200 HERSCHEL. 



cominatiou the title of Sir William took the place, on all bis memoirs, 

 already honored with so much celebrity, of the former appellation 

 of Doctor William. He had beeu named a doctor of laws in the 

 University of Oxford in 1786. This dignity, by special favor, was con- 

 ferred on him without any of the obligatory formalities of examination, 

 disputation, or pecuniary contribution, usual in that learned corporation. 



I should wound the elevated sentiments that Herschel professed all 

 his life, if I were not here to mention two indefatigable assistants that 

 this fortunate astronomer found in his own family. The one was Alex- 

 ander Herschel, endowed with a remarkable talent for mechanism, 

 always at his brother's service, and who enabled him to realize without 

 delay any ideas that he had conceived;* the other was Miss Caroline 

 Herschel, who deserves a still more particular and detailed mention. 



Miss Caroline Lucretia Herschel went to England as soon as her 

 brother became special astronomer to the King. She received the 

 appellation there of Assistant Astronomer, with a moderate salary. 

 From that moment she unreservedly devoted herself to the service of 

 her brother, happy in contributing night and day to his rapidly increasing 

 scientific reputation. Miss Caroline shared in all the night-watches of 

 her brother, with her eye constantly on the clock, and the pencil in her 

 hand ; she, without exception, recorded all the observations ; she after- 

 ward made three or four copies in separate registers; coordinated, 

 classed, and analyzed them. If the scientific world saw with astonish- 

 ment how HerschePs works succeeded each other with unexampled 

 rapidity during so many years, they were specially indebted for it to the 

 ardor of Miss Caroline. Astronomy, moreover, has been directly 

 enriched with several comets by this excellent and respectable lady. 

 After the death of her illustrious brother, she retired to Hanover, to the 

 house of Jalm Dietrich Herschel, a musician of high reputation, and 

 the only surviving brother of the astronomer. 



William Herschel died without pain on the 23d of August, 1822, aged 

 eighty-three. Neither fame nor fortune ever changed in him the fund of 

 infantine candor, inexhaustible benevolence, and sweetness of character 

 with which nature had endowed him-. He preserved to the last both 

 his brightness of mind and vigor of intellect. For some years before 

 his dent' ^'^e enjoyed with delight the distinguished success of his only 

 '■ w,t Sir John Herschel. At his last hour he sunk to rest with the 

 pleasing conviction that his beloved son, heir of a great name, would 

 not allow it to fall into oblivion, but would adorn it with fresh luster, 



* When age and infirmities obliged Alexander Herschel to give np his profession as a 

 musician, he qnitted Bath and returned to Hanover, very generously provided by Sir 

 William with a comfortable independence for life. 



t Sir W. Herschel had married Mary, the widow of John Pitt, esq., possessed of a con- 

 siderable jointure, and the union proved a remarkable accession of domestic happiness. 

 This lady survived Sir William by several years. They had but this sou.— Tkansla- 

 tok's Note. 



