92 HERSCHEL AND HIS WORK 



own hand is asserted on what is called unquestionable 

 evidence, and is in itself extremely probable from a 

 story told of George iv. on his visit to Hanover in 

 1821. "Early in the morning," his physician-in- 

 ordinary says, " a poor woman, with a countenance 

 apparently much worn with sorrow, on her knees 

 presented a petition to the King's Hanoverian cham- 

 berlain, which was rejected. I saw this from the 

 saloon, from which I was looking down on the many 

 thousand persons assembled in the courtyard, and I 

 observed the expression of despair which followed. I 

 hastened down, fearing to lose sight of her, got her 

 petition, and presented it to the King. 



"It craved his mercy for her husband, who was 

 doomed to five years' hard labour in a fortress. She 

 was the mother of eight little children, and, it need 

 not be added, in great poverty and want. The crime 

 was of a nature to be pardoned, and this was done 

 with his pen instantly ; for here his authority is 

 absolute. We had the poor woman in the saloon, and 

 you may imagine the rest." l 



The view taken of the bargain at the time was given 

 voice to by Caroline Herschel, and has since been 

 frequently repeated to the King's discredit, without the 

 retractation which she made after her brother's death. 

 Here is the retractation. Writing to her nephew, in 

 April 1827, she says : " P.S. I must say a few words 

 of apology for the good King, and ascribe the close 

 bargains which were made between him and my 

 brother to the shabby, mean-spirited advisers, who 

 were undoubtedly consulted on such occasions; but 

 they are dead and gone, and no more of them ! Sir J. 

 1 Knighton, i. 169. 



