The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-16 00:00:00

The residence of Sir John Cum Hobhouse (President
of the Board of Control), Hill-street, Berkeley:square.
Large jewelled imperial crown, the Royal initials, and
wreaths of laurel, in varie,'4ated lamps.
The Polytechnic Institution, Regent-street, was illu-
minated in a very novel manner, by a display of the
electric light, elevated on the figure of Minerva on the
top of the institution.
The following were amongst the most prominent pri-
vate devices exhibited in celebration of the auspicious
occasion:—Howell and James, Waterloo-place; Holmes,
Regent street ; Nicoll, Regent-street ; Jay, Regent.
street; Redmayne, Bond-street; and Warren's blacking
warehouse, Strand, all of whose
,houses presented most
brilliant and tasteful illuminations.
Messrs. Robert Cocks and Co., music publishers to
her Mjest,y, New Burlh.gtoi.-street, Regent-street--A
remarkably briiliant and radieut star in gas, with V. R.
in the centre.

Egyptia❑ Hall, Colonel Fremont's overland Youth to
Oregon and California—Star and V. R. in gar.
Messrf. Doudney, court !alloys, 17, Oid Bond-stroet
—A large andbriiiiant gas Et

- ---
Rowlano's Macassar Oil and Fialydor Warehouse, 20,
Hatton-garden, displayed a splendid crown with the
initials V. 1L on either side in gas.

Messrs. Jay, pure, yerg of mourning to the Queen,
Regent.stri vt —A spleLdid crown wiih a glory, V. R.
anti laurvlß, covering the whole facade of three houses.
W. Fuller, 60, Jerinyn-street, ice-pail maker to her
Majesty—A handsome variegated star.
Alessr,. Cutler and Reed, '25, Sr. James's-street, tailors
to his Ro) 1 Highness Prince Albert—Two revolving
stars, with " God save the Queen."
Spurin's Royal Juvenile Library and Repository, 37,
New Bond-street—A star of Brunswick,;,in brilliant jets
cf gas.

Messrs. Godfrey and Hancock, 3, Conduit-street,
llauover-square, shoemukers to the Royal Family and
patentees of the royal waterproof over-shoe—A large
bulging Brunswick star in brilliant gas, with the royal
initials V. R.

Isherwood and Son, house and ornamental painters to
her Majesty, 35, Ludgate-hill—A large star, in gas.
Mrs. and the Misses Johnston, 16, Dover-street, Pic-
cadilly—The letters V. R.
T. Price, silk-mercer to her Majesty and the Royal
Family. 42, Duke-street, St. James's—V. R., and bril•
liant star.

Musical Repository, 41, New Bond-street—A brilliant
star of Bruswick, in gas.
Exposition de !Industrie Francais., George-street,
Hanover-square—V. R. and a brilliant crown.
Kirk, snuff-manufacturer to her Majesty and the
Royal Family, Fleet-street—A star, in Yariegated

Air. Owen's East India Warehouse, New Bond-street,
by appointmelit to her Majesty—A splendid crown, in
variegated lamps.
Smith and Nephew, perfumers in ordinary to her Ma-
jesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, 1, Prince's-
street, Cavendish square—A large Brunswick star, with
V. R. in the centre, in gas.
T. Arthur, 3, Sackville-street, paper-hanger, dtc., to
her Majesty—A crown, with the initials V. R., brilliantly
illuminated in variegated lamps.
Vouillon and Laure, Hanover-square—V. R. and a
brilliant crown.

Messrs. J. and J. Holmes, shawl manufacturers by
appointment to her Majesty—Two large stars, with the
letters V. R. and laurel brunches, extending the whole
range of their magnificent frontage, brilliantly illumi-
nated with gas.

Mitcbell'r Royal Library, Old Bond•street—A large
star, with her Majesty's initials V. R. and the motto
" God bless the Queen," all in irradiated jets of gas.
Messrs. Johnson and RaYey, 4, Conduit-street, bra-
ziers, &c., to her Majesty—The Royal initials and star,
in gee.

Colosseum and Cyclorama—A magnificent star at
each of the entrances in the Regent's-park and Albany
street.

Michael Emanuel, silversmith and jeweller to her
Majesty—A brilliant gas star.
Messrs. Staples, purveyors of turtle to her Majesty,
the Albion, Aldersgate-street—A brillianti radiant
star, with the Royal initials V. R. in Egyptian capi-
tals, in gas.
Jones and Co. (late Robson and Jones), 214, Picca-
dilly, decoraters to her Majcsty:and the Royal Family.—
Most brilliantly and tastefully illuminated.
F. West, 1. St. James's-street, Pall-mall, cutler and
dressing•case-maker to her Majesty by appointment—
An Imperial star in brilliant jets of gas, surmounted by
a wreath of laurel, with V. R., in the centre.

PORTSMOUTH.—The Queen's birthday was kept with
all due observances this day at Portsmouth. There
has a general holiday in the dockyard and at all the
public offices. At eight o'clock the ships in harbour.
including numerous yachts and merchant vessels, were
all decked out in their gayest flags. At the garri-
son flig-staves, Mr. Hollingsworth's rooms, and at
many private flag-staves, Royal standard flsgs were
hoisted. At noon the Victory, the Illustrious, and Ex-
cellent filed Roy al salutes. The Platform battery at
noon also fired a Royal salute ; and the 28th, 50th, and
82d Regiments, under command of Colonel Lewis, R.E.
(in the absence of Major-General Lord F. Fitzclarence),
tired feu-de -j oie along the walls of the garrison, the se-
veral bands playing the National Anthem, and the sol-
diers cheering. After the Jeu-de-joic the several bands
continued to play military and other music to a vast as-
semblage of holiday people on the parade ground.

