ENVIRONMENT AND CHARACTER 223 



The glimpses of local character which ancient 

 history affords us suggest that peculiar traits of 

 disposition have been curiously persistent in 

 certain localities, although the race of the in- 

 habitants has been greatly changed. The Athen- 

 ian character, for instance, has been closely 

 preserved by a people which retains very few 

 drops of Athenian blood. 







We find, then, that certain human traits are so 

 closely associated with peculiarities of environ- 

 ment as to justify us in assuming that there is a 

 causal connection between them. In many cases 

 we may be quite unable to apprehend the links of 

 this connection to understand why certain facts 

 of environment should involve certain physical 

 and mental features. But it is permissible to 

 draw inferences from occurrences which are in 

 themselves unintelligible : science, has indeed, 

 won its victories by the use of such reasoning. 

 The effects of environment may be distinguished 

 according as they have modified physical features, 

 traits of character, or habits of mind and conduct. 

 The two former have become hereditary, and 

 innate, in the race which displays them. We may 

 hardly deny that strong developments of energy 

 or quietism, of susceptibility to passion, of 

 artistic sensibility and practical foresight, have 

 become as congenitally inherent in races of man- 

 kind as peculiarities of feature and complexion. 

 Habits of mind and conduct, on the other hand, 

 do not appear to have become ingrained in the 

 race ; they require to be acquired afresh by the 

 individual. Such are modesty, decency, and the 

 civic virtues. A European nurtured by savages 

 would not revolt against the practices of savagery. 

 In distinguishing between a trait of character and 



