82 Caroline Lucrctia Herschel. [1788. 



orbit, who, in page 7, speaks of the possibility of seeing 

 a curious and beautiful transit of it over the sun's disk, 

 should the earth and comet be in the line of the nodes at 

 the same time, without horror at the thought of our being 

 involved in its immense tail. I would not affirm that there 

 may not exist some astronomers so enthusiastic that they 

 would not dislike to be whisked away from this low terres- 

 irial spot into the higher regions of the heavens by the tail 

 of a comet, and exchange our narrow uniform orbit for one 

 vastly more extended and varied. But I hope you, dear 

 Miss Caroline, for the benefit of terrestrial astronomy, will 

 not think of taking such a flight, at least till your friends are 

 ready to accompany you. Mrs. Maskelyne joins me in best 

 compliments to yourself and Dr. and Mrs. Herschel. If 

 your observation was precise as io the difference of A.R. of 

 the comet and /3 Lyree, it may be of use for determining the 

 orbit, especially if the comet should be going off from us. 

 I have not yet examined whether it can be the French 

 comet discovered by M. Messier, on the 26th of last month, 

 which was going from the earth. Its apparent motion must 

 have turned at right angles to its former one, which is pos- 

 sible, but not very probable. I could not see your comet 

 with the night glass, nor would its faintness allow of illu- 

 minating the wires. 



I remain, dear Miss Caroline, 

 Your obedient and obliged humble sen-ant, 



N. MASKELYNE. 



,DR. HERSCHEL TO SIR H. ENGLEFIELD. 



December 22, 1788. 



Sin, 



Your intelligence of the comet I received, but on 

 account of the long time elapsed since the 2nd and 3rd of 

 this month we have not m been able to recover the fugitive. 



