258 APPENDIX 



though the admiration and friendship of the poet for the 

 astronomer are well known, it contains mistakes in dates, 

 otherwise ascertained. " He was master of the band of a 

 regiment which was quartered at Halifax in the year 1770" 

 may be true, but " where he continued for many years " 

 cannot be correct. It may also be true, though it seems to 

 conflict with Southey's story, that he obtained the post of 

 organist for the newly erected organ in that town through 

 the influence of Joah Bates, son of the parish clerk. The 

 story then proceeds : " Disliking the monotony of a country 

 town, he removed with his brother to Bath, where they 

 were both engaged for the Pump-room band by the late 

 Mr. Linley, who then conducted the first musical entertain- 

 ments established in that city, and where the delightful 

 warblings of his siren daughters, Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. Tickel, 

 will ever be remembered. Sir William was, like his nephew 

 Griesbach, esteemed an excellent performer on the oboe, as 

 his brother was on the violoncello." 



This connection of Linley with Herschel is not referred to 

 by Caroline in her Memoirs. But it derives importance from 

 the fact that, according to her testimony, there were, or seem 

 to have been, disagreeable passages between them. At any 

 rate there is good reason to believe that Herschel did not 

 remove from Halifax to Bath, as has generally been given 

 out, to become organist in the Octagon Chapel in 1766. 

 "The Chapel was built in 1766, and opened for divine 

 service in December 1767." Herschel had been more than 

 a year in Bath at that time ; he had also been giving concerts 

 on his own account, as his sister gives us distinctly to under- 

 stand, and on January 3, 1767, he returns thanks, through the 

 Bath Chronicle, to the company who did him the honour of 

 attending his concert. 1 He informs them at the same time 

 that he teaches the guitar as well as singing, and takes 



1 1 am indebted for these facts to the kindness of Mr. Sturge Cotterell, 

 of Bath. 



