I am sorry it was not in my power to send a letter by way of announcing the Journals, &c., which you will, I hope, receive soon by the messenger who left Hanover the 27th of December. I have been very ill and confined to my room now three weeks, but it seems _der Würg Engel[42] ist noch einmal vorüber gegangen_, at which I am very glad, because I wish to be a little better prepared for making my exit than I am at present. I intend to amuse myself between this and Easter with collecting and packing up those books which were to be sent to you after my death, and perhaps if I have withstood this _terrible_ winter I may have the pleasure of hearing that you have received them safe, and live in the enjoyment of a few months more, in which I hope to hear of the happy increase to your family, and prosperity in general. So I am to be godmother! with all my heart! I am now so enured to receiving honours in my old age, that I take them all upon me without blushing.... _Jan. 12th._—No letter for me yet! and no news, except that the Landgräfin of Hesse-Homburg sent me yesterday a very handsome fur mantle to wear when I go to the play, with a message that if I did not put it on, by way of saving it, the next thing she sent me would be a rod. I am accused of having been clothed too thin, for which I have been suffering these last three weeks.... I will give my opinion, and in style of a critic, and you will find yourself not to come off quite free from blame. You have represented me as a goddess, whereas I have done nothing but what I believe to be right; and wherever I did wrong, it was because I knew no better! [Sidenote: 1830. _A Box of Gifts._] MISS HERSCHEL TO J. F. W. HERSCHEL, ESQ. HANOVER, _June 18, 1830_. MY DEAREST NEPHEW,— This letter will go by to-day’s post, which I believe is the last before the messenger leaves Hanover, and Legations Rath Haase has promised to direct the box for me, so that it is to be called for at Mr. Goltermann’s either by yourself, or somebody who will look to it, that it may come safely to your hands. And I will give you here a list of the contents of the box, by which you will see that I must be very anxious till I know that it is safely come to hand, especially as I was obliged to have the box made very slight on account of saving size and weight. _Contents_:— Wollaston’s Catalogue. Bode’s Catalogue. My Index to Flamsteed’s Observations. Herschel’s and South’s Observations, bound in red morocco. Logarithmic Tables by Taylor. Seventy-two Papers of your father’s, in five volumes.