HEREDITARY TRAITS. 227 



of genius in a family not before remarkable in any way. 

 ' Suppose a family who have possessed some of the attributes 

 of greatness, but who, in virtue of a principle equally true in 

 psychology and in mechanics, that "nothing is stronger than 

 its weakest part," has remained in obscurity. Let a man of 

 this family marry a woman whose faculties are the comple- 

 ment of his own. It is possible that a child of such a couple 

 may combine the defects or weaknesses of both parents, and 

 we have then the case of spontaneous imbecility or crimi- 

 nality. But it is also possible that he may combine the 

 excellences of both, and burst upon the world as a spon- 

 taneous genius. . . . Again, we must remember that, even 

 if we consider the intellect as " one and indivisible," it is far 

 from being the only faculty needful for the attainment of 

 excellence, even in the fields of pure science. Combined 

 with it there must be the moral faculties of patience, per- 

 severance, and concentration. The will must be strong 

 enough to overcome all distracting temptations, whether in 

 themselves good or evil. Lastly, there must be constitutional 

 energy and endurance. Failing these, the man will merely 

 leave among his friends the conviction that he might have 



achieved greatness, if . We once knew a physician, 



resident in a small country town, who from time to time 

 startled his associates by some profound and suggestive idea, 

 some brilliant aper$u. But a constitutional languor pre- 

 vented him from ever completing an investigation, or from 

 leaving the world one written line/ 



The effect of circumstances also must not be overlooked. 

 It is certain that some of those who stand highest in the 

 world's repute would have done nothing to make their names 

 remembered but for circumstances which either aided their 

 efforts or compelled them to exertion ; and it cannot be 

 doubted, therefore, that many who have been by no means 

 celebrated have required but favouring opportunities or the 

 spur of adverse circumstances to have achieved distinction. 

 We note the cases in which men who have been intended by 

 their parents for the desk or routine work have fortunately 



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