SIR WILLIAM HERSCHEL.
(Abridged from Eliza Cook's Journal.)
The life ef scientific men, it has been fr, quently re-
marked, can only be well written by a philosopher, by
one equally learned and devoted to science. The latter
is in a condition to detect and illustrate the discoveries
of his predecessor, and the best qualified to explain their
velue to the world. Points which would be overlooked
by the mere literary writer are seized upon by the savant,
to give power and clearness to his descriptions. Under
this view, we avail ourselves of a recent memoir by the
celebrated French ustronosLer, Aragu, to lay before our
readers some account of the life and labours of the illus-
trious individual se hose name is prefixed to this article.
In 1759, William Herschel, then at the age of twenty-
one, visited England, in company with his eldest brother.
Jacob, with the view of establishing himself as a musician;
but, notwithstanding his efforts, both in London and the
provinces, the first two or three years of his expatriation
were attended by severe privations, which he bore with
great fortitude. A fortunate accident, however, placed
him in a better position. Lord Durham engaged him as
instructor to the band of a regiment then stationed in
the north. Such was the reputation ho acquired in hi.
new position that, in 1765, be was engaged as organist at
Halifax. The emoluments of this situation, and private
lessons, procured him a degree of case and comfort with
which he had long been unacquainted. And now the
native bias of his mind again manifesting itself, be took
advantage of his improved circumstances to complete his
diminished education, and acquired a knowledge of
Latin and Italian, with no other aid than that of a
grammar and au old dictionary, and at the same time
formed a slight acquaintance with Greek. So great was
the desire for knowledge by which he was animated dur-
ing his residence at Halifax, thst he found means to
combine the study of a learned and obscure work on the
mathematical thsory of music with his ordinary
aOTIC O. avoca
Lions and linguistic pursuits. For the proper
linted
under-
standing cif this work it was neceseary ter b!, q
u
,se two I,CI
with algebra and geometry, and in a short.tim.:e ne' made
himself completely master of rite .
ment, as orgainst at the Octagon Chapelof duties which
his altered position involved a. change.
I n 1766, Herschel oistaiccd a morl3lrauttiveßautpipi;oihnut-t
Oa concerts and
sician was in continual request. at
)1 and his school
ora-
tories of the fashionable watering-i ttcF, .
interfered greatly with his studies. His talent as a ma-
i
• how, amid so many distracting . circumstances, he
glll.-:
As we have seen,
studies which, already
found time to pursue the scientific.
~
was attended by numerous pupils. It is difficult to ma_
attlaiitax, demanded a determination, and force of in-
thoi
mbetom(epttiwesi.th.
formed his stepping-stone to mathematics, the
music
out of the
latter in The hour had come
when theoretical knowledge Ws& to guide the young
musician to practical applications, completely
tellige.nceturranrelle)d•
circle of his ordinary pursuits, whose extraordinary
boldness and success may justly excite our wonder and
admiration.
During Herschel's residence at Bath, a telescope of
the ordinary construction fell into his hands. This in-
strument, although imperfect, showed him a multitude
of objects in the heavens, invisible to the naked eye,
and many of the known stars in their true proportions—
a sight that greatly excited his ardent imagination. In
the enthusiasm of the moment, he determined to posses.
a similar instrument, but of larger dimensions. He
waited several days for an answer from the manufacturer
in London; the price demanded, however, was greatly
beyond his means. This circumstance, which might
have effectually checked the pursuit of a less persever-
ing individual, served but as an additional stimulssl%
lierschel. Unable to purchase a telescope, be,reisovalme.
on constructing one with. his own hands, and
diately commenced a number of experiments on the
• h the greatest metallic alloys which reflect light with .
g a parabolic
in-
tensity, together with the means of
givrinthe regularity
form to mirrors, and the causes which siiiteehiefr.
Bis
of the curve during the
processofsoP°successtul were his
per-
severance did not go unrewarded:he
satisfaction of
attempts that, in 1774, he had t
telescope of 5 ft,.
explor-
ing the heavens with a Newtonianhisown labour. But he was
focus, produced entirely
by
ythis success excited him to
not content to stop here;
the
course of which he gra-
more difficult attempts, in
of 7,8, 10, and
d telescopes
dually constructed
the 13th March, 1781, as thou h
On
of focal length. efforts, and
his scientific
to reward him for
the unassuming
ridiculed
those who
instruments,
be bad the supreme pleasure of discovering
.
d the
situated boonconfines of the then known
a planet, ietting from this period
solar system' Herschel's reputa-
tion, no
longer as musician, but Its constructor of astrono-
mical tdeseoFes, spread over the whole of the civilised
world. George 111., always inclined to protect whatever
~„" of 11 anovertan origin, se•tiee i A
a pension of 300 gui-
neas annually on the modest di.seuverer, and assigned him
a house for his residence at Slough, near London. It is
not too much to say, that in the garden of this place,
more discoveries were made fir the science of astro-
nomy than in any other place in the world.

VAUXIIALL perceive that the
wurid-famed " royal property" is aly.,ut to commence another
season, under circumstances which augur fur it a renewal
of all pristine glories. in addition to the customary attrac-
tions of Vauxhall, we understand several extraordinary and
novel features of entertainment are in course of preparation,
including Moscow and its Kreml. The direction of the whole
will be in the hands of Mr. Robert Wardell, a gentleman
already favourably known to the public as a caterer for their
amusement, and as, according to the doctrine of probabilities,
the long continuance of ungenial weather we have hitherto
been visited with must speedily yield to more seasonable
atmospheric influences, we doubt not that a brilliant career
ittabolt tv open vs these Pam/.