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Horace says well, fortes creantur fortibus et bonis good men beget good children; the rule held even in the geological period; good ichthyosauri begat good ichthyosauri, and would to our discomfort have gone on doing so to the present time, had not better creatures been begetting better things than ichthyosauri, or famine, or fire, or convulsion put an end to them.

"Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis, ... neque imbellera feroces Progenerant aquilae columbam" this excellent writer took a more just measure of the book which Jeffrey thought unreadable. Exceedingly debatable indeed, but most worthy of debate, are many of his favourite tenets, especially those of the last two or three chapters.

The poet tells us, that the good qualities of man and of cattle descend to their offspring. ‘Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis.’ If this holds good, I ought to be pretty well off, as far as breeding goes; for, on the father’s side, I come in a direct line from Sir Thomas More, through my grandmother; whilst by the mother’s side I am akin to the Bedingfelds of Oxburgh, to the Charltons of Hazelside, and to the Swinburnes of Capheaton.

Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis. True, but how and why? Through the race being favoured? In one sense, doubtless, it is true that no man can have anything except it be given him from above, but it must be from an above into the composition of which he himself largely enters.

Thomas Johnson read it to us, and we did not know who wrote it; but it was true, and in good taste. After the account of the fire came a quotation from Horace, "Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis." And Johnson cried "That's Weston, depend upon it. He's in the Weekly Spectator at last!"