his own country. But our astronomer was not without the
reward of his work, even in his lifetime. The University of Oxford
conferred upon him the illustrious honorary degree of D.C.L. In 1816 he
received the Guelphic order of knighthood; and in 1820 he was chosen the
first president of the Astronomical Society.

From his sister's diary we gather a few particulars illustrative of his
mode of life.

On the 4th of October 1806 she writes:--

"My brother came from Brighton. The same night two parties from
the castle [Windsor] came to see the comet, and during the
whole month my brother had not an evening to himself. As he was
then in the midst of polishing the forty-foot mirror, rest
became absolutely necessary after a day spent in that most
laborious work; and it has ever been my opinion, that on the
14th of October his nerves received a shock of which he never
got the better afterwards; for on that day (in particular) he
had hardly dismissed his troop of men, when visitors assembled,
and from the time it was dark till past midnight he was on the
grass-plot, surrounded by between fifty and sixty persons,
without having had time for putting on proper clothing, or for
the least nourishment passing his lips.

"_February 6th, 1807_.--When I came to Slough to assist my
brother in polishing the forty-foot mirror, I found my
nephew[1] very ill with an inflammatory sore throat and fever.

"_February 9th_.--Still very ill; and my brother obliged to go
on with the polishing of the great mirror, as every arrangement
had been made for that purpose.--_Mem_. I believe my brother
had reasons for choosing the cold season for this laborious
work, the exertion of which alone must put any man into a
fever, if he were ever so strong.

"_February 10th_.--From this day my nephew's health kept on
mending.

"_February 19th_.--My nephew mending, but my brother not well.

"_February 26th_.--My brother so ill that I was not allowed to
see him, and till March 8th his life was despaired of; and by
March 10th I was permitted to see him, but only for two or
three minutes, as he was not allowed to speak.

"_March 22nd_.--He (Sir William) went for the first time into
his library, but could only remain for a few moments."

[Footnote 1: Afterwards Sir John Herschel.]

From this dange