380 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of the middle of the seventeenth century, and we note the influence of 

 the European upheaval at the end of the eighteenth century. The 

 extraordinary outburst of intellect in the second half of that century 

 is accentuated by the fact that, taking into account all entries in the 

 'Biographical Dictionary,' the gross number of eminent men of 

 the low standard required for inclusion shows little increase in 

 the eighteenth century (5,789, as against 5,674 in the preceding cen- 

 tury, is the editor's estimate); the increase of ability is thus in quality 

 rather than in quantity. It is curious to note that, throughout these 

 eight centuries, a marked rise in the level of intellectual ability has 

 very frequently, though not invariably, been preceded by a 

 marked fall. It is also noteworthy that in nearly every century the 

 majority of its great men have been born in the latter half; that is to 

 say, that the beginning of a century tends to be marked by an outburst 

 of genius, which declines through the century. This outburst is very 

 distinct at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and, as we have 

 seen reason to believe, it was probably succeeded by an arrest, if not 

 a decline, in the production of genius. If that is so, we may probably 

 expect a fresh outburst of intellectual ability at the beginning of the 

 twentieth century. It would seem that we are here in the presence 

 of two factors: a spontaneous rhythmical rise and fall in the produc- 

 tion of genius, so that a period of what is improperly called 'decadence' 

 is followed by one of expansive activity; and also, at the same time, 

 the stimulating influence of great historical events, calling out latent 

 intellectual energy. These considerations, however, are merely specula- 

 tive, and it is sufficient to accord them this brief passing notice. 



Having thus explained the nature of the data with which we have 

 to deal, and the methods by which it has been obtained, we may now 

 proceed, without further explanations, to investigate it. We have to 

 study the chief characteristics — anthropological and psychological — 

 of the most eminent British men and women of genius (using that 

 word merely to signify high intellectual ability), in so far as these 

 characteristics are revealed by the 'Dictionary of National Biography.'* 



* In a certain number of cases I have supplemented or corrected the information derived from 

 the 'Dictionary' by reference to other reliable sources, in many cases of more recent date. 



