CHAPTER XI. 



LETTER FROM LORD BROUGHAM WRITES "MECHANISM OF THB 

 HEAVENS" ANECDOTE OP THE ROMAN IMPROVISATRICE LETTERS 

 FROM SIR JOHN HERSCHEL AND PROFESSOR WHEWELL ELECTED 

 HON. MEMBER OP THE KOYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY NOTICE IN 

 THE ACADEMIE DBS SCIENCES, AND LETTER FROM M. BIOT 

 PENSION LETTER FROM SIR ROBERT PEEL BEGINS TO WRITE ON 

 THE CONNECTION OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES VISIT TO CAM- 

 BRIDGELETTERS FROM PROFESSOR SEDGWICK AND LAPLACE. 



After my mother's return home my father received 

 the following letter from Lord Brougham, which very 

 importantly influenced the further course of my mother's 

 life. It is dated March 27th, 1827 I- 

 LETTER FROM LORD BROUGHAM TO DR. SOMERVILLE. 



" MY DEAR SIR, 



I fear you will think me very daring for the 

 design I have formed against Mrs. Somerville, and still 

 more for making you my advocate with her; through 

 whom I have every hope of prevailing. There will be 

 sent to you a prospectus, rules, and a preliminary treatise 

 of our Society for Diffusing Useful Knowledge, and I 

 assure you I speak without any flattery when I say that 

 of the two subjects which I find it most difficult to see 



M 



