LITTLE 

 JOURNEYS 



was musical, and very early the young Herschels be->- 

 came self-supporting as singers or players. "It is the 

 only thing they can do," their father said. But his 

 loins were wiser than his head. 



In 1755 "William accompanied his father's band to 

 England, where they went to take part in a demon- 

 stration in honor of a Hanoverian, one George III., 

 who later was to play a necessary part in a symphony 

 that was to edify the American Colonies. America 

 owes niuch to George III. 



Young Herschel had already learned to speak English, 

 just as he had learned French. In England he spent 

 all the money he had for three volumes of "Locke on 

 the Human Understanding." These books were to re- 

 main his lifelong possession and to be passed on, well- 

 thumbed, to his son over half a century later. 

 "William Herschel was nineteen on the breaking out 

 of the Seven Years' War. His regiment had been 

 ordered to march in a week. Here was a pivotal point 

 should he go and fight for the glory of Prussia? 

 Not he by the connivance of his mother and sisters, 

 he was secreted on a trading sloop bound for England. 

 Q This is what is called desertion; and just how the 

 young man evaded the penalties, since the King of 

 England was also Elector of Hanover, I do not know, 

 but the House of Hanover made no effort toward pun- 

 ishment of the culprit, even "when the facts were 

 known. Perhaps musicians of quality were needed in 

 England; and as sheep-stealing is looked upon lightly 

 by priests who love mutton, so do kings forgive infrac- 

 130 



