90 SIR WM. AND CAROLINE HERSCHEL. 



appointed, for, in consequence of the harassing and 

 fatiguing life he had led during the winter months, 

 he used to retire to bed with a basin of milk or 

 glass of water, and Smith's Harmonics and Optics, 

 Ferguson's Astronomy, etc., and so went to sleep 

 buried under his favorite authors ; and his first 

 thoughts on rising were how to obtain the instru- 

 ments for viewing those objects himself of which 

 he had been reading. 



"There being in one of the shops a two-and-a 

 half-foot Gregorian telescope to be let, it was for 

 some time taken in requisition, and served not only 

 for viewing the heavens, but for making experi- 

 ments on its construction. ... It soon appeared 

 that my brother was not contented with knowing 

 what former observers had seen, for he began to 

 contrive a telescope eighteen or twenty feet 

 long. ... I was much hindered in my musical 

 practice by my help being continually wanted in 

 the execution of the various contrivances, and I 

 had to amuse myself with making the tube of 

 pasteboard for the glasses, which were to arrive 

 from London, for at that time no optician had 

 settled at Bath. But when all was finished, no 

 one besides my brother could get a glimpse of 

 Jupiter or Saturn, for the great length of the tube 

 would not allow it to be kept in a straight line. 

 This difficulty, however, was soon removed by sub- 

 stituting tin tubes." 



Herschel had attempted to buy a telescope, but 

 found the price far beyond his means. But he was 



