CHAPTER I

HEREDITY

REMARKABLE parents often have commonplace children,
and a genius may be born to a very ordinary couple,
yet the Importance of pedigree is to patent that our
first question in regard to a great man almost invari-
ably concerns his ancestry, In Herbert Spencer1! ease
the question is rewarded.

Ancestry*—* From the information afforded by the
Autobfagrtphy In regard to ancestry remoter than
grandparents, we learn that, on both sides of the
house. Spencer came of a stock eharaeteriied by the
ipirk of nonconformity, by a correlated respect for
something higher than legislative enactments, and by
a regard for remote issues rather than immediate
reatilta. In these respects Herbert Spencer was true
to his stock—an uncompromising nonconformiit, with
n conscience loyal to " principles having superhuman
origins above rales having human origins," and
with an eye ever directed to remote issues. Truly
it required more than "ingrained nonconformity,**
loyalty to principles, and far-sighted prudence to
Aevote »« much