212 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 174. 



from tbe sun would follow an uniform rule, if 

 there were not one wanting between Mars and 

 Jupiter, to fill up the series. This put astrono- 

 mers upon the searcl), and led to the discovery, in 

 ]801, of four small planets, all at nearly the requi- 

 site distance, but moving in paths inclined to the 

 ecliptic at such large angles as carry them beyond 

 the zodiac, though they necessarily move across it. 

 From hence it was inferred that they were portions 

 of a planet originally harmonising, in size, position, 

 and orbitual path, with the rest of our system, but 

 burst into fragments by an internal explosion, at 

 some time prior to man's recorded observations of 

 the heavenly bodies. This supposition gains strength 

 from the continued discovery of more and still 

 smaller fragments, each still moving as a planet at 

 nearly the same distance from the sun ; and each 

 seeming to proclaim that there was a world, pro- 

 bably larger than our earth, amongst whose in- 

 habitants sin entered, as amongst us; but for whom 

 mercy was not in like manner procured. 



As to the discovery of a previously unknown 

 planet, your inquirer should be told, that more is 

 necessary than its merely coming within the field 

 of an observer's telescope, even if it attracts his 

 notice. Some years before 1781, the year in which 

 Herschel discovered the planet which should per- 

 petuate his name, Lalande had noted down an 

 observation of a star, of a certain magnitude, in a 

 position where afterwards no such star could be 

 found, but where calculations since made, from 

 the known orbit of that planet, prove that it must 

 then have been. By failing to continue his observ- 

 ation of it, till it should have changed its place 

 amongst the fixed stars, Lalande lost the discovery. 

 And though Herschel's much more powerful tele- 

 scope enabled him to perceive, on a first inspection, 

 that it had a defined disc, more observations were 

 required to enable him to say that it could not be 

 a comet shorn of his beams : whilst, as to the last 

 discovered planets, I think we have been told that 

 their apparent size is but that of a star of the ninth 

 order, in decreasing magnitude ; and no part of 

 the heavens has been so accurately mapped as to 

 give an observer reason to conclude, from catching 

 sight of one of these planetary fragments, that he 

 has detected an obscure wanderer not usually seen 

 in that locality. But if its appearance leads his 

 practised eye to suspect that it shines with but 

 borrowed light, and that induces him to continue 

 his nightly watch, he receives his reward, if it be 

 go, and announces the existence of another planet. 



Henry Walter. 



STORY OF GENOVEVA. 



(Vol. vii., p. 133.) 



The story of Genoveva is a popular German le- 

 gend, and is given in No. 8. of the Volkshiicher, 

 published at Leipzig, 1838. 



Genoveva was a daughter of the Duke of Bra- 

 bant, and wife of Count Siegfried, of Treves. 

 When Charles Martel was attacked by the Sara- 

 cens, Siegfried went to his assistance, leaving his 

 wife to the care of his steward Golo. Golo fell in 

 love Avith Genoveva, and being rejected, resolved 

 to destroy her. To do so, he got up a charge 

 against her of incontinency with the cook, and put 

 both in confinement. On Siegfried's return, Golo 

 convinced him, by the help of a witch and false 

 witnesses, that his wife was guilty, and that the 

 child to which she had given birth in prison was 

 born eleven months after her husband's departure. 

 Siegfried ordered Golo to bring the criminals to 

 justice. He, fearing exposure, had the cook 

 poisoned in gaol, and commissioned two of his ser- 

 vants to take the countess and her boy into a 

 wood and kill them ; but, moved by her tears, they 

 left the intended victims, and deceived their mas- 

 ter. Genoveva took shelter in a cavern, and lived 

 upon roots ; but her milk failing, the child was 

 about to die. She prayed fervent!}', and a beauti- 

 ful doe, tame as a domestic cow, came and suckled 

 the child, and returned daily for that purpose for 

 seven years. The passage illustrated in Silurian's 

 picture is as follows : 



" Als die weinende Mutter dies gefleht hatte, sihe, 

 da kam eine Hirschkuh zu ilir, welclie slch als ein zah- 

 mes Vieh anstellte, und freundlicli um sie herstrich ; 

 gleichsam, als wollte sie sagen : Gott liabe sie dahin 

 gescndet, dass sie das Kindlein ernatiren sollte. Die 

 betriibte Mutter erstaunte, und erkannte alsbald die 

 Vorschung Gottes, legte das Kind an die Zitzen des 

 Wildes, und liess es so lange saugen, bis cs wieder 

 Kraft bekam. Durch diese himmlische Wohlthat 

 wurde die liebe Genoveva so sehr erfreut, dass sie niit 

 vielen siissen Thraiien den giitigen Gott Dank sagte, 

 und ihn demutliig um Fortsetzung solcher gnadigeu 

 Hilfe anflehte."— P. 24. 



The story ends happily. Siegfried discovers 

 that his wife is innocent, takes her back, and 

 punishes Golo : but for these matters I refer those 

 who are curious to the book, which is well worth 

 reading. Genoveva died April 2, 750, and the doe 

 pined to death at her grave. H. B. C. 



U. U. Club. 



Silurian will find a very beautiful illustration 

 of his engraving by Felsing, after Steinbriick, in 

 the little poem entitled Genoveva, published by 

 Moxon. V. 



Genoveva of Brabant, a tale of old times, trans- 

 lated from the German of Christopher Schmid, 

 published by Burns or Masters, price 2s. 6d. illus- 

 trated, will give Silurian the information re- 

 quired ; as also will Genoveva, a poem by the 

 Rev. R. C. Trench, London, 1842, Moxon. f 



Oakhurst. 



