AT TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, FROM HIS TAKING
HIS B.A. DEGREE TO HIS TAKING CHARGE OF THE
CAMBRIDGE OBSERVATORY AS PLUMIAN PROFESSOR.
FROM JANUARY 18TH, 1823, TO MARCH 15TH, 1828.
"On Jan. 30th, 1823, I returned to Cambridge. I had already heard that
I had gained the 1st Smith's Prize, and one of the first notifications
to me on my return was that the Walker's good-conduct prize of _£10_
was awarded to me.
"I remember that my return was not very pleasant, for our table in
hall was half occupied by a set of irregular men who had lost terms
and were obliged to reside somewhat longer in order to receive the
B.A. degree. But at the time of my completing the B.A. degree (which
is not till some weeks after the examination and admission) I with the
other complete bachelors was duly invited to the table of the B.A.
scholars, and that annoyance ended.
"The liberation from undergraduate study left me at liberty generally
to pursue my own course (except so far as it was influenced by the
preparation for fellowship examination), and also left me at liberty
to earn more money, in the way usual with the graduates, by taking
undergraduate pupils. Mr Peacock recommended me to take only four,
which occupied me four hours every day, and for each of them I
received 20 guineas each term. My first pupils, for the Lent and
Easter terms, were Williamson (afterwards Head Master of Westminster
School), James Parker (afterwards Q.C. and Vice-Chancellor), Bissett,
and Clinton of Caius. To all these I had been engaged before taking my
B.A. degree.
"I kept up classical subjects. I have a set of notes on the [Greek:
Ploutos] and [Greek: Nephelai] of Aristophanes, finished on Mar. 15th,
1823, and I began my daily writing of Latin as usual on Feb. 8th. In
mathematics I worked very hard at Lunar and Planetary Theories. I have
two MS. books of Lunar Theory to the 5th order of small quantities,
which however answered no purpose except that of making me perfectly
familiar with that subject. I worked well, upon my quires, the figure
of Saturn supposed homogeneous as affected by the attraction of his
ring, and the figure of the Earth as heterogeneous, and the Calculus
of Variations. I think it was now that I wrote a MS. on constrained
motion.
"On Mar. 17th, 1823, I was elected Fellow of the Cambridge
Philosophical Society. On May 9th a cast of my head was taken for Dr
Elliotson, an active phrenologist, by Deville, a tradesman in the
Strand.
"I had long thought that I should like to visit Scotland, and on my
once saying so to my mother, she (who had a most kindly recollection
of Alnwick) said in a few words that she thought I could not do
better. I had therefore for some time past fully determined that as
soon as I had sufficient spare time and money enough I would go to
Scotland. The interval between the end of Easter Term and the usual
beginning with pupils in the Long Vacation offered sufficient time,
and I had now earned a little money, and I therefore determined to go,
and invited my sister to accompany me. I had no private
introductions, except one from James Parker to Mr Reach, a writer of
Inverness: some which Drinkwater sent being too late. On May 20th we
went by coach to Stamford; thence by Pontefract and Oulton to York,
where I saw the Cathedral, which _then_ disappointed me, but I suppose
that we were tired with the night journey. Then by Newcastle to
Alnwick, where we stopped for the day to see my birthplace. On May
24th to Edinburgh. On this journey I remember well the stone walls
between the fields, the place (in Yorkshire) where for the first time
in my life I saw rock, the Hambleton, Kyloe, Cheviot and Pentland
Hills, Arthur's Seat, but still more strikingly the revolving Inch
Keith Light. At Edinburgh I hired a horse and gig for our journey in
Scotland, and we drove by Queensferry to Kinross (where for the first
time in my life I saw clouds on the hills, viz. on the Lomond Hills),
and so to Perth. Thence by Dunkeld and Killicrankie to Blair Athol
(the dreariness of the Drumochter Pass made a strong impression on
me), and by Aviemore (where I saw snow on the mountains) to
Inverness. Here we received much kindness and attention from Mr Reach,
and after visiting the Falls of Foyers and other sights we went to
Fort Augustus and Fort William. We ascended Ben Nevis, on which there
was a great deal of snow, and visited the vitrified fort in Glen
Nevis. Then by Inverary to Tarbet, and ascended Ben Lomond, from
whence we had a magnificent view. We then passed by Loch Achray to
Glasgow, where we found James Parker's brother (his father, of the
house of Macinroy and Parker, being a wealthy merchant of Glasgow). On
June 15th to Mr Parker's house at Blochairn, near Glasgow (on this day
I heard Dr Chalmers preach), and on the 17th went with the family by
steamer (the first that I had seen) to Fairly, near Largs. I returned
the gig to Edinburgh, visited Arran and Bute, and we then went by
coach to Carlisle, and by Penrith to Keswick (by the old road: never
shall I forget the beauty of the approach to Keswick). After visiting
Ambleside and Kendal we returned to Cambridge by way of Leeds, and
posted to Bury on the 28th June. The expense of this expedition was
about _£81_. It opened a completely new world to me.
"I had little time to rest at Bury. In the preceding term Drinkwater,
Buckle, and myself, had engaged to go somewhere into the country with
pupils during the Long Vacation (as was customary with Cambridge
men). Buckle however changed his mind. Drinkwater went to look for a
place, fixed on Swansea, and engaged a house (called the Cambrian
Hotel, kept by a Captain Jenkins). On the morning of July 2nd I left
Bury for London and by mail coach to Bristol. On the morning of July
3rd by steamer to Swansea, and arrived late at night. I had then five
pupils: Parker, Harman Lewis (afterwards Professor in King's College,
London), Pierce Morton, Gibson, and Guest of Caius (afterwards Master
of the College). Drinkwater had four, viz. two Malkins (from Bury),
Elphinstone (afterwards M.P.), and Farish (son of Professor
Farish). We lived a hard-working strange life. My pupils began with me
at six in the morning: I was myself reading busily. We lived
completely _en famille_, with two men-servants besides the house
establishment. One of our first acts was to order a four-oared boat to
be built, fitted with a lug-sail: she was called the Granta of
Swansea. In the meantime we made sea excursions with boats borrowed
from ships in the port. On July 23rd, with a borrowed boat, we went
out when the sea was high, but soon found our boat unmanageable, and
at last got into a place where the sea was breaking heavily over a
shoal, and the two of the crew who were nearest to me (A. Malkin and
Lewis), one on each side, were carried out: they were good swimmers
and we recovered them, though with some trouble: the breaker had
passed quite over my head: we gained the shore and the boat was taken
home by land. When our own boat was finished, we had some most
picturesque adventures at the Mumbles, Aberavon, Caswell Bay,
Ilfracombe, and Tenby. From all this I learnt navigation pretty
well. The mixture of hard study and open-air exertion seemed to affect
the health of several of us (I was one): we were covered with painful
boils.
"My Latin-writing began again on July 25th: I have notes on
Demosthenes, Lucretius, and Greek History. In mathematics I find
Chances, Figure of the Earth with variable density, Differential
Equations, Partial Differentials, sketch for an instrument for shewing
refraction, and Optical instruments with effects of chromatic
aberration. In August there occurred an absurd quarrel between the
Fellows of Trinity and the undergraduates, on the occasion of
commencing the building of King's Court, when the undergraduates were
not invited to wine, and absented themselves from the hall.
