Heredity, Variation and Genius 75 



Nature in order by faithful obedience to imbibe 

 its spirit more and more and to merge into 

 harmonious unity with it — observe the cosmic 

 statutes to do them, that is — and thereupon grow 

 by such instruction, such cerebral instruction or 

 literal in-forination, in organized intelligence and 

 power as the supreme product and crown of its 

 evolution. 



V. 



Reverting now to the genius-variation which, 

 being the latest outshoot of the organic conatus 

 ficndi, marks organic life raised to its highest 

 power in mental organization, we can perceive 

 that its pregnant nature, thrilled with the pro- 

 phetic pulse of an unknown future, foretokens an 

 increase of human relations with surrounding 

 Nature through forefelt, even when not foreseen, 

 adaptations. It may be compared to the so-called 

 organic " mutation " from which a higher type 

 of species is supposed to spring ; is perhaps funda- 

 mentally a product of the working of the same 

 histological law raised to its highest power. In- 

 evitably therefore in the man of genius is implicit 

 something more than is consciously formulated in 

 outward expression, a semi-conscious or subcon- 

 scious susceptibility and intuition, silently absorb- 

 ing and informing, of which he can give no explicit 

 account consciously. He is greater sometimes in 

 the irresponsible outflashes which he never de- 



