134 GREAT MEN OF MODERN HISTORY. 



ALFRED THE GREAT. 



Alfred the Great was undoubtedly the greatest and wisest of 

 English rulers. He was born in 849, and was the son of Ethel- 

 wulf, who was probably born before 800. Ethelwulf was a studious 

 man and would probably have entered holy orders if he had not 

 been an only son, to prevent which action he was made King of 

 Kent in 828. We read that "Ethelwulf the old king died in 858." 

 If "the old king" means a man of sixty or more, then Alfred takes 

 rank in sub-class A 2 . 



LORD BACON. 



Sir Francis Bacon, born 1561, is usually credited with having 

 the greatest intellect of any man born in the British Isles. He 

 was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, who was born in 

 1509, and who was consequently over fifty-two years of age when 

 his son was born. Bacon's mother was thirty-three when he was 

 born, and she is said to have been the best and most profoundly 

 educated woman in all England. Bacon, therefore, inherited the 

 effect of many years of brain use by his father, and the effect of 

 extraordinary brain activity by his mother. 



SHAKESPEARE. 



William Shakespeare, born 1564, is naturally associated with 

 Bacon because of the efforts made to show that Bacon was the 

 real author of what are known as Shakespeare's plays. Unfor- 

 tunately I am not able to obtain much accurate information about 

 Shakespeare's ancestors, because if I could it would throw much 

 light on the Bacon-Shakespeare controversy. He was the son 

 of John, who was the younger son of Richard. John left home 

 in 1 55 1, so that he could not have been less than thirty-four or 



