1834. In this year Sir John Herschel[654] set up his telescope at
Feldhausen, Cape of Good Hope. He did much for astronomy, but not much for
the _Budget of Paradoxes_. He gives me, however, the following story. He
showed a resident a remarkable blood-red star, and some little time after
he heard of a sermon preached in those parts in which it was asserted that
the statements of the Bible must be true, for that Sir J. H. had seen in
his telescope "the very place where wicked people go."
But red is not always the color. Sir J. Herschel has in his possession a
letter written to his father, Sir W. H.,[655] dated April 3, 1787, and
signed "Eliza Cumyns," begging to know if any of the stars be _indigo_ in
color, "because, if there be, I think it may be deemed a strong conjectural
illustration of the expression, so often used by our Saviour in the Holy
Gospels, that 'the disobedient shall be cast into outer darkness'; for as
the Almighty Being can doubtless confine any of his creatures, whether
corporeal or spiritual, to what part of his creation He pleases, if
therefore any of the stars (which are beyond all doubt so many suns to
other systems) be of so dark a color as that above mentioned, they may be
calculated to give the most insufferable heat to those dolorous systems
dependent upon them (and to reprobate spirits placed there), without one
ray of cheerful light; and may therefore be the scenes of future
punishments." This letter is addressed to Dr. Heirschel at Slow. Some have
placed the infernal regions inside the earth, but {300} others have filled
this internal cavity--for cavity they will have--with refulgent light, and
made it the abode of the blessed. It is difficult to build without knowing
the number to be provided for. A friend of mine heard the following (part)
dialogue between two strong Scotch Calvinists: "Noo! hoo manny d'ye thank
there are of the alact on the arth at this moment?--Eh! mabbee a
doozen--Hoot! mon! nae so mony as thot!"