science," and as his own benefactor, and closes with these words: "By addressing this letter to you, Sir, as President of the Royal Society, I take the most effectual method of communicating that name to the Literati of Europe, which I hope they will receive with pleasure".
Herschel's suggestion, however, did not meet with the approval of the scientific world. As the late Sir Robert Ball happily expressed it, the continental astronomers thought that the King of England would "seem oddly associated with Jupiter and Saturn; perhaps also they considered that the British dominions, on which the Sun never sets, were already quite large enough without further extension to the celestial regions". Lalande proposed the name of Herschel, and for a considerable time the planet was thus known in France. Indeed the name was also adopted in many circles in Great Britain. Bode of Berlin, the editor of the "Astronomisches Jahrbuch" of the day and one of the leading German astronomers, suggested "Uranus," in keeping with the old custom of affixing mythological names to the celestial bodies. For years all three names were in use. In the "Nautical Almanac" the name, "the Georgian," evidently preferred to "Georgium Sidus," was used officially until 1847. By the middle of the century, however, the name "Uranus" had been generally adopted, and there can be no doubt that the decision was sound. Bode was right and Herschel wrong.
We can hardly suppress a feeling of regret that Herschel, with his great mind and soul, could have made a suggestion which savoured of sycophancy: but we must bear in mind the circumstances. No planetary discoveries had been made since prehistoric times, and there was something to be said for making a new departure. That Herschel's suggestion was not made solely out of gratitude is obvious from the fact that he had practically decided on the name before he was appointed to the new office. As a matter of fact, Herschel seems