"There were vacant this year (1823) five fellowships in Trinity
College. In general, the B.A.'s of the first year are not allowed to
sit for fellowships: but this year it was thought so probable that
permission would be given, that on Sept. 2nd Mr Higman, then appointed
as Tutor to a third 'side' of the College, wrote to me to engage me as
Assistant Mathematical Tutor in the event of my being elected a Fellow
on Oct. 1st, and I provisionally engaged myself. About the same time
I had written to Mr Peacock, who recommended me to sit, and to Mr
Whewell, who after consultation with the Master (Dr Wordsworth),
discouraged it. As there was no absolute prohibition, I left Swansea
on Sept. 11th (before my engagement to my pupils was quite finished)
and returned to Cambridge by Gloucester, Oxford, and London. I gave in
my name at the butteries as candidate for fellowship, but was informed
in a day or two that I should not be allowed to sit. On Sept. 19th I
walked to Bury.
"I walked back to Cambridge on Oct. 17th, 1823. During this October
term I had four pupils: Neate, Cankrein, Turner (afterwards 2nd
wrangler and Treasurer of Guy's Hospital), and William Hervey (son of
the Marquis of Bristol). In the Lent term I had four (Neate, Cankrein,
Turner, Clinton). In the Easter term I had three (Neate, Cankrein,
Turner).
"My daily writing of Latin commenced on Oct. 27th. In November I began
re-reading Sophocles with my usual care. In mathematics I find
investigations of Motion in a resisting medium, Form of Saturn, Draft
of a Paper about an instrument for exhibiting the fundamental law of
refraction (read at the Philosophical Society by Mr Peacock on
Nov. 10th, 1823), Optics, Solid Geometry, Figure of the Earth with
variable density, and much about attractions. I also in this term
wrote a MS. on the Calculus of Variations, and one on Wood's Algebra,
2nd and 4th parts. I have also notes of the temperature of mines in
Cornwall, something on the light of oil-gas, and reminiscences of
Swansea in a view of Oswick Bay. In November I attended Professor
Sedgwick's geological lectures.
"At some time in this term I had a letter from Mr South (to whom I
suppose I had written) regarding the difficulty of my telescope: he
was intimately acquainted with Tulley, and I suppose that thus the
matter had become more fully known to him. He then enquired if I could
visit him in the winter vacation. I accordingly went from Bury, and
was received by him at his house in Blackman Street for a week or more
with great kindness. He introduced me to Sir Humphrey Davy and many
other London savans, and shewed me many London sights and the
Greenwich Observatory. I also had a little practice with his own
instruments. He was then on intimate terms with Mr Herschel
(afterwards Sir John Herschel), then living in London, who came
occasionally to observe double stars. This was the first time that I
saw practical astronomy. It seems that I borrowed his mountain
barometer. In the Lent term I wrote to him regarding the deduction of
the parallax of Mars, from a comparison of the relative positions of
Mars and 46 Leonis, as observed by him and by Rumker at Paramatta. My
working is on loose papers. I see that I have worked out perfectly the
interpolations, the effects of uncertainty of longitude, &c., but I do
not see whether I have a final result.
"In Jan. 1824, at Playford, I was working on the effects of separating
the two lenses of an object-glass, and on the kind of eye-piece which
would be necessary: also on spherical aberrations and Saturn's
figure. On my quires at Cambridge I was working on the effects of
separating the object-glass lenses, with the view of correcting the
secondary spectrum: and on Jan. 31st I received some numbers (indices
of refraction) from Mr Herschel, and reference to Fraunhofer's
numbers.
"About this time it was contemplated to add to the Royal Observatory
of Greenwich two assistants of superior education. Whether this
scheme was entertained by the Admiralty, the Board of Longitude, or
the Royal Society, I do not know. Somehow (I think through Mr
Peacock) a message from Mr Herschel was conveyed to me, acquainting me
of this, and suggesting that I should be an excellent person for the
principal place. To procure information, I went to London on Saturday,
Feb. 7th, sleeping at Mr South's, to be present at one of Sir Humphrey
Davy's Saturday evening soirées (they were then held every Saturday),
and to enquire of Sir H. Davy and Dr Young. When I found that
succession to the post of Astronomer Royal was not considered as
distinctly a consequence of it, I took it coolly, and returned the
next night. The whole proposal came to nothing.
"At this time I was engaged upon differential equations, mountain
barometer problem and determination of the height of the Gogmagogs and
several other points, investigations connected with Laplace's
calculus, spherical aberration in different planes, geology
(especially regarding Derbyshire, which I proposed to visit), and much
of optics. I wrote a draft of my Paper on the figure of Saturn, and on
Mar. 15th, 1824, it was read at the Philosophical Society under the
title of 'On the figure assumed by a fluid homogeneous mass, whose
particles are acted on by their mutual attraction, and by small
extraneous forces,' and is printed in their Memoirs. I also wrote a
draft of my Paper on Achromatic Eye-pieces, and on May 17th, 1824, it
was read at the Philosophical Society under the title of 'On the
Principles and Construction of the Achromatic Eye-pieces of
Telescopes, and on the Achromatism of Microscopes,' including also the
effects of separating the lenses of the object-glass. It is printed in
their Memoirs.
"Amongst miscellaneous matters I find that on Mar. 22nd of this year I
began regularly making extracts from the books of the Book Society, a
practice which I continued to March 1826. On Mar. 27th, a very rainy
day, I walked to Bury to attend the funeral of my uncle William
Biddell, near Diss, and on Mar. 30th I walked back in rain and
snow. On Feb. 24th I dined with Cubitt in Cambridge. On May 21st I
gave a certificate to Rogers (the assistant in Crosse's school, and my
instructor in mathematics), which my mother amplified much, and which
I believe procured his election as master of Walsall School. On June
23rd I went to Bury. The speeches at Bury School, which I wished to
attend, took place next day."
At this point of his Autobiography the writer continues, "Now came one
of the most important occurrences in my life." The important event in
question was his acquaintance with Richarda Smith, the lady who
afterwards became his wife. The courtship was a long one, and in the
Autobiography there are various passages relating to it, all written
in the most natural and unaffected manner, but of somewhat too private
a nature for publication. It will therefore be convenient to digress
from the straight path of the narrative in order to insert a short
memoir of the lady who was destined to influence his life and
happiness in a most important degree.
Richarda Smith was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Richard Smith, who
had been a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, but was at this time
Private Chaplain to the Duke of Devonshire, and held the small living
of Edensor, near Chatsworth, in Derbyshire. He had a family of two
sons and seven daughters, whom he had brought up and educated very
carefully. Several of his daughters were remarkable both for their
beauty and accomplishments. Richarda Smith was now in her 20th year,
and the writer of the Autobiography records that "at Matlock we
received great attention from Mr Chenery: in speaking of Mr Smith I
remember his saying that Mr Smith had a daughter whom the Duke of
Devonshire declared to be the most beautiful girl he ever saw." This
was before he had made the acquaintance of the family. Airy was at
this time on a walking tour in Derbyshire with his brother William,
and they were received at Edensor by Mr Smith, to whom he had letters
of introduction. He seems to have fallen in love with Miss Smith "at
first sight," and within two days of first seeing her he made her an
offer of marriage. Neither his means nor his prospects at that time
permitted the least idea of an immediate marriage, and Mr Smith would
not hear of any engagement. But he never had the least doubt as to
the wisdom of the choice that he had made: he worked steadily on,
winning fame and position, and recommending his suit from time to time
to Miss Smith as opportunity offered, and finally married her, nearly
six years after his first proposal. His constancy had its reward, for
he gained a most charming and affectionate wife. As he records at the
time of his marriage, "My wife was aged between 25 and 26, but she
scarcely appeared more than 18 or 20. Her beauty and accomplishments,
her skill and fidelity in sketching, and above all her exquisite
singing of ballads, made a great sensation in Cambridge."
