CHAP, in.] Extracts from Diary. 113 



May 2nd. I left Upton for Slough, to work with my 

 brother. Mrs. H. being in town till 



June 18th. Spent the day at Slough, Mr. and Mrs. Watt 

 being there on a visit, and a large party to dinner. 



Aug. 12th. I went with Mrs. H. and my nephew to 

 pay a visit to our friends at Cumberland Lodge. My 

 brother, again finding it necessary to recruit his strength 

 by absenting himself for a few days from his work-rooms, 

 had left Slough for Tunbridge Wells just the day before, 

 and at our return we found the Duke of Kent, with the 

 Dukes of Orleans, &c., waiting for us, and my nephew 

 [setat. 15] and myself showed them Jupiter, the Moon, &c., 

 in the seven-foot. 



Aug. 29th. I dined at the Castle. The Queen and 

 Princess Elizabeth honoured me with kind enquiries after 

 the health of my brother, &c. The Princesses Augusta and 

 Mary also came to see me in Miss Beckedorff's room. On 

 coming home the next day, I found my brother had arrived 

 the day before. 



Sept. 22nd. In taking the forty-foot mirror out of the 

 tube, the beam to which the tackle is fixed broke in the 

 middle, but fortunately not before it was nearly lowered 

 into its carriage, &c., &c. Both my brothers had a narrow 

 escape of being crushed to death. 



Oct. 1st. Keceived an account and letters announcing a 

 comet. 



Oct. 2nd. Saw the comet, visible to the naked eye. 



Oct. 4:th. My brother came from Brighton. The same 

 night two parties from the Castle came to see the comet, 

 and during the whole month my brother had not an evening 

 to himself. As he was then in the midst of polishing the 

 forty-foot mirror, rest became absolutely necessary after a 



