178 Caroline Lucretia Herschel. [1824. 



nephew's gratification ; for, from his kind inquiries if I 

 wanted anything ? if he could do nothing for me ? it 

 seemed as if he thought he could not do enough for us. 

 My answer was nothing ! nothing ! and this I could say with 

 truth, as at my age and situation (which is truly respectable) 

 I should not know what to do with more without lavishing 

 it on others, where it would only create habits of luxury 

 and extravagance. The time of our dear nephew's being 

 here was too short for much confidential conversation, else 

 I wished to have made him better acquainted with mine 

 and my brother Dietrich's sentiments concerning the noble 

 bequest of our lamented brother, of which Dietrich had not 

 the most distant hope or expectation (for I believe they never 

 had any conversation on the subject), as 1 am sure his way 

 of thinking is similar to mine, that brothers and sisters 

 (such as we were), each beginning the world with nothing 

 but health and abilities for getting our bread, ought to feel 

 shame at taking from the other if he should by uncommon 

 exertion and perseverance have raised himself to affluence. 

 According to this notion I refused rny dear brother's pro- 

 posal (at the time he resolved to enter the married state) of 

 making me independent, and desired him to ask the king 

 for a small salary to enable me to continue his assistant. 

 50 were granted to me, with which I was resolved to live 

 without the assistance of my brother ; but when nine quar- 

 ters were left unpaid I was obliged to apply to him, as he 

 had charged me not to go to anyone else. In 1808, you 

 and my brother insisted on my having 10 quarterly added 

 to my income, which I certainly should not have accepted 

 if I had not been in a panic for my friends at Hanover, 

 which had just then been taken by the French. 