Their married life lasted 45 years, but the last six years were
saddened by the partial paralysis and serious illness of Lady
Airy. The entire correspondence between them was most carefully
preserved, and is a record of a most happy union. The letters were
written during his numerous journeys and excursions on business or
pleasure, and it is evident that his thoughts were with her from the
moment of their parting. Every opportunity of writing was seized with
an energy and avidity that shewed how much his heart was in the
correspondence. Nothing was too trivial or too important to
communicate to his wife, whether relating to family or business
matters. The letters on both sides are always full of affection and
sympathy, and are written in that spirit of confidence which arises
from a deep sense of the value and necessity of mutual support in the
troubles of life. And with his active and varied employments and his
numerous family there was no lack of troubles. They were both of them
simple-minded, sensible, and practical people, and were very grateful
for such comforts and advantages as they were able to command, but for
nothing in comparison with their deep respect and affection for one
another.
Both by natural ability and education she was well qualified to enter
into the pursuits of her husband, and in many cases to assist him. She
always welcomed her husband's friends, and by her skill and attractive
courtesy kept them well together. She was an admirable letter-writer,
and in the midst of her numerous domestic distractions always found
time for the duties of correspondence. In conversation she was very
attractive, not so much from the wit or brilliancy of her remarks as
from the brightness and interest with which she entered into the
topics under discussion, and from the unfailing grace and courtesy
with which she attended to the views of others. This was especially
recognized by the foreign astronomers and men of science who from time
to time stayed as guests at the Observatory and to whom she acted as
hostess. Although she was not an accomplished linguist yet she was
well able to express herself in French and German, and her natural
good sense and kindliness placed her guests at their ease, and made
them feel themselves (as indeed they were) welcomed and at home.
Her father, the Rev. Richard Smith, was a man of most cultivated mind,
and of the highest principles, with a keen enjoyment of good society,
which the confidence and friendship of his patron the Duke of
Devonshire amply secured to him, both at Chatsworth and in London. He
had a deep attachment to his Alma Mater of Cambridge, and though not
himself a mathematician he had a great respect for the science of
mathematics and for eminent mathematicians. During the long courtship
already related Mr Smith conceived the highest respect for Airy's
character, as well as for his great repute and attainments, and
expressed his lively satisfaction at his daughter's marriage. Thus on
January 20th, 1830, he wrote to his intended son-in-law as follows: "I
have little else to say to you than that I continue with heartfelt
satisfaction to reflect on the important change about to take place in
my dear daughter's situation. A father must not allow himself to
dilate on such a subject: of course I feel confident that you will
have no reason to repent the irrevocable step you have taken, but from
the manner in which Richarda has been brought up, you will find such a
helpmate in her as a man of sense and affection would wish to have,
and that she is well prepared to meet the duties and trials (for such
must be met with) of domestic life with a firm and cultivated mind,
and the warm feelings of a kind heart. Her habits are such as by no
means to lead her to expensive wishes, nor will you I trust ever find
it necessary to neglect those studies and pursuits upon which your
reputation and subsistence are chiefly founded, to seek for idle
amusements for your companion. I must indulge no further in speaking
of her, and have only at present to add that I commit in full
confidence into your hands the guardianship of my daughter's
happiness." And on April 5th, 1830, shortly after their marriage, he
wrote to his daughter thus: "If thinking of you could supply your
place amongst us you would have been with us unceasingly, for we have
all of us made you the principal object of our thoughts and our talk
since you left us, and I travelled with you all your journey to your
present delightful home. We had all but one feeling of the purest
pleasure in the prospect of the true domestic comfort to which we
fully believe you to be now gone, and we rejoice that all your
endearing qualities will now be employed to promote the happiness of
one whom we think so worthy of them as your dear husband, who has left
us in the best opinion of his good heart, as well as his enlightened
and sound understanding. His late stay with us has endeared him to us
all. Never did man enter into the married state from more honourable
motives, or from a heart more truly seeking the genuine happiness of
that state than Mr Airy, and he will, I trust, find his reward in you
from all that a good wife can render to the best of husbands, and his
happiness be reflected on yourself." It would be difficult to find
letters of more genuine feeling and satisfaction, or more eloquently
expressed, than these.
The narrative of the Autobiography will now be resumed.
"I had been disappointed two years before of an expedition to
Derbyshire. I had wished still to make it, and my brother wished to
go: and we determined to make it this year (1824). We were prepared
with walking dresses and knapsacks. I had well considered every detail
of our route, and was well provided with letters of introduction,
including one to the Rev. R. Smith of Edensor. On June 29th we started
by coach to Newmarket and walked through the Fens by Ramsay to
Peterborough. Then by Stamford and Ketton quarries to Leicester and
Derby. Here we were recognized by a Mr Calvert, who had seen me take
my degree, and he invited us to breakfast, and employed himself in
shewing us several manufactories, &c. to which we had been denied
access when presenting ourselves unsupported. We then went to Belper
with an introduction from Mr Calvert to Jedediah Strutt: saw the great
cotton mills, and in the evening walked to Matlock. Up to this time
the country of greatest interest was the region of the fens about
Ramsay (a most remarkable district), but now began beauty of scenery.
On July 9th we walked by Rowsley and Haddon Hall over the hills to
Edensor, where we stayed till the 12th with Mr Smith. We next visited
Hathersage, Castleton, and Marple (where I wished to see the canal
aqueduct), and went by coach to Manchester, and afterwards to
Liverpool. Here Dr Traill recommended us to see the Pontycyssylte
Aqueduct, and we went by Chester and Wrexham to Rhuabon, saw the
magnificent work, and proceeded to Llangollen. Thence by Chester and
Northwich (where we descended a salt-mine) to Macclesfield. Then to
the Ecton mine (of which we saw but little) through Dovedale to
Ashbourn, and by coach to Derby. On July 24th to Birmingham, where we
found Mr Guest, lodged in his house, and were joined by my pupil
Guest. Here we were fully employed in visiting the manufactures, and
then went into the iron country, where I descended a pit in the
Staffordshire Main. Thence by coach to Cambridge, where I stopped to
prepare for the Fellowship Examination.
"I had two pupils in this portion of the Long Vacation, Turner and
Dobbs. On August 2nd my writing of Latin began regularly as before. My
principal mathematics on the quires are Optics. On August 25th I made
experiments on my left eye, with good measures, and on Aug. 26th
ordered a cylindrical lens of Peters, a silversmith in the town, which
I believe was never made. Subsequently, while at Playford, I ordered
cylindrical lenses of an artist named Fuller, living at Ipswich, and
these were completed in November, 1824.
