to see me in ,miss ,beckedorff's room4 ,on coming home the next day1 ,i found my brother had arrived the day before4 ,sept4 #bbnd4--,in taking the forty-foot mirror out of the tube1 the beam to which the tackle is fixed broke in the middle1 but fortunately not before it was nearly lowered into its carriage1 c41 c4 ,both my brothers had a narrow escape of being crushed to death4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,oct4 #ast4--,received an account and letters announcing a comet4 ,oct4 #bnd4--,saw the comet1 visible to the naked eye4 ,oct4 #dth4--,my brother came from ,brighton4 ,the same night two parties from the ,castle came to see the comet1 and during the whole month my brother had not an evening to himself4 ,as he was then in the midst of polishing the forty-foot mirror1 rest became absolutely necessary after a day spent in that most laborious work2 and it has ever been my opinion that on the #adth of ,october his nerves received a shock of which he never got the better afterwards2 for on that day 7in particular7 he had hardly dismissed his troop of men1 when visitors assembled1 and from the time it was dark till past midnight he was on the grass-plot surrounded by between fifty and sixty persons1 without having had time for putting on proper clothing1 or for the least nourishment passing his lips4 ,among the company ,i remember were the ,duke of ,sussex1 ,prince ,galitzin1 ,lord ,darnley1 a number of officers1 ,admiral ,boston1 and some ladies4 ,nov4 #crd4--,i came home to ,upton 7,mrs4 ,h4 returned from ,brighton71 but went most days to assist my brother in the polishing-room or library1 and from the #ajth ,december to the #bbnd ,i was entirely at ,slough going on as above uninterruptedly1 ,mrs4 ,herschel being with my nephew1 and ,miss ,baldwin at ,newbury with the ,miss ,whites4 ,jan4--,many days at work in the library and workrooms assisting my brother4 ,feb4 #crd4--,when at work in the library the ,duke of ,cambridge came in4 ,we were obliged to a storm for his visit1 as he came in for the shelter4 ,feb4 #fth4--,when ,i came to ,slough to assist my brother in polishing the forty-foot mirror1 ,i found my nephew very ill with an inflammatory sore throat and fever4 ,feb4 #ith4--,still very ill2 and my brother obliged to go on with the polishing of the great mirror1 as every arrangement had been made for that purpose4 ,mem4 ,i believe my brother had reason for choosing the cold season for this laborious work1 the exertion of which alone must put any man into a fever if he were ever so strong4 ,feb4 #ajth4--,from this day my nephew's health kept on mending4 ,feb4 #aith4--,my nephew mending1 but my brother not well4 ,feb4 #bfth4--,my brother so ill that ,i was not allowed to see him1 and till ,march #h his life was despaired of1 and by ,mar4 #ajth4--,i was permitted to see him1 but only for two or three minutes1 for he is not allowed to speak4 ,mar4 #bbnd4--,he went for the first time into his library1 but could only remain for a few moments4 ,april #gth4--,i went to stay at ,slough1 my brother going by short stages to ,bath1 ,mrs4 ,h41 my nephew1 and ,miss ,baldwin with him4 ,may #ith4--,my brother returned1 nearly recovered1 but with a violent cold and cough caught on the journey4 ,may #bdth4--,i went to ,slough to be with my brother till the #cast4 ,in fine nights observing2 working in the daytime1 and writing a paper on comets1 filled up the time1 though neither my brother nor myself were well4 ,june #gth4--,was the ,montem1 of course much company4 ,june #acth4--,i dined at the ,castle to meet ,lady and ,miss ,banks1 ,mr4 ,de ,luc1#be c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,july #ast4--,alexander arrived at ,slough4 ,mem4 ,we received very distressing accounts from our brother at ,hanover4 ,july #bast till #bfth4--,my brother was absent1 and ,i was daily at work in the library4 ,sept4 #eth4--,alexander returned to ,bath1 leaving his brother far from well4 ,the laborious exertions required for the polishing of the forty-foot mirror1 besides the overlooking and directing the workmen out of doors1 who were at work on the repairs of the apparatus1 during the month of ,august1 had again proved too much for him4 ,oct4 #dth4--,i went to ,slough2 my brother1 ,mrs4 ,h41 my nephew1 and his cousin1 went to ,brighton4 ,my brother was absent about a week1 during which time ,i worked as long as ,i could see in the library1 and spent the evenings in booking observations1 c41 and such works as could be done within doors4 ,nov4 #bnd4--,my brother went to town1 endeavouring to gain some information about my brother ,dietrich1 who1 according to a message from a merchant in town1 ought to have by this time been in ,england4 ,nov4 #fth4--,a letter from ,harwich arrived informing us that ,d4 was waiting there for a passport4 ,nov4 #gth4--,d4 arrived at ,slough1 but was obliged to return for his trunk and to show himself at the alien office1 and ,i did not see him till the evening of the #ith4 ,dec4 #aith4--,dietrich left ,slough for lodgings in ,pimlico1 ,london4 ,came with ,fr4 ,griesbach the day before ,christmas ,day1 and returned to town the #bfth4 ,sidenote3 #ahji4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,mem4 ,from the hour of ,dietrich's arrival in ,england till that of his departure1 which was not till nearly four years after1 ,i had not a day's respite from accumulated trouble and anxiety1 for he came ruined in health1 spirit1 and fortune1 and1 according to the old ,hanoverian custom1 ,i was the only one from whom all domestic comforts were expected4 ,i hope ,i have acquitted myself to everybody's satisfaction1 for ,i never neglected my eldest brother's business1 and the time ,i bestowed on ,dietrich was taken entirely from my sleep or from what is generally allowed for meals1 which were mostly taken running1 or sometimes forgotten entirely4 ,but why think of it now6 ,jan4--,throughout the whole month ,i had a cough1 my nephew a sore throat and fever4 ,great flood and stormy weather4 ,the communication between ,slough and ,upton was very troublesome to me4 ,jan4 #acth4--,i spent the day at ,slough4 ,dietrich came for the evening to assist at a concert4 ,i was shocked to see him so much worse1 but ,i was obliged to see him return to town the next morning with ,fr4 ,griesbach4 ,i was prevented by my own illness and the severity of the weather from going to see him in town1 and ,feb4 #eth4--,i sprained my ankle in coming home in the evening from ,slough1 by attempting to walk through the snow in pattens1 and my brother was obliged to send me work to ,upton1 for it was not till a fortnight after1 that ,i could walk again1 and ,i felt the effects of the accident for above three months after4 ,mar4 #ith4--,i went to ,slough to work with my brother4 ,his family were from home4 ,much work was done during the time1 but the polishing the forty-foot was interrupted on the #bdth by the hot weather4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,oct4 #bnd4--,alex left ,slough4 ,i was very ill1 and had ,dr4 ,pope to attend me4 ,oct4 #ith4--,dismissed ,pope and went to ,dr4 ,phips4 ,oct4 #agth4--,my nephew went to ,cambridge4 ,his mother and ,miss ,baldwin remained in lodgings at ,cambridge4 ,nov4 #bjth4--,phips pronounced me out of danger from becoming blind1 which he ought to have done much sooner1 or rather not to have put me unnecessarily under such dreadful apprehension4 ,dec4 #fth4--,dietrich went to ,london for the winter4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,diary--continued--#ahaj4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,april #bith4--,my nephew took leave of me1 returning to ,cambridge4 ,may #dth4--,i went to ,slough1 my brother going to town with ,mrs4 ,h4 ,he returned after a short stay1 and ,i remained with him till ,mrs4 ,h4 came home again4 ,some of my last days of staying at ,slough ,i spent in papering and painting the rooms ,i was to occupy in a small house of my brother's attached to the ,crown ,inn1 to which ,i removed4 ,july #acth4--,i went to remain at my brother's house during the time he1 with ,mrs4 ,h4 and ,miss ,baldwin1 went to ,scotland4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sept4 #ahth4--,my brother and the family returned1 and ,dietrich came to ,slough1 a room being prepared for him in my cottage4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dec4 #ast4--,dietrich went to town to enter on his winter engagement4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,joseph ,brown ,,sc4 ,,sir ,w,m4 ,,herschel1 ,b,t4 ,from a ,drawing by ,lady ,gordon1 after a ,painting by ,l4,t4 ,abbott in the ,national ,portrait ,gallery4 ,,john ,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,st4 #ahgf4 ,july #bbnd4--,my brother with his family left ,slough on a tour to ,edinburgh and ,glasgow4 ,i went to his house till they returned1 ,sept4 #ahth4 ,aug4 #fth4--,dietrich came to ,slough1 and ,i left him to the care of ,mrs4 ,cock1 at my habitation4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #aath4--,i went to be with my brother2 ,mrs4 ,h4 went to town for a month4 ,june #ast4--,dietrich came to ,slough1 disengaged from all business in town to spend the last few weeks he was to be in ,england with us4 ,june #abth4--,mrs4 ,h4 returned from town1 and ,i went home to look to the necessary preparations for ,dietrich's precarious 7sic7 journey he was obliged to make through ,sweden4 ,june #bgth4--,my eldest brother went to ,oxford1 came back the #cjth1 and ,alexander arrived the same day from ,bath4 ,july #hth4--,dietrich left us2 ,alex accompanied him to town4 ,july #adth4--,dietrich left ,harwich1 and at the end of the month we received a letter dated ,gottenburg1 ,july #ah1 and so far we knew that he was safe1 but of receiving any further account we had not the least prospect1 for all communication1 with ,hanover in particular1 was cut off4 ,sept4--,mrs4 ,goltermann came to see me1 and took a bed at my cottage1 ,i being left alone at my brother's house4 ,the family were at ,dawlish with ,sir ,william ,watson4 ,oct4 #eth4--,my nephew left ,slough for ,cambridge with intention of not returning till his studies were ended at the ,university4 ,the latter end of ,september ,mr4 ,goltermann received a few lines which came open through ,france to him1 dated ,september #d1 showing that a letter of ,august #aeth had been lost1 and that at ,helsinfrs ,dietrich had been robbed of his pocketbook when under examination2 to this accident we were indebted for knowing that he was got home1 as he was obliged to write for a duplicate bill of exchange2 such letters were1 though unsealed1 allowed to pass through ,france4 ,sidenote3 #ahac4 ,extracts from ,diary4 #ahac4--,the three last months of the preceding year ,i spent mostly in solitude at home1 except when ,i was wanted to assist my brother at night or in his library4 99 99 99 99 99 ,jan4 #beth4--,congratulatory letters arrived from ,cambridge on my nephew's having obtained the ,senior ,wranglership4 ,he was then contending for another prize1 which a few days after he also obtained1 so that from the time he entered the ,university till his leaving he had gained all the first prizes without exception4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #eth4--,miss ,s4 ,white1 with her maid ,sally 7one of my nephew's nurses71 came to be present at my nephew's twenty-first birthday4 ,march #gth and #hth4--,i joined the company who dined there on this occasion1 and ,i must not forget that my nephew presented me with a very handsome necklace1 which ,i afterwards sent to my niece ,groskopf1 when a bride1 and ,i being too old for wearing such ornaments4 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #agth4--,my nephew went again to ,cambridge to offer himself as candidate for a fellowship1 there being three vacant1 and at the conclusion of the examination he obtained the first choice of the three4 ,march #beth4--,i went to be with my brother4 ,mrs4 ,herschel and ,miss ,baldwin followed my nephew to ,cambridge to assist him in settling his occasional residence there4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #crd4--,i intended to pay a long-promised visit to ,mrs4 ,goltermann1 but found my brother too busy with putting the forty-foot mirror in the tube1 the carriage having broke down between the polishing-room and the tube4 ,therefore ,i postponed my journey till ,i was sure ,i should not be wanted at home4 ,may #ajth4--,i went to ,london1 and met with a friendly reception at ,mrs4 ,goltermann's4 ,may #aath4--,i went with ,mrs4 ,g4 and a ,mrs4 ,kramer to ,kensington4 ,i remained with ,miss ,wilson whilst they paid a charitable visit to the two ladies attendant on the ,duchess of ,brunswick1 who were left in a very distressed situation by the death of their mistress4 ,the evening we spent at ,buckingham ,house with ,mrs4 ,beckedorff4 ,may #abth4--,the forenoon and early part of the afternoon were spent in shopping and visiting1 the evening again at ,buckingham ,house1 where ,i just arrived as the ,queen and ,princesses ,elizabeth and ,mary1 and the ,princess ,sophia ,mathilda of ,gloucester1 were ready to step into their chairs going to ,carlton ,house1 full dressed for a fte1 and meeting me and ,mrs4 ,goltermann in the hall1 they stopped for near ten minutes1 making each in their turn the kindest enquiries how ,i liked ,london1 c41 c4 ,on entering ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's room ,i found ,madame ,d',arblay 7,miss ,burney71 and we spent a very pleasant evening4 ,may #aeth4--,i went to the ,exhibition2 the evening at ,baron ,best's1 where ,i met the ,beckedorffs4 ,on my return home ,i found a letter from my brother with ,sir ,william ,watson's direction that ,i might give them the meeting in town4 ,the next morning ,i spent a few hours with them1 and next day ,sir ,william1 with ,lady ,watson and ,miss ,jay1 called on me in ,charles ,street4 ,baron ,best also called and brought me the place of a comet from the 8,hamburger ,zeitungen40 ,sidenote3 #ahad4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,may #ahth4--,i went home and found a great deal of work prepared for me4 ,the evening was spent in sweeping for the comet1 but ,i could not find it1 the weather was not clear4 ,june #adth4--,i returned to continue my works in the daytime at my own rooms1 and the fine evenings assisting my brother when observing1 but we were much interrupted by ,mrs4 ,h4 being seriously ill4 ,she was confined to her room and bed from the #beth of ,june till the #hth of ,august before perfectly recovered4 ,july #bdth4--,alexander arrived at ,slough to spend the summer and work with his brother4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,nov4 #acth4--,i had a call from ,miss ,joanna ,baillie4 ,nov4 #bith4--,mr4 ,rehberg brought the first letter from our brother ,dietrich1 dated ,november #ajth1 which1 though still written with great caution1 gave us1 after a lapse of sixteen months1 the assurance that he and his family were living4 ,dec4 #dth4--,i met ,madame ,d',arblay and ,mr4 ,rehberg1 c41 at the ,castle4 ,jan4 #ast4--,my nephew1 ,john ,herschel1 brought me1 for a ,new ,year's present1 a new publication by him4 ,mem4--,the winter was uncommonly severe4 ,my brother suffering from indisposition1 and ,i1 for my part1 felt ,i should never be anything else but an invalid for life1 but which ,i very carefully kept to myself1 as ,i wished to be useful to my brother as long as possibly ,i could4444 ,feb4 #gth4--,i was obliged to move to a small cottage in ,slough1 at a considerable distance from my brother4 ,i began to move1 and slept there for the first night1 the #bbnd4 ,april #ast4--,my brother went to ,bath to see his brother and ,sir ,william ,watson4 ,his cough still very bad1 and the #abth1 when he came home1 we learned that he had been taken very ill on the road and suffered much when at ,bath4 ,it was not till many weeks after1 when the warm weather came on1 that he felt relieved4 ,a few days after his return from ,bath1 we received notice by a message from the ,queen of the ,duchess of ,oldenburg's intention of coming to see my brother's instruments4 ,everything was put in readiness for either a morning or evening visit1 but the weather being very bad1 the visit was put off till the arrival of the ,emperor4 ,may #dth4--,i went to be with my brother4 ,mrs4 ,h4 and ,miss ,b4 went to meet my nephew in town1 who was keeping a term in the ,temple1 where he had commenced to be a student for the law in ,february4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #ajth4--,my brother1 being about this time engaged with re-polishing the forty-foot mirror1 it required some time to restore order in his rooms before any strangers could be shown into them1 and ,i again was assisting him to prepare for the reception of the ,emperor ,alexander and the ,duchess of ,oldenburg1 c41 as they were at ,windsor for ,ascot ,races4 ,but we might have saved ourselves the trouble1 for they were sufficiently harassed with public sights and festivities4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sept4 #acth4--,during the time ,i was with my brother ,i saw among the visitors1 c41 ,general ,p41 who informed us of ,general ,komarzewsky's death1 and on my expressing a hope it might not be true1 le ,gnral said he had buried him himself at ,paris1 and had erected to him a little monument as long as seven years ago4 ,sidenote3 #ahae-af4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,sept4 #cjth4--,i came to my home again1 but under the greatest concern at being obliged to leave my brother without my little help4 ,but ,i have since been with him every morning till he told me he should leave off4 ,his strength is now1 and has for the last two or three years not been equal to the labour required for polishing forty-foot mirrors4 ,and it was only by little excursions and absence from his workrooms1 he for some time recovered from the effects of over-exertion4 ,nov4 #aeth4--,i went to work with my brother1 which chiefly consisted of calculations and constructing new tables for the ,georgian satellites1 c41 c4 ,nov4 #bith4-,mrs4 ,h4 returned1 and ,i continued calculating and copying at home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,aug4 #aath4--,alexander left ,slough1 my eldest brother with him1 going on to ,dawlish to recruit his strength again4 ,his declining health had a sad effect on ,alexander's spirits1 and ,i was in continual fear of the consequences2 for nothing but the thoughts of the yearly meeting had till now kept up his spirits4 ,from what is yet to follow1 it will be seen that our next meeting was not only the last1 but a very distressing one4 ,sept4 #aath4--,i went to be with my brother1 and remained with him till the #abth of ,october4 ,the first fortnight of my being with him he was not able to do anything which required strength4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,jan4 #bnd4--,i was obliged to attend at ,slough by eight o'clock1 to be present when the ,archdukes ,john and ,louis of ,austria visited my brother and his instruments4 ,jan4 #ith4--,my nephew received a diploma of being ,member of the ,university of ,gttingen4 ,the packet brought very satisfactory letters from our brother at ,hanover4 ,feb4 #dth4--,my brother sent the carriage to fetch me home from the ,castle1 and ,i was desired to write to our brother ,alexander at ,bath1 from whom a most melancholy letter had that morning arrived1 acquainting us with his being confined to his bed1 having received an injury to his knee4 ,april #eth4--,my brother received the ,royal ,hanoverian ,guelphic ,order4 ,may #abth4--,my brother went to town to prepare for going to a leve at the ,regent's next ,tuesday4 ,he brought me the keys to the library for going there to work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #agth4--,i went to my brother's house1 and was left in the deepest concern for his health4 ,he went with his family to ,cambridge4 ,alexander was to make a journey to ,hanover4 ,sept4 #bnd4--,i saw ,alexander led by ,captain ,stevens on board 444 of whom ,i had the assurance that he would see ,alexander safe to ,dietrich's friend1 ,mr4 ,mnter1 in ,bremen4 ,a few hours after ,i left the place ,wapping1 taking with me receipts from everybody with whom ,i had had occasion to keep accounts4 ,i came very ill to ,mrs4 ,goltermann's1 where ,i remained a week under her care4 ,sept4 #ith4--,i went home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sept4 #bcrd4--,we were at a fte the ,queen gave at ,frogmore4 ,i was obliged to return with my brother soon after he had been noticed by and conversed with the ,queen and ,regent1 being too feeble to be long in company4 ,sept4 #bfth4--,we had letters from ,hanover to acquaint us with ,alexander's arrival in improved health1 after a pleasant journey both by sea and land4 ,sidenote3 #ahag4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,october1 ,nov41 ,dec4--,nothing particular happened1 my nephew remaining at home working with his father1 and ,i took the opportunity of working on my ,,ms4 ,catalogue at those times when ,i was left without employment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #bgth4--,i spent the day at my brother's1 ,sir ,robert and ,lady ,liston being there on a visit before their return to ,constantinople4 ,may #ajth4--,i met ,sir ,william and ,lady ,watson at dinner at my brother's1 but was grieved to see the sad change in ,sir ,william's health and spirits1 and felt my only friend and adviser was lost to me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #ith4--,all the family came home4 ,i returned to my house with astronomical work to finish4 ,june #adth4--,spent the day at ,lady ,herschel's to meet ,mrs4 and ,miss ,maskelyne4 ,july #ajth and #aath4--,spent at my brother's1 the mornings at work in the library the evenings with the company4444 ,july #adth4--,i spent with ,mrs4 ,beckedorff and brought tickets of invitation to a fte at ,frogmore1 for our family1 with me2 where we all went on the #agth of ,july2 but almost as soon as the ,royal party sat down to dinner ,i was obliged to go home with my brother1 after having twice been honoured by the notice and conversation of the ,queen and ,regent1 c41 c4 ,he found himself too feeble to remain in company4 ,it was said that there were above two thousand persons invited4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,nov4 #gth4--,prepared for going into mourning for the ,princess ,charlotte4 ,mrs4 ,de ,luc died a few days after or before the ,princess4 ,feb4 #aath4--,i went to my brother1 and remained with him till the #bcrd4 ,we spent our time1 though not in idleness1 in sorrow and sadness4 ,he is not only unwell but low in spirits4 ,april #acth4--,princess ,elizabeth of ,hesse ,homburg and the ,prince of ,hesse ,homburg came to see my brother and his instruments4 ,they were attended by ,count ,o----1 ,baron ,k----1 and ,baron ,g----4 ,the latter being well informed in the science of astronomy4 ,mem4 ,i lost my attendants1 the ,c4's1 at the latter end of ,april1 and a waste of my time was the consequence1 for ,i never after met with anyone who was deserving of my trust4 ,june #hth4--,the ,prince and ,princess ,schaumburg von der ,lippe1 attended by ,fraulein ,u41 came to see my brother4 ,their behaviour to him was truly kind and affectionate on leaving him1 with a hope to see him in the same place--in the garden at the foot of the forty-foot telescope--five or six years hence1 when they should come to ,england again4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #beth4--,from this day to ,july #hth ,i was with my brother4 ,the family at ,newbury2 he being so far well that without interruption1 ,i was supplied with copying as he wrote4 ,july #afth4--,i went to my brother's1 to be present in the evening when the ,archduke ,michael of ,russia1 with a numerous attendance1 came to see ,jupiter1 c4 ,july #bast4-- ,mem4 ,began to copy the numbering of stars from my brother's #bnd volume of ,flamsteed's ,observations into one of my own1 having succeeded to procure all the three volumes complete at the price of four guineas4 ,sidenote3 #ahah4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,aug4 #hth4--,i spent the afternoon with my brother1 who found himself very unwell1 but with the assistance of my nephew1 he had the pleasure of showing the ,princess ,sophia of ,gloucester 7who came in the evening accompanied by the ,archbishop of ,canterbury and several lords and ladies7 many objects in the ten-foot telescope4 ,aug4 #ahth4--,i went to my brother's1 his family left home for ,brighton1 where he intended to follow as soon as the repairs of the forty-foot should be finished2 but he was all the time too ill for being anywhere but at home4 ,the first evening we were alone1 the ,princess ,sophia came to see the moon4 ,she was accompanied by ,lady ,mary ,paulet1 another lady1 and some gentlemen4 ,after their departure1 my brother seemed much pleased with the intelligent enquiries made by the ,princess2 but with much concern ,i saw that he had exerted himself too much above his strength4 ,aug4 #beth4--,i was obliged to leave my brother for a few hours to call on the ,princess ,sophia ,matilda1 who desired to see me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sept4 #hth4--,i spent some hours with the ,princess at the ,castle4 ,oct4 #adth4--,the ,ertz ,herzog ,maximilian of ,austria came to see my brother1 charged with messages from his mother to both my brother and myself1 we having had the honour of seeing her ,imperial ,highness at ,slough1 in #aghf1 when on a visit to the ,king1 with her husband the ,archduke of ,milan4 ,nov4 #abth4--,i spent some hours in the forenoon with the ,princess at the ,castle4 ,i left her with a promise of coming soon again1 but it was to be my last visit for a long time to come1 for4444 ,nov4 #agth4--,the ,queen died4 ,the #crd of ,december the ,princess returned my books with a kind note1 and on the #dth she left ,windsor4 ,dec4 #eth1 #fth1 #gth4--,i spent in ,windsor to see ,mrs4 and ,miss ,beckedorff at short intervals4 ,miss ,wilson1 ,miss ,s4 ,white1 ,miss ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,beckwith 7,miss ,b4's bridegroom7 were visitors for several days at ,slough1 to see the funeral of the ,queen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dec4 #afth4--,my brother went to town1 to sit for his portrait by ,mr4 ,artaud4 ,feb4 #crd4--,my brother went to town4 ,the #dth ,i received a note from ,mrs4 ,beckedorff1 desiring me to spend the next and last day with her1 but ,i went immediately and took 7as ,i then thought7 my last leave of both mother and daughter1 for ,i could not leave my brother on his return on the #eth to be received only by the servants1 as he went from home very unwell with a cold4 ,feb4 #gth4--,my nephew arrived in town1 and on the #abth all came home and ,i returned to my habitation4 ,feb4 #bhth4--,i heard of the death of ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's daughter1 at ,hanover4 ,my brother consented to my going next morning to ,london1 and before two o'clock1 after ,i had procured a lodging in ,pimlico1 ,i was with the poor mourners at ,buckingham ,house1 and remained till ,march #dth1 when ,i left them1 hoping they would be able to leave ,england on the #ith4 ,march #aath4--,was ,miss ,baldwin's wedding-day1 which ,i spent at ,slough1 with the family4 ,april #bnd4--,my brother left ,slough1 accompanied by ,lady ,h4 for ,bath1 he being very unwell1 and the constant complaint of giddiness in the head so much increased1 that they were obliged to be four nights on the road both going and coming4 ,the last moments before he stepped into the carriage were spent in walking with me through his library and workrooms1 pointing with anxious looks to every shelf and drawer1 desiring me to examine all and to make memorandums of them as well as ,i could4 ,he was hardly able to support himself1 and his spirits were so low1 that ,i found difficulty in commanding my voice so far as to give him the assurance he should find on his return that my time had not been misspent4 ,sidenote3 #ahai-ahbj4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,when ,i was left alone ,i found that ,i had no easy task to perform1 for there were packets of writings to be examined which had not been looked at for the last forty years4 ,but ,i did not pass a single day without working in the library as long as ,i could read a letter without candlelight1 and taking with me papers to copy1 c41 c41 which employed me for best part of the night1 and thus ,i was enabled to give my brother a clear account of what had been done at his return4 ,may #ast4--,but he returned home much worse than he went1 and for several days hardly noticed my handiworks4 99 99 99 99 99 ,june #bast4--,i went with my brother to town4 ,he was to sit to ,mr4 ,artaud4 ,we remained till ,friday1 whilst ,lady ,herschel entertained the ,wilson family at home1 who were attending the funeral of ,miss ,wilson at ,upton4 ,july #hth4--,we thought my brother was dying4 ,on the #ith he was persuaded to be blooded in the arm1 which something relieved him4 ,aug4 #ajth4--,my brother and ,lady ,h4 took me with them to town4 ,aug4 #aath4--,we went to the ,bank and did what was thought necessary4 ,aug4 #abth4--,i went with ,lady ,h4 to see my brother's portrait1 and ordered a copy for myself4 ,aug4 #beth4-- ,mem4--,the #acth we came home1 and one day passes like the other4 ,i have much to do and can do but little beyond going daily to my brother1 and often we are both unable to look about business4 ,the present hot weather bears hard on enfeebled constitutions4 ,thermometer most days above #hj degrees4 ,oct4 #aeth4--,i went to my brother1 his family being in town4 ,oct4 #bith4--,i returned to my home4 ,a small slip of yellow paper1 containing the following lines1 traced by a tremulously feeble hand1 belongs to this year3-- 8,,lina1--,there is a great comet4 ,i want you to assist me4 ,come to dine and spend the day here4 ,if you can come soon after one o'clock we shall have time to prepare maps and telescopes4 ,i saw its situation last night--it has a long tail40 ,july #dth1 #ahai4 ,then follows3-- 8,i keep this as a relic6 ,every line now traced by the hand of my dear brother becomes a treasure to me4 8,c4 ,,herschel40 ,the next year opens1 as so many previous ones have done4 ,the bare facts of the steadily narrowing life being set down with the same brevity and unswerving attention to the one object4 ,the family was in much anxiety on account of the failing health of ,mrs4 ,beckwith1 the niece of ,lady ,herschel1 of whom1 as ,miss ,baldwin1 frequent mention has been made4 ,the spring and summer were passed in taking the sufferer to different places in the country1 but she was sinking in a rapid decline1 and died in the autumn4 ,sidenote3 #ahai-ahba4 ,extracts from ,diary4 ,nov4 #ajth4--,the remains of ,mrs4 ,beckwith were brought to ,upton to be buried1 and to me was left the melancholy task of keeping up my poor brother's spirits on such a melancholy occasion1 when at the same time my own were at their lowest ebb1 and being besides much molested about this time by the rejoicing of an unruly mob at the acquittal 7as they called it7 of the ,princess of ,wales4 ,from the #bfth to #bith ,i was with my brother4 ,march4--,we lost our brother ,alexander1 who died at ,hanover4#bf 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #bbnd4--,again with my brother4 ,my chief care was to see that my brother was not fatigued by too many visitors1 and reading to him to prevent his sleeping too much4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the volume ends in ,october1 #ahba4 8,here closed my ,day-book1 for one day passed like another1 except that ,i1 from my daily calls1 returned to my solitary and cheerless home with increased anxiety for each following day40 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,death of ,sir ,william ,herschel4 ,on the #beth of ,august1 #ahbb1 ,sir ,william ,herschel died in his house at ,slough4 ,a small book1 containing a very few pages1 entitled 8,memorandum from #ahbc to10 c41 gives the sad history of the last days of that long life of indefatigable toil over which the devoted sister had watched so long with untiring love4 ,it would be easy1 and perhaps in some respects preferable1 to tell the story without the details1 but it would be at the cost of much that is characteristic and illustrative of the nature which has thus far been unfolded from within1 and it is the last chapter of her life which she thought worth recalling to memory and committing to paper4 ,the terrible blow of the death of her brother seems to have deprived her of all power or desire to do or to will anything beyond the one stern1 dogged resolve to leave ,england for ever as soon as the beloved remains were buried from her sight4 ,six months after her return to ,hanover she thus prefaced this last and most pathetic of her ,recollections3-- ,,hanover1 ,april #aeth1 #ahbc4 8,eighteen months have elapsed since ,i could acquire fortitude enough for noting down in my ,day-book any of those heartrending occurrences ,i witnessed during the last nine months of the fifty years ,i have lived in ,england1 and ,i cannot hope that ever a time will come when ,i shall be able to dwell on any one of those interesting but melancholy hours ,i spent with the dearest and best of brothers4 ,but if ,i was to leave off making memorandums of such events as either affect or are interesting to me1 ,i should feel like what ,i am1 viz41 a person that has nothing more to do in this world4 8,but to regain the thread of my narration1 it is necessary to take notice of the vacancy between the present date and the ending of the year #ahba1 and the only way in which ,i can possibly fill up this vacancy must be to take a few dates with memorandums marked in my almanac and account books for the year #ahbb1 without making any comments on what my feelings and situation must have been throughout that whole interval4 8,by some letters ,i wrote during the first four months of #ahbb to my brother ,alexr4 here at ,hanover1 ,i see that ,i was employed in copying from the ,philosophical ,transactions the first twelve papers of my brother's publications4 ,the time required for this purpose ,i could only obtain by making use of most of the hours which are generally allotted to rest1 as during the day my time was spent in endeavours to support my dear brother in his painful decline4 ,and besides1 the hope that we might continue yet a little longer together began to forsake me1 for my own health and spirits were in that state that ,i was in daily expectation of going before4#bg ,therefore each moment of separation from my dear brother ,i spent in endeavours to arrange my affairs so that my nephew1 ,j4 ,herschel1 as the executor of my will1 might have as little trouble as possible4 ,a letter of eighteen pages would have been found along with a will1 if ,i had 7as ,i then daily expected7 died before my brother4 ,after the sad events of the succeeding two years1 ,i thought it necessary to destroy both the will and the letter4 ,my thoughts were continually divided between my brother's library1 from which ,i was now on the point of being severed for ever1 and my own unfinished work at home endeavouring to bring by degrees all into its proper place40 ,sidenote3 ,recollections written at ,hanover4 ,,diary--7continued74 ,may #acth4--,lady ,herschel and my nephew went to town3 ,i was left with my brother alone1 but was counting every hour till ,i should see them again1 for ,i was momentarily afraid of his dying in their absence4 ,may #bjth4 99 99 99 99 ,the summer proved very hot2 my brother's feeble nerves were very much affected1 and there being in general much company1 added to the difficulty of choosing the most airy rooms for his retirement4 ,july #hth4--,i had a dawn of hope that my brother might regain once more a little strength1 for ,i have a memorandum in my almanac of his walking with a firmer step than usual above three or four times the distance from the dwelling-house to the library1 in order to gather and eat raspberries1 in his garden1 with me4 ,but ,i never saw the like again4 ,the latter end of ,july ,i was seized by a bilious fever1 and ,i could for several days only rise for a few hours to go to my brother about the time he was used to see me4 ,but one day ,i was entirely confined to my bed1 which alarmed ,lady ,herschel and the family on my brother's account4 ,miss ,baldwin#bh called and found me in despair about my own confused affairs1 which ,i never had had time to bring into any order4 ,the next day she brought my nephew to me1 who promised to fulfil all my wishes which ,i should have expressed on paper2 he begged me not to exert myself for his father's sake1 of whom he believed it would be the immediate death if anything should happen to me4444#bi ,of my dear nephew's advice ,i could not avail myself1 for ,i knew that at that time he had weighty concerns on his mind4 ,and1 besides1 my whole life almost has passed away in the delusion that next to my eldest brother1 none but ,dietrich was capable of giving me advice where to leave my few relics1 consisting of a few books and my sweeper4 ,and for the last twenty years ,i kept to the resolution of never opening my lips to my dear brother ,william about worldly or serious concerns1 let me be ever so much at a loss for knowing right from wrong4 ,and so it has happened that at the time when ,i was stupefied by grief at seeing the death of my dear brother1 ,i gave myself1 with all ,i was worth1 up to my brother ,dietrich and his family1 and from that time till the death of ,d4 ,i found great difficulty to remain mistress of my own actions and opinions4 ,in respect to the latter we never could agree4 ,and this it was which prompted me to send ,flamsteed's works to ,gttingen 7,i would rather have kept them till now7 for fear they might be offered for sale4 ,having about this time received very distressing accounts of family misfortunes from ,dietrich at ,hanover1 ,i could find no rest on his account till ,i should have made my #ejj stock over to him1 but this required my presence at the bank1 and ,i could not think of leaving ,slough till my brother should be engaged for some days with his family previous to the departure of my nephew1 who was going to accompany a friend abroad4 ,and besides1 ,i knew that my absence would then be scarcely perceived1 as a very sensible elderly lady 7,mrs4 ,morsom7 would be there on a visit4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,recollections written at ,hanover4 ,aug4 #hth4--,i went1 and at six o'clock in the afternoon of the #ajth ,i was home again4 ,my nephew had left ,slough the same morning4 ,i found my brother seated by the ladies1 but so languid that ,i thought it necessary to take a seemingly unconcerned leave for the night4 ,aug4 #aath1 #abth1 #acth1 and #adth4 ,i went as usual to spend some hours of the forenoon with my brother4 ,aug4 #aeth4--,i hastened to the spot where ,i was wont to find him with the newspaper which ,i was to read to him4 ,but instead ,i found ,mrs4 ,morsom1 ,miss ,baldwin1 and ,mr4 ,bulman1 from ,leeds1 the grandson of my brother's earliest acquaintance in this country4 ,i was informed my brother had been obliged to return to his room1 whither ,i flew immediately4 ,lady ,h4 and the housekeeper were with him1 administering everything which could be thought of for supporting him4 ,i found him much irritated at not being able to grant ,mr4 ,bulman's request for some token of remembrance for his father4 ,as soon as he saw me1 ,i was sent to the library to fetch one of his last papers and a plate of the forty-foot telescope4 ,but for the universe ,i could not have looked twice at what ,i had snatched from the shelf1 and when he faintly asked if the breaking up of the ,milky ,way was in it1 ,i said 8,yes10 and he looked content4 ,i cannot help remembering this circumstance1 it was the last time ,i was sent to the library on such an occasion4 ,that the anxious care for his papers and workrooms never ended but with his life was proved by his frequent whispered inquiries if they were locked and the key safe1 of which ,i took care to assure him that they were1 and the key in ,lady ,herschel's hands4 ,after half an hour's vain attempt to support himself1 my brother was obliged to consent to be put to bed1 leaving no hope ever to see him rise again4 ,for ten days and nights we remained in the most heartrending situation till the #beth of ,august1 when not one comfort was left to me but that of retiring to the chamber of death1 there to ruminate without interruption on my isolated situation4 ,of this last solace ,i was robbed on the #gth ,september1 when the dear remains were consigned to the grave4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,departure from ,england4 ,sept4 #ith4--,i returned to my house and began selecting the books and clothing ,i should want to take with me to ,hanover1 where ,i thought it best to go with the ,michaelmas messenger4 ,sept4 #bgth4--,i had disposed of my furniture1 partly by presents and partly by sale2 and after settling with my landlord1 c41 ,i left my house for ,lady ,herschel's1 to remain there till business should call her and my nephew to town4 ,oct4 #crd4--,my friends as well as myself were made easy by the arrival of my brother ,dietrich1 who came to fetch me4 ,oct4 #gth4--,i took leave of ,princess ,augusta and all my friends and connections in ,windsor4 ,oct4 #ajth4--,at #i in the morning ,i left ,slough with my brother ,d4 ,lady ,h4 and my nephew followed the next day4 99 99 99 99 99 ,oct4 #adth4--,princess ,sophia ,matilda sent her carriage for me to spend the day with her at ,blackheath4 ,oct4 #afth4--,i went with my brother to ,mortlake to take leave of ,baron ,best and family2 and thence we directly proceeded to ,bedford ,place1 where all my friends were assembled1 among whom ,i had the comfort of seeing once more my nephew's friend1 and the favourite of my dear departed brother1 ,mr4 ,babbage4 ,he had only that day arrived from the ,north4 ,i could find no opportunity for any conversation with him1 but just by a pressure of the hand recommended my nephew in incoherent whispers to the continuance of his regards and friendship4 ,from all these sorrowing friends and connections ,i was obliged to take an everlasting leave1 and in the few hours we were for the last time together1 ,i was obliged to sign many papers1 among which was a receipt for a half year's legacy4 ,i signed this with great reluctance 444 but ,lady ,h4 and my nephew insisted on my taking it1 according to my brother's will4 ,this unexpected sum has enabled me to furnish myself with many conveniences on my arrival here1 of which otherwise ,i should have perhaps debarred myself4 ,oct4 #agth4--,in the morning we left our lodging for an inn near the ,tower4 ,mr4 ,beckwith joined us1 and settled at the ,custom ,house for our baggage4 ,my nephew came for a moment to us1 and after his departure ,i saw no one ,i knew or who cared for me4 ,oct4 #ahth4--,at ten o'clock we went on board of the steam packet4 ,oct4 #bjth4--,at noon we landed after a stormy passage at ,rotterdam4 ,oct4 #bast4--,at daybreak we began to proceed on our way1 and ,oct4 #bhth4--,we arrived at the habitation of my brother1 in ,hanover4 ,a note1 dated ,september #bith1 #ahbh1 apologizes to her nephew for troubling him with the above and other papers1 adding3-- ,i have destroyed my ,day-book1 but in doing so ,i was tempted to extract some dates which ,i thought might still be interesting to me1 and bring the past once more to my recollection2 but as that would only be a drawback to the satisfaction ,i almost daily may enjoy by hearing of the fame of my dear nephew1 it is best to remove all that can bring the past to my recollection4 ,the letters which follow are the only documents from which any particulars can be drawn for this and many following years4 ,no ,day-book or note-book of any kind appears to have been kept1 or at any rate preserved1 from the time of the return to ,hanover in ,october1 #ahbb1 until the year #ahcc4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,retrospection4 ,,as we close the record of ,miss ,herschel's residence in ,england1 we may pause for a moment to look back over the space she had traversed while following1 with unvarying diligence and humility1 the path her brother marked out for her1 first in blessed hourly companionship1 when she was as necessary in his home as in his library1 or among his instruments2 and latterly1 when with saddened heart but unflagging determination she continued to work for him1 but saw his domestic happiness pass into other keeping4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,retrospection4 ,while they toiled together through those first ten years of ever-deepening interest and marvellous activity1 during which the rapid juxtaposition of mirror-grinding1 concerts1 oratorios1 music lessons1#cj and frequent papers written for philosophical societies1 almost takes the breath away as we read1--the brother had abundant opportunity of learning how far he could trust to his companion's readiness1 as well as capability1 to accept of duties as utterly remote from all that her previous life had prepared her for as if he had asked her to accompany him on a pilgrimage to ,mecca4 ,and thus1 of all of whom he had made trial1 it was not the brilliant ,jacob1 nor the gifted ,alexander1 but the little quiet1 home-bred ,caroline1 of whom nothing had been expected but to be up early and to do the work of the house1 and to devote her leisure to knitting and sewing1 in whom he found that steady devotion to a fixed purpose which he felt it was possible to link with his own4 8,i did nothing for my brother10 she said1 8but what a well-trained puppy-dog would have done3 that is to say1 ,i did what he commanded me4 ,i was a mere tool which he had the trouble of sharpening40 ,such was always her own modest self-estimate4 ,it is hardly too much to say that1 to have worked as she had worked1 and to have done all that she had accomplished1 and to claim no more than the credit due to passive obedience to orders1 is a depth of humility of that rare and noble kind which is in itself a form of greatness4 ,it must not be forgotten1 that the progress of astronomical science since ,sir ,william ,herschel's great reflector startled the world1 has not been greater than has been the change1 both in opinion and practice1 on the subject of female employments and education4 ,the appointment of a young woman as an assistant astronomer1 with a regular salary for her services1 was an unprecedented occurrence in ,england4 ,she had watched and shared in every effort and every failure from the first seven-foot telescope to the construction of the ponderous machinery that was to support the mighty tube of which she herself made the first crude model in pasteboard4 ,when1 finally1 her brother was summoned to the ,king1 and wrote to tell her how he fared at ,court1 she accepted the decision1 by which he exchanged a handsome income for the sake of obtaining the command of his own time1 and #bjj a-year from his gracious sovereign1 with only a passing expression of regret from the housekeeper's point of view1 and threw herself heart and soul into the new life at ,datchet4 ,one all-sufficing reward sweetened her labours--8,i had the comfort to see that my brother was satisfied with my endeavours in assisting him40 ,when the dignity of original discovery gave her a distinct and separate claim to the respect of the astronomical world1 she must have found out that she was something better than a mere tool4 ,the requisite knowledge of algebra and mathematical formul for calculations and reductions she had to gather when and how she could3 chiefly at meals1 and at any odd moments when her brother could be asked questions1 and the answers were carefully entered in her ,commonplace ,book1 where examples of taking equal altitudes1 and how to convert sidereal time into mean time1 follow upon pages of problems1 oblique plain triangles1 right-angled spherical triangles1 how to find the logarithm of a number given1 and theorems for making tables of motion4 ,with this slender store of attainment she accomplished a vast amount of valuable work1 besides the regular duties of assistant to so indefatigable an observer as ,sir ,william ,herschel4 ,he was invariably accustomed to carry on his telescopic observations till daybreak1 circumstances permitting1 without any regard to season2 it was the business of his assistant to note the clocks and to write down the observations from his dictation as they were made4 ,subsequently she assisted in the laborious numerical calculations and reductions1 so that it was only during his absences from home1 or when any other interruption of his regular course of observation occurred1 that she was able to devote herself to the ,newtonian sweeper1 which she used to such good purpose4 ,besides the eight comets discovered by her1 she detected several remarkable nebul and clusters of stars previously unnoticed1 especially the superb nebula known as ,no4 #a1 ,class ,v41 in ,sir ,william ,herschel's ,catalogue4 ,long practice taught her to make light of her work4 8,an observer at your twenty-foot when sweeping10 she wrote many years after1 8wants nothing but a being who can and will execute his commands with the quickness of lightning2 for you will have seen that in many sweeps six or twice six objects have been secured and described in one minute of time40 ,the ten years from #aghh to #agih1 although a blank as regards her personal history--the ,recollections cease with her brother's marriage--were among the busiest of her life1 and in the year last mentioned the ,royal ,society published two of her works1 namely1 8,a ,catalogue of #hfj ,stars observed by ,flamsteed1 but not included in the ,british ,catalogue10 and 8,a ,general ,index of ,reference to every ,observation of every ,star in the above-mentioned ,british ,catalogue40 ,it is in reference to these that she wrote the very interesting letter to the ,astronomer ,royal1 which is given among others1 in its place1 in the ,journal4 ,but another work1 which was not published1 was the most valuable1 as it was the most laborious of all her undertakings4 ,this was 8,the ,reduction and ,arrangement in the form of a ,catalogue1 in ,zones1 of all the ,star-clusters and ,nebul observed by ,sir ,w4 ,herschel in his ,sweeps40 ,it supplied the needful data for ,sir ,john ,herschel when he undertook the review of the nebul of the northern hemisphere2 and it was for this that the ,gold ,medal of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society was voted to her in #ahbh1 followed by the extraordinary distinction of an ,honorary ,membership4 ,this ,catalogue was not completed until after her return to ,hanover1 and ,sir ,david ,brewster wrote of it as 8a work of immense labour10 and 8an extraordinary monument of the unextinguished ardour of a lady of seventy-five in the cause of abstract science40 ,sidenote3 ,her ,sweepings4 ,although the ,recollections cease in #aghh1 there are some volumes recording the nature and results of her nightly 8sweepings10 which ,miss ,herschel kept very regularly1 and1 as an unique example of a lady's journal1 a few of the entries may be of interest4 #aghh4 ,sept4 #ith4--,my brother showed me the five satellites of ,saturn4 ,he made me take notice of a star1 which made a double star last night with the fifth satellite4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dec4 #hth4--,i swept for a comet which was announced in the papers as having been discovered the #bfth of ,november by ,mr4 ,messier4 ,according to the observations of that date1 it should have been within a few degrees of the ,pole star 7by my brother's calculation71 but though ,i swept with great attention a space of at least ten or twelve degrees all around the pole over repeatedly1 ,i could find nothing4 ,another night of unavailing search1 with thermometer #bj4ca #agij4 ,jan4 #gth4--,i have swept all this evening for my third comet in vain4 ,my brother showed me the ,g4 ,sidus in the twenty-foot telescope1 and ,i saw both its satellites very plainly4 #agia4 ,aug4 #bnd4--,i began to sweep at #a4cj1 from the horizon through the ,pleiades up as high as the head of ,medusa4 ,left off with ,tauri4 ,afterwards ,i continued with horizontal sweeps till daylight was too strong for seeing any longer4 #agib4 ,may #crd4--,my brother having desired me by way of practice to settle the stars ,persei and ,castor1 and ,virginis1 by some neighbouring stars in ,wollaston's ,catalogue1 ,i made last night an attempt to take their places4 ,the moon was near the full1 therefore no sweeping could be done4 #agie4 ,may #ast4--,mem4 ,in the future when any great chasms appear in my journals1 it may be understood that sweeping for comets has not been neglected at every opportunity which did offer itself4 ,but as ,i always do sweep according to the precept my brother has given me1 and as ,i often am in want of time1 ,i think it is very immaterial if the places where ,i have seen nothing are noted down4 ,nov4 #gth4--#j4dj sidereal time4 ,about an hour ago ,i saw the comet seventh which is marked in the annexed field of view diagrams drawn with extreme neatness illustrate the entries when necessary4 ,when ,i perceived it first the two small stars were entirely covered by it1 and it appeared to be a cluster of stars mixed with nebulosity2 but not knowing of such an object in that place1 ,i kept watching it1 and perceived it to be a comet by its having moved from the two small stars1 so as to leave them entirely free from haziness4 #agig4 ,aug4 #adth4--,c4 ,h4's comet4 ,at #i4cj common time1 being dark enough for sweeping1 ,i began in the usual manner with looking over the heavens with the naked eye1 and immediately saw a comet nearly as bright as that which was discovered by ,mr4 ,gregory1 ,january #h1 #agic4 ,i went down from the observatory to call my brother ,alexander1 that he might assist me at the clock4 ,in my way into the garden ,i was met and detained by ,lord ,s4 and another gentleman1 who came to see my brother and his telescopes4 ,by way of preventing too long an interruption1 ,i told the gentlemen that ,i had just found a comet1 and wanted to settle its place4 ,i pointed it out to them1 and after having seen it they took their leave4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,retrospection4 ,these entries were continued with great regularity to the year #ahai1 at which time1 as the ,diary shows1 ,sir ,william's increasing feebleness made her close daily attendance more necessary1 and her pen was in greater request than the 8sweeper40 ,the last volume concludes with a carefully drawn eye-draft of the situation of a comet visible at ,hanover1 ,january #cast1 #ahbd4 ,thenceforth the instrument which had done such good service in her hands for forty years of steady work1 became the chief ornament of her sitting-room1 until her disquieting fears for its ultimate fate led her to send it back to ,england4 ,sad as is the story of those last years of declining old age1 while the beloved brother lived we know that his sister's life was full of occupation4 ,it is not until the cruel hour comes1 and she knows that death and the grave will soon claim him1 that she allows the sense of her own bitter desolation to find expression4 ,when all was over1 her only desire seems to have been to hurry away4 ,hardly was he laid in his grave than she collected the few things she cared to keep1 and left for ever the country where she had spent fifty years of her life1 living and toiling for him and him only4 8,if ,i should leave off making memorandums of such events as affect1 or are interesting to me1 ,i should feel like--what ,i am1 namely1 a person that has nothing more to do in this world40 ,mournful words3 doubly mournful when we know that the writer had nearly half an ordinary lifetime still between her and that grave which she made haste to prepare1 in the hope that her course was nearly run4 ,who can think of her1 at the age of seventy-two1 heart-broken and desolate1 going back to the home of her youth in the fond expectation of finding consolation1 without a pang of sympathetic pity8 ,she found everything changed4 ,in addition to those changes1 for which she might have been in some measure prepared1 there were others of a kind to admit of neither cure nor alleviation4 ,the life she had led for fifty years had removed her1 she little guessed how much1 from the old familiar paths3 her thoughts1 her habits1 all her ideas had been formed and moulded in a totally different world3 more bitter still1 she found herself alone in her great sorrow and quenchless love2 pride in the distinction reflected on themselves from relationship to the illustrious astronomer was a miserable substitute for the reverential affection she had looked to find for one of the kindest and most generous of brothers4 ,but the bitterest suffering of all was from a source which was1 and ever remained1 beyond the reach of help4 8,you don't know10 wrote one of ,miss ,edgeworth's sisters1 8the blank of life after having lived within the radiance of genius20 and this was the blank in which ,miss ,herschel doomed herself not only to live1 but to try to begin anew1 when past three score and ten4 ,the extracts from her letters bear strong testimony to the gallant struggle she made to find interests and occupations in what those about her1 as well as she herself1 looked upon as a kind of exile1 and 8,why did ,i leave happy ,england80 was often her cry1 more especially as time went on1 and interest in her nephew and his family came mercifully to fill the heart still so yearning and ready for affection4 ,when she heard the news of ,sir ,john ,herschel's intended departure for the ,cape1 she wrote1 8,ja6 if ,i was thirty or forty years junger and could go too8 in ,gottes nahmen60 her interest in the science to which she had devoted her best years never ceased1 though she persisted to the end in ridiculing the bare suggestion that the ,rosse telescope could by any possibility be so good as the forty-foot4 ,the homage paid to her as a savante amused as well as gratified her4 8,you must give me leave to send you any publication you can think of10 she wrote to her nephew1 8without mentioning anything about paying for them4 ,for it is necessary ,i should every now and then lay out a little of my spare cash in that for the sake of supporting the reputation of being a learned lady 7there is for you671 for ,i am not only looked at for such a one1 but even stared at here in ,hanover60 ,her deprecation of the membership of the ,irish ,academy1 conferred on one who for so many years had 8not even discovered a comet10 was thoroughly sincere as well as characteristic1 but she found pleasure in receiving the homage which was naturally paid to her2 no man of any scientific eminence passed through ,hanover without visiting her2 from the ,royal ,family she received the most kind and graceful attentions2 and it became a matter of public concern to note the presence of the well-known tiny figure at the ,theatre1 where her constant appearance in extreme old age was in itself a marvel4 ,the frugal simplicity of her habits made it a positive perplexity to dispose of her income2 she protested that #ej a-year was all she could manage to spend on herself1 and she pertinaciously resisted receiving the pension of #ajj per annum left to her by her brother1 often devoting the quarterly or half-yearly payment to the purchase of some handsome present for her nephew or niece4 ,she wrote full instructions and made the most careful arrangements for every detail of business in connection with her own burial and the disposal of her property--that is of the little she reserved1 for her generosity towards her relations was as great as the expenditure on herself was small4 ,in these last remarks ,i have anticipated events1 and must now return to the year #ahbb1 when the correspondence begins4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,journey to ,hanover4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,rotterdam1 ,monday1 ,oct4 #ba1 #ahbb4 ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,at this present moment ,i have nothing to wish for1 besides the means of convincing myself by one look of your and my dear nephew's health4 ,after a very troublesome passage of forty-eight hours1 we find ourselves almost restored to our former condition and composure1 with only the difference that we have no more hunting after our trunks from ,custom-house to ,custom-house1 and can proceed on our way to ,hanover in peace after one night's rest here in a very good inn4 ,but the last night was truly dismal1 for the sailors themselves confessed that it was what is called a high sea4 ,at one time a spray conveyed a bucket-full of water into my bed1 which was regarded as nothing in comparison to the evils with which ,i was surrounded4 ,i was the most sick of all on board1 and the poor old lady was pitied by all who enquired after her1 but ,i had four ladies in the same cabin with me1 who encouraged me to hold out1 which at one time ,i thought would have been impossible4 ,something happened to the vessel for want of a good pilot in the ,thames1 and at ,blackwall we laid still three hours1 then we hobbled on to near ,gravesend1 and there lay in a high sea at anchor all night1 whilst they were hatching and thumping to mend the vessel we were to go in4 ,in consequence of this1 we could not reach the spot where a pilot could meet us time enough on ,sunday evening1 and lay again at anchor4 ,at half past eleven ,i set foot on shore1 where so many people were assembled to gaze on us that it set me a crying1 and now ,i am glad to be shut up once more in a room by myself and where ,i can make proper preparations for travelling further1 which hitherto ,i have not had the opportunity of doing4 ,all my clothes which ,i had prepared for the ship or sleeping on the road were locked up at the ,custom-house1 and ,i could not get hold of them again till we entered this house4 ,so much for our adventures at present1 and ,i beg and hope you will soon and often let us know how you are with my nephew1 and how and where you can pass the following winter months in the most comfortable way4 ,my brother is gone into the street to look about him4 ,the weather is fine1 and ,i wish my dear nephew was with him1 for it looks very tempting and new all about me1 and ,i think he would enjoy seeing the bustle on the water with which this house is surrounded4 ,my brother has charged me with millions of compliments and thanks to yourself and our nephew1 but ,i cannot afford him quite so many1 as else there would be no room for all those ,i owe to my dear ,lady ,h4 and my nephew1 who took last ,friday so long a walk to see us once more4 ,my fears for what was to come and regret for what ,i left behind were so stupifying that it made me almost insensible to all what was passing about me1 only this ,i shall remember1 with satisfaction1 that his looks were better than ,i have seen for a long time past4 ,i am now going to direct the little parcel for ,professor ,swinden1 and likewise to ,mr4 ,crommelin1 jun41 and to ,professor ,moll1 at ,utrecht1 and ,gauss will not be forgotten as we go along4 ,i beg you will remember me to ,miss ,baldwin 7who ,i hope is with you71 and particularly to ,mr4 ,beckwith1 whom ,i shall never be able to thank sufficiently for the friendly care he has shown to me on all1 and especially on the last occasion of helping me on with my packages4 ,farewell1 my dear ,lady ,herschel1 and let me hear soon that you and my nephew are well4 ,miss ,baldwin will write1 and of course she will inform me of her own and all friends' health1 c4 ,ever your affectionate ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,arrival in ,hanover4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,oct4 #cj1 #ahbb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,we arrived here at noon1 on the #bhth1 without the least accident1 but not without the utmost exertion and extreme fatigue to both my brother and myself1 from which it will be some time before ,i shall get the better1 on account of the many visits of our friends1 who come to convince themselves of our safe arrival1 of which ,i hope you will have been informed long before this can reach you1 as ,mr4 ,quintain has promised me to send you a line the moment he reaches ,london4 ,he left ,hanover yesterday4 ,i had wrote a letter in hopes he would have taken it1 but that was impossible1 and the post from here has been changed from ,tuesday to ,monday4 ,mr4 ,hausmann called also here yesterday1 and you may easily imagine that many inquiries are made after you and my dear nephew by all those who come near me1 and ,i hope you will soon enable me1 by a few lines1 to inform them of your welfare and health1 and give me the comfort to know that you have regained some of your former composure1 after the late melancholy change and unsettled state in which we all were involved4 ,i found ,mrs4 ,h4 in personal appearance so different from what ,i had imagined1 that ,i can hardly believe her to be the same2 she is just sixty-three years of age1 and suffers much from rheumatism1 which has taken away partially the use of her hands1 but she is still of so cheerful a disposition and so active by way of overcoming disease by exercise1 that ,i cannot wonder enough1 and her reception of me was truly gratifying2 the handsomest rooms1 three or four times larger than what ,i have been used to1 from which ,i can step in her own apartments1 have been prepared for me and furnished in the most elegant style4 ,but ,i cannot say that ,i feel well enough to enjoy all these good things nor be able to show myself to those who wish to see me1 at least not at present4 ,mrs4 ,beckedorff sent to enquire after me when ,i had been hardly two hours arrived4 ,miss ,b4 is confined with a severe cold4 ,my brother went yesterday to see them1 and we have postponed our meeting till ,saturday1 when she will come to town for the winter4 ,from ,rotterdam ,i sent a letter which ,i hope you have received1 and by which you will have seen that our passage was not of the most agreeable kind4 ,the papers to ,professor ,van ,swinden1 ,crommelin jun41 at ,amsterdam1 and ,professor ,moll1 at ,utrecht1 have been delivered1 but that to ,gauss1 ,i am sorry to say1 is either lost or mislaid1 for ,i cannot find it anywhere1 and ,i am vexed to give my dear nephew so bad a sample of my willingness to be of use to him4 ,perhaps through ,mr4 ,quintain he might get one over when the ,duke of ,cambridge returns1 else the next conveyance ,i know of is at ,christmas1 by ,goltermann4 ,i beg my love to my nephew and ,miss ,baldwin1 who1 ,i hope1 will soon let me know how you are1 c4 ,believe me1 ,your truly and affectionate ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,life in ,hanover4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,nov4 #ab1 #ahbb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,i hope you have received the letter which ,i sent by the first post which went from here after my arrival1 dated #cast ,october1 and also one ,i wrote in ,rotterdam1 by which you will have seen what a disagreeable passage we had at sea1 but all those frights and fears1 and the troubles and fatigues of the journey we afterwards experienced by land appear now to have been nothing but a dream1 and my waking thoughts are for ever wandering back to the scenes of sorrows which embittered the afflicting and final parting from my revered brother4 ,if ,i could but be assured that you and my dear nephew at this present moment were in tolerable health and otherwise exempted from vexation1 ,i should feel myself much more comfortable1 but it is hard to live for months without knowing what may have happened to those with whom one has been for so many years immediately connected and in the habit of keeping up a daily intercourse4 ,i have hitherto not been able to overcome a dislike to going abroad1 and what little ,i have seen of ,hanover 7in my way to the families of my two nieces and ,mrs4 ,beckedorff1 who live all close by7 ,i do not like6 ,and though some streets have been enlarged 7as ,i am told71 they appear to me much less than ,i left them fifty years ago4 ,but a total seclusion from society will not do for a continuance1 for ,i will not be ungrateful1 ,i must call on the ,delmerings1 c41--who have been here4 ,mrs4 ,d4 is grown quite fat and very handsome1 her daughter is a head taller and a very pretty young woman2 the eldest son is already in the service with the ,erz ,herzog of ,strelitz1 and there has been no increase in the family since they left ,england4 ,mrs4 ,d4 made many inquiries after you and my nephew's health1 and gratefully remembers the kindly treatment she received at all times from you4 ,nov4 #ahth4--,mrs4 ,beckedorff and ,miss ,b4 and myself have been laid up with severe colds1 and ,i am still unable to go into company1 but ,mrs4 ,b4 sent ,dr4 ,mhry to make her excuse for not returning my visit4 ,the first time ,i went to them1 ,mrs4 ,b4 made all her ten grandchildren stand up before me according to their ages1 and a fine healthy family it is4 ,but all the little folks ,i am introduced to are disappointed at finding me to be only a little old woman2 which ,i suppose must be owing to having been told the ,great ,aunt ,caroline from ,england was coming4 ,from the family of my eldest niece ,i have seen nothing as yet1 and probably shall not before next summer1 as her affairs must remain for some time in an unsettled state4 ,i did not know till we were within sight of ,hanover how greatly ,i was obliged to my brother for coming to fetch me1 for ,i find he was but barely recovered from a serious illness when he left home1 which had been occasioned by travelling to and fro to his daughter1 who was in need of the support of both her parents on losing her husband after a few days' illness2 in the same week she had given birth to a son1 and was made a widow with nine children in her #chth year4 ,but1 happily1 she is blessed with an uncommon share of understanding and fortitude1 besides the means of seeing them well educated and improving their fortunes4 ,nov4 #bgth4--,you will see1 my dear ,lady ,h41 by the above1 that at different times ,i have been employed in giving a circumstantial account of all what concerns that part of my family amongst whom ,i came to end my days2 but ,i would not conclude1 nor send off my letter1 till ,i should have received some satisfactory account of your well-being1 and the arrival of the last post has given a most agreeable turn to the dismal impression the parting scenes of the #agth and #ahth ,october had left on my mind4 ,to ,miss ,baldwin ,i feel greatly obliged for her comforting letter1 and hope she will be able to write me many more equally consoling2 my brother is going to speak for himself1 and if ,i would leave a little room for a few words to my nephew1 ,i must conclude with saying that ,i am ,my dear ,lady ,herschel's ,most obliged and affectionate1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,settled in ,hanover4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1--,i thank you for the few lines in the ,p4,s41 for by them ,i see you were thinking of me when you procured some indexes to ,flamsteed's obs4 ,but ,i will not trouble you to send any2 ,i only wished you to have some for your own friends1 ,mr4 ,south1 ,major ,kater1 c41 for as they were not members of the ,r4 ,society at the time of publication1 they may perhaps not be possessed of that necessary ,appendix4 ,the next messenger will take the book ,mr4 ,babbage wishes for1 and ,i want very much to send you some of the numerous philosophical productions in which this country my nephew ,groskopf says abounds1 but ,i am at a loss on what to fix my choice4 ,i wish you would let me know if any of the works of ,schelling are known in ,england8 ,of him it is said that his philosophy is entirely new1 and beyond all what goes before1 and so profound1 that nobody here can understand him1 c4 ,believe me yours most affectionately1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,dec4 #ah1 #ahbb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,at last ,i am enabled to inform you of the safe arrival of my boxes and trunks1 which only came the day before yesterday1 and then ,i was obliged to wait till the keys were sent by to-day's post1 but ,i have the satisfaction to find that every article is exactly as ,i had packed them with my own hands4 ,for the last three weeks1 ,i was despairing of ever seeing them again1 for the vessel had been no less than three weeks at sea1 and then had been obliged to unload six ,german miles beyond ,bremen for want of water in the ,weser4 ,the country is in general much distressed for want of water2 our large rivers may be passed on foot1 c4 ,but of these things you are perhaps informed by the newspapers1 and of many other circumstances2 such as the mice eating the corn as soon as sowed1 so that sowing it three times over was without effect1 till the mice were destroyed by a pest coming among them4 ,i would give anything if ,i at this moment could see with my own eyes how you and my dear nephew are2 tell him that on the day after ,christmas 7,dec4 #bfth7 the messenger will leave ,hanover1 and will take the book for ,mr4 ,babbage1 and one in two volumes for my nephew2 also two or three letters of his father's which ,i have found among some papers of my brother ,alex4 ,i know not if ,i mentioned it in my last that ,i selected all his last receipts when he left ,england1 and shall keep them yet a little longer4 ,as yet ,i lead but a dull sort of life2 the town is much too gay for me--plays1 concerts1 card parties1 walking1 c4 ,i cannot take part in any2 my cold in my head is still very bad1 and my poor brother is frequently unwell1 and for want of my trunks ,i could not accept ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's invitation to meet ,madam ,zimmermann1 c41 in an evening1 on account of not having clean things2 but she is so kind as to call on me sometimes among all the hurry she is engaged in at present with the ,princess ,augusta4 ,mr4 ,gisewell came a few days ago to see me2 he lives a little way out of town1 and poor ,mrs4 ,g4 keeps her bed1 and is hardly ever well2 their eldest daughter is happily situated with the ,queen of ,wrtemberg1 and ,mr4 ,gisewell enjoys a very lucrative situation4 ,i wish you could conveniently acquaint my nephew1 ,h4 ,griesbach1 as soon as possible1 that my brother has received an answer to the letter he sent to ,antwerp to the sister of ,h4 ,griesbach1 and that in the parcel which the messenger will bring will be enclosed her letter to ,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,i hope you will make ,miss ,baldwin write me soon a long account how yourself and all around and with you are1 but pray let it be a favourable one1 and remember me to all 7who are so good as to inquire after me7 most cordially1 and believe me1 ,my dear ,lady ,h41 ,your very affectionate ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,we have had a few days' very severe frost2 to-morrow ,i shall unpack my thermometer2 ,i suppose ,i shall find the difference between a ,german and an ,english winter1 though they make the rooms hot enough with their stoves2 but then ,i am afraid of firing their chimneys1 and we have no water1 though the police have demanded that every housekeeper shall be provided with eight buckets of water in their kitchen2 besides1 the price of fuel is enormous1 owing to the ,french having destroyed all the forests4 ,sidenote3 #ahbb4 ,letters4--,life in ,hanover4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,dec4 #bf1 #ahbb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,the parcel ,i am packing up contains so many odds and ends1 that ,i think it will be necessary to give you an inventory of them4 ,the most interesting to you1 ,i think1 will be the three letters from your dear father 7which ,i found among my brother ,alexander's papers71 both on account of the handwriting and their containing some accounts of the busy life of the times in which they were written4 ,of the philosophical work1 ,i will say nothing further than that ,i am curious to know if ,i have sent you sense1 or nonsense1 that ,i may know in future how to trust my informer2 ,i am only sorry ,i could not send them bound1 but they came too late from ,leipsic for that purpose4 ,in the small cover 7with your little man looking through the telescope7 is a shade of your ,uncle ,alex41 which you will be so good as to give to your mother1 who 7if ,i remember right7 wished for the same1 after it had been packed up1 and she will perhaps be so good as to send the letter to ,mr4 ,henry ,griesbach the first time anybody goes to ,windsor4 ,so much for business1 and on the other side ,i will talk a little of myself4 ,but it is a poor account ,i can give of myself at present1 and the worst of it is that ,i cannot hope for better times4 ,i am still unsettled1 and cannot get my books and papers in any order1 for it is always noon before ,i am well enough to do anything1 and then visitors run away with the rest of the day till the dinner hour 7which is two o'clock74 ,two or three evenings in each week are spoiled by company4 ,and at the heavens is no getting1 for the high roofs of the opposite houses4 ,but within my room ,i am determined nothing shall be wanting that can please my eye4 ,exactly facing me is a bookcase placed on a bureau1 to which ,i will have some glass doors made1 so that ,i can see my books4 ,opposite this1 on a sofa1 ,i am seated1 with a sofa-table and my new writing-desk before me1 but what good ,i shall do there the future must tell4 ,many more of such like transactions ,i was going to communicate to you1 but ,i am interrupted by the carpenter 7our ,andrews71 who is come to do some jobs for me1 so for this once you will be released from my nonsense4 ,but one thing ,i must yet add1 which is that you will accept my heartfelt wishes for your health1 happiness1 and prosperity throughout the coming year and for many more hereafter1 in which my brother and sister are joining most sincerely1 to yourself and ,lady ,herschel1 and believe me1 my dear nephew1 ,ever your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbc4 ,letter to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,feb4 #bg1 #ahbc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i take the earliest opportunity ,i have to acquaint you with having received a letter from ,mr4 ,h4 ,goltermann1 accompanied with a draft for #b #ds4 #f;d41 which is already received and safely deposited in my writing-desk4 ,but the information that he had had the pleasure of seeing you in good health afforded me the greatest satisfaction1 and he further promised me to forward the parcel to you in ,downing ,street1 which was particularly pleasing to me1 as ,i wished to avoid the sending backward and forward by blundering coachmen4 ,on the #eth of this month ,i received your letter without date1 but conclude it was written about the same time with those of your dear mother and cousin ,mary1 dated the #ith and fifteenth of ,january4 ,i delayed answering them 7and must do so still for the present7 because ,i knew that all mails were detained this side of the sea4 ,one passage in your letter affected me much1 it was gratifying to me and unexpected3 8444 speaks of your ,english life1 c4444 ,but now that you have left the scene of your labours you have the satisfaction of knowing that they are duly appreciated by those you leave behind40 ,but ,i can hardly hope that those favourable impressions should be lasting1 or rather not be effaced by my hasty departure2 but believe me ,i would not have gone without at least having made the offer of my service for some time longer to you1 my dear nephew1 had ,i not felt that it would be in vain to struggle any longer against age and infirmity1 and though ,i had no expectation that the change from the pure country air in which ,i had lived the best part of my life1 to that of the closest part of my native city1 would be beneficial to my health and happiness1 ,i preferred it to remaining where ,i should have had to bewail my inability of making myself useful any longer4 ,i hope you and ,lady ,h4 have not suffered by the severity of the weather2 to me it has certainly done no good4 ,i am grown much thinner than ,i was six months ago2 when ,i look at my hands they put me so in mind of what your dear father's were1 when ,i saw them tremble under my eyes1 as we latterly played at backgammon together4 ,good night6 dear nephew1 ,i will say the rest to-morrow4 ,by way of postscript ,i only beg you will give my love and many thanks to your dear mother and cousin for their kind letters2 and if the latter will continue from time to time to inform me of all your well-being1 ,i shall equally feel gratified1 for it is no matter from which hand ,i receive the comfortable information4 ,i remain1 ever your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,april #ad1 #ahbc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i hasten to send this sheet1 which is but this moment come to hand1 and the post within an hour of leaving ,hanover4 ,i begin to fear that ,i shall not hear from you till you send me an acknowledgment of having received the certificate1 which we are not able to obtain till after the #ajth of ,april and #ajth of ,october1 but ,january and ,july it is the #eth4 ,i assure you ,i would rather go without the money than be so long without hearing from you1 or have a line to express your pleasure for the present ,i offered you and ,mr4 ,babbage by sending the books by the ,christmas messenger1 of which ,i1 at this moment1 have no information that they have been delivered4 ,by the ,easter messenger ,i have sent some mettwurst a ,hanoverian delicacy1 which ,i hope you and your dear mother will find good1 but when they are once cut they must be eaten soon1 else they are dry and lose all their flavour4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,germans are very busy about the fame of your dear father2 there does not pass a month but something appears in print1 and ,dr4 ,groskopf saw in den gelehrten ,zeitungen that ,professor ,pfaff had translated all your dear father's papers from the ,phil4 ,trans4 into ,german1 and which will be published in ,dresden4 ,i wish he had left it for some good astronomer to do the same4 ,pray let me know how you and your dear mother are in health2 ,i am not well1 but have a severe cold at present1 but am always and still your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbc4 ,letter to ,miss ,herschel4 ,the following letter from the ,princess ,sophia of ,gloucester is a pleasing memorial of the kindness and amiability of which ,miss ,herschel experienced so many proofs while she lived at ,slough3-- ,,the ,,princess ,,sophia ,,matilda ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,my ,,dear ,,miss ,,herschel1-- ,your obliging attention in sending the ,astronomical ,almanack to me ,i am very sensible of1 and at the same time that ,i return my best thanks for this flattering mark of your recollection1 ,i must express my regret that ,i am not possessed of more knowledge and leisure1 that ,i might profit sufficiently by your kindness in endeavouring to instruct me4 ,i was very happy to learn that you had reached your native land in safety1 and ,i sincerely form every wish that your health may be long preserved to you6 ,may ,i request you to remember me kindly to ,mr4 and to ,miss ,beckedorff1 and to be assured yourself of the true esteem and regard with which ,i remain1 my dear ,miss ,herschel1 ,yours very faithfully1 ,,sophia ,,matilda4 ,,london1 ,june #af1 #ahbc4 ,sidenote3 #ahbc4 ,letter to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,june #bd1 #ahbc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i had intended to write you a long and very learned epistle1 but ,i am just now informed that the messenger will leave ,hanover within a very few hours1 and ,i must content myself with giving you the outlines of what ,i would have said4 ,i believe ,i have mentioned in a former letter to your mother that a ,professor ,pfaff has announced his intention of giving a translation of your father's papers4 ,it runs in my head that this professor is but a ,jackanapes1#cb who will spoil the broth1#cb and ,i wished he would not meddle with what he cannot understand4 ,but ,i thought it but right to inform you of what is come to my knowledge1 particularly as ,i was told it had been announced again that the translation would appear with corrections and explanations4 ,dr4 ,luthmer 7in the 8,ast4 ,jahrbuch0 for this year you may see a paper by this gentleman7 told me since there were two professors of that name 7brothers71 one an astrologer1 and if it was the latter he would make nonsense of it4 ,miss ,baldwin mentioned you were at ,cambridge on the business of having your father's papers printed4 ,i think it could not be amiss if something of your intention could be mentioned in the ,edinburgh ,quarterly ,review1 which appears here at ,hanover1 and of course throughout ,germany1 that it may be known that your father's labours are in yours and of course in the most able hands to make remarks on them4 ,i only wish to draw your attention this way1 but say nothing4 ,i have mentioned it over and over again that ,i was so unlucky as to lose the paper on my journey you entrusted to my care for ,prof4 ,gauss4 ,if you have another copy to spare give it to ,mr4 ,goltermann for the return of the messenger2 for he has heard of your good intention1 and laments my negligence2 ,i shall be introduced to him shortly1 when he comes through ,hanover again1 where he passed through about a fortnight ago on a journey of observation1 tending to establish some new discovery of his own1 of which we are soon to know more4 ,the theodolite has something to do with it2 so much ,i snapt up in a company of learned ladies who1 within these last two months1 have taken me into their circle4 ,but ,i am imitating ,robinson ,crusoe1 who kept up his consequence by keeping out of sight as much as possible when he acted the governor1 and when they want to know anything of me1 ,i say ,i cannot tell6444 ,i did nothing for my brother but what a well-trained puppy dog would have done1 that is to say1 ,i did what he commanded me4 ,i send you a small publication which ,i think must interest you1 but if it contains anything which is new to you ,i cannot tell4 ,i shall1 however1 obtain what ,i very much long for1 viz41 to see your handwriting1 for surely you will write me a line of thanks8 ,i am in general too unwell to sit much at the writing-table1 and have not been able to do anything which could be of use to you4 ,the letters which you will receive under cover to you ,i hope you will do me the favour to cause them to be safely delivered4 ,they are sealed already1 else ,i should have added a ,p4,s4 to your dear mother of the following1 viz41 that ,i was agreeably surprised by a letter this morning from the ,princessin ,sophia of ,gloucester1 and that my brother's family are all well at present2 my brother in particular makes work for the tailor to let out his waistcoats1 and they are happy to have their eldest daughter for a fortnight with them on a visit2 she is a truly interesting little delicate creature just turned of forty1 and has one daughter fit to be married1 two sons preparing for the university1 and the youngest weaned a month ago2 she is to me a wonder when ,i look at her1 she reads ,english fluently1 ,french she was used to speak like her mother tongue from her infancy4 ,i am interrupted1 and must seal up the packet4 ,and ,i remain1 dear nephew1 ,your most faithful and affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,july #ad1 #ahbc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,as a proof of my being still among the number of the living1 you will perhaps not dislike to see my own handwriting added to that of the three gentlemen who signed my certificate4 ,but ,i am at a loss for a subject which should be interesting to you1 because1 hearing so seldom from you1 ,i begin to fear my correspondence may turn out to be troublesome4 ,but still ,i long to hear a little oftener that you and your dear mother are well2 for since ,april eleventh 7date of ,lady ,h4's letter7 ,i have had no assurance of the same on which ,i could depend4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i wish often that ,i could see what you were doing1 that ,i might give you a caution 7if necessary7 not to overwork yourself like your dear father did4 ,i long to hear that the forty-foot instrument is safely got down2 your father1 and ,uncle ,a4 too1 have had many hair-breadth escapes from being crushed by the taking in and out of the mirror2 but ,god preserve you1 my dear nephew1 says ,your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,my brother and family join me in many compliments to you and your dear mother4 ,they are all well2 ,i am the only one who is complaining1 but ,i think ,i have a right to that preference1 for ,i am the oldest4 ,sidenote3 #ahbc4 ,letter from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschel4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,downing ,,street1 ,august #a1 #ahbc4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i have been long threatening to send you a long letter1 but have always been prevented by circumstances and want of leisure from executing my intention4 ,the truth is1 ,i have been so much occupied with astronomy of late1 that ,i have had little time for anything else--the reduction of these double stars1 and the necessity it has put me under of looking over the journals1 reviews1 c41 for information on what has already been done1 and in many cases of re-casting up my father's measures1 swallows up a great deal of time and labour4 ,but ,i have the satisfaction of being able to state that our results in most instances confirm and establish my father's views in a remarkable manner4 ,these inquiries have taken me off the republication of his printed papers for the present4 ,i think ,i shall be adding more to his fame by pursuing and verifying his observations than by reprinting them4 ,but ,i have by no means abandoned the idea4 ,meanwhile ,i am not sorry to hear they are about to be translated into ,german4 ,there is a ,mr4 ,pfaff1 a respectable mathematician1 and ,i hope it is he who undertakes the work4 ,if you can learn more particulars1 pray send them to me4 ,i hope this season to commence a series of observations with the twenty-foot reflector1 which is now in fine order4 ,the forty-foot is no longer capable of being used1 but ,i shall suffer it to stand as a monument4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am much obliged to you for the book on temperaments you were so kind as to send me1 which seems interesting1 but ,i have not had time to read it through4444 ,p4,s4--,your books on animal magnetism1 and that for ,babbage1 arrived safe4444 ,i wish you would procure and send me ,pfaff's translation of my father's papers as soon as published4 ,write as often as you can4 ,your letters are very interesting4 ,i wish ,i were a better correspondent1 but my time is so occupied1 ,i know not where to turn4 ,p4,p4,s4--,babbage has had #a1ejj granted him by ,government to enable him to execute his engine1 which is very curious4 ,a report is strongly current of ,captain ,parry's successful arrival at ,valparaiso2 it comes in a very probable form4 ,sidenote3 #ahbc4 ,astronomical4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,august #aa1 #ahbc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i thank you most heartily for your kind care and punctuality in sending my remittance1 and am only sorry to trouble you so often2 ,i might have acknowledged the receipt thereof by the last post1 but ,i wished first to enable myself to give the following information4 ,johann ,wilhelm ,pfaff1 professor1 in ,erlangen1 is the same who intends to translate your father's papers1 but those only which he can get a copy of4 ,the ,philosophical ,transactions1 ,i am told1 are not within his reach4 ,you may depend on my sending you whatever may come out as soon as it makes its appearance4 ,i can easily imagine how little time you can have to spare for writing to me when once you have entered on that mass of your father's observations contained in his journals1 c4444 ,i think the temporary index 7such as it is7 will in many instances be of service to you1 but ,i wish to point out here that about the year #ahjj there was a change made in the titles of some of the books4 ,the first volume of miscellaneous observations was then called ,journal ,no4 #aj1 c41 444 so if the index directs you to ,january #bdth1 #agig ,m4 7for ,m4 read ,j47 ,i think a memorandum of this will be found in the cover or beginning of the index1 but ,i am not certain4 ,you have truly gratified me by sending the inscription of the monument1#cc for such subjects only are capable of interesting my waking thoughts and nightly dreams4 ,i was going to give you an idea of what they are2 but why should ,i communicate grief8 ,the paper for ,gauss is gone to ,gttingen4 ,i have directed it to ,professor ,harding1 who is the next to ,gauss in the astronomical department1 as ,gauss is not yet returned from his journey of measurements4 ,i made a few extracts from the paper#cd by way of having something to be delighted with1 but am glad such a thing was not invented fifty years ago1 for then my existence would have been of no use at all at all4 ,i am amusing myself with having the seven-foot mounted by ,hohenbaum1 though ,i have not even a prospect of a window for a whole constellation1 but it shall stand in my room and be my monument--as the forty-foot is yours4 ,when ,hohenbaum comes for a trifling direction1 we generally do not separate till dinner1 or some other interruption puts a stop to our conversation2 for this man is never tired when speaking of your father's inventful imaginations and the readiness with which everything was executed4 ,i have not above six hours' tolerable ease out of the twenty-four1 and not one hour's sleep1 and yet ,i wish to live a little longer1 that ,i might make you a more correct catalogue of the #b1ejj nebul1 which is not even begun1 but hope to be able to make it my next winter's amusement4 ,i was much pleased with the partial success of ,mr4 ,babbage in having something granted towards going on with his grand ideas4 ,with many compliments and best wishes1 c41 ,your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbd4 ,her ,nephew on the ,continent4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,catania 7,,sicily71 ,july #b1 #ahbd4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,the last time ,i wrote to you from ,slough ,i little expected that my next would be dated from the foot of ,etna--but ,i mean this to be the farthest point of my wanderings1 and from hence to turn my steps northwards4 ,i am not without some hopes that my time will so far serve as to enable me to pay you a visit at ,hanover1 as ,i long very much to see you among your and my ,hanoverian friends4444 ,my mother will have told you of my arrangements1--of the alteration which my plans of life have undergone 7and for which ,i see every day more reason to be thankful71 and of my present excursion1 so that the date of this will not surprise you4 ,to-morrow ,i hope to see the sun set from the top of ,etna1 and will keep this open to give you an account of my excursion there4 ,meanwhile let me congratulate you on the good accounts my mother gives me of your present state of health and spirits1 the knowledge of which has enabled me to give real pleasure to many who1 when they heard ,i was related to you1 enquired with the greatest interest respecting you4 ,among the rest ,i may mention ,m4 ,arago1 of the ,observatory at ,paris1 and ,m4 ,fourrier1 the secretary of the ,institute1 who has just been reading the loge of my dear father at a meeting of that body1 in which ,i am sure 7from the associations ,i had with him1 and the written communications that passed between us on the subject7 your own name will stand associated with his in a manner that cannot fail to be gratifying to you4 ,i have not 7of course1 as ,i quitted ,paris before it was read1 or even written7 seen it1 but the man is of the right sort1 and ,i will endeavour to procure copies of it for you and my uncle4 ,indeed1 at ,paris ,i find 7as where do ,i not find it87 universal justice rendered to my father's merits1 and a degree of admiration excited by the mention of his name that cannot fail to be gratifying to me1 as his son4 ,in fact1 ,i find myself received wherever ,i go by all men of science1 for his sake1 with open arms1 and ,i find introductions perfectly unnecessary4 ,at ,turin ,i sent up my card to ,prof4 ,plana1 of the ,observatory1 one of the most eminent mathematicians of the age1 who received me like a brother1 and made my stay at ,turin1 which ,i prolonged a week for the sake of his society1 very pleasant4 ,he married a niece of ,lagrange 7not of ,lalande71 and both he and his wife were full of enquiries about my 8celebrated sister10 7for everybody seems to think me your brother1 instead of nephew71 and made me tell them a thousand particulars about you4 ,the same reception1 but1 if possible1 still more friendly1 and the same curiosity 7and1 ,i may add1 the same mistake7 ,i met with at ,modena1 from ,professor ,amici1 an artist and a man of science of the first eminence4 ,he is the only man who has1 since my father1 bestowed great pains on the construction of specula1 and ,i do assure you that his ten-foot telescopes with twelve-inch mirrors are of very extraordinary perfection4 ,among other of your enquiring friends ,i should not omit the ,abb ,piazzi1 whom ,i found ill in bed at ,palermo1 and who is a fine respectable old man1 though ,i am afraid not much longer for this world4 ,he remembered you personally1 having himself visited ,slough4 ,naples1 ,aug4 #bjth1 #ahbd4--;,i take the first moment of leisure to proceed with this4 ,i made the ascent of ,etna without particular difficulty1 though with excessive fatigue4 ,the ascent from ,catania is through the village of ,nicolosi1 about ten miles from ,catania1 almost every step of which is covered with the tremendous stream of lava which1 in #affi1 burst from the flanks of the mountain1 near ,nicolosi1 and overwhelmed the city4 ,here ,i found a ,m4 ,gemellaro1 who was so good as to make corresponding observations of the barometer and thermometer during my absence1 while his brother observed below at ,catania1 and ,i carried up my mountain barometer and other instruments to the summit4 ,from ,nicolosi the ascent becomes rugged and laborious1 first through a broad belt of fine oak forest1 which encircles the mountain like a girdle about its middle1 and affords some beautiful romantic scenery--when this is passed we soon reach the limits of vegetation1 and a long desolate scorched slope1 knee-deep in ashes1 extends for about five miles to a little hut1 where ,i passed the night 7a glorious starlight one7 with the barometer at #bacjg in4--and next morning mounted the crater by a desperate scramble up a cone of lava and ashes1 about #a1jjj feet high4 ,the sunrise from this altitude1 and the view of ,sicily and ,calabria1 which is gradually disclosed1 is easier conceived than described4 ,on the highest point of the crater ,i was enveloped in suffocating sulphurous vapours1 and was glad enough to make my observation 7bar4 #badjj7 and get down4 ,by this the altitude appears to be between #aj and #aa1jjj feet4 ,i reached ,catania the same night1 almost dead with the morning's scramble and the dreadful descent of near thirty miles1 where the mules 7which can be used for a considerable part of the way7 could scarce keep their feet4 ,florence1 ,aug4 #afth1 #ahbd4--;,in the hurry and bustle of travelling one is obliged to write by snatches when one can4444 ,i hope to hear from you at all events when ,i reach ,england if ,i should not see you first1 of which ,i begin now to have serious doubts1 having been so terribly retarded in my ,sicilian journey1 and at ,naples1 on my return1 by the illness of a friend4 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,have you heard how ,m4 ,pfaff's translation proceeds8 ,i wrote to him from ,cattagione1 in ,sicily4 ,sidenote3 #ahbd4 ,her ,nephew's ,travels4 ,,munich1 ,sept4 #ag1 #ahbd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had originally intended to have gone to ,switzerland from ,inspruck1 or from this place1 having a great desire to visit the north of ,switzerland1 and to make certain observations among the ,alps1 but my wish to see you once more1 to assure myself and to be able to report to my mother how ,i find you--to pay my uncle ,dietrich a visit--and1 though last1 not least1 to see my father's birth-place--these considerations outweigh the attractions of ,switzerland1 and1 although the increase this dtour will make in the length of my journey homewards is so considerable as to limit my stay in ,hanover to two or three days at the utmost1 ,i shall at least have had the satisfaction of not neglecting an opportunity which may never occur again4 ,the time when ,i hope to arrive ,i cannot precisely fix1 as it will depend on circumstances which may occur in my route1 having so arranged as to take in a variety of objects interesting in various ways1 thus3--,i shall go somewhat out of my way to visit ,professor ,pfaff1 at ,erlangen1 and ,i hope also to find ,mr4 ,encke at ,seeberg1 ,mr4 ,lindenau at ,gotha1 ,messrs4 ,gauss and ,harding at ,gttingen1 c4 ,moreover1 ,i hope there will not take place a resurrection among the bones in the cave at ,bayreuth before ,i get there4 ,these things necessarily interrupt post haste1 besides which there are always delays in passing frontiers1 and accidents happening to wheels1 springs1 screws1 c4 ,allowing for these1 however1 ,i think it cannot be less than a fortnight1 nor more than three weeks from the date of this when ,i shall have the happiness of once more shaking you by the hand1 and ,i need not say what satisfaction it will give me to find yourself and my uncle1 ,mrs4 ,herschel and their family in good health1 as well as our good friends the ,beckedorffs1 ,detmerings and ,haussmann1 with whom it will be a great pleasure to me to renew my acquaintance4 ,you have heard1 ,i daresay1 through my mother1 of our poor friend1 ,miss ,deluc's death4 ,mrs4 ,beckedorff will have been much grieved at it4 ,i hope you have not forgotten your ,english1 as ,i find myself not quite so fluent in this language as ,i expected4 ,in fact1 since leaving ,italy1 ,i have so begarbled my ,german with ,italian that it is unintelligible both to myself and to everyone that hears it2 and what is very perverse1 that though when in ,italy ,i could hardly talk ,italian fit to be heard1 ,i can now talk nothing else1 and whenever ,i want a ,german word1 pop comes the ,italian one in its place4 ,i made the waiter to-day stare 7he being a ,frenchman7 by calling to him1 8,wollen ,sie avere la bont den acete zu apportaren60 ,but this1 ,i hope1 will soon wear off4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i remain1 dear aunt1 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,sept4 #be1 #ahbd4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i hardly know how to thank you sufficiently for your valuable letters1 especially for the one dated the #agth of this month1 as ,i am now at last assured that my eyes shall once more behold the continuation of your dear father4 ,for the remaining days of my life can only by a few hours' conversation with you be made tolerable1 by affording me your direction how to finish a general catalogue of the #b1ejj nebul1 c41 which would have otherwise caused us both a tedious and vexatious correspondence in the future4 ,i anxiously forbore to express my wishes for seeing you1 for fear it might have had any influence on the direction of your intended tour4 ,but now all will be well1 and ,i shall only say that we are counting the days and hours until we shall have the happiness of seeing you1 and you will1 on entering ,hanover1 have only to direct your postilion to the ,markt ,strasse1 ,no4 #dec1 where the arms of my brother and sister1 as well as mine1 are longing to receive you1 and till then ,believe me1 my dearest nephew1 ,your faithful and affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,i beg my respects to 444 ,blumenbach1 and ,i shall ever remember with many thanks the visit with which he honoured me when last at ,hanover4 ,sidenote3 #ahbd4 ,visit from her ,nephew4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,oct4 #ad1 #ahbd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,my dear nephew has now been gone a week1 and ,i follow him in idea every inch he is moving farther from us1 and think he must now be near the water4 ,i am at this moment in the greatest panic imaginable1 for we have had all the week much rain1 and now it blows a perfect hurricane4 ,i shall not send this till ,i have heard from you that the dear traveller is safely at home1 for it would be cruel to augment your anxiety1 which ,i know you are feeling till you see him again4 ,here follows a long history of the younger members of the ,griesbach family1 with details of the events of seventy years before4 444 ,i have not yet done1 my dear ,lady ,herschel1 and shall not be easy till ,i have given some little account of my brother's ,dietrich's family1 merely for yours and my dear nephew's gratification2 for1 from his kind inquiries if ,i wanted anything8 if he could do nothing for me8 it seemed as if he thought he could not do enough for us4 ,my answer was nothing6 nothing6 and this ,i could say with truth1 as at my age and situation 7which is truly respectable7 ,i should not know what to do with more without lavishing it on others1 where it would only create habits of luxury and extravagance4 ,the time of our dear nephew's being here was too short for much confidential conversation1 else ,i wished to have made him better acquainted with mine and my brother ,dietrich's sentiments concerning the noble bequest of our lamented brother1 of which ,dietrich had not the most distant hope or expectation 