WCP4299

[1]

Old Orchard,

Broadstone,

Dorset.

Dec^r. 7th. 1911

My dear Mr. Stead¹

Carnegie's² List of the 20 greatest men, is the most preposterous I have ever seen! I can only retain one of them. It would require much more thought & time, as well as more general & historical knowledge than I have at hand to give even an approximate estimate of the World’s 20 greatest men.

If you print my rough estimate, please arrange them [[ 2]] either alphabetically or chronologically,— the latter would be the most instructive and it would certainly be best & most instructive to arrange all ^{the Lists your receive} alike — & in order of time, which any of your clerks can find out in an Encyclopaedia.

I dare say I should alter mine a good deal if I had more time to give to it. I take "greatness" to apply to character more than to any one or more striking [3] or useful discoveyries which have often been made by very small – & what a yankee might call a "one-horse" man.

The great difficulty is that around any one ^supremely great man there is a cluster of others almost as great, who might almost monopolize the whole 20 — as is the case of Socrates & Michael Angelo [sic].

I think my List fairly shows the different types of greatness. Scott,³ Dickens,⁴ & R. Owen,⁵ will be most objected to, but I could give very good reasons for [4] including each of them.

I shall be very glad to see you at any time. Is there any chance of getting Sir E. Gray⁶ [sic] to resign? I suppose Lord Morley⁷ would be the best in his place?

I had a visit from my old friend Prof. Barrett⁸ last week & much enjoyed it. He is advancing still, & doing good work for Spiritualist by clearing the ground.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]