HERSCHEL'S organ of Calculation was extraordinary, as was also its faculty, as seen in the accompanying excellent likeness of him; and his grandson, Herschel, inherits the same KIND of astronomical talents in an eminent degree.

The LEAVITT family are generally remarkable both for strong common sense and mathematical genius. Dudley Leavitt, for a long time the almanac maker of New-Hampshire, was an eminently scientific and profound man, and a great general scholar, though his forte was mathematics. His numerous relatives and descendants have been noted for superior intellect, excellent judgment, profound research, literary attainments, and especially mathematical genius. A Massachusetts branch of this talented family are all characterized by these qualities, of whom Joshua L., ex-editor of the New-York Evangelist, the Emancipator, and some other papers a powerful writer and clear-headed reasoner-is

one.

This family, also, are generally staunch REFORMERS, and noted for moral worth and progression 364.

Similar cases are constantly occurring in the author's professional practice, and are observable by all. The descend

ant of every mathematical parent, and of all deficient in this power, furnish proofs and illustrations of this hereditary law.

372. MEMORY HEREDITARY.

ELIHU BURRITT has probably the best historical, lingual, and general memory of any man living. Besides understanding over FIFTY LANGUAGES, he has at command the literary lore of the whole ancient and modern world, and accordingly has the largest organs of Individuality, Eventuality, and Form, the author has ever seen.

His maternal grandfather, HINSDALE, was a remarkable man, intrusted with town offices, a great READER, and with only ordinary advantages possessed himself of an extraordinary fund of knowledge.

Burritt's BROTHER, author of that excellent astronomical treatise, the "Geography of the Heavens," inherits a like insatiable thirst after knowledge, and facility in acquiring it, besides being extensively erudite.

A SISTER and a MATERNAL NEPHEW are also endowed with a similar power of memory, and passion for reading, as well as capability of storing their minds with knowledge.

One of this learned family, I think Elihu's brother, literally KILLED himself by study, in which he progressed with astonishing rapidity. This wonderful love of learning, and capability of retaining it, will undoubtedly be found to have been handed down to the Hinsdales, and throughout the various branches of their descendants, as far as it can be traced.

373. THE MUSICAL PASSION AND TALENT TRANSMITTED.

BENJ. LAMBORN manifested a musical ear and voice when only two years old; at four, his neighbors often gave him money because he sung so charmingly. He learned Log Cabin songs, Yankee Doodle, etc., by hearing them sung only wo or three times. Tune is so very large in his head that he author had a cast taken.

His brother has the same capacity and passion, as have also every one of his four brothers and sisters. His father could never turn a tune, but his mother and her father were musica! geniuses.

THE MUSICAL PASSION TRANSMITTED.

221

The COFFINS are generally excellent singers. Joshua Coffin and all his children have superior musical ears and voices, which they inherit from his grandfather Coffin, and he from his mother, a Morse. This grandfather had twelve children and over forty grandchildren, all of whom sing, as do all their children and grandchildren. This musical passion and talent has thus descended SIX GENERATIONS.

THE SWANS of Northfield, Mass., are generally excellent singers and great readers-characteristics which have been transmitted to several generations, and in several lateral branches.

A grandfather in Newburyport, all his children, and most of his grandchildren, are highly endowed with the musical passion and talent.

MRS. BREVORT had a nice ear and natural turn for singing, as well as a delightful voice, all of which she transmitted to several of her children, if not to all. One of her sons is one of the very best of singers, and has commanded high salaries as chorister and teacher. His sister is a natural musician, as are all of her children. They catch tunes by simply hearing them sung at concerts; are endowed with sweet voices, and sing much of their time, as well as learn instrumental music with great facility. Both the parents of Mrs. B. were natural singers of surpassing excellence, and one of her nieces is a splendid performer. Several others have inherited this faculty from these singing parents.