7for ,i believe they never had any conversation on the subject71 as ,i am sure his way of thinking is similar to mine1 that brothers and sisters 7such as we were71 each beginning the world with nothing but health and abilities for getting our bread1 ought to feel shame at taking from the other if he should by uncommon exertion and perseverance have raised himself to affluence4 ,according to this notion ,i refused my dear brother's proposal 7at the time he resolved to enter the married state7 of making me independent1 and desired him to ask the king for a small salary to enable me to continue his assistant4 #ej were granted to me1 with which ,i was resolved to live without the assistance of my brother2 but when nine quarters were left unpaid ,i was obliged to apply to him1 as he had charged me not to go to anyone else4 ,in #ahjc1 you and my brother insisted on my having #aj quarterly added to my income1 which ,i certainly should not have accepted if ,i had not been in a panic for my friends at ,hanover1 which had just then been taken by the ,french4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahbd4 ,life in ,hanover4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,nov4 #a1 #ahbd4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,your welcome letter1 dated ,slough1 ,oct4 #bbnd1 had not only the most beneficial effect on my spirits1 but gave the greatest pleasure to the whole family1 for ,i find ,groskopf had been under great apprehension for your safety from the many reported accidents among the shipping on the ,english coasts4 ,count ,mnster1 it is said1 lies dangerously ill in consequence of the fright he suffered on his passage 7his lady and his children were with him71 and ,groskopf imagined he must have left ,calais at the same time with you4 ,but1 thank ,god1 all is well6 ,all ,i meet with lament your leaving us so soon4 ,gauss has been here1 and they say he was quite inconsolable at having missed you4 ,hauptmann ,mller was charged with compliments1 which he intends to deliver himself if ,i will give him leave4 ,to be sure6 and ,olbers1 whom ,dr4 ,mhry saw in ,bremen1 was sorry not to have seen you1 as you had been so near4 ,the ,duke of ,cambridge1 whom ,dietrich met in the street1 asked about you1 but we could not trace you farther than ,antwerp4 ,i believe half ,hanover would have been gratified if you could have made a longer stay with us4 ,dr4 ,groskopf will one day come to ,england ,i am afraid1 and talk you deaf2 he is1 however1 a very good sort of man1 and desires me to tell you that if you wanted any books you might command him1 he would send you anything you wanted4 ,what gives me the most pleasure in reading over your letter1 is your telling me that your dear mother is not in the least altered in her looks1 and that she has been so considerate as to give me in her own handwriting the assurance that you are extremely well4 ,that ,i may yet often hear the same1 wishes your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,to ,lady ,herschel4444 ,my knowing so well to what noble purposes an experimental philosopher may use his fortune1 it would make me very unhappy if my dear nephew was cramped in his4 ,and if ,i could do any good by relinquishing my annuity ,i would leave ,hanover and live on my pension in the country most willingly1 and am only sorry that ,i have no other means of showing the care and affection ,i have for my dear nephew4 ,but ,i beg no other notice may be taken of all ,i have written than often--when my nephew or yourself cannot write--to inform me by the hand of ,miss ,b---- of all your joys and sorrows1 that ,i may1 though at this distance1 sympathise with the same4 ,if my nephew cannot be easily supplied with the ,berliner ,jahrbuch1 ,i beg he will let me know1 for ,i have got them by me1 and can send them by the messenger in ,january4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,london1 ,december1 #ahbd4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,my mother and self received your welcome letter1 and so far from finding1 as you seem to fear1 the details you enter into tedious1 ,i assure you we found them highly interesting4 ,the sacrifices you have individually made for your family are above all praise4 ,it would ill become me1 who am a rich man 7,i mean in that sense only in which any man can truly be called rich1--having enough to satisfy all my moderate and rational wants71 to deprive you of any1 the smallest part of your income4 ,on the contrary1 it would rather be my duty1 were it insufficient1 to add to it1 but the account you give of your situation1 corroborated as it is by what ,i have myself seen of it1 sets at rest all apprehensions on that score4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i hope the ,catalogue of ,nebul goes on as you wish4 ,i shall have little time now for astronomical observations1 being become a resident in ,london in consequence of taking on myself the duties of ,secretary to the ,royal ,society4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have sent the lenses you wished for1 and also two prints of the king and queen of the ,sandwich ,islands1 which ,i would be much obliged to you if you would transmit to ,prof4 ,blumenbach1 with my compliments4 ,they are the best that have appeared1 and are considered striking likenesses4 ,sidenote3 #ahbe4 ,life in ,hanover4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,jan4 #ad1 #ahbe4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am now writing out the ,catalogue of ,nebul1 and am at zone #cj1 and hope to finish it for the ,easter messenger2 but my health is so wretched that ,i often am obliged to lay by for a day or two4 ,dr4 ,groskopf desires his compliments1 and ,i am to tell you that when next you come to ,hanover again he can not only procure you a sight of ,leibnitz's ,,ms41 but leave to take some home with you4 ,i am in quest of a good print of ,leibnitz for you1 and hope soon to hear of one1 which shall accompany ,dr4 ,franklin's1 which ,dietrich lately found among his music4 ,graf ,rapfstein brought me lately the ,moniteur of ,december1 containing the history of your dear father's life1 as read in ,june1 etc41 at full length4 ,it is the only copy of the ,court paper coming here at ,hanover to the ,french ,ambassador1 and ,i was obliged to return it to the same2 but ,groskopf has promised to procure these copies from ,paris1 that we may all have one4 ,miss ,beckedorf read it to me by way of translation1 and we both cried over it1 and could not withhold a tear of gratitude to the author for having so feelingly adhered to truth in the details of your dear father's discoveries1 etc4444 ,but if ,i have understood ,miss ,b4's translation right ,i could point out three instances where too great a stress is laid on the assistance of others1 which withdraws the attention too much from the difficulties your father had to surmount4 7#a47 ,the favours of monarchs ought to have been mentioned1 but once would have been enough4 7#b #c47 ,of ,alexander and me can only be said that we were but tools1 and did as well as we could2 but your father was obliged first to turn us into those tools with which we could work for him2 but if too much is said in one place let it pass2 ,i have1 perhaps1 deserved it in another by perseverance and exertions beyond female strength6 ,well done6 ,with compliments to all friends1 particularly ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,babbage1 ,i remain1 my dearest nephew1 ,yours most affectionately1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,poor ,sir ,william ,watson6 whose death had lately been announced to her4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #g1 #ahbe4 ,the birthday of my dear nephew6 who ,i wish may enjoy in health and prosperity many returns of this day4 ,i will drink your health1 and on the #afth of this month you may return the compliment1 for then ,i shall have completed my seventy-fifth year4 ,i received the parcel1 not till the last day of ,february1 which contained your letter of ,december #dth1 with the prints of the ,king and ,queen1 which ,i delivered to the ,regierungsrath ,b----1 to forward to his father at ,gttingen4 ,the first part of your letter is filled with expressions of the most feeling kindness towards me1 and ,i will pass them over without attempting to describe what ,i felt on reading the same1 and merely for yours and your dear mother's satisfaction ,i will answer as in the way of business all you wished to know4 ,november #bbnd ,i received the #ej ,lady ,h4 paid over for me to ,mr4 ,goltermann1 for which ,i returned the day after 7#bcrd7 the formal receipt in a letter to your mother1 and hope it may not have been lost 7for ,i generally write what comes uppermost74444 ,i am ready with the ,catalogue of ,nebul1 and have only to write1 not a ,preface1 for ,i shall write what ,i have to say at the end4444 ,i wish1 in case you were not on the spot to receive the box from ,mr4 ,goltermann yourself1 you would before you left town beg ,mr4 ,g4 to keep it till you called for it yourself2 for ,i must confess that from the day ,i let the eight manuscript books and catalogue of ,nebul1 and catalogue of stars drawn out of the eight books of sweeps1 go out of my hands1 ,i shall have no peace till ,i know they are safe in your own1 where they ought to be4 ,if you can think of anything else ,i can send you1 ,i beg you will let me know1 for a large parcel is no more trouble than a lesser one to put up4 ,but ,i shall write again when ,i have packed up the box1 and if you still wish for relics of your dear father's hand-writing1 ,i have a great mind to part with his pocket-book 7to you only71 which he used before we left ,bath4 ,there are only a few pencil memoranda1 but they show that music did not only occupy his thoughts1 but that timber for the erection of the thirty-foot telescope of which the casting of the mirror was pretty far advanced was thought of4 ,but now ,i must say a few words to your dear mother1 but ,i wish soon to hear that you have received this1 and also a letter ,i sent from here on the #adth ,january4 ,i hope it is not lost4 ,i am not very well pleased with my ,english1 but have no time to write what ,i have to say over again1 but this ,i hope you will be able to understand--that ,i am ,ever your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #h1 #ahbe4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,i received your letter of the #dth ,december1 and it relieved me of much anxiety ,i felt from a fear that the subject of my long letter of ,november #hth might have injured me in your or my nephew's opinion1 and ,i had nothing to console me in this uncertainty1 but a line from ,mr4 ,goltermann that he had seen you in good health and received #ej from you1 which ,i received the #bbnd ,november here at ,hanover1 and sent my thanks and the usual receipt the next day4 ,but still ,i remained in uncertainty1 till by a letter from ,miss ,b4 of #aeth ,december1 you kindly sent me your thanks for the very letters which caused me such fears4 ,but it grieves me you should yourself take the trouble of writing to me2 the least kind expression from you dictated to ,miss ,b4 is sufficient to make me happy for many days after4 ,i hope she will not be taken from you again for a long time1 for she is the most cheerful companion in health and consoling one in sickness you could have about you4 ,i was sorry to hear by a letter from ,mr4 ,h4 ,griesbach to my brother that you had had another attack of the gout1 but ,god grant ,i may hear soon it may have been of short duration4 ,daily we come to hear of the departure of a friend or some one we know1 but at our time of life it cannot be otherwise1 for many of those we knew were older than ourselves1 and it is painful to see when we at last are left to stand 7or lie7 alone1 which is often the case with a single person2 for no attention can equal or be more cheering than what comes from the heart of an affectionate child4 ,but no more of this2 if we must grieve1 there is the comfort we shall not grieve much longer4 ,the death of my eldest nephew ,i lament sincerely1 for he was deserving to have enjoyed the prosperity of his children some years longer1 but by a letter ,i had from ,miss ,g4 ,i was gratified to know that they had found 7for the present7 so noble a support from the ,king and from the excellent ,countess of ,harcourt4 ,as to the exit of poor ,f4 ,griesbach1 it gave me more joy than pain2 for nothing but the grave could relieve him from wretchedness2 and nothing but that would rouse his posterity to a sense of their duty1 which is to work for an honest livelihood2 even the youngest is old enough to do so1 and ,i hope to hear that they may awake from their dreams of commissions in the army and midshipmen in the navy4 ,the lot of the children of a poor musician and descendants of a menial servant 7even to a king7 is not to look too high1 but trust to his own good behaviour and serving faithfully those who can employ them2 then they will not want encouragement4 ,this is the way ,i compose myself1 for help ,i cannot anybody any longer1 and it hurts me1 for ,i am too feeble to think much of these kind of things4 ,the #dth ,april goes the messenger1 and my nephew will receive my handy works and a few little publications4 ,i have yet some publications to make which will take me some time1 to go with the catalogue3 and then ,i shall have nothing to put me in mind of the hours ,i spent with my dear brother at the telescopes1 and for that reason ,i keep the five printed vols4 of my brother's papers1 and read them over once more before ,i send them to my nephew1 and besides1 it would be too much at once1 for books are heavy4 ,farewell1 my dear ,lady ,h41 and remember me to ,miss ,b41 who1 ,i hope1 will be good to me and write often to ,your affectionate sister1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,mr4 ,h---- is released from his plague1 for his wife is dead4 ,sidenote3 #ahbe4 ,catalogue of ,nebul4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #bg1 #ahbe4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,i hope the ,,ms4 ,catalogue of ,nebul and that of the stars1 which have been observed in the series of sweeps along with the eight volumes from which they have been drawn out1 will not unfrequently be of use to you4 ,the gauges were brought immediately after observations into a book called 8,register of ,star ,gauges10 which was kept with the 8,register of ,sweeps40 ,observations and remarks on various subjects will often be found as memorandums1 made during or at the end of a sweep1 to which the general index may serve as a direction--as for instance under the head of zodiacal lights--the index points out twelve different sweeps in which they were observed4 ,n4,b4--,let it be remembered that the memorandums in the transcript of the sweeps between ---- are mine1 and must be confided in accordingly4 ,at the end of the ,catalogue of ,nebul ,i have put a list of memorandums to the catalogue of omitted stars1 and index to ,flamsteed's ,observations1 contained in his second vol4 ,they are properly not all to be called errata1 but mem4 of errors1 which could only be solved by later observations1 c41 c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,all your father's papers from the ,phil4 ,trans41 which are bound in five volumes1 and in which ,i have carried all corrections 7in the ,catalogues of ,nebul7 ,i could find1 ,i must keep a little longer1 but they shall come safe to your hands--along with ,bode's and ,wollaston's catalogues1 when my eyes have robbed me of the pleasure of reading--for which misfortune ,i am in daily fear4 ,i am1 dear nephew1 ,yours affectionately1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbe4 ,life in ,hanover4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,april #ah1 #ahbe4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i received this afternoon your most valuable packet containing your labours of the last year1 which ,i shall prize1 and more than prize--shall use myself1 and make useful to others4 ,a week ago ,i had the twenty-foot directed on the nebul in ,virgo1 and determined afresh the right ascensions and polar distances of thirty-six of them4 ,these curious objects 7having now nearly finished the double stars7 ,i shall now take into my especial charge--nobody else can see them4 ,i hope very soon 7in a fortnight or three weeks7 to be able to transmit to you and to ,,mm4 ,gauss and ,harding our work 7,mr4 ,south's and my own7 on the double stars1 in which you will find some of my father's most interesting discoveries placed beyond the reach of doubt4 ,it will contain measures of the position and distance of #chj double stars4 ,but ,mr4 ,south1 who is an industrious astronomer 7almost as much so as yourself71 has just sent me complete and accurate measures of #bgi more1 making in all #fei4 ,among these we have now verified not less than seventeen connected in binary systems in the way pointed out by my father1 and twenty-eight at least in which no doubt of a material change having taken place can exist4 ,m4 ,struve1 at ,dorpat1 and ,m4 ,amici1 in ,italy1 have also taken up the subject of double stars1 and are prosecuting it with vigour4 ,i am particularly obliged to you for my father's letters and pocket-book--they are to me a real treasure4 ,the style of the loge in the ,moniteur is very inferior to what ,i expected from ,fourier2 but on the whole it contains nothing materially untrue4 ,the publications enclosed were very acceptable4 ,i wish my uncle had not confined himself to a mere catalogue of insects1 but had told us a little of their habits4 ,of ,leibnitz's ,,mss4 more hereafter4444 ,the mettwursts are excellent4 ,the packets to my mother and ,mary shall be sent4444 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,may #c1 #ahbe4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,i must content myself with only writing a few lines by way of thanking you for your very interesting letter1 which has taken all the care from my mind which ,i felt for the fate of the ,,ms4 ,before the box left ,hanover1 ,i received a very kind letter from ,hofrath ,blumenbach1 in which was one enclosed to you2 ,i hope it is come to hand1 though ,i am still in doubt about your direction1 and for that reason kept the letter near a fortnight before ,i parted with it4 ,you give me hope of receiving some of your and ,mr4 ,south's works for ,gauss and ,harding4 ,i know no way of sending them than through ,mr4 ,goltermann by the quarterly messenger1 and that it will be well for you to make some inquiry beforehand about the time he is likely to leave ,england4 ,the ,duke of ,cambridge will1 within a month1 be in ,england2 perhaps you will meet with him2 he is a great admirer of you4 ,last ,saturday1 between the acts of the concert1 he asked me many questions about you4 ,i wish ,i had had your letter two days sooner1 ,i should then have known better how to answer him4 ,he enquired if you were much engaged with astronomy8 ,i said you were a deep mathematician1 which embraced all1 c41 444 then he asked if you studied chemistry8 answer1 very much6 you had built yourself a laboratorium at ,slough1 had a house in town for three years1 was secretary of the ,royal ,society1 would probably1 in the vacation1 be at ,slough1 c41 c41 and in return he told me that he heard from everybody you were a very learned philosopher2 and if ,i tell you that the ,duke of ,cambridge is the favourite of all who know him1 ,i think ,i have made you acquainted with one another4 ,my brother intends soon to write a few words about insects himself1 which is almost the only object with which he amuses himself4 ,it is well he does not see the word amuses1 for ,i suppose it should be sublime study1 for whenever he catches a fly with a leg more than usual1 he says it is as good as catching a comet6 ,do you think so8 ,perhaps ,i may have soon an opportunity of sending by ,mr4 ,quintain a ,german translation of ,baron ,fourier's 8,forlesung40 ,i must examine first if ,i have the whole or not2 it does not seem bad1 but as ,i do not understand ,french1 which ,i had only read to me by ,miss ,beckedorff1 ,i can be no judge2 but ,i think you will not be displeased with it2 but at the ending they have not mended it1 for it also says ,i had published all your father's papers1 though nobody will or does believe that2 still ,i would rather that nothing at all had been said about me than say the thing which is impossible2 and ,i shall only fare like ,bruce when he pretended to have made the drawings to his publications himself2 his having wrote the book1 or even having been in ,abyssinia1 was disbelieved4 ,i must only add that ,i am1 my dearest nephew1 ,your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,herr ,,hofrath ,,und ,,ritter ,,gauss4 ,,hanover1 ,sept4 #h1 #ahbe4 ,,sir1 ,i am almost at a loss how to express my thanks sufficiently for the kind visit with which you honoured me when last in ,hanover1 for not only the wish of seeing the man of whom ,i so often had heard my late brother speak in the highest terms of admiration has been at last gratified1 but ,i flatter myself of having found in you1 sir1 a friend who will do me the kindness of presenting the works of ,flamsteed 7published in #agbe1 with my ,index to the ,observations contained in his second volume7 to the ,royal ,observatory of the ,royal ,academy of ,gttingen4 ,the regret ,i feel at the separation from books which have afforded me so many days interesting employment will be greatly softened by knowing that1 referring to the memorandums in the margin of the pages in ,flamsteed's second volume1 much time may yet be saved to any astronomer who wishes to consult former observations1 and therefore ,i hope you will pardon the trouble ,i am thus giving you1 and1 with the greatest esteem1 believe me1 ,sir1 ,your most obliged and humble servant1 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbe4 ,declining health of her ,brother4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,sept4 #bj1 #ahbe4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,i know not how it comes that ,i am so barren of subjects for filling up these pages2 my spirits are rather depressed at present on account of my brother's health1 who suffers very frequently much from weakness1 so that to combat against infirmities and peevishness 7the usual companions of old age7 depends entirely on my exertion to bear my share without communication1 for unfortunately we are never in the same mind1 and with a nervous person of an irritable temper one can only talk of the weather or the flavour of a dish1 for which ,i care not a pin about4 ,but ,i think ,i shall do well enough1 for ,i am a subscriber to the plays for two evenings per week1 and ,thursdays and ,saturdays two ladies with long titles are at home4 ,this is what they imagine 7,i believe7 a learned society1 or blue-stocking club1 of which1 to make it complete 7for all what ,i can say71 ,i must make one4 ,i am to have a day too1 viz41 ,tuesday1 and ,i begin to tremble for the end of ,october1 when we are to start1 for in the morning ,i cannot work1 and if ,i gad about all the evenings nothing will be done4 ,but we shall see6 one thing ,i must not forget1 there are no gentlemen of the party to set us right2 but luckily not much is required1--to talk of ,walter ,scott1 ,byron1 c41 will go a long way2 and ,i subscribe to an ,english library1 where they have all the monthly reviews and ,edinburgh ,quarterly1 ,scott's works1 and a few other novels4444 ,believe me yours affectionately1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbe4 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschel--,gold ,medal4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,slough after ,july1 #ahbe4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i have sent by ,mr4 ,goltermann several volumes of ,mr4 ,south's and my paper on double stars1 which form the third part of the ,philosophical ,transactions for #ahbd4 ,you will1 ,i have no doubt1 be gratified to hear that the ,french ,academy of ,sciences have thought so well of this work as to give us the prize of astronomy for the present year 7a large and handsome gold medal to each of us74 ,our competitors1 it is whispered1 were ,bessel1 ,struve1 and ,pons1 the first for his immense catalogue of stars2 the second for his observations1 also of double stars2 the third for his discovery of twenty or thirty comets4 ,will you1 on receiving them1 distribute them as follows3--#a4 ,keep the bound copy for yourself2 #b4 ,my uncle2 #c4 ,m4 ,harding2 #d4 ,m4 ,gauss2 #e4 ,the ,royal ,society of ,gttingen4 ,the three last1 ,i have no doubt1 ,m4 ,blumenbach will forward4 ,i was gratified some time back by a short note from ,professor ,blumenbach1 from which ,i find he received the pictures safely4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have already found your ,catalogue of ,nebul in zones1 very useful in my twenty-foot sweeps1 and ,i mean to get it in order for publication by degrees2 but it will take a long time1 as it will require a great deal of calculation to render it available as a work of reference4 ,the permission to examine ,leibnitz's ,,mss4 will be very acceptable to me should ,i again visit ,hanover1 but of that ,i have no immediate prospect4 ,a very intimate friend of mine1 ,mr4 ,james ,grahame1 talks of taking up his residence at ,gttingen for the sake of the library of the ,university4 ,he is writing a history of ,america4 ,i shall give him a letter to ,professor ,blumenbach1 and shall beg you to introduce him to his son1 ,regierungsrath ,b41 and perhaps ,dr4 ,groskopf will make him acquainted with ,dr4 ,koch1 of the ,royal ,library at ,hanover1 who may be able to assist him in his researches4444 ,if there is anything in ,england you wish for1 or that you cannot get so well in ,hanover1 pray name it1 and ,i will make a point of procuring it4444 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,devonshire ,,street1 ,dec4 #cj1 #ahbe4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have not been doing much in the astronomical way of late--but1 en revanche1 ,mr4 ,south has been hard at work1 and has sent a second paper of #dfj double stars to the ,royal ,society4 ,he is returned from ,paris1 and is now busy erecting an observatory1 as he means to stay six months in ,england1 and cannot be so long without star-gazing4 ,i enclose a little thing which ,i published in ,schumacher's ,astronomische ,nachrichten which may interest you4 ,shortly ,i shall have the pleasure to transmit you some papers on the longitude of ,paris1 and on the parallax of the fixed stars1 which ,i have now in hand4 ,do not suppose that ,i pretend to have discovered parallax1 but if it exists to a sensible amount1 ,i think it cannot long remain undiscovered if anybody can be found to put into execution the method ,i am about to propose1 and ,i hope it will be taken up by astronomers in general4 ,i have so far perfected the system of sweeping with the twenty-foot that ,i can now make sure of the polar distances of objects to within #a1 and their right ascensions to certainly within #b of time4 ,i have re-observed a great many of the nebul1 and in the course of the few sweeps ,i have made1 have discovered many not in your most useful catalogue4 ,but ,i am now fixed in town for the winter1 and have brought up the said catalogue to consider of the best mode of preparing it for publication1 if it meets with your approbation4 ,mr4 ,south's later observations strikingly confirm the results obtained by us jointly respecting the revolving stars1 and afford new and very remarkable instances in support of my father's ideas on this subject4 ,of one pair 7the double star ,ursa ,majoris7 ,i have no doubt we shall soon obtain elliptic elements4 ,sidenote3 #ahbe4 ,letter from ,professor ,gauss4 ,the following is the answer from ,professor ,gauss to the letter already given3-- ,,dear ,,madam1-- ,being returned hither a few days ago from a journey that had kept me absent during a month1 ,i found your favour of ,september #hth1 together with your extremely valuable present of ,flamsteed's 8,hist4 ,cl410 8,atlas ,cl410 and your own catalogue4 ,be assured that ,i acknowledge your kindness with the most sincere gratitude1 and that these works1 so precious by themselves1 but much more so by the numerous enrichments from your own hand1 shall always be considered as the greatest ornament of the library of our ,observatory4 ,i am very sorry that my absence from ,gttingen has deprived me of the pleasure of seeing ,mr4 ,grahame1 who was calling upon me the same day ,i had set out for my journey4 ,however1 ,i am glad to understand from your nephew's letter1 which ,mr4 ,grahame has left here1 that this gentleman intends to return to ,gttingen in the next year4 ,i cannot express how much ,i feel happy of having made the personal acquaintance of one whose rare zeal and distinguished talents for science are paralleled by the amiability of her character1 and ,i flatter myself that in future1 if ,i find once more an opportunity of staying in ,hanover1 ,i shall not be denied the permission to repeat personally the assurance of the high esteem with which ,i am1 ,dear ,madam1 ,your most obliged humble servant1 ,,charles ,,frederick ,,gauss4 ,g,,ttingen1 ,sept4 #bh1 #ahbe4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,life ,,in ,,hanover--continued4 ,sidenote3 #ahbf4 ,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,feb4 #a1 #ahbf4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,on the #agth ,january ,i received by the same post your letters of ,december #cjth and ,january #ith4 ,i should have answered your precious communication of ,december #cjth immediately if ,i was not in hopes of receiving daily an answer to what ,i sent on the #bhth ,december4 ,i cannot express my thanks sufficiently to you for thinking me worthy of forming any judgment of your astronomical proceedings1 and am only sorry that ,i cannot recall the health1 eyesight1 and vigor ,i was blessed with twenty or thirty years ago2 for nothing else is wanting 7and that is all7 for my coming by the first steamboat to offer you the same assistance 7when sweeping7 as1 by your father's instructions1 ,i had been enabled to afford him4 ,for an observer at your twenty-foot when sweeping wants nothing but a being that can and will execute his commands with the quickness of lightning 61 for you will have seen that in many sweeps six or twice six1 c41 objects have been secured and described within the space of one minute of time4 ,i cannot think that any catalogue but the ,,ms4 one in zones 7which was only intended for your own use7 would facilitate the reviewing of the ,nebul1 and you are the only one to whom #ahhe1 viz41 #bnd and #crd class1 out of the #bejj1 can be visible in your twenty-foot4 ,wollaston1 who knew this1 has given in his ,catalogue only #ast and #dth1 c4 classes of the first #ajjj1 the second not having been published at that time1 and they are without the yearly variation4 ,bode has given the first and second ,catalogues complete1 and calculated the yearly variation to each by de ,lambre's ,tables4 7,see ,bode's preface1 p4 iv41 line #ah47 ,the last #ejj were not published yet in #ahjj1 or rather #ahja4 ,i only mention this that if you wanted the variations1 and had a mind to trust to that catalogue of errors1 it would save an immense trouble by copying them4 ,but the more ,i think of these1 the more ,i doubt if it would not be injuring the places of objects merely 7though accurately7 pointed out1 to calculate them in the same manner as stars repeatedly observed in fixed instruments2 and ,i doubt if your father noticed ,bode's having done so4 ,you will find undoubtedly many more nebul which may have been overlooked for want of time1 flying clouds1 haziness1 c41 especially in those sweeps which are registered half sweep4 ,it is a pity time could not be found for making1 as was often intended1 a register in which the boundaries of the sweeps1 with the nebul1 were all brought to one time1 either to ,flamsteed's or #agij or #ahjj4 ,the register in ,flamsteed's time1 which is from #de to #abi1 is for that reason the best mem4 ,at the time that register was made1 the apparatus for sweeping in the zenith was not completed1 and higher than #de was not used4 ,if you should wish in the latter part of the summers 7when your father was generally from home7 to fill up the unswept part of the heavens1 you might perhaps discover as many objects as would produce a pretty numerous catalogue4 ,you will see in the register of ,flamsteed's time a curved line which denotes that the ,milky ,way is in those places1 and if you see an ,l and find a cluster of stars thereabout1 ,i shall claim it as one of those ,i mentioned in my last letter to you4 ,it was the assistant's business to give notice when such marks or any nebul in the lapping over of the sweep either above or below were within reach1 by making the workman go a few turns higher or lower4 7,n4,b4 ,no more than is convenient without deranging the present sweep47 ,but ,i am forgetting myself1 and fear ,i am tiring you unnecessarily1 and will only add that if your father wanted at any time to review or to show any of his planetary or other remarkable nebul to his friends1 the time and ,p4,d4 was1 by the variation of its nearest star in ,wollaston's or ,bode's catalogue1 brought to the intended time of observation1 and ,p4,d4--comp4 of latitude1 with allowance for refraction1 gave the quadrant for setting the telescope4 ,but after all1 dear ,nephew1 ,i beg you will consider your health4 ,encroach not too much on the hours which should be given to sleep4 ,i know how wretched and feverish one feels after two or three nights waking1 and ,i fear you have been too eager at your twenty-foot1 and your telling me that you have been unwell for some months1 and now only begin to feel better1 makes me very unhappy1 and ,i shall not be comfortable till ,i see by your next that you are perfectly well again2 ,i am quite impatient to see what you have to say about the parallax of the fixed stars1 but on such occasions ,i am vexed that your father did not live to know of your grand discoveries4 ,you say something of a paper on the longitude of ,paris2 ,i hope you will think of ,gauss when you have anything new4 ,among the letters from your father's correspondents in alphabetical parcels you will find under the letter ,p4 some of ,pond's1 who was about the end of the last century in ,lisbon1 with an excellent seven-foot telescope of your father's1 and ,i remember that several letters passed between them about a double star in ,botes4 ,i am much obliged to you for the sheet of ,schumacher's ,astronom4 ,nachrichten4 ,it is highly interesting to me1 and will set many a one right without offending anyone4 ,on looking in the #bnd ,catalogue of double stars1 ,no4 #ajd1 ,botes1 ,,vi4 ,class1 ,november #bith1 #aghb1 and #crd ,catalogue1 ,no4 #aad1 ,botes1 ,i4 ,class1 ,april #eth1 #agif1 ,i cannot help thinking on the possibility that in the lapse of thirteen years and a half the small stars may have come out from behind the large one4 ,but ,i beg do not laugh at me for breaking my head about these things1 and ,i will now begin to talk about what ,i can comprehend4 ,sidenote3 #ahbf4 ,mr4 ,south4 ,from your mentioning ,mr4 ,south in your last letter1 ,i fear he intends leaving ,england1 at which ,i should be very sorry on your account1 for if ,i should not live long enough to know you comfortably married1 ,i could only console myself by your having always a ,babbage1 ,south1 or ,grahame to pass your social hours with4 ,if you can meet with a good-natured1 handsome1 and sensible young lady1 pray think of it1 and do not wait till you are old and cross4 ,and let me know in time that ,i may set hands to work to make the bridal robe2 here are women who work exquisitely1 and at a price within the reach of my purse4 99 99 99 99 99 ,p4,s4--,dear ,nephew1 ,i have spent too much time in gossiping with your dear mother for saying anything besides1 but ,i am1 ,your most sincere and affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,aug4 #h1 #ahbf4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the long continuance of the great heat has had so very bad an effect on my feeble frame2 and considering my advanced age1 ,i ought not to put off the making a sort of a will1 which ,i would set about with the greatest pleasure if ,i had anything to leave for which you would be the better4 ,but ,i am sure you will not be disappointed1 for you remember ,i parted with my little property before ,i left ,england 7against your good advice7 because ,i thought at that time ,i should not live a twelvemonth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the first moment ,i set foot on ,german ground1 ,i found ,i was alone4 ,but ,i could not think of separating myself from him1 her brother ,dietrich especially as his health is so very precarious1 that ,i often think he will go before me4 ,at this present moment he is in bed very ill1 suffering from weak nerves4 ,but the above is all by way of showing you the necessity for begging you to answer to the following questions4 ,sidenote3 #ahbf4 ,making her ,will4 ,my sweeper ,i wish to leave to ,miss ,beckedorff1 and the picture of the ,princess of ,gloucester to her mother1 for the two ladies have been my guardian angels for many years4 ,dr4 ,groskopf is to have the seven-foot reflector1 though ,i know it will only be a relic to him1 but it will not be destroyed or sold for an old song4 ,my clothing and such articles of furniture as ,i have been obliged to purchase1 my three nieces may divide themselves in4 ,your dear father's publications in five volumes1 ,bode's and ,wollaston's ,catalogues 7full of my memorandums71 and one of my ,indexes1 shall be sent to you4 ,also a rough copy of the general ,index to your father's observations1 and several articles of that sort with memorandums taken from what ,i have called a ,day-book1 which at leisure you may look over and afterwards consign to the flames1 for ,i cannot take it in my heart to do it myself4 ,the observations on double stars by you and ,mr4 ,south 7so handsomely bound7 and the volume sent last1 by ,south1 shall ,i send them to you8--else ,i leave them to the ,duke of ,cambridge6--answer required4 ,taylor's tables1 will they be of use to you for your godson ,babbage8--else they must be only an ornament to ,groskopf's library6--answer required4 ,i am impatient to have your answer to this stuff1 which ,i am almost ashamed to trouble you with4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my next shall be of a more agreeable subject1 and ,i have only to say1 ,i am1 ,your most affectionate aunt1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,montpellier1 ,sept4 #ag1 #ahbf4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,you will think me a strange gad-about1 but my last1 if you have got it1 will have prepared you to expect a letter from either the north or south of ,europe from me1 in short from any country except ,england4 ,i was then not decided whether to go to ,norway or the south of ,france1 but here ,i am at last1 and having a letter-writing day before me and yours of the #hth ,august in my portfolio1 ,i cannot do better than to answer it4 ,with regard to the dispositions you mention in your letter1 and respecting which you express a wish for my opinion1 they are such as it is impossible to do otherwise than approve1 and such as the good sense and kindness which marks everything you do has dictated4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahbf4 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschel in ,auvergne4 ,i have been rambling over the volcanoes of ,auvergne1 and propose before ,i quit this1 to visit an extinct crater which has given off two streams of lava at ,agde1 a town about thirty miles south of this place on the road to the ,spanish frontier4 ,into ,spain1 however1 ,i do not mean to go1--having no wish to have my throat cut4 ,i am told1 however1 that a regular diligence runs between this and ,madrid1 and is as regularly stopped and robbed on the way4 ,you say you wish for an answer respecting the vol4 of observations on double stars1 sent by ,mr4 ,south and myself1 but can ,i do better than leave such matters to your judgment8 ,at the same time1 as having belonged to you they could not but have a value in my eyes beyond my own copy2 but pray decide yourself4 ,i have several left4 ,i regret extremely to hear you feel those little 7perhaps not little7 inconveniences we are none of us exempt from1 arising from the imperfections of human nature1 both in ourselves and those we live with4 ,i believe the best receipt for them is endurance and a determination to show ourselves superior to them4 ,i have my rubs now and then too1 but ,i make up my mind to them as quite inevitable1 and arising from causes over which ,i have no control4 ,i am very sorry to hear of my uncle's bad state of health4 ,i must be in ,england in the beginning of ,october1 or at farthest by the #aeth4 ,so1 you see1 ,i have no time for ,hanover on my way back4 ,it is dreadfully hot here1 and ,i am much disappointed with the place4 ,however1 ,i hope to get one day of intense sunshine while ,i remain in this latitude on account of some observations on solar radiation ,i have to make with a new instrument which ,i made before ,i left ,england1 and brought with me4 ,i carried it up the ,puy de ,dome1 and was in hopes to have used it at the ,great ,st4 ,bernard1 in ,switzerland1 but that must now stand over for another year4 ,adieu1 dear aunt1 and believe me--8where'er ,i go1 whatever realms ,i see0-- ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sept4 #bi1 #ahbf4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,within this hour only ,i received your dear letter1 dated ,montpellier1 ,sept4 #agth1 which ,i assure you has made quite another 7and what is more7 a proud woman of me2 for your answers to my few questions are so kindly expressive of approbation1 that ,i shall in future not fear to follow my own opinion1 which through my whole lifetime ,i never ventured to do before4 ,i am glad you did not come to ,hanover1 for ,i am sure to part from you once more would finish me before ,i am quite prepared for going4 ,the letter you mention having written me before you left ,england ,i have not received4 ,the fault does not lie here1 for the secretary here takes too much pleasure in sending me my letters4 ,i must hasten to get my packet away1 but will only beg to let me know through ,miss ,baldwin as soon as you get home of your safe arrival1 for ,i fear you must often be exposed to great dangers by creeping about in holes and corners among craters of volcanoes1 but you know best1 and ,i hope you found something4444 ,i am1 ,my dear nephew's affectionate aunt1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,nov4 #a1 #ahbf4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,the #ast vol4 of the translation of your dear father's papers is come out4 ,i shall have it in a few days from the bookbinder1 and in ,february1 ,i am told1 the next volume will make its appearance4 ,i wish you would inform me as soon as possible if ,i shall send you a copy1 that ,i may write for one in time to have it ready by the end of ,december1 when the messenger leaves ,hanover4 ,it is a pity you cannot have it immediately4 ,the plates are not with the work1 but are to be had bound in a separate book 7,i suppose when the whole is finished74 ,i long to know that you are arrived safe and in good health in ,england again1 for by your last1 dated ,montpellier1 ,sept4 #agth1 ,i see that you had then another volcanic mountain to visit1 besides an observation to make on solar radiation with your new instrument2 the very thought of it puts me in a fever all over--at this present moment1 though we have no longer to complain of heat2 so ,i beg you will inform me that your health has not been injured1 and that you have not been totally disappointed in your researches4 ,i lead a very idle life1 my sole employment consists in keeping myself in good humour and not be disagreeable to others4 ,groskopf tells me the translation of your father's papers causes a great sensation among the learned here in ,hanover4 99 99 99 99 99 ,believe me1 dearest nephew1 ,yours1 most affectionately1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbf4 ,accident at ,sea4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,dec4 #e1 #ahbf4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i received your letter of the #ahth ,november1 the day before yesterday1 therefore fifteen days old1 which is pretty well considering the time of year4 ,i hope this will reach you soon1 for ,i have longed very much to give you an account of the last parcel of papers you sent1 which ,i only deferred till ,i had received an account of your safe arrival in ,england by your own hands4 ,the parcel which you gave to ,mr4 ,goltermann on the #ahth ,august arrived here by the messenger on the #crd ,november1 and five days after 7which it took me to dry the copies1 for the messenger had met with storm and accidents at sea1 and some of his boxes had been under water71 viz41 the #ahth ,nov41 ,i sent to ,gttingen1 according to direction1 with a note1 to ,gauss4 ,and those to ,bessel and ,encke ,i enclosed with ,bode's copy1 and wrote a letter to the same by way of thanks for some kind enquiries he had made after me2 and now ,i see that fourteen days after this good man ,bode departed this world in his eightieth year1 but ,i have no doubt he has delivered the papers immediately1 for he had no illness1 and was at his last hour at his writing-table employed with writing the ,berliner ,jahrbuch for #ahcj4 ,the copies were1 after being dried1 perfectly clean1 no stain remaining1 and that they were so long detained is not the fault of ,mr4 ,g41 for the ,michaelmas messenger was the first that went after the #ahth ,aug4 ,in the parcel ,i found also the letter you wrote before leaving ,england1 which ,i concluded to have been lost1 but now all is safe4 ,sun and ,comet4--,at ,hanover totally cloudy1 and by what ,i can learn from a certain astronomical gossip1 ,prof4 ,wild1 it has been so throughout all ,germany1 for he has had no account that anything has been seen on the #ahth ,nov4 ,on the #agth it is mentioned 7in the ,zeitungen1 ,i believe7 a large spot on the sun to have been observed at ,frankfort1 but the #ahth being cloudy it could not be pursued4 ,in your observations with the twenty-foot you mention a ,mr4 ,ramage as having observed with you2 and in another place you speak of his twenty-five-foot reflector4 ,pray tell me something about this gentleman1 for ,i never heard his name before1 and if ,i had not been so fortunate as to have seen ,babbage and ,south just before ,i left ,england1 ,i should not now have the comfort to know you had so estimable friends to communicate with2 and ,i shall rejoice to know that the number of valuable men ,i have known1 and are no more1 might be replaced by some who are worthy to be contemporary with the son of your father6 ,you ask1 as it were1 if ,i were satisfied with the way in which you have mentioned me in that paper8 ,if ,i should answer honestly ,i should say not quite1 for you set too great a value on what ,i have done1 and by saying too much is saying too little of my brother1 for he did all4 ,i was a mere tool which he had the trouble of sharpening and to adapt for the purpose he wanted it1 for lack of a better4 ,a little praise is very comfortable1 and ,i feel confident of having deserved it for my patience and perseverance1 but none for great abilities or knowledge4 ,but of this you will perhaps be a judge1 as ,i am now gathering from loose memorandums a little history of my life during the years from #aggb to #aghh4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahbf4 ,monkey ,clock to count ,seconds4 ,you mention a monkey-clock1 or jack1 in your paper4 ,i would only notice 7if you mean the jack in the painted deal case7 that ,alex made it merely to take with me on the roof when ,i was sweeping for comets1 that ,i might count seconds by it going softly downstairs till ,i was within hearing of the beat of the timepiece on the first floor 7at that time our observatory7 all doors being open4 ,your father never used it except when polishing the forty-foot4444 ,in about three weeks the messenger leaves ,hanover1 and ,i will send you the first volume of the translation of your father's papers2 but ,i shall not order ten copies as you desired1 till you give me further orders1 for ,i do not think you will be pleased with the work1 and it seems there is not much call for them4 ,dr4 ,luthmer says1 ,pfaff was not the man who ought to have attempted such a work1 it ought to have been a ,bessel4 ,to your dear mother and ,miss ,b4 ,i beg to be kindly remembered1 ,and remain ,yours1 most affectionately1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,dec4 #bd1 #ahbf4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,you will with this receive the only volume of the translation 7printed on bad paper1 without the prints1 c41 c417 which is out at present1 and unless you desire me in your next to send you ten copies1 ,i shall only take one which can serve us both4 ,i certainly will do as you desire1 and tell you the amount1 if at any time you should want some expensive publication1 as our bookseller here can get by return of post from ,leipsic whatever is ordered4 ,but as to trifles1 ,i beg you will never think about1 as ,i should be at a loss for proving that you1 my dearest nephew1 are daily in my mind1 when ,i am lavishing sums on nieces and grand-nephews1 and nieces who care not for me1 nor ,i for them4 ,but enough of this2 only write me sometimes what you and your astronomical friends are doing4 ,i was much gratified to hear that ,mr4 ,south had received the medal4 ,groskopf has seen it announced in the papers1 where your name was also honourably mentioned2 these are the morsels for me to feed upon1 for here are no astronomers but one1 ,dr4 ,luthmer1 who observes ,jupiter's satellites1 as you may see by the ,berliner ,jahrbuch1 which ,i suppose you have1 as usual1 else ,i have got them from '#bc to '#bi1 and could send them4 ,i must write a line yet to your dear mother and ,miss ,b41 and will conclude with wishing you a merry ,christmas and a happy ,new-year 7as the saying is71 and with loves and compliments wherever they are due1 c41 c41 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,my brother is at present tolerably well1 but ,i hardly ever knew a man of his age labouring under more infirmities1 nor bearing them with less patience than he does2 the rest are well enough6#ce ,sidenote3 #ahbg4 ,the first ,chapter of her ,history4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,april1 #ahbg4 ,,dearest ,,nephew6-- ,i have more than once asked if you would have my history1 but my question has never been answered1 and ,i am 7though unwillingly7 obliged to send it off without having received your permission4444 ,perhaps ,i have told you nothing but what you have known long since2 but as my thoughts are continually fixed on the past1 ,i was1 as it were1 conversing with you on paper1 not choosing to trust them to any one about me1 for ,i know none who would understand me1 or whom it can concern1 what my own private opinion and remarks have always been about the transactions that continually passed before my eyes4 ,but there can be no harm in telling my own dear nephew1 that ,i never felt satisfied with the support your father received towards his undertakings1 and far less with the ungracious manner in which it was granted4 ,for the last sum came with a message that more must never be asked for4 7,oh6 how degraded ,i felt even for myself whenever ,i thought of it67 ,and after all it came too late1 and was not sufficient2 for if expenses had been out of question1 there would not have been so much time and labour and expense1 for twenty-four men were at times by turns day and night at work1 wasted on the first mirror1 which had come out too light in the casting 7,alex more than once would have destroyed it secretly if ,i had not persuaded him against it71 and without two mirrors you know such an instrument cannot be always ready for observing4 ,but what grieved me most was1 that to the last1 your poor father was struggling above his strength against difficulties which he well knew might have been removed1 if it had not been attended with too much expense4 ,the last time the mirror was obliged to be taken from the polisher on account of some obstacle1 ,i heard him say 7in his usual manner of thinking aloud on such occasions71 8,it is impossible to make the machine act as required without a room three times as large as this40 ,but when all hope for the return of vigour and strength necessary for resuming the unfinished task was gone1 all cheerfulness and spirits had also forsaken him1 and his temper was changed from the sweetest almost to a pettish one2 and for that reason ,i was obliged to refrain from troubling him with any questions1 though ever so necessary1 for fear of irritating or fatiguing him2 else there was work enough