"My letter to the Examiners, announcing my intention of sitting for
Fellowship (which like all other such documents is preserved on my
quires) was delivered on Sept 21st. The Examination took place on
Sept. 22nd and the two following days. On Oct. 1st, 1824, at the usual
hour of the morning, I was elected Fellow. There were elected at the
same time T.B. Macaulay (afterwards Lord Macaulay), who was a year
senior to me in College, and I think Field of my own year. I drew up
my letter of acknowledgment to the Electors. On Oct. 2nd at 9 in the
morning I was admitted Fellow with the usual ceremonies, and at 10 I
called on the Electors with my letter of acknowledgment. I immediately
journeyed to Derbyshire, paid a visit at Edensor, and returned by
Sheffield.
"On Oct. 11th (it having been understood with Mr Higman that my
engagement as Assistant Mathematical Tutor stood) the Master sent for
me to appoint me and to say what was expected as duty of the
office. He held out to me the prospect of ultimately succeeding to the
Tutorship, and I told him that I hoped to be out of College before
that time.
"About this time the 'Athenaeum,' a club of a scientific character,
was established in London, and I was nominated on it, but I declined"
(Oct. 14th). In this year (1824) I commenced account with a banker by
placing _£110_ in the hands of Messrs Mortlock and Co. On Oct. 16th I
walked to Bury, and after a single day's stay there returned to
Cambridge.
"On Oct. 23rd, 1824,1 began my lectures as Mathematical Assistant
Tutor. I lectured the Senior Sophs and Junior Sophs on Higman's
side. The number of Senior Sophs was 21. Besides this I took part in
the 'Examinations of the Questionists,' a series of exercises for
those who were to take the Bachelor's degree in the next January. I
examined in Mechanics, Newton, and Optics. I had also as private
pupils Turner, Dobbs, and Cooper. I now ceased from the exercise which
I had followed with such regularity for five years, namely that of
daily writing Latin. In its stead I engaged a French Master (Goussel)
with whom I studied French with reasonable assiduity for the three
terms to June, 1825.
"Among mathematical investigations I find: Theory of the Moon's
brightness, Motion of a body in an ellipse round two centres of force,
Various differential equations, Numerical computation of sin pi from
series, Numerical computation of sines of various arcs to 18 decimals,
Curvature of surfaces in various directions, Generating functions,
Problem of sound. I began in the winter a Latin Essay as competing
for the Middle Bachelors' Prize, but did not proceed with it. I
afterwards wished that I had followed it up: but my time was fully
occupied.
"On Jan. 28th, 1825, I started for Edensor, where I paid a visit, and
returned on Feb. 2nd. On Feb. 4th I wrote to Mr Clarkson, asking his
advice about a profession or mode of life (the cares of life were now
beginning to press me heavily, and continued to do so for several
years). He replied very kindly, but his answer amounted to nothing.
About the same time I had some conversation of the same kind with Mr
Peacock, which was equally fruitless.
"On Feb. 4th I have investigations of the density of light near a
caustic (on the theory of emissions). On Feb. 5th I finished a Paper
about the defect in my eye, which was communicated to the Cambridge
Philosophical Society on Feb. 21st. Mr Peacock or Mr Whewell had some
time previously applied to me to write a Paper on Trigonometry for the
Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, and I had been collecting some materials
(especially in regard to its history) at every visit to London, where
I read sometimes at the British Museum: also in the Cambridge
libraries. I began this Paper (roughly) on Feb. 8th, and finished it
on Mar. 3rd. The history of which I speak, by some odd management of
the Editors of the Encyclopaedia, was never published. The MS. is now
amongst the MSS. of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Other subjects
on my quires are: Theory of musical concords, many things relating to
trigonometry and trigonometrical tables, achromatic eye-pieces,
equation to the surface bounding the rays that enter my left eye,
experiments on percussion. Also notes on Cumberland and Wales (I had
already proposed to myself to take a party of pupils in the Long
Vacation to Keswick), and notes on history and geology.
"I had been in correspondence with Dr Malkin (master of Bury School),
who on Feb. 8th sent a certificate for my brother William, whom I
entered at Trinity on Peacock's side. On Mar. 25th I changed my rooms,
quitting those on the ground-floor east side of Queen Mary's Gate for
first-floor rooms in Neville's Court, south side, the easternmost
rooms. In this term my lectures lasted from Apr. 18th to May
14th. Apparently I had only the Senior Sophs, 19 in number, and the
same four pupils (Turner, Dobbs, Cooper, Hovenden) as in the preceding
term. The only scientific subjects on which I find notes are, a Paper
on the forms of the Teeth of Wheels, communicated to the Philosophical
Society on May 2nd; some notes about Musical Concords, and some
examination of a strange piece of Iceland Spar. On Apr. 29th I was
elected to the Northern Institution (of Inverness); the first
compliment that I received from an extraneous body.
"On May 14th I have a most careful examination of my money accounts,
to see whether I can make an expedition with my sister into Wales. My
sister came to Cambridge, and on Monday, May 23rd, 1825, we started
for Wales, equipped in the lightest way for a walking expedition. We
went by Birmingham to Shrewsbury: then to the Pontycyssylte Aqueduct
and by various places to Bala, and thence by Llanrwst to Conway. Here
the suspension bridge was under construction: the mole was made and
the piers, but nothing else. Then on to Bangor, where nine chains of
the suspension bridge were in place, and so to Holyhead. Then by
Carnarvon to Bethgelert, ascending Snowdon by the way, and in
succession by Festiniog, Dolgelly, and Aberystwyth to Hereford (the
first time that I had visited it since my father left it). From thence
we went by coach to London, and I went on to Cambridge on the 23rd of
June.
"I had arranged to take a party of pupils to Keswick, and to take my
brother there. Mr Clarkson had provided me with introductions to Mr
Southey and Mr Wordsworth. On Wednesday, June 29th, 1825, we started,
and went by Leicester, Sheffield, Leeds, and Kendal, to Keswick,
calling at Edensor on the way. My pupils were Cleasby, Marshman,
Clinton, Wigram, Tottenham, and M. Smith. At Keswick I passed three
months very happily. I saw Mr Southey's family frequently, and Mr
Wordsworth's occasionally. By continual excursions in the
neighbourhood, and by a few excursions to places as distant as
Bowness, Calder Bridge, &c. (always climbing the intermediate
mountains), I became well acquainted with almost the whole of that
beautiful country, excepting some of the S. W. dales. A geological
hammer and a mountain barometer were very interesting companions. I
had plenty of work with my pupils: I worked a little Lunar Theory, a
little of Laplace's Equations, something of the Figure of the Earth,
and I wrote out very carefully my Trigonometry for the Encyclopaedia
Metropolitana. I read a little of Machiavelli, and various books
which I borrowed of Mr Southey. On Friday, Sept. 30th, my brother and
I left for Kendal, and after a stay of a few days at Edensor, arrived
at Cambridge on Oct. 11th.
