Exceptions to the Law of Heredity. 197 



Aurelius and Commodus. In modern history, 'it is enough to 

 mention the sons of Henri IV., 1 says Lucas, 'of Louis XIV., of 

 Cromwell, of Peter the Great; as also those of La Fontaine, 

 Cre'billon, Goethe, and Napoleon.' 1 



We do not, however, accept these cases as facts conclusive of 

 spontaneity. The greater part of them are doubtful, and many of 

 them are false. It is not enough to say, Such an illustrious man 

 has mediocre sons, in order to conclude that therefore heredity is 

 at fault. A son who does not inherit from his father, may perfectly 

 do so from his mother. As we have already seen, this case is so 

 frequent that some authors have regarded it as a rule. 



Among the examples cited by Lucas, there are some in which 

 the maternal heredity is clear, as Commodus, Louis XI II., 

 Goethe, Napoleon. And it is probable in the case of others in 

 the list, especially those taken from Greek history, that if we had 

 precise data regarding the wives of those great men, or their 

 immediate ancestors, it would be easy to show that these obscure 

 or dissolute personages have inherited from their mothers, or of 

 their grand-parents. Thus heredity would recover a large number 

 of facts which have been wrongfully removed from its domain. 



However, we would not deny that there are exceptions, and 

 very important exceptions. But the conclusive way to establish 

 them is, not to show that a great man has mediocre children, 

 which proves nothing, but that a great man has sprung suddenly 

 from an obscure family. Nor is this case rare. ' Often,' says 

 Burdach, 'the parents possess very limited intellectual faculties, 

 while all their children display abilities of the first order. From 

 simple parents often spring those superior men, those minds whose 

 influence is felt for thousands of years, and whose presence was a 

 need for humanity at the moment when they entered life. The 

 greatest men have belonged to lowly, poor, or obscure families. 1 



In the negro race, whose lack of capacity is recognized, anthro- 

 pologists have noted individuals possessed of remarkable faculties. 

 Toussaint L'Ouverture was certainly no ordinary politician. Ac- 

 cording to Pritchard, even the stupid Esquimaux and Greenlanders 

 can produce men of intelligence. 



