Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-29

The HERsoHEL FAMILY-The death of Sil
John Herschel gives occasion 10 the London
Daily News TO give the following account of q
celebrated family;
The little that is known of Sir Johns ances-
| tors is honorable. Abraham Isaac and Jacob,
as the representatives Of three generations were
| called, were sound Protestalts, in days and in
! places where Professionalism was a reproach.
Abraham Hersehel, the neutrality-suspicious.
| of John, was expelled from Mahren, his place
1 of residence, on account of his Professionalism.
| Isaac his son, was farmer near Leipzig.
| Jacob son of Isaac, de lined agricultural pur-
suits, and gave expression 10 the family apti-
| fude for music by making II his profession, by
bringing up five sons to the same calling, and
by developing musical ability in all his ten chill
dren. Among the FIVE was the astronomer,
Frederick William, who was born at Hanover,
in 1735 and came TO England at One-and-twenty,
a professional musician, but caring even more
for something else than music-for metaphys-
les. To the end of his life, when he was known
ali over the world for his astronomical discOy-
cries, his chief delight was in metaphysical
study and augmentation. Perhaps we may
ascribe to this taste, prevailing in the little
household at Slough, the tendency of his
scientific son to diverge into metaphysical criti-
cIsm, whenever his theme, or any interruption
Of il, afforded occasion in the course of compo-
sition.
John Herschel was born in the well known
house at Slough, where strangers were by that
time coming from far distant lands to see the
wonderful machine by which great news had
already descended tot the sky. The astrono
mer let nobody use his forty-teet telescope, and
he did not much like talking about it; but he
could not prevent the world seeing the outside
of it, Our fathers used TO tell us Of the wonder
with which mail travellers used to stare, in pass
ing, at the mechanism by which the great tube
was moved; and in those skeptical days, before
mems minds were liberalized by the peace,
many would have sneeTed, or 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 chd-the only child Of the house-play
/ in his infancy; and his earliest recollections
must have been associated with the great tele-
| scope.
Sir John grew up among four elderly persons,
three of whom at least were devoted to the same
pursuits. His father was iftY-two at the time
| of his birth. His mother was a widow when
Sir W. Herschel married her. AS the mar
rage was remarkably happy one, we may as
sumo that the lady sympathized in her hus-
bands pursuits, or at least honored them. The
other two were Miss Caroline Herschel, eele
brated as the dis2overer of five comets, and 8
brother, who gave assistance in the observatory
How soon the child became aware of how the
nights were passed by these students we have
never heard. Perhaps he was unaware tina
Z while he was sleeping the night away his fathel
: and aunt were awake to the utmost stretch Of
r their faculties, he at the telescope, communicat
ing with her by set of mute signals; and sht
in another room, noting his observations, anC
making calculations for him by lamplight
nothing moving but the pendulum and her pen
and nothing heard but the clock and an occa
sional movement of the ponderous machine.
} But the house was kept quiet by day, for tn
l | watchers to sleep; and this must have been i'm
pressiye to the child; and SO must the visits 0
awe-struck strangers. Few were admitted, it i
said; and none were allowed to use the grea
telescope; but here and there one was favore
D with an admission to the observatory, to b
shown the method of commanding the field 0
search, or 10 be permitted Gas one has recorded
to read small print at midnight "by the ligh
S from the small star in the foot of the goat"
i is not surprising that John should have ev
= denced his love Of natural philosophy before h
u left Elton. His lifelong and very conspicuou
IS veneraton for his father points to happy child
hood and youth under his eye. Comfor
abounded at home, as far as money could prC
d cure it. The astronomer had E400 year iron
in the king; his lady had considerable jointure
and the sale of his improved specula afforded
ii considerable income. 1t was from a thorough
n happy home that the boy went to Elton, an
N afterwards to Cambridge.