cut out for keeping me employed for several years to come1 such as making correct registers of the sweeps in which all ,nebul were to be laid down and numbered1 complete ,catalogues1 c4 ,but what ,i most regret is1 that ,i never could find an opportunity of consulting your father about collecting the observations made with the #dj-;foot into a separate book from the journals1 into which they were written down among other observations made with the other instruments in the same night4 ,i know besides that many must have been lost1 being noted only either on slates or on loose papers1 like those on the first discovery of the ,georgian ,satellites4 ,owing to my not being1 as formerly1 the last nor the first at the desk 7generally retiring as soon as the mirror was covered71 the memorandums were often mislaid or effaced before ,i had an opportunity of booking them4 ,but ,i ought to remember that suchlike incomplete observations were made under unfavourable circumstances4 ,for instance1 the ,p4 ,d4 clock disordered by not having been used for some time2 the timepiece not having been regulated1 nor every one of the out-door motions wanting oiling or cleaning2 company being present2 the night not perfectly clear2 and1 in general1 the first night the instrument is used after it has been left at rest for some time1 it cannot be expected that all should go on without interruption or ease without a good mechanical workman had spent best part of the day in looking over all the motions1 in doing which your father used to find great pleasure4 ,but what ,i most lament is1 that between the interval before your coming to the age of forming a proper opinion of the instrument1 it had nearly fallen into decay almost in all its parts4 ,but we have all had the grief to see how every nerve of the dear man had been unstrung by over-exertion2 and that a farther attempt at leaving the work complete became impossible4 ,but1 by the description of the forty-foot telescope given in the ,philosophical ,transactions1 ,may #ah1 #agie1 it may be seen what a noble instrument had been obtained by all the exertions described in my narrative2 but from that description so briefly given there1 no idea can be formed with what accuracy and nicety each part of the whole had been executed to make it an instrument fit for the most delicate observations4 ,p4,s4--,i must say a few words of apology for the good ,king1 and ascribe the close bargains which were made between him and my brother to the shabby1 mean-spirited advisers who were undoubtedly consulted on such occasions2 but they are dead and gone1 and no more of them6 ,sir ,j4 ,banks remained a sincere well-meaning friend to the last4 ,farewell1 my best ,nephew6 ,sidenote3 #ahbg4 ,sir ,william's ,copy of ,locke4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,may #h1 #ahbg4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,through the friendly care of ,mr4 ,d---- ,i am enabled to send you the first and second volumes of ,locke1 the third volume1 ,i hope1 will yet be found1 and ,i shall send it by another opportunity4 ,i know you will prize the book when you know that it was one of your father's earliest treasures1 purchased out of his own little savings1 at the age of #ah years#cf--when1 along with his father and eldest brother1 he was in ,england with the ,hanoverian ,guard1 which you will see by the date and name1 written in his own beautiful handwriting4 ,when in #ageh he again went to ,england1 it was under such unpleasant circumstances that he was obliged to leave it to his mother to send his trunk after him to ,hamburg2 and she1 dear woman1 knew no other wants but good linen and clothing1 and your dear father's books and self-constructed globes1 c41 were left behind1 and served us little ones for playthings till they were destroyed2 but no more of this4 ,you must excuse an old woman1 especially such a one as your old aunt1 who can only think of what is past1 and is for ever forgetting the present4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 there is gone a ,herr von ,mnighausen1 who had asked the same favour1 that of being allowed to take a parcel to ,england for they are all very desirous of knowing ,j4 ,h41 and would have called on me1 and perhaps ,i might have had my hand kissed once more4 ,i assure you it is no trifle here at ,hanover to have one's hand kissed1 if one cannot count one's forefathers for sixteen generations back as ennobled2 but1 alas6 he was obliged to go at a moment's warning2 but ,dr4 ,gr4 gave him your address1 and ,i hope you will receive him kindly4 ,farewell1 dear ,nephew1 c41 c41 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbg4 ,her ,nephew's receipt of her ,history4 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,between #dth and #aath ,may1 #ahbg4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i received yesterday your packet by ,mr4 ,goltermann1 containing the ten copies of the first vol4 of ,pfaff's translation of my father's works--with the plates1 which are really abominable4 ,however1 there is no help for it4 ,i shall destroy those of the ,nebul4 ,a much more interesting part of its contents is your account of your own history1 for which ,i cannot enough thank you1 and it is really one of the most precious documents you could have sent me2 every line of it affected me deeply4 ,the point of view in which it places my father's character is truly noble4 ,you underrate both the value and the merit of your own services in his cause1 but the world does you more justice1 and his son feels them a great deal more than he knows how to express4 ,i shall preserve this as the most precious thing1 and you will add to the obligation you have conferred on me by sending the papers you refer to under the title of ,no4 ,i4 ,the ,journals and the mettwursts also came safely2 the ,journals contain some very curious matter not known in ,england1 and which comes very opportunely here1 where1 ,i am sorry to say1 science is going to sleep4 ,i have just completed a second ,catalogue of double stars1 which will be read at the ,astronomical ,society 7of which ,i now have the honour to be ,president7 on ,friday 7,may #aath7 next 7if ,i can get it fairly copied in time74 ,my work in the ,review of ,nebul advances slowly1 as ,i can very seldom get a night or two at proper times of the moon and year to sweep4 ,but ,i find your ,catalogue most useful4 ,i always draw out from it a regular working list for the night's sweep1 and by that means have often been able to take as many as thirty or forty nebul in a sweep4 ,i have now secured such a degree of precision in taking the places of objects in the telescope1 that the settling stars 7which ,i prepare a list of each night and arrange them in order of ,r4 ,a4 in the working list7 cross the wire often on the very beat of the chronometer when they were expected1 and not unusually enter the field of view bisected by the horizontal wire of the eye-piece4 ,in short1 ,i reckon my average error in ,r4 ,a4 in determining the place of a new object by a single observation1 not to exceed one second of time1 and in ,polar distance a quarter of a minute4 ,this you will easily perceive to be a considerable improvement in respect of precision1 which is more my aim than it was my father's1 whose object was only discovery4 ,i have found a great many nebul not in your ,catalogue1 and which1 therefore1 ,i suppose are new4 ,but ,i won't plague you any more with this at present4 99 99 99 99 99 ,believe me1 dear ,aunt1 ,your affectionate ,nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,sidenote3 #ahbg4 ,her ,english ,bed4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,july #aj1 #ahbg4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,it makes my heart overflow with gratitude when ,i see so many worthy people remember me with kindness1 and ,i particularly rejoice that ,mrs4 ,morsom has borne her misfortunes with such resignation so as to be still able to participate in the society of her friends2 of which ,i am1 alas6 through the great distance1 entirely cast out1 and am obliged to trust alone to myself for keeping up my spirits1 and to bear pain and sickness1 or feel pleasure without having anybody to participate in my feelings4 ,out of my family connections1 however1 ,i can boast to possess the esteem and love of all who are great and good in ,hanover1 but to a lonely old woman1 who is seldom able to go into or receive company1 this does not compensate for the want of sympathising relations4 ,but ,i have now1 by change of apartments1 made myself quite independent of anybody4 ,as long as ,i can do something for myself this will do very well2 but ,i must not meet troubles at a distance4 ,i may1 perhaps1 be spared a long confinement before ,i leave this world1 else such a thing as a trusty servant is1 ,i believe1 hardly to be met with in this city1 which1 along with the people in it1 are so altered since the ,french occupation and the return of the military with their extravagant and dissipated notions1 imbibed when in ,spain and ,england1 with their great pensions1 which they draw from the latter country1 that it is quite a new world1 peopled with new beings1 to what ,i left it in #aggb4 ,added to this comes the fear of having my new little ,english bed 7which on my removal ,i made with my own hands7 burnt before ,i am aware2 for1 figure to yourself what danger one continually must be exposed to1 when1 in the house where ,i live1 seven families 7besides the floor my sister-in-law and ,i occupy7 with their servants and children1 are living1 and their firing wood and turf is all carried over our heads4 ,about a month before ,easter a great brewery1 very near us1 burnt down1 with many surrounding houses1 to the ground4 ,i looked out of the window1 and the burning flakes fell on my forehead2 besides this1 ,i have had four times the fright of fires at some greater distance4 99 99 99 99 99 ,your most affectionate ,sister1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,aug4 #af1 #ahbg4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,on the #ith ,i received the papers with your short but sweet letter1 and according to your direction they are by this time at their destined places1 all but ,struve's and ,bessel's2 the latter1 ,i was obliged to leave to the care of ,encke1 and ,struve's to ,schumacher4 ,i am particularly obliged to you for your second ,catalogue of double and treble stars1 which on reading it once over1 makes me long for the time when ,i shall be perfectly at ease to take it up again2 for1 by the manner in which you gentlemen now attack the starry heavens1 it seems that there will soon remain nothing to be discovered4 ,you mention that ,mr4 ,baily intends to bring ,flamsteed's omitted stars into a ,catalogue2 ,i send you a few errata1 as ,i am not sure of having carried them into the copy ,i left with the three volumes of ,flamsteed's works4 ,and in the list of your father's ,,ms4 papers1 in the packet 8,auxiliary ,article10 is a ,catalogue of omitted stars arranged in order of ,r4 ,a4 7a copy of one which ,i gave to ,dr4 ,maskelyne in #aghi74 ,this1 may perhaps save some trouble to ,mr4 ,b4 in arranging them4 ,some time ago ,count ,kupfstein sent me a copy of ,littrow's observations to look at 7,part ,,vii4 of forty-three sheets large folio71 which he publishes at the order and expense of the ,emperor4 ,the copy was for the ,university of ,gttingen2 but ,i could only admire the fine paper and beautiful print1 as ,i do not understand the manner in which observations are made with the new invented instruments1 for at the time ,i made a fortnight's visit to ,greenwich1 in #agih1 they had only the mural quadrant and the meridian passage instruments4 ,i must conclude for want of time2 and1 to say the truth1 ,i am fatigued1 for ,i cannot sit up for any length of time1 till eight or nine o'clock in the evening1 when ,i find myself always the most fit for society1 or a little business4 ,the weather has been too warm for me1 and ,i have done nothing but sleep in the mornings and afternoon1 and the worst is that everybody goes to bed between nine and ten1 and then ,i have no society but those ,i can meet with in a novel4 ,the few1 few stars that ,i can get at out of my window only cause me vexation1 for to look for the small ones on the globe my eyes will not serve me any longer4 ,tell your dear mother she must not give me the slip1 for ,i will and cannot mourn for anyone more that ,i love4 ,i remain1 c41 c41 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbg4 ,continuation of her ,history4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sept4 #be1 #ahbg4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,herewith you will receive what ,i have called ,no4 #a1 which was never intended to have met your eye as it is2 but1 as contrary to my expectation1 my ,no4 #b was so cordially received by you1 ,i had intended to send you only an abridgment of it1 because it contains many things which must be very uninteresting and almost unintelligible to you on account of your being unacquainted with the 7then7 manners and customs of this country1 besides requiring to remember that my father and mother were born and educated some hundred and twenty years back4 ,but ,i must send it as it is1 or destroy it immediately1 for ,i feel ,i shall now never get well enough for making any alteration further than running my eye over it and adding a note here and there where necessary4 ,but ,i wish not to leave my memorandums any longer to the chance of falling into the hands of officious would-be learned ignorance1 to furnish a paragraph in some newspaper or journal4 ,i will1 however1 save you and myself the trouble of further apologising for sending you these papers1 but just explain my reason for taking a copy of them with me4 ,when ,i took my leave of the contents of your father's library1 it was parting from all with which my heart and soul had been engaged for the best part of my life1 and ,i could not withstand the temptation of carrying away with me an index for assisting my memory when in my reveries ,i should imagine myself to be on the spot where ,i took leave of all that had been most dear to me4 ,what is contained in ,no4 #a ,i had intended for an everlasting pleasing melancholy subject for conversation with my brother ,dietrich1 if ,i should go back again to the place where ,i first drew my breath1 and where the first twenty-two years of my life 7from my eighth year on7 had been sacrificed to the service of my family under the utmost self-privation without the least prospect or hope of future reward4 ,or in case ,i had died in ,england1 it was to have been sent to ,d41 for ,i wished him to get a more correct idea of our father than what ,i thought he had formed of that excellent being4 ,sidenote3 #ahbg4 ,letter to her ,nephew4 ,he never recollected the eight years' care and attention he had received from his father1 but for ever murmured at having received too scanty an education1 though he had the same schooling we all of us had had before him4 ,i ought to remember here1 ,i suppose it was in the year #ahah1 or perhaps earlier1 your father wished to draw up the biographical memorandum you have in your possession4 ,but finding himself much at a loss for the dates of the month1 or even the year when he first arrived in ,england with his brother ,jacob1 ,i offered to bring some events to his recollection by telling what ,i remembered having passed at home during the two years his brother was with him1 with the proviso not to criticize on telling my story in my own way4 ,but not being very positive about the exact date when my eldest brother returned1 ,i wrote to my brother ,d4 for the date when ,jacob entered the orchestra1 and found not to have been much out in my reckoning4 ,and from that time on1 your father became more settled1 and could have recourse to the heads of his compositions1 c41 c41 for the dates he wanted for his purpose4 ,of all that follows ,i do not remember to have shown him a single line4 ,but as ,i had once begun the subject ,i did not know how or where to leave off1 and went on1 thinking my brother ,d4 might some time or other profit by getting better acquainted with what had passed in our family before his time1 and during his infancy1 till the death of his father1 which happened when ,d4 was in his twelfth year1 of which1 from the conversation ,i had with him during the four years between #ahji and #ahac1 when last in ,england1 ,i found he had not the least notion1 or had purposely formed a very erroneous one4 ,but in the last hope of finding in ,dietrich a brother to whom ,i might communicate all my thoughts of past1 present1 and future1 ,i saw myself disappointed the very first day of our travelling on land4 ,for let me touch on what topic ,i would1 he maintained the contrary1 which ,i soon saw was done merely because he would allow no one to know anything but himself4444 ,of course1 about these papers ,i could never have any conversation with him nor anybody else1 and ,i send them to you for your perusal1 because ,i do not wish to keep them any longer1 and you may put them in the fire after having read them over4 ,adieu1 dear ,nephew1 believe me ever1 ,your most affectionate ,aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,dec4 #bb1 #ahbg4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,of ,dr4 ,olbers1 ,i hear frequently through a sister and niece here at ,hanover2 the last was that he was lamenting at ,captain ,mller not having brought the paper you had intended for him2 the poor man1 ,i hear1 is grown corpulent and short-breathed1 so that he cannot mount up to his observatory without difficulty4 ,i heard from ,capt4 ,mller 7what ,i had been thinking before7 that poor ,encke has not changed his situation for the better4 ,i do not mean with regard to income1 for ,i believe his salary is four or five thousand thalers per year1 which is equal1 or even more1 than that of a ,prime ,minister2 but he has no instruments4 ,much is promised1 but he gets nothing2 and besides1 his family is settled in ,gtha4 ,it is a pity such a man should be obliged to be idle4 ,in my last to your dear mother ,i wrote nearly all ,i had to say about myself1 except what concerns my health1 of which ,i could not give a very good account4 ,lately ,i was obliged to consult an oculist1 but ,i suppose he cannot help me1 for he has not ordered me anything4 ,i cannot1 after having been asleep1 get my eyes open again for a considerable time1 this is attended with a violent headache and giddiness--but no more of this4 ,once you were asking me if ,i wanted a few of my ,indexes2 if it is not too late 7as you have given up the secretaryship71 ,i would be glad of a couple4 ,n4,b4--,a hundred copies were promised me as a present1 and were not half of them received4 ,the one ,i have by me1 which is intended for you1 with my corrections in it1 is spoilt in the binding2 and ,i should like to give one to the ,duke of ,cambridge1 to put him in mind of the little old woman who has so frequently been cheered by his kind attentions4 ,i remain your most affectionate ,aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,her ,annuity4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,may #ith1 #ahbh4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1 ,this is to be a letter of thanks1 but ,i cannot determine to whom ,i am to allot the greatest portion of my thanks1 to you or ,miss ,baldwin1 for her agreeable letter of ,april #aeth1 in which so many interesting friends and acquaintances of mine are remembered4 ,for1 believe me1 my dear ,lady ,h41 it is ever with great reluctance ,i am yearly drawing on you for so considerable a sum1 which in the end must some time or other be felt by my dear nephew2 but who would have thought it1 that ,i should last so long8 but now ,i am losing strength daily1 and ,i cannot expect to be long for this world4 ,i only say this by way of putting you in mind that ,i received my annuity at the beginning of the first half-year1 and therefore when you hear of my death all your care on my account must be at an end1 for ,i leave a sufficient sum to defray all possible expenses attending a funeral1 c4 ,but there is nothing grieves me more than that1 at my leaving ,england1 ,i gave myself1 with all ,i was worth1 to this branch of my family1 believing them 7from what my brother ,d4 and their letters told me7 as many noble-hearted and perfect beings as there were individuals4 ,but though ,i am disappointed1 ,i should not like to take back my promise1 which could not be done without creating ill-will1 and ,i am too feeble to bear up against any altercation4 ,i see ,i have not left room for all the loves and compliments1 but ,i beg you will give them to whoever is kind enough to remember1 ,my dear ,lady ,herschel1 ,your most affectionate ,sister1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,in ,february1 #ahbh1 ,miss ,herschel's services to the ,science of ,astronomy were recognized by the presentation to her of the ,gold ,medal of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,may #e1 #ahbh4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,herewith you will receive the medal1 of whose award you will have read in the printed notice ,i enclosed you some ten days ago4 ,my mother also begs your acceptance of a pair of bracelets1 and begs me to thank you for your kind and beautiful present of needlework 7which even ,i could admire71 and for the mettwursts 7which ,i fully comprehended1 and part of which ,i still comprehend1 having regaled on one for breakfast74 ,my mother and cousin are quite well1 and desire their best love4 ,slough stands where it did1 and star-gazing goes on well4 ,i have just erected a new instrument 7,mr4 ,south's ci-devant large equatorial71 and you shall hear from time to time what is doing4444 ,your affectionate ,nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,the presentation of the medal is the natural duty of the president of the society1 but as ,mr4 ,herschel held that office on this occasion1 and had with characteristic modesty 8resisted10 as he confesses1 the proposed honour1 the following supplemental address was delivered by ,mr4 ,south1 the vice-president1 who presented the medal to ,miss ,herschel through her nephew4 ,it is an eloquent and not unworthy tribute1 and an interesting memorial of the esteem in which she was held by the most distinguished body of scientific men in the kingdom4 ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,gold ,medal of ,astronomical ,society4 ,address to the ,astronomical ,society1 by ,j4 ,south1 ,esq41 on presenting the ,honorary ,medal to ,miss ,c4 ,herschel1 at its ,eighth ,general ,meeting1 ,february #hth1 #ahbh4 ,,gentlemen1-- ,our excellent president1 in his address1 has informed you of the appropriation of two of your gold medals since our last anniversary3--a third1 however1 has been decreed by your council2 and when it is known that ,miss ,caroline ,herschel is the individual to whom it stands adjudged1 it is not difficult to determine why the president has avoided the slightest allusion to it4 ,but that your ,council has not selected one from the many of its members infinitely more competent to do justice to the transcendent merits of that illustrious lady is most assuredly matter of regret4 ,i must therefore throw myself upon your indulgence1 hoping that the goodness of the cause may in some measure compensate for the inability of its advocate4 ,the labours of ,miss ,herschel are so intimately connected with1 and are generally so dependent upon1 those of her illustrious brother1 that an investigation of the latter is absolutely necessary ere we can form the most remote idea of the extent of the former4 ,but when it is considered that ,sir ,w4 ,herschel's contributions to astronomical science occupy sixty-seven memoirs1 communicated from time to time to the ,royal ,society1 and embrace a period of forty years1 it will not be expected that ,i should enter into their discussion4 ,to the ,philosophical ,transactions ,i must refer you1 and shall content myself with the hasty mention of some of her more immediate claims to the distinction now conferred4 ,to deliver an eulogy 7however deserved7 upon his memory is not the purpose for which ,i am placed here4 ,his first catalogue of new nebul and clusters of stars1 amounting in number to one thousand1 was made from observations with the twenty-foot reflector in the years #aghc1 #aghd1 and #aghe4 ,a second thousand was furnished by means of the same instrument in #aghe1 #aghf1 #aghg1 and #aghh2 while the places of #ejj others were discovered between #aghh and #ahjb4 ,but when we have thus enumerated the results obtained in the course of sweeps with this instrument1 and taken into consideration the extent and variety of the other observations which were at the same time in progress1 a most important part yet remains untold4 ,who participated in his toils8 ,who braved with him the inclemency of the weather8 ,who shared his privations8 ,a female4 ,who was she8 ,his sister4 ,miss ,herschel it was who by night acted as his amanuensis3 she it was whose pen conveyed to paper his observations as they issued from his lips2 she it was who noted the right ascensions and polar distances of the objects observed2 she it was who1 having passed the night near the instrument1 took the rough manuscripts to her cottage at the dawn of day and produced a fair copy of the night's work on the following morning2 she it was who planned the labour of each succeeding night2 she it was who reduced every observation1 made every calculation2 she it was who arranged everything in systematic order2 and she it was who helped him to obtain his imperishable name4 ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,her ,astronomical ,labours4 ,but her claims to our gratitude end not here2 as an original observer she demands1 and ,i am sure she has1 our unfeigned thanks4 ,occasionally her immediate attendance during the observations could be dispensed with4 ,did she pass the night in repose8 ,no such thing3 wherever her brother was1 there you were sure to find her4 ,a sweeper planted on the lawn became her object of amusement2 but her amusements were of the higher order1 and to them we stand indebted for the discovery of the comet of #aghf1 of the comet of #aghh1 of the comet of #agia1 of the comet of #agic1 and of the comet of #agie1 since rendered familiar to us by the remarkable discovery of ,encke4 ,many also of the nebul contained in ,sir ,w4 ,herschel's catalogues were detected by her during these hours of enjoyment4 ,indeed1 in looking at the joint labours of these extraordinary personages1 we scarcely know whether most to admire the intellectual power of the brother1 or the unconquerable industry of the sister4 ,in the year #agig she presented to the ,royal ,society a ,catalogue of #efj stars taken from ,flamsteed's observations1 and not inserted in the ,british ,catalogue1 together with a collection of errata that should be noticed in the same volume4 ,shortly after the death of her brother1 ,miss ,herschel returned to ,hanover4 ,unwilling1 however1 to relinquish her astronomical labours whilst anything useful presented itself1 she undertook and completed the laborious reduction of the places of #b1ejj nebul1 to the #ast of ,january1 #ahjj1 presenting in one view the results of all ,sir ,william ,herschel's observations on those bodies1 thus bringing to a close half a century spent in astronomical labour4 ,for this more immediately1 and to mark their estimation of services rendered during a whole life to astronomy1 your ,council resolved to confer on her the distinction of a medal of this ,society4 ,the peculiarity of our ,president's situation1 however1 and the earnest manner in which the feelings naturally arising from it were urged when the subject was first brought forward1 caused your ,council to pause1--and waive on that occasion the actual passing their proposed vote4 ,the discussion was1 however1 renewed on ,monday last1 and1 although there was every disposition to meet the ,president's wishes1 still under a conviction that the actual doing so would have been a dereliction of public duty1 it was ,resolved unanimously1 8,that a ,gold ,medal of this ,society be given to ,miss ,caroline ,herschel1 for her recent reduction1 to ,january1 #ahjj1 of the ,nebul discovered by her illustrious brother1 which may be considered as the completion of a series of exertions probably unparalleled either in magnitude or importance in the annals of astronomical labour40 ,this vote ,i am sure every one whom ,i have the honour to address will most heartily confirm4 ,mr4 ,herschel1 in the name of the ,astronomical ,society of ,london1 ,i present this medal to your illustrious aunt4 ,in transmitting it to her1 assure her that since the foundation of this ,society1 no one has been adjudged which has been earned by services such as hers4 ,convey to her our unfeigned regret that she is not resident amongst us2 and join to it our wishes1 nay our prayers1 that as her former days have been glorious1 so her future may be happy4#cg ,extract from the ,report of the ,council of the ,astronomical ,society to the ,annual ,meeting1 ,feb4 #ac1 #ahce4ch 8,your ,council has no small pleasure in recommending that the names of two ladies1 distinguished in different walks of astronomy1 be placed on the list of honorary members4 ,on the propriety of such a step1 in an astronomical point of view1 there can be but one voice2 and your ,council is of opinion that the time is gone by when either feeling or prejudice1 by whichever name it may be proper to call it1 should be allowed to interfere with the payment of a well-earned tribute of respect4 ,your ,council has hitherto felt that1 whatever might be its own sentiment on the subject1 or however able and willing it might be to defend such a measure1 it had no right to place the name of a lady in a position the propriety of which might be contested1 though upon what it might consider narrow grounds and false principles4 ,but your ,council has no fear that such a difference could now take place between any men whose opinion could avail to guide that of society at large2 and1 abandoning compliment on the one hand1 and false delicacy on the other1 submits1 that while the tests of astronomical merit should in no case be applied to the works of a woman less severely than to those of a man1 the sex of the former should no longer be an obstacle to her receiving any acknowledgment which might be held due to the latter4 ,and your ,council therefore recommends this meeting to add to the list of honorary members the names of ,miss ,caroline ,herschel and ,mrs4 ,somerville1 of whose astronomical knowledge1 and of the utility of the ends to which it has been applied1 it is not necessary to recount the proofs44440#ci ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,an ,hon4 ,member of the ,r4 ,a4 ,society4 ,may #bhth1 #ahbh4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- 444 ,before this reaches you1 you will have got it the medal4 ,pray let me be well understood on one point4 ,it was none of my doings4 ,i resisted strenuously4 ,indeed1 being in the situation ,i actually hold1#dj ,i could do no otherwise4 ,the ,society have done well4 ,i think they might have done better1 but my voice was neither asked nor listened to4 ,i ought to mention that it became a matter of discussion at the ,royal ,society whether one of the ,royal medals for the year should not be adjudged to you1 but the rule limiting the time within which those medals must be granted being precise1 it could not be done without a violation of principle4 ,i have sent by ,mr4 ,g4 a few copies of a work of mine on ,light1 for you to distribute4 ,i shall by the next opportunity 7possibly by this7 send some copies of a third catalogue of double stars1 completing the first #a1jjj4 ,the nebul are advancing rapidly2 ,i have got about #a1ejj re-observed4 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,june #c1 #ahbh4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,and ,i must once more repeat my thanks to you 7and perhaps to ,mr4 ,south7 for thinking so well of me as to exert yourselves for having the great and undeserved and unexpected honour of a medal bestowed on me4444 ,here ,i was interrupted1 and all along of the medal2 for my friends are all coming to congratulate me1 and leave me no time to think of what to say of myself2 but ,i will soon write again1 and for the present will only beg that you 7or ,miss ,baldwin1 for ,i dare say she knows17 will give me the history of the medal1 such as whose head it is which is on the one side8 7,i know who it is like very well7 and if the impression is to be permanent8 ,next1 ,i wish to know if you1 or the ,royal ,society1 or the ,observatory at ,greenwich 7the latter ,i think must be7 are in communication with the ,imperial astronomer ,littrow8 ,if you have seen any of the publications which are yearly printed at the expense of the ,emperor1 ,i could wish1 if it is not too much trouble to you1 to know what you think of the work2 because ,count ,rupfstein1 ,charg d',affaires1 sent me the copy 7which was to go to ,gttingen7 to look at1 and since then he wants my opinion about it4 ,and ,i know no more about it than that it is a book printed on fine paper1 large folio1 of #aie pages1 with seven plates of the ,new ,observatory made out of the old one1 built at the top of the seventh story of the ,university at ,vienna1 a description of the store of instruments1 thirty-five articles including rules1 two spirit-levels and a case of drawing instruments2 tables of precession1 aberration1 and nutation of ninety-four of the principal stars for the beginning of the year #ahce2 but ,i forgot the rest2 but so much ,i remember1 that the whole book is filled with these ninety-four stars1 of which ,i cannot comprehend the use1 but ,i say nothing about it1 and hum and ha when the good man begins to talk about it4 ,dear nephew1 adieu6 ,i am1 your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,thanks for ,bracelets4 ,i have but just time to thank my dear ,lady ,herschel1 in the first place of giving me the great pleasure of seeing her own handwriting once more1 which to me continues much plainer than all the beautiful new-fashioned ,italian hands4 ,secondly1 ,i return my best thanks for the beautiful bracelets2 ,i am going to let them be admired this evening1 as ,i am obliged 7though very unwell7 to go to a tea-party1 and it will be no small trouble to me to make myself fine enough for not disgracing your present4 ,when next ,i write ,i hope ,i shall not be hurried so1 and be able to tell you how it goes here at ,hanover4 ,last week ,i heard five songs by ,madame ,catalani at the theatre here2 but of this1 more in my next4 ,with many compliments to ,miss ,b41 ,believe me1 your most affectionate sister1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,june #bc1 #ahbh4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i have but just time to write a few lines to accompany the ,journals ,nos4 ,,ii4 and ,,iii41 therefore ,i must beg you to excuse the unconnected manner in which ,i am writing1 for it must require some time before ,i1 and many a one beside me1 will recover from the fright we were put in on the #bast1 at three o'clock in the afternoon1 by a thunderstorm1 accompanied with a shower of hail of such an uncommon size as weighing three quarters of a pound2 some speak of still larger4 ,i1 of course1 could only judge of them at a distance by the look1 as my carpet was covered by them of all sizes and shapes2 ,i noticed one in particular of the form of a bottle of india-rubber 7as it looks before the neck is cut off71 but was at the time incapable of going near enough1 for ,i was obliged to keep out of the direction where they entered1 forcing the fragments of glass to my sofa 7where ,i was just going to take my solitary dinner7 at the opposite end of the room1 which is twenty-one feet distant from the window4 ,the houses look deplorable1 and the streets are still glittering with powdered glass4 ,expresses were sent instantly by the magistrates in all directions to the neighbouring towns and glass-houses for workmen and materials4 ,i have been fortunate enough to get my lodging-room mended after lying only two nights without anything but a shutter4 ,our gardens and country houses about ,hanover have had the same fate4 ,this happened the day before a ,volks ,fest1 which the ,hanoverian ,brgers keep for three days yearly1 and for which all preparations were made1 and is now by many kept with a heavy heart4 ,but ,i must not lose this opportunity of mentioning what ,i forgot in my last1 which is to beg you will 7when ,i am no more7 take my medal under your protection1 and give it a place among those you have of your father's and your own4 ,i will take care that it shall be delivered to you along with those books which ,i keep yet as companions1 though it is seldom ,i can look into them1 for most of my time ,i am obliged to waste in lying on the sofa1 where ,i try to forget myself by reading nonsense1 over which ,i soon go to sleep4 ,i have the two dullest months before me1 for the plays and concerts do not begin again till autumn2 all families are either gone to the baths or at their villas1 c4 ,my friends are all some dozen years younger than myself1 and ,i cannot always1 or but seldom1 accept their invitations4 ,hauptmann ,mller took twice tea with me since ,christmas4 ,he heard from ,encke that a great astronomical meeting was to take place at ,berlin1 to which ,mr4 ,south had been invited2 if there should be any truth in this1 and that you and ,mr4 ,south were inseparables1 ,i might hope to see you once more2 but ,i must not think of anything at the distance1 agitations ,i cannot bear any longer1 ,i only exist by attempting to be indifferent about all human events1 and hardly anything can yet give me pleasure but to hear that you1 my dear nephew1 and those who are dear to you1 are well and happy4 ,yours very affectionately1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,about the ,medal4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,aug4 #ba1 #ahbh4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,what you tell me in the short note dated ,may #bdth1 which accompanied the three copies of my ,index1 concerning the medal1 has completely put me out of humour with the same2 for to say the truth1 ,i felt from the first more shocked than gratified by that singular distinction1 for ,i know too well how dangerous it is for women to draw too much notice on themselves4 ,and the little pleasure ,i felt at the receipt of the few lines by your hands1 was entirely owing to the belief that what was done was both with your approbation and according to your recommendation4 ,throughout my long-spent life ,i have not been used or had any desire of having public honours bestowed on me2 and now ,i have but one wish1 that ,i may take your good opinion with me into my grave4 ,i have no time or inclination to think much on this subject1 else ,i could say a great deal about the clumsy speech of the ,v4 ,p4 ,whoever says too much of me says too little of your father6 and only can cause me uneasiness4 ,mr4 ,south ,i have seen only twice1 or perhaps three times1 and that was in yours and your dear father's presence1 and to all conversation between you and ,mr4 ,south ,i could only be a listener1 and1 seeing you so well agree together ,i congratulated myself on your having found a friend possessing much knowledge of what passes in common life1 of which a young and deep mathematician and philosopher has had no time of laying in a great stock4 ,i heard you would make a visit to ,struve at ,dorpat this summer together1 and ,i concluded ,i should then have had a call on the way home4 ,but on that account ,i feel now relieved from the painful prospect of a final parting from you once more1 though it will cost me many melancholy hours to bring that to paper which ,i yet wish for you to know4 ,but ,i am too much destroyed at present to explain myself any further1 and will only say that by the ,michaelmas messenger ,i will send every scrap of paper which ,i have yet kept solely for my amusement and for assisting my memory4 ,you may look them over at some leisure time and then destroy them2 for ,i go not one night to bed but thinking it may be the last of my life4444 ,i have a numerous and valuable acquaintance1 but ,i keep all my difficulties to myself1 for ,i was ever careful not to injure a relation1 or one with whom ,i am connected1 in the opinion of others1 by saying what ,i think of them4 ,i must prepare to pay a visit at the villa of a friend of mine where ,i have twice this summer refused an invitation4 ,so1 ,god bless you1 my dearest nephew1 and be assured of my affectionate regard4 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbh4 ,on her ,diary4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,london1 ,dec4 #i1 #ahbh4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i received your most valuable diary and all the papers you sent me by ,mr4 ,goltermann quite safe1 and ,i most sincerely thank you for them4 ,you speak of 8exposing yourself0 by presenting them to me1 but ,i am so far from considering it in that light1 that ,i feel proud to possess them1 and if anything could increase the regard and esteem ,i entertain for their writer1 it would have been their perusal4 ,your promised ,christmas 8scraps and lucubrations0 will not be less welcome4 ,the ,journals also came safe and well to hand1 but in the series you have sent me ,i cannot find that for ,december1 #ahbg1 which prevents my binding up the set4 ,if you can procure this and enclose it with the next1 ,i shall be very glad4 ,i trust to my cousin ,mary for telling you all the news of family matters4 ,astronomy goes on pretty well4 ,my sweeps accumulate4 ,i am very sorry that anything ,i said should have put you out of humour with the medal1 which was a well-merited distinction1 and so far as the ,astronomical ,society is concerned1 most honourably conferred4 ,all voices are agreed on that1 and on the propriety of the thing1 so pray don't suffer yourself to be put out of conceit with it by my nonsense1 which after all only went to the manner1 not the matter4 ,our friend ,s4 means well1 but wants discretion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 #bf1 ,,lower ,,phillimore ,,place1 ,jan4 #ad1 #ahbi4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i received your two letters at once1 and ,i cannot enough thank you for the kind consideration which prompted your offer1 for ,i will not yet call it your gift1 as ,i cannot really consent to such a robbery4 ,if you are bent on giving me something truly valuable--infinitely more so than money1 which 7though ,i am not rich1 and am now less so by some annual hundreds than ,i was1 and am about voluntarily#da to incur a still further diminution of income7 yet1 thank ,god1 ,i am in want of nothing and would rather spare to you than let you spare to me4 ,but if you want to give me what ,i shall really prize highly1 let it be your portrait in oils of the size of my father's4 ,let me send back the money1 and employ part of it in engaging a good ,hanoverian artist to paint it4 ,you often tell me your time hangs heavy1 so here ,i am furnishing you with a refuge from ennui1 and when you know how much pleasure it will give me to see your likeness hanging by my father's1 and that you can without inconvenience or difficulty 7and now without expense7 do it1 ,i entreat you not to refuse4 ,i know what you will urge against it1 but you undervalue yourself and your own merits so much that ,i will not allow it any weight4 ,my mother is ill with the gout1 but ,i hope it is not going to be a severe fit1 as she is already on the mend4 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbi4 ,on her ,nephew's marriage4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,march #c1 #ahbi4 ,,my ,,dear ,,lady ,,herschel1-- ,i long to congratulate you on the happy occasion of seeing your dear son so happily settled1 but am almost afraid your late illness 444 may have prevented you from being present at the performance of the ceremony on which the future happiness of my dear nephew is so much depending4 ,i must beg you will thank ,miss ,b4 for sparing me so much of her time by her circumstantial accounts of the interesting event1 and hope she will continue to write1 though ,i am not able to answer punctually1 for ,i am not free from pain for one hour out of the twenty-four1 and so it has been for a long time past with me4 ,n4,b4--,she mentions my nephew having written me a letter informing me of his future happiness1 but such ,i have not received1 and perhaps he may only have intended it1 or it is lost4444 ,the following hint is only to you as a dear sister1 for as such ,i now know you3-- ,all ,i am possessed of is looked upon as their own1 when ,i am gone2 the disposal of my brother's picture is even denied me--it hangs in ,mrs4 ,h4's drawing-room1 where a set of old women play cards under it on her club day4444 ,i have no great matters to leave1 a few articles of furniture which ,i had the trouble to provide myself with 7though ,i paid for furnished lodgings71 would not produce a capital if sold4 ,it is only pictures1 books1 telescopes1 globes1 c41 ,i regret should come into hands of those who know not the value of them2 but ,miss ,beckedorff will take my sweeper under her protection2 but enough of this4444 ,i hope1 above all1 to have soon the pleasure to hear that you will hold out with me now that we are entering on our eightieth year4 ,but as long as ,god pleases ,i shall remain ,your most affectionate sister1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,march #c1 #ahbi4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i have spent four days in vain endeavours to gain composure enough to give you an idea of the joyful sensation ,miss ,b4's 7and your ,p4,s47 letter of ,february #eth has caused me4 ,but ,i can at this present moment find no words which would better express my happiness than those which escaped in exclamation from my lips1 according to ,simeon4 ,see ,st4 ,luke1 cap4 ii41 v4 #bi3 8,lord1 now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace60 ,i have now some hopes of passing the few remainder of my days in as much comfort as the separation from the land where ,i spent the greatest portion of my life1 and from all those which are most dear to me1 can admit4 ,for from the description ,miss ,b4 has given me of the dear young lady of your choice1 ,i am confident my dear nephew's future happiness is now established4 ,i beg you will give my love to your dear lady1 and best regards to all your new connections where they are due in the best terms you can think of1 for ,i am at present too unwell for writing all ,i could wish to say4 ,i have suffered much during this severe winter1 and have not been able to leave my habitation above three or four times for the last three months1 and feel1 moreover1 much fatigued by sitting eight times within the last ten days to ,professor ,tielemann for having my picture taken1 which he did at my apartment1 and now he has taken it home to finish4 ,you will receive it with the ,easter messenger1 but ,i must send it without frame4444 ,i must conclude1 for ,i wish to say a few words to your dear mother4 ,it is now between eleven and twelve1 and perhaps you are at this very moment receiving the blessing of ,dr4 ,jennings1 in which ,i most fervently join by saying1 8,god bless you both60 ,your happy and affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahbi4 ,her ,portrait4 ,,to ,,the ,,same4 ,march #cj1 #ahbi4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i have received my picture2 by the enclosed card you will see the name of the artist4444 ,whatever you may think about my looking so young1 ,i cannot help2 for two of the days ,i was sitting to him1 ,i received the agreeable news from ,england--one day ,lady ,h4's likeness was thrown in my lap 7,mr4 ,tielemann taking it out of the box71 and four days after1 the account of your approaching happiness arrived4 ,no wonder ,i became a dozen years younger all at once4 ,i was sitting about seven hours in so many days in my own apartments2 but there is but one voice1 that the picture looks life itself4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahbi4 ,letters4 ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,nov4 #af1 #ahbi4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was unwilling to be troublesome with a repetition of the detail of my infirmities1 to which ,i have of late to add cramps and rheumatic complaints1 which rob me of many hours' sleep and the usual nimbleness in walking1 which has hitherto gained me the admiration of all who know me2 but the good folks are not aware of the arts ,i make use of1 which consist in never leaving my rooms in the daytime1 except ,i am able to trip it along as if nothing were the matter4 ,i am glad you are removed again to ,kensington1 where you are within a few hours' reach of all who are dear to you 7a blessing ,i never enjoyed throughout all the years of my long life74 ,but ,i must get in another strain2 only when ,i am writing to you 7in particular7 ,i cannot help comparing the country in which ,i have lived so long1 with this in which ,i must end my days1 and which is totally changed since ,i left it1 and not one alive that ,i knew formerly1 except my dear ,mrs4 ,beckedorff2 through her means ,i have1 however1 been introduced to many valuable ladies of rank and amiable qualities1 but to keep up their acquaintance ,i am obliged to sacrifice my ease and required quiet1 which ,i have still vanity enough to do sometimes4 ,a fortnight ago ,i paid my respects to the ,landgrfin of ,hesse-,homburg 7who looks younger and handsomer than when we saw her as a bride at ,slough the day before she left ,windsor72 it was by her desire ,i made the visit1 and ,i was honoured with a salute at parting1 by way of showing we were friends 7as she was pleased to say71 and a desire to repeat my visit soon4 444 ,i wish also to know on what subject the late ,alex4 ,stewart may have wrote1 for that he was an author ,i know1 but ,i never saw any of his works and might most likely not have understood them1 for you know ,i had no time to read anything for my improvement1 but was obliged to be poring for ever over astronomical tables and catalogues1 c4 ,another thing ,i wish ,miss ,b4 to inform me of4 ,the #cjth ,november the ,royal ,society opens with choosing their ,president and ,council2 ,i wish for a list of their names1 and likewise of the next change of the ,astronomical ,society of ,london4 ,but do not wonder at my being so inquisitive about these things4 ,i cannot think of anything else which could interest me more than to see the names of learned men on paper1 especially when ,i see any of those ,i have known among them4 ,besides1 as in ,december our concerts begin1 where the ,duke of ,cambridge1 on seeing me1 generally makes some inquiry after my nephew and family1 and what is going on in the philosophical world1 one does not always like to stand with one's mouth open1 or to say ,i cannot tell6444 ,mrs4 and ,miss ,beckedorff send their kind love4444 ,mr4 ,q41 #fc1 he owns himself1 marries a young lady in her teens1 but she owns #bc2 she could not withstand his pretty equipage4 ,he is grown very old and nasty1 and good for nothing but to injure his children and grand-children4 ,god be with you1 my dear ,lady ,h4 ,believe me your most affectionate sister1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,january #aa1 #ahcj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i am sorry it was not in my power to send a letter by way of announcing the ,journals1 c41 which you will1 ,i hope1 receive soon by the messenger who left ,hanover the #bgth of ,december4 ,i have been very ill and confined to my room now three weeks1 but it seems der ,wrg ,engel#db ist noch einmal vorber gegangen1 at which ,i am very glad1 because ,i wish to be a little better prepared for making my exit than ,i am at present4 ,i intend to amuse myself between this and ,easter with collecting and packing up those books which were to be sent to you after my death1 and perhaps if ,i have withstood this terrible winter ,i may have the pleasure of hearing that you have received them safe1 and live in the enjoyment of a few months more1 in which ,i hope to hear of the happy increase to your family1 and prosperity in general4 ,so ,i am to be godmother6 with all my heart6 ,i am now so enured to receiving honours in my old age1 that ,i take them all upon me without blushing4444 ,jan4 #abth4--,no letter for me yet6 and no news1 except that the ,landgrfin of ,hesse-,homburg sent me yesterday a very handsome fur mantle to wear when ,i go to the play1 with a message that if ,i did not put it on1 by way of saving it1 the next thing she sent me would be a rod4 ,i am accused of having been clothed too thin1 for which ,i have been suffering these last three weeks4444 ,i will give my opinion1 and in style of a critic1 and you will find yourself not to come off quite free from blame4 ,you have represented me as a goddess1 whereas ,i have done nothing but