s hurriedly and safely effected, so hurriedly that the
copy of LOCKE was not put in the parcels sent after him to Hamburg by
his mother; "she, dear woman, knew no other wants than good linen and
clothing."

Thus, at last, the young WILLIAM HERSCHEL, the son of an oboe-player in
the King's Guard, is launched in life for himself, in the year 1757, at
the age of nineteen.

All his equipment is the "good linen and clothing," a knowledge of
French, Latin, and English, some skill in playing the violin, the organ,
and the oboe, and an "uncommon precipitancy" in doing what there is to
be done.

A slender outfit truly; but we are not to overlook what he said of
himself on another occasion. "I have, nevertheless, several resources in
view, and do not despair of succeeding pretty well in the end."

From 1757 to 1760--three years--we know nothing of his life. We can
imagine what it was. His previous visit to England had given him a good
knowledge of the language, and perhaps a few uninfluential
acquaintances. On his return he would naturally seek these out, and, by
means of his music, he could gain a livelihood. We first hear of him as
charged with the organization of the music of a corps of the militia of
Durham, under the auspices of the EARL OF DARLINGTON. "La maniere dont
il remplit cette mission, le fit connaitre avantageusement."[4] The
nature of the service of these militia corps, which were then forming
all over England, is well described in the Autobiography of GIBBON.
Every county-gentleman felt constrained to serve his country,
and the regimental mess-rooms were filled with men of rank and fashion.

In 1760 we hear of him again. He has attracted the notice of those about
him.

"About the year 1760, as MILLER[5] was dining at Pontefract with
the officers of the Durham militia, one of them, knowing his love of
music, told him they had a young German in their band as a performer
on the hautboy, who had only been a few months in England, and yet
spoke English almost as well as a native, and who was also an
excellent performer on the violin; the officer added that if MILLER
would come into another room, this German should entertain him with
a solo. The invitation was gladly accepted, and MILLER heard a solo
of GIARDINI'S executed in a manner that surprised him. He afterwards
took an opportunity of having some private conversation with the
young musician, and asked him whether