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Hereditary Genius
211
Euler, Leonard; Swiss mathematician. His father taught him mathematics, but
destined him for the Church; however, the younger Bernoulli discovered his
talents, and thereupon his father left him free to follow his bent He wrote an
important essay aet. 20. Lost one eye aet. 28, and became quite blind aet. 63.
Died aet. 76. Was of a happy and pious disposition. Had three sons. Twenty-
six grandchildren survived him.
[F.] Paul; a Calvinist clergyman of good mathematical abilities.
S. Jean Albert; aet. 20, was Director of Observatory at Berlin.
S. Charles; physician and mathematician.
S. Christopher; astronomer. He served in Russia.
Forbes, Edward; naturalist of high achievement, and of yet higher promise; Professor
of Natural History at Edinburgh, but died young, aet. 39, of kidney disease. He
was a true genius and a man of rare social and conversational powers. In early
childhood he showed that he had remarkable moral and intellectual gifts. While
still a young student in Edinburgh, he travelled and wrote on the natural
history of Norway. He was constantly on the move, sea-dredging and the like.
Married, but had no children. The following is taken from Geikie's Life of him:
“His immediate paternal ancestors were most of them characterised by great
activity and energy. The men were fond of travel, fond of society and social
pleasures, free-handed, and better at spending than saving money.”
f. Gentle and pious, passionately fond of flowers—a taste that she transmitted to
her son, the future Professor of Botany.
[3 u.] One died in Demerara, one in Surinam, and one was lost in Africa.
[2 B.] One died by drowning in Australia, and another was accidentally killed in
America.
B. The other brother, an excellent mineralogist, was formerly engaged in the mines
of South America. A love of roving certainly runs in the blood of the Forbes
family, and in none of them was it stronger than in that of the great naturalist.
Franklin, Benjamin; philosophical, political, and miscellaneous
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