the discovery of four new planets,"[1] It was thus not only what Herschel was doing himself, but what he was inducing others to do.
George iii. would not suffer William Herschel to return to his profession as organist, teacher of music, and director of concerts in Bath He was in this guided by an impulse worthy of the King of a great commercial and earth-exploring country. But for more than two months Herschel was kept in London and the neighbourhood, waiting the King's pleasure. Double the time had elapsed during which he could be absent from duty without loss of money, but until he got leave from the King to return home he had to remain in attendance at Court. Whoever was advising His Majesty in the matter seems to have acted with singular want of thought. A Cosmo of Florence, a King of France, a Queen of Sweden, or an Empress of Russia would not have kept a man of science, who had at one bound sprung into greatness, dangling about the Court so long without providing for his personal wants. In Herschel's case it was otherwise, for he wrote to Bath "several times for a supply of money"! His friends in that city, loath to lose him, were, and not without cause, afraid that the offers made to him were not "very advantageous." They were certainly not creditable to those concerned. Herschel appears to have thought so himself, for, to all inquirers, but Dr. William Watson, his answer was, "that the King had provided for him."
It was a poor provision, even though no demands had been made on his time and strength. It was
- ↑ Sir David Brewster in his edition of Ferguson's Astronomy, published in 1823, the year after Herschel's death, ii. 85.