"On Oct. 21st my Lectures to the Junior Sophs began, 39 names, lasting
to Dec. 13th. Those to the Senior Sophs, 16 names, Oct 29th to
Dec. 10th. I also examined Questionists as last year. I have notes
about a Paper on the connection of impact and pressure, read at the
Philosophical Society on Nov. 14th, but not printed, dipping-needle
problems, curve described round three centres of force, barometer
observations, theory of the Figure of the Earth with variable density,
and effect on the Moon, correction to the Madras pendulum, wedge with
friction, spots seen in my eyes, density of rays near a caustic. In
this term I accomplished the preparation of a volume of Mathematical
Tracts on subjects which, either from their absolute deficiency in the
University or from the unreadable form in which they had been
presented, appeared to be wanted. The subjects of my Tracts were,
Lunar Theory (begun Oct. 26th, finished Nov. 1st), Figure of the Earth
(1st part finished Nov. 18th), Precession and Nutation (my old MS. put
in order), and the Calculus of Variations. I applied, as is frequently
done, to the Syndicate of the University Press for assistance in
publishing the work; and they agreed to give me paper and printing for
500 copies. This notice was received from Professor Turton on
Nov. 29th, 1825. It was probably also in this year that I drew up an
imperfect 'Review' of Coddington's Optics, a work which deserved
severe censure: my review was never finished.
"In the Long Vacation at Keswick I had six pupils at _£42_ each. In
the October term I had Marshman and Ogilby at _£105_ for three terms,
and Dobbs at _£75_ for three terms. I had, at Mr Peacock's suggestion,
raised my rate from 60 to 100 guineas for three terms: this prevented
some from applying to me, and induced some to withdraw who had been
connected with me: but it did me no real hurt, for engrossment by
pupils is the worst of all things that can happen to a man who hopes
to distinguish himself. On Dec. 17th I went to Bury, and returned to
Cambridge on Jan. 30th, 1826.
"I have the attendance-bills of my Lectures to Senior Sophs (16) from
Feb. 3rd to Feb. 23rd, and to Freshmen (40) from Feb. 27th to
Mar. 15. It would appear that I gave but one college-lecture per day
(my belief was that I always had two). The tutor's stipend per term
was _£50_. On my quires I find, Investigations for the ellipticity of
a heterogeneous spheroid when the density is expressed by sin
_qc_/_qc_ (the remarkable properties of which I believe I discovered
entirely myself, although they had been discovered by other persons),
Theoretical Numbers for precession, nutation, &c., some investigations
using Laplace's Y, hard work on the Figure of the Earth to the 2nd
order,'Woodhouse's remaining apparatus,' Notes about Lambton's and
Kater's errors, Depolarization, Notes of Papers on depolarization in
the Phil. Trans., Magnetic Investigations for Lieut. Foster,
Isochronous Oscillations in a resisting medium, Observations on a
strange piece of Iceland Spar. On Mar. 7th forwarded Preface and Title
Page for my Mathematical Tracts.
"Some time in this term I began to think of the possibility of
observing the diminution of gravity in a deep mine, and communicated
with Whewell, who was disposed to join in experiments. My first notion
was simply to try the rate of a clock, and the Ecton mine was first
thought of. I made enquiries about the Ecton mine through Mr Smith (of
Edensor), and visited the mine, but in the meantime Whewell had made
enquiries in London and found (principally from Dr Paris) that the
mine of Dolcoath near Camborne in Cornwall would be a better place for
the experiment. Dr Paris wrote to me repeatedly, and ultimately we
resolved on trying it there. In my papers on Mar. 21st are various
investigations about attractions in both mines. On Apr. 3rd I went to
London, principally to arrange about Dolcoath, and during April and
May I was engaged in correspondence with Sir H. Davy (President of
the Royal Society), Mr Herschel, and Dr Young (Secretary of the Board
of Longitude) about the loan of instruments and pendulums. On
Apr. 23rd I was practising pendulum-observations (by coincidence); and
about this time repeatedly practised transits with a small instrument
lent by Mr Sheepshanks (with whom my acquaintance must have begun no
long time before) which was erected under a tent in the Fellows'
Walks. On my quires I find various schemes for graduating thermometers
for pendulum experiments.
"I find also Notes of examination of my brother William, who had come
to College last October; and a great deal of correspondence with my
mother and sister and Mr Case, a lawyer, about a troublesome business
with Mr Cropley, an old friend of G. Biddell, to whom my father had
lent _£500_ and whose affairs were in Chancery.
"My lectures in this term were to the Junior Sophs from Apr. 10th to
May 13th: they were six in number and not very regular. On Apr. 28th I
sent to Mawman the copy of my Trigonometry for the Encyclopaedia
Metropolitana, for which I received _£42_. I received notice from the
Press Syndicate that the price of my Mathematical Tracts was fixed at
_6s. 6d._: I sold the edition to Deighton for _£70_, and it was
immediately published. About this time I have letters from Mr Herschel
and Sir H. Davy about a Paper to be presented to the Royal Society--I
suppose about the Figure of the Earth to the 2nd order of ellipticity,
which was read to the Royal Society on June 15th.
"On Saturday, May 13th, 1826, I went to London on the way to Dolcoath,
and received four chronometers from the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich. I travelled by Devonport and Falmouth to Camborne, where I
arrived on May 20th and dined at the count-house dinner at the mine. I
was accompanied by Ibbotson, who was engaged as a pupil, and intended
for an engineer. On May 24th Whewell arrived, and we took a pendulum
and clock down, and on the 30th commenced the observation of
coincidences in earnest. This work, with the changing of the
pendulums, and sundry short expeditions, occupied nearly three
weeks. We had continued the computation of our observations at every
possible interval. It is to be understood that we had one detached
pendulum swinging in front of a clock pendulum above, and another
similarly mounted below; and that the clocks were compared by
chronometers compared above, carried down and compared, compared
before leaving, and brought up and compared. The upper and lower
pendulums had been interchanged. It was found now that the reliance
on the steadiness of the chronometers was too great; and a new method
was devised, in which for each series the chronometers should make
four journeys and have four comparisons above and two below. This
arrangement commenced on the 19th June and continued till the 20th. On
the 26th we packed the lower instruments, intending to compare the
pendulum directly with the upper one, and sent them up the shaft: when
an inexplicable occurrence stopped all proceedings. The basket
containing all the important instruments was brought up to the surface
(in my presence) on fire; some of the instruments had fallen out with
their cases burning. Whether a superstitious miner had intentionally
fired it, or whether the snuff of a candle had been thrown into it, is
not known. Our labour was now rendered useless. On the 28th I packed
up what remained of instruments, left for Truro, and arrived at Bury
on July 1st. During our stay in Cornwall I had attended a 'ticketing'
or sale of ore at Camborne, and we had made expeditions to the
N.W. Coast, to Portreath and Illogan, to Marazion and St Michael's
Mount, and to Penzance and the Land's End. On July 3rd I saw Mr
Cropley in Bury gaol, and went to Cambridge. On the 4th I was admitted
A.M., and on the 5th was admitted Major Fellow.
