294 Astronomical Society. 
together this evening for the purpose of witnessing the distri- 
bution of the Medals, which have this year been awarded by 
the Council, agreeably to the powers vested in them for that 
purpose. The subject, which has called for this public ex- 
pression of their opinion and approbation, is that of Double 
Stars ; which has been pursued with uncommon zeal and energy 
by three distinguished members of your body. 
The history of this particular branch of astronomy is but 
of recent date. For, it cannot be unknown to any of you that 
this subject occupied a considerable portion of the time and 
attention of our late illustrious President, Sir William Her- 
schel; and that, in fact, it was he who first directed the at- 
tention of astronomers to this important branch of the science; 
having himself commenced and carried on, with great ability 
and diligence, a minute survey of the heavens, for the express 
purpose of detecting those almost imperceptible combinations 
of stars, which had hitherto escaped the observation of ordi- 
nary observers. 
Assisted by his own inventive genius, and the labour of his 
own skilful and unerring hand, he contrived and brought to 
perfection telescopes of a size which may be truly termed g7- 
gantic, and possessing powers of vision and penetration far su- 
perior to any that had ever yet been used by astronomers: and 
with which he made those astonishing and remarkable disco- 
veries that have filled the contemplative mind with wonder and 
admiration. 
It did not escape the sagacity of this illustrious astronomer 
that these important discoveries, which he was the first to dis- 
close to the world, might be made conducive to the investiga- 
tion of the parallax of the fixed stars: a subject which has, 
from the earliest period, occupied the attention and curiosity 
of astronomers. And it was, in fact, this consideration that 
first led him to the pursuit of this important branch of astro- 
nomy: but this object was soon lost sight of, in the singular 
and remarkable phenomena which he afterwards brought to 
light*. 
Before he commenced his observations, however, he was de- 
sirous of ascertaining what other astronomers had done be- 
fore him in the same pursuit. But, not having the facility of 
reference to many works, he himself (as he emphatically ex- 
* Indeed the obvious use which might be made of such observations had 
occurred to Galileo, who first suggested the idea that the apparent distance ~ 
of two apparently contiguous stars might perceptibly vary according to the 
position of the earth in its orbit. But, his theory was founded on very im- 
perfect and unsatisfactory data: and he himself made nv progress in the 
solution of this important problem. 
presses 
