CHAPTER X 

 HEREDITY 



"Vom Vater hab' ich die Statur, 

 Des Lebens ernstes Fiihren ; 

 Vom Mutterchen die Frohnatur 

 Und Lust zu fabuliren. 



Urahnherr war der Schonsten hold, 



Das spukt so hin und wieder. 

 Urahnfrau liebte Schmuck und Gold, 



Das zuckt wohl durch die Glieder. 



Sind nun die Elemente nicht 



An dem Complex zu trennen; 

 Was ist denn an dem ganzen Wicht 



Original zu nennen?" 



GOETHE, * " Zahme Xenien," vi. 



HEREDITY is the rule of persistence among organisms. The 

 existence of such a law, or "ascertained sequence of events/' is 

 a matter of common observation. "Like produces like," 



1 "Stature from father and the mood 



Stern views of life compelling; 

 From mother, I take the joyous heart 

 And the love of story-telling. 



" Great -grandsire's passion was the fair. 



What if I still reveal it? 

 Great-grandam's, pomp and gold and show, 

 And in my bones I feel it. 



"Of all the various elements 



That make up this complexity, 

 What is there left when all is done, 

 To call originality? " 



BAYARD TAYLOR'S translation in part. 

 163 



