A change was soon to come in her life too; her brother WILLIAM wrote to propose that she should join him at Bath--
. . . "to make the trial, if, by his instruction, I might not become a useful singer for his winter concerts and oratorios; he advised my brother JACOB to give me some lessons by way of beginning; but that if, after a trial of two years, we should not find it answer our expectation, he would bring me back again. This at first seemed to be agreeable to all parties, but by the time I had set my heart upon this change in my situation, JACOB began to turn the whole scheme into ridicule, and, of course, he never heard the sound of my voice except in speaking, and yet I was left in the harassing uncertainty whether I was to go or not. I resolved at last to prepare, as far as lay in my power, for both cases, by taking, in the first place, every opportunity, when all were from home, to imitate, with a gag between my teeth, the solo parts of concertos, _shake and all_, such as I had heard them play on the violin; in consequence I had gained a tolerable execution before I knew how to sing. I next began to knit ruffles, which were intended for my brother WILLIAM, in case I remained at home--else they were to be JACOB'S. For my mother and brother D. I knitted as many cotton stockings as would last two years at least."
In August, 1772, her brother arrived at Hanover, to take her back to England with him. The journey to London was made between August 16th and 26th, and soon after they went together to HERSCHEL'S house, No. 7 New King's Street, Bath.
[1] Wife of Major JOHN HERSCHEL, of the Royal Engineers, grandson of Sir WILLIAM.
[3] _Memoir_ of CAROLINA HERSCHEL, p. 10. Sir GEORGE AIRY, Astronomer Royal, relates in the _Academy_ that this "removal" was a desertion, as he was told by the Duke of Sussex that on the first visit of HERSCHEL to the king, after the discovery of the _Georgium Sidus_, the pardon of HERSCHEL was handed to him by the king himself, written out in due form.
[4] FÉTIS; _Biographie universelle des musiciens_, tome V. (1839) p. 141.
[5] Dr. MILLER, a noted organist, and afterwards historian of Doncaster.
[6] _The Doctor_; by ROBERT SOUTHEY, edition of 1848, p. 140.