188 WOMAN IN SCIENCE 



who reduced every observation, made every calculation; 

 she it was who arranged everything in systematic order; 

 and she it was who helped him to obtain his imperishable 

 name." 1 



Besides this gold medal from the Royal Astronomical 

 Society, Miss Herschel also received two others, one from 

 the King of Denmark and the other from the King of 

 Prussia. The latter was accompanied by a most eulogistic 

 letter from Alexander von Humboldt, who informed her 

 that the medal was awarded her "in recognition of the 

 valuable services rendered by her as the fellow worker of 

 her immortal brother, Sir William Herschel, by discov- 

 eries, observations and laborious calculations." 



In 1835, when she was eighty-five years of age, Miss 

 Herschel had the signal honor of being elected, along with 

 Mrs. Somerville, an honorary member of the Royal Astro- 

 nomical Society. As they were the first two women in 

 England to receive such recognition for their contributions 

 to science, it seems desirable to reproduce here an extract 

 from the report of the council of the society regarding the 

 bestowal of an honor which marked so distinct a change in 

 England of the attitude that should be taken toward women 

 who excelled in intellectual achievements. The extract 

 reads as follows: 



"Your council has no small pleasure in recommending 

 that the names of two ladies distinguished in different walks 

 of astronomy be placed on the list of honorary members. 

 On the propriety of such a step, in an astronomical point 

 of view, there can be but one voice ; and your council is of 

 the opinion that the time is gone by when either feeling or 

 prejudice, by whichever name it may be proper to call it, 

 should be allowed to interfere with the payment of a well- 

 earned tribute of respect. Your council has hitherto felt 

 that, whatever might be its own sentiment on the subject, 

 or however able and willing it might be to defend such a 

 i Op. cit., p. 224. 