what ,i believe to be right2 and wherever ,i did wrong1 it was because ,i knew no better6 ,sidenote3 #ahcj4 ,a ,box of ,gifts4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,june #ah1 #ahcj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,this letter will go by to-day's post1 which ,i believe is the last before the messenger leaves ,hanover1 and ,legations ,rath ,haase has promised to direct the box for me1 so that it is to be called for at ,mr4 ,goltermann's either by yourself1 or somebody who will look to it1 that it may come safely to your hands4 ,and ,i will give you here a list of the contents of the box1 by which you will see that ,i must be very anxious till ,i know that it is safely come to hand1 especially as ,i was obliged to have the box made very slight on account of saving size and weight4 ,contents3-- ,wollaston's ,catalogue4 ,bode's ,catalogue4 ,my ,index to ,flamsteed's ,observations4 ,herschel's and ,south's ,observations1 bound in red morocco4 ,logarithmic ,tables by ,taylor4 ,seventy-two ,papers of your father's1 in five volumes4 ,the parcel directed for my niece contains ornaments which ,i am afraid will soon be wanted for a general mourning1 but ,i am told they may be worn at any time4 ,miss ,beckedorff chose them for me2 my direction was they should be pretty1 and not of ,english manufacture1 and not larger than what might be put in the space which ,i showed her4 ,i am only sorry ,i could not find anything that might please your dear mother1 for1 to judge by myself1 we want now only ease1 quiet1 and patience to bear the pains and infirmities attendant on our age2 and we are too far asunder for doing more than wishing one another the above-mentioned qualities4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had intended to have sent my medal along with the books1 but since you have presented me with the handsome miniature of your dear ,margaretta1 from which ,i cannot part as long as ,i live1 ,i have mentioned already to ,dr4 ,groskopf that the medal1 miniature1 and my gold watch 7the gift of her grandfather in #aggd71 are to be sent to my grand-niece and namesake1 ,c4 ,h4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i do not like to send empty paper1 but ,i must4 ,time falls short1 and ,i am tired already with the thought of the long walk ,i have to take to carry this letter1 for ,i must see ,haase once more1 and it is attended with great difficulty to get so heavy a box over at present4 ,god bless you1 dear nephew1 ,says your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,oct4 #bg1 #ahcj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i see by my memorandum-book that ,i sent a letter to your dear mother on the #bjth ,august1 partly in answer to one of ,miss ,baldwin's1 which contained the melancholy account of ,miss ,isabella ,stewart's dangerous state of health4 ,i have ever since been very uneasy1 and wishing for more cheering information1 because ,i know what a drawback it would be on the happiness of all your dear connection if you should lose her1 besides the interruption it must cause in the hitherto cheerful correspondence in which even my dear niece took the pen to join in affording me the only comfort ,i am yet capable of receiving4444 ,tell your dear ,margaret that the very day on which the letter arrived1 in which she requested some hair1 ,i sent for the hair-dresser and made him cut off all which was useless to me1 leaving plenty for a toupee and a little curl in the poll4 ,but ,i repented not having kept a few out of the plait1 which ,i might have sent in a letter1 as ,i understand it is designed for a talisman against the evils of this hurly-burlying world4 ,but ,i consoled myself with the thoughts that no harm could possibly assail the dear little creature as long as she is under the care of her affectionate and excellent mother1 leaving a loving father out of the account4 ,dr4 ,groskopf has been zum ,ritter ernannt by his present ,majesty4 ,so was ,dr4 ,mhry last week4 ,if all is betitled in ,england and ,germany1 why is not my nephew1 ,j4 ,h41 a lord1 or a wycount at least 7query78 ,general ,komarzewsky used to say to your father1 ,why does not he 7meaning ,king ,george ,,iii47 make you ,duke of ,slough8 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahcj-ahca4 ,her ,nephew's ,book4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,esq4 ,march1 #ahca4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,if it was not high time to congratulate you on your birthday--of which ,i most heartily wish you may enjoy many returns in uninterrupted and increasing happiness--,i might have still deferred to thank you for your kind letter and the valuable present of your book4 ,i intend to follow your mother's example to read it 8from end to end10 which ,i was hitherto not able to do on account of my dim eyes2 but now the days are getting longer ,i think ,i see better1 and to judge by the few pages ,i have read1 that so far from making me go to sleep1 it will be an antidote against a propensity for doing so in the daytime4 ,i much regret my inability to acknowledge my dear niece's letter in such a manner as might encourage a correspondence with me1 but it is difficult to write in a cheerful strain when one is continually in the dismals4 ,i do all ,i can to keep up my spirits under a daily increase of my infirmities1 and have been best part of the winter confined to my rooms4 ,my complaint is incurable1 for it is a decay of nature1 and nine days after your birthday ,i am eighty-one4 ,what a shocking idea it is to be decaying6 decaying6 ,but never mind--if ,i am decaying here1 there will be1 as ,mrs4 ,maskelyne once was comforting me 7on observing my growing lean71 8the less corruption in my grave60 #bbnd4--,some weeks ago ,i wrote as above1 which ,i intended as a preface to my dying speech1 with intention to give you a few hints concerning ----1 and indeed ,i may say of all my ,german relations1 except the ,knipping family4 ,if ,i did not fear that some of them would1 after my decease1 introduce themselves as troublesome correspondents to you1 ,i would rather write about something else just now1 and indeed ,i had better drop the subject1 for you will know1 ,i suppose1 how to rid yourself of a pestering fool by answering coolly1 or not at all4 #bcrd1 afternoon4--,yesterday ,i was interrupted again1 and the whole morning of the present1 which ,i had intended to spend with you at ,slough1 has again been taken up with gabbling with my radical servant4 ,but the day after ,easter ,i get another1 and ,i hope ,i shall have better luck2 but till then ,i am not mistress of my time1 therefore will hasten to inform you that ,mrs4 ,beckedorff is packing up a parcel for me1 which is going from here the day after ,easter4444 ,the packet contains a tablecloth1 with twelve napkins 7the cloth is eight yards long1 ,mrs4 ,b4 says71 which ,i hope my dear niece will do me the pleasure to accept as a remembrance of her old aunt4 ,your book#dc ,i have read as far as page #aej1 and met with nothing but what ,i clearly can comprehend1 and promise myself much pleasure in reading the rest1 which hitherto ,i have been prevented to do by being continually interrupted1 and besides not being able to read many pages at a time before the lines run one into another4 ,my dear niece said in her letter to me your book would cause a sensation1 and so it has1 as ,i hear from all quarters4 ,i am told it has been translated into ,german from a ,french translation1 and much all in admiration is appearing in ,gelehrten ,anzeigen1 which ,i have not yet been able to get a sight of4444 ,i must give over and defer writing till ,i am provided with pen1 ink1 and paper4 ,the first thing my radical servant did when she came to me was to break the bottle containing the ink of my own making1 which was to have lasted me all my life-time4444 ,first and foremost1 give my love to your dear mother1 and believe me1 ever your most affectionate aunt1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahca4 ,letter to her ,niece4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,may #ad1 #ahca4 ,o6 my dearest niece1 where shall ,i find words which can express my thanks to you for writing me such an interesting letter1 at a moment when you were suffering from indisposition6 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #ahth4--,dear niece1 how are you now8 ,i hope so far well enough to read what ,i think necessary to say in answer to yours of ,may #bnd4 ,i was glad to see that you think the table-linen pretty1 but ,i tremble on seeing that you puzzle yourself about sending me anything in return4 ,nothing would distress me more than receiving anything from ,england besides such dear letters as ,i have hitherto been blessed with1 for ,i am provided with even more than is necessary to appear in the best circle of society1 whenever my feebleness will permit me to go from home1 and ,i feel no small regret at leaving so many good things among those who do not want it1 or ever cared for me4 ,now1 this is once for all6 and you have nothing to do but to go by what dear ,herschel says--he knows me1 ,i see1 better than ,i thought he did4 ,i have something to remark about what you call my letters1 which were to be deposited in the letter case4 ,i was in hopes you would have thrown away such incoherent stuff1 as ,i generally write in a hurry at those moments when ,i am sick for want of knowing how it looks at home1 and not to let it rise in judgment against my1 perhaps1 bad grammar1 bad spelling1 c41 for to the very last ,i must feel myself walking on uncertain grounds1 having been obliged to learn too much without any one thing thoroughly2 for my dear brother ,william was my only teacher1 and we began generally with what we should have ended2 he1 supposing ,i knew all that went before4 ,perhaps ,i might have done so once1 but my memory he used to compare with sand1 in which everything could be inscribed with ease1 but as easily effaced4 ,some time hence you will see a book#dd in which ,i transcribed such lessons as my brother was obliged to give me at such times when ,i was to set about some calculations of which ,i knew not much about4 ,i shall this summer collect every scrap of that kind--some written by my brother1 and some penned down as they flowed from his lips1 and some even incomplete1 which were intended to be given more correct when at leisure4 ,i bought a very handsome portfolio for this purpose1 and had my nephew's new seal engraved upon the lock4 ,i should not have thought of troubling my dear nephew or you with looking over these fragments1 but ,i cannot part with remembrances of times long gone by1 so long as life is in me2 but for fear ,i should not have at the last moment the power of burning them1 ,i will keep them ready for being sent off to ,slough1 for nothing of the kind shall be seen by unhallowed eyes4444 ,sidenote3 #ahca4 ,her ,grave4--,paganini4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,june #d1 #ahca4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,just now ,i received yours of ,may #bbnd1 and the next post will not go from here till the #gth1 and ,i wish the wind may be favourable that you may be soon made easy about the #ej1 for which ,i beg you will1 according to custom1 give the above receipt to your dear mother4 ,and you may as well add my heartfelt thanks2 for what good can it do troubling her with my letters1 knowing the weakness in her hands will not permit her answering them4444 444 ,i have laid apart for every possible expense which can occur at my exit4 ,six years ago ,i had a vault built in the spot where my parents rest4 ,the ground is mine auf ewig 7for ever74 ,you have made me completely happy for some time with the account you sent me of the double stars2 but it vexes me more and more that in this abominable city there is no one who is capable of partaking in the joy ,i feel on this revival of your father's name4 ,his observations on double stars were from first to last the most interesting subject2 he never lost sight of it in his papers on the construction of the heavens1 c4 ,and ,i cannot help lamenting that he could not take to his grave with him the satisfaction ,i feel at present at seeing his son doing him so ample justice by endeavouring to perfect what he could only begin4444 ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,august #aa1 #ahca4 444 ,i wish ,paganini may make some stay yet in ,england1 that you1 or my nephew at least1 may hear him4 ,the ,english cannot be more frantic about him than the ,hanoverians were4 ,he filled our play-house twice at double price1 and though some part of the orchestra had been thrown into parquet1 still gentlemen were scattered among the lamps and squeezed in among the performers on the stage4 ,you will think me the maddest of the mad when ,i tell you that1 after spending three parts of each day in pain and misery1 ,i make one of the audience twice a week1 if possibly ,i can hold up my head2 for then ,i am lulled into forgetfulness of my severed situation from all what was or is still dear to me1 and amuse myself sometimes with having my vanity tickled by the notice which is taken of my being or not being present4 ,in ,the ,sun of ,july #ac is a description of ,paganini's face and looks1 which ,i could not have given better myself after having had some conversation with him 7through an interpreter72 on coming one evening at the end of a play out of my box1 ,i found some gentlemen waiting to introduce him to me1 which ,i believe was partly done to give the people an opportunity to see him4 ,i am reading all the ,parliamentary speeches as given in ,the ,sun1 and there ,i meet with some excellent ones by a ,sir ,james ,mackintosh2 pray is he any connexion of your family8 ,in the paper of ,july #fth ,i saw a quotation 7by a speaker1 ,mr4 ,e4 ,lytton ,bulwer17 from a celebrated philosopher 7meaning our own ,j4 ,herschel7 who had felicitously observed that 8the greatest discoverer in science can do no more than accelerate the progress of discovery40444 ,i remain1 my dear niece1 ,your most affectionate ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,the following letter1 from the celebrated ,encke1 is one of the few preserved which belong to this period1 and gives graceful expression to the high esteem in which she was held3-- ,sidenote3 #ahca4 ,letter from ,prof4 ,encke4 ,,from ,,professor ,,encke ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,berlin1 ,aug4 #ag1 #ahca4 ,,madame1-- ,i feel great pleasure in informing you that the parcel which has been forwarded to me through your kindness is safely arrived here1 and has been delivered to ,professor ,mitscherlich1 according to the directions given by your celebrated nephew1 ,j4 ,herschel4 ,i hardly know1 madame1 how to return you my thanks for the trouble you have so kindly taken in transmitting the parcel to me4 ,it would1 indeed1 have been an irretrievable loss to have been deprived of the excellent treatise written by your eminent nephew1 had it not reached its destination4 ,allow me1 madame1 to avail myself of this opportunity to pay my respects to a lady1 whose name is so intimately connected with the most brilliant astronomical discoveries of the age1 and whose claims to the gratitude of every astronomer will be as conspicuous as your own exertions for extending the boundaries of our knowledge1 and for assisting to develope the discoveries by which the name of your great brother has been rendered so famous throughout the literary world4 ,i am1 with great esteem and regard1 madame1 ,your most obedient1 humble servant1 ,t4 ,f4 ,,encke4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,oct4 #be1 #ahca4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir ,,john1-- ,but mind1 you are still my dear nephew1 and will be so good as to give the above to your dear mother4 ,with this last sum1 ,i have actually received since ,i am here a thousand pounds2 a sum which ,i had no idea 7nor ,i am sure your father neither7 you would have been burdened with so long1 for when ,i left ,england ,i thought my life was not worth a farthing4 ,but no more of this for the present4444 ,you promised me another ,catalogue of double stars1 but ,i suppose you have had no time to arrange them4 ,but do not observe too much in cold weather4 ,write rather books to make folks stare at your profound knowledge4444 ,loves and compliments to all whom we love1 and ,god bless my dear nephew1 says ,your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,i received ,miss ,b4's letter on the #afth4 ,it gave me infinite pleasure to see that ,babbage and ,brewster have also been honoured with notice4 ,as for the news of my dear nephew's appointment1 she came too late1 for on the #ith ,i was honoured by a note written by the ,duke of ,cambridge's own hands1 informing me of it4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,december #be1 #ahca4 ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,more than two months are elapsed since ,i was made happy by your dear letter of ,october #aeth4444 ,i hope that perhaps some good account is on its passage and may reach me before the rivers are frozen up1 as at this time of the year the posts are often interrupted4 ,i have of late been very little from home1 except two evenings in the week to the play1 for ,i cannot walk the streets without being led1 as ,i cannot trust my eyes to avoid obstacles1 besides a total loss of strength2 so that the chief connection ,i keep up with this world depends on what ,i by imperfect glimpses can gather from the newspaper and a little talk sometimes with ,mrs4 ,beckedorff4 ,but a few weeks ago ,i exerted myself1 fearing if ,i delayed much longer ,i might not be able at all to pay my respects to our good ,duchess of ,cambridge1 and ,i wished to make good a blunder ,i had committed two years ago1 when ,i was conversing with her at the ,landgrfin's for half an hour together1 taking her all the while to be an officer's lady1 as she came accompanied by her brother1 the ,prince of ,hesse1 who wore a moustache4 ,it is the case in general1 that ,i do not know my most intimate friends except by their voices4 ,i was1 however1 very much gratified by my visit4 ,a lady1 who is in the habit of going to ,court1 left my name along with her own with the lady-in-waiting1 and the next ,sunday we were appointed to be there at half-past one 7a very inconvenient hour for me1 for ,i only begin to be alive when other folks go to sleep74 ,but no reception could be more friendly4 ,i was made take my place by her on the sofa1 and after some conversation1 the little ,princess ,augusta was called to tell me that she had seen you at ,slough2 you had shown her the telescope and described how it was moved by the handle round about4 ,i asked her if she had seen the little girls4 ,the ,duchess explained that her call had been unexpected1 and regretted that she had not had an opportunity of coming to ,slough herself4 ,then the ,princess was sent to call her father1 whom ,i presented with your book1 and he went to fetch his spectacles1 and was much pleased with the subject1 saying1 8,i shall read it1 for ,i like such things40 ,after ,i had read the whole book myself--mind1 ,i say the whole1 though you recommended me to read only the first and last chapters--and knowing no one who is worthy to look into it1 ,i had it handsomely bound and wrote in the top margin 8,to ,his ,royal ,highness1 the ,duke of ,cambridge40 ,at the side of ,sir ,francis ,bacon stands 8from0 and in the margin at the bottom1 8,caroline ,herschel1 aunt of the author40 ,by this means1 ,i know it secured from contamination in the ,duke's library1 where anybody who is desirous of reading it will find it4 ,sidenote3 #ahcb4 ,last ,illness of ,lady ,herschel4 ,december #bfth4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,so far ,i wrote last night1 thinking to fill this page to-day1 with such news as ,i should like to communicate to my nephew if he was present2 but now all is fled from my memory1 for my dear sister is ill1 and perhaps still in danger1 and my only trust is in your goodness of sending me a speedy account1 which may confirm the hope you seem to entertain of her recovery4 ,for there is nothing ,i so ardently desire as to be spared the pain of mourning for a single individual of those friends ,i have in ,england1 and how much more it would affect me to lose one so nearly connected1 and within a few months of my own age1 it may be easily imagined4444 ,next to listening to the conversation of learned men1 ,i like to hear about them1 but ,i find myself1 unfortunately1 among beings who like nothing but smoking1 big talk on politics1 wars1 and such like things4 ,of our ,german astronomers1 ,i have lately heard nothing2 but that1 perhaps1 is owing to ,encke having had the cholera1 but of which he soon recovered4 ,gauss has been long unhappily situated by losing his second wife1 who had been long lingering4444 444 ,i beg once more for an early assurance of my dear sister's recovery4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,jan4 #bj1 #ahcb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,my dear niece's and your letter of ,january #crd1 have indeed answered your kind intentions1 for the painful communication of your last found me prepared1 and enabled me to break the black seal with tolerable composure1 and ,i found no small consolation from your description of the easy ending of your dear departed parent4 ,at this moment1 ,i am incapable of saying anything of myself4 ,i know it cannot be long before ,i shall follow the dear departed1 and my pen would trace nothing but lamentations at the prospect that my remains will not be joined in rest by the side of those with whom ,i lived so long4 ,but ,i beg and trust you will continue to bless me with your good opinion and approbation1 until the close1 for that ,i have hitherto been in possession of the same1 ,i conclude from the kind letters ,i receive from your own hands4444 ,sidenote3 #ahcb4 ,enters her eighty-third year4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #ad1 #ahcb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,your precious letter1 which ,i received this morning1 has relieved my mind from the fear that some ill might have befallen my dear friends1 because in my solitude the time between ,january #gth and ,march #adth1 seems to be an age2 besides1 the last melancholy letters required some soothing subject to think on1 for ,i do nothing else but think of the spot where ,i once was and never can be again4 ,but now all is well2 your dear letter will make me happy for some time to come1 and in my next ,i will more fully reply to it1 when ,i hope to be more composed than ,i am just now1 as the day after to-morrow will be my birthday1 when ,i1 perhaps1 enter on my eighty-third year4 ,i am always at the return of that day what one may call 8hipt10 and therefore must destroy my thoughts any how as well as ,i can4 ,i kept my dear nephew's birthday last week1 the #gth of ,march1 by thinking of you throughout the whole day4 ,when ,i was at dinner1 ,i made my maid stand opposite to me1 and pouring her out a glass of wine1 made her say1 ,sir ,john ,herschel1 lebe hoch6 7for ever74 ,but ,i must hasten to say that which ,i wish you to know as soon as possible1 which is1 to beg of all things not to send the parcel the good ,miss ,b4 intended for me4 ,i suppose it may consist of some dress of my dear departed sister4444 ,i beg your acceptance of it for a remembrance of us both2 it would vex me to add anything ,i set store on1 only to leave it to those ,i cannot esteem4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am much obliged to my dear nephew for sending the few pages announcing the publications of the ,royal ,society4 ,it is only such morsels as these which keep up a desire for living any longer4 ,but the premium of the ,king of ,denmark's medal1 for the discovery of telescopic comets1 provokes me beyond all endurance1 for it is of no use to me4 ,one of my eyes is nearly dark1 and ,i can hardly find the line again ,i have just been tracing by feeling on paper4 ,pray do not forget me when my nephew's recension of ,mrs4 ,somerville's works makes its appearance4444 ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,april #bj1 #ahcb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,my dear niece has promised me your article#de on the writings of ,mrs4 ,somerville4 ,i hope she will not forget it1 nor you the ,catalogue of double stars4 ,such things make me very happy1 but of any expensive publications ,i would not wish you to throw away upon me now2 it makes me only grudge to think of having to leave them in the hands of blockheads4 ,but if you have anything for ,gttingen1 ,encke1 or ,bessel1 it amuses me to forward it4 ,olbers has been dangerously ill for some time2 they tell me he is too fat1 and lives too well4 ,i only write this by way of announcing the parcel1 that you may inquire for it should it not come to hand in due time1 else ,i am very tired1 and must yet make up the parcel1 and ,i want to show myself once more to-morrow evening at the ,oratorio1 as it is for the poor1 and will be the last performance this season4444 ,sidenote3 #ahcb4 ,letter from ,hanover4 ,,extract ,,from ,a ,,letter ,,of ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,june #ai1 #ahcb4 444 ,i found my aunt wonderfully well and very nicely and comfortably lodged1 and we have since been on the full trot4 ,she runs about the town with me and skips up her two flights of stairs as light and fresh at least as some folks ,i could name who are not a fourth part of her age4444 ,in the morning till eleven or twelve she is dull and weary1 but as the day advances she gains life1 and is quite 8fresh and funny0 at ten or eleven1 p4m41 and sings old rhymes1 nay1 even dances6 to the great delight of all who see her4444 ,it was only this evening that1 escaping from a party at ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's1 ,i was able to indulge in what my soul has been yearning for ever since ,i came here--a solitary ramble out of town1 among the meadows which border the ,leine-strom1 from which the old1 tall1 sombre-looking ,markt-thurm and the three beautiful lanthorn-steeples of ,hanover are seen as in the little picture ,i have often looked at with a sort of mysterious wonder when a boy as that strange place in foreign parts that my father and uncle used to talk so much about1 and so familiarly4 ,the likeness is correct1 and ,i soon found the point of view4 ,yesterday1 being the anniversary of ,waterloo1 there was a great military spectacle here in a large esplanade1 where there is erected a tall and very pretty column1 with a bronze 8,victory0 at the top1 hopping on one leg4 ,a few guns were fired1 a sermon preached1 the veil of the statue 7shown for the first time7 pulled off by the ,duke of ,cambridge1 and a good dinner eaten by #cej personages1 of which number ,i had the honour to be one unit1 in a vast saloon in the ,herrenhauser ,palace1 about the length1 breadth1 and height of ,st4 ,george's ,hall1 at ,windsor1 the ,duke presiding and giving the toasts1 c41 in honour of the ,waterloo heroes4 ,the saloon was ornamented most curiously with guns1 swords1 and pikes1 arranged in patterns1 and with ,waterloo trophies1 and a panoramic view of the field of ,waterloo in compartments4 ,no ladies were admitted to the table1 and 7what say you to the gallantry of the ,hanoverian military87 there was no ball in the evening1 nor any the slightest provision for the amusement or participation of the fair4 ,so ,mars and ,venus1 ,i suppose1 have had a 8tiff60 ,adieu4 ,sidenote3 #ahcb-ahcc4 ,her ,life in ,hanover4 ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,dec4 #d1 #ahcb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,i shall in future1 when ,i have anything to say to my dear nephew address myself to you1 well knowing his time is too precious for spending even on reading4444 ,thank him most heartily for the 8,edinburgh ,review10 and the description of the wonderful machine4444 ,but here is the grievance--,i cannot possibly read the ,review1 my sight is almost lost1 and ,i must wait till ,miss ,beckedorff or somebody can read to me4444 ,dr4 ,tias1 who travelled through ,hanover1 called on me to-day4 ,he talked strangely about my nephew's intention of going to the ,cape of ,good ,hope4 ,mr4 ,hausmann told me some weeks ago that the ,times contained the same report1 to which ,i replied1 8,it is a lie60 but what ,i heard from ,dr4 ,tias to-day makes me almost believe it possible4 ,ja6 if ,i was thirty or forty years younger1 and could go too8 in ,gottes nahmen6 ,but ,i will not think about it till you yourself tell me more of it1 for ,i have enough to think of my cramps1 blindness1 sleepless nights1 c4 ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #cj1 #ahcc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,ever since the #fth of ,march1 the day on which ,i received my dear niece's of the #bfth of ,february1 ,i have been enabled to dispel by its comfortable contents the gloomy reflections with which ,i am on the return of your and my birthdays assailed4 ,but being obliged to spend such days alone1 at a distance from all who are dear to us2 or1 what would be worse1 in the presence of beings of uncongenial feelings1 one is apt to fall again into the dismals1 which the return of the late snow and frosty weather prevented my taking recourse to my usual remedy1 which is to turn all grievances into a joke4 ,your birthday ,i celebrated exactly like that of #ahcb1 viz41 after dinner ,i jingled glasses with ,betty1 and made her say1 8,es lebe ,sir ,john6 hoch6#df hurrah60 ,she went in the kitchen to wash the dishes1 and ,i with a book 7a silly novel7 in my hand on the sofa asleep6444 ,i begin to be confused1 and had rather say nothing of the thousand things which are running in my head1 and which all must be said within the next six months4 ,as yet ,i can follow your steps and proceedings1 for ,i read the papers--the ,globe--and saw that in ,june is the meeting in ,cambridge4444 ,from these papers ,i also see how all my valuable acquaintances drop off one after another4 ,captain ,kater has lost his wife1 the fine singer2 ,mrs4 ,parry2 ,lady ,harcourt2 your dear mother1 are gone--the latter three of my own age1 and ,i must hold out6 ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,august #a1 #ahcc4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have now the pleasure of thanking my nephew for his valuable book of astronomy1 having actually received it by yesterday's post1 and by a kind letter from ,professor ,schumacher4 ,i learn that ,i may yet hope to see the promised ,catalogue of nebul and double stars1 to the perusal of which ,i look forward as a solace during the time you will be on your way far1 far from us4 ,but these treasures cause me no little thinking about in whose hands ,i shall leave them when ,i cannot see them any longer1 but cannot think of anyone ,i should like to leave them in preference to the ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,i cannot find words which would express sufficient thanks to my dear nephew for his last letter1 every line of which conveys a comfort4 99 99 99 99 99 ,p4,s4--,dear ,nephew1 as soon as your instrument is erected ,i wish you would see if there was not something remarkable in the lower part of the ,scorpion to be found1 for ,i remember your father returned several nights and years to the same spot1 but could not satisfy himself about the uncommon appearance of that part of the heavens4 ,it was something more than a total absence of stars 7,i believe74 ,but you will have seen by the register that those lower parts could only be marked half swept4 ,i wish you health and good success to all you undertake1 and a happy return to a peaceful home in old ,england4 ,god bless you all6 ,sidenote3 #ahcc4 ,retrospection4 ,,to ,,the ,,same4 ,sept4 #f1 #ahcc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,niece1-- ,eight days are already gone since the arrival of your dear letter of ,august #bast1 and ,i can hardly muster up composure enough at this moment to reply to it1 because my ideas are still1 what they ever have been1 more occupied with future or past events than what passes immediately about me4 ,at present my thoughts are wholly fixed on the busy scenes with which you are at present surrounded1 and regretting that ,i am not with you to afford you any assistance1 or to take charge of my nephew's workshops1 as ,i used to do of his father's when absent2 or that it is not possible to shake off some thirty years from my shoulders that ,i might accompany you on your voyage4 ,in answer to your query about my nephew's building a grotto of coals ,i must plead ignorance1 but have no doubt many an edifice of that kind has daily been erected and erased without my being present1 for my dear nephew was only in his sixth year when ,i came to be detached from the family circle4 ,but this did not hinder ,john and ,i from remaining the most affectionate friends1 and many a half or whole holiday he was allowed to spend with me1 was dedicated to making experiments in chemistry1 where generally all boxes1 tops of tea-canisters1 pepper-boxes1 teacups1 c41 served for the necessary vessels1 and the sand-tub furnished the matter to be analysed4 ,i only had to take care to exclude water1 which would have produced havoc on my carpet4 ,and for his first notion of building ,i believe he is indebted to me1 for it was on his second or third birthday when ,i lifted him in the trenches to lay the south corner-stone of the building which was added to the original house at ,slough4 ,it must have been the second year of his age1 for ,i remember ,i was obliged to use a deal of coaxing to make him part with the money he was to lay on the brick4 ,about the same time1 when one day ,i was sitting beside him1 listening to his prattle1 my attention was drawn by his hammering to see what he might be about1 and found that it was the continuation of many days' labour1 and that the ground about the corner of the house was undermined1 the corner-stone entirely away1 and he was hard at work going on with the next4 ,i gave the alarm1 and old ,john ,wiltshire1 a favourite carpenter1 came running1 crying out1 8,god bless the boy1 if he is not going to pull the house down60 7,our ,john was this man's pet1 he taught him to handle the tools74 ,a bricklayer came directly with brick and mortar to mend the damage4 ,i was called to my solitary dinner just when ,i was going to give you a few specimens of my nephew's poetry2 ,i have some by me1 composed when about eight or nine years old1 in a most shocking handwriting2 but generally about this time ,i am so sleepy that ,i think it will be best to give you the continuation in a posthumous letter from ,c4 ,h4 to ,lady ,m4 ,b4 ,herschel1 to be delivered to her on her return from the ,cape4444 ,if ,i only live long enough to have the assurance of your all being well and safely got to the ,cape1 ,i will lay down my head in peace4 ,my paper is not filled1 but there is not time for writing more1 nor do ,i like to think about the present2 but about a month ago ,i began a day-book again1 which ,i was in the habit of keeping when in ,england1 and with the contents of that ,i intend to fill my posthumous letter to you4 ,god bless you1 my dear niece 444 and with my love to my dear nephew and yourself1 ,i remain1 ,your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahcc4 ,to ,professor ,schumacher4 ,,to ,,professor ,,schumacher4 ,dec4 #aa1 #ahcc4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,by recollecting your former obliging kindness to me1 ,i am encouraged once more to intrude on your valuable time by transcribing part of my nephew's last letter1 dated from ,portsmouth1 ,november #ajth3--8,the last proof sheet of my nebul paper left my hands the night ,i left ,london1 and yesterday ,i got twelve copies to take to the ,cape4 ,one will be forwarded to you to-morrow by ,lieut4 ,stratford1 ,r4,n41 superintendent of the 8,nautical ,almanac10 who will send it to ,prof4 ,schumacher1 to whom1 if you do not soon get it1 pray write4 ,i have also ordered a duplicate to be sent you by ,mr4 ,hudson1 assistant secretary of the ,royal ,society1 and librarian1 who will henceforward send you all my papers 7in duplicate74 ,my observations on the satellites of ,uranus1 which confirm my brother's results1 were sent to be put in course of publication last night40 ,i have no doubt but that you1 ,sir1 are in correspondence with the above named1 but to me unknown1 gentlemen1 and that those two copies intended for me are only enclosed in a packet with many for yourself4 ,i long much to see the observations on the ,georgian satellites1 but doubt their being ready to come with the paper on nebul4 ,i beg you will order them to be forwarded to me as soon as you see them yourselves1 for ,i do not flatter myself with the hopes of being much longer for this world1 but will be thankful if life is spared me till the end of ,april1 when ,i hope to receive the assurance of my nephew's safe arrival with his dear family at the ,cape4 ,excuse my troubling you so far1 and believe me with great regard1 dear ,sir1 ,your much obliged and humble servant1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,at ,,the ,,cape4 ,,cape ,,town1 ,jan4 #ba1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,here we are safely landed and comfortably housed at the far end of ,africa1 and having secured the landing and final stowage of all the telescopes and other matters1 as far as ,i can see1 without the slightest injury1 ,i lose no time in reporting to you our good success so far4 ,m4 and the children are1 thank ,god1 quite well2 though1 for fear you should think her too good a sailor1 ,i ought to add that she continued sea-sick1 at intervals1 during the whole passage4 ,we were nine weeks and two days at sea1 during which period we experienced only one day of contrary wind4 ,we had a brisk breeze 8right aft0 all the way from the ,bay of ,biscay 7which we never entered7 to the 8calm latitudes10 that is to say1 to the space about five or six degrees broad near the equator1 where the trade winds cease1 and where it is no unusual thing for a ship to lie becalmed for a month or six weeks1 frying under a vertical sun4 ,such1 however1 was not our fate4 ,we were detained only three or four days by the calms usual in that zone1 but never quite still1 or driven out of our course1 and immediately on crossing 8the line10 got a good breeze 7the south-east trade wind71 which carried us round ,trinidad1 then exchanged it for a north-west wind1 which1 with the exception of one day's squall from the south-east1 carried us straight into ,table ,bay4 ,on the night of the #adth we were told to prepare to see the ,table ,mountain4 ,next morning 7,n4,b41 we had not seen land before since leaving ,england71 at dawn the welcome word 8land0 was heard1 and there stood this magnificent hill1 with all its attendant mountain range down to the farthest point of ,south ,africa1 full in view1 with a clear blue ghost-like outline1 and that night we cast anchor within the ,bay4 ,next morning early we landed under escort of ,dr4 ,stewart1 ,m4's brother1 and you may imagine the meeting4 ,we took up our quarters at a most comfortable lodging-house 7,miss ,rabe's71 and ,i proceeded1 without loss of time1 to unship the instruments4 ,this was no trifling operation1 as they filled 7with the rest of our luggage7 fifteen large boats2 and1 owing to the difficulty of getting them up from the 8hold0 of the ship1 required several days to complete the landing4 ,during the whole time 7and indeed up to this moment7 not a single south-east gale1 the summer torment of this harbour1 has occurred4 ,this is a thing almost unheard of here1 and has indeed been most fortunate1 since otherwise it is not at all unlikely that some of the boats1 laden as they were to the water's edge1 might have been lost1 and the whole business crippled4 ,sidenote3 #ahcd4 ,sir ,john ,herschel at the ,cape4 ,for the last two or three days we have been looking at houses1 and have all but agreed for one1 a most beautiful place within four or five miles out of town1 called 8,the ,grove40 ,in point of situation1 it is a perfect paradise1 in rich and magnificent mountain scenery1 and sheltered from all winds1 even the fierce south-easter1 by thick surrounding woods4 ,i must reserve for my next all description of the gorgeous display of flowers which adorns this splendid country1 as well as of the astonishing brilliancy of the constellations1 which the calm1 clear nights show off to great advantage2 and wishing we had you here to see them1 must conclude with best loves from ,m4 and the children4 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,braunschweiger ,,strasse1 ,no4 #cgf1 ,may #a1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,your precious letter relieved me on the #adth from a whole twelvemonth's anxiety1 for it was in ,april last year when1 by your few brief lines on business1 ,i saw that you were seriously preparing for leaving ,europe1 and from that time ,i became in idea a vagrant accompanying you through all the fatigues of preparing for such a momentous undertaking4 ,and if it had not been for the consoling letter of your brother in law ,james1 and one from ,miss ,b4 giving me an account of the carefully arranged accommodation with which they saw you depart1 ,i should not have known how to support myself till ,i saw your dear letter1 which brought me even more comfort than ,i could hope you would have found time to think of4444 ,both yourself and my dear niece urged me to write often1 and to write always twice2 but alas6 ,i could not overcome the reluctance ,i felt of telling you that it is over with me1 for getting up at eight or nine o'clock1 dressing myself1 eating my dinner alone without an appetite1 falling asleep over a novel 7,i am obliged to lay down to recover the fatigue of the morning's exertions7 awaking with nothing but the prospect of the trouble of getting to bed1 where very seldom ,i get above two hours' sleep4 ,it is enough to make a parson swear6 ,to this ,i must add ,i found full employment for the few moments1 when ,i could rouse myself from a melancholy lethargy1 to spend in looking over my store of astronomical and other memorandums of upwards of fifty years collecting1 and destroying all what might produce nonsense when coming through the hands of a ,block-kopff in the ,zeitungen4 ,sidenote3 #ahcd4 ,arrival at the ,cape4 ,my dear friends1 ,mrs4 and ,miss ,beckedorff1 are assisting me in my final preparations for going to that bourn from whence none ever returned1 but let me hope that you1 my dear nephew1 with my dear niece and the whole of your young family1 will return to your dear relatives and friends after having seen all your wishes and expectations crowned with success4 ,though1 if ,i may not be among those who will greet your return1 ,i can assure you their number will be great1 judging from the sensation the account of your safe arrival at the ,cape has caused among all our friends2 and 7as ,dr4 ,m---- will have it7 8the whole intelligent and scientific world in general are participating in our feeling40 ,poor ,mrs4 ,beckedorff1 to whom ,i read your letter1 sat trembling and crying for joy2 for ,i now find that my friends had not been without fear for your safety on account of the storms 7and their sad consequences7 which prevailed for a long time immediately after your departure1 and the same evening a note was despatched to her ,royal ,highness the ,landgrfin to communicate the news2 for from the ,duke's and her ,royal ,highness's constant inquiries when ,i expected to hear from you1 ,i knew the account of your safe arrival would give pleasure4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the feelings of joy ,i experienced the first few days after the arrival of your letter are nearly evaporated1 and ,i begin to feel already that the essential information required for making me reconciled to the immense space which divides me from you is still wanting2 which is1 that ,i cannot now1 as formerly1 receive so frequent accounts concerning the health of my dear niece and the children1 not even from ,miss ,b41 who used to describe their little ways so prettily1 for she1 too1 cannot now observe them4 ,i look with impatience for the next account 444 of the health of my dear niece1 yours1 and the dear little beings4 ,caroline and ,isabella and ,i are old friends1 but is ,william ,herschel the second likely to live 7if not beyond7 at least to the age of his grandfather8 ,perhaps you will receive the 8,gttingsche ,gelehrte ,anzeigen0 of #afth and #aith ,december1 #ahcc1 containing what is said of your book on ,natural ,philosophy 7by ,gauss they say74 ,god bless you all1 and believe1 my dear nephew1 ,ever your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,feldhausen1 ,june #f1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,the twenty-foot has been in activity ever since the end of ,february1 and1 as ,i have now got the polishing apparatus erected and three mirrors 7one of which ,i mean to keep constantly polishing7 the sweeping gets on rapidly4 ,i had hardly begun regular sweeping1 when ,i discovered two beautiful planetary nebul1 exactly like planets1 and one of a fine blue colour4 ,i have not been unmindful of your hint about ,scorpio1 ,i am now rummaging the recesses of that constellation and find it full of beautiful globular clusters4 ,a few evenings ago ,i lighted on a strange nebula1 of which here is a figure6 and since ,i am about it ,i shall add a figure of one of the resolvable nebul in the greater magellanic cloud4 ,the equatorial is at last erected1 and the revolving roof 7upon a plan of my own7 works perfectly well1 but ,i am sorry to say that the nights in which it can be used to advantage are rare1 even rarer than in ,england1 as1 in spite of the clearness of the sky1 the stars are ill-defined and excessively tremulous4 ,but a truce to astronomical details6 though from time to time ,i shall continue to plague you with them4444 ,farewell2 ,m4 desires to add her kindest regards to those of ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahcd4 ,the ,landgravine of ,hesse4 ,the following letters from the ,princesses of ,hesse and ,dessau afford a pleasing memorial of the kind and affectionate interest which they lost no opportunity of expressing in ,miss ,herschel and her family4 ,,hanover1 ,june #aj1 #ahcd4 ,i yesterday received the enclosed note from my niece1 the ,dowager ,duchess of ,anhalt ,dessau1 but felt too unwell to send it as ,i could not write1 which ,i wished to do1 to thank you also for your great kindness about the book4 ,my niece writes in extasies with your good nature4 ,i am glad to learn from our dear ,sophy ,beckedorff that you are pretty well4 ,i trust to be well enough soon to see you1 but ,i am still weak and unlike myself4 ,it gave me very great pleasure to learn that you have had fresh accounts of your nephew1 who1 ,i pray ,god1 may be prosperous in all his very interesting and valuable undertakings4 ,i am happy of having this opportunity of assuring you of the sincerity of my regard4 ,,elise1 ,the ,dowager ,landgravine of ,hesse1 born ,princess of ,england4 ,,to ,,miss ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,enclosure4 ,,dessau1 ,june #f1 #ahcd4 ,miss ,caroline ,herschel finds here the expressions of my utmost gratitude for the great kindness to give me the so very interesting work of her nephew1 the worthy follower of a celebrated father4 ,the gentleman here1 a ,mr4 ,schwabe1 to whom it was destined1 looks with eager curiosity on the discoveries ,mr4 ,herschel will make in the new regions of heaven he is now examining1 and if she would be inclined1 after receiving any interesting news1 to make communication of it1 it would always be accepted with the best thanks of ,,fredrica1 ,duchess of ,anhalt ,dessau4 ,,miss ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sept4 #aa1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,your welcome letter of ,june #f ,i received on the #aith ,august 444 and ,i know not how to thank you sufficiently for the cheering account you give of the climate agreeing so well with you and all who are so dear to me1 and that you find all about you so agreeable and comfortable1 444 so that ,i have nothing left to wish for but a continuation of the same1 and that ,i may only live to see the handwriting of your dear ,caroline1 though ,i have my doubts about lasting till then1 for the thermometer standing #hj and #ij for upwards of two months1 day and night1 in my rooms 7to which ,i am mostly confined7 has made great havoc in my brittle constitution4 ,i beg you will look to it that she learns to make her figures as you will find them in your father's ,,mss41 such as he taught me to make4 ,the daughter of a mathematician must write plain figures4 ,my little grand-nephew making alliance with your workmen shews that he is taking after his papa4 ,i see you now in idea 7memory87 running about in petticoats among your father's carpenters1 working with little tools of your own1 and ,john ,wiltshire 7one of ,pitt's men1 whom you may perhaps remember71 crying out1 8,dang the boy1 if he can't drive in a nail as well as ,i can60 but pray take care that he does not come to harm1 and in your next tell me something of our little ,isabella1 too4 ,sidenote3 #ahcd4 ,a ,hole in the ,sky4 ,i thank you for the astronomical portion of your letter1 and for your promise of future accounts of uncommon objects4 ,it is not clusters of stars ,i want you to discover in the body of the ,scorpion 7or thereabout71 for that does not answer my expectation1 remembering having once heard your father1 after a long awful silence1 exclaim1 8,hier ist wahrhaftig ein ,loch im ,himmel60#dg and1 as ,i said before1 stopping afterwards at the same spot1 but leaving it unsatisfied1 c4444 ,about two months ago ,i was1 for the last time1 unfortunately1 at the theatre1 when ,professor ,schumacher and the ,chevalier ,kessel1 of ,danneburg1 called on me4 ,as soon as ,i came home ,i sent a note of invitation for the next evening1 but had one returned informing me of their leaving ,hanover next morning1 and a promise of coming perhaps next summer4 ,but ,i hear ,struve is coming1 and ,i hope ,i shall get a sight of him4 ,the ,emperor of ,russia and the ,king of ,denmark are cramming their observatories with astronomical instruments1 c41 of all descriptions1 made1 ,i believe1 some of them by ,hohenbaum4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,to my dear niece ,i beg you to give my best love and thanks for the kind arrangement to indemnify me for the loss of her dear letters1 by charging her brothers to inform me of all they know1 c41 which1 thank ,god1 is hitherto of the most comforting nature4 ,with the most heartfelt wishes for the continuance of the health of you all1 ,i remain1 c41 c41 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahce4 ,sir ,john ,herschel at the ,cape4 ,,from ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,feldhausen1 ,c4 ,g4 ,h41 ,feb4 #bb1 #ahce4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for my own part ,i never enjoyed such good health in ,england as ,i have done since ,i came here4 ,the first coming on of the hot season affected me a little 7odd enough with colds and rheumatisms71 but it soon went off4 ,the stars continue to be propitious1 and the nights which follow a shower1 or a 8black south-easter10 are the most observing nights it is possible to imagine4 ,i have swept well over ,scorpio1 and have many entries in my sweeping books of the kind you describe1 viz41 blank space in the heavens without the smallest star4 ,for example3-- ,r4,a4 #af;h #aem--,n4,p4,d4 #aac #ef--;a field without the smallest star4 ,r4,a4 #af #ai ,n4,p4,d4 #aaf #c--;,antares 7 ,scorpii47 ,r4,a4 #af #bc ,n4,p4,d4 #aad #be to #bad #e--;fields entirely void of stars4 ,r4,a4 #af #bf ,n4,p4,d4 #aad #ad not a star #afm--,nothing6 ,r4,a4 #af #bg ,n4,p4,d4 #aad #j not a star as far as #aad #aj4 and so on4 ,then come on the globular clusters1 then more blank fields1 then suddenly the ,milky ,way comes on as here described 7from my sweep #dgd1 ,july #bi1 #ahcd73-- 8#ag;h #bhm1 #aad #bg4--,the ,milky ,way comes on in large milky nebulous irregular patches and banks1 with few stars of visible magnitude1 after a succession of black fields and extremely rare stars above #ahth magnitude4 ,i do not remember ever to have seen the ,milky ,way so decidedly nebulous1 or1 indeed1 at all so1 before40 ,altogether the constitution of the ,milky ,way in its whole extent1 from ,scorpio to ,argo ,navis1 is extremely curious and interesting4 ,i have already collected a pretty large catalogue of southern nebul1 for the most part hitherto unobserved1 but my most remarkable object is a fine planetary nebula of a beautiful greenish-blue colour1 a full and intense tint 7not as when one says ,lyra is a bluish star1 c471 but a positive and evident blue1 between indigo-blue and verditer green4 ,it is about #ab in diameter1 exactly round1 or a very little elliptic1 and quite as sharply defined as a planet4 ,its place is #aa;h #dbm ,r4,a41 and #adf #ad ,n4,p4,d4 ,my review for double stars goes on in moonlight nights1 and among them ,i may mention ,lupi and ,chameleontis as among the closest and most interesting4 ,i have been hunting for ,halley's comet by ,rmker's ,ephemeris in ,taurus1 but without success1 though in the finest sky1 quite dark1 and with a newly-polished mirror4 7,by the way1 ,i should mention that ,i have not had the least difficulty in my polishing work1 and my mirrors are now more perfect than at any former time since ,i have used them47 ,my last comet hunt was ,feb4 #ah4 ,i shall1 however1 continue to look out for it4 ,pray mention this to ,schumacher1 who is ,rmker's next-door neighbour4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,a4 ,,de ,,morgan1 ,,esq41 ,,secretary ,,of ,,royal ,,astronomical ,,society4 ,march #i1 #ahce4 ,,sir1-- ,i return you many thanks for your communication of being chosen an ,honorary ,member of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 and beg you will do me the favour to convey my most heartfelt thanks to the honourable gentlemen of the ,council for conferring so great an honour on me2 and only regret that at the feeble age of #he ,i have no hope of making myself deserving of the great honour of seeing my name joined with that of the much distinguished ,mrs4 ,somerville4 ,i beg you will believe me to remain1 with great regard1 ,sir1 your most respectful and obliged humble servant1 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahce4 ,catalogues of ,stars4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,f4 ,,baily1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,april #b1 #ahce4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,i feel very great gratification at recollecting that some twenty years ago ,i had the pleasure of being present when you were conversing at ,slough with my dear brother1 for it encourages me to address you now as an old friend1 and ,i might almost say my only one1 for death has not spared me one of those valuable men of the last century in whose society ,i had an opportunity of spending many happy hours1 when they came to pass an astronomical night at ,bath1 ,datchet1 ,clay ,hall1 and ,slough4 ,and ,i should now in the absence of my nephew 7who would in my name have properly answered your kind letter for me7 been much at a loss how to reply to yours of ,march #ag4 ,but ,i hope1 dear ,sir1 you will have the goodness to return my sincere thanks to the ,council of the ,society for voting me a complete copy of their ,memoirs4 ,but1 considering my advanced age and declining health1 ,i think it best not to have them sent over to me1 for it would cause me much uneasiness to leave them in the hands of those who could neither read nor understand them4 ,i suppose my nephew must have himself a complete copy of the ,memoirs2 but1 if not1 ,i beg you will give them to him1 along with my love1 as a keepsake from his affectionate and grateful aunt1 the first opportunity you have to see him on his return4 ,your kind information of the work with which you are at present engaged1 touches a string which it has caused me no small trouble to silence2 for whenever my thoughts return to those two or three years of which every moment that could be spared from other immediate astronomical business was1 by my brother's desire1 allotted for comparing each star of the ,british ,catalogue with their observations in that incorrect edition of #agbe1 ,i feel always sorry that want of time1 and1 perhaps1 want of ability too1 must have been the cause of leaving many incorrections unnoticed4 ,the work1 however1 was solely intended for the use of my brother1 who valued ,flamsteed as an observer too much to have made use of any other but the ,british ,catalogue for determining the places of his newly-discovered objects4 ,n4,b4 ,we ought to remember that till the year #agij and #ahjj1 when ,wollaston's and ,bode's ,catalogues appeared1 we had no other to go by1 for those of ,piazzi and several other excellent observers were then not generally known4 ,but1 dear ,sir1 ,i ought to take leave of this to me interesting subject2 for finding1 about eight years since1 that1 on account of the failure of my eyes and wretched health in general1 ,i should be unable to make further use of ,flamsteed's works1 ,i gave the three volumes1 along with the ,atlas1 ,catalogue of ,omitted ,stars1 c41 to the ,observatory of ,gttingen1 all marked throughout with what corrections ,i knew of at that time2 thinking they might be of use to the observer there1 and relieve me besides from the fear of leaving them where they could not be appreciated1 or an attempt be made to comment on them1 and perhaps have made bad worse4 ,i wish 7but almost fear life will not be spared me so long7 to see your new edition of the ,british ,catalogue1 therefore beg you will favour me with a copy as early as possible4 ,i never knew that there was a ,biography of ,flamsteed's existing1 and trust you will favour me with the same as soon as you can4 ,any small parcels of astronomical papers will come to me by favour of ,herr ,schumacher in ,altona1 who is so kind as to send me his ,astronom4 ,nachrichten regularly for my amusement4 ,and if you could send me the names of the ,president and of the gentlemen of the present ,council1 it would greatly oblige me4 ,i hope you will pardon my having intruded so long on your time1 but it has ever been my fault to be tedious in expressing my thoughts on paper2 but will now only add that1 with great esteem and regard1 ,i remain1 my dear ,sir1 ,your humble servant1 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahce4 ,letters4 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,royal ,,hospital1 ,,chelsea1 ,april #af1 #ahce4 ,,dear ,,madam1-- ,i have sincere pleasure in availing myself of the opportunity of writing to you which the ,astronomical ,society of ,london has afforded me1 by placing my name in the number of ,honorary ,members1 and greatly adding to the value of that distinction by associating my name with yours1 to which ,i have looked up with so much admiration4 ,my object in writing is to request that you will accept of a copy of my book on the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 which is offered with great deference1 having been written for a very different class of readers4 ,i am proud of the friendship of your nephew1 the worthy son of such a father1 who is succeeding so well in his glorious undertaking at the ,cape4 ,i have seen a letter of the #bgth ,january1 when they were all well and prospering4 ,i remain1 dear ,madam1 ,with sincere esteem1 ,very truly yours1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,april #bc1 #ahce4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,your own dear letter arrived containing such a volume of joyful news1 conveyed in the most kindest expressions1 as if chosen for the purpose to cheer the heart of feeble age4 ,i was then not able 7nor am ,i so now7 to thank you as ,i could wish for your sparing so much of your valuable time and strength for the purpose of making me a partaker of your domestic happiness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have now received in all five letters1 two by your own hands1 and three by my nephew4 ,each time after having read them over again they are put by1 under thanksgiving to the ,almighty1 with a prayer for future protection4 444 ,writing to my absent friends is one of the most laborious employments ,i could fly to when under bodily and1 of course1 mental sickness1 for it is not impossible ,i might1 instead of making inquiry about my little precious grand-nephew and the young ladies who play1 sing1 and sew so prettily1 write1 8,o6 my back4 ,o6 ,i have the cramp here1 there1 c40 ,i had intended to keep a day-book to note down how and where ,i spent my time1 and what was passing about me1 which was to have served for yours and my nephew's amusement some day or other4 ,but this ,i have given up long since1 for seeing nothing but lapses of weeks and months where ,i could have given no better account of myself than that1 after the fatigue of getting up and dressing1 ,i fell asleep on the sofa1 with a newspaper or other uninteresting subject in my hands1 this would only have put me in mind of the useless life ,i am leading now4 ,but within the last two months ,i have been obliged to exert myself once more to answer two letters1 one to ,mr4 ,de ,morgan1 the ,secretary of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 the other to ,mr4 ,baily 7who ,i suppose is ,president71 for they have been pleased to choose me1 along with ,mrs4 ,somerville1 to be a member 7,god knows what for7 of their ,society4 ,this1 and receiving visits of congratulation 7for congratulate they must about all they find--what they call promotion--in the ,zeitungen7 has really somewhat disturbed me1 though ,captain ,mller and ,mr4 ,hausmann ,i am always glad to see2 with them ,i can talk about my nephew1 for they know him personally1 and admire him4 ,the winter else has passed away rather heavily1 because the ,landgrfin not being here1 ,i had no other opportunity for seeing anything to put me in mind of ,england1 but going to eight or ten concerts1 and those1 ill or well1 ,i never missed1 for there ,i was always sure to be noticed by the ,duke of ,cambridge as his countrywoman 7and that is what ,i want1 ,i will be no ,hanoverian671 and then inquiries are made about my nephew and his family2 even the little princess1 twelve years old1 who sometimes when there1 comes to give me her hand1 asking if ,i have had any letters from the ,cape2 but now ,i have seen the last of them1 for the family go to ,england1 and will be absent for many months1 and where may ,i be when they return8 ,but ,sunday night ,i sat a full hour on the sofa with the ,duke at ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's1 where ,i go ,sundays from seven to nine1 where there is nobody but the female part of ,mrs4 ,b4's family1 and another old lady1 who was absent on account of being not well4 ,of this our meeting the good ,duke knew all along1 and good-naturedly came to join our gossip4 ,sidenote3 #ahce4 ,newton and ,flamsteed4 ,here ,i have filled my paper with talking of nothing but myself1 because ,i know that my nephew corresponds with all scientific men in ,europe1 for ,i hear frequently of extracts having appeared in the papers 7of his communications7 by ,struve1 ,littrow1 c41 and should suppose he will also know what is done at our ,society1 of which ,i now am a fellow6 and is of course acquainted with what ,mr4 ,baily mentioned in his letter to me1 that at the public expense a new edition of ,flamsteed's work is now in print1 and that papers have been found at the ,royal ,society containing a biography by ,flamsteed's own hands1 which--but here ,i transcribe what ,mr4 ,b4 writes3--8,i lament very much1 in common with every friend of science1 that ,newton's name is mixed up with transactions that show him in a different light from that in which we have generally received his character4 ,but justice to ,flamsteed's memory would not allow me to suppress any portion of his autobiography40 ,now we talk of biographies1 ,i have no less than nine of my poor brother1 and heard of two more1 one by ,zach1 which ,i shall try to get sight of4 ,there is but one or two which are bordering on truth1 the rest being stuff1 not worth while to fret about4 ,the best is accompanied with a miniature of ,reberg's bad copy2 but ,i have ordered a lithograph copy to be taken from the portrait by ,artaud2 if it turns out correct ,i will send two copies as soon as they come out4 ,god bless you both1 and the dear children1 my best niece4 ,ever your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,p4 ,,stewart1 ,,esq4#dh ,may #be1 #ahce4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let the time come whenever it may please ,god1 ,i leave cash enough behind to clear me from all and any obligations to all who here do know me4 ,even the expenses of a respectable funeral lie ready to enable my friend ,mrs4 ,beckedorff1 and one of my nieces 7the widow of ,amptmann ,knipping1#di who lately came to settle at ,hanover7 to fulfil my directions4 ,i hope you will pardon my troubling you with such doleful subjects1 but ,i wish to show you that my income is by one third more than ,i have the power to spend1 for by a twelve years' trial ,i find that ,i cannot get rid of more than #fjj thl4 #ajj per year1 without making myself ridiculous4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,august #f1 #ahce4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,i dare not wait any longer for a return of better spirits1 such as in which ,i should like to reply to my nephew's dated ,february #bbnd1 and yours of ,may #aith1 for ,i fear if ,i do not at least acknowledge the receipt of them1 ,i shall not be gladdened again by such delightful descriptions of your health and healthful situation1 and my nephew's contentment with the successful progress he is making in his intended observations4 ,at first1 on reading them1 ,i could turn wild1 but this is only a flash1 for soon ,i fall in a reverie of what my dear nephew's father would have felt if such letters could have been directed to him1 and cannot suppress my wish that his life instead of mine had been spared until this present moment2 for what immense and wonderful discoveries have not been made within these thirteen years1 chiefly by his own son1 or son's suggestion6 ,sidenote3 #ahce4 ,present of ,constantia4 ,but ,i must stop here and turn to more earthly and indifferent subjects 7though they ought not to be called indifferent neither71 for in the first place ,i have to return my thanks for no less than three dozen of ,constantia wine1 but this ,i shall do but with a very bad grace1 for ever since the #aath of ,may1 when ,i received my nephew's letter1 ,i have been in the fidgets about the trouble he and his friends must have had before such a thing could reach me4444 ,i feel more reconciled after unburdening myself of some of this weighty concern by making presents to all who love and esteem you so truly1 and after setting apart a portion1 according to ,captain ,mller's advice1 with which you may be treated when at your return you may perhaps visit ,hanover again1 there remains more than ever ,i can get through with1 for ,i am very desirous to spin out the thread of my life till you return home4 ,and ,i know it is a mistaken notion that old folks want more of what they call comfort than young ones4 ,it is not very easy to find out what will convey comfort in general4444 ,i1 for instance1 know of no other comforts like those ,i derive from yours and my dear niece's letters4 ,her last leaves me nothing to wish for4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,you compliment me on having a steady hand1 but if you were to see the blotting ,i make before ,i can make it hang together 7when ,i am composing1 as it were1 a letter7 you would not say so1 and1 after all1 it will cause you some trouble to understand me1 for the letter begins to my dear niece1 and soon after ,i find myself talking to you4444 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,fellhausen1 ,oct4 #bd1 #ahce4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,the last accounts we have of you are that you are elected a member of the ,astronomical ,society1 and that to keep you in countenance1 and prevent your being the only lady among so many gentlemen1 you have for a colleague and sister member1 ,mrs4 ,somerville4 ,now this is well imagined1 and we were not a little pleased to hear it4 ,may you long enjoy your well-earned laurels6 ,as ,i presume our news will interest you more than comments upon what goes on in ,europe1 in the first place be it known to you1 that we are all well and1 thank ,heaven1 happy4 ,the children1 one and all1 thrive uncommonly4444 ,the stars go on very well1 though for the last two months the weather has been chiefly cloudy1 which has hitherto prevented me seeing ,halley's comet4 ,encke's 7yours7 escaped me1 owing to trees and the ,table ,mountain1 though ,i cut away a good gap in our principal oak avenue to get at it4 ,however1 ,maclear1 at the ,observatory1 succeeded in getting three views of it with the fourteen-foot ,newtonian of my father's 7the ,glasgow telescope7 on the #adth1 #aith1 and 787 #bdth of ,september4 ,if you have an opportunity of letting this become known to ,encke1 pray do so--7,i shall write to him shortly myself74 ,it was in or near the calculated place1 but no measures could be got4 ,i have now very nearly gone over the whole southern heavens1 and over much of it often4 ,so that after another season of reviewing1 verifying1 and making up accounts 7reducing and bringing in order the observations7 we shall be looking homewards4 ,in short1 ,i have1 to use a homely phrase1 broken the neck of the work1 and my main object now is to secure and perfect what is done1 and get all ready to begin printing the moment we arrive in ,england2 or1 if that is not possible1 at least to have no more calculation to do4444 ,sidenote3 #ahce4 ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,,from ,h4,r4,h4 ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,cambridge4 ,,hanover1 ,nov4 #ai1 #ahce4 ,the ,duke of ,cambridge hastens to acknowledge the receipt of ,miss ,herschel's very obliging note1 and to return his many thanks for her attention in sending him some of the ,constantia she has lately received from her nephew4 ,he seizes this opportunity of assuring her of the satisfaction he felt at hearing that ,mr4 ,herschel and his family were in good health1 and he sincerely hopes that the climate of the ,cape will agree with them4 ,,francis ,,baily ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 #cg1 ,,tavistock ,,place1 ,,london1 ,jan4 #bi1 #ahcf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,madam1-- ,i forwarded some time since1 to ,professor ,schumacher1 a copy of my 8,account of ,flamsteed10 to be sent to you2 and which he says was duly transmitted4 ,i am anxious to know whether it has arrived safe1 for1 as only a limited number of copies were printed 7which are all distributed7 it cannot be purchased4 ,i have been the more desirous that you should have a copy1 because there is no one that has taken so much pains to elucidate and explain the works of ,flamsteed as yourself1 and therefore ,i am bound in gratitude to see that you are put in possession of a copy of the work4 ,i shall take this opportunity of stating that ,i hear occasionally from your nephew at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 and that the last accounts confirmed his continuance in good health1 and his enjoyment of the pleasures of the fine climate in which he is placed4 ,i remain1 my dear madam1 with the assurance of my best respects1 and my best wishes for your health and happiness1 ,your very obedient servant1 ,,francis ,,baily4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,f4 ,,baily1 ,,esq4 ,,hanover1 ,feb4 #ae1 #ahcf4 ,,dear ,,sir1-- ,i am quite at a loss for terms in which to apologize for having neglected to acknowledge the receiving of your valuable ,catalogue and biography of our dear ill-used ,flamsteed1 which was forwarded to me by the usual kindness and punctuality of ,prof4 ,schumacher on the #ith ,october last4 ,the same packet also contained ,mrs4 ,somerville's second edition 8,on the ,connexion10 c41 accompanied by a kind note1 dated as far back as ,april #afth1 which1 to my sorrow1 is also still left unanswered on account of illness1 and in the hope that when the days are somewhat longer 7my eyes fail me71 and that with the return of spring ,i might perhaps regain some small portion of strength--but ,i doubt4 ,the parcel also contained duplicates of my nephew's second series1 and on the satellites of ,uranus1 and ,i must trust that on his return he will convey my grateful thanks to you1 sir1 and the gentlemen1 for all the kind attention conferred on me during his absence4 ,my last letter from the ,cape is dated ,october #bdth1 and ,i am much gratified by your kindness in having informed my nephew of the wish ,i have that the volumes of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society's publications voted to me might be kept for him1 and he seems much pleased with the arrangement4 ,i therefore would recommend them to your obliging care till his return4 ,the volume of your 8,account of ,flamsteed0 must be my companion to the last1 but ,i will take care it shall be safely delivered to my nephew4 ,if ,i will not lose another post ,i must conclude with the assurance of ever remaining with great regard1 ,my dear ,sir1 ,your much obliged and humble servant1 ,c4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahcf4 ,southern ,stars4 ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,march #h1 #ahcf4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,maggie desires me to finish this for her1 but she has not left me room to write at length4 ,so ,i will only devote this space to one point in your last letter which requires reply4 ,i have not got ,gauss's apparatus1 and ,i am not sufficiently acquainted with his method of observing to construct one for myself4 ,besides which it is quite out of my power to undertake any extensive series of observations1 being anxious to get home1 and having still so much to do1 both in observation and reduction1 that ,i really shall hardly be able to accomplish all ,i have already in hand4 ,this comet ,halley's has been a great interruption to my sweeps1 and ,i hope and fear it may yet be visible another month4 ,unluckily when ,i sailed from ,england ,i left all my volumes of ,poggendorff and the ,nachrichten behind me1 and none of the former and very few of the latter have reached me here4 ,i fear it is now too late to send home for anything1 and ,i have two series of observations1 viz41 of the comparative brightness of the southern stars1 and of the photometric estimation of their magnitudes--the former just commencing1 the latter not yet begun1 which ,i must do4 ,pray explain this to ,gauss4444 ,astronomical news ,i have little1 but one thing very remarkable ,i must tell you1 ,virginis is now a single star in both the twenty-foot and the seven-foot equatorial666 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,june #bi1 #ahcf4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,i do not know where to begin1 for ,i see it is nearly a twelvemonth since ,i gave some account of myself1 and in all that time never returned my thanks for the three letters ,i received4444 ,i have a great deal to say1 and will begin with accounting for my long silence1 by confessing that ,i have throughout the whole winter been too ill to do anything besides nursing myself1 and putting myself in a condition to appear before strangers1 which ,i am not able to do till after twelve or one at noon1 and the time which ,i wanted to rest after my exertion and getting my breakfast was generally taken up by pacifying the gulls about the foolish paragraphs they had been reading the night before in the ,clubs4 ,i never read1 or would read1 any of them1 but when ,i heard of anything appearing rational concerning you1 ,i copied or procured the paper for myself1 and then ,i found among the rest a letter of yours to ,professor ,plana1 in ,turin1 dated ,december #bhth1 #ahcd4 ,and not being able to do anything of use to you myself1 ,i begged ,capt4 ,mller to cause those observations of ,june #bast1 c41 to be made by somebody here in ,hanover1 and the enclosed letter will1 ,i hope1 meet with a gracious reception4444 ,i believe ,dr4 ,heere will not fail the next equinox to be at his post1 and you may hear more of him4 ,sidenote3 #ahcf4 ,her ,brother's ,portrait4 ,capt4 ,mller is at present with ,gauss1 and will deliver all your messages personally1 for you must know ,i beware of corresponding with all those known ones if ,i can possibly help it1 and have through his hands sent copies of your father's likeness to ,struve1 ,schumacher1 ,gauss1 ,bessel1 ,encke1 ,olbers1 c4 ,gauss sent me word it was hung up in his library4 ,encke sent me a very pretty letter of thanks4 444 ,that sending is an ugly thing4 ,mrs4 ,somerville sent me her book with a letter dated ,april #afth1 which ,i received ,october #ith1 coming along with ,mr4 ,baily's publication1 presented by the ,lords ,commissioners of the ,admiralty to ,miss ,herschel4 ,you cannot think how agitated ,i feel on such occasions1 coming to me with such things6--an old poor sick creature in her dotage4444 ,i was going to say something yet of ,mr4 ,baily's labours1 but the paper is at an end2 but ,i hope you will now soon read in your own library at ,slough what the 8,quarterly ,review10 ,no4 ,,cix41 says1 and what your ,cambridge friend ,whewell and others have said--in short1 ,newton remains ,newton6 ,god bless my dear nephew and niece6444 ,my heart is too full--,i can say no more than that ,i am your affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,october #bj1 #ahcf4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,from ,june #ad to ,october the #ast1 and not any the least account1 was rather too much for me to bear1 especially during the months when those few friends who sometimes cheer me by a friendly call had all left the town to make summer excursions4444 ,i have a few memorandums for my nephew1 and will for the present take leave of my dear niece with my most heartfelt wishes that every future account with which ,i may yet be blessed from her dear hand may be like the last4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,i have four complete years of the ,astronom4 ,nachrichten ready bound for you4444 ,i wished to give you the number of the paper 7but cannot find it again7 where ,bessel speaks of ,saturn's satellites1 but my eyes are so dim1 and ,i am too unwell for doing anything4 ,i will therefore only say he has seen the #fth but not the #gth1 the ring being in the way4 ,in ,no4 #bic1 two of ,bessel's assistants1 ,beer and ,mdler1 say a great deal about the observations of your father1 but that goes all for nothing4 ,i will only say in general that he did in one season more than any one else could have done1 and would have resumed the hunt the next fifteen years if nothing had interfered4 ,and the ,georgium ,sidus was followed as long as anything could be obtained from that planet1 and it will yet be some twenty years before he will be in that favourable situation in the ecliptic where he was at the time when the satellites were discovered4 ,i have seen ,struve's ,catalogue of ,double ,stars1 wherein ,i find he agrees with your and your father's observations4444 ,do not think1 my dear nephew1 that ,i would expose myself so as to say a word about these things to anybody else1 but to you ,i cannot help letting it out when ,i am nettled4 ,i must leave off gossiping1 else ,i shall not get this letter away1 in which you will find ,dr4 ,h4's barometrical observations1 which ,i received a few days ago4444 ,sidenote3 #ahcf-ahcg4 ,spots in the ,sun4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,cape ,,of ,,good ,,hope1 ,jan4 #aj1 #ahcg4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am now at work on the spots in the sun1 and the general subject of solar radiation1 which you know occupied a large portion of my father's attention4 ,the present is an admirable opportunity for studying these things1 as the sun is infested now with spots to a greater degree than ever ,i knew it1 and they are arranged over its surface in a manner singularly interesting and instructive4 ,the sky here is so pure and clear in our summer that it would be a shame to neglect such an opportunity of making experiments on heat1 and accordingly ,i have been occupied in the ,december solstice in determining the constant of solar radiation1 that is to say1 the absolute quantity of heat sent down to the earth's surface from the sun at noon1 or at a vertical incidence4 ,i do not think ,i have ever mentioned to you a remarkable and splendid instance of liberality on the part of ,his ,grace of ,northumberland1 who has taken upon himself to defray the expenses of publishing my observations at the ,cape1 and that in a manner the most delicate and considerate imaginable4 ,in consequence 8my book0 will appear1 when it does appear1 under his auspices1 and ,i hope it will not do discredit to his munificence4 ,this is not the only1 nor the most remarkable1 instance however1 of his attachment to the cause of science1 and his disposition to promote and support it4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,march #cj1 #ahcg4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,i have for the last five months been in continued fear of losing ,mrs4 ,beckedorff 7to whom ,i could confide all my grievances74 ,she is worn out with a cough and breaking up of constitution1 and we but seldom can come together1 which is when ,i am able to cross the street to go to her4444 ,i experience a daily increase of pain and feebleness1 so that ,i am 7at least during this severe weather7 totally confined to my solitary home2 and what is worse1 my eyes will not serve me to amuse myself with reading4 ,but what business had ,i to live so very long8 ,sidenote3 #ahcg4 ,saturn4 ,,from ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,feldhausen1 ,may #g1 #ahcg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,illustration3 ,saturn 444 ,i will try to entertain you with some celestial affairs in which it is delightful to find you still taking so much interest4 ,as you allude to ,saturn's satellites in your letter of ,october #bj1 ,i must tell you that ,i have at last got decisive observations of the sixth satellite 7the farthest of my father's new ones74 ,i had all but given the search up in despair1 when no longer ago than last ,thursday 7,may #dth inst471 being occupied in taking measures of the angles of position of the five old satellites with the twenty-foot and a polished new mirror1 behold1 there stood ,mr4 ,sixth6 a little short of its preceding elongation4 ,i have kept it well in sight from #ad;h #bfm ,sid4 ,t4 till #af;h #cem1 in which time it had advanced visibly in its orbit from below the line of the ans 7as in figure7 to above4 ,in this interval the planet had moved over fully one diameter of the body towards the preceding side1 and1 therefore1 had it been a star1 must have passed over it1 whereas it preserved the same apparent distance all the while from the edge of the ring4 7,n4,b4 ,saturn not very far from the zenith on merid47 ,next night1 ,friday1 ,may #e1 ,saturn most gloriously seen3 quite as sharp as any copper-plate engraving1 with power #bdj and full aperture4 ,all the five old satellites seen and measured1 being now on the opposite side4 ,now considerably short of its greatest following elongation2 distance just as before2 and1 as on ,thursday1 it was kept in view long enough for ,saturn to have left it behind by its own motion had it been a star4 ,the change of situation agrees perfectly with the period #a;d #i;h1 which is also the reason why it was not seen ,may #eth1 being on that night near its inferior conjunction4 ,so this is at last a thing made out4 ,as for ,no4 ,seven ,i have no hope of ever seeing it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4 ,if your eyesight will not suffer from it1 do write to ,bessel4 ,i am sure he will be interested by this observation1 as he is the only astronomer who troubles himself about the system of ,saturn4 ,i shall myself write to him shortly about it1 but should like to have a few more observations4 ,so now farewell once more1 and1 with many kind remembrances to all ,hanoverian friends1 ,believe me1 your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,june #aa1 #ahcg4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,from ,mr4 ,schumacher ,i receive each paper as it comes from the press1 but always with a feeling of uneasiness1 because ,i am not one of those who can contribute anything to their valuable communications1 nor even understand all which my defective eyes allow me to read4 ,but they interest me exceedingly when ,i think what you will say4 ,for instance1 to a paper of twenty-two quarto pages1 by ,bessel1 8ber den ,einfluss der ,unregelmssigkeiten der ,erde1 auf geodetische ,arbeiten und ihre ,vergleichung mit den astronomischen ,bestimmungen40#ej ,perhaps you may have received these papers before this reaches you1 but if any are lost by the way1 ,i collect them for you2 but ,i fear ,i shall not see the day of all the wonders coming to light when you return with your budget4444 444 ,i must conclude1 for writing at any time makes me sad2 and since ,i began this letter the notice of the death of our ,king has arrived1 and the ,duke of ,cumberland has been this day proclaimed ,king of ,hanover4 ,it makes me feel as if ,i was doubly separated from ,england1 for your ,king is now no longer my ,king4 ,and we lose the ,duke of ,cambridge1 who was ever so kind to me wherever he saw me4 ,last winter he introduced me to his brother1 then ,duke of ,cumberland1 who was here on a visit1 at the concert1 who spoke to me of you first as my son1 but recollected himself that ,i was only aunt4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had illuminated my front rooms with twenty candles 7snuffed them all myself1 for ,betty was out to see the show7 on the evening of the ,king's arrival1 and so ,i shall again next ,saturday or ,sunday1 when the ,queen is expected4 ,more ,i cannot do6444 444 ,my head becomes crowded with melancholy forebodings of my not lasting so long as to hear of your safe return to your home and the friends which ,i think are only to be found in happy ,england2 so1 instead of tracing my gloomy imaginations on paper1 ,i go to sleep till ,betty rouses me with a cup of coffee4444 ,but all ,i hear of you is told in a tone of admiration1 c41 c41 and it is felt by me like a drop of oil supplying my expiring lamp4 ,sidenote3 #ahcg4 ,sir ,john ,herschel's ,return4 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,cape ,,of ,,good ,,hope1 ,sept4 #g1 #ahcg4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,i need hardly say how much we are rejoiced to see your handwriting once more1 though that joy is damped by your complaints of winter indisposition4 ,and such a winter6 by all accounts4 ,may this prove a better6 and may we hope to find you in no worse health and spirits when we come to see you next summer in ,hanover4 ,for so1 if it please ,god to lead us safe home1 according to our present altered plans1 we most assuredly propose to do4 ,i say our altered plans1 for you know our intention was to have embarked next ,march for ,rio ,janeiro1 and there to have spent two or three months1 after which to have taken passage in the ,brazilian packet for ,england1 which would have probably detained us till ,october1 and have rendered a visit to ,hanover that season impracticable4 ,but by striking off this ,brazilian trip1 and taking our course directly homewards1 so much time will be saved1 and all the rest of our domestic arrangements become so much simplified that it seems like finding a treasure1 as a fund of time will thereby be placed at our disposal1 the first fruits of which1 as in all love and duty bound1 we have determined to devote to you2 or rather1 ,i should say1 that1 when in talking over with ,margaret all the pro's and con's of the question1 whether to return home direct1 or vi ,brazil8--this consideration at once decided it in favour of the direct course1 her desire to see you outweighing every consideration of amusement or temporary gratification which a visit to ,rio could offer4 ,so now be sure1 dear aunty1 and keep yourself well1 and let us find you in your best looks and spirits2 and1 although what you say respecting our good ,mrs4 ,beckedorff's health is somewhat deplorable1 yet ,i will indulge the hope that she too will perform a part in the dramatis person of that happy meeting4 ,meanwhile1 as the time of our departure hence approaches1 we shall take care and apprise you of all our movements1 respecting which it is impossible at present to speak more precisely4 ,,from ,h4,r4,h4 ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,cambridge4 ,,cambridge ,,house1 ,may #ah1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dear ,,madam1-- ,having just been informed by the newspapers that your nephew is safely landed in this country1 ,i hasten to write you a few lines by this night's mail to congratulate you most sincerely on this event1 which ,i know will give you pleasure4 ,i am unable to send you any further details about him or his family1 as ,i am not aware if he is arrived as yet in town1 and should this not be the case1 my letter will perhaps be the first to give you this welcome news1 which ,i shall certainly be delighted at4 ,i trust you continue enjoying your health2 and with best wishes1 c41 c41 ,yours most sincerely1 ,,adolphus4 ,sidenote3 #ahch4 ,return of ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,london1 ,may #bj1 #ahch4 ,here we are1 my dear aunt1 at last1 safely landed and housed1 all in good health and1 as you may suppose1 in good spirits at our return4 ,we ourselves and our six little ones were very comfortable during our nine weeks' voyage in the good ship ,windsor1 which is lying snug and sound in the river at ,blackwall1 with all our things on board1 telescopes and all 7as well as the astronomical results of our expedition74 ,we left our ship1 however1 at the entrance of the ,channel1 and got to ,london in a steamer under the flag of ,king ,leopold1 of ,belgium1 which1 having been to ,glasgow to take in her machinery1 was returning without passengers1 not yet being fitted up for their reception4 ,this was a most opportune and unexpected piece of good fortune1 as ,i assure you we found most sensibly1 by the non-arrival of the ship till this morning1 having been four days longer at sea1 beating about against contrary winds4 ,i have more particulars to tell than would fill this paper1 which ,i must reserve till our meeting1 which will not now be longer delayed than is indispensable for getting our baggage on shore1 and passing it through the ,custom ,house1 and transporting it by a barge to ,windsor1 and so to ,slough4 ,i hope and trust to find you as well in health as your two letters to ,john ,stewart and ,mary ,baldwin allow us to suppose4444 ,the visit promised in the foregoing letter was paid in ,july1 when ,sir ,john ,herschel1 accompanied by his little son1 spent a few days with his aunt1 whose intense anxiety as to the proper treatment of her little grand-nephew--his sleep1 his food1 his playthings--kept her in a constant state of alarm on his account4 8,i10 she writes1 8rather suffered him to hunger than would let him eat anything hurtful2 indeed1 ,i would not let him eat anything at all without his papa was present40 ,great as was the joy of the dear venerable lady to rest her aged eyes once more on almost the only living being upon whom she poured some of that wealth of affection with which her heart never ceased to overflow1 it is on the disappointments and shortcomings of those few precious days that she dwells2 and1 if she could have felt resentment towards her nephew1 it would have been roused by the abrupt termination of his visit4 ,her lamentations are piteous4 ,solely with the intention of sparing her feelings1 her nephew went away without letting her know the exact time beforehand of his departure1 and made no formal leave-taking1 when he bade her good-night to return to his inn4 ,to her infinite dismay and distress1 she found that he and his son had quitted ,hanover at four o'clock on the following morning4 ,it was kindly intended1 but it was a mistake that gave intense pain4 ,her introduction to her little grand-nephew is described as follows by his father3-- ,sidenote3 #ahch4 ,visit from her ,grand-nephew4 444 8,now let me tell you how things fell out4 ,dr4 ,groskopff took ,willie with him to aunty1 but without saying who he was4 ,says she1 #8,what little boy is that8' ,says he1 #8,the son of a friend of mine4 ,ask him his name4' ,however1 ,willie would not tell his name4 #8,where do you come from1 little fellow8' #8,from the ,cape of ,good ,hope1' says ,willie4 #8,what is that he says8' #8,he says he comes from the ,cape of ,good ,hope4' #8,ay8 and who is he8 ,what is his name8' #8,his name is ,herschel4' #8,yes1' says ,willie1 #8,william ,james ,herschel4' #8,ach1 mein ,gott6 das ist nicht mglich2 ist dieser meines ,neffen's ,sohn8' ,and so it all came out1 and when ,i came to her all was understood1 and we sat down and talked as quietly as if we had parted but yesterday4444 8,groskopff1 by the way1 was recounting a strange feat which1 to give you some notion of the sort of person 7par rapport au physique71 she performed1 not longer than half a year ago4 ,remember it is a person of eighty-eight or eighty-nine of whom we are speaking4 ,well6 what do you say of such a person being able to put her foot behind her back and scratch her ear1 in imitation of a dog1 with it1 in one of her merry moods80 ,the 8,day-,book10 as already stated1 had been recommenced in the year #ahcc4 ,the first volume of the new ,day-,book concludes in ,may1 #ahcg1 with comments on ,baily's account of ,flamsteed1 and recollections of days spent at ,greenwich in #agii1 when she had seen and wondered at the piles of manuscripts accumulated there4 8,dr4 ,maskelyne was not indifferent to the stores of observations of his predecessor1 for he even attempted to make me undertake the examination of some of ,halley's scribblings on fragments of waste paper to see if they might not belong to some star or other4 ,but such things cannot be done in a moment1 and the parcel was restored to its dusty shelf4 ,poor ,dr4 ,maskelyne had but one assistant1 with a salary of #gj a-year1 whom ,i once heard lament that all the planets happened to pass the meridian in the night-time60 ,the entries are chiefly of the numerous visitors she received1 but there are frequent intervals of several months when illness or disinclination to write prevented her continuing her ,journal regularly4 ,the ,english ,quarterly and ,monthly ,reviews and newspapers1 and ,james's novels1 supplied her with constant reading1 and every allusion to her brother's or her nephew's labours is carefully noted4 ,it is evident that she still was in the habit of taking ample notes of any book that interested her1 in spite of complaints of the growing failure of sight1 and that1 when tolerably well1 no day was considered altogether satisfactory which was passed in solitude4 ,it was in ,may1 #ahcc1 that she moved to ,no4 #cgf1 ,braunschweiger ,strasse1 and here she continued to dwell for the remainder of her days4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,july #cj1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,i hope that when you receive this my dear nephew1 with his precious charge 7little ,william71 will be safely restored to your longing arms1 and that he may have found you1 with all the little family1 in perfect health4 ,i wish to be assured by a few lines from your dear hands as soon as possible1 for ,i cannot divest myself of a fear that the botheration and intrusion of some of the stupid ,hanoverians must have been very inconvenient to him4 ,to which may be added the change of weather from excessive heat to very cold and wet1 to which at this present moment 7as far as ,i know7 they are still exposed1 for ,i think they must be now in ,hamburg4444 ,sidenote3 #ahch4 ,sir ,j4 ,herschel at ,home again4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,london1 ,aug4 #f1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,willie and ,i arrived in ,london safe and hearty on ,friday night about eight o'clock1 and ,i am happy to say we found all here quite well--both mamma and all the little folks1 who1 as you may easily imagine1 were in great joy1 and full of enquiries about you and about all our adventures in foreign parts4 ,grandmamma ,stewart1 and all her circle also1 with exception of poor ,james ,s4 7who is1 however1 much better1 and we hope permanently71 are well1 and join us in kind enquiries after you4 ,i found here my cousin1 ,thomas ,baldwin1 and his excellent and most amiable wife4 ,cousin ,mary had left us1 and was returned to ,anstey4 ,i found ,dr4 ,olbers well1 and have to thank you1 in his name1 for the ,cape wine1 a bottle of which was produced at dinner the day ,i dined there4 ,i assure you it was drank in good company1 being associated 7not mixed7 with ,hock of #bdj years of age66 ,dr4 ,o4 is weak and corpulent1 but is otherwise in the full enjoyment of his mental faculties1 and in good spirits4 ,i could not persuade myself to encounter a regular parting with you1 and1 in fact1 ,i found the distance to ,bremen so much greater1 on enquiry1 than ,i had fancied it1 that it was necessary to leave ,hanover at four a4m41 which1 of course1 prevented all further meeting4 ,we shall be most anxious to hear from you4 ,m4 will write in a day or two 7and so will the children7 to thank you for all your kind remembrances of them1 and for the many pretty and valuable things you have sent2 and till then1 believe me1 ,my dear aunt1 ,ever your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,aug4 #ba1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- ,by the arrival of your letter of the #fth ,i was relieved from my fears for the safety of you and your dear little fellow-traveller1 almost a week sooner than ,i had reason to hope4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,i had so longed for a few hours of confidential conversation with you which would have spared me the unpleasant task of writing about earthly matters4444 ,my good neighbours came to wish me joy1 and congratulate me on having seen my glorious nephew and his son 7who has left no few admirers behind1 ,i can tell you74 ,dr4 ,mhry has lost a sister1 a solitary old maid1 like myself1 whom they could not leave till she was buried4 ,but she was in some respects better off than ,i1 for ,i found it necessary to order all these matters myself4 ,miss ,beckedorff and ,mde4 ,knipping will at my death have to deliver a sealed packet to ,dr4 ,groskopff1 my executor1 in which1 on his opening in their presence1 he will find the means requisite for discharging all the items specified in an enclosed memorandum of directions4 ,such matters ,i had wished to talk over with you1 thinking it not unnecessary you should know a little about the way in which ,i have always managed my affairs4 ,as soon as ,i was left to myself1 in the year #aghh1 ,i kept a book strictly accounting for my expenses1 which was to serve as a voucher of the orderly life ,i led4 ,but being frequently under the necessity of assisting one or other of my1 as ,i thought1 poor 7but say extravagant7 relations1 ,i began to keep a spare box1 by way of showing to what extent ,i have thus robbed myself4444 ,i am sorry to trouble you with such details1 but ,i find myself so unwell at present that ,i cannot rest till ,i have cautioned you not to ask any question about me of any one1 for nobody knows anything about me--my confidence in ,mrs4 ,beckedorff1 even1 can only be partial1 as we can only see each other so seldom4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahch4 ,letter to ,lady ,herschel4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,sept4 #bd1 #ahch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i see by the postscripts you directed my nephew to add to your letter that you know exactly what will make his poor old aunt happy2 and ,i must beg you to make my peace with my dear little ,william1 for ,i fear the angry looks ,i gave him when seeing him climbing too high on an open window two stories above the pavement1 can have left no favourable impression on his recollection4 ,unfortunately we could not converse together3 he talked too soft and quick for me 7,i do not hear so well as formerly71 and my mixture of ,german and ,english was not intelligible to him4444 ,had the knitting with beads been known forty years sooner1 it would have been one of the accomplishments with which ,i came1 at the age of twenty-two1 into ,england in #aggb1 for there was no kind of ornamental needlework1 knotting1 plaiting hair1 stringing beads and bugles1 c41 of which ,i did not make samples by way of mastering the art4 ,but as it was my lot to be the ,cinderella of the family 7being the only girl7 ,i could never find time for improving myself in many things ,i knew1 and which1 after all1 proved of no use to me afterwards1 except what little ,i knew of music1 being just able to play the second violin of an overture or easy quartette1 which my father took a pleasure in teaching me4 ,n4,b4 ,when my mother was not at home4 ,amen4 ,i must think no more of those times1 only just say ,i came to ,bath with a mind eager to learn and to work1 and never changed my mind till ,i came here again1 but now ,i can no more4444 ,one thing ,i must tell my nephew1 which is1 that ,i hope ,i have found a deserving protector of my sweeper in ,director ,hausmann1 and ,i hope either himself or his son will find us a few comets with it yet4 ,he is a constant visitor of mine4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,slough1 ,nov4 #bf1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i have received a letter from ,sir ,wm4 ,hamilton1 ,astronomer ,royal1 ,dublin1 informing me that the ,royal ,irish ,academy have elected you an honorary member of that body4 ,the diploma is by this time on its way to my care1 and ,i will1 so soon as ,i receive it1 take the very first secure opportunity of transmitting it to you4 ,yesterday ,i received your most welcome letter and ,mr4 ,boguslawski's in one4 ,i wrote to him some time ago relative to ,halley's comet4 ,he seems a very diligent observer1 and ,i am glad you have seen him4 ,your letter of ,september #bdth1 with its numerous dates1 was like a little diary1 and almost made us fancy ourselves with you in ,hanover4444 ,i am sorry to see1 on looking at my banker's account1 that you have not 7as you promised to do7 drawn on ,cohen for the #ej of this half year4 ,pray do1 and that soon1 or ,i shall be sadly disappointed4 ,we have got a most excellent president for the ,royal ,society in the ,marquis of ,northampton4 ,he presided at the anniversary dinner on the #cjth1 and did the honours with great credit4 ,a ,copley ,medal was awarded to ,gauss for his researches1 theoretical and practical1 on the subject of terrestrial magnetism4 ,sidenote3 #ahch4 ,elected ,hon4 ,member of the ,r4 ,a4 ,i4 ,s4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,dec4 #ag1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,first and foremost let me dispatch what may be called business4 ,in the first place1 ,i thank you for your kind letter and communication of having so great an honour conferred on me as to be admitted an honorary member of the ,royal ,irish ,academy4 ,i cannot help crying out aloud to myself1 every now and then1 ,what is ,,that for8 ,next ,i must beg you to return my thanks in what words you think proper ,i should express them1 and if you will only send me a copy of the diploma1 and keep the original along with my other trophies1 allowing them perhaps a corner in some such box as that your dear mother had for suchlike things1 for ,i have no other desire but to be remembered by you and ,lady ,h41 and your children1 for yet awhile4444 444 ,it is a long while since you asked me if ,i wanted any of my ,indexes to ,flamsteed's ,catalogue of omitted stars4 ,if there should yet be any left1 ,i could wish to have one or two2 for you hinted to me ,i might leave ,baily's work to the 8,archives0 here1 which ,i intend to do1 and then ,i should like to give an ,index along with it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,jan4 #g1 #ahci4 ,i see1 to my sorrow1 that my letter was not come to hand at the time when you directed the parcel with the diploma1 which was sent me on the #bnd of ,january1 accompanied by a note from the ,president1 which ,i beg you will answer for me1 and for that purpose transcribe here the same3-- ,,observatory1 ,,dublin1 ,dec4 #d1 #ahch4 8,,madam1-- 8,in transmitting to you the accompanying ,diploma from the ,royal ,irish ,academy1 ,i wish to be allowed to add1 as ,i thus do1 the expression of my own high sense of your services to ,astronomy1 and of the eminent degree in which you have deserved the present testimonial4 8,i have the honour to be1 ,madam1 c41 c41 8,,william ,,rowan ,,hamilton1 8,p4,r4,i4,a40 ,sidenote3 #ahci4 ,life in ,hanover4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,dec4 #a1 #ahci4 ,,dear ,,nephew1-- ,do not you think ,i have been very good to let the most dismal month in the year pass without troubling you for accounts of the progress my dear niece is making in her recovery8 ,my dear niece said once1 ,i should write often1 and in few lines inform her how ,i go on1 so ,i must say--,i get up as usual every day1 change my clothing1 eat1 drink1 and go to sleep again on the sofa1 except ,i am roused by visitors2 then ,i talk till ,i can no more--nineteen to the dozen6 ,n4,b4 ,i don't tell fibs1 though they may not always like what ,i say4 ,i have been twice at the concert1 and each time been