“The telescope, as you know, is laid on three stone piers horizontally. It will be fresh painted to-morrow, and afterwards every three or four years, as it wants it, and it looks very well. The observatory will remain nearly as it is. The apparatus of the telescope is _inside of the tube_, and will be riveted up from all intruders. And all the polishing apparatus is _fixed_ on the spot.”—_Letter of Sir John Herschel, Feb. 28, 1840._ The great mirror is now put up in the hall of the house—“Herschels”—at Slough, by the present tenant, Mr. Montressor, who has spared no pains to do honour to the relics as well as to keep up the character of the old fashioned “habitation,” which owes much to the taste and judgment he has bestowed on it. Footnote 56: General Baron Hugh Halkett, a distinguished officer of the German Legion, died 1863. Footnote 57: Miss Herschel gave special directions that, after her death, her snuff-box should be given to this lady. Footnote 58: The family of Sir J. Herschel had left Slough and settled at Collingwood, near Hawkhurst, Kent, now the family residence. Footnote 59: Every fool is pleased with his own cap. Footnote 60: In answer to this announcement her niece wrote: “Herschel bids me say he is quite delighted at the idea of your undertaking the family history, but he insists upon it that you prove his descent from _Hercules_, and I dare say in this age of relics, we could contrive to find in the rummaging of old traps turned out at Slough, a veritable piece of the old _club_ which has by fortunate accident served as part of the ladders of the forty-foot telescope! or perhaps you remember its slipping down the mouth of the great telescope one night when it was turned in the direction of your ancestor’s constellation, as a sign that he confessed himself _outshone_ by your _labours_.” Footnote 61: He who first cries “Kick!” shall have the apple. Footnote 62: The astronomers for ever! Footnote 63: Her 93rd birthday. Footnote 64: Thank God. Footnote 65: Railway. Footnote 66: The fellow is a fool! Footnote 67: The days on which this periodical arrived are always noted in the Day-books. Footnote 68: The inscription is given in the Appendix. * * * * * * Transcriber’s note; Some corrections were made to the original text. In particular, punctuation was corrected without further note. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation was retained unless noted otherwise. The order of Index entries was corrected where errors were found. Ditto marks were replaced by the text they represent. There was no marker for Footnote 21; its placement has been assumed. Further corrections are noted below: