74 HERSCHEL AND HIS WORK 



"In the fabulous ages of ancient times the appellations 

 of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were 

 given to the planets as being the names of their 

 principal heroes and divinities. 1 In the present more 

 philosophical 8era, it would hardly be allowable to 

 have recourse to the same method, and call on Juno, 

 Pallas, Apollo, or Minerva for a name to our new 

 heavenly body. The first consideration in any par- 

 ticular event, or remarkable incident, seems to be its 

 chronology : if in any future age it should be asked, 

 when this last- found planet was discovered ? it would 

 be a very satisfactory answer to say, ' In the Reign of 

 King George the Third.' As a philosopher then, the 

 name of GEORGIUM SIDUS presents itself to me, as an 

 appellation which will conveniently convey the in- 

 formation of the time and country where and when it 

 was brought to view. But as a subject of the best of 

 Kings, who is the liberal protector of every art and 

 science ; as a native of the country from whence this 

 Illustrious Family was called to the British throne ; 

 as a member of that Society, which flourishes by the 

 distinguished liberality of its Royal Patron ; and, 

 last of all, as a person now more immediately under 

 the protection of this excellent Monarch, and owing 

 everything to His unlimited bounty; I cannot but 

 wish to take this opportunity of expressing my sense 

 of gratitude, by giving the name Georgium Sidus, 



' Georgium Sidus 

 jam nunc assuesce vocari' (Virg. Georg.), 



to a star, which (with respect to us) first began to 

 shine under His auspicious reign. 



1 Herschel might have known better than write this : see M. de 

 Lalande's Astronomy, sees. 639, 640. 



