A STUDY OF BBITISII GENIUS. 215 



that, if this test means anything at all, the freedom of the nineteenth 

 century from 'degeneration' is by no means proved. 



In reality, however, it means nothing. If genius were recognizable 

 at birth there would be some interest in tracing the course of its death- 

 rate. But it must always be remembered that when we are dealing 

 with men of genius, we are really dealing with famous men of 

 genius, and that though genius may be born, fame is made — in most 

 fields very slowly made. Among poets, it has generally been found, 

 longevity is less marked than among other groups of eminent men, and 

 the reason is simple. The qualities that the poet requires often de- 

 velop early; his art is a comparatively easy one to acquire and exercise, 

 while its products are imperishable and of so widely appreciated a char- 

 acter that even a few lines may serve to gain immortality. The case of 

 the poet is, therefore, somewhat exceptional, though even among poets 

 only a few attain perfection at an early age. In nearly every other 

 field the man of genius must necessarily take a long period to acquire 

 the full possession of his powers, and a still longer period to impress 

 his fellowmen with tlie sense of his powers, thus attaining eminence. 

 In the case of the lawyer, for instance, the path of success is hemmed 

 in by tradition and routine, every triumph is only witnessed by a small 

 number of persons, and passes away without adequate record; only by 

 a long succession of achievements through many years can the lawyer 

 hope to acquire the fame necessary for supreme eminence, and it is 

 not surprising that of the thirty-four preeminent lawyers on my list 

 only four were under sixty at death. Much the same is true, though 

 in a slightly less marked degree, of statesmen, divines and actors. 



It is, therefore, somewhat an idle task to pile up records of the 

 longevity of eminent men of genius. They live a long time for the 

 excellent reason that they must live a long time or they will never be- 

 come eminent. It is doubtless true that men of genius — mostly be- 

 longing to the well-to-do classes, and possessing the energy and usually 

 the opportunities necessary to follow intellectual ends of a compara- 

 tively impersonal and disinterested character — are in a far more favor- 

 able position for living to an advanced age than the crowds who strug- 

 gle more or less desperately for the gratification of personal greeds and 

 ambitions, which neither in the pursuit nor the attainment are con- 

 ducive to peaceful and wholesome living. This may well be believed, 

 but it is hardly demonstrated by the longevity of eminent men. 



At the same time it is of some interest to note the ages of the emi- 

 nent persons on our list at death. Though the facts may have little 

 significance in themselves, they have a bearing on many of the other 

 data here recorded. Excluding women, and including only those men 

 whose dates are considered by the national biographers to be unques- 

 tionable, the ages of eminent British men at death range from Chatter- 



