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334
Hereditary Genius
and the curious family of Mylne, going back for nine, if not twelve
generations,—all able and many eminent in their professions,—and
several others, deserve notice. I do not, however, see my way to
making a selection of eminently gifted engineers, because their
success depends, in a very great degree, on early opportunities. If a
great engineering business is once established, with well-selected
men at the heads of its various departments, it is easy to keep up the
name and credit for. more than one generation, after the death of its
gifted originator.
The Actors are very closely connected—so much so as to form a
caste; but here; as with the Engineers, we have great difficulty in
distinguishing the eminently gifted from those whose success is
largely due to the accident of education. I do not, however, like to
pass them over without a notice of the Kemble family, who filled so
large a space in the eyes of the British world, two generations ago.
The following is their pedigree:—
Roger Kemble. = Sarah Ward; daughter of
Manager of a | a strolling manager.
theatrical company; | She was austere and stately;
tall and comely; | her voice had much
made an excellent | of the emphasis
Falstaff | of her daughter's;
| tall and comely
____________________________|_______________________________
| | | | | |
Sarah John Stephen. Frances Elizabeth Charles
(Mrs. Siddons) Phillip Comedian (Mrs. Twiss) (Mrs.Whitelock). Tragedian
Great actress. Tragedian | Actress. |
| | |
X | __________| _
| | | |
X Horace Twiss Adelaide John,
| Under Sec. State (Mrs. Sartoris) Anglo-
| Home Dept. Saxon
Mary Francis Siddons. Scholar
Actress of much promise.
I was desirous of obtaining facts bearing on heredity from China,
for there the system of examination is notoriously strict and far-
reaching, and boys of promise are
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