For us, the value of this sympathetic account of a day in HERSCHEL'S life is in its conception of the simplicity, the modesty, the "boyish earnestness," the elevation of thought and speech of the old philosopher; and in the impression made on the feelings, not the mind, of the poet, then thirty-five years old.
In a letter to ALISON, CAMPBELL reverts with great pleasure to the day spent with HERSCHEL:
"I spent three weeks with my family at Brighton, in charming weather, and was much pleased with, as well as benefited by, the place. There I met a man with whom you will stare at the idea of my being congenial, or having the vanity to think myself so--the great HERSCHEL. He is a simple, great being. . . . I once in my life looked at NEWTON'S _Principia_, and attended an astronomical class at Glasgow; wonderful it seemed to myself, that the great man condescended to understand my questions; to become apparently earnest in communicating to me as much information as my limited capacity and preparation for such knowledge would admit. He invited me to see him at his own abode, and so kindly that I could not believe that it was mere good breeding; but a sincere wish to see me again. I had a full day with him; he described to me his whole interview with BUONAPARTE; said it was not true, as reported, that BUONAPARTE understood astronomical subjects deeply, but affected more than he knew.
"In speaking of his great and chief telescope, he said with an air, not of the least pride, but with a greatness and simplicity of expression that struck me with wonder, 'I have looked further into space than ever human being did before me. I have observed stars, of which the light takes _two millions_ of years to travel to this globe.' I mean to pay him a reverential visit at Slough, as soon as my book is out, this winter."
In 1807 CAROLINA HERSCHEL has this entry in her diary:
"_October_ 4.--My brother came from Brighton. The same night two parties from the Castle came to see the comet, and during the whole month my brother had not an evening to himself. As he was then in the midst of polishing the forty-foot mirror, rest became absolutely necessary after a day spent in that most laborious work; and it has ever been my opinion that on the 14th of October his nerves received a shock of which he never got the better afterwards."