6o2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



pists" with the group "Religion," the ratio is 33 to 19. Forty-three 

 of the eminent women of the century are musicians; eight are artists. 

 There are five scholars. Of the seven women born to eminence in the 

 last century, five are near relatives of Napoleon I., the most eminent 

 man of history. 



Of the 337 writers, 108 were English, 58 German, 56 French and 

 41 American. Rome furnished 10 of the Christian martyrs. Aside 

 from Rome, England, France and Italy have produced most of the 

 saints of history. Seven of the great queens were Spanish, and 7 

 Russian. Twenty-one of the 56 actresses were French, and 13 Eng- 

 lish. It has been in France more than in any other country that 

 women have been born to greatness. Only seven nations are repre- 

 sented in the group "Mistresses," France producing 16 of the 29. 

 England, Germany and Italy each claim 3 scholars; America has one, 

 the astronomer, Maria Mitchell. French women have become eminent 

 through politics more than the women of any other nation. The artists 

 are scattered, France and Italy leading with 3 each. Germany and 

 Italy have led in musicians with 9 each. England has led in philan- 

 thropy as the work of woman. The social reformers comprise the 

 largest group, which belongs entirely to one nation. These 9 women 

 were Americans. 



Although 38.8 per cent, of the entire group of women became emi- 

 nent in literature, it does not follow that in this line of work they at- 

 tained the highest degree of eminence. The following table shows the 

 average number of lives given to the different groups. The averages 

 may be considered as indices of merit for the various occupations. The 

 number of cases on which the average is based is indicated in each in- 

 stance. The results show very clearly that it has been as sovereigns 

 that women have become the most eminent. Second in rank, but re- 

 duced to almost one half the degree of distinction attained by the sov- 

 ereigns is the group of politicians. Motherhood, based on fewer cases 

 than either of the two previous groups, ranks third. This group of 

 mothers does not include women, who, besides having eminent sons or 

 daughters, were themselves distinguished in some line of activity. 

 Such women fall in the several groups in which they achieved fame. 

 This group is comprised of those women whose only claim to eminence 

 is their motherhood. Undoubtedly, they were very capable women. 

 Typical illustrations are Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine, 

 and Lsetitia Bonaparte, the mother of the first emperor. The mis- 

 tresses — which group includes the early Greek courtesans — rank high, 

 and justly so. Our standards have changed, and while our moral sense 

 may be offended at seeing twenty-nine women so classified, we are led 

 to believe that, in many instances, these women, whatever their morals, 

 were intellectually among the most capable of their sex. Restricted by 



