AUTOBIOGRAPHY
OF
SIR GEORGE BIDDELL AIRY, K.C.B.,
M.A., LL.D., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.R.A.S.,
HONORARY FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE,
ASTRONOMER ROYAL FROM 1836 TO 1881.
EDITED BY
WILFRID AIRY, B.A., M.Inst.C.E.
1896
PREFACE.
The life of Airy was essentially that of a hard-working, business man,
and differed from that of other hard-working people only in the
quality and variety of his work. It was not an exciting life, but it
was full of interest, and his work brought him into close relations
with many scientific men, and with many men high in the State. His
real business life commenced after he became Astronomer Royal, and
from that time forward, during the 46 years that he remained in
office, he was so entirely wrapped up in the duties of his post that
the history of the Observatory is the history of his life. For writing
his business life there is abundant material, for he preserved all his
correspondence, and the chief sources of information are as follows:
(1) His Autobiography.
(2) His Annual Reports to the Board of Visitors.
(3) His printed Papers entitled "Papers by G.B. Airy."
(4) His miscellaneous private correspondence.
(5) His letters to his wife.
(6) His business correspondence.
(1) His Autobiography, after the time that he became Astronomer Royal,
is, as might be expected, mainly a record of the scientific work
carried on at the Greenwich Observatory: but by no means exclusively
so. About the time when he took charge of the Observatory there was an
immense development of astronomical enterprise: observatories were
springing up in all directions, and the Astronomer Royal was expected
to advise upon all of the British and Colonial Observatories. It was
necessary also for him to keep in touch with the Continental
Observatories and their work, and this he did very diligently and
successfully, both by correspondence and personal intercourse with the
foreign astronomers. There was also much work on important subjects
more or less connected with his official duties--such as geodetical
survey work, the establishment of time-balls at different places,
longitude determinations, observation of eclipses, and the
determination of the density of the Earth. Lastly, there was a great
deal of time and work given to questions not very immediately
connected with his office, but on which the Government asked his
assistance in the capacity of general scientific adviser: such were
the Correction of the Compass in iron ships, the Railway Gauge
Commission, the Commission for the Restoration of the Standards of
Length and Weight, the Maine Boundary, Lighthouses, the Westminster
Clock, the London University, and many other questions.
Besides those above-mentioned there were a great many subjects which
he took up out of sheer interest in the investigations. For it may
fairly be said that every subject of a distinctly practical nature,
which could be advanced by mathematical knowledge, had an interest for
him: and his incessant industry enabled him to find time for many of
them. Amongst such subjects were Tides and Tidal Observations,
Clockwork, and the Strains in Beams and Bridges. A certain portion of
his time was also given to Lectures, generally on current astronomical
questions, for he held it as his duty to popularize the science as far
as lay in his power. And he attended the meetings of the Royal
Astronomical Society with great regularity, and took a very active
part in the discussions and business of the Society. He also did much
work for the Royal Society, and (up to a certain date) for the British
Association.
All of the foregoing matters are recorded pretty fully in his
Autobiography up to the year 1861. After that date the Autobiography
is given in a much more abbreviated form, and might rather be regarded
as a collection of notes for his Biography. His private history is
given very fully for the first part of his life, but is very lightly
touched upon during his residence at Greenwich. A great part of the
Autobiography is in a somewhat disjointed state, and appears to have
been formed by extracts from a number of different sources, such as
Official Journals, Official Correspondence, and Reports. In editing
the Autobiography it has been thought advisable to omit a large number
of short notes relating to the routine work of the Observatory, to
technical and scientific correspondence, to Papers communicated to
various Societies and official business connected with them, and to
miscellaneous matters of minor importance. These in the aggregate
occupied a great deal of time and attention. But, from their detached
nature, they would have but little general interest. At various places
will be found short Memoirs and other matter by the Editor.
(2) All of his Annual Reports to the Board of Visitors are attached to
his Autobiography and were evidently intended to be read with it and
to form part of it. These Reports are so carefully compiled and are so
copious that they form a very complete history of the Greenwich
Observatory and of the work carried on there during the time that he
was Astronomer Royal. The first Report contained only four pages, but
with the constantly increasing amount and range of work the Reports
constantly increased in volume till the later Reports contained 21
pages. Extracts from these Reports relating to matters of novelty and
importance, and illustrating the principles which guided him in his
conduct of the Observatory, have been incorporated with the
Autobiography.
(3) The printed "Papers by G.B. Airy" are bound in 14 large quarto
volumes. There are 518 of these Papers, on a great variety of
subjects: a list of them is appended to this history, as also is a
list of the books that he wrote, and one or two of the Papers which
were separately printed. They form a very important part of his
life's work, and are frequently referred to in the present
history. They are almost all to be found in the Transactions of
Societies or in newspapers, and extend over a period of 63 years (1822
to 1885). The progress made in certain branches of science during this
long period can very fairly be traced by these Papers.
(4) His private correspondence was large, and like his other papers it
was carefully arranged. No business letters of any kind are included
under this head. In this correspondence letters are occasionally found
either dealing with matters of importance or in some way
characteristic, and these have been inserted in this biography. As
already stated the Autobiography left by Airy is confined almost
entirely to science and business, and touches very lightly on private
matters or correspondence.
(5) The letters to his wife are very numerous. They were written
during his occasional absences from home on business or for
relaxation. On these occasions he rarely let a day pass without
writing to his wife, and sometimes he wrote twice on the same
day. They are full of energy and interest and many extracts from them
are inserted in this history. A great deal of the personal history is
taken from them.
(6) All correspondence in any way connected with business during the
time that he was Astronomer Royal is to be found at the Royal
Observatory. It is all bound and arranged in the most perfect order,
and any letter throughout this time can be found with the greatest
ease. It is very bulky, and much of it is, in a historical sense,
very interesting. It was no doubt mainly from this correspondence that
the Autobiography, which so far as related to the Greenwich part of it
was almost entirely a business history, was compiled.
The history of the early part of his life was written in great detail
and contained a large quantity of family matter which was evidently
not intended for publication. This part of the Autobiography has been
compressed. The history of the latter part of his life was not written
by himself at all, and has been compiled from his Journal and other
sources. In both these cases, and occasionally in short paragraphs
throughout the narrative, it has been found convenient to write the
history in the third person.
2, THE CIRCUS,
GREENWICH.
NOTE.
The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press desire to express their
thanks to Messrs Macmillan & Co. for their courteous permission to use
in this work the steel engraving of Sir George Biddell Airy published
in _Nature_ on October 31, 1878.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Personal Sketch of George Biddell Airy
CHAPTER II.
From his birth to his taking his B.A. Degree at Cambridge
CHAPTER III.
At Trinity College, Cambridge, from his taking his B.A. Degree to his
taking charge of the Cambridge Observatory as Plumian Professor
CHAPTER IV.
At Cambridge Observatory, from his taking charge of the Cambridge
Observatory to his residence at Greenwich Observatory as Astronomer
Royal
CHAPTER V.
At Greenwich Observatory, 1836-1846
CHAPTER VI.
At Greenwich Observatory, 1846-1856
CHAPTER VII.
At Greenwich Observatory, 1856-1866
CHAPTER VIII.
At Greenwich Observatory, 1866-1876
CHAPTER IX.
At Greenwich Observatory, from January 1st, 1876, to his resignation
of office on August 15th, 1881
CHAPTER X.
At the White House, Greenwich, from his resignation of office on
August 15th, 1881, to his death on January 2nd, 1892
APPENDIX.
List of Printed Papers by G.B. Airy, and List of Books written by
G.B. Airy
INDEX.
CHAPTER I.
PERSONAL SKETCH OF GEORGE BIDDELL AIRY.
The history of Airy's life, and especially the history of his life's
work, is given in the chapters that follow. But it is felt that the
present Memoir would be incomplete without a reference to those
personal characteristics upon which the work of his life hinged and
which can only be very faintly gathered from his Autobiography.
He was of medium stature and not powerfully built: as he advanced in
years he stooped a good deal. His hands were large-boned and
well-formed. His constitution was remarkably sound. At no period in
his life does he seem to have taken the least interest in athletic
sports or competitions, but he was a very active pedestrian and could
endure a great deal of fatigue. He was by no means wanting in physical
courage, and on various occasions, especially in boating expeditions,
he ran considerable risks. In debate and controversy he had great
self-reliance, and was absolutely fearless. His eye-sight was
peculiar, and required correction by spectacles the lenses of which
were ground to peculiar curves according to formulae which he himself
investigated: with these spectacles he saw extremely well, and he
commonly carried three pairs, adapted to different distances: he took
great interest in the changes that took place in his eye-sight, and
wrote several Papers on the subject. In his later years he became
somewhat deaf, but not to the extent of serious personal
inconvenience.
The ruling feature of his character was undoubtedly Order. From the
time that he went up to Cambridge to the end of his life his system of
order was strictly maintained. He wrote his autobiography up to date
soon after he had taken his degree, and made his first will as soon as
he had any money to leave. His accounts were perfectly kept by double
entry throughout his life, and he valued extremely the order of
book-keeping: this facility of keeping accounts was very useful to
him. He seems not to have destroyed a document of any kind whatever:
counterfoils of old cheque-books, notes for tradesmen, circulars,
bills, and correspondence of all sorts were carefully preserved in the
most complete order from the time that he went to Cambridge; and a
huge mass they formed. To a high appreciation of order he attributed
in a great degree his command of mathematics, and sometimes spoke of
mathematics as nothing more than a system of order carried to a
considerable extent. In everything he was methodical and orderly, and
he had the greatest dread of disorder creeping into the routine work
of the Observatory, even in the smallest matters. As an example, he
spent a whole afternoon in writing the word "Empty" on large cards, to
be nailed upon a great number of empty packing boxes, because he
noticed a little confusion arising from their getting mixed with other
boxes containing different articles; and an assistant could not be
spared for this work without withdrawing him from his appointed
duties. His arrangement of the Observatory correspondence was
excellent and elaborate: probably no papers are more easy of reference
than those arranged on his system. His strict habits of order made him
insist very much upon detail in his business with others, and the
rigid discipline arising out of his system of order made his rule
irksome to such of his subordinates as did not conform readily to it:
but the efficiency of the Observatory unquestionably depended mainly
upon it. As his powers failed with age the ruling passion for order
assumed a greater prominence; and in his last days he seemed to be
more anxious to put letters which he received into their proper place
for reference than even to master their contents.
His nature was eminently practical, and any subject which had a
distinctly practical object, and could be advanced by mathematical
investigation, possessed interest for him. And his dislike of mere
theoretical problems and investigations was proportionately great. He
was continually at war with some of the resident Cambridge
mathematicians on this subject. Year after year he criticised the
Senate House Papers and the Smith's Prize Papers question by question
very severely: and conducted an interesting and acrimonious private
correspondence with Professor Cayley on the same subject. His great
mathematical powers and his command of mathematics are sufficiently
evidenced by the numerous mathematical treatises of the highest order
which he published, a list of which is appended to this biography. But
a very important feature of his investigations was the thoroughness of
them. He was never satisfied with leaving a result as a barren
mathematical expression. He would reduce it, if possible, to a
practical and numerical form, at any cost of labour: and would use any
approximations which would conduce to this result, rather than leave
the result in an unfruitful condition. He never shirked arithmetical
work: the longest and most laborious reductions had no terrors for
him, and he was remarkably skilful with the various mathematical
expedients for shortening and facilitating arithmetical work of a
complex character. This power of handling arithmetic was of great
value to him in the Observatory reductions and in the Observatory work
generally. He regarded it as a duty to finish off his work, whatever
it was, and the writer well remembers his comment on the mathematics
of one of his old friends, to the effect that "he was too fond of
leaving a result in the form of three complex equations with three
unknown quantities." To one who had known, in some degree, of the
enormous quantity of arithmetical work which he had turned out, and
the unsparing manner in which he had devoted himself to it, there was
something very pathetic in his discovery, towards the close of his
long life, "that the figures would not add up."
His energy and business capacity were remarkable. He was made for work
and could not long be happy without it. Whatever subject he was
engaged upon, he kept his object clearly in view, and made straight
for it, aiming far more at clearness and directness than at elegance
of periods or symmetry of arrangement. He wrote his letters with great
ease and rapidity: and having written them he very rarely had occasion
to re-write them, though he often added insertions and
interlineations, even in the most important official letters. Without
this it would have been impossible for him to have turned out the
enormous quantity of correspondence that he did. He never dictated
letters, and only availed himself of clerical assistance in matters of
the most ordinary routine. In his excursions, as in his work, he was
always energetic, and could not endure inaction. Whatever there was of
interest in the places that he visited he examined thoroughly and
without delay, and then passed on. And he thus accomplished a great
deal in a short vacation. His letters written to his wife, while he
was on his excursions, are very numerous and characteristic, and
afford ample proofs of his incessant energy and activity both of body
and mind. They are not brilliantly written, for it was not in his
nature to write for effect, and he would never give himself the
trouble to study the composition of his letters, but they are
straight-forward, clear, and concise, and he was never at a loss for
suitable language to express his ideas. He had a wonderful capacity
for enjoyment: the subjects that chiefly interested him were scenery,
architecture, and antiquities, but everything novel or curious had an
interest for him. He made several journeys to the Continent, but by
far the greater number of his excursions were made in England and
Scotland, and there were few parts of the country which he had not
visited. He was very fond of the Lake District of Cumberland, and
visited it very frequently, and each time that he went there the same
set of views had an eternal freshness for him, and he wrote long
descriptions of the scenery and effects with the same raptures as if
he had seen it for the first time. Many of his letters were written
from Playford, a village in a beautiful part of Suffolk, a few miles
from Ipswich. Here he had a small property, and generally stayed there
for a short time once or twice a year. He was extremely fond of this
country, and was never tired of repeating his walks by the well-known
lanes and footpaths. And, as in Cumberland, the Suffolk country had
an eternal freshness and novelty for him. Wherever he went he was
indefatigable in keeping up his acquaintance with his numerous friends
and his letters abound in social reminiscences.
His memory was singularly retentive. It was much remarked at school in
his early days, and in the course of his life he had stored up in his
memory an incredible quantity of poetry, ballads, and miscellaneous
facts and information of all sorts, which was all constantly ready and
at his service. It is almost needless to add that his memory was
equally accurate and extensive in matters connected with science or
business.
His independence of character was no doubt due to and inseparable from
his great powers. The value of his scientific work greatly depended
upon his self-reliance and independence of thought. And in the heavy
work of remodelling the Observatory it was a very valuable
quality. This same self-reliance made him in his latter years apt to
draw conclusions too confidently and hastily on subjects which he had
taken up more as a pastime than as work. But whatever he touched he
dealt with ably and in the most fearless truthseeking manner, and left
original and vigorous opinions.
He had a remarkably well-balanced mind, and a simplicity of nature
that appeared invulnerable. No amount of hero-worship seemed to have
the least effect upon him. And from a very early time he was exposed
to a great deal of it. His mind was incessantly engaged on
investigations of Nature, and this seems to have been with him, as has
been the case with others, a preserving influence. This simplicity of
character he retained throughout his life. At the same time he was
sensible and shrewd in his money matters and attentive to his personal
interests. And his practical good sense in the general affairs of
life, combined with his calm and steady consideration of points
submitted to him, made his advice very valuable. This was especially
recognized by his own and his wife's relations, who consulted him on
many occasions and placed the fullest confidence in his absolute sense
of justice as well as in his wise counsel. He was extremely liberal
in proportion to his means, and gave away money to a large extent to
all who had any claim upon him. But he was not in any sense reckless,
and kept a most cautious eye on his expenses. He was not indifferent
to the honours which he received in the scientific world, but he does
not appear to have sought them in any way, and he certainly did not
trouble himself about them.
His courtesy was unfailing: no amount of trouble could shake
it. Whether it was the Secretary of the Admiralty, or a servant girl
wanting her fortune told: whether a begging-letter for money, or
miscellaneous invitations: all had their answer in the most clear and
courteous language. But he would not grant personal interviews when he
could avoid it: they took up too much of his time. His head was so
clear that he never seemed to want for the clearest and most direct
language in expressing his meaning, and his letters are models of
terseness.
In all his views and opinions he was strongly liberal. At Cambridge at
an early date he was one of the 83 members of the Senate who supported
the application to permit the granting of medical degrees without
requiring an expression of assent to the religious doctrines of the
Church of England. And in 1868 he declined to sign a petition against
the abolition of religious declarations required of persons admitted
to Fellowships or proceeding to the degree of M.A. And he was opposed
to every kind of narrowness and exclusiveness. When he was appointed
to the post of Astronomer Royal, he stipulated that he should not be
asked to vote in any political election. But all his views were in the
liberal direction. He was a great reader of theology and church
history, and as regarded forms of worship and the interpretation of
the Scriptures, he treated them with great respect, but from the point
of view of a freethinking layman. In the Preface to his "Notes on the
Earlier Hebrew Scriptures" he says, "In regard to the general tone of
these notes, I will first remark that I have nothing to say on the
subject of verbal inspiration. With those who entertain that doctrine,
I can have nothing in common. Nor do I recognize, in the professedly
historical accounts, any other inspiration which can exempt them from
the severest criticism that would be applicable to so-called profane
accounts, written under the same general circumstances, and in the
same countries." And his treatment of the subject in the "Notes" shews
how entirely he took a rationalistic view of the whole question. He
also strongly sided with Bishop Colenso in his fearless criticism of
the Pentateuch, though he dissented from some of his conclusions. But
he was deeply imbued with the spirit of religion and reflected much
upon it. His whole correspondence conveys the impression of the most
sterling integrity and high-mindedness, without a trace of
affectation. In no letter does there appear a shadow of wavering on
matters of principle, whether in public or private matters, and he was
very clear and positive in his convictions.
The great secret of his long and successful official career was that
he was a good servant and thoroughly understood his position. He never
set himself in opposition to his masters, the Admiralty. He never
hesitated to ask the Admiralty for what he thought right, whether in
the way of money grants for various objects, or for occasional
permission to give his services to scientific matters not immediately
connected with the Observatory. Sometimes the Admiralty refused his
requests, and he felt this very keenly, but he was far too busy and
energetic to trouble himself about such little slights, and cheerfully
accepted the situation. What was refused by one Administration was
frequently granted by another; and in the meantime he was always ready
to give his most zealous assistance in any matter that was officially
brought before him. This cheerful readiness to help, combined with his
great ability and punctuality in business matters, made him a very
valuable servant, and speaking generally he had the confidence of the
Admiralty in a remarkable degree. In many of his Reports to the Board
of Visitors he speaks gratefully of the liberality of the Admiralty in
forwarding scientific progress and research. In matters too which are
perhaps of minor importance from the high stand-point of science, but
which are invaluable in the conduct of an important business office,
such for example as estimates and official correspondence, he was
orderly and punctual in the highest degree. And, what is by no means
unimportant, he possessed an excellent official style in
correspondence, combined with great clearness of expression. His
entire honesty of purpose, and the high respect in which he was held
both at home and abroad, gave great weight to his recommendations.
With regard to his habits while he resided at the Observatory, his
custom was to work in his official room from 9 to about 2.30, though
in summer he was frequently at work before breakfast. He then took a
brisk walk, and dined at about 3.30. This early hour had been
prescribed and insisted upon by his physician, Dr Haviland of
Cambridge, in whom he had great confidence. He ate heartily, though
simply and moderately, and slept for about an hour after dinner. He
then had tea, and from about 7 to 10 he worked in the same room with
his family. He would never retire to a private room, and regarded the
society of his family as highly beneficial in "taking the edge off his
work." His powers of abstraction were remarkable: nothing seemed to
disturb him; neither music, singing, nor miscellaneous conversation.
He would then play a game or two at cards, read a few pages of a
classical or historical book, and retire at 11. On Sundays he attended
morning service at church, and in the evening read a few prayers very
carefully and impressively to his whole household. He was very
hospitable, and delighted to receive his friends in a simple and
natural way at his house. In this he was most admirably aided by his
wife, whose grace and skill made everything pleasant to their
guests. But he avoided dinner-parties as much as possible--they
interfered too much with his work--and with the exception of
scientific and official dinners he seldom dined away from home. His
tastes were entirely domestic, and he was very happy in his
family. With his natural love of work, and with the incessant calls
upon him, he would soon have broken down, had it not been for his
system of regular relaxation. Two or three times a year he took a
holiday: generally a short run of a week or ten days in the spring, a
trip of a month or thereabouts in the early autumn, and about three
weeks at Playford in the winter. These trips were always conducted in
the most active manner, either in constant motion from place to place,
or in daily active excursions. This system he maintained with great
regularity, and from the exceeding interest and enjoyment that he took
in these trips his mind was so much refreshed and steadied that he
always kept himself equal to his work.
