40 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



has been so often told that I am loth to occupy space with 

 it here. An account is given of the leading incidents in an 

 article called 'The Planets put in Leverrier's Balance,' in 

 my 'Science Byways/ and a somewhat more detailed 

 narrative in my * Myths and Marvels of Astronomy.' Here, 

 it will suffice to give a very slight sketch of this interesting 

 episode in the history of astronomy. 



On January 2, 1860, news reached Leverrier that 

 Lescarbault had on March 26, 1859, seen a round black 

 spot on the sun's face, and had watched it travelling across 

 like a planet in transit. It had remained in view for one 

 hour and a quarter. Leverrier could not understand why 

 three-quarters of a year had been allowed to elapse before 

 so important an observation had been published. He went 

 to Orgeres with the idea of exposing a pretender. The 

 interview was a strange one. Leverrier was stern and, to 

 say the truth, exceedingly rude in his demeanour, Lescar- 

 bault singularly lamb-like. If our chief official astronomer 

 called uninvited upon some country gentleman who had 

 announced an astronomical discovery, and behaved as 

 Leverrier did to Lescarbault, there would most certainly 

 have been trouble ; but Lescarbault seems to have been 

 rather pleased than otherwise. ' So you are the man,' said 

 Leverrier, looking fiercely at the doctor, * who pretend to 

 have seen an in tra- Mercurial planet. You have committed 

 a grave offence in hiding your observation, supposing you 

 really have made it, for nine months. You are either 

 dishonest or deceived. Tell me at once and without 

 equivocation what you have seen.' Lescarbault described 

 his observation. Leverrier asked for his chronometer, and, 

 hearing that the doctor used only his watch, the companion 

 of his professional journeys, asked how he could pretend 

 to estimate seconds with an old watch. Lescarbault showed 

 a silk pendulum ' beating seconds/ though it would have 

 been more correct to say 'swinging seconds/ Leverrier 

 then examined the doctor's telescope, and presently asked 

 for the record of the observations. Lescarbault produced it, 



