Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 62.djvu/324



Among the twelve children there were two distinguished. There were four distinguished grandchildren, but only four out of thirty-two, so we see a greater proportionate amount near to William the Silent himself; the greatest of the grandchildren, Turenne, occurs where he would most probably fall. He had a brilliant backing on both sides since his father was also 'a distinguished general.'

B. Younger Branch of Nassau Dietz.

This other branch of the House of Nassau from which the present ruling family of Holland is descended may be well compared with that of Orange since for a number of years they lived and fought side by side in their struggles for liberty, and subsequent to their divergence took their blood largely from the same general sources that produced the geniuses already discussed. Although we find the brilliant branch of the family very largely represented in the pedigree as more remote ancestors, there was no such selection as would require heredity to place genius on the heads of any of the direct descendants.

This, together with the fact that none of the princes had large families of children, seems to sufficiently account for the observation that no great genius subsequently appeared in this branch.

The following is a list of the descendants in the direct line, their maternal pedigree having been looked up in each case, complete to all great-grandparents, and the distinguished ancestors are noted: