his merits known
Remember what I say, sir;
Fair science shines on him alone
Who drinks his bottle a day, sir!

{383}
"How light we reck of those who mock
By this we'll make to appear, sir,
We'll dine by the sidereal[790] clock
For one more bottle a year, sir:
But choose which pendulum you will,
You'll never make your way, sir,
Unless you drink--and drink your fill,--
At least a bottle a day, sir!"

Old times are changed, old manners gone!

There is a new Mathematical Society,[791] and I am, at this present writing
(1866), its first President. We are very high in the newest developments,
and bid fair to take a place among the scientific establishments. Benjamin
Gompertz, who was President of the old Society when it expired, was the
link between the old and new body: he was a member of _ours_ at his death.
But not a drop of liquor is seen at our meetings, except a decanter of
water: all our heavy is a fermentation of symbols; and we do not draw it
mild. There is no penny fine for reticence or occult science; and as to a
song! not the ghost of a chance.

1826. The time may have come when the original documents connected with the
discovery of Neptune may be worth revising. The following are extracts from
the _Athenaeum_ of October 3 and October 17:

LE VERRIER'S[792] PLANET.

We have received, at the last moment before making up for press, the
following letter from Sir John Herschel,[793] {384} in reference to the
matter referred to in the communication from Mr. Hind[794] given below:

"Collingwood, Oct. 1.

"In my address to the British Association assembled at Southampton, on the
occasion of my resigning the chair to Sir R. Murchison,[795] I stated,
among the remarkable astronomical events of the last twelvemonth, that it
had added a new planet to our list,--adding, 'it has done more,--it has
given us the probable prospect of the discovery of another. We see it as
Columbus saw America from the shores of Spain. Its movements have been
felt, trembling along the far-reaching line of our analysis, with a
certainty hardly inferior to that of ocular demonstration.'--These
expressions are not reported in any of the papers which profess to give an
account of the proceedings, but I appeal to all present whether they were
not used.

"Give me leave to state my reasons for this confidence; and, in so doing,
to call attention to some facts which deserve to be put on record in t