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IX. Notices respecting New Books. 



Mdes Hartwelliance, or Notices of the Manor and Mansion of Hart- 

 well. By Captain W. H. Smyth, R.N. 

 ^ I "'HE greater part of this volume, the original object of which 

 -■- appears to have been to give an account of the Hartwell Ob- 

 servatorj% is occupied with topographical and statistical details 

 respecting the parish and manor of Hartwell, historical notices of 

 the successive Lords of the Manor, and particulars relating to Hart- 

 well House, its apartments, paintings, library, museum, numismata, 

 and Egyptian antiquities. It would be out of the province of a 

 scientific journal to make observations on the subjects of this " Mis- 

 cellany ;" but we may be allowed to say that the work abounds in 

 interesting matter, treated with singular liveliness of style and great 

 variety of erudition, and that it is beautifully illustrated by plates 

 engraved from drawings expressly made by the talented members of 

 the author's family. Our remarks must be restricted to the contents 

 of Chapter IV., which is exclusively scientific, embracing the fol- 

 lowing astronomical subjects : — origin and description of the Hart- 

 well Observatory ; meridional observations; measures of double stars; 

 colours of the same ; the story of y Virginis ; Encke's comet. 



The Hartwell Observatory, which is the property of Dr. Lee, the 

 present Lord of the Manor of Hartwell, whose love and patronage 

 of astronomical science are well known, originated as follows : — 

 "In December 1828," says Captain Smyth, "soon after I had com- 

 pleted my observatory at Bedford, and mounted the instruments 

 lent by the Astronomical Society for that purpose, it was communi- 

 Gated to me that the telescopes, clock, transit-circle, portable transit, 

 and numerous other articles, which had belonged to the late Rev. 

 Lewis Evans, were to be disposed of by private sale. On viewing 

 them I was rather chagrined at the circumstance not having occurred 

 before my arrangements were carried into effect ; especially as the 

 circle seemed to me greatly superior in simplicity and efficiency to 

 Colonel Beaufoy's, with which I had just commenced operations. On 

 mentioning this to Dr. Lee in the evening, he resolved to make the 

 purchase, and to present the circle to the Astronomical Society, with 

 the understanding that it was to change places with the one at Bed- 

 ford; a transaction which accordingly took effect." The transit- circle 

 being thus disposed of, the small transit-instrument and a reflecting 

 telescope were mounted on pedestals at the south portico of Hartwell 

 House, and the clock with the rest of the instruments were located 

 in an adjoining strong-room. The principal results of this incipient 

 observatory were to create a desire in Mr. Thomas Dell of Walton, 

 near Aylesbury, to possess also a clock and transit-room (subse- 

 quently erected under Captain Smyth's superintendence), and to 

 inspire Dr. Lee himself with the wish to procure more powerful 

 astronomical apparatus. Accordingly in 1831 a transit-room was 

 built at the south-east angle of the mansion, for the reception of a 

 five-foot transit telescope, to be employed especially in observations 

 of the moon and moon-culminating stars for the determination of 