"I had engaged with four pupils to go to Orléans in this Long
Vacation: my brother William was also to go. One of my pupils, Dobbs,
did not join: the other three were Tinkler, Ogilby, and Ibbotson. We
left London on July 9th, and travelled by Brighton, Dieppe, Rouen, and
Paris to Orléans. At Paris I saw Bouvard, Pouillet, Laplace and
Arago. I had introductions from Mr Peacock, Mr South, Mr Herschel, Dr
Young; and from Professor Sedgwick to an English resident, Mr
Underwood. On the 19th I was established in the house of M. Lagarde,
Protestant Minister. Here I received my pupils. On the 28th I
commenced Italian with an Italian master: perhaps I might have done
more prudently in adhering to French, for I made no great progress. On
Aug. 2nd I saw a murderer guillotined in the Place Martroi. The
principal investigations on my quires are--Investigations about
pendulums, Calculus of Variations, Notes for the Figure of the Earth
(Encyc. Metrop.) and commencement of the article, steam-engine
machinery, &c. I picked up various French ballads, read various books,
got copies of the Marseillaise (this I was obliged to obtain rather
secretly, as the legitimist power under Charles X. was then at its
height) and other music, and particulars of farm wages for Whewell and
R. Jones. The summer was intensely hot, and I believe that the heat
and the work in Dolcoath had weakened me a good deal. The family was
the old clergyman, his wife, his daughter, and finally his son. We
lived together very amicably. My brother lodged in a Café in the Place
Martroi; the others in different families. I left Orléans on
Sept. 30th for Paris. Here I attended the Institut, and was present at
one of Ampère's Lectures. I arrived at Cambridge on Oct. 14th.
"On Oct. 16th Whewell mentioned to me that the Lucasian Professorship
would be immediately vacated by Turton, and encouraged me to compete
for it. Shortly afterwards Mr Higman mentioned the Professorship, and
Joshua King (of Queens') spoke on the restriction which prevented
College tutors or Assistant tutors from holding the office. About
this time Mr Peacock rendered me a very important service. As the
emolument of the Lucasian Professorship was only _£99_, and that of
the Assistant Tutorship _£150_, I had determined to withdraw from the
candidature. But Mr Peacock represented to me the advantage of
position which would be gained by obtaining the Professorship (which I
then instantly saw), and I continued to be a candidate. I wrote
letters to the Heads of Colleges (the electors) and canvassed them
personally. Only Dr Davy, the Master of Caius College, at once
promised me his vote. Dr French, Master of Jesus College, was a
candidate; and several of the Heads had promised him their votes. Mr
Babbage, the third candidate, threatened legal proceedings, and Dr
French withdrew. The course was now open for Mr Babbage and me.
"In the meetings of the Philosophical Society a new mode of proceeding
was introduced this term. To enliven the meetings, private members
were requested to give oral lectures. Mine was the second, I think,
and I took for subject The Machinery of the Steam Engines in the
Cornish mines, and especially of the Pumping Engines and Pumps. It
made an excellent lecture: the subjects were at that time undescribed
in books, and unknown to engineers in general out of Cornwall.
"My College lectures seem to have been, Oct. 21st to Dec. 14th to 31
Junior Sophs, Dec. 4th to 12th to 12 Senior Sophs. I assisted at the
examinations of the Questionists. I had no private pupils. On
Nov. 26th I communicated to the Cambridge Philosophical Society a
Paper on the Theory of Pendulums, Balances, and Escapements: and I
find applications of Babbage's symbolism to an escapement which I
proposed. I have various investigations about the Earth, supposed to
project at middle latitudes above the elliptical form. In November an
account of the Dolcoath failure (by Whewell) was given to the Royal
Society.
"At length on Dec. 7th, 1826, the election to the Lucasian
Professorship took place: I was elected (I think unanimously) and
admitted. I believe that this gave great satisfaction to the
University in general. My uncle, Arthur Biddell, was in Cambridge on
that evening, and was the first of my friends who heard of it. On the
same page of my quires on which this is mentioned, there is a great
list of apparatus to be constructed for Lucasian Lectures, notes of
experiments with Atwood's Machine, &c. In December, correspondence
with Dollond about prisms. I immediately issued a printed notice that
I would give professorial lectures in the next Term.
"On Dec. 13th I have a letter from Mr Smith informing me of the
dangerous illness (fever) which had attacked nearly every member of
his family, Richarda worst of all. On Dec. 23rd I went to Bury. The
affairs with Cropley had been settled by the sale of his property
under execution, and my father did not lose much of his debt. But he
had declined much in body and mind, and now had strange
hallucinations.
"The commencement of 1827 found me in a better position (not in money
but in prospects) than I had before stood in: yet it was far from
satisfactory. I had resigned my Assistant Tutorship of _£150_ per
annum together with the prospect of succeeding to a Tutorship, and
gained only the Lucasian Professorship of _£99_ per annum. I had a
great aversion to entering the Church: and my lay fellowship would
expire in 7 years. My prospects in the law or other professions might
have been good if I could have waited: but then I must have been in a
state of starvation probably for many years, and marriage would have
been out of the question: I much preferred a moderate income in no
long time, and I am sure that in this I judged rightly for my
happiness. I had now in some measure taken science as my line (though
not irrevocably), and I thought it best to work it well, for a time at
least, and wait for accidents.
"The acceptance of the Lucasian Professorship prevented me from being
pressed by Sedgwick (who was Proctor this year) to take the office of
moderator: which was a great relief to me. As Lucasian Professor I was
ipso facto Member of the Board of Longitude. A stipend of _£100_ a
year was attached to this, on condition of attending four meetings:
but I had good reason (from intimations by South and other persons in
London) for believing that this would not last long. The fortnightly
notices of the meetings of the Board were given on Jan. 18th,
Mar. 22nd, May 24th and Oct. 18th.
"On Jan. 2nd, 1827, I came from London to Bury. I found my father in a
very declining state (the painful rheumatism of some years had changed
to ulcerations of the legs, and he was otherwise helpless and had
distressing hallucinations). On Jan. 8th I walked to Cambridge. At
both places I was occupied in preparations for the Smith's Prize
Examination and for lectures (for the latter I obtained at Bury gaol
some numerical results about tread-mills).
"Of the Smith's Prize I was officially an Examiner: and I determined
to begin with---what had never been done before--making the
examination public, by printing the papers of questions. The Prize is
the highest Mathematical honour in the University: the competitors are
incepting Bachelors of Arts after the examination for that Degree. My
day of examination (apparently) was Jan. 21st. The candidates were
Turner, Cankrein, Cleasby, and Mr Gordon. The first three had been my
private pupils: Mr Gordon was a Fellow-commoner of St Peter's College,
and had just passed the B.A. examination as Senior Wrangler, Turner
being second. My situation as Examiner was rather a delicate one, and
the more so as, when I came to examine the papers of answers, Turner
appeared distinctly the first. Late at night I carried the papers to
Whewell's rooms, and he on inspection agreed with me. The other
examiners (Professors Lax and Woodhouse, Lowndean and Plumian
Professors) generally supported me: and Turner had the honour of First
Smith's Prize.
"On Jan. 30th my mother wrote, asking if I could see Cropley in
London, where he was imprisoned for contempt of Chancery. I attended
the meeting of the Board of Longitude on Feb. 1st, and afterwards
visited Cropley in the Fleet Prison. He died there, some time
later. It was by the sale of his effects under execution that my
father's debt was paid.
