262 HERSCHEL. 



astronomer, spread throughout the world. The King, 

 George III., a great lover of science, and much inclined 

 besides to protect and patronize both men and things of 

 Hanoverian origin, had Herschel presented to him ; he 

 was charmed with the simple yet lucid and modest ac- 

 count that he gave of his repeated endeavours ; he caught 

 a glimpse of the glory that so penetrating an observer 

 might reflect on his reign, ensured to him a pension 

 of 300 guineas a year, and moreover a residence near 

 Windsor Castle, first at Clay Hall and then at Slough. 

 The visions of George III. were completely realized. 

 We may confidently assert, relative to the little house 

 and garden of Slough, that it is the spot of all the world 

 where the greatest number of discoveries have been made. 

 The name of that village will never perish ; science will 

 transmit it religiously to our latest posterity. 



I will avail myself of this opportunity to rectify a 

 mistake, of which ignorance and idleness wish to make a 

 triumphant handle, or, at all events, to wield in their 

 cause as an irresistible justification. It has been re- 

 peated to satiety, that at the time when Herschel entered 

 on his astronomical career he knew nothing of mathe- 

 matics. But I have already said, that during his resi- 

 dence at Bath, the organist of the Octagon Chapel had 

 familiarized himself with the principles of geometry and 

 algebra ; and a still more positive proof of this is, that a 

 difficult question on the vibration of strings loaded with 

 small weights had been proposed for discussion in 1779 : 

 Herschel undertook to solve it, and his dissertation was 

 inserted in several scientific collections of the year 1780. 



The anecdotic life of Herschel, however, is now closed. 

 The great astronomer will not quit his observatory any 

 more, except to go and submit the sublime results of his 



