450 Sir George H. Darwin [April 26, 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 



Friday, April 26, 1912. 



The Right Hon. The Duke of Northumberland, K.G. P.O. 

 D.C.L. LL.D. F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



Sir George H. Darwin, K.C.B. M.A. (Cantab.) LL.D. D.Sc. 

 F.R.S. M.R.I. 



Sir William Herschel. 



During the last twenty years there lias been a great revival of 

 statistical investigations as to the distribution and motions of the 

 so-called fixed stars. Kapfceyn of Groningen is the leader of those 

 who are renewing the attempt to obtain in this way some idea as to 

 the construction of the Universe. Earlier astronomers had of course 

 done something in this direction, but the work of William Herschel 

 so far transcends that of all others, that it would be fair to describe 

 him as the originator of this class of investigation. It may be of 

 interest to mention that a complete edition of his works is now in 

 course of publication, under the direction of a joint committee of the 

 Royal and Astronomical Societies. 



The interest of Herschel's writings, and the simple charm of his style 

 — written it is to be remembered in a language which was not his from 

 birth — have led me on to read about the man as well as about his 

 scientific work. Throughout his life's work his name is inseparable 

 from that of his sister Caroline, and I hope it may prove of interest 

 to you to hear of what they were, as well as of what they did. They 

 were born at Hanover, he in 1738, she in 1750, the children of a 

 bandsman of the Hanoverian Guards. At the age of fifteen Herschel 

 was already a member of the Guards' band. In 1757 the regiment, 

 which had been in England for about a year, served in Germany 

 during the Seven Years' War, and William seems to have suffered 

 from the hardships of the campaign. His parents, seeing that he 

 had not the strength for a soldier's life, determined to remove him 

 from the regiment. The removal may be described more bluntly as 

 desertion, for we learn that when he had passed the last sentinel at 

 Herrenhausen, he took off his uniform and his luggage was secretly 

 sent after him to Hamburg. At any rate, fortunately for science, he 

 escaped, and in 1757 or 1758 made his way to England. 



It would perhaps be impossible to follow him throughout his 

 wanderiniis, but we know that he was at one time instructor of the 



