Well do I remember reading an article in the Edinburgh Review for October 1880, on “The Chemistry of the Stars.” I admired it much: I wondered who had written it, for it seemed to me to be unlike the work of any one then known in the scientific world. Five years later I solved my puzzle, for in 1885 appeared the History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century; and I had not looked far into it before I exclaimed: “Now I know who wrote that article in the Edinburgh Review!”
Shortly after—dining at a house where to dine was always to share in a feast of reason and flow of soul—and sitting between our distinguished and kindly host Sir William Bowman, and Sir Robert Ball, Sir Robert and I exchanged ideas about the new History of Astronomy, and about its author, the new “Unknown.” With all his own acuteness, Sir Robert showed that the writer could not be a practical astronomer. But I was delighted to find that my admiration for the History was fully shared by him, and that his praise of it was very warm.
Shortly afterwards I entered upon a friendship, and upon a companionship in Astronomy, which have been among my best pleasures.
Agnes Clerke’s literary life may be said to have begun in 1877 with the acceptance of her article “Copernicus in Italy,” by Henry Reeve, then editor of the Edinburgh Review, who recognised the value of his new contributor and kept her at work. The number of her contributions to the Edinburgh is fifty; and they are all of a high order.
Agnes Clerke, with her family, returned to England in 1877, and settled in London. With the publication of the History of Astronomy in 1885 may be said to have begun her astronomical life.
She read systematically, and cultivated personal relations with a wide circle of astronomical workers, in person, or by correspondence. I consider that these relations had much to do with the success of her work. Her sympathies were so keen, her interest so warm, her longing for further truth so intense,—that every one liked to offer her all they could!
In 1890 appeared her second book, The System of the Stars.
The Observatory for December 1890 contains an article by me on this work. A review, in the strict sense of the term, it was not, because there was much in the book which, for obvious reasons, I could not discuss without becoming controversial. But upon one important question I spoke strongly; and I venture now to recall and re-urge the position I then tried to expound. Briefly it is this. The progress of Science and the growth of its literature during the last quarter of a century has been so enormous, that a new order of worker is imperatively called for; and I hailed in Agnes Clerke an admirable example of such a worker, devoting herself to Astronomy, which is at once the oldest and, in its new developments, the youngest of the Sciences—the science which Poincaré has lately so eloquently declared has given the conception of law to all the others.
I ventured to sketch what should be the qualifications and aims of such workers; and the years which have gone by since 1890 have but deepened my conviction that there is a splendid and ever-growing field—even now white unto harvest—ready for these special workers. Their mission is to collect, collate, correlate, and digest the mass of observations and papers—to chronicle, in short, on one hand; and on the other, to discuss and suggest, and to expound: that is, to prepare material for experts, and at the same time to inform and interest the general public. There is urgent need of better educated public opinion in this country.