honoured with a wie gehts8#ea by ,his ,majesty1 and the notice of many acquaintances whom ,i have no opportunity of seeing elsewhere1 the public concerts being the only place where ,i can go with the least trouble to myself or others4 ,you say when ,i talk of the ,gelehrten then all goes well1 but ,i know nothing about them4444 ,but one piece of news ,i must tell you1 which is1 that a fortnight after ,dr4 ,mdler had been the conductor of ,mde4 ,witte 7the ,moon7 and her daughter to the meeting at ,pyrmont1 ,i received two cards1 the one1 8,professor ,dr4 ,mdler10 under it1 8,minna ,witte-,verlobt4#eb0 ,the reason ,madame ,witte gives for this hasty courtship is1 that it is ,dr4 ,m4's first love1 and that he would not wait1 so the lady said yes6 ,as you have seen this lady1 ,i would give you this piece of news4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i beg you will give a true account of my dear niece's and the children's health1 not forgetting the babe and how she will be named1 that ,i may enter the same in my biographical account4 ,i remain1 my dear nephew1 ,your most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,the second ,day-,book concludes in ,july1 #ahci1 and is in all respects like the preceding one1 but contains here and there touches and sentiments of which her own words can only do justice4 ,aug4 #crd4--,i went to buy some clothing for wearing at home1 and went to my mantua-maker to give directions4 ,i had to climb up to the third story1 and ,i was of course quite knocked up when ,i came home1 but it is my intention to continue to take some exercise as long as the weather and the length of the afternoon will permit4 ,sidenote3 #ahci-ahdj4 ,her ,day-,book4 ,aug4 #bfth4--,my niece ,knipping came in the afternoon to assist me in some needlework--we did not do much6 ,sept4 #beth4--,to-day ,i was made happy by a visit of ,alexander ,humboldt2 which1 though it was extended to the utmost limit of the time which this interesting man could spare me1 was too short for all ,i wished to hear and had to say1 which1 as the theme of our conversation was my nephew1 may be easily imagined4 ,oct4 #eth #fth4--,mr4 ,hohenbaum and the carpenter were with me to pack up the seven-foot telescope4 ,i assisted as well as ,i could1 being very ill all the while4 ,oct4 #gth4--,dr4 ,g4 called for a moment1 but nobody else6 ,dec4 #ajth4--,i went in the evening to the concert1 where ,i exposed myself most sadly by falling a-crying when the ,king most kindly came to me to inquire after my health4 ,i do not think ,i shall have the courage to show myself there again in a hurry4 ,jan4 #bgth4--,this is the first day since the #cjth ,december that the ice is detached from my sitting-room window4 ,jan4 #cast4--,mr4 ,hausmann brought me some ,journals1 and talked for an hour of old times with me1 as he ever does1 good man6 ,feb4 #gth4--,a letter from my niece came this morning by the ,hamburger post1 which will make me happy for some time1 and make me bear my painful solitude more patiently4 ,march #agth4--,thank ,god the #gth and #afth ,march are got over1 and ,i begin to recollect that ,i have much else to do than bewail myself at being obliged to spend such days severed from all that are1 or were1 so dear6444 ,i found my poor friend ,mrs4 ,beckedorff very much altered1 but before ,i left her ,i thought she looked a twelvemonth younger for our two hours' chat4 ,but we both were obliged to part1 for we could no more4 ,yesterday she sent me some fine flowers1 as usual on my birthday4 ,dr4 ,mhry left a card2 two of my nieces called1 and ,hofrthin ,ubelode brought me some flowers4 ,they left me fatigued to death1 to spend the long evening in solitude4 ,june #ahth4--,yesterday ,mr4 ,hausmann came to see me1 and brought the ,philosophical ,magazine for ,june1 in which ,i had the pleasure to see that ,dr4 ,lamont has observed three of the ,georgium ,sidus satellites4 ,july #crd4--,dr4 ,g4 brought me an extract from ,the ,sun that my nephew has been created a baronet on the occasion of the coronation4 ,july #ith4--,my nephew arrived in ,hanover in the evening4 ,july #ajth4--,in the afternoon ,i saw him and my little grand-nephew for a few hours4 ,july #beth4--,my nephew and his son took tea with me1 and we soon parted1 without taking leave1 and next morning ,i am told they left ,hanover at four in the morning4 ,more ,i cannot say6 ,oct4 #bdth4--,mr4 ,hausmann came in the forenoon and took the box with the mirror of my sweeper with him1 and in the evening he came to receive the stand4 ,i am glad my poor sweeper is now in good hands6 ,oct4 #bith4--,mrs4 ,knipping spent an hour with me in the dusk of the evening1 and read an act of a play4 ,dec4 #cjth4--,in the afternoon ,fraulein ,s4 came to see me1 but she is deaf4 ,i talked with her for a couple of hours without either of us being the wiser4 ,jan4 #eth4--,went in the evening to the concert2 had some talk with the ,levies1 who delighted the company with their performance1 especially the youngest son1 eight years of age1 who gave several pieces on the ,french horn4 ,conversed with several persons besides the ,prince ,solms4 ,jan4 #bjth4--,i have been to the concert last night to hear the wonderful violinist1 ,ole ,bull4 ,it was very crowded for the confined room1 though the largest in ,hanover next the play-house4 ,by the help of ,miss ,b4 and the ,m4's ,i got safely through the crowd to my chair4 ,but ,i was somewhat disappointed1 for1 by the report of those who had heard ,ole ,bull before1 ,i expected to hear a virtuoso on the violin who would have given us an idea of the manner of performance of a ,jordine1 ,kramer1 ,jacob ,herschel1 and ,dietrich too2 but it is more like conjuration than playing on a violin4 ,feb4 #abth4--,dr4 ,lissing paid me a visit4 ,he wished me to subscribe to a work on ,magnetism1 but ,i think it would look only like affectation to let my name appear among the learned subscribers on a subject of which ,i know so little4 ,march #afth4--,mrs4 ,beckedorff sent me two beautiful flowers1 accompanied by her good wishes1 which she never forgets to do on my birthday4 ,mde4 ,knipping1 and others1 came to wish me to live many more years1--but what can ,i say8 ,march #bcrd4--,i was at the last subscription concert4 ,his ,majesty was there1 and asked me how ,i did8 ,i said1 tolerably6 ,this was all our conversation4 ,july #afth4--,the whole of yesterday ,i had no other prospect but that it would have been the last of the days of sorrow1 trouble1 and disappointment ,i have spent from the moment ,i had any recollection of my existence1 which is from between my third and fourth year4444 ,in the night ,i fell out of one fainting fit into another1 and when ,i came to my recollection1 between six and seven in the morning1 ,i found ,dr4 ,g4 sitting before me talking loud in his usual nonsensical way4 ,him had ,betty called in her fright1 for his wife 7who is of use to nobody7 is gone to spend the summer months in the country4 ,mde4 ,knipping also is away4 ,sidenote3 #ahci4 ,end of ,day-,book4 ,july #beth4--,mr4 ,hausmann1 junior1 and ,mr4 ,hohenbaum called to look at the photographical drawing4 ,i am told it is the only specimen of the kind in ,hanover4 ,this ,day-book1 ,no4 #b1 is now full1 and ,i shall not be easy till it is deposited in a portfolio1 in which will also be found the ,mem4-book #i4444 ,it often enables me to contradict erroneous impertinent notions concerning my brother ,william's disinterested character4 ,i am now not able even to look over1 much less to correct1 what ,i have scribbled1 but it must go as it is4 ,perhaps my dear niece may look into them at some leisure moment1 and she will see what a solitary and useless life ,i have led these seventeen years1 all owing to not finding ,hanover1 nor anyone in it1 like what ,i left1 when the best of brothers took me with him to ,england in ,august1 #aggb6 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,slough1 ,oct4 #bc1 #ahci4 ,,dear ,,aunt1-- 444 ,now let me reply to your two letters of ,august #bf and ,october #aj1 the last of which1 being so entirety in your old style1 made us very happy4 ,i now go so little to ,london1 and then only on the business of the ,royal ,society respecting this magnetic expedition1 that it has not yet been practicable for me to call on ,dr4 ,kper1 whom ,i well remember1 however1 at ,cumberland ,lodge1 and since4 ,as to sending either of our boys to ,germany1 it is time enough1 as ,w4 is yet only six years old1 and ,i assure you he is now learning ,german very fast4 ,m4 desires me to tell you1 in answer to your question whether she preserves your letters1 that she does so1 most carefully4 ,she is sorry she omitted saying so in her last in which she replied to everything else4 ,so do ,i1 you may be sure4 ,the ,fables arrived safe1 and ,w4 must thank you for them himself1 as well as for your care of him in ,hanover4 ,i had the honour to meet at dinner1 at ,sir ,gore ,ouseley's1 the other day1 ,h4,r4,h4 the ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,he was very particular in his enquiries after you4 ,he is quite well1 and his affable and agreeable manners make him generally beloved4 ,your letter of ,october #ajth relieved us of much uneasiness1 after the alarming account with which the former one was filled4 ,when you once more begin to write about die ,gelehrten1 c41 ,i know all is well4 ,so ,god bless you1 and believe me1 ,dear ,aunt1 your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahdj4 ,anecdote of the ,old ,telescope4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,jan4 #aj1 #ahdj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,perhaps you may have heard that in the early part of its the forty-foot telescope's existence1 8,god save the ,king0 was sung in it by the whole company1 who got up from dinner and went into the tube1 among the rest two ,misses ,stows1 the one a famous pianoforte player1 some of the ,griesbachs1 who accompanied on the oboe1 or any instrument they could get hold of1 and ,i1 you will easily imagine1 was one of the nimblest and foremost to get in and out of the tube4 ,but now6--lack-a-day6--,i can hardly cross the room without help4 ,but what of that8 ,dorcas1 in the ,beggar's ,opera1 says1 8,one cannot eat one's cake and have it too60444 ,i will only thank you once more for your charming letter1 and beg to be kindly remembered to all who are dear to you1 and to give an embrace extraordinary to the dear little ones around you1 and not forgetting to include my dear nephew in the general hug6 and believe me1 ,my dearest niece1 ,yours and his most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,p4,s4--,one anecdote of the old tube 7if you have not heard it7 ,i must give you4 ,before the optical parts were finished1 many visitors had the curiosity to walk through it1 among the rest ,king ,george ,,iii41 and the ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 following the ,king1 and finding it difficult to proceed1 the ,king turned to give him the hand1 saying1 8,come1 my ,lord ,bishop1 ,i will show you the way to ,heaven60 ,this was in the year #aghg1 ,august #agth1 when the ,king and ,queen1 the ,duke of ,york and some of the ,princesses were of the company4 ,i hope the book where the visitors were noted1 has been preserved8 ,some time after it was kept by other hands2 but before ,i parted with it1 ,i copied some pages which put me sometimes in mind of persons who were interesting to me4 ,these scribblings will come to you among the rest of my scraps4 ,good-bye6 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,jan4 #aj1 #ahdj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,for the last month past ,i have been so much disturbed and fatigued by visitors who came to wish me a happy ,new-year1 c41 for ,i have of late gained the acquaintance of half a dozen ladies1 added to two who were in the habit of visiting me between the hours of twelve at noon and six or seven in the evening2 7for the first two or three hours1 after having passed a sleepless night1 ,i am obliged to spend in the manner as perhaps you may have seen ,lord ,ogleby did in ,the ,clandestine ,marriage74 ,but now1 from seven to eight till between eleven and twelve1 ,i am left to amuse myself as well as ,i may1 but it is no easy task to turn books into companions by one who has no eyes left2 but there is no help for it4 ,there is neither man1 woman1 nor child in ,hanover to be found but they must spend the evening at balls1 plays1 routs1 clubs1 c41 and not a month goes over one's head without a jubilee being celebrated at enormous expense to someone who has fifty years enjoyed title and salaries for doing his duty 7anyhow1 perhaps74 ,but what a contrast between a jubilee auf der ,brse#ec at ,hanover and the one at ,slough1#ed described in your letter with which ,i was made happy ,january #dth4 ,the company so select--for ,i figure to myself none but angels from above were listening to1 and joining their kindred in the chorus below6444 ,before ,i take leave of this jubilee ,i must beg the excellent poet of the song to accept my hearty thanks for remembering me so kindly in verse #d1 and for not letting the poor forty-foot telescope#ee depart in silence4 ,sidenote3 #ahdj4 ,misfortunes of ,friends4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,april #e1 #ahdj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece6-- ,your delightful letter of ,march #hth1 which ,i received about a week after that of my dear nephew1 could never have come at a more needful time for chasing away the melancholy impressions my friends' losses and misfortunes have had on my spirits4 ,on the #gth of ,march ,dr4 ,mhry came to wish me joy on my nephew's birthday4 ,nine days after1 when they all used to come and bring me flowers1 c41 the whole family were thrown into despair by the death of ,dr4 ,c4 ,m41 who died by his own hands 7thirty-four years old74 ,about a week before ,i had spent an evening with him at his grandmother's1 when he begged me to thank my nephew once more for giving him a letter of introduction to ,dr4 ----1 at ,oxford4 ,this poor man was spoiled by being made too much of from his infancy4 ,as a boy of seven or eight1 he was brought to ,england to visit his grandmother and aunt1 and was loaded with costly presents by the ,princesses1 and fed with nothing but dainties1 till1 when grown up1 nothing but what was most extravagant would satisfy him4 ,the #cjth of ,march our friend ,p---- was buried1 eighty-three years old4 ,on my birthday a circular letter came by post1 announcing ,dr4 ,olbers's death4 ,so1 ,i must say once more1 my nephew's and your dear letter came very seasonably to turn my thoughts to something more cheering4444 ,now ,i am in two minds whether ,i shall turn to my dear niece or have done with you first4 ,but out with it6 ,i would1 if you have no objection1 draw on ,mr4 ,drummond for #eb1 99 99 99 99 99 and if ,i should 7as it seems7 live to the age of ,methuselah1 come again for the same sum after the #ajth of ,october next4 ,for this is quite enough for me to live with credit1 and more would only be a trouble to me4 ,i am tired1 and can write no more just now1 but for our amusement ,i will1 some time or other1 give you the history of the few days you were in ,hanover1 in ,july1 #ahch4 ,for all that past was like ,sheridan's ,chapter of ,accidents4 ,if ,i could only have had a few hours of private conversation with you then1 much trouble would since have been spared me4 ,i hope to have soon some account of how your new situation agrees both with papa1 mamma1 and the little bodies4 ,how many ,english miles is it from ,london8 444 ,my sweeper1 which ,i should have been so happy to put in the hands of my little grand-nephew1 and teach him to catch comets till he could do something better 7,o6 why did ,i leave ,england67 is now in the hands of the good1 honest creature1 ,director ,hausmann1 and the seven-foot telescope is also saved from being sold for an old song4444 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,bart4 ,july #f1 #ahdj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but at another time1 when perhaps ,i may find myself a little better1 ,i will amuse my dear niece with introducing some of my acquaintances to her notice4 ,some of the family of ,general ,halkett1#ef at least1 she will not be displeased at knowing personally4 ,last night the sister of the general1 ,mrs4 ,w4 ,clarke1#eg a widow1 sat an hour with me1 and said she would next summer visit her late husband's relations in ,england1 and then she would not fail of seeing you4 ,you must love her for my sake1 for she really takes some pains to give me pleasure1 bringing me flowers1 taking me an airing in her fine ,english equipage1 c4 ,i must not forget the general's lady1 a second wife1 of course a stepmother of my young friend4 ,she is ,scotch 7a ,graham71 and brought me little ,christmas pies in her reticule on ,new-year's ,day1 of the young lady's making--the only good kind ,i have tasted in ,hanover1 and they were as good as my nephew's mamma ever made4 ,sidenote3 #ahdj4 ,her ,seven-foot ,telescope4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,august #c1 #ahdj4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 444 ,but first and foremost1 ,i must beg you will give my best thanks to my dear niece ,caroline for her very sensible and very clever letter1 and ,i only wish ,i may be often favoured by her fair hands with such favourable accounts of all your health and contentment with your new situation4 ,i am not able to write long letters1 and must content myself with saying1 in as few words as possible1 that if my nephew thought the seven-foot telescope worth the acceptance of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 it is well6444 7,mem4--,its only being painted deal was1 because it should look like the one with which the ,georgium ,sidus was discovered47 ,i have also the ,proceedings of the ,royal ,irish ,academy to thank you for1 twenty pages4 ,i suppose ,i have nothing to do but to accept them4 ,but ,i think almost it is mocking me to look upon me as a ,member of an ,academy2 ,i that have lived these eighteen years 7against my will and intention7 without finding as much as a single comet4 ,but no more of these terrible eighteen years just now4444 ,my dear nephew1 if ,i did not feel myself seriously declining very fast1 ,i would not incommode you at present 7when your time must be so precious7 with such letters as my two or three last have been4 ,but going many nights to bed without the hope of seeing another day1 ,i think it my duty to guard you against putting any trust or confidence in ----4 ,he and the whole family have never been of the least use to me2 and for all the good ,i have lavished on them1 they never came to look after me1 but when they had some design upon me4 ,in short1 ,i find that all along ,i have been taken for an idiot1 or that at least ,i am now reckoned to be in my dotage1 and therefore ought not to be mistress of my own actions4 ,but1 thank ,god1 ,i have yet sense enough left to caution you against being imposed upon by a stupid being who would make you believe ,i died under obligations to any of the family4 ,i know he has already1 without asking my leave1 passed himself off for my guardian1 and is vexed at my being able to do without him4 ,but ,i could not live without that little business of keeping my accounts2 and by my last book of expenses and receipts may be seen1 that ,i owe nothing to anybody1 but to my dear nephew many many thanks for fulfilling his father's wishes1 by paying for so many years the ample annuity he left me4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,august #aj1 #ahdj4 444 ,the telescopes are now1 ,i trust1 properly disposed of4 ,mr4 ,hausmann 7who will value it7 has the sweeper4 ,the five-foot ,newtonian reflector is in the hands of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 and will be preserved by it as the little telescope of ,newton is by the ,royal ,society1 long after ,i and all the little ones are dead and gone4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,august #aj1 #ahdj4 444 ,did ,i ever tell you that ,i had lately brought together the observations of four or five years1 proving beyond all doubt ,orionis to be both a variable and a periodical star1 and one of the most remarkable among them8 ,its period is about a year1 and it changes in that time from a lustre superior on some occasions even to ,rigel1 to a degree of brightness nearly on a par with ,aldebaran4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel4 ,sept4 #a1 #ahdj4 444 ,i owe you many thanks for relieving me two whole days sooner from the anxiety of having been misunderstood by you1 and now ,i am happy1 and all is well6 ,but there are times when ,i should like to have some talk with you or my dear niece1 to put you in mind of many past events1 but if you will excuse the style and the spelling1 c41 c41 on account of my eyesight being so uncertain1 ,i will at times try to amuse you with what passed in old times1 for my memory is as good as ever this is in her ninety-first year4 7,n4,b4--,year of the past47 ,writing this1 puts me in mind that ,i never could remember the multiplication table1 but was obliged to carry always a copy of it about me4 ,sidenote3 #ahdj4 ,christmas in ,hanover4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,dec4 #bg1 #ahdj4 444 ,there is another circumstance on which account ,i feel not very easy1 which is that by leaving ,slough you are separated from all your usual friends1 c41 doctors and all2 but pray keep up your spirits1 for the days are already a cock's stride longer1 and my windows have now been covered with ice for the last three weeks1 which is long enough in conscience2 therefore ,i hope to see a change every morning when ,i can get my eyes open1 which is never the case till near eleven o'clock4 ,there have been some ,english gentlemen with ,mrs4 ,beckedorff on business1 who1 in conversation1 among the rest1 were saying that the keeping ,christmas in the ,german fashion was coming to be very general in ,england2 but ,i hope they will never go such lengths in foolery as they do here4 ,the tradespeople have been for many weeks in full employ framing and mounting the embroideries of the ladies and girls of all classes1 for there exists not a folly or extravagancy among the great but it is imitated by the little4 ,the shops are beautifully lit up by gas1 and the last three days before ,christmas all that could be tempting was exhibited in the market places in booths lighted up in the evening1 where all run to gaze and get a liking to all they see4 ,cooks and housemaids present one another with knitted bags and purses1 the cobbler's daughter embroidered neck-cushions for her friend the butcher's daughter1 which are made up by the upholsterer at great expense1 lined with white satin1 the upper part1 on which the back is to rest1 is worked with gold1 silver1 and pearls4 ,but ,i find too much difficulty to write in these short days1 else ,i could write a book about the nonsense which is going on in this city4 ,i have for this last month been completely tired out with this ,christmas bustle2 but now the balls at the ,bourse1 given by the shopmen to the daughters of their masters1 will be succeeded by the masquerades in ,lent1 an amusement which in the good old times was only for the nobility1 but from which they are now excluded4444 ,sidenote3 #ahda4 ,concerning her ,brother4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,feb4 #bd1 #ahda4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i intended to have made some remarks to you about several things which are said in those pages which came enclosed in the letter of ,february #crd4 ,i suppose it is not expected to acknowledge the receipt thereof1 but if there is anybody to whom my thanks are due1 ,i beg you will do it for me1 because ,i am not capable of writing to strangers4 ,but to you ,i cannot help pointing out several things which displease me very much4444 ,i think whoever reads the ,preface to the description of the forty-foot telescope 7see 8,philosophical ,transactions10 ,june #aa1 #agie71 would not accuse him of jealousy--which also may be seen by the four volumes on the construction of ,specula1 which your father left behind in ,,mss41 7to which you added those excellent drawings of the machinery1 c471 which it was my care1 for half a dozen years at least1 to save them from being devoured by the mice1 by placing them on a table in the middle of the library1 where ,i was obliged to leave them when ,i left ,slough1 for ,i could not find a better place for them4 ,your father was latterly most miserably stinted for room1 and ,i fear many1 many things have met with destruction in consequence of being put by in corners among rubbish when not in use4 ,for instance1 when polishing and the foci were to be tried1 by three apertures1 which generally wanted to be repaired first2 7for the twenty-foot they were made of pasteboard1 but for the forty-foot of light deal7 and ,i was directed to hold them before the mirror1 and1 listening to the report of the trial1 was glad to hear 8,all right1 three foci perfectly alike60 and the work proceeded to perfect the polish4 ,dear nephew1 ,i stick fast1 and must give over talking about these things2 it downright fatigues me4 ,but these folks would not have called the ,herschelian construction useless if they had seen the struggle1 during the years from #agha to '#hf1 to get a sight of the ,satellites of the ,georgium ,sidus1 when1 after throwing aside the speculum1 they stood broad before us4444 ,pray1 does ,south live still8 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,march #ca1 #ahda4 99 99 99 99 99 ,not to send blank paper1 ,i will fill it by copying from my ,day-book the names of the visitors ,i had to receive on the #afth of ,march4 ,this ,i can do mechanically and by feeling1 and it serves to pass away the time1 as ,i cannot see to read for any length of time4 ,by way of being ready to see anybody by twelve o'clock1 ,i rose an hour earlier than usual1 but before ,i was dressed1 ,mrs4 ,beckedorff and ,mrs4 ,w4 ,clarke sent each a beautiful moss-rose and card4 ,soon after1 ,mrs4 ,clarke and ,general ,halkett came2 ,generalin ,borse and daughter brought violets2 ,frau von ,both2 ,ober ,medicinal-,rath ,mhry2 ,miss ,beckedorff2 ,madam ,groskopff2 ,hofrthin ,ubelode brought mignonette2 ,oberjustiz-,rath von ,werloff sent crocuses2 ,fraulein von ,werloff sent a card and hyacinths2 ,dr4 ,groskopff1 ,hauptman ,buse1 ,alexis ,richter1 ,major ,mller2--all these ,i saw between twelve and four o'clock1 and several for a good while together4 ,i talked and complimented myself into a fever1 of course 8looked blooming10 and am to live to be a hundred years old4 ,what stuff6 ,after eating my solitary dinner ,i tried to get a little sleep1 as ,i generally do1 but before ,i could compose myself enough1 two of ,major ,mller's sisters came and remained two hours with me2 after they left me1 ,fraulein von ,werloff sent her companion1 a ,mademoiselle ,h41 and a sister1 to keep me company till ten o'clock4 ,with difficulty1 and the help of ,betty1 ,i got into bed1 but could get no sleep1 nor the whole day after4 ,sidenote3 #ahda-ahdb4 ,her ,ninety-first ,birthday4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,july #ca1 #ahda4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,if it was not that ,i ought to thank you for your kind letter of ,june #ith1 ,i should perhaps not have now the spirit to take up the pen2 but your letters always1 especially the last1 contain1 besides the many consoling expressions1 such very interesting information1 that ,i would not for the world risk to lose the monthly sight of your dear handwriting1 by omitting to return at least my grateful thanks for your kind communications of what the present philosophers are about4 ,i think ,i can form some idea of the author of the book on philosophy 7and godfather of our little ,amelia71 from what ,i recollect to have read some years past in some quarterly publication by a ,mr4 ,whewell1 in defence of ,sir ,isaac ,newton4 ,in short1 it met with my approbation6 ,there is for you6 ,what do you say to that8 ,i do not wish to write in what my dear brother ,william used to call a ,dick ,doleful style1 when our brother ,alexander was in the dismals1 and out of which we often succeeded in laughing him4 ,but ,i cannot just now turn to anything of a cheering nature1 for yesterday1 the #cjth1 our ,queen died1 and ,i have been very unwell in consequence of the violent change in the weather4444 ,the following letter refers to the intended removal of ,sir ,j4 ,herschel and his family to ,collingwood1 which he had purchased3-- ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,august #b1 #ahda4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 444 ,i could wish to know something more about the place where you now are4#eh ,how many miles is ,collingwood from ,london8 ,how many from ,hastings8 ,have you any good people or neighbours about you8 ,i think ,i read in ,watson's ,gazetteer1 ,hawkhurst to be full of poor1 and1 what is worse1 of smugglers4 ,pray take care of the dear boys and children1 that they are not kidnapped in their little rambles from home4 ,i can for the present only say so much of myself that my friends are almost going to kill me with their visits1 like1 as they say1 the cat did her kitten with kindness4 ,on ,sunday ,i was even honoured with a visit from the ,duchess of ,anhalt ,dessau and the ,princess of ,rudolstadt--the latter a little astronomer--who remained a whole hour with me4 ,they are both daughters of the late ,queen4 ,sidenote3 #ahdb ,concerning her ,brother4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,feb4 #c1 #ahdb4 444 ,your mentioning the ,government gift of the ,kew ,observatory to the ,royal ,society1 recalls to my mind the struggles through a life of privations during the lapse of between twenty and thirty years1 till my brother had realised a capital sufficient for living in a respectable manner by making seven1 ten1 twenty1 and twenty-five-foot telescopes4 ,for it was in #aghb when ,mr4 ,de ,mainborg1 the ,king's private astronomer 7formerly one of his tutors7 at ,kew1 died1 and my brother1 in consequence of the discovery of the ,g4 ,sidus1 was called from his lucrative employment at ,bath4 ,his friends had no other idea but that he was to succeed ,mr4 ,de ,mainborg at ,kew4 ,but it was otherwise decreed1 for the ,king was surrounded by some wiseacres who knew how to bargain1 and even #ajj were offered if he would go to ,hanover6 ,but you know by what ,i once wrote on a former occasion that he settled at ,datchet with #bjj per annum1 after four months' travelling between ,london1 ,greenwich1 and ,windsor1 and moving his workshop and instruments from a house at ,bath1 of which he had a lease4 ,and at ,michaelmas1 #aghb1 was the first #ej he ever saw of the ,king's money4 ,this happened at the time when ,parliament had granted to the ,king #hj1jjj a-year for encouraging sciences4 ,this ,i only knew by what ,i heard at that time1 and that ,mr4 ,west1 ,r4,a41 with his giant ,judas1 ,jervis1 who made the altar-piece for ,st4 ,george's chapel 7which ,i once heard ,mrs4 ,beckedorff say had cost the ,king #cj1jjj71 and ,herschel1 were the first who benefited by this grant4 ,i am full of expectation of ,w4's promised description of the ,christmas entertainment2 but put him in mind that ,i do not understand ,latin4 ,of ,a's ,greek1 ,i think ,i can be a judge1 knowing the letters of the alphabet in consequence of their being used in the astronomical catalogues4444 ,i hope music is still in favour with the family2 often ,i lament that at the time of our quitting ,bath in such a hurry my brother's musical treasures were scattered1 and given to the winds4 ,among the rest there was a song for four voices1 8,in thee ,i bear so dear a part10 which was just going to be published by desire1 for it was sung by the first performers from the ,london theatres1 and encored1 between the acts of the oratorios4 ,i wrote it out ready in parts during my brother's absence2 but he could not find a moment to send it off1 nor to answer the printer's letters4 ,oh6 how ,i should like to hear some of the glees and catches sung by the great and little family in the music-room at ,collingwood2 but it was not to be6 and ,i had rather leave off and leave some room for the many good wishes to yourself1 my dear nephew1 and all those who are dear to you1 and believe me1 ,my dear niece1 ,ever your most affectionate aunt1 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahdb4 ,goes to a ,play4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #c1 #ahdb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 444 ,nothing runs in my head but what concerns my family and connections1 and ,i am at present living over again the last eighty-nine years of my existence4444 ,but ,i will leave off teazing you with these old stories with which ,i am obliged to amuse myself1 for ,i cannot see to work or read1 and must therefore either sleep or scribble1 for my visitors come mostly in the forenoon1 their evenings being taken up with public amusements or private parties1 of which ,i have not been able to be a partaker these three years1 for ,i see by my account-books it is so many since ,i left off subscribing to the play4 ,but to please ,mrs4 ,clarke ,i made the experiment on the #crd of ,february1 whether ,i should come home alive after seeing ,king ,charles ,,ii4 in ,wapping1 acted at the ,english ,ambassador's4 ,mrs4 ,clarke came about twelve with an invitation from the ,honourable ,mrs4 ,edgecombe--their house not containing a room large enough for giving great balls1 they contrived this way of entertaining the company4 ,the enclosed playbill will show the rest4 ,there was no time for consulting milliners1 and ,mrs4 ,clarke assisted me in looking out something from what ,i had worn some years back1 cap and all4 7,n4,b4--,the latter of my own making47 ,i must give you here a ,german saying1 if you do not know it1 which is1 8,einen jeden ,narren gefllt seine eigene ,cappe60#ei but ,i cannot say that ,i was much pleased with mine1 ,i have so very few grey hairs left1 which1 however1 ,i was told were much admired6 ,mrs4 ,c4 left me with a promise of sending her chair and servant at three-quarters past seven1 and was waiting in an ante-room for me to assist me in getting further1 and1 indeed1 the whole evening she did not withdraw her arm from me till she had put me in my chair again1 and the next morning she was with me almost before ,i was out of bed4 ,the ,king1 ,princess of ,rdolstadt1 and one of the ,princes of ,solms were among the company1 and ,i did not come home without receiving their notice4 ,but ,i shall not venture on such pranks again1 ,i promise you6 99 99 99 99 99 ,as ,i am writing this ,i see it will be my birthday1 when ,i shall be ninety-two years1 if ,i live4 ,my nephew's is the #gth1 and he will be fifty1 but for all that do not think him to be an old man4 ,his father was fifty-four when he first saw the light4444 ,the ,king of ,prussia left magnificent presents among the courtiers1 and ,generalin ,halkett was here on ,sunday1 and promised to bring me a snuff-box to look at1 which the general has received4 ,i begged she would not1 for the ladies wear no pockets1 and lose their purses1 c41 as ,i daily hear by the town crier4 ,their pocketkerchiefs they carry open in their hands1 which ,i think very indelicate2 ,i daresay it is not the fashion in ,england4444 444 ,i would not wish on any account to see either my nephew or you1 my dear niece1 again in this world1 for ,i could not bear the pain of parting once more2 but ,i trust ,i shall find and know you in the next4 ,and as long as ,i can hold a pen1 let us1 ,i beg1 commune with one another by letter6 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,june #b1 #ahdb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,a thousand thanks for your kind letter1 which contains ever so much comfortable and satisfactory information1 such as heart can but wish4444 ,i have begun a piece of work which ,i despair of finishing before my eyesight and life will leave me in the lurch4 ,you will perhaps wonder what such a thing as ,i may pretend to do1 can be1 but ,i cannot help it1 and shall not rest till ,i have wrote the ,history of the ,herschels4 ,i began1 of course1 with my father and his parents4 ,my father was born in ,january1 #agjg1 and ,i have now only got so far as the beginning of #ageh1 and it begins to interest me much1 but ,i doubt whether ,i shall live to finish it1 but think it a pity it should be thrown away4#fj444 444 ,do not forget to thank my little nephew for his pretty letter4 ,his description of the method his papa makes use of in teaching mathematical figures1 ,i prefer to that of his grandfather4 ,he used1 when making me1 a grown woman1 acquainted with them1 to make me sometimes fall short at dinner if ,i did not guess the angle right of the piece of pudding ,i was helping myself to6 ,sidenote3 #ahdb4 ,regrets4 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,july #g1 #ahdb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- ,i have just now been reading your dear letter of ,june #gth once again1 but ,i shall take care not to look into it for yet a while1 else ,i run the risk of going mad when thinking of my running away from a country where ,i might have been an eye-witness1 and sometimes a partaker1 of so much domestic happiness4 ,but it is no matter now1 and of no use fretting about it2 ,i am only sorry ,i cannot go on with my history as fast as ,i could wish1 for ,i feel too unwell to be doing any thing for any length of time4444 444 ,i am glad my dear nephew finds pleasure in giving up so much of his valuable time to his dear sons2 for my hair stands at an end on hearing what beings are continually expelled from our ,eton here1 all owing to ignorant ambitious parents trusting entirely to unprincipled hirelings4 ,though my poor brother seemed to have no hands in the education of his only son1 ,i know1 from having been present at many private conversations he had with ,dr4 ,gretton1 that nothing was done without his approbation and advice4 444 ,the ,astronom4 ,nachrichten have latterly been filled with tables and too much mathematics 7for me74 ,the last numbers1 #dej1 #dea1 contain an account1 by ,struve1 of the purchase of ,olbers' books1 c41 for the library of the ,observatory at ,pulkowa4 ,this puts one in mind of ,olbers saying somewhere1 ,i had discovered five comets4 ,who wanted him to give the number of my comets when he knew them no better8 ,as far as ,i recollect1 ,dr4 ,maskelyne has observed them all1 and his observations on them are1 ,i daresay1 all printed in the volumes of the ,greenwich ,observations--at least of some he has shown me the proof sheets4 ,i never called a comet mine till several post days were passed without any account of them coming to hand4 ,and after all1 it is only like the children's game1 8,wer am ersten kick ruft1 soll den ,apfel haben6 ,wo sie denn alle rufen kick6 kick6 und so10#fa c41 c4 ,i long for the return of the messenger1 for ,i heard to-day that ,bessel and ,encke were gone to the philosophical meeting in ,england1 and ,i expect to hear a great deal of news4 ,but first and foremost ,i wish to see in your next that yourself and my dear nephew1 with all the dear little1 little ones1 continue to be well and happy4444 ,p4,s4--,my head is full of my ,history1 and ,i go on but slowly1 because ,i cannot sit up for any length of time4 ,i am only at my fourteenth year1 and have just parted from my brother1 ,william ,herschel ,i41 who is returned after a fourteen nights' visit to us1 to ,england1 ,leeds in ,yorkshire 7where he must be left for some time71 and ,i cannot go on till ,i have recovered from the parting scene4 ,you remember1 you take the work in whatever state ,i may leave it1 and make the best of it at your leisure4 ,adieu4 ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,august #d1 #ahdb4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- 444 ,major ,mller is not yet returned1 and is not expected till ,september1 from his measuring business1 and besides him there is not one astronomer1 or1 ,i may say1 rational man in ,hanover to whom ,i could apply for information in matters which are above my understanding4 ,but in my next ,i hope to say more1 or rather a great deal about your 8,chrysotype10 for ,i had a visit to-day from a ,berg-,rath-,w41 who seems to be much interested in these discoveries4444 ,how ,i envy you having seen ,bessel--the man who found us the parallax of #fa ,cygni4444 444 ,i believe ,i have water on my brains1 and all my bones ache so that ,i can hardly crawl2 and besides sometimes a whole week passes without anybody coming near me1 till they stumble on a paragraph in the newspaper of ,grthousen's discoveries1 or ,lord ,queenstown's great telescope1 which shall beat ,sir ,william ,herschel's all to nothing1 and such a visit sometimes makes me merry for a whole day4 ,sidenote3 #ahdb-ahdc4 ,a ,total ,eclipse4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,collingwood1 ,aug4 #i1 #ahdb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,m4 tells me ,i must finish this letter with an account of the total eclipse of the sun seen at ,pavia by ,mr4 ,baily1 and at ,turin by ,mr4 ,airy4 ,at ,pavia it was very finely seen1 and as soon as the sun was totally covered1 the dark moon was seen to be surrounded with a glory1 like the heads of saints in old pictures4 ,while he was admiring this1 a great shout from all the population of ,pavia broke out at once1 which was caused by the sudden appearance of three purple or lilac-coloured flames1 which seemed to break out from the edge of the moon4 ,at ,milan the same was seen1 and the people shouted out 8,es leben die ,astronomen60#fb as soon as they saw the flames4 ,i am glad you got my ,chrysotype pictures safe4 ,the present beautiful sunshine has given me an opportunity to make great progress in photography1 and the enclosed photographic copy of a little engraving or two may serve to amuse you4 ,meanwhile the star reductions are not forgotten4 ,thirty more sweeps only remain to be reduced1 and ,i am already in the engraver's hands with the nebul pictures4 ,and so the world wags with ,your affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 444 ,on the #cjth of last month ,i finished the reductions of all my ,cape nebul and double stars1 and have got all the former and all but a very small number of the latter arranged in catalogues in order of ,rt4 ,ascension for the epoch #ahcj1 ,january #ast4 ,thus these two most important parts of my ,cape work are at last secured against loss1 and it will not be long now before ,i shall begin to prepare for the work of publication in good earnest4 ,i mean as to the narrative part4 ,dec4 #h1 #ahdb4 ,sidenote3 #ahdc4 ,sir ,j4 ,herschel's ,translation4 ,,lady ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,jan4 #ab1 #ahdc4 444 ,your nephew sends you his translation of ,schiller's beautiful and instructive poem1 8,the ,walk10 in which he tied himself down to the original metre1 and each couplet contains the sense of the corresponding couplet in ,german1 so that the full strength of the ,english language was required to do justice to the comprehensiveness of ,schiller's ideas4 ,there was a beautiful walk up the side of ,table ,mountain which always reminded ,herschel of this poem1 and made him love it2 and lately there have appeared in an ,edinburgh ,review translations of all ,schiller's minor poems1 some of which are well done2 but he thought 8,the ,walk0 deserved to be better rendered1 so he set about it1 and distributed it among his friends as his ,christmas sugarplum4 ,the number of interesting autographs1 criticisms1 witticisms1 c41 which have been thereupon returned1 will make an amusing packet4 ,one lady says 7alluding to the singularity of the hexameter in ,english7 that she found it difficult to get into the step of the ,walk2 another1 that the ,walk had got into a ,run1 it was so often carried off by friends from his table2 another1 not knowing whence it came1 intended sending it to ,herschel for his opinion on its merits6 another1 while admiring the ideas1 says 8to the verse ,i am averse40 ,the good ,misses ,baillie1 of ,hampstead1 have been greatly delighted with it4 ,they desired their kindest remembrances to you4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,,hanover1 ,march #a1 #ahdc4 444 ,nine o'clock in the evening 7,february #ai74 ,this is the first moment of quiet after six days in tumultuous joys by all living beings1 from the most highest to the most lowest1 and ,i will give you here an account of what share ,i have had in the rejoicings4 ,in the first place1 ,i must begin with confessing that ,i have been uncommonly ill of late1 and nobody came near me to comfort me2 for all my friends were too busy with gala-dresses1 or else laid up with colds1 c41 from shopping in bad weather1 and paddling about in the snow1 and ,i am at this moment ignorant of how they have fared4444 ,i have not time to fill the paper1 for my friends begin now to take up my little time of my short forenoons1 and the evenings ,i cannot see2 so here ,i send what ,i have been scribbling1 and will only add that the enclosed programme was sent me1 on the #adth by the ,crown ,prince1 who having inquired through somebody after my health1 and hearing ,i was well1 and preparing for illumination1 was much affected2 and yesterday his adjutant1 ,major ,stolzenberg1 brought me a message from the ,crown ,prince1 including ,h4 ,r4 ,h4 the ,princess1 with a present of their portraits4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel1 ,,bart4 ,april1 #ahdc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew6-- ,many thanks for your dear letter1 which ,i found on my breakfast-table on the morning of the #afth ,march1#fc 444 when the ,crown ,prince and ,princess were announced4 ,mrs4 ,clarke1 who just came in1 assisted me to entertain the royal and interesting pair for nearly an hour4 ,they came in arm in arm1 carrying an immense bouquet before them1 which ,i heard afterwards they were returning with from the hothouses at ,herrnhausen4 ,as soon as the ,princess was placed on the sofa1 and ,i beside the same1 the ,crown ,prince drew a chair close to me1 chatting and joining in our conversation4 ,i could not help giving the ,princess the lines of your letter to read1 where you mention them so prettily1 and presenting her with 8,the ,walk10 which was lying among the flowers and the open letters before us on the table4 ,it was a little rumpled in the coming1 which she said made it the more welcome1 as it would remind her of its having once been mine4 ,i intended to amuse you with the list of the names and titles of all the visitors ,i had to receive on that day1 but you will find them one of these days in my ,day-book2 and ,i will only say that it was rather too much to expect me to be civil to upwards of thirty persons in one day1 which lasted till evening1 so that ,i had no time to eat a morsel1 finding myself seriously ill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahdc4 ,on the ,zodiacal ,light4 ,may #d1 #ahdc4 ,memorandum for my next letter1 made ,april #bcrd4 ,to my ,nephew4 ,on reading your letter to the editor of the ,times1 of ,march #cast1 ,i recollect having written down some observations of your father's on the zodiacal light2 he never lost an opportunity of noticing anything remarkable during twilight1 or in the absence of nebul1 c41 and ,i remember also his explaining to me another kind of ray1 which is after sun-setting1 reaching up very high2 but this only appears for one or two nights at the equinox3 but ,i have forgot all about it1 and want only to speak here about a temporary ,index to observations1 in which ,i know a few of suchlike memorandums were catalogued or carried in their separate books4 ,with this ,index your father was never satisfied1 telling me1 8,i could not make an ,index1 it was a task ,sir ,i4 ,newton had found too difficult to accomplish10 444 and he would hardly allow me to make use of this book1 after calling it a temporary ,index4 ,but it has often saved me a whole week's poring over the ,journals for a memorandum4444 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,june1 #ahdc4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,and ,,best ,,niece1-- ,i must write a few lines by way of thanking you for your dear letter of ,may #ith4 ,your description of the splendid observations which are made on the roof of your own mansion1 recall the many solitary and1 at the same time1 happy hours ,i spent on my little roof at ,slough1 when ,i was not wanted at the twenty-foot4 ,and ,i cannot help at the same time regretting my having spent these last twenty years in so useless a manner1 between roofs and houses which prevent my seeing even an eclipse of the moon when in a low part of the ecliptic1 it passes away behind the houses of my opposite neighbours2 and so did the glorious tail of your comet1 of which1 however1 ,i have gathered all that has been said in the papers1 besides what you and my dear nephew have been so kind as to communicate4444 ,i have just been reading part of your dear packet over again1 and am resolved to follow your advice1 and say as little of what happens now as possibly ,i can help1 and send herewith what ,i call the first part of my ,history1 of which ,i wish you will in your very next give me your sincere opinion4 ,i shall judge by it if ,i may go on1 or lay down the pen for ever4 7,i hope the packet containing my brother's biography has been safely taken care of among his papers1 for ,i have no copy of it2 pray let me know if you have seen such a packet1 ,i think it is in quarto1 and that ,i put it in a cover like all the ,,mss47 ,of the present ,i can only say that ,i have been unable to do anything beside keeping myself alive1 and getting my clothes on by twelve at noon1 so that ,i may be able to receive anybody who may call on me between that hour and eight in the evening4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this brings to my remembrance1 that when ,i was godmother to ,mrs4 ,waterhouse's eldest sister in #aghg1 ,i was called away in the afternoon to help my brother to receive the ,princesse ,lamballe1 who came with a numerous attendance to see the moon1 c4 ,about a fortnight after1 her head was off4 ,sidenote3 #ahdc4 ,on her ,recollections4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,collingwood1 ,sept4 #ac1 #ahdc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,again we are rejoiced by the sight of your handwriting1 and by the admirable and truly interesting ,history of your own younger days1 which you have sent with your delightful letter1 and which arrived perfectly safe1 and1 you may be sure1 will be treasured as the apple of the eye1 and often read and re-read4 ,i began the reading of it last evening to all your grand-nephews and nieces who are old enough to understand it1 and the ,history of their great-grandpapa's hardships after the ,battle of ,dettingen1 and poor uncle ,alexander's harsh treatment1 and your own quiet1 thoughtful activity and self-dependence1 made on all my hearers1 as well as on myself1 an impression which ,i am sure will not easily be forgotten1 and which ,i shall take care not to let them forget4 ,we all entreat you to continue it1 and you need not be in any fear about the writing4 ,your handwriting 7,gottlob#fd7 is still excellently good1 and there was not a word either in your letter or in the 8,history0 that gave me the least trouble to read4444 444 ,i visited in ,london ,mde4 ,taylor 7whom you entrusted with the pictures of your ,royal visitors1 which are very charming things1 and seem as if they must be good likenesses74 ,i did not find her husband at home1 but she is a very pleasing person1 and pleased me greatly by the respectful and friendly way in which she spoke of you4 ,we hope to see them here1 where they will be much valued1 as will be the effigy or recollection of everybody that has been kind to you1 or anything that has given you pleasure4444 ,the only news ,i have to send you is that of ,capt4 ,ross's safe return with the ,south ,polar ,expedition after nearly four years' absence1 having penetrated to the #gith degree of ,s4 ,lat41 and discovered a new continent full of volcanoes and icy mountains1 and the true position of the south magnetic pole4 ,he anchored his ship upon the spot where the ,americans say they found land1 and found no bottom at six hundred fathoms6 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,june #d1 #ahdd4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,nephew1-- 444 ,for these last three months ,i have not been able to add a single line to my ,memoir1 but what you will find among my papers and memorandums2 perhaps your daughter ,isabella may1 for her amusement some time or other1 correct and write in the clear1 my scribblings1 for ,i find that in attempting to correct one blunder ,i am making two others in the same line4 ,but ,i wish you might see1 by what ,i say of myself1 what trouble and invention it must have cost your father to enable me