Airy seems to have had a strong bent in the direction of astronomy
from his youth, and it is curious to note how well furnished he was,
by the time that he became Astronomer Royal, both with astronomy in
all its branches, and with the kindred sciences so necessary for the
practical working and improvement of it. At the time that he went to
Cambridge Physical Astronomy was greatly studied there and formed a
most important part of the University course. He eagerly availed
himself of this, and mastered the Physical Astronomy in the most
thorough manner, as was evidenced by his Papers collected in his
"Mathematical Tracts," his investigation of the Long Inequality of the
Earth and Venus, and many other works. As Plumian Professor he had
charge of the small Observatory at Cambridge, where he did a great
deal of the observing and reduction work himself, and became
thoroughly versed in the practical working of an Observatory. The
result of this was immediately seen in the improved methods which he
introduced at Greenwich, and which were speedily imitated at other
Observatories. Optics and the Undulatory Theory of Light had been very
favourite subjects with him, and he had written and lectured
frequently upon them. In the construction of the new and powerful
telescopes and other optical instruments required from time to time
this knowledge was very essential, for in its instrumental equipment
the Greenwich Observatory was entirely remodelled during his tenure of
office. And in many of the matters referred to him, as for instance
that of the Lighthouses, a thorough knowledge of Optics was most
valuable. He had made a great study of the theory and construction of
clocks, and this knowledge was invaluable to him at Greenwich in the
establishment of new and more accurate astronomical clocks, and
especially in the improvement of chronometers. He had carefully
studied the theory of pendulums, and had learned how to use them in
his experiments in the Cornish mines. This knowledge he afterwards
utilized very effectively at the Harton Pit in comparing the density
of the Earth's crust with its mean density; and it was very useful to
him in connection with geodetic surveys and experiments on which he
was consulted. And his mechanical knowledge was useful in almost
everything.
The subjects (outside those required for his professional work) in
which he took most interest were Poetry, History, Theology,
Antiquities, Architecture, and Engineering. He was well acquainted
with standard English poetry, and had committed large quantities to
memory, which he frequently referred to as a most valuable acquisition
and an ever-present relief and comfort to his mind. History and
theology he had studied as opportunity offered, and without being
widely read in them he was much at home with them, and his powerful
memory made the most of what he did read. Antiquities and architecture
were very favourite subjects with him. He had visited most of the
camps and castles in the United Kingdom and was never tired of tracing
their connection with ancient military events: and he wrote several
papers on this subject, especially those relating to the Roman
invasions of Britain. Ecclesiastical architecture he was very fond of:
he had visited nearly all the cathedrals and principal churches in
England, and many on the Continent, and was most enthusiastic on their
different styles and merits: his letters abound in critical remarks on
them. He was extremely well versed in mechanics, and in the principles
and theory of construction, and took the greatest interest in large
engineering works. This led to much communication with Stephenson,
Brunel, and other engineers, who consulted him freely on the subject
of great works on which they were engaged: in particular he rendered
much assistance in connection with the construction of the Britannia
Bridge over the Menai Straits. There were various other subjects which
he read with much interest (Geology in particular), but he made no
study of Natural History, and knew very little about it beyond
detached facts. His industry was untiring, and in going over his books
one by one it was very noticeable how large a number of them were
feathered with his paper "marks," shewing how carefully he had read
them and referred to them. His nature was essentially cheerful, and
literature of a witty and humourous character had a great charm for
him. He was very fond of music and knew a great number of songs; and
he was well acquainted with the theory of music: but he was no
performer. He did not sketch freehand but made excellent drawings with
his Camera Lucida.
At the time when he took his degree (1823) and for many years
afterwards there was very great activity of scientific investigation
and astronomical enterprise in England. And, as in the times of
Flamsteed and Halley, the earnest zeal of men of science occasionally
led to much controversy and bitterness amongst them. Airy was by no
means exempt from such controversies. He was a man of keen
sensitiveness, though it was combined with great steadiness of temper,
and he never hesitated to attack theories and methods that he
considered to be scientifically wrong. This led to differences with
Ivory, Challis, South, Cayley, Archibald Smith, and others; but
however much he might differ from them he was always personally
courteous, and the disputes generally went no farther than as regarded
the special matter in question. Almost all these controversial
discussions were carried on openly, and were published in the
Athenaeum, the Philosophical Magazine, or elsewhere; for he printed
nearly everything that he wrote, and was very careful in the selection
of the most suitable channels for publication. He regarded it as a
duty to popularize as much as possible the work done at the
Observatory, and to take the public into his confidence. And this he
effected by articles communicated to newspapers, lectures, numerous
Papers written for scientific societies, reports, debates, and
critiques.
His strong constitution and his regular habits, both of work and
exercise, are sufficient explanation of the good health which in
general he enjoyed. Not but what he had sharp touches of illness from
time to time. At one period he suffered a good deal from an attack of
eczema, and at another from a varicose vein in his leg, and he was
occasionally troubled with severe colds. But he bore these ailments
with great patience and threw them off in course of time. He was happy
in his marriage and in his family, and such troubles and distresses as
were inevitable he accepted calmly and quietly. In his death, as in
his life, he was fortunate: he had no long or painful illness, and he
was spared the calamity of aberration of intellect, the saddest of all
visitations.