but
had understood he was called Neptune. He himself had paid rates and taxes a
good many years now. Had a family of six,--two of whom got their own
living.

The prisoner being called on for his defence, said that it was a quarrel.
He had pushed the prosecutor--and the prosecutor had pushed him. They had
known each other a long time, and were always quarreling;--he did not know
why. It was their nature, he supposed. He further said, that the prosecutor
had given a false account of himself;--that he went about under different
names. Sometimes he was called Uranus, sometimes Herschel, and sometimes
Georgium Sidus; and he had no character for regularity in the neighborhood.
Indeed, he was sometimes not to be seen for a long time at once.

The prosecutor, on being asked, admitted, after a little hesitation, that
he had pushed and pulled the prisoner too. {392} In the altercation which
followed, it was found very difficult to make out which began:--and the
worthy magistrate seemed to think they must have begun together.

_M. Arago._--Prisoner, have you any family?

The prisoner declined answering that question at present. He said he
thought the police might as well reckon it out whether he had or not.

_M. Arago_ said he didn't much differ from that opinion.--He then addressed
both prosecutor and prisoner; and told them that if they couldn't settle
their differences without quarreling in the streets, he should certainly
commit them both next time. In the meantime, he called upon both to enter
into their own recognizances; and directed the police to have an eye upon
both,--observing that the prisoner would be likely to want it a long time,
and the prosecutor would be not a hair the worse for it."

This quib was written by a person who was among the astronomers: and it
illustrates the fact that Le Verrier had sole possession of the field until
Mr. Challis's letter appeared. Sir John Herschel's previous communication
should have paved the way: but the wonder of the discovery drove it out of
many heads. There is an excellent account of the whole matter in Professor
Grant's[805] _History of Physical Astronomy_. The squib scandalized some
grave people, who wrote severe admonitions to the editor. There are
formalists who spend much time in writing propriety to journals, to which
they serve as foolometers. In a letter to the _Athenaeum_, speaking of the
way in which people hawk fine terms for common things, I said that thes