420 On Genius. 
character, drawn from the history of men of 
Genius, has adduced one or two examples, 
which, he thinks, prove an original determi- 
nation of the mind to some particular pursuit, 
and are irreconcileable with the idea of re- 
ferring the development of Genius to the in- 
fluence of casual excitement.(y) The first in- 
stance is that of Ferguson, the natural phi- 
losopher, who learned to read, by listening 
to his father teaching his brother. A simi- 
lar story is related of Madame Dacier, the 
learned daughter of Tanneguile Fevre. We 
do not believe such cases wholly incapable of 
explanation. All instructors of youth very 
well know, that the attention, in quick and 
susceptible minds, is often most freely bes- 
towed, where it is not constrained. Within 
my own experience, I knew a boy, who 
committed accurately to memory the wholé 
of an elementary book, by merely hearing 
his school-fellows repeat their tasks. The 
caresses and admiration, which this voluntary 
triumph over the difficulties of learning usu- 
ally attracts from parents and friends, add 
fresh excitement to the awakened propensity, 
and connect a lasting association of interest 
and delight with those first efforts of the in- 
(y) The Literary Character illustrated, dc. pp. 45-7. 
