... Your mentioning the Government gift of the Kew Observatory to the Royal Society, recalls to my mind the struggles through a life of privations during the lapse of between twenty and thirty years, till my brother had realised a capital sufficient for living in a respectable manner by making seven, ten, twenty, and twenty-five-foot telescopes. For it was in 1782 when Mr. De Mainborg, the King’s private astronomer (formerly one of his tutors) at Kew, died, and my brother, in consequence of the discovery of the G. Sidus, was called from his lucrative employment at Bath. His friends had no other idea but that he was to succeed Mr. De Mainborg at Kew. But it was otherwise decreed, for the King was surrounded by some wiseacres who knew how to bargain, and even £100 were offered if he would go to Hanover!
But you know by what I once wrote on a former occasion that he settled at Datchet with £200 per annum, after four months’ travelling between London, Greenwich, and Windsor, and moving his workshop and instruments from a house at Bath, of which he had a lease. And at Michaelmas, 1782, was the first £50 he ever saw of the King’s money. This happened at the time when Parliament had granted to the King £80,000 a-year for encouraging sciences. This I only knew by what I heard at that time, and that Mr. West, R.A., with his giant Judas, Jervis, who made the altar-piece for St. George’s chapel (which I once heard Mrs. Beckedorff say had cost the King £30,000), and Herschel, were the first who benefited by this grant.
I am full of expectation of W.’s promised description of the Christmas entertainment; but put him in mind that I do not understand Latin. Of A’s Greek, I think I can be a judge, knowing the letters of the alphabet in consequence of their being used in the astronomical catalogues.... I hope music is still in favour with the family; often I lament that at the time of our quitting Bath in such a hurry my brother’s musical treasures were scattered, and given to the winds. Among the rest there was a song for four voices, “In thee I bear so dear a part,” which was just going to be published by desire, for it was sung by the first performers from the London theatres, and encored, between the acts of the oratorios. I wrote it out ready in parts during my brother’s absence; but he could not find a moment to send it off, nor to answer the printer’s letters.
Oh! how I should like to hear some of the glees and catches sung by the great and little family in the music-room at Collingwood; but it was not to be! and I had rather leave off and leave some room for the many good wishes to yourself, my dear nephew, and all those who are dear to you, and believe me,
My dear niece,
Ever your most affectionate aunt,
Caroline Herschel.
1842. Goes to a Play.
MISS HERSCHEL TO LADY HERSCHEL.
Hanover, March 3, 1842.