ACAPEMY OF SCIENCES.] BIOGRAPHY. ' 157 



comets and minor planets, or asteroids, as they were then commonly called. Gould received 

 from Goettingen his degree, doctor of philosophy, in 1848, his dissertation being entitled 

 " Untersuchungen iiber die Gesenseitige Lage der Bahnen der zwischen Mars and Jupiter 

 sich bewegende Planeten." The work shows small trace of its author's future power and its 

 approval by Gauss as an adequate inaugural dissertation may perhaps be construed as evidence 

 of the master's capacity to look beyond the immediate present. 



The life at Goettingen was followed by some months of travel, from Italy to Russia, in 

 which the young doctor, adding to his first-hand knowledge of men and things, came in especial 

 measure under the influence of Argelander, at Bonn, and formed with him a peculiar friendship 

 that was largely influential in determining the purposes and plans of his maturer years. 



Returing to America via France, a momentary glimpse at the kaleidoscope of Gallic life 

 revealed to Gould his friend Biot engaged in politics and, by chance, exhibited Louis Napoleon 

 swearing allegiance to constitutional government and taking a place in the extreme left of the 

 constituent assembly. He brought back to his home a mind well trained in the physical science 

 of the day and filled with an enthusiasm that was to find fruitful expression in half a century 

 of honorable and distinguished toil. But Europe had given to him much more than professional 

 training. The genial disposition, his by inheritance, had formed on every side warm friend- 

 ships that were severed only by death. Few were the astronomers of note not included in the 

 circle of his personal friends and correspondents, and upon his numerous returns to Europe 

 these friendships were refreshed and extended in unusual measure. He brought home also 

 an acquaintance with and facility in the use of foreign tongues that was later to stand him in 

 good stead. French and German were at his instant command, and to these was added later an 

 equal command of Spanish. His Italian, while less fluent, was serviceable and his own jest, of 

 later date, somewhat extends this tale of tongues. To a friend seeking linguistic aid and 

 suggesting that Gould perhaps had some knowledge of Spanish, he replied with a twinkle of 

 the eye and a gesture of the hand toward the row of ponderous Resultados del Observatorio en 

 Cordoba, "Oh, yes; for many years I published chiefly in Spanish, and Arabic." A hasty 

 and withal skeptical examination of the quarto volumes revealed that, in truth, their contents 

 were mainly expressed in numerals of the Arabic notation. 



The change from life in the scientific circles of Europe to the wholly different environment 

 and conditions offered by the Massachusetts of that day was a sore trial to the young man. 

 He knew on leaving Europe what was before him, but the reality proved even more depressing 

 than anticipation had pictured it. His disappointment and bitterness of spirit found expression 

 soon after his return in a letter to Humboldt, but there is in it no suggestion of altering his 

 plans. An honorable mode of escape was opened to him a little later, as was learned long 

 afterwards from the deceased man's letter books. Gauss offered him a professorship at Goet- 

 tingen, which was declined. Renewed a little later and coupled with the promised directorship 

 of the Goettingen Observatory, Gould hesitated, consulted his friends Peirce and Agassiz, who 

 advised him to accept and, yielding to their judgment, he did accept the very flattering offer, 

 but only to reconsider and withdraw the acceptance in order that he might carry out his original 

 plans to serve science in America. 



But we have overrun the chronological sequence of events. Landed in America and faced 

 with the challenge of a wholly unconventional career, Gould found his first obligation to be the 

 winning of his daily bread. For two years this was accomplished by teaching mathematics, 

 French, and German at Cambridge, presumably as a coach. But this bread-and-butter pursuit 

 was enlivened and seriously burdened by his establishment, hi 1849, of the Astronomical Journal, 

 a periodical of irregular appearance, devoted to the publication of research in astronomy. The 

 preamble, printed over Gould's name, states that "The enthusiasm of astronomers and the 

 liberality of friends of science in America have enabled me to commence the Astronomical 

 Journal with the full conviction that it will be permanently supported." " In the earnest hope 

 that the establishment of the Astronomical Journal may be hereafter referred to as an era for 

 astronomy in America I commend it to the sympathy and cooperation of the lovers and votaries 



