FREEDOM OF GLASGOW 205 



that the General " used to say to Herschel, Why does 

 not he (meaning King George in.) make you Duke 

 of Slough ? " Probably his sister thought the same, 

 but the pardonable flattery created a bond between 

 them, which she does not seem ever to have forgotten. 

 On reaching Glasgow, Herschel found a pleasant 

 surprise awaiting him and his friend, as new as it 

 was unexpected. Both of them were to be honoured 

 with the freedom of the city. Glasgow was then a 

 town, where salmon-fishers dried their nets on that 

 busy centre of trade, the Broomielaw, and was 

 inhabited by not more than a tenth of its present 

 population ; but its magistrates were far-seeing men, 

 who crowned their city with honour when they 

 formally entered on their Burgess Roll the name of 

 William Herschel. Their Council Records contain 

 the following: 1 



" GLASGOW, 19th June 1792. 



"The said day Dr. William Herschel, Astronomer, 

 and General Homarseuski are unanimously admitted 

 honorary Burgesses and Guild Brethren of this City." 



An Edinburgh newspaper 2 recorded the homage 

 thus paid to science by the merchant city of the 

 west, but the Edinburgh Town Council, neither then 

 nor subsequently, followed the example so honourably 

 set by Glasgow. 



1 I am indebted for this extract to the kindness of Sir James 

 Marwick, the Town Clerk of Glasgow. 



There appears to be some doubt about the spelling of the Russian 

 name in the Council Record. 



2 Edinburgh Courant, June 28, 1792. 



