CHAP, v.] Letter from J.F. W. Herschel. 169 



and want of leisure from executing my intention. The 

 truth is, I have been so much occupied with astronomy of 

 late, that I have had little time for anything else the 

 reduction of these double stars, and the necessity it has put 

 me under of looking over the journals, reviews, &c., for 

 information on what has already been done, and in many 

 cases of re-casting up my father's measures, swallows up a 

 great deal of time and labour. But I have the satisfaction 

 of being able to state that our results in most instances 

 confirm and establish my father's views in a remarkable 

 manner. These inquiries have taken me off the republica- 

 tion of his printed papers for the present. 



I think I shall be adding more to his fame by pursuing 

 and verifying his observations than by reprinting them. 

 But I have by no means abandoned the idea. Meanwhile 

 I am not sorry to hear they are about to be translated into 

 German. There is a Mr. Pfaff, a respectable mathema- 

 tician, and I hope it is he who undertakes the work. If 

 you can learn more particulars, pray send them to me. I 

 hope this season to commence a series of observations with 

 the twenty-foot reflector, which is now in fine order. The 

 forty-foot is no longer capable of being used, but I shall 



suffer it to stand as a monument. 



***** 



I am much obliged to you for the book on temperaments 

 you were so kind as to send me, which seems interesting, 

 but I have not had time to read it through 



P.S. Your books on animal magnetism, and that for 



Babbage, arrived safe I wish you would procure 



and send me Pfaff s translation of my father's papers as 

 soon as published. Write as often as you can. Your 

 letters are very interesting. I wish I were a better corre- 

 spondent, but my time is so occupied, I know not where to 

 turn. 



