1815. Phil.  Trans., vol. cv.—­A Series of Observations of the Satellites of the Georgian Planet, including a Passage through the Node of their Orbits; with an Introductory Account of the Telescopic Apparatus that has been used on this Occasion, and a final Exposition of some calculated Particulars deduced from the Observations.

1817. Phil.  Trans., vol. cvii.—­Astronomical Observations and Experiments tending to investigate the Local Arrangement of the Celestial Bodies in Space, and to determine the Extent and Condition of the Milky Way.

1818. Phil.  Trans., vol. cviii.—­Astronomical Observations and Experiments selected for the Purpose of ascertaining the relative Distances of Clusters of Stars, and of investigating how far the Power of Telescopes may be expected to reach into Space, when directed to ambiguous Celestial Objects.

     1822. Memoirs of the Astronomical Society of London.—­On the
     Positions of 145 new Double Stars.

The chronological and detailed analysis of so many labours would throw us into numerous repetitions.  A systematic order will be preferable; it will more distinctly fix the eminent place that Herschel will never cease to occupy in the small group of our contemporary men of genius, whilst his name will reecho to the most distant posterity.  The variety and splendour of Herschel’s labours vie with their extent.  The more we study them, the more we must admire them.  It is with great men, as it is with great movements in the arts, we cannot understand them without studying them under various points of view.

Let us here again make a general reflection.  The memoirs of Herschel are, for the greater part, pure and simple extracts from his inexhaustible journals of observations at Slough, accompanied by a few remarks.  Such a table would not suit historical details.  In these respects the author has left almost every thing to his biographers to do for him.  And they must impose on themselves the task of assigning to the great astronomer’s predecessors the portion that legitimately belongs to them, out of the mass of discoveries, which the public (we must say) has got into an erroneous habit of referring too exclusively to Herschel.

At one time I thought of adding a note to the analysis of each of the illustrious observer’s memoirs, containing a detailed indication of the improvements or corrections that the progressive march of science has brought on.  But in order to avoid an exorbitant length in this biography, I have been obliged to give up my project.  In general I shall content myself with pointing out what belongs to Herschel, referring to my Treatise on Popular Astronomy for the historical details.  The life of Herschel had the rare advantage of forming an epoch in an extensive branch of astronomy; it would require us almost to write a special treatise on astronomy, to show thoroughly the importance of all the researches that are due to him.