The  utmost  power  of  the  largest  telescope  in  the  world  had
been  exerted  in  a  new  and  felicitous  manner  to  obtain  them,
and  there  was  no  reasonable  expectation  that  a  larger  one
would  ever  be  constructed,  or  that  it  could  be  advantageously
used  if  it  were.  A  law  of  nature,  and  the  finitude  of  human
skill,  seemed  united  in  inflexible  opposition  to  any  further  im-
provement in  telescopic  science,  as  applicable  to  the  known
planets  and  satellites  of  the  solar  system.  For  unless  the  sun
could  bo  prevailed  upon  to  extend  a  more  liberal  allowance  of
light  to  these  bodies,  and  they  be  induced  to  transfer  it,  for  the
generous  gi*atification  of  our  curiosity,  what  adequate  substi-
tute could  be  obtained?  Telescopes  do  not  create  light;  they
cannot  even  trant^mit  uninipau*ed  that  which  they  receive.
That  anything  further  could  be  derived  from  human  skill  in  the
construction  of  instruments,  the  labors  of  his  illustrious  prede-
cessors, and  his  own,  left  the  son  of  Herschel  no  reason  to
hope.  Huygens,  Fontana,  Gregory,  Newton,  Iladlcy,  Bird,
Short,  Dolland,  Herschel,  and  many  others,  all  practical  opti-
cians, had  resorted  to  every  material  in  any  wise  adapted  to
the  composition  either  of  lenses  or  reflectors,  and  had  ex-
hausted every  law  of  vision  which  study  had  developed  and
demonstrated.  In  the  construction  of  his  last  amazing  specula.
Sir  John  Herschel  had  selected  the  most  approved  amalgams
that  the  advanced  stage  of  metallic  chemistry  had  combined ;
and  had  watched  their  OTowin<2:  bri^rhtness  under  the  hands  of
the  artificer  with  more  anxious  hope  than  ever  lover  watched
the  eye  of  his  mistress ;  and  he  had  nothing  further  to  expect:.
280    HENRT  J.  BATMOND  AND  THE  NEW  YOBK  PRESS.
