146

HISTORY OF

[l 780—85.

Such was the solicitude shown by the Presidentin the affairs of the Society. In 1780, H. R. H. theDuke of Gloucester, and his Serene Highness the Mar-grave of Anspach, were elected Fellows of the Society.Under the date of the 10th February, in the aboveyear, the Journal-book states: “ At a quarter beforeseven, notice was brought that H. R. H. the Duke ofGloucester, and his S. H. the Margrave of Anspach,were arrived at the house of the Society , upon whichthe President quitted the chair, and being precededby the Mace, went to receive them at the top of thestairs; having introduced them into the Meeting-room,he resumed the chair, and their Highnesses wereseated at his right hand.”

In 1781 the Society acquired additional renown,from the discovery of a new planet by Sir WilliamHersehel, F.R.S., who, on Tuesday the 13th March,between 10 and 11 at night, while engaged in thetelescopic comparison of a large number of stars,“ perceived one that appeared visibly larger thanthe rest: being struck with its uncommon magnitude,I compared it,” (says Sir William) “to ?? Gemi-norum and the small star in the quartile betweenAuriga and Gemini, and finding it so much largerthan either of them, suspected it to be a comet ,0 .” Assoon as a sufficient number of observations wereobtained, it was found that the supposed comet was aplanet, which the discoverer named Georgium Sidus,in honour of the reigning king", but which, at the

10 Phil. Trans., Vol. lxxi. p. 492. The discovery was commu-nicated to the Society on the 26th April.

11 A letter from Hersehel to Sir J. Banks, was read to theSociety on the 7th Nov., 1782, giving his reasons for calling itGeorgium Sidus. In it he says: “ During the fabulous ages of