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Hereditary Genius
219
Leibnitz, Gottfried Wilhelm; profound mathematician and metaphysician. He was
very precocious, and read everything he could get. Was an excellent scholar,
and became eminently proficient in law, philosophy, history, politics, and
mathematics before aet. 22, He had a great taste for poetry, knew a vast deal
by heart; even in his old age he could repeat all Virgil. He was strong, and
seldom ailed, except in later life; had a great appetite, but drank little; was of
prodigious activity—everything interested him equally; was a little subject to
giddiness and to gout; d. aet. 68 of gout. Is said to have been vain and
avaricious. Was never married.
[g.] Guillaume Schmuck, Professor of Jurisprudence at Leipsic.
F. Professor of Morale (? Casuistry) at Leipsic.
u. A renowned jurisconsult.
Linnaeus (Von Linne), Carl; the great Swedish botanist, founder of the Linnean
system of classification of plants. Was ill taught. He had the strongest
predilection for botany, but his intellectual development in boyhood was slow.
He began to be of high repute aet. 24. He had a curious want of power of
learning languages; he could not speak French, and therefore always
corresponded with foreigners in Latin. He was a man of impetuous character;
had strong health, except some gout; slept but little. Was a poet by nature,
though he never versified. He married; but “his domestic life does not bear
examination, for it is well known that he joined his wife, a profligate woman, in
a cruel persecution of his eldest son, an amiable young man, who afterwards
succeeded to his botanical chair.” (Engl. Cycl.)
S. Charles, a botanist of distinction, though far from equalling his father.
Napier, John; Baron of Merchiston; inventor of logarithms.
F. Master of the Mint of Scotland. He was only 16 years old when his son was
born.
S. Archibald, Privy Councillor to James VI., created Lord Napier.
This is an exceedingly able family. It includes the generals and admiral of the last
generation (see “COMMANDERS”), and in this generation, Capt. Moncrieff
(Moncrieff's bat-
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