"On Feb. 15th I communicated to the Royal Society a Paper on the
correction of the Solar Tables from South's observations. I believe
that I had alluded to this at the February meeting of the Board of
Longitude, and that in consequence Mr Pond, the Astronomer Royal, had
been requested to prepare the errors of the Sun's place from the
Greenwich observations: which were supplied some months later. With
the exception of South's Solar Errors, and some investigations about
dipping-needles, I do not find anything going on but matters connected
with my approaching lectures. There are bridges, trusses, and other
mechanical matters, theoretical and practical, without end. Several
tradesmen in Cambridge and London were well employed. On Feb. 13th I
have a letter from Cubitt about groins: I remember studying those of
the Custom-house and other places. On Feb. 20th my Syllabus of
Lectures was finished: this in subsequent years was greatly
improved. I applied to the Royal Society for the loan of Huyghens's
object-glass, but they declined to lend it. About this time I find
observations of the spectrum of Sirius.
"There had been no lectures on Experimental Philosophy (Mechanics,
Hydrostatics, Optics) for many years. The University in general, I
believe, looked with great satisfaction to my vigorous beginning:
still there was considerable difficulty about it. There was no
understood term for the Lectures: no understood hour of the day: no
understood lecture room. I began this year in the Lent Term, but in
all subsequent years I took the Easter Term, mainly for the chance of
sunlight for the optical experiments, which I soon made important. I
could get no room but a private or retiring room (not a regular
lecture room) in the buildings at the old Botanic Garden: in following
years I had the room under the University Library. The Lectures
commenced on some day in February 1827: I think that the number who
attended them was about 64. I remember very well that the matter which
I had prepared as an Introductory Lecture did not last above half the
time that I had expected, but I managed very well to fill up the
hour. On another occasion I was so ill-prepared that I had
contemplated giving notice that I was unable to complete the hour's
lecture, but I saw in the front row some strangers, introduced by some
of my regular attendants, very busy in taking notes, and as it was
evident that a break-down now would not do, I silently exerted myself
to think of something, and made a very good lecture.
"On Mar. 1st, as official examiner, I received notices from 14
candidates for Bell's Scholarships, and prepared my Paper of
questions. I do not remember my day of examination; but I had all the
answers to all the examiners' questions in my hands, when on Mar. 27th
I received notice that my father had died the preceding evening. This
stopped my Lectures: they were concluded in the next term. I think
that I had only Mechanics and imperfect Optics this term, no
Hydrostatics; and that the resumed Lectures were principally
Optical. They terminated about May 14th.
"With my brother I at once went to Bury to attend my father's
funeral. He was buried on Mar. 31st, 1827, in the churchyard of Little
Whelnetham, on the north side of the church. Shortly afterwards I went
to London, and on Apr. 5th I attended a meeting of the Board of
Longitude, at which Herschel produced a Paper regarding improvements
of the Nautical Almanac. Herschel and I were in fact the leaders of
the reforming party in the Board of Longitude: Dr Young the Secretary
resisted change as much as possible. After the meeting I went to
Cambridge. I find then calculations of achromatic eye-pieces for a
very nice model with silk threads of various colours which I made with
my own hands for my optical lectures.
"On Apr. 7th Herschel wrote to me that the Professorship held by Dr
Brinkley (then appointed Bishop of Cloyne) at Dublin would be vacant,
and recommended it to my notice, and sent me some introductions. I
reached Dublin on Apr. 15th, where I was received with great kindness
by Dr Brinkley and Dr MacDonnell (afterwards Provost). I there met the
then Provost Dr Bartholomew Lloyd, Dr Lardner, Mr Hamilton (afterwards
Sir W. R. Hamilton) and others. In a few days I found that they
greatly desired to appoint Hamilton if possible (they did in fact
overcome some difficulties and appoint him in a few months), and that
they would not make such an augmentation as would induce me to offer
myself as a candidate, and I withdrew. I have always remembered with
gratitude Dr MacDonnell's conduct, in carefully putting me on a fair
footing in this matter. I returned by Holyhead, and arrived at
Birmingham on Apr. 23rd. While waiting there and looking over some
papers relating to the spherical aberration of eye-pieces, in which I
had been stopped some time by a geometrical difficulty, I did in the
coffee-room of a hotel overcome the difficulty; and this was the
foundation of a capital paper on the Spherical Aberration of
Eye-pieces. This paper was afterwards presented to the Cambridge
Philosophical Society.
"About this time a circumstance occurred of a disagreeable nature,
which however did not much disconcert me. Mr Ivory, who had a good
many years before made himself favourably known as a mathematician,
especially by his acquaintance with Laplace's peculiar analysis, had
adopted (as not unfrequently happens) some singular hydrostatical
theories. In my last Paper on the Figure of the Earth, I had said that
I could not receive one of his equations. In the Philosophical
Magazine of May he attacked me for this with great heat. On May 8th I
wrote an answer, and I think it soon became known that I was not to be
attacked with impunity.
"Long before this time there had been some proposal about an excursion
to the Lake District with my sister, and I now arranged to carry it
out. On May 23rd I went to Bury and on to Playford: while there I
sketched the Cumberland excursion. On June 5th I went to London, I
believe to the Visitation of the Greenwich Observatory to which I was
invited. I also attended the meeting of the Board of Longitude. I
think it was here that Pond's Errors of the Sun's place in the
Nautical Almanac from Greenwich Observations were produced. On June
7th I went by coach to Rugby, where I met my sister, and we travelled
to Edensor. We made a number of excursions in Derbyshire, and then
passed on by Penrith to Keswick, where we arrived on June 22nd. From
Keswick we made many excursions in the Lake District, visited Mr
Southey and Mr Wordsworth, descended a coal mine at Whitehaven, and
returned to Edensor by the way of Ambleside, Kendal, and Manchester.
With sundry excursions in Derbyshire our trip ended, and we returned
to Cambridge on the 21st July.
"During this Long Vacation I had one private pupil, Crawford, the only
pupil this year, and the last that I ever had. At this time there is
on my papers an infinity of optical investigations: also a plan of an
eye-piece with a concave lens to destroy certain aberrations. On
Aug. 20th I went to Woodford to see Messrs Gilbert's optical
works. From Aug. 13th I had been preparing for the discussion of the
Greenwich Solar Errors, and I had a man at work in my rooms, engaged
on the calculation of the Errors. I wrote to Bouvard at Paris for
observations of the sun, but he recommended me to wait for the Tables
which Bessel was preparing. I was busy too about my Lectures: on
Sept. 29th I have a set of plans of printing presses from Hansard the
printer (who in a visit to Cambridge had found me making enquiries
about them), and I corresponded with Messrs Gilbert about optical
constructions, and with W. and S. Jones, Eastons, and others about
pumps, hydraulic rams, &c. On Sept. 25th occurred a very magnificent
Aurora Borealis.
"I do not find when the investigation of Corrections of Solar Elements
was finished, or when my Extracts from Burckhardt, Connaissance des
Temps 1816, were made. But these led me to suspect an unknown
inequality in the Sun's motion. On Sept. 27th and 28th I find the
first suspicions of an inequality depending on 8 × mean longitude of
Venus--13 × mean longitude of Earth. The thing appeared so promising
that I commenced the investigation of the perturbation related to this
term, and continued it (a very laborious work) as fast as I was able,
though with various interruptions, which in fact were necessary to
keep up my spirits. On Oct. 30th I went to London for the Board of
Longitude meeting. Here I exhibited the results of my Sun
investigations, and urged the correction of the elements used in the
Nautical Almanac. Dr Young objected, and proposed that Bouvard should
be consulted. Professor Woodhouse, the Plumian Professor, was present,
and behaved so captiously that some members met afterwards to consider
how order could be maintained. I believe it was during this visit to
London that I took measures of Hammersmith Suspension Bridge for an
intended Lecture-model. Frequently, but not always, when in London, I
resided at the house of Mr Sheepshanks and his sister Miss
Sheepshanks, 30 Woburn Place. My quires, at this time, abound with
suggestions for lectures and examinations.
