SIR WM. AND CAROLINE HERSCHEL. 103 



In February, 1818, Caroline spent twelve pre- 

 cious days with her brother, "not in idleness," she 

 says, " but in sorrow and sadness. He is not only 

 unwell, but low in spirits." Later he went to 

 Bath with Lady Herschel. " The last moments 

 before he stepped into the carriage," says the lov- 

 ing Caroline, "were spent in walking with me 

 through his library and workrooms, pointing 

 with anxious looks to every shelf and drawer, 

 desiring me to examine all and to make memo- 

 randums of them as well as I could. He was 

 hardly able to support himself, and his spirits 

 were so low, that I found difficulty in command- 

 ing my voice so far as to give him the assurance 

 he should find on his return that my time had not 

 been misspent. 



" When I was left alone I found that I had no 

 easy task to perform, for there were packets of 

 writings to be examined which had not been 

 looked at for the last forty years. But I did 

 not pass a single day without working in the 

 library as long as I could read a letter without 

 candle-light, and taking with me papers to copy, 

 etc., which employed me for the best part of the 

 night, and thus I was enabled to give my brother a 

 clear account of what had been done at his return." 



On the 4th of July, 1819, Herschel sent a note 

 to his dear co-worker. " Lina, There is a great 

 comet. I want you to assist me. Come to dine 

 and spend the day here. If you can come soon 

 after one o'clock we shall have time to prepare 



