第7章

Insteadofbeingdisciples，theyweresimplypersonsinterestedinaphilosopher，manyofwhosetenetstheyutterlyrepudiated，andthoughtthattheyhaddonequiteenoughtoshowtheirrespect。Mill，asthemediatorinanawkwardposition，actedwithallpossiblefranknessanddelicacy，butthedivergencewasgrowing。When，in1845，Comteproposedtostartareviewtopropagatehisdoctrine，Millhadtopointoutthatheandhisfriendswerepartialallies，notsubjects，andthatpositivismwasnotyetsufficientlyestablishedtosetupasaschool。(57*)

Graduallythediscorddeveloped，andthecorrespondencedropped。

Comte’slastletterisdated3rdSeptember1846，andaletterfromMillof17thMay1847，speakingoftheIrishfamine，producednoreply。Millrecognisedthehopelessdifferences，andcametothinkthatComte’sdoctrineofthespiritualpowerimpliedadespotismoftheworstkind。HeexpressedhisdisapprovalinhisfinalcriticismofComte，andinthelatereditionsoftheLogicconsiderablymodifiedsomeofhisearlycompliments。(58*)

On3rdApril1844MillinformsComtethathehasputasidetheEthology，hisideasbeingnotyetripe，andhasresolvedtowriteatreatiseuponPoliticalEconomy。HeisawareofComte’slowopinionofthisstudy，andexplainsthatheonlyattachesaprovisionalvaluetoitssociologicalbearing。Thebook，heexplains，willonlytakeafewmonthstowrite。Thesubject，indeed，hadbeenneverfarfromhisthoughtssincehisfatherhadinearlydaysexpoundedtohimtheprinciplesofRicardo。HehaddiscussedeconomicquestionswiththemeetingsatGrote’shouse；

hehadwrittenhisEssaysuponUnsettledQuestions；andhadbeentakingapartbyhisreviewsandarticlesincontroversiesuponsuchtopicsastheCorn-laws，thecurrency，andthePoor-law。Hethushadonlytoexpoundopinionsalreadyformed，andthebookwaswrittenfarmorerapidlythantheLogic。Begunintheautumnof1845，itwasfinishedbytheendof1847。SixmonthsoutofthiswerespentinwritinganelaborateseriesofarticlesintheMorningChronicleduringthedisastrouswinterof1846-47，urgingtheformationofpeasantