i.] ANTECEDENTS. 67 



to me that on the average, 660 Cambridge 

 students do not produce more than 3 men whose 

 general eminence is of equal rank to that of 

 the 13 men in the 660 grandfathers and uncles 

 under consideration. A more exact test, and 

 the best of which I can think, is to examine 

 into the fate of the boys at large schools. It 

 is not difficult to learn the productiveness of 

 each school as regards eminence, because there 

 are annual gatherings, to which former school- 

 boys who have won distinction are generally 

 invited and not unfrequently come. As men 

 begin to distinguish themselves at 35, and may 

 be supposed willing to attend on such occasions 

 till 70, the notabilities invited to be present at 

 school gatherings represent the product of, say, 

 35 years. I feel sure that 660 middle-class 

 boys do not turn out more than a fraction of 

 one eminent man, though they may turn out 

 many who do well in life and earn fortunes 

 and local repute. 



The second of the groups consists as already 

 mentioned, of brothers and male cousihs, making 

 a total ^ of about 1,450 men. I will examine 



F 2 



