CHAP, ii.] Life in Bath. 47 



TO MISS HERSCHEL. 



Monday Evening, June 3, 1782. 



DEAR LINA, 



I pass my time between Greenwich and London 

 agreeably enough, but am rather at a loss for work that I 

 like. Company is not always pleasing, and I would much 

 rather be polishing a speculum. Last Friday I was at the 

 King's concert to hear George pla} r . The King spoke to me 

 as soon as he saw me, and kept me in conversation for half 

 an hour. He asked George to play a solo-concerto on 

 purpose that I might hear him ; and George plays extremely 

 well, is very much improved, and the King likes him very 

 much. These two last nights I have been star-gazing at 

 Greenwich with Dr. Maskelyne and Mr. Aubert. We have 

 compared our telescopes together, and mine was found very 

 superior to any of the Royal Observatory. Double stars which 

 they could not see with their instruments I had the pleasure 

 to show them very plainly, and my mechanism is so much 

 approved of that Dr. MaskeLyne has already ordered a 

 model to be taken from mine and a stand to be made by it 

 to his reflector. He is, however, now so much out of love 

 with his instrument that he begins to doubt whether it 

 deserves a new stand. I have had the influenza, but am now 

 quite well again. It lasted only five or six days, and I never 

 was confined with it. ... There is hardly one single 

 person here but what has had it. 



I am introduced to the best company. To-morrow I 

 dine at Lord Palmerston's, next day with Sir Joseph Banks, 

 &c., &c. Among opticians and astronomers nothing now is 

 talked of but what they call my great discoveries. Alas ! 

 this shows how far they are behind, when such trifles as I 

 have seen and done are called great. Let me but get at it 

 again ! I will make such telescopes, and see such things 

 that is, I will endeavour to do so. 



