42 A CENTURY'S PROGRESS IN ASTRONOMY. 



with his 40-foot reflector he could not fathom 

 it. Consequently, as we have mentioned, Struve 

 and his successors regarded the Universe as 

 infinite a theory which has now received its 

 death-blow. Herschel was undoubtedly correct 

 when he stated his belief in a limited Universe. 

 Herschel's star-gauges, and those of his son, 

 still remain of immense value to astronomers in 

 any discussion of the construction of the heavens. 

 Thus, although they failed to reveal to Herschel 

 the structure of the Universe, they have been 

 of much use to his successors. Herschel's discus- 

 sion of the supreme problem the ultimate object 

 of his observations constitutes one of the most 

 interesting chapters in the history of science, and 

 marks a new era in human thought. In the 

 words of Miss Clerke : " One cannot reflect with- 

 out amazement that the special life -task set 

 himself by this struggling musician originally 

 a penniless deserter from the Hanoverian Guard 

 was nothing less than to search out the 

 ' construction of the heavens.' He did not 

 accomplish it, for that was impossible ; but he 

 never relinquished, and, in grappling with it, 

 laid deep and sure the foundations of sidereal 



science." 



