CAROLINE LUCRETIA HERSCHEL. 737 



illustrious Sir William Herschel. It is stipposed that slie rose above 

 the narrow sphere of woman's usual domestic life, and sj)ent her time 

 in studying the universe and making astronomical discoveries. Slie 

 has been often cited, in the recent discussions of the woman question, 

 as an illustration of the intellectual equality of the sexes and as demon- 

 strating to the world what woman is capable of doing in science 

 when she gets a fair opportunity. 



Miss Hersehel's memoirs have just appeared, made up mostly from 

 her diary and correspondence, edited by Mrs. John Herschel. In this 

 interesting volume we get a view of her real character, and discover 

 that the notions generally accepted are widely mistaken. We learn 

 from her diary and letters that, while she was a thrifty and interested 

 housekeeper, she had neither the taste, the ambition, nor the mental 

 qualities, that would have insured distinction in an independent intel- 

 lectual career. It is seen that she became an astronomer by accident, as 

 it were, and through the strength of her affection rather than of her 

 intellect. When she found that her brother had resolved to take her 

 as his assistant in his astronomic labors, it made her miserable for a 

 time; and he chose her instead of either of his brothers, not because 

 of her brilliant mind, but on account of her persevering devotion to his 

 interests and her dexterity and readiness in doing an assistant's work. 



The lesson of this book is very important to ambitious girls who 

 despise domestic concerns, and long for an " intellectual " career. Her 

 science, as such, gave Miss Herschel no great enjoyment; her happi- 

 ness came from her womanly devotion to her brother's ambitious work; 

 and the book will be found painfully interesting as it discloses the suf- 

 ering she also experienced as the penalty of this unselfish devotion. 



Miss Herschel lived to the great age of ninety-seven years and 

 ten months, and retained her faculties bright to the last. We give a 

 portrait, taken from the biography, which represents her at the age 

 of ninety-two. In the following sketch we shall let her speak for her- 

 self, as far as practicable, as nothing can exceed the graphic simplicity 

 of her diary. But, as she was a German, and did not begin to study 

 English till she went to England, at the age of twenty-two, there are 

 - defects in her writing, for which the reader will make due allowance. 



Caroline Luceetia Herschel was the eighth of a family of ten 

 children, four of whom died in childhood. Her father was band-master 

 in the regiment of Guards at Hanover, and all his children had musical 

 genius. He took great pains to cultivate his sons in music, and sent 

 them to the garrison school for their routine education. As they grew 

 up they all became musicians and joined the regiment band. At Det- 

 tingen, in 1743, the father was wounded and left all night in a wet fur- 

 row, and lie had ever after an impaired constitution and an asthmatical 

 affection. This event cast a shadow upon the family, and when Caro- 

 line was born, in 1750, in the gloomy period of the Seven Years' War, 

 the mother's temper seems to have been already warped by trouble. 

 VOL. Tin. 47 



