Page:Littell's Living Age - Volume 129.djvu/658

650 , and I was left in the harassing uncertainty whether I was to go or not. I resolved at last to prepare, as far as lay in my power, for both cases, by taking in the first place every opportunity, when all were from home, to imitate with a gag between my teeth the solo parts of concertos, shake and all, such as I had heard them play on the violin; in consequence, I had gained a tolerable execution before I knew how to sing.

The journey to England was at last settled, much to her mother's disgust. But, as she says with great naiveté "Her anguish at my leaving was somewhat alleviated by my brother settling a small annuity upon her, by which she would be enabled to keep an attendant to supply my place." The last objection being now removed, she left Hanover in August, 1772. She went "from Helvot to Harrige"—more accurate geographers might, perhaps, have written from Hellevoetsluis to Harwich; but, indeed, Miss Herschel's idea of orthography remained abnormal to the end of her life. The authoress of the memoirs tells us that she has modernized the spelling throughout; we are not quite sure that we approve of the change. We are once or twice allowed to catch a glimpse of her without her modern disguise; for in one of her letters, written when she heard the news of Sir John Herschel's intended departure for the Cape in 1822, she exclaims, "Ja! if I was thirty or forty years junger, and could go too? in Gottes nahmen!" We quite agree with the authoress of the memoir that an old lady who had discovered eight comets might be allowed to spell in her own way; but we by no means subscribe to the conclusion that the trimming and modernising of her letters and memoranda have improved them.

Immediately on her arrival in Bath, Miss Herschel commenced her training. She knew no English, and, as she was to do the housekeeping and marketing, it was necessary at once to devote her attention to its acquisition. She also records that, on the first morning after her arrival, her brother began to teach her the rudiments of arithmetic. When we remember that it was principally as a calculator that she was afterwards remarkable, and that the numerical results which rendered her brother's observations available to science were all worked out by her, some idea is obtained of the keenness and perseverance which could so overcome the deficiencies left by early neglect. All difficulties vanished before her as if by magic. The immediate business on hand was the organization of William Herschel's concerts. Caroline's voice was tried, and was found satisfactory. She was set to work with three lessons a day, either singing or at the harpsichord. In a short time she was installed as the leading solo singer of the concerts and oratorios, which her brother provided for his fastidious audience. It then devolved upon her to train and lead the treble singers, and to copy the scores for the various performers.

For ten years the Herschels remained at Bath. William Herschel was indefatigable in his music-lessons, giving sometimes as many as thirty-eight in a day; but every spare moment was dedicated to studies, which more and more engrossed his attention, and at last compelled him to devote himself to the observation of the heavens. He became a member of a philosophical society in Bath, to which he contributed for several years papers on scientific subjects. It was thus at the very turning-point of his career that Caroline Herschel became the companion and fellow-worker of her brother.

In a shop in Bath William Herschel one day found a two-and-a-half-feet Gregorian telescope for hire. He became possessed of it, and took it into constant use, not only for observing the heavens, but for making experiments on its construction. He soon determined not to remain content with viewing what had been seen by others. He would enter on a course of original investigation for himself.

He wrote to inquire the price of a reflecting mirror for (I believe) a five or six foot telescope. The answer was that there were none of so large a size, but a person offered to make one at a price much above what my brother thought to give. About this time he bought of a Quaker resident in Bath, who had formerly made attempts at polishing mirrors, all his rubbish of patterns, tools, hones, polishers, unfinished mirrors, etc.; but all for small Gregorians, and none above two or three inches in diameter.

This disappointment, which would, perhaps, have damped the ardour of a less enthusiastic man, proved an immense advantage to science. As his modest salary as organist would not enable him to buy a telescope, Herschel proceeded to make one. At first his telescope was to be moderate in size, and the plan was adopted only because it would be cheaper to make a large telescope than to buy one. But as he studied the subject his ambition increased. Expedients occurred to him