Page:Memoir and correspondence of Caroline Herschel (1876).djvu/113

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Chap. III.]
Letters.
91

comète qui a disparu le 30 juin, mais que M. Messier et M. Méchain ont suivis sans interruption, jusques dans le crépuscule.

Je vous prie de demander les bontés de vôtre digne frère pour M. Ungeschick, qui est un astronome de mérite, et qui a bien du zèle, mais en vous voyant le zêle augmentera.

MISS HERSCHEL TO M. DE LA LANDE.

Slough, Sept. 12th, 1790.
Dear Sir,—

Our good friend, General Komavzewski, will persuade me to believe that I am capable of giving you pleasure by writing a few lines; but I am under an apprehension that he is overrating my abilities. You, my dear sir, certainly overrated them when you thought me deserving of expressing your esteem for me in so public a manner as the General and Mr. Ungeshick have informed me of.

I do not only owe you my sincerest thanks for your good opinion of me, but my utmost endeavours shall be to make myself worthy of it if possible. My good brother has not been omissive in furnishing me with the means of becoming so in some respects. An excellent Newtonian sweeper, of five-feet focal length, is nearly completed, which, being mounted at the top of the house, will always be in readiness for observing whenever my attendance on the forty or twenty-foot telescopes is not required.

I hope the little god-daughter is in good health, and wish she may grow and give happiness and pleasure to her parents and uncle.

I beg to present many respectful compliments to the ingenious ladies you mentioned in your letter.

Mrs. Herschel desires to be remembered to you, sir. We do not give up the hopes of seeing you again at Slough,