Page:Forging of Passion Into Power.djvu/19

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Preface
15

ings from which it appears evident that he had recovered the Ancient Secret Method used in Egypt and India for training scientific men, engineers, and prophets.

John Boole.—Made shoes, shortly after the date of the French Revolution, in an underground and sometimes very damp cellar in London. Kept a French dictionary in the drawer with his tools. Set up a shoemaker's shop in Lincoln. After his death, his widow, being congratulated on the achievements of her son, a distinguished mathematician, replied: "Yes; George is a clever lad. But did you know his father, sir? He was a philosopher."

George Everest.—Went to India at sixteen years old, in the service of the East India Company. Put himself under the tuition of natives of India. Learned from them Oriental languages, religion, and philosophy, and taught himself European mathematics from books. Became Surveyor-General of India.

George, soft of the above-named John Boole.—Earned his own living from the age of fifteen and a half. Was prevented from going to college by the necessity of assisting to maintain his parents and younger brothers. Became distinguished in logic and mathematics.

James Hinton.—Began life at about fifteen as cashier in a woollen-draper's shop. Wrote books on morphology and psychology that considerably affected the trend of science.

David Marks.—Was brought up at the Jews' Free School, and earned his own living from the age of fourteen. In his youth no honourable careers were open to Jews, except as teachers among their own people, and, being really much attracted by the New Testament, the