48 HERSCHEL AND HIS WORK 



and invited me to become a member of it, to which 1 

 readily consented." The house in front <>i \\hidi this 

 discovery of an astronomer was made, was in River 

 Street, 1 ami the discoverer of Herschel was 1 )r. Watson, 

 a distinguished Fellow of the Royal Society of Lon- 

 don, 1 and a man of whom Herschel after war! 

 in his printed papers with the highest respect a ml 

 gratitude. 



A look through a telescope in a street-observatory 

 was not uncommon thru even fora rising philosopher. 

 As Humphry 1 )avy " was passing through the M 

 one fine night, he observed a man show in-- th moon 

 1 1n < .ugh a telescope. He stopped to look at the earth's 

 satellite, and tendered a penny to the exhibitor. But 

 the latter, on learning that his customer was no less 

 a person than the great Davy, exclaimed with an 

 important air, that 'he could not think of taking 

 money from a brother-philosopher.' " 



Dr. Watson and his father, Sir William Watson, 

 were well-known members of the Royal Society. 

 To the father in 1745 was awarded the Copley 

 Medal for "surprising discoveries in electricity, 

 exhibited in his late experiments." His portrait also 

 is one of those in the Royal Society's keeping. The 

 son became a Fellow in 1770. Like his father. In- 

 had a leaning towards the study of electricity. In 

 1756, when the Society honoured itself by electing 

 Benjamin Franklin, "although not an inhabitant of 

 this island," a Fellow, the certificate recommending 

 that this be done was signed by the President and 



1 He soon afterwards removed to 19 New King Street 

 s Dr. Watson seems to have done % similar kindness to others. See 

 Annual Register for 1783 [58-60]. 



