132
Caroline Lucretia Herschel.
[1819-1821.
ferent places in the country, but she was sinking in a rapid decline, and died in the autumn.
Nov. 10th.—The remains of Mrs. Beckwith were brought to Upton to be buried, and to me was left the melancholy task of keeping up my poor brother's spirits on such a melancholy occasion, when at the same time my own were at their lowest ebb, and being besides much molested about this time by the rejoicing of an unruly mob at the acquittal (as they called it) of the Princess of Wales.
From the 26th to 29th I was with my brother.
March.—We lost our brother Alexander, who died at Hanover.[1] *****
May 22nd.—Again with my brother. My chief care was to see that my brother was not fatigued by too many visitors, and reading to him to prevent his sleeping too much. *****
*****The volume ends in October:—1821.
"Here closed my Day-book, for one day passed like
- ↑ The following notice is from a Bristol paper:
"Died, March 15th,1821, at Hanover, Alexander Herschel, Esq., well-known to the public of Bath and Bristol as a performer and elegant musician; and, who for forty-seven years was the admiration of the frequenters of concerts and theatres of both those cities, as principal violoncello.
"To the extraordinary merits of Mr. Herschel was united considerable acquirement in the superior branches of mechanics and philosophy, and his affinity to his brother, Sir William Herschel, the illustrous astronomer, was not less in science than blood. To a large circle of professional friends the uniform gentlemanly manners of Mr. Herschel have rendered him at once an object of their wannest regard and respect." Alexander Herschel returned to Hanover in September, 1816, and was enabled to live in comfortable independence until his death at the age of seventy-six, through the never failing, generosity of his elder brother.
