in.] ORIGIN OF TASTE FOR SCIENCE. 233 



chances when competition is keen. To obtain 

 the highest order of success, two things are 

 wanted ; first, the qualities of the man must 

 either be good all round, or else he must be so 

 circumstanced as to be able, when the need 

 arises, to supplement his deficiencies by ex- 

 traneous help ; secondly, he must have some 

 very useful qualities highly developed. It is 

 said that "genius" is required for high success, 

 and there is much talk about what genius is, 

 and on the failures of men of genius, while 

 some persons go so far as to doubt the existence 

 of genius as a separate quality. It appears 

 to me, that what is generally meant by genius, 

 when the word is used in a special sense, is 

 the automatic activity of the mind, as distin- 

 guished from the effort of the will. In a man 

 of genius, the ideas come as by inspiration ; 

 in other words, his character is enthusiastic, his 

 mental associations are rapid, numerous and 

 firm, his imagination is vivid, and he is driven 

 rather than drives himself. All men have some 

 genius ; they are all apt, under excitement, to 

 show flashes of unusual enthusiasm, and to ex- 



