ENVIRONMENT 6j 



tion of your son should be watched over with 

 great attention ; he must be educated so that 

 he may replace you," he replied, " Replace mc ! 

 I could not replace myself ; I am the child of 

 circumstances." With equal truth he might have 

 said, " I am the child of Letizia Ramolino, while 

 my boy is the child of Marie Louise." The differ- 

 ence between Napoleon I. and Napoleon II. was 

 the difference between their mothers, multiplied 

 by the difference between their environments, 

 both before and after birth. 



Let us now apply this general law in the sphere 

 of morals. We have seen how surroundings 

 affect the physical nature. A consumptive in 

 the East by the sea may become strong and well 

 in Colorado ; that is, a favourable environment 

 may counteract heredity. A well man from Colo- 

 rado may remove to the seaboard, and consump- 

 tion be developed, a tendency to which he may 

 transmit to his offspring ; that is, a bad environ- 

 ment may develop a pernicious heredity. So, too, 

 when a child of pure and noble parents is placed 

 in the midst of vice, it is probable that he will be 

 influenced by his surroundings, though less easily 

 than one of vicious parentage. So, in general, 

 those who live in the midst of virtue, refinement, 

 and culture are themselves refined, loving books, 



