HERSCHEL THE PIONEER. 7 



and was more diligent and persevering than his 

 brother Jacob, his senior by four years. In 

 1753 he became oboist in the band of the 

 Hanoverian Guard in which his father was 

 now bandmaster. In her valuable memoirs, his 

 sister relates that her father was very interested 

 in astronomy, and that he taught his children 

 the names of the constellations. William became 

 devoted to the science, and constructed a small 

 celestial globe on which equator and ecliptic 

 were engraved. But his studies were much 

 hampered. His mother had a great dislike to 

 learning : she had no sympathy with aspira- 

 tions, and tried to prevent her children becom- 

 ing well educated. Above all, the Hanoverian 

 Guard was ordered to England in 1755, when 

 a French invasion was feared, and to that 

 country Herschel proceeded, along with his 

 father and brother. 



Returning to Germany in 1756, the Hano- 

 verian Guard was employed the following year 

 in the Seven Years' War. Hanover was invaded 

 by the French, and, conscription being the rule, 

 the musicians were not exempted from service. 

 Under the command of the Duke of Cumber- 

 land the Guard suffered a terrible defeat at 

 Hastenbeck. William Herschel spent the night 

 after the battle in a ditch, and decided that 



