390 Astronomical Society. 



were at the same time in progress, a most important part yet re- 

 mains untold. Who participated in his toils ? Who braved with 

 him the inclemency of the weather ? Who shared his privations ? A 

 female. — Who was she ? His sister. — Miss Herschel it was, who by 

 night acted as his amanuensis. She it was whose pen conveyed to 

 paper his observations as they issued from his lips ; she it was who 

 noted the right ascensions and polar distances of the objects observed ; 

 she it was who having passed the night near the instruments, took 

 the rough manuscripts to her cottage at the dawn of day, and pro- 

 duced a fair copy of the night's work on the subsequent morning ; 

 she it was who planned the labour of each succeeding night ; she it 

 was who reduced every observation, and made every calculation ; 

 she it was who arranged every thing in systematic order j and she 

 it was who helped him to obtain an imperishable name. 



But her claims to our gratitude end not here ; as an original 

 observer she demands, and I am sure she has, our most unfeigned 

 thanks. Occasionally her immediate attendance during the obser- 

 vations could be dispensed with. Did she pass the night in repose ? 

 No such thing ; wherever her illustrious brother was, there you were 

 sure to find her also. A sweeper planted on the lawn became her 

 object of amusement, but her amusements were of the higher order, 

 and to them we stand indebted for the discovery of the comet of 178(5 ; 

 of the comet of 1 788 ; of the comet of 1 79 1 ; of the comet of 1 793 ; 

 and of the comet of 1795, since rendered familiar to us by tjie re- 

 markable discovery of Encke. Many also of the nebulae contained in 

 Sir Wm. Herschel's catalogues were detected by her during these 

 hours of enjoyment. Indeed, in looking at the joint labours of these 

 extraordinary personages, we scarcely know, whether most to admire 

 the intellectual power of the brother, or the unconquerable industry 

 of the sister. 



In the year 1797, she presented to the Royal Society a catalogue 

 of 560 stars taken from Flamsteed's observations, and not inserted in 

 the British catalogue ; together with a collection of errata that 

 should be noticed in the same volume. 



Shortly after the death of her brother, Miss Herschel returned to 

 Hanover. Unwilling, however, to relinquish her astronomical la- 

 bours whilst any thing useful presented itself, she undertook, and 

 completed the laborious reduction of the places of 2500 nebulae, to 

 the 1st Jan. 1800, presenting in one view the results of all Sir Wm. 

 Herschel's observations on those bodies j thus bringing to a close 

 half a century spent in astronomical labour. 



For this more immediately, and to mark their estimation of services 

 rendered during a whole life to Astronomy, your Council resolved to 

 confer on her the distinction of a medal of this Society. The pecu- 

 liarity of our President's situation, however, and the earnest manner 

 in which the feelings, naturally arising from it, were urged when the 

 subject was first brought forward, caused your Council to pause, — and 

 waive on that occasion the actual passing their proposed vote. The 

 discussion was however renewed on Monday last; and although there 

 was every disposition to meet the President's wishes, still under a 



conviction 



