*

"I spent three weeks with my family at Brighton, in charming
weather, and was much pleased with, as well as benefited by, the
place. There I met a man with whom you will stare at the idea of my
being congenial, or having the vanity to think myself so--the great
HERSCHEL. He is a simple, great being. . . . I once in my life
looked at NEWTON'S _Principia_, and attended an astronomical class
at Glasgow; wonderful it seemed to myself, that the great man
condescended to understand my questions; to become apparently
earnest in communicating to me as much information as my limited
capacity and preparation for such knowledge would admit. He invited
me to see him at his own abode, and so kindly that I could not
believe that it was mere good breeding; but a sincere wish to see me
again. I had a full day with him; he described to me his whole
interview with BUONAPARTE; said it was not true, as reported, that
BUONAPARTE understood astronomical subjects deeply, but affected
more than he knew.

"In speaking of his great and chief telescope, he said with an air,
not of the least pride, but with a greatness and simplicity of
expression that struck me with wonder, 'I have looked further into
space than ever human being did before me. I have observed stars, of
which the light takes _two millions_ of years to travel to this
globe.' I mean to pay him a reverential visit at Slough, as soon as
my book is out, this winter."

* * * * *

In 1807 CAROLINA HERSCHEL has this entry in her diary:

"_October_ 4.--My brother came from Brighton. The same night two
parties from the Castle 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."

In the spring of 1808 he was quite seriously ill; but in May the
observing went on again. In 1809 and 1810 his principal investigations
were upon physical subjects (NEWTON'S rings), and in 1811 the only long
series of observations was upon the comet of that year. After 1811 the
state of HERSCHEL'S health required that his observations should be
m