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Hereditary Genius
127
to state facts by which their merits may be distinctly appraised.
It is said that among many generations of the Mirabeaus—or more properly
speaking, of the Riquettis, for Mirabeau was an assumed name—were to be
found men of great mental vigour and character. Thus St. Beuve says—and I
give the extract in full and without apology on account of the interest ever
attaching itself to Mirabeau's characteristics—
“Les Correspondances du pere et de 1'oncle du grand tribun, la Notice sur son
grand-pere, et en general toutes les pieces qui font le tissu de ces huit volumes,
ont revele une race a part des caracteres d'une originalite grandiose et haute,
d'ob notre Mirabeau n'a en qu'a descendre pour se repandre ensuite, pour se
precipiter comme il 1'a fait et se distribuer a tous, tellement qu'on pent dire
qu'il n'a ete que 1'enfant perdu, 1'enfant prodigue et sublime de sa race.”
He combined his paternal qualities with those of his mother:—
“Ce n'etait suivant la definition de son pere qu'un male monstreux au physique et
au moral.
“II tenait de sa mere la largeur du visage, les instincts, les appetits prodigues et
sensuels, mais probablement aussi ce certain fond gaillard et gaulois, cette
faculte de se familiariser et de s'humaniser qui les Riquetti n'avaient pas, et qui
deviendra un des moyens de sa puissance.
“Une nature riche, ample, copieuse, genereuse, souvent grossiere et vicee, souvent
fine aussi, noble, meme elegante, et, en somme, pas du tout monstreuse, mais
des plus humaines.”
More, Sir Thomas; Lord Chancellor (Henry VIII.); eminent statesman and writer;
singularly amiable, unaffectedly pious, and resolute to death. When aet. 13, the
Dean of St. Paul's used to say of him, “There was but one wit in England, and
that was young More.”
F. Sir John More, Just. K. B.
[S. and 3 s.] Besides his three accomplished daughters, Margaret Roper, Elizabeth
Dauncy, and Cecilia Heron, Sir Thomas More had one son called John. Too
much has been said of the want of capacity of this son. His father com
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