Heredity of the Will. 97 



Thus, a talent for observation at once minute, broad, and rapid ; 

 a ready and faithful memory, recalling with exactitude and 

 without hesitation the results of theory ; a great presence of mind, 

 not to be disconcerted by unforeseen circumstances ; an energetic 

 will ; and, as a basis, physical strength, and certain bodily qualities 

 such are the faculties which must be combined, and act simulta- 

 neously, with the rapidity and certainty of instinct. 



History shows that this sum of qualities is transmissible, as a 

 whole or in part for it sometimes 'happens that the original com- 

 bination is broken up in passing to the descendants, who can 

 collect but fragments (as Pitt and his grand-daughter). Like every 

 other faculty, strength of will may be hereditary. This was ob- 

 served by Voltaire with regard to the Guises. 'The physical, 

 which is " father of the moral," transmits the same character from 

 father to son for ages. The Appii were ever proud and inflexible ; 

 the Catos always austere. The whole line of the Guises was bold, 

 rash, factious, full of the most insolent pride, and of the most 

 winning politeness. From Frangois de Guise down to that one 

 who, all alone, and unexpectedly, put himself at the head of the 

 people of Naples, they were all in look, courage, and character 

 above ordinary men. I have seen full-length portraits of Frangois 

 de Guise, of Balafre and his son : they were all six feet high, and 

 they all possess the same features there is the same courage, the 

 same audacity on the brow, in the eyes, and in the attitude.' 1 We 

 know not how the will is thus transmitted ; but when we see that its 

 energy and its weakness are connected with certain states of the 

 organism, and that physical strength commonly renders men bold 

 and courageous, while physical weakness makes them timid, we 

 can scarcely doubt that this transmission takes place by means of 

 the organs, and that it is, in fact, physiological. 2 



Not to dwell on this point, we now proceed to note the most 

 important cases of the heredity of the active faculties, quoting 

 historical facts. These fall naturally under the two categories of 

 statesmen and soldiers, though many men have been both. Here 



1 Voltaire, Dictionnaire Phiiosophique^ Art. ' Caton. ' 



2 Concerning the will as groundwork of the personality and character, see 

 Part Fourth, ch. iii. 



