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Hereditary Genius
43
1.
That men who are gifted with high abilities—even men of class E—
easily rise through all the obstacles caused by inferiority of social rank.
2.
Countries where there are fewer hindrances than in England, to a poor
man rising in life, produce a much larger proportion of persons of
culture, but not of what I call eminent men.
3.
Men who are largely aided by social advantages, are unable to achieve
eminence, unless they are endowed with high natural gifts.
It may be well to add a few supplementary remarks on the small effects
of a good education on a mind of the highest order. A youth of abilities G,
and X, is almost independent of ordinary school education. He does not
want a master continually at his elbow to explain difficulties and select
suitable lessons. On the contrary, he is receptive at every pore. He learns
from passing hints, with a quickness and thoroughness that others cannot
comprehend. He is omnivorous of intellectual work, devouring in a vast deal
more than he can utilise, but extracting a small percentage of nutriment, that
makes, in the aggregate, an enormous supply. The best care that a master
can take of such a boy is to leave him alone, just directing a little here and
there, and checking desultory tendencies.
It is a mere accident if a man is placed in his youth in the profession for
which he has the most special vocation. It will consequently be remarked in
my short biographical notices, that the most illustrious men have frequently
broken loose from the life prescribed by their parents, and followed,
careless of cost, the paramount dictation of their own natures: in short, they
educate themselves. D'Alembert is a striking instance of this kind of self-
reliance. He was a foundling (afterwards shown to be well bred as respects
ability), and put out to nurse as a pauper baby,
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