264 HERSCHEL. 



she unreservedly devoted herself to the service of her 

 brother, happy in contributing night and day to his rapidly 

 increasing scientific reputation. Miss Caroline shared in 

 all the night-watches of her brother, with her eye con- 

 stantly on the clock, and the pencil in her hand; she 

 made all the calculations without exception ; she made 

 three or four copies of all the observations in separate 

 registers ; coordinated, classed, and analyzed them. If 

 the scientific world saw with astonishment how Her- 

 schel's works succeeded each other with unexampled 

 rapidity during so many years,- they were specially in- 

 debted for it to the ardour of Miss Caroline. Astronomy, 

 moreover, has been directly enriched by several comets 

 through this excellent and respectable lady. After the 

 death of her illustrious brother, Miss Caroline retired to 

 Hanover, to the house of Jahn Dietrich Herschel, a mu- 

 sician of high reputation, and the only surviving brother 

 of the astronomer. 



William Herschel died without pain on the 23d of 

 August 1822, aged eighty-three. Good fortune and glory 

 never altered in him the fund of infantine candour, inex- 

 haustible benevolence, and sweetness of character, with 

 which nature had endowed him. He preserved to the 

 last both his brightness of mind and vigour of intellect. 

 For some years Herschel enjoyed with delight the distin- 

 guished success of his only son,* Sir John Herschel. At 

 his last hour he sunk to rest with the pleasing conviction 

 that his beloved son, heir of a great name, would not 

 allow it to fall into oblivion, but adorn it with fresh lustre, 



* Sir W. Herschel had married Mary, the widow of John Pitt, Esq., 

 possessed of a considerable jointure, and the union proved a remark- 

 able accession of domestic happiness. This lady survived Sir William 

 by several years. They had but this son. Translator's Note. 



