6 HERSCHEL AND HIS WORK 



and \\ liirh. after all. proved of no use i terwards, 



except what little 1 knew of music, IMMUL: j"st able to 

 play the second violin of an overture or easy quar- 

 tette, which : took a ]>leasure ill tear 

 me. N.R. When my nmti, not at home. 

 Am. 



The family, though poorly provided with worldly 

 goods, Was richly end-u. d with mental i;ifts. whieh 

 had only to be \vell lai<l out to l.-a-l t > \\. -alth and 



I.. mine. Tin- f.ith'T. U:: "liel. Came >f a sturdy 



book, whirh, alunit a Contui B his 



l.irtli nn January 14, 1707, escaped jHTsrcutinn in 

 i via by emigrating to Saxony. Isaac's father was 

 there employed in the Royal gardens at DP -sd -n. and 

 earned a name for himself as a skilful landscape 

 gardener. A passionate love .f music, however, r<>ni 

 pelled the son to forsake ]\\* father's business of 

 gardening, and betake him to his favourite study 

 und'-r a hautboy player in th- Royal band AM-T 

 pursuing the study at Berlin and Potsdam, he journeyed 

 in 1731 to Hanover, where he became a hautboy play r 

 in the Land of the Elector's Guards, and when h- 

 ied in the year following. George n. was tin i, 

 Elector of Hanover. To that connection with Britain 

 waa sometimes due our entanglement in the politk-s 

 and wars of the Continent, and the bringing a 

 of Hanoverian soldiers, perhaps of Hessians also, to 

 defend this country when threatened with invasion 

 War brought its troubles to the Herschel 

 family. From these troubles arose singular com- 

 pensations for the advancement of science, the honour 

 of the family, and the welfare of mankind On the 



1 Memoirs, p. 299. 



