1868. | Sir John Herschel and Modern Astronomy. 187 
Yet, the author of that paragraph was heard by the writer of 
this article to declare, on this point, the weakness of his knowledge 
—and, at the same time, with something like prophetic inspiration, 
to express a feeling, amounting to conviction, that Gravitation was 
the effect of vastly superior causes, ascending in grandeur of action, 
one above the other, until we reach the Great First Cause of All. 
May it not be, that while we are groping our way amongst 
the interstices of matter, and learning a little of “ molecular 
forces,”—to which we have given many names—we are slowly 
obtaining dim glimpses of modified forms of this force, at once 
so powerful and universal in heavenly space, and so subtle when 
confined in the labyrinths of earthly matter? However this may 
be, all “celestial weighings and measurings” (as Sir John Herschel 
phrased it, in one of those popular articles which he can write 
so well) are carried out entirely by our knowledge of the law of 
Gravitation, and thus is Astronomy made an exact science. 
As we improve our instruments we shall see yet deeper into 
the heavens, and by long-continued and well-directed observations, 
we shall make new discoveries among the stars, and learn yet more 
of the arcana of space. But these discoveries, though they will 
enlarge our knowledge, will not disturb that which we know; and 
of no other science than Astronomy can this be said. 
‘If we intended a review of modern Astronomy, it would be 
necessary to notice the labours of many men who have, in this 
country, in Europe, and in America, by their powers of observa- 
tion, their unwearying industry, and their skilful analysis, largely 
increased the sum of human knowledge. Between the time when 
William Herschel discovered Uranus, and Adams pointed to the 
spot where a planet must exist, and where Neptune was found, 
many eminent men have yoked their names with astronomical 
researches of the highest value. Of none of these is it our pur- 
pose to speak; our only intention is to set forth, in brief, the 
labours of one man who has proved that he combines in his own 
person the assiduous astronomical observer, the acute mathema- 
tician, the deep-thinking philosopher, and the graceful poet,—that 
man being Su John Herschel. It is not to many men that in- 
tellectual powers of so high an order have been given—it is 
not in many men that we find such perfect balancing of those 
varied powers—it is in few*men that we discover such profound 
humility, and such a deep sense of reverence for the Creator of 
those works, the study of which has been a life-labour of love. 
When we have examples before us of superior intellects wandering 
away into error, deluded by the meteor-gleam of their own great, 
but irregularly-trained, and therefore, now uncontrolled, powers, it 
is of the utmost importance that the example of the brighter star, 
moving in brilliancy around the Centre of all good, should be con- 
VOL. V. , P 
