Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-06-14
GOssip About the HerScheI Family.

VOSoip AbOut tilt 0eTSCntl EduflIys
The death of Sir John Herschel
gives occasion to the London Daily
News to give the following account of
a celebrated family:
The little that is known of Sir Johns
ancestors is honorable. Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, as the representa-
tives of three generations were called,
were sound Protestants, In days and
places where Professionalism was re-
proach. Abraham Herschel, the great
great-grandfather of John, was expell-
ed from Mahren, his place ofresidence,
on account of his Professionalism Isaac,
his son, was farmer near Leipzig.
Jacob, son of Isaac, declined agricul-
tural pursuits, and gave expression to
the family aptitude for music by making
it his profession, by bringing up five
sons to the same calling, and by devel-
oping musical ability in all his ter
children Among the five was the as
tronomer, Frederick William, who was
borr at Hanover in 1913, and came tc
England at one-and- twenty, profess.
ional musician, but caring even more
for something else than music, for met
aphysics. To the end of his life, when
he was known all over the world fol
his astronomical discoveries, his chic
delight was in metaphysical study and
augmentation. Perhaps we may
ascribe to this taste, prevailing in the
little household at Slough, the tenden
cy of his scientific son to diverge into
metaphysical criticism whenever his
theme, or any interruption of it, afford
ed occasion in the course of compost
tion
John Herschel was born in the well
known house So Slough, where stran-
gers were by that time coming from fan
distant lands to see the wonderful ma.
chine by which great news had already
descended out of the sky. The astron-
omer let nobody use his forty-feet tele-
scope, and he did not like much talk
ing about it but he could not pre-.
vent the world from seeing the outside
of it. Our fathers used to tell us of the
wonder with which mail travellers used
to stare, in passing, at the mechanism
by which the great tube was moved
and in those skeptical days, before
mems minds were hberalized by the
peace, many would have sneered, OF
done worse, but for the report of the
Kings admiration of his astronomer,
and pride in what he had done Under
the shadow of that mysterious erection
did the child-the only child of the
house-play in his infancy and his
earliest recollections must have been
associated with the great telescope.
Sir John grew up among four elderly
persons, three of whom at least were
devoted to the same pursuits. His
father was fifty-two at the time of his
birth. His mother was widow wher
Sir W. Herschel married her AS the
marriage was a remarkably happy one,
we may assume that the lady sympa.
thized in her husbands pursuits, or at
least honored them The other two
were Miss Caroline Herschel, celebrat-
ed as the discoverer of five comets, and
brother, who gave assistance in the
Observatory. How soon the child be-
came aware of how the night were pass
ed by these students we have never
heard. Perhaps he was unaware that
while he WAS sleeping the night away,
his father and aunt were awake to the
utmost stretch of their faculties, he at
the telescope, communicating with he1
by mute set of signals; and she in
another room, noting his observations
and making calculations for him by
lamplight, nothing moving but the
pendulum and her pen, and nothing
heard but the clock, and an occasional
movement of the ponderous machine.
The house was kept quiet by day,
for the watchers to sleep; and this
must have been impressive to the
! child; and SO must the visits of awe
struck strangers. Few were admitted,
it is said and none were allowed to use
the great telescope; but here and there
one was favored with an admission tc
the Observatory, to be shown the
method of commanding the field Of
search, or to be permitted Gas one has
recorded) to read small print at mid
night "by the light from the small sta1
in the foot of the goat" It is not sur
pr1sing that John should have evinced
his love of natural philosophy be
fore he left Elton. His lifelong an6
very conspicuous veneration for his
father points to happy childhood ant
youth under his eye. Comfort abound
cd at home, as far as money could pro
cure it. The astronomer had e400
year from the King his lady had {
considerable iointure; and the sale O
his improved specula afforded consid
cradle income. 1t was from a thor
oughly happy home that the boy wen
to Elton, and afterwards to Cambridge