APHORISMS AND REFLECTIONS 107 



And, with increasing refinement of moral apprecia- 

 tion, the problem of desert, which arises out of this 

 distinction, acquired more and more theoretical and 

 practical importance. If life must be given for life, 

 yet it was recognized that the unintentional slayer 

 did not altogether deserve death ; and, by a sort of 

 compromise between the public and the private 

 conception of justice, a sanctuary was provided in 

 which he might take refuge from the avenger of 

 blood. 



The idea of justice thus underwent a gradual 

 sublimation from punishment and reward according 

 to acts, to punishment and reward according to 

 desert ; or, in other words, according to motive. 

 Righteousness, that is, action from right motive, 

 not only became synonymous with justice, but the 

 positive constituent of innocence and the very heart 

 of goodness. 



Everyday experience familiarizes us with the facts 

 which are grouped under the name of heredity. 

 Every one of us bears upon him obvious marks of his 

 parentage, perhaps of remoter relationships. More 

 particularly, the sum of tendencies to act in a certain 

 way, which we call " character," is often to be 

 traced through a long series of progenitors and 

 collaterals. So we may justly say that this 

 " character " this moral and intellectual essence of a 

 man does veritably pass over from one fleshy taber- 

 nacle to another, and does really transmigrate from 

 generation to generation. In the new-born infant 

 the character of the stock lies latent, and the Ego is 

 little more than a bundle of potentialities. But, very 

 early, these become actualities ; from childhood to age 

 they manifest themselves in dulness or brightness, 

 weakness or strength, viciousness or uprightness ; 



