CAROLINE LUC RET I A HERSCHEL. 65 



" First Comet," " Second Comet," etc. She announced the discovery 

 of her second comet to Dr. Maskelyne, the royal astronomer, in the 

 following letter, with a postscript by her brother : 



" Deae Sir : Last night, December 21st, at 7* 45', I discovered a comet, a 

 little more than one degree south, preceding /? Lyras. This morning, between 

 five and six, I saw it again, when it appeared to have moved about a quarter of 

 a degree toward 6 of the same constellation. I beg the favor of you to take it 

 under your protection. 



" Mrs. Herschel and my brothers join with me in compliments to Mrs. Mas- 

 kelyne and yourself, and I have the honor to remain, 



"Dear sir, your most obliged, humble servant, 



" Caroline Herschel. 



" Slough, December 22, 1788." 



" P. S. The comet precedes (5 Lyra? 7' 5" in time, and is in the parallel of the 

 small star (/? being double). See fifth class, third star, of my catalogue. 



" William Herschel." 



Her brother announced her discovery to Sir J. Banks and Sir H. 

 Englefield, and from these gentlemen she received the most cordial 

 congratulations. Two years later, on January 7, 1790, the third comet 

 was discovered, and on the 17th of April, the same year, when her 

 brother was absent, she announced her fourth comet to Sir Joseph 

 Banks in the following words : 



"April 19th. 

 " Sir : I am very unwilling to trouble you with incomplete observations, and 

 for that reason did not acquaint you yesterday with the discovery of a comet. 

 I wrote an account of it to Dr. Maskelyne and Mr. Aubert, in hopes that one of 

 them would furnish me with the means of pointing it out in a proper manner. 

 But as several days may pass before my letters are answered, or my brother re- 

 turns, I would not be thought neglectful, and if you think the following descrip- 

 tion sufficient, and that more of my brother's astronomical friends should be 

 made acquainted with it, I should be very happy if you would be so kind as to 

 do it for the sake of astronomy." 



Then follows an account of the comet. The letter, written on the 

 day previous, to Mr. Aubert, we give entire : 



" Slough, April 18, 1790. 

 " Dear Sir: I am almost ashamed to write you, because I never think of 

 doing so but when I am in distress. I found, last night, at 16 h 24', sidereal 

 time, a comet, and do not know what to do with it, for my new sweeper is not 

 half finished ; and, besides, I broke the handle of the perpendicular motion in 

 my brother's absence (who is on a little tour in Yorkshire). He furnished me to 

 that instrument a rhomboides, but the wires are too thin, and I have no means 

 for illuminating them. All my hopes were that I should find nothing to make 

 me feel the want of these things in his absence ; but, as it happens, here is an 

 object in a place where there is no nebula, or anything which could look like a 

 comet, and I would be much obliged to you, sir, if you would look at the place 

 where the annexed eye-draft will direct you to. My brother has swept that 

 part of the heavens, and has many nebuke there, but none which I must expect 

 to see with my instrument. I will not write to Sir J. Banks or Dr. Maskelyne, 

 vol. ix. 5 



