Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-04-17

tor and FRIEND His sister, Cai olne Hersche!,
an admirable model Of disintcr es,edness, gen
,lcnes. and perseverance,, devoted her lie 10
him. For more than forty years she assisted az
all his wa,chings, collected all his thoughts,
Transcribed with her own hand, and published
all his works; nor would she permit ANY other
10 have this charge committed 10 him. one
wrote and preserved those immense registers
which Herschel left TO his son, in which are
faithfully deposited from the year l776 all MS
observations and experlments-a truly h"o''
and glorious inheritance, which Is at once '.e
monument of a sublime science, and Of the
most affecting friendship.
Astronomy and physics will fine in these re-
cords fertile source OF comparisons ana us
coveries. Thus the influence Of great men
stretches forth into fu,uriiy; and il is not al
their death that all the fruits Of their labors
can be appreciated. The physical picture OF
the heavens traced by Heischel, will be compar'
ed with recent observations, and the changes
will be remarked which a long interval may
have produced. Already striking consequent
ces present themselves to the mind, but tine
alone can develope them; and they will only
become manifest otter grea, number OF ages
Then entire revolutions will be accompiish-
ed, our successors will admire other Phenome-
na aud other stars; part Of the spectacle OF
the heavens will be changed, but al those re.
mote eDochs the memory oil Hersehel VIII stii
De fresh.
He died in the eighty fourth yea, Of his age,
without inhrmitics and without pain. Ills
name, confided 20 the grateful sciences, is toI>
ever preserved from oblivion; they crown 1t
with immortal glory
frtract from Biographical Memoir Of
Sir Ui/liom Herschel, by Baron Fourier.
Dread the Royal Academy of Sciences of the nsti.
tute of France.
The ilustrious individual, with an account
Of whose life | am about TO present you, was
ore Of those extraordinary men who, although
destined 10 honour their country and their age,
have al their outset had to surmount all the OBJ
staces which an adverse fortune presents to the
f'steifDrts Of genius lie opened up new Paths
in sublime science; he saw stars whose exist
ence was previously unknown, and extended the
boundaries Of the visible heavens. Supported
bv the liberal,y Of powerful monarch, he de-
voted his life to immortal labours, aud for fol-
ty years, The fame Of his discoveries has echoed
through all Europe.
AT The age ii nineteen he was only musi>
who had numerous family 10 support, was an
able teacher Of music, and educated five Of his
children in his profession. William. his second
son, who was possessed Of lively imagination
and elevated mind, left his native city. II anover
in l75s, and went over to England, where the
state Of society held out 10 him the prospect Of
a better fate.
He resided some wears in the county Of Dur
ham, then at Halifax, and soon after was ap.
pointed director Of music TO the Oc,agon Cha
pei at Bath. In this situation he en- joyed 4
considerable income, arising partly from his
Office, and partly also, from his directing pub
lie concerts and oratorios.
His talents were admired, his character be-
loved, his manners es,eemed and in coun-
try where the fine arts are duly apprec ia,ed, il
the common advantages OF fortune had been his
only object Of ambition, his desires would have
all been satisfied; but an internal power imnel-
led him TO hi cher destinies; he Was one day TO
extend the empire of science.
The profound study of his art led him by de.
grees to tina, If geometry, for there exists nu-
merous relations between the laws OF harmony
ard the theorems Of mathematics, as has been
proved by n,anv illu strious geometricians, from
Pythagoras and Euclid TO Descartes, Huygens
and Euler.
Herschel, introduced BY geometry to the
knowledge Of tn, ore'cal astronomy, was seiz-
ed with astonishment and admiration, aud telt
as If transported into a new world. He anxi-
ously desired to contemplate tor himself hose
celestial phenomena whose laws the human ~
tellrcI had been able 10 discover. 1t was then
that he began to construct telescopes, and un>
dertonk to improve their use; and as perserer>
ance in his resolution. WAS always the distin.
guishihg character "f his mind, he accomplish
ed these objects, and soon found himself pos
sessrd Of instruments suDt rior TO all that an art
d flicull and ingenious had yet produced -
Hi. first astronomical observations, which bear
the date Of l776, were followed by memorable
discovery which excited the public attention 10
he highcs, degree mean that Of the planet
which for several years mas borne the name of
Herschcl.
TIE earliest observers Of the heavens distin.
guIshcd a small number of stars which are