to assist in determining the places of all these objects1 and ,i see with pleasure that your observations agree so nearly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was going to send1 for the amusement of my dear niece1 some description of what is going on here in ,hanover1 but ,i find it would be too much for my time and patience at present1 and will only say that ,i believe they are all out of their senses4 ,there is an ,eisenbahn#fe from ,hanover to ,braunschweig just now completed1 which has turned them all wild4 ,some hundreds of high officers all 7but the ,king7 set off at eight o'clock to breakfast with the ,braunschweigers1 and returned with the same at three to dinner 7eight hundred in number7 in the orangery at ,herrnhausen1 from whence the ,braunschweigers returned and were at home1 ,i believe1 again at eight4 ,i am too tired at present1 else ,i was going to tell you how they are building4 ,hanover is now twice as large as when you saw it last2 nothing but castles will serve them any longer4 ,i have all this from hearsay1 for ,i have not been downstairs since ,february #c1 #ahdb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they talk of nothing here at the clubs but of the great mirror and the great man who made it4 ,i have but one answer for all1 which is1 8,der ,kerl ist ein ,narr60#ff444 ,,miss ,,herschel ,,to ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,march #d1 #ahde4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece1-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,have ,i understood you aright8 ,saw you the thermometer #a above zero8 the lowest ,i have heard of here was only #ac below freezing2 but we are buried in snow6 ,march #eth4--,no alteration in the weather1 nor in my affection for my dear niece and nephew and their ten children6 the first is as cold as the latter is warm6 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 #ahde4 ,the ,great ,telescope4 ,april #bi1 #ahde4 ,in his father's library my nephew must have found a folio volume of ,h---- 7an astronomer and copper engraver71 where1 for every hour a distinct picture of the moon is given4 ,in the ,phil4 ,transactions for #aghj1 p4 #ejg1 is the first paper of ,william ,herschel on the ,moon4 ,in #aghg2 #agib1 p4 #bg2 #agic1 p4 #bjf1 measure of mountains1 c4 ,twenty-three years ago1 when first ,i came here1 ,i visited ,madame ,w4 7not von7 once or twice1 saw her observatory and a telescope1 ,i believe not above #bd-;inch focal length2 at that time she amused herself with modelling the heads of the ,roman ,emperors3 her daughter1 then a girl1 was a poet1 and a portrait of her was exhibited as a ,sappho crowned with laurels4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,the great difficulty of writing begins at last to tell in ,miss ,herschel's correspondence4 ,one more letter in #ahde1 is the last of the ample sheets she had been used to fill4 ,the monthly report becomes shorter1 more blotted1 and betrays extreme feebleness4 ,on the first of ,october1 #ahdf1 she wrote3 ,,my ,,dearest ,,niece6-- ,i must not let the messenger go without a line just to say that ,i am still in the land of the living1 of which1 however1 ,i have no other proof than a letter from ,baron v4 ,humboldt1 inclosing a ,golden ,medal from the ,king of ,prussia4 ,i can say no more at present1 and the post will not wait1 so believe me1 my dear niece1 yours and my dear nephew's most affectionate aunt1 ,,car4 ,,herschel4 ,the following is the letter referred to from ,alexander von ,humboldt which accompanied the ,gold ,medal presented by the ,king of ,prussia on the occasion of her ninety-sixth birthday3-- ,sidenote3 #ahdf-ahdg4 ,letter--,baron ,humboldt4 ,,berlin1 ,sept4 #be1 #ahdf4 ,,most ,,honoured ,,lady ,,and ,,friend6-- ,his ,majesty the ,king1 in recognition of the valuable services rendered to ,astronomy by you1 as the fellow-worker of your immortal brother1 ,sir ,william ,herschel1 by discoveries1 observations1 and laborious calculations1 commanded me1 before his departure for ,silesia1 to convey to you1 in his name1 the large ,gold ,medal for ,science1 and to express to you the gratification he felt that1 by ,god's grace1 your noble life has been a long succession of years free of pain1 and that now in your solitude you continue to enjoy the reflected glory of the all-embracing knowledge1 the great labours in both hemispheres1 and the profoundly penetrating genius of your illustrious nephew1 ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,to be had in remembrance by an intellectual and kind-hearted ,prince cannot be a matter of indifference to you4 ,he had wished you to receive this little gratification on your ninety-sixth birthday1 and by an unfortunate mistake the date of ,caroline ,lucretia ,herschel's birth has been changed from the #afth of ,march to the #afth of ,october1 and ,i am the culprit1 misled by a misprint in a ,french history of astronomy4 ,i know ,i may count upon your indulgence and that of your distinguished family in ,england4 ,i specially deserve such leniency to-day--the day on which my young friend1 ,dr4 ,galle1 assistant astronomer in our ,observatory 7to the triumph of theoretical astronomy be it said71 has discovered the transuranian planet indicated by ,leverrier as the cause of the perturbations of ,uranus4 ,with the deepest respect1 ,i am your most obedient1 although illegible1 ,,alexander ,,humboldt4 ,do not trouble yourself to write to the ,king2 ,i will convey your thanks to him4 ,once more a few lines1 begun ,november #ast1 and finished ,december #crd1 were traced1 betraying1 now only for the first time1 the apprehension that they might be the last1 in the words-- ,miss ,beckedorff shall write for me if ,i do not get better4 ,loves to all4 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,even this1 the last letter of all1 is addressed in a large1 clear handwriting4 ,henceforth 8the messenger0 carried no more the large familiar sheet which had often been filled at the cost of many days' work and frequent re-writing2 but her kind friend1 ,miss ,beckedorff1 wrote a regular monthly report to the anxious friends in ,england1 from which the following most interesting extracts are taken3-- ,,extracts ,,from ,,the ,,letters ,,of ,,miss ,,beckedorff ,,to ,,sir ,,john ,,and ,,lady ,,herschel4 ,dec4 #ahdf4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,she said that whilst she was idling away her time on her couch she had--with her mind's eye--set up a whole solar system in one corner of her room1 and given to each newly-discovered star its proper place4 ,she cried when ,i told her again of your and ,sir ,john's solicitude about her1 c4 ,march1 #ahdg4 ,her likeness has been taken by two young painters lately4444 ,she was sitting--or rather reclining--for her picture whilst my niece was with her1 and the exertion of it made her at first nervous and hysterical1 but by degrees she overcame it1 and conversed cheerfully4 ,i am sorry to say the drawing which ,i saw did not do justice to her intelligent countenance2 the features are too strong1 not feminine enough1 and the expression too fierce2 but ,i hear the picture which ,i did not see is more like her4 ,sidenote3 #ahdg4 ,declining ,strength4 ,march #ca1 #ahdg4 ,i am commissioned by dear ,miss ,herschel to send to you and for her dear nephew1 with her best love1 the accompanying print1 which ,i fear will at first sight not satisfy you4 ,the artist has1 ,i believe1 imitated the style of the old ,german school of ,albert ,drer1 resembling more a #8woodcut' than a print1 nor does it justice to her fine old countenance4 ,yet it is extremely like in features1 expression1 and deportment1 her eyes having taken the languid expression more from fatigue occasioned by her sitting for the picture1 whilst she is used generally to recline on her sofa1 and ,i see them very frequently sparkle with all their former animation4444 ,she has1 as ,i predicted1 lived to begin her ninety-eighth year1 and she has stood the exertions and excitements of her birthday even better than could have been expected4 ,i saw her on the #aeth1 and again on the #agth2 for knowing that ,mrs4 ,clarke1 who1 like all ,general ,halkett's family1 are full of kind attentions to her1 would act as her aide-de-camp on the occasion1 ,i felt that it would only be adding to the number of those who must be kindly spoken to if ,i had gone to see her on the #afth4 ,upon passing the door ,i just saw a beautiful and most comfortable velvet armchair1 a cake1 and magnificent nosegay carried up to her1 and soon after met the gracious donor1 our kind ,crown-,princess1 with the ,crown-,prince and the ,royal child driving to her2 they stayed nearly two hours1 ,miss ,herschel conversing with them without relaxation1 and even singing to them a composition of ,sir ,william's1 #8,suppose we sing a ,catch4' ,the ,king sent his message by ,countess ,grote4 ,on the #agth ,i found her1 more revived than exhausted1 in a new gown and smart cap1 which ,betty provided2 and ,betty's own cap was new trimmed for the occasion1 strictly in keeping with the style of her mistress1 and ,i can but again commend the judgment and zeal with which she makes her arrangements for the comfort and appearance of dear ,miss ,herschel1 and for a fit reception of her high and numerous visitors4 444 ,i ran over to ask for ,miss ,herschel's own message before ,i seal4 ,i am to 8give her best love to her dear nephew1 niece1 and the children1 and to say that she often wished to be with them1 often felt alone1 did not quite like old age with its weaknesses and infirmities1 but that she too sometimes laughed at the world1 liked her meals1 and was satisfied with ,betty's services40 444 ,you may rest assured that she is most carefully attended to1 and ,betty is not only fully to be depended upon1 but is also extremely judicious1 and the only person who has gained ,miss ,herschel's entire confidence and approbation4444 ,i have charged her to come to me whenever she sees a possibility of doing anything for her mistress's comfort1 and1 from the girl's unaffected attachment for her1 can quite rely upon her4 ,dear ,miss ,herschel has1 indeed1 arranged everything beforehand2 and for years past has reserved a sum to answer all calls in the event of her death4 ,june #bi1 #ahdg4 444 ,i generally find her dozing1 and now always lying on her sofa2 she requires1 however1 but a very short moment to recollect herself1 and then enters into a conversation1 of which she takes the greater and by far the better part on herself4 ,it generally carries her back to old times and events and persons long gone by1 sometimes with great humour1 sometimes with regret2 and when she enters upon subjects of vexation1 ,i have the means of restoring cheerfulness and satisfaction by speaking of her nephew and his family4 ,she avoids topics of a directly serious and religious nature--and is indeed so much alone that she has time for these reflections when by herself4 ,dec4 #b1 #ahdg4 ,a few days ago she talked of her childhood1 and even sung me a little ballad she had then learnt4 ,sidenote3 #ahdf4 ,survey of the ,nebulous ,heavens4 ,while her faculties were equal to the appreciation of the gift1 she received a copy of ,sir ,john ,herschel's great work of ,cape ,observations4 ,the first of the two following letters tells how it was in progress2 the next announces its completion2 and thus1 by a most striking and happy coincidence1 she1 whose unflagging toil had so greatly contributed to its successful prosecution in the hands of her beloved brother1 lived to witness its triumphant termination through the no-less persistent industry and strenuous labour of his son1 and her last days were crowned by the possession of the work which brought to its glorious conclusion ,sir ,william ,herschel's vast undertaking--,,the ,,survey ,,of ,,the ,,nebulous ,,heavens4 ,,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,,collingwood1 ,dec4 #h1 #ahdf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,your letter1 which arrived this morning1 confirms the apprehension which the absence of any news from you during the last month had begun to excite1 that you were unwell1 and has caused us the liveliest sorrow4 ,how ,i wish we were near you1 that dear ,m4 could be with you and nurse you4 ,but the same kind ,providence which has preserved you so long in health will not fail you in sickness4 ,meanwhile1 ,i pray and entreat you not to decline the attendance of our good ,dr4 ,mhry1 or to avail yourself of any comforts that ,hanover can afford4 ,we shall look most anxiously for further accounts from ,mde4 ,knipping1 or if her family distresses will not allow her 7as you say she has lost her mother very lately71 from the kind pen of ,miss ,beckedorff1 and ,i hope they will not wait for the messenger1 but write by the post1 and that immediately1 as soon as this reaches your hands4 ,still ,i trust to see many more letters in your own handwriting1 and that the cessation of the very severe weather we have had of late will prove beneficial in restoring your strength1 to enable you to face the farther progress of the season1 which1 if your climate is anything like ours1 is always worse in ,february than at ,christmas4444 ,i am working still hard at my book 7of which you will have by this time received the first four hundred pages71 but ,i cannot get on quite so fast as ,i would1 and ,i greatly fear it will not be out by ,christmas4 ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,july #aa1 #ahdg4 ,,my ,,dear ,,aunt1-- ,i send to the messenger who will take this1 a copy of my 8,cape ,observations0 for you1 and ,i hope it will not be too large for him to take4 ,you will then have in your hands the completion of my father's work--8,the ,survey of the ,nebulous ,heavens40 ,i hope you will be able to look at the figures 7the engravings of the principal nebul74 ,as to the letter-press1 the ,introduction will perhaps interest you1 and ,i daresay ,miss ,beckedorff or ,mde4 ,knipping will be kind enough to read it to you--a little at a time4 ,a copy is on its way ,i presume by this time to ,his ,majesty the ,king of ,hanover1 as a testimony of respect to a sovereign who has shown you on many occasions such kind attentions4 ,louisa sends you all our news1 and the autographs of ,struve and ,adams1 who1 with ,m4 ,leverrier1 are now at ,collingwood4 ,adieu1 dear aunt1 ,from your ever-affectionate nephew1 ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,sidenote3 #ahdg4 ,latter ,days4 ,but the time was past when such gifts could be acknowledged with the old enthusiasm1 though the faculty to appreciate them had not failed1 and we can well imagine how nothing in the power of man to bestow could have given her such pleasure on her death-bed as this last crowning completion of her brother's work4 ,the ,day-book had long ceased4 ,the final entry1 on #crd ,september1 #ahde1 is 8,astronomischen ,nachrichten#fg came in40 ,as the letters show1 the never-failing birthday festival had been gallantly encountered1 and the accustomed offerings of her many friends with their good wishes1 always including those of the ,royal ,family1 received in the usual place4 ,but the curtain begins to descend1 and the months to go by with only a bulletin to announce that she still lived1 and1 as the following extract from a letter written by her friend ,miss ,beckedorff shows1 with unabated will and perfectly collected faculties3-- ,her decided objection to having her bed placed in a warmer room had brought on a cold and cough1 and so firm was her determination to preserve her old customs1 and not to yield to increasing infirmities1 that when1 upon ,dr4 ,m4's positive orders1 ,i had a bed made up in her room1 before she came to sit in it one day1 it was not till two o'clock in the night that ,betty could persuade her to lie down in it4 ,upon going to her the next morning1 ,i had the satisfaction1 however1 of finding her perfectly reconciled to the arrangement2 she now felt the comfort of being undisturbed1 and she has kept to her bed ever since4 ,her mental and bodily strength is gradually declining1 and although she at times rallies wonderfully1 we can hardly expect that another month will elapse ere ,i have to make my sad and last report4444 ,she says that she is without pain2 fever has left her1 and her pulse is regular and good1 though weak at times4 ,she still turns and even raises herself without assistance1 and at times converses with us4444 ,a few days ago she was ready for a joke4 ,when ,mrs4 ,clarke told her that ,general ,halkett sent his love1 and 8hoped she would soon be so well again that he might come and give her a kiss1 as he had done on her birthday10 she looked very archly at her1 and said1 8,tell the ,general that ,i have not tasted anything since ,i liked so well40 ,i have just left her1 and upon my asking her to give me a message for her nephew1 she said1 8,tell them that ,i am good for nothing10 and went to sleep again4444 ,she is not averse to seeing visitors4 ,january #fth4 ,sidenote3 #ahdh4 ,the ,long ,life is ,ended4 ,four days later the same kind friend had to tell how peacefully and gently the end came at last4 ,jan4 #ajth1 #ahdh4--,your excellent aunt1 my kind revered friend1 breathed her last at eleven o'clock last night1 the #ith of ,january4444 ,she suffered but little1 and went to sleep at last with scarcely a struggle4 ,up to the last moment she has had the most undeniable proofs of the affection and veneration of her own family and a number of friends1 both ,english and ,german4 ,mr4 ,wilkinson1 the ,english clergyman1 has been unremitting in his visits1 and so kind and judicious was his manner1 that she received them to the last with unfeigned satisfaction4444 ,at four o'clock the guns announced the birth of a young ,princess--an event she had anticipated with much interest2 and upon her being told of it she opened her eyes for the last time with consciousness4 ,the following1 translated from a letter of ,miss ,herschel's niece1 ,mrs4 ,knipping1 to her cousin1 ,sir ,j4 ,herschel1 is a most precious fragment1 expressing the sentiments of one who for years contributed to lighten the grievous burden of age and growing infirmity by her constant affection and appreciative sympathy4 ,the regret that so little remains from the same pen is enhanced by the fact that no notes1 or memorials of any kind1 appear to exist by which we might hope to picture to ourselves one whose unconscious self-portraiture makes us crave to see and know and become familiarly acquainted with her1 as she was seen and known by others4 ,comparatively recent as was her death1 to the best of our knowledge all have passed away from whose lips we could hope to gather the impressions of personal acquaintance4 ,excepting from the letters already quoted on the occasion of her nephew's two visits to ,hanover1 it is not until she lay on her death-bed that we obtain a glimpse of her drawn by any other hand than her own4 ,january #ac1 #ahdh4 444 ,i felt almost a sense of joyful relief at the death of my aunt1 in the thought that now the unquiet heart was at rest4 ,all that she had of love to give was concentrated on her beloved brother4 ,at his death she felt herself alone4 ,for after those long years of separation she could not but find us all strange to her1 and no one could ever replace his loss4 ,time did indeed lessen and soften the overpowering weight of her grief1 and then she would regret that she had ever left ,england1 and condemned herself to live in a country where nobody cared for astronomy4 ,i shared her regret1 but ,i knew too well that even in ,england she must have found the same blank4 ,she looked upon progress in science as so much detraction from her brother's fame1 and even your investigations would have become a source of estrangement had she been with you4 ,she lived altogether in the past1 and she found the present not only strange but annoying4 ,now1 thank ,god1 she has gone where she will find again all that she loved4 ,i shall long feel her loss1 for ,i prized and loved her dearly1 and it is to me a most precious recollection that she loved me best of all those here1 admitted me to closer intimacy1 and allowed me to know something even of her inner life4 ,sidenote3 #ahdh4 ,the ,end of ,all4 ,all the necessary instructions about her property1 her house1 her burial1 she had written years before2 even the sum which she considered sufficient had been carefully set apart for the funeral expenses1 and everything1 down to the minutest trifle1 had been arranged1 so that her executor1 ,sir ,john ,herschel1 might have the least possible trouble4 ,she especially prayed him not to come should her death occur in the winter2 but the reiterated instructions through the long series of letters show how keen was her anxiety that whatever she possessed of value should pass into his hands1 and that no one of her ,hanoverian connections1 with the exception of ,mrs4 ,knipping who1 with ,miss ,beckedorff1 was entrusted with her keys1 should intermeddle4 ,she desired to be laid beside her father and mother1 and an inscription#fh of her own composition records how she was her brother's assistant1 c4 ,she was followed to the grave by many relations and friends1 the ,royal carriages forming part of the procession2 the coffin was covered with garlands of laurel and cypress and palm branches sent by the ,crown ,princess from ,herrnhausen1 and the holy words spoken over it were uttered in that same garrison church in which1 nearly a century before1 she had been christened1 and afterwards confirmed4 ,one direction she could not put on paper1 but she desired ,mrs4 ,knipping to place in her coffin a lock of her beloved brother's hair and an old1 almost obliterated1 almanack that had been used by her father4 ,,appendix4 ,,the inventory of the books1 pictures1 c41 in the sitting-room of ,no4 #cgf ,braunschweiger ,strass1 is too characteristic to be omitted4 ,the following is a copy of it3-- ,inventory of engravings1 all in good black frames1 with gilded beads1 and glazed3-- ,my ,nephew1 ,j4 ,h4 ,my ,mother4 ,a drawing of ,slough1 by ,j4 ,herschel4 ,my ,brother1 ,lithographed4 ,forty-foot ,telescope4 ,medallion of ,wm4 ,h41 by ,flaxman1 of #aghb4 ,medallion of ,wm4 ,h41 by ,loche1 of #aghg4 ,engraving of ,dr4 ,maskelyne1 and ,greenwich ,observatory 7presented to me by himself74 ,,books4 ,bode's ,atlas4 ,south's ,observations on ,double and ,treble ,stars1 from ,phil4 ,transactions1 ,vol4 ,i41 #ahbf4 ,south's ,discordance between the ,sun's observed and computed ,place4 #ahbf4 ,on the ,elements and ,orbit of ,halley's ,comet1 c41 by ,lieut4 ,w4 ,s4 ,stratford1 #ahcg4 ,preface to1 c41 c41 of a ,general ,astronomical ,catalogue1 by ,f4 ,wollaston1 #aghi4 ,j4 ,h4's ,fourth ,series of ,observations with a twenty-foot ,reflector1 containing the places of #abcf ,double ,stars4 ,stars in the ,southern ,hemisphere1 observed at ,paramatta1 in ,new ,south ,wales1 by ,j4 ,dunlop1 #ahbh4 ,astronom4 ,nachrichten1 from #ahcc to #ahci1 in #g vols4 7half bound74 ,emerson's ,treatise of ,arithmetic4 ,introduction to ,sir ,i4 ,newton's ,philosophy1 with an ,essay on1 c41 by ,john ,ryland1 ,m4,a4 7,mem4--,a ,keepsake of ,general ,komerzewsky to me1 and now the same to my dear ,nephew from his affectionate ,aunt1 ,c4 ,h47 ,salmon's ,geographical and ,astronomical ,grammar4 ,ferguson's ,astronomy4 ,watson's ,universal ,gazetteer4 ,quarterly ,journal1 ,vol4 ,,xii41 #ahbb4 ,quarterly ,review1 ,july1 #ahcb4 ,edinburgh ,review1 ,january1 #ahcd4 ,the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 by ,mrs4 ,somerville1 #ahce4 ,third ,vol4 of ,joanna ,baillie's ,plays4 7,mem4--,was given me by ,lady ,h4 the day before ,i left ,england1 to remember my friend1 ,j4 ,b47 ,john ,f4 ,wm4 ,herschel's ,discourse on ,nat4 ,philosophy1 which was published in ,dr4 ,lardner's ,cabinet1 and that on ,astronomy1 ,i had handsomely bound and presented them to the ,duke of ,cambridge1 who asked them of me1 and would not even wait till ,i could read them through myself4 ,gttinger ,anzeigen1 #bjb1 #bjc ,stck1 ,dec4 #ad1 #ahcc4 ,j4 ,herschel's ,papers1 from ,january #abth1 #ahbh1 to ,nov4 #aath1 #ahcc4 ,bound and directed to the ,duke of ,cambridge 7from ,c4 ,h474 ,eighteen of ,wm4 ,h4's ,papers1 collected and bound in one volume1 and directed for ,hauptman ,mller4 ber den ,neuentdecken ,planeten1 by ,bode1 #aghd4 ,introduction to ,english ,grammar1 by ,r4 ,south4 #ast and #bnd ,vols4 of ,pfaff's ,translation of ,herschel's ,smtliche ,schriften1 #ahbf 7collected works74 ,abominable stuff6 ,what is to be done with them8 ,they are so prettily bound1 ,i cannot take it in my heart to burn them4 --------------------- ,landing place and five back rooms contain nothing but what is necessary for the convenience of my servant and myself2 and is mostly bought at the fairs1 for a trifling price4 7,tables and chairs stained like mahogany1 the latter with cane bottoms1 at #ah;d4 a-piece1 are1 after seven years' use1 like new47 ,landing-place3 ,a clothes-press1 a glass globe1 a few chairs4 ,my ,bedroom3 ,a bedstead and bedding1 c41 c4 #gj thl4 dressing-glass1 mahogany frame1 plate #bb by #ad inches4 7,i brought it with me from ,england47 ,a cupboard containing tea things1 c41 for company4 ,urn1 tea-board1 c41 waiter1 two teapots1 milk-pot1 and slop-bason 7black ,wedgwood74 ,a few cups and saucers1 coffee-pot1 two glass plates1 one and half dozen bishop glasses1 tumblers1 cake-basket1 c4 ,plate3 ,ha6 ha6 ha6 ha6 ,twelve teaspoons1 #a sugar-tongs1 #a table1 #a dessert1 and #a saltspoon1 #d plated candlesticks1 very little used4 ,the superscription on the last page is as follows3-- ,it is a pity that ,i am not at ,slough to put the glazed prints in my nephew's study2 and many articles of furniture would be so useful in the school-room of my little nephews and nieces4 ,god bless them all6 --------------------- ,,epitaph ,,of ,,miss ,,herschel4 ,hier ruhet die irdische ,hlle von ,,carolina ,,herschel1 ,geboren zu ,hannover den #aften ,marz1 #agej1 ,gestorben den #iten ,januar1 #ahdh4 ,der ,blick der ,verklrten war hienieden dem gestirnten ,himmel zugewandt1 die eigenen ,cometen ,entdeckungen1 und die ,theilnahme an den unsterblichen ,arbeiten ihres ,bruders1 ,wilhelm ,herschel1 zeugen davon bis in die spte ,nachwelt4 ,die ,knigliche ,irlndische ,akademie zu ,dublin und die ,knigliche ,astronomische ,gesellschaft in ,london zhlten sie zu ihren ,mitgliedern4 ,in den ,alter von #ig ,jahren #aj ,monathen entschlief sie mit heiterer ,ruhe und bei vlliger ,geisteskraft1 ihrem zu einem besseren ,leben vorangegangenen ,vater ,isaac ,herschel folgend der ein ,lebensalter von #fj ,jahren1 #b ,monathen1 #ag ,tagen erreichte und seit den #beten ,marz1 #agfg1 hierneben begraben liegt4 ,translation4 ,here rests the earthly shell of ,,caroline ,,herschel1 ,born at ,hanover1 ,march #af1 #agej1 ,died ,january #i1 #ahdh4 ,the gaze of ,her whose eyes are now opened sought while here below the starry skies3 her comet discoveries1 and her share in the undying work of her ,brother1 ,william ,herschel1 shall tell of this to all time4 ,the ,royal ,irish ,academy of ,dublin1 and the ,royal ,astronomical ,society of ,london counted her among their ,members4 ,at the age of #ig years #aj months she fell asleep in perfect peace1 and in full vigour of mind1 following into a better life her ,father1 ,isaac ,herschel1 who lived to the age of #fj years #b months #ag days1 preceded her in #agfg1 and lies buried hard by4 --------------------- ,,the ,,grave ,,of ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,,from ,,miss ,,beckedorff4 ,feb4 #d1 #ahej4 8444 ,if ,i have owned my having neglected visiting ,sir ,john's living relations1 it has not been the same with the churchyard4 ,i have now been confined with cold and fever seven weeks1 but one of my last visits was to our lamented friend's grave1 which1 with the stone and inscription on it1 was in perfect order4 ,on the #afth of ,march ,i intend to have a bush of white roses planted near it1 knowing that my good mother would have paid her that little tribute had she outlived her revered friend4 ,the white rose she had planted on the grave of ,mrs4 ,p4 787 in the same churchyard 7the mutual friend of both7 continues to blossom every year1 and now is a memorial to me and my good mother likewise40 ,,from ,,herr ,,winnecke 7,assist4 ,astron4 at ,pulkowa47 8,travelling a few days ago through ,hanover1 ,i seized the opportunity of visiting ,miss ,caroline's grave4 ,pastor ,richter1 her grand-nephew1 took me to it4 ,it is in the churchyard of the #8,gartengemeinde1' and in a good state of preservation2 a heavy slab lies on it1 on which is engraved a long inscription1 composed by ,miss ,caroline herself4 ,at the head is planted a rose-bush1 from which ,i gathered the leaves which ,i enclose4 ,i venture also to send two #8shadow-outlines' of ,miss ,caroline1 which ,i had taken from a silhouette in the possession of ,frau ,dr4 ,groskopf40 ,june #bf1 #ahfd4 ,,index4 ,academy1 ,r4 ,irish1 #cjj4 ,astronomical ,society of ,london1 #bba1 #bga4 ,aubert1 ,alex41 letter from ,miss ,herschel on discovering her first comet1 #ff2 her third comet1 #hf4 ,baily1 ,f41 letter from ,miss ,herschel1 #bgb-bgd2 letter to her with his 8,account of ,flamsteed10 #bha2 her answer1 #bhb4 ,baldwin1 ,miss1 her marriage1 #abi2 death1 #acb4 ,banks1 ,sir ,j41 letter from ,william ,herschel on his sister's second comet1 #hd2 from ,miss ,herschel on her third comet1 #he2 and her eighth1 #id4 ,beckedorff1 ,miss1 letters during the latter years of ,miss ,herschel's life1 #cch-cdj1 #cdc-cde4 ,beckedorff1 ,mrs41 #ajh4 ,blagden1 ,dr41 letter from ,miss ,herschel about her first comet1 #fe4 ,brewster1 ,sir ,david1 opinion of ,miss ,herschel's catalogue of all the star-clusters and ,nebul1 #ade1 #adf4 ,cambridge1 ,duke of1 letter to ,miss ,herschel on the return of her nephew from the ,cape1 #bib4 ,cape of ,good ,hope--,sir ,john ,herschel leaves the ,cape1 #bib4 ,collingwood1 the seat of the ,herschel family1 #cbj4 ,comets1 ,miss ,herschel's first1 #fd2 second1 #hj2 third1 #he2 fifth1 sixth1 #ic2 eighth1 #id4 ,cumberland1 ,duke of1 proclaimed king of ,hanover1 #bij4 ,dessau1 ,princess of ,anhalt1 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 #bfg4 ,earthquake at ,lisbon1 sensation produced in ,hanover1 #f4 ,encke1 ,prof41 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 #bdh4 ,englefield1 ,sir ,h41 letter from ,w4 ,herschel on his sister's second comet1 #hc4 ,epitaph on ,miss ,herschel1 #cea4 ,etna1 ,mount1 ascent by ,sir ,john ,herschel1 #agc4 ,flamsteed's ,catalogue1 calculations for1 #fj4 ,forty-foot telescope1 #gf1 #cjh1 #cji1 #caj4 ,gauss1 ,hofrath1 letter from ,miss ,herschel1 with her index to ,flamsteed's ,observations1 #aia2 his answer1 #aie4 ,george ,,iii4 visits the ,slough ,observatory1 #ajd2 anecdote of1 and the ,archb4 of ,canterbury1 #cji4 ,georgian ,satellites1 the1 #gd1 #cje1 #caf4 ,georgium ,sidus1 the1 discovered1 #ci4 ,gloucester1 ,princess ,sophia of1 visit to the telescope1 #abh4 ,halley's ,comet1 #bhc4 ,herschel1 ,alex41 assists his brother ,william1 #cf1 #ec1 #aji1 #aaa1 #aae1 #abb2 returns to ,hanover1 #abe2 death1 #acb2 notice of1 #acb4 ,herschel1 ,caroline ,lucretia1 early recollections1 #a-bh2 affection for her brother ,william1 #i2 at the ,garrison school1 #aa2 her father's careful training1 #ac2 typhus fever1 #ae2 confirmation1 #ag2 learns dress-making1 #ba2 accompanies ,william to ,england1 #bf-bh2 life in ,bath1 #bi-ej2 ,heimwehe1 #cc2 visit to ,mrs4 ,colebrook1 #cd2 musical rehearsals1 #cf2 reputation as a singer1 #dj2 assists her brother1 #db2 life at ,datchet1 #ej2 accidents1 #ee2 ,clay ,hall1 #eg2 ,slough1 #eh2 ,flamsteed's ,catalogue1 #fj1 #fa2 her sweeps1 #fd1 #adf-adh2 first comet1 #fd2 salary of #ejl4 as her brother's assistant1 #ge2 her eight comets1 #hj-id2 lives by herself1 #ie2 ,index to ,flamsteed's ,observations1 #if2 extracts from diary1 #ih-acb2 at ,bath1 #aje2 at ,slough1 #ajg2 removes to ,chalvy1 #ajh2 resides at ,upton1 #aji2 returns to ,hanover on the death of her brother1 #acc2 ,recollections1 #acc-adj2 her works1 #ade2 bitter disappointment in her brother ,dietrich's family1 #adi2 letters1 #aeb2 ,catalogue of the ,nebul1 #aha2 her will1 #bjj2 presentation of the ,gold ,medal of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 #bba2 her ,portrait1 #bcg1 #cch2 ,paganini1 #bdg2 her nephew's visit1 #bed2 anecdotes of his boyish amusements1 #bei2 ,hon4 ,member of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 #bga2 letter from ,mrs4 ,somerville1 #bgd2 illumination in honour of the ,duke of ,cumberland being proclaimed king of ,hanover1 #bij2 visit of her nephew and his son1 #bic-bie2 ,hon4 ,member of the ,r4 ,irish ,academy1 #cjj2 extracts from day-book1 #cjc-cjg2 anecdotes of the forty-foot telescope1 #cjh1 #cji2 describes ,christmas in ,germany1 #cac2 her #ibnd birthday1 #cah2 begins the history of the ,herschels1 #cbd2 her #icrd birthday1 #ccj2 the first railway between ,hanover and ,braunschweig1 #ccd2 presented with a gold medal by the king of ,prussia1 #ccf2 her last letter1 #ccg2 enters her #ihth year1 #cci2 her death1 #cdd2 funeral1 #cdg2 epitaph1 #cea2 her grave1 #ceb4 ,herschel1 ,sir ,john1 first mention of1 #ajd2 at ,cambridge1 #aag2 senior wrangler1 #abj2 member of the ,university of ,gttingen1 #abe2 ascends ,mount ,etna1 #agb2 at ,munich1 #age2 visits his aunt1 #agg1 #bic2 ,secretary to the ,royal ,society1 #aha2 at ,montpelier1 #bja2 catalogue of double stars1 #bac2 his marriage1 #bcf2 describes his aunt1 #bed2 anecdotes of his boyhood1 #bei2 letters from the ,cape1 #bfc2 sweeping1 #bff2 the ,milky ,way1 #bgj2 ,halley's comet1 #bhc2 spots on the sun1 #bhf1 #bhg2 ,saturn's sixth satellite1 #bhh1 #bhi2 returns to ,england1 #bib2 created a baronet1 #cje2 on the ,orionis star1 #caf2 eclipse of the sun in #ahdb1 #cbg2 his chrysotype pictures1 #cbg2 translation of ,schiller's 8,walk10 #cbh1 #cbi2 acknowledges his aunt's history1 #ccc4 ,herschel1 ,lady1 letters from ,miss ,herschel1 #aeb et seq42 her death1 #beb4 ,herschel1 ,sir ,william1 early display of talents1 #c2 proficiency in music1 #g2 accompanies his regiment to ,england1 #h2 resides at ,bath1 #ba2 fetches his sister ,caroline1 #bf2 his musical compositions1 #cf2 erection of the twenty-foot telescope1 #cg2 discovers the ,georgium ,sidus1 #ci2 casting of the great mirror1 #dc2 goes to ,london and is introduced to the ,king1 #de2 ,royal ,astronomer1 #ej2 limited salary1 #ej2 removes to ,datchet1 #ej2 to ,clay ,hall1 #eg2 to ,slough1 #eh2 the ,georgian ,satellites1 #gd2 marriage1 #gh2 observations on his sister's comet1 #hd1 #he2 his failing health1 #abd2 sits for his portrait1 #abi2 death1 #acc4 ,hesse1 ,princess of1 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 #bfg4 ,humboldt1 ,alex4 von1 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 with the ,gold ,medal for ,science from the king of ,prussia1 #ccf1 #ccg4 ,knipping1 ,mme41 extract from letter upon ,miss ,herschel's death1 #cdf4 ,la ,lande1 ,j4 de1 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 #hi2 her answer1 #ia4 ,lind1 ,james1 #ajj4 ,morgan1 ,a4 de1 letter from ,miss ,herschel on being elected ,hon4 ,member of the ,r4 ,a4 ,society1 #bga4 ,mars1 observations on1 #ec4 ,maskelyne1 ,rev4 ,dr41 letter from ,miss ,herschel1 on discovering her second comet1 #hj2 on the ,index to ,flamsteed's ,observations1 #if4 ,nebul1 the1 #aif-aih4 ,nebul1 the ,cape1 and double stars1 #cbh4 ,ole ,bull1 the violinist1 #cjf4 ,orange1 ,prince of1 at ,slough1 #ii4 ,orionis1 1 a variable and periodical star1 #caf4 ,piazzi1 ,abb1 at ,slough1 #ee2 at ,catania1 #agc4 ,pigott1 ,ed41 letter to ,miss ,herschel on the ,flamsteed ,catalogue1 #aja4 ,railway1 first1 between ,hanover and ,braunschweig1 #ccd4 ,ross1 ,capt41 his return with the ,south ,polar ,expedition1 #ccc1 #ccd4 ,schiller's 8,walk10 translated by ,sir ,j4 ,herschel1 #cbh1 #cbi4 ,schumacher1 ,prof41 letter from ,miss ,herschel1 #bfj4 ,scorpio1 #beh1 #bff4 ,seyffer1 ,prof41 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 #ib4 ,somerville1 ,mrs41 letter to ,miss ,herschel1 with her 8,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences10 #bgd4 ,south1 ,j41 his #djj stars1 #aid2 his address to the ,astronomical ,society on presenting the hon4 medal to ,miss ,herschel1 #bbb-bbg4 ,stewart1 ,p41 letter from ,miss ,herschel1 #bgg4 ,sun1 spots on the1 #bhf1 #bhg4 8,survey of the ,nebulous ,heavens10 the conclusion of ,sir ,w4 ,herschel's vast undertaking1 #cda4 ,sweepings for comets1 #adf-adh4 ,telescope1 the forty-foot1 anecdotes of1 #cjh1 #cji2 its final preservation1 #caj4 ,watson1 ,sir ,w41 first acquaintance with ,w4 ,herschel1 #db4 ,wilson1 ,alex41 notice of1 #ii4 ,zodiacal light1 the1 #cca4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,bradbury1 ,,agnew1 ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,whitefriars4 ,footnotes ,footnote #a3 ,the ,duke of ,cumberland's army suffered severely in this battle4 ,footnote #b3 8,while the ,king of ,prussia was warring in the south of ,germany1 an army of #fj1jjj ,frenchmen under ,marshal d',estres was directed upon ,hanover1 and occupied in the first place the ,prussian dominions lying upon the ,rhine4444 d',estres had been to a certain degree successful in an action at ,hastenbeck1 on the ,weser1 and had forced ,cumberland to retreat4 ,that commander continued to yield ground incessantly1 leaving ,hanover and ,magdeburg unprotected4444 ,he concluded with ,richelieu the convention of ,closter ,severn1 by which he engaged that 444 the ,hanoverian troops should continue inactive in their quarters near ,stade4 ,hostilities were to be suspended1 and no stipulation was made respecting the ,electorate of ,hanover4 ,that country was accordingly plundered without mercy1 and subjected to enormous contributions40--,annals of ,france1 ,encyclopdia ,metropolitana4 ,footnote #c3 ,afterwards ,madame ,beckedorff1 ,miss ,herschel's most valued friend in after years4 ,footnote #d3 ,the other version calls it 8from ,helvot to ,harrige0 ,harwich4 ,footnote #e3 ,although a considerable quantity of ,sir ,w4 ,herschel's musical compositions exist in manuscript1 much has unhappily perished4 ,his sister writes3--8,i only lament that this anthem was left with the rest of my brother's sacred compositions1 which were left in trust with one of the choristers4 ,the morning and evening services each in two different keys1 and numerous psalm tunes most beautifully set4 ,the organ book containing the scores2 the parts written out and bound in leather1 in a box with lock and key which was always kept at the chapel4 ,all is lost4 ,with difficulty many years after1 one ,te ,deum was recovered1 and when ,i was in ,bath in #ahjj ,i obtained two or three torn books of odd parts40 ,the chorister's wife openly charged ,mr4 ,linley with having taken possession of these treasures4 ,footnote #f3 8,the grinding of specula used to be performed by the hand1 no machinery having been deemed sufficiently exact4 ,the tool on which they were shaped having been turned to the required form1 and covered with coarse emery and water1 they were ground on it to the necessary figure1 and afterwards polished by means of putty or oxide of tin1 or pitch spread as a covering to the same tool in the place of the emery4 ,to grind a speculum of six or eight inches in diameter was a work of no ordinary labour2 and such a one used to be considered of great size40--8,lord ,rosse's ,telescopes10 #ahdd4 ,footnote #g3 ,he was elected a ,fellow of the ,royal ,society1 ,dec4 #f1 #agha4 ,footnote #h3 8,about the latter end of this month ,december1 #aggi ,i happened to be engaged in a series of observations on the lunar mountains1 and the moon being in front of my house1 late in the evening ,i brought my seven-feet reflector into the street1 and directed it to the object of my observations4 ,whilst ,i was looking into the telescope1 a gentleman coming by the place where ,i was stationed1 stopped to look at the instrument4 ,when ,i took my eye off the telescope1 he very politely asked if he might be permitted to look in1 and this being immediately conceded1 he expressed great satisfaction at the view4 ,next morning the gentleman1 who proved to be ,dr4 ,watson1 jun4 7now ,sir ,william71 called at my house to thank me for my civility in showing him the moon1 and told me that there was a ,literary ,society then forming at ,bath1 and invited me to become a member of it1 to which ,i readily consented40--,sir ,w4 ,herschel's ,journal4 ,this occurred at a house in ,river ,street1 which was soon changed for #ai1 ,new ,king ,street4 ,footnote #i3 ,george ,griesbach1 who with the rest of the family settled in ,england1 where they all did well1 their musical talents and connections bringing them a good deal under the notice of the ,court4 ,mr4 ,g4 ,griesbach's youngest daughter1 ,elizabeth1 became the wife of ,mr4 ,waterhouse1 of the ,british ,museum4 ,she died in #ahgd4 ,footnote #aj3 ,this eminent astronomer made inquiries after ,miss ,herschel long years afterwards1 as is related in the correspondence4 ,see letter from ,sir ,j4 ,herschel1 dated ,catania1 #ahbd1 p4 #agd4 ,footnote #aa3 ,this is the last time that the name of ,jacob ,herschel appears4 ,footnote #ab3 ,dr4 ,herschel married ,mary1 only child of ,mr4 ,james ,baldwin1 a merchant of the ,city of ,london1 and widow of ,john ,pitt1 ,esq41 by whom she had one son1 who died in early youth4 ,she was a lady of singular amiability and gentleness of character4 ,the jointure which she brought enabled ,dr4 ,herschel to pursue his scientific career without any anxiety about money matters4 ,footnote #ac3 ,m4 ,de la ,lande's name was ,jerome ,le ,franais dit de la ,lande2 it is to himself1 therefore1 that he here refers4 ,the letter is addressed 8,mlle4 ,caroline ,herschel1 ,astronome ,clbre1 ,slough40 ,footnote #ad3 ,this comet1 since known as ,encke's1 in consequence of that great astronomer having determined its periodicity in #ahai and predicted its triennial return1 was discovered1 independently1 four several times before its identity was recognized1 ,miss ,herschel's observation of it in #agie being the second in order of time4 ,additional interest has since attached to it1 in consequence of its gradually diminishing period and the views hence suggested on the economy of the solar system4 ,footnote #ae3 ,the ,rev4 ,s4 ,vince1 a mathematician and natural philosopher4 ,footnote #af3 ,sir ,william ,watson1 ,m4,d41 ,knight1 ,f4,r4,s4 from #aggj to #ahjj1 when he resigned4 ,he was one of the first members of the ,astronomical ,society at its foundation in #ahba under the ,presidency of ,william ,herschel4 ,his father1 also ,m4,d4 and ,knight1 was the eminent botanist and naturalist4 ,he lived much at ,dawlish1 where the ,herschel family frequently went to stay with him4 ,footnote #ag3 ,alexander ,wilson1 ,m4,d41 professor of practical astronomy in the ,university of ,glasgow1 and first propounder of that theory as to the cause and nature of the spots on the sun1 which was afterwards fully corroborated and worked out by ,sir ,w4 ,herschel4 ,footnote #ah3 ,the ,prince's questions were sometimes of a very remarkable kind4 ,on a previous occasion when he 8stept in0 with a view to having them answered1 and was not so fortunate as to find anyone at home1 he left the following memorandum3 8,the ,prince of ,orange has been at ,slough to call at ,mr4 ,herschel's and to ask him1 or if he was not at home to ,miss ,herschel1 if it is true that ,mr4 ,herschel has discovered a new star1 whose light was not as that of the common stars1 but with swallow tails1 as stars in embroidery4 ,he has seen this reported in the newspapers1 and wishes to know if there is any foundation to that report4--,slough1 the #hth of ,august1 #agih4--,w4 ,prince of ,orange40 ,footnote #ai3 ,james ,lind1 ,m4,d41 was a ,scotchman1 who devoted a considerable amount of his time to astronomical observations4 ,footnote #bj3 ,the only child of ,dr4 ,herschel4 ,he afterwards became ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,miss ,herschel was very proud as well as fond of him4 ,he is 8my nephew40 ,dr4 ,herschel is usually called 8my brother10 in distinction from all the rest of the family4 ,footnote #ba3 ,mrs4 ,beckedorff was 8the sweet little girl of ten or eleven years old0 with whom ,miss ,herschel had exchanged pleasant greetings when they were both taking lessons in dressmaking from ,madame ,kster1 in ,hanover1 thirty-five years before4 7,see p4 #bb47 ,footnote #bb3 ,probably ,professor ,wales1 mathematical master at ,christ's ,hospital1 author of a mathematical paper published in the 8,phil4 ,trans410 #agha4 ,footnote #bc3 ,the cost of this fine instrument1 which had been ordered by the ,king of ,spain as long before as ,january1 #agif1 was #caej4 ,the ,prince of ,canino paid #bcaj for a ten and a seven-foot telescope from the same indefatigable hands4 ,but although the pecuniary profit was great1 it is not surprising that ,miss ,herschel should bemoan the 8making and selling of telescopes0 as unworthy of the enormous amount of time and labour which must be withdrawn from the study of astronomy2 and it is evident that the fatigue and exhaustion from polishing mirrors told seriously upon ,sir ,william's health4 ,footnote #bd3 ,a characteristic little note from her brother belongs to this time3 8,lina1--,last night ,i #8popt' upon a comet4 ,it is visible to the naked eye1 between ,fomalhout and ,ceti1 but above the line that joins the two stars4 ,it made an equilateral triangle 7downwards7 with #ajj and #ajg ,aquarii4 ,i wrote last night to ,sir ,j4 ,banks and write now also to ,dr4 ,maskelyne4 ,adieu4 ,dec4 #i1 #ahje40 ,footnote #be3 ,de ,luc was a geologist of high reputation2 an ardent opponent of ,huttonian views4 ,footnote #bf3 ,the following notice is from a ,bristol paper3 8,died1 ,march #aeth1 #ahba1 at ,hanover1 ,alexander ,herschel1 ,esq41 well-known to the public of ,bath and ,bristol as a performer and elegant musician2 and1 who for forty-seven years was the admiration of the frequenters of concerts and theatres of both those cities1 as principal violoncello4 8,to the extraordinary merits of ,mr4 ,herschel was united considerable acquirement in the superior branches of mechanics and philosophy1 and his affinity to his brother1 ,sir ,william ,herschel1 the illustrous astronomer1 was not less in science than blood4 ,to a large circle of professional friends the uniform gentlemanly manners of ,mr4 ,herschel have rendered him at once an object of their warmest regard and respect40 ,alexander ,herschel returned to ,hanover in ,september1 #ahaf1 and was enabled to live in comfortable independence until his death at the age of seventy-six1 through the never failing generosity of his elder brother4 ,footnote #bg3 ,although ,miss ,herschel was endowed by nature with a fine healthy constitution1 she suffered much in various ways during the last twenty-five years of her life2 and there is little doubt that her health was injured1 to a considerable extent1 by the excessive fatigue and serious accidents to which she was exposed in her earlier days1 when she often denied herself rest that was imperatively needed1 in order to be at hand when her brother required her services4 ,footnote #bh3 ,a younger sister of ,mrs4 ,beckwith1 niece of ,lady ,herschel4 ,footnote #bi3 ,this passage is a later note1 added ,sept4 #bf1 #ahbh4 ,footnote #cj3 ,at this time ,w4 ,herschel frequently gave thirty-five and thirty-eight lessons a week to lady pupils4 ,footnote #ca3 ,it was not an unknown circumstance for the ink to freeze while she was attending to take down her brother's observations4 ,footnote #cb3 ,these words had apparently to be sought for in the dictionary1 as they are inserted in pencil in blank spaces left for the purpose4 ,footnote #cc3 ,to her brother1 in ,upton ,church1 near ,slough4 ,footnote #cd3 ,the paper referred to is probably one on 8,the ,aberrations of ,compound ,lenses and ,object ,glasses10 read at the ,royal ,society on the #bbnd ,march1 #ahba4 ,footnote #ce3 ,dietrich ,herschel died towards the end of ,january1 #ahbg4 ,footnote #cf3 ,see p4 #aj4 ,footnote #cg3 ,the author of this hasty address feels no slight gratification in having been present on the #ast ,june1 #ahba1 at the last observations with the twenty-foot reflector1 in which ,miss ,herschel was engaged4 ,he remembers also1 not without regret1 but with becoming gratitude1 that the mirror used for his improvement1 on the occasion was inserted1 for the last time1 in the tube1 by the hands of ,sir ,william ,herschel4--,memoirs ,astronomical ,society1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #dji4 ,footnote #ch3 ,this extract1 as it bears on the subject of the recognition of ,miss ,herschel's labours1 is inserted here1 though somewhat before its time4 ,footnote #ci3 8,motions were then made for passing these several resolutions1 and the same were carried unanimously40--,monthly ,notices1 vol4 iii4 p4 #ia4 ,footnote #dj3 ,of ,president4 ,footnote #da3 ,an allusion to his approaching marriage1 when he would resign his ,fellowship4 ,footnote #db3 ,the ,destroying ,angel has once more passed by4 ,footnote #dc3 ,discourse on the study of ,natural ,philosophy4 ,footnote #dd3 ,see p4 #gb1 #aghf4 ,footnote #de3 ,in the ,quarterly ,review4 ,footnote #df3 ,sir ,john for ever6 ,footnote #dg3 ,here1 indeed1 is a hole in the sky4 ,footnote #dh3 ,a brother of ,lady ,herschel's4 ,this gentleman and his brothers were in the habit of writing to ,miss ,herschel during her nephew's absence at the ,cape1 keeping her informed of the latest news1 and showing her every kind and thoughtful attention4 ,footnote #di3 ,this lady1 the daughter of ,dietrich ,herschel1 proved a most true1 affectionate1 and trustworthy friend to the last4 ,see her letter on ,miss ,herschel's death4 ,footnote #ej3 8,on the ,influence of the ,irregularities of the ,earth on ,geodetic ,operations1 and their ,comparison with ,astronomical ,determinations40 ,footnote #ea3 ,how d'ye do8 ,footnote #eb3 ,betrothed4 ,footnote #ec3 ,on the ,exchange4 ,footnote #ed3 ,the whole family party assembled at ,christmas in the tube of the great telescope1 and sang a ballad composed for the occasion4 ,footnote #ee3 8,the telescope1 as you know1 is laid on three stone piers horizontally4 ,it will be fresh painted to-morrow1 and afterwards every three or four years1 as it wants it1 and it looks very well4 ,the observatory will remain nearly as it is4 ,the apparatus of the telescope is inside of the tube1 and will be riveted up from all intruders4 ,and all the polishing apparatus is fixed on the spot40--,letter of ,sir ,john ,herschel1 ,feb4 #bh1 #ahdj4 ,the great mirror is now put up in the hall of the house--8,herschels0--at ,slough1 by the present tenant1 ,mr4 ,montressor1 who has spared no pains to do honour to the relics as well as to keep up the character of the old fashioned 8habitation10 which owes much to the taste and judgment he has bestowed on it4 ,footnote #ef3 ,general ,baron ,hugh ,halkett1 a distinguished officer of the ,german ,legion1 died #ahfc4 ,footnote #eg3 ,miss ,herschel gave special directions that1 after her death1 her snuff-box should be given to this lady4 ,footnote #eh3 ,the family of ,sir ,j4 ,herschel had left ,slough and settled at ,collingwood1 near ,hawkhurst1 ,kent1 now the family residence4 ,footnote #ei3 ,every fool is pleased with his own cap4 ,footnote #fj3 ,in answer to this announcement her niece wrote3 8,herschel bids me say he is quite delighted at the idea of your undertaking the family history1 but he insists upon it that you prove his descent from ,hercules1 and ,i dare say in this age of relics1 we could contrive to find in the rummaging of old traps turned out at ,slough1 a veritable piece of the old club which has by fortunate accident served as part of the ladders of the forty-foot telescope6 or perhaps you remember its slipping down the mouth of the great telescope one night when it was turned in the direction of your ancestor's constellation1 as a sign that he confessed himself outshone by your labours40 ,footnote #fa3 ,he who first cries 8,kick60 shall have the apple4 ,footnote #fb3 ,the astronomers for ever6 ,footnote #fc3 ,her #icrd birthday4 ,footnote #fd3 ,thank ,god4 ,footnote #fe3 ,railway4 ,footnote #ff3 ,the fellow is a fool6 ,footnote #fg3 ,the days on which this periodical arrived are always noted in the ,day-books4 ,footnote #fh3 ,the inscription is given in the ,appendix4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note2 ,some corrections were made to the original text4 ,in particular1 punctuation was corrected without further note4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation was retained unless noted otherwise4 ,the order of ,index entries was corrected where errors were found4 ,ditto marks were replaced by the text they represent4 ,there was no marker for ,footnote #ba2 its placement has been assumed4 ,further corrections are noted below3 p4 #ia ,ungeshick - ,ungeschick p4 #abe ,gottingen - ,gttingen p4 #aha liknesses - likenesses p4 #bab ,von - von p4 #bbf ,herchel's - ,herschel's p4 #bdj excpet - except p4 #bff nebul - nebula p4 #cjd ,hohembaum - ,hohenbaum p4 #cab to of the age - to the age of p4 #cbf fouteeth - fourteenth ,footnote #ah ommon - common