THE HASTINGS FAMILIES,

Wherever located, possess extraordinary musical genius, and especially a discriminating EAR. The one stationed in New York has become celebrated throughout the musical world for harmony, composition, and execution. He is an albino, and his brother of Rochester, also an albino, has a like ear, taste, and passion. They can endure no music but the very BEST, and are thrown into perfect agony by discord, but enjoy good music beyond description. Another albino brother resembles them in all these respects; but the other brothers and sisters, though musical, are less so. A parent or else

grandparent, also albino, possessed this musical faculty in a pre-eminent degree. It is traceable FOUR generations, and probably extended farther back, yet has increased, probably by exercise 215, as it descended.

Mrs. Hastings, the best female teacher of music in Detroit, Mich., in 1838, had two most delightful musical daughters, to whom singing and playing came as natural as breathing. They execute as well as any others of their age to whom I have ever listened.

319 326 357 362

362.

This

Similar cases of the descent of this faculty abound everywhere. For musical parents to have musical children, is as natural and as universal as for a long-lived, or consumptive, or acquisitive, or pious ancestry, to have long-lived, or consumptive, or penurious, or religious offspring law governs even birds-Canaries for example-much more may we calculate on its application to man. Why should not this faculty conform to that great hereditary principle, "LIKE BEGETS LIKE," which this whole work proves and illustrates in so great a number and variety of particulars? It does; and those who marry sweet singers may safely calculate that all the offspring which "take after" the musical parent, will also be musical; while most of those children which resemble a parent who cannot sing or discriminate tunes, will be equally deficient in these respects. But we shall recur to this point again in illustration of another hereditary law.

HENRY CLAY'S oratorical powers are the admiration of his country. His developments indicate that he "takes after" his mother 321, and his maternal cousin, Mrs. Cole, who keeps one of the best of boarding-houses at No. 8 South Fifth street, Philadelphia, has a forehead formed after his model, an ample development of Language, elegant conversational powers, great fluency and dignity of style, and excellent business capacities. She is every way a superior woman. Her son has the Clay form of forehead, yet lacks constitution. A knowledge of Clay's parentage will doubtless show this communicating capability in ancestors, relatives, and descendSo will probably that of FORREST.

ants.

PATRICK HENRY furnishes another striking proof of this

FRANKLIN'S PARENTAGE.

223

law; yet it is held in reserve, to illustrate another most important application of it, soon to be adduced.

66

Yet few readers will need to go far from home for kindred examples. The children of great talkers are generally chips of the old block;" and one of the best evidences that yonder mute and bashful girl will, when grown, be a great talker, is, that she resembles her talkative mother. That son, too, who "takes after" a parent gifted in speech, is almost certain to possess the natural talents of an orator.

374. THE REASONING POWERS TRANSMITTED.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was one of the world's great men. For practical wisdom, and power of diving deeply into the principles of things, only a very few have ever equalled him. In sound philosophy, strong common sense, facility of adapting ways and means to ends, and whatever involved the reasoning powers, none at or since his time compare with him. He also possessed great mechanical talents, of which his improvement of the printing press is an example. His mathematical talents, conjoined with his Causality and Constructiveness, analyzed and brought electricity from the clouds, invented the lightning-rod, and successfully prosecuted both astronomy and the whole range of natural science. Of SUCH a man, what was the parentage? Let his own pen

answer :

"I suppose you may like to know what kind of a man my father was. He had an excellent constitution, was of a middle stature, well set, and very strong. He could draw prettily, and was skilled a little in music. His voice was sonorous and agreeable; so that when he played on his violin, and sung withal, as he was accustomed to do after the business of the day was over, it was extremely agreeable to hear. He had some knowledge of mechanics, and, on occasion, was very handy with other tradesmen's tools. But his great excellence was his sound understanding, and his solid judgment in prudential matters, both in private and public affairs. It is true he was never employed in the latter, the numerous family he had to educate, and the straitness of his circumstances, keeping him close to his trade; but I remember well his being frequently visited by leading men, who consulted him for his opinion in public affairs, and those of the church he belonged to; and who showed great respect for his judgment and advice.