Page:Williamherschel00simegoog.djvu/71

Rh ample traces of volcanic fires that once lighted her surface, but they are all long gone out, and have left nothing behind for us but insoluble problems and mysterious wonders—a world of craters, lava, precipices, and cinders. That astronomers were mistaken was no discredit to them. They stumbled in the race for knowledge. That was all. If the reports of moving masses, still said to be seen in the moon, be confirmed, there may not have been much of a stumble after all.

While the observatories of Europe took a serious view of these volcanoes and lava rivers in the moon, the wits of London, and the King's equerries at Windsor, were making fun of the whole thing, and turning the batteries of ridicule on William Herschel. Tea in the room of the wardrobe ladies at Windsor Castle, especially with Mr. Bryant, the antiquary and author in the company, "was extremely pleasant." It was always antiquities or odd accidents with him: "This night, Dr. Herschel and his newly discovered volcanoes in the moon came in for their share." Next evening three equerry colonels were at table. The volcanoes again came into the eyes or lips of some of the party. "I don't give up to Dr. Herschel at all," cried Colonel Manners; "he is all system, and so they are all; and if they can but make out their systems they don't care a pin for anything else. As to Herschel, I liked him well enough till he came to his volcanoes in the moon, and then I gave him up: I saw he was just like the rest. How should he know anything of the matter? There's no such thing as pretending to measure at such a distance as that." The company sat silent while this outburst of lava,