Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 287, 13 October 1864, Page 6

Men or Genius.—lt is a generally received opinion that men of genius have been indebted to their mothers rathe.r than their fathers for any poition of their abilities that may have been hereditary. In the acceptance of this opinion we are more gallant than correct. The Basires (engravers) present one of a string of examples wo might thread, in which a particular talent was handed down from father to son, and thence to grandson. James and John Bernouilli, mathematician, with the son (Daniel) and grandson (John) of the latter, .-til of European celebrity for their scientific attainments, might be placed on the same list : as might also the instance of Thomas Gale, author of the inscriptions on the monument, and his sons Boger and Samuel, all of whom were antiquarian writers of eminence. The father of Kaffaelle was a painter ; the father of lilozart, a musician of 110 mean distinction, being the chapelmaster and composer to the Prince Archbishop of Saltzburg; Cuvp was the son of a painter, as was also Paul Potter ; Bernard Picard, the engraver, author of " The "Religious Ceremonies of all Nations," was the son of an engraver ; and Nollekens, the sculptor, was the son of an artist. The two Pitts, father and son, in rec- ignition of the same description of talent (statesmansnip) were, with an interval of twentyeight years, both accorded the distinction of a public funeral : the great Earl of Cork aud his sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons, present a succession of four generations of literary and philosophical talents entailed in the male line ; the Mylnes, architects ; the Dai wins; the Sherklaus ; the Bmiu vs—father, son, anu daughter: the Edgeworths -father and daughter : the Herschels—father, son, and grandson ; the .Stephensons, are further instances we might cite. "\\ e would not, however, appertr desirous of detracting from a full and free acknowltdgmnt of (lie gieat influence the female must possess, both congenenitally and educationally, upon her offspring : anil gladly admit that there are indisputable cases on record of celebrities who could have owned their trcnms to no other source. litiihur. Mrs. Grant is reported to have full confidence i" the success of General Grant, because " he is a vorv obstinate man." V ictor Emmanuel lias bestowed upon Rossini the Order ot St. JLaurizio e Lnzaro.