Journal and memoirs . lled gi-eat obstinacy, —a defect which is seen only insmall minds, the nerves of which are strong in the brain,while their intellectual faculty is so limited that they seethings in one aspect only, never extending their gaze far,and above all, never retiring within themselves to reflect andjudge afresh what has already been done. This firmness ofwill depends therefore solely on nerves and fibres; it isvirtue in persons who judge rightly, and who hold to theirsalutary decisions or to their taste for goodness; but whenthis temperament is given to petty spirits, it makes stu
Journal and memoirs . lled gi-eat obstinacy, —a defect which is seen only insmall minds, the nerves of which are strong in the brain,while their intellectual faculty is so limited that they seethings in one aspect only, never extending their gaze far,and above all, never retiring within themselves to reflect andjudge afresh what has already been done. This firmness ofwill depends therefore solely on nerves and fibres; it isvirtue in persons who judge rightly, and who hold to theirsalutary decisions or to their taste for goodness; but whenthis temperament is given to petty spirits, it makes stubbornheads. We see many children like this; it belongs tochildhood. With this, she has mind, a great deal of mind if you like,but it is all of the small order; it is an army of pygmies,with arms so short, hands so small, eyes so near-sightedthat they take in nothing but very small objects, though fullof details. This class of mind likes mechanical art; it isfitted to execute manual work, it learns it readily, but it. ij9/a/rt/c^?z€z/yt/^i c^^e^^yT^ 1 1732-1737] THE MARQUIS DARGENSON. 89 invents nothing. My wife is thus: she has learned musicvery well; manages her voice well; I believe she haslearned languages; I have known her begin Italian fairlywell. She cuts out figures ; does varnish-work ; makes veryfinished things in that style and does a great deal of it;she likes medicine; has many birds and animals; under-stands their ailments and cures them herself. I fear that our two children will feel the result of thisdwarfing of spirit; I have seen much pettiness in my son inproportion to other operations of the mind which he took toin his earliest years. My daughter shows little intelligence,but a very good heart. It must be admitted that theMdliands have little minds, but good behaviour and the Le Bret side, Mme. M^liands brother has someideas of the grand with a certain facility of intellect; buthe does not go far. My mother-in-law has less mind thanhe; she is un
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