"On some day about the end of November or beginning of December 1827,
when I was walking with Mr Peacock near the outside gate of the
Trinity Walks, on some mention of Woodhouse, the Plumian Professor, Mr
Peacock said that he was never likely to rise into activity again (or
using some expression importing mortal illness). Instantly there had
passed through my mind the certainty of my succeeding him, the good
position in which I stood towards the University, the probability of
that position being improved by improved lectures, &c., &c., and by
increased reputation from the matters in which I was now engaged, the
power of thus commanding an increase of income. I should then have,
independent of my Fellowship, some competent income, and a house over
my head. I was quite aware that some time might elapse, but now for
the first time I saw my way clearly. The care of the Observatory had
been for two or three years attached to the Plumian Professorship. A
Grace was immediately prepared, entrusting the temporary care of the
Observatory to Dr French, to me, Mr Catton, Mr Sheepshanks, and Mr
King (afterwards Master of Queens' College). On Dec. 6th I have a note
from Mr King about going to the Observatory.
"On Dec. 6th my Paper on corrections of the elements of the Solar
Tables was presented to the Royal Society. On Dec. 9th, at 1 h. 4
m. a.m. (Sunday morning), I arrived at the result of my calculations
of the new inequality. I had gone through some fluctuations of
feeling. Usually the important part of an inequality of this kind
depends entirely on the eccentricities of the orbits, but it so
happened that from the positions of the axes of the orbits, &c., these
terms very nearly destroyed each other. After this came the
consideration of inclinations of orbits; and here were sensible terms
which were not destroyed. Finally I arrived at the result that the
inequality would be about 3"; just such a magnitude as was required. I
slipped this into Whewell's door. This is, to the time of writing
(1853), the last improvement of any importance in the Solar
Theory. Some little remaining work went on to Dec. 14th, and then,
being thoroughly tired, I laid by the work for revision at some future
time. I however added a Postscript to my Royal Society Paper on Solar
Errors, notifying this result.
"On Dec. 19th I went to Bury. While there I heard from Whewell that
Woodhouse was dead. I returned to Cambridge and immediately made known
that I was a candidate for the now vacant Plumian Professorship. Of
miscellaneous scientific business, I find that on Oct. 13th Professor
Barlow of Woolwich prepared a memorial to the Board of Longitude
concerning his fluid telescope (which I had seen at Woodford), which
was considered on Nov. 1st, and I had some correspondence with him in
December. In June and August my Trigonometry was printing.
"On Jan. 5th, 1828, I came from London. It seems that I had been
speculating truly 'without book' on perturbations of planetary
elements, for on Jan. 17th and 18th I wrote a Paper on a supposed
error of Laplace, and just at the end I discovered that he was quite
right: I folded up the Paper and marked it 'A Lesson.' I set two
papers of questions for Smith's Prizes (there being a deficiency of
one Examiner, viz. the Plumian Professor).
"Before the beginning of 1828 Whewell and I had determined on
repeating the Dolcoath experiments. On Jan. 8th I have a letter from
Davies Gilbert (then President of the Royal Society) congratulating me
upon the Solar Theory, and alluding to our intended summer's visit to
Cornwall. We had somehow applied to the Board of Longitude for
pendulums, but Dr Young wished to delay them, having with Capt. Basil
Hall concocted a scheme for making Lieut. Foster do all the work:
Whewell and I were indignant at this, and no more was said about
it. On Jan. 24th Dr Young, in giving notice of the Board of Longitude
meeting, informs me that the clocks and pendulums are ready.
"I had made known that I was a candidate for the Plumian
Professorship, and nobody thought it worth while to oppose me. One
person at least (Earnshaw) had intended to compete, but he called on
me to make certain that I was a candidate, and immediately withdrew. I
went on in quality of Syndic for the care of the Observatory,
ingrafting myself into it. But meantime I told everybody that the
salary (about _£300_) was not sufficient for me; and on Jan. 20th I
drafted a manifesto or application to the University for an increase
of salary. The day of election to the Professorship was Feb. 6th. As I
was officially (as Lucasian Professor) an elector, I was present, and
I explained to the electors that I could not undertake the
responsibility of the Observatory without augmentation of income, and
that I requested their express sanction to my application to the
University for that purpose. They agreed to this generally, and I was
elected. I went to London immediately to attend a meeting of the
Board of Longitude and returned on Feb. 8th. On Feb. 15th I began my
Lectures (which, this year, included Mechanics, Optics, Pneumatics,
and Hydrostatics) in the room below the University Library. The number
of names was 26. The Lectures terminated on Mar. 22nd.
"On Feb. 25th I received from Mr Pond information on the emoluments at
Greenwich Observatory. I drew up a second manifesto, and on Feb. 26th
I wrote and signed a formal copy for the Plumian electors. On
Feb. 27th I met them at Caius Lodge (the Master, Dr Davy, being
Vice-Chancellor). I read my Paper, which was approved, and their
sanction was given in the form of a request to the Vice-Chancellor to
permit the paper to be printed and circulated. My paper, with this
request at the head, was immediately printed, and a copy was sent to
every resident M.A. (more than 200 went out in one day). The statement
and composition of the paper were generally approved, but the
University had never before been taken by storm in such a manner, and
there was some commotion about it. I believe that very few persons
would have taken the same step. Mr Sheepshanks wrote to me on
Mar. 7th, intimating that it was desperate. I had no doubt of
success. Whewell told me that some people accused me of bad faith, in
omitting allusion to the _£100_ a year received as Member of the Board
of Longitude, and to the profits of Lectures. I wrote him a note,
telling him that I had most certain information of the intention to
dissolve the Board of Longitude (which was done in less than six
months), and that by two years' Lectures I had gained _£45_ (the
expenses being _£200_, receipts _£245_). This letter was sent to the
complaining people, and no more was said. By the activity of
Sheepshanks and the kindness of Dr Davy the business gradually grew
into shape, and on Mar. 21st a Grace passed the Senate for appointing
a Syndicate to consider of augmentation. Sheepshanks was one of the
Syndicate, and was understood to represent, in some measure, my
interests. The progress of the Syndicate however was by no means a
straightforward one. Members of the Senate soon began to remark that
before giving anything they ought to know the amount of the University
revenue, and another Syndicate was then appointed to enquire and
report upon it. It was more than a year before my Syndicate could
make their recommendation: however, in fact, I lost nothing by that
delay, as I was rising in the estimation of the University. The
Observatory house was furnished, partly from Woodhouse's sale, and
partly from new furniture. My mother and sister came to live with me
there. On Mar. 15th 1828 I began the Observatory Journal; on Mar. 27th
I slept at the Observatory for the first time, and on Apr. 15th I came
to reside there permanently, and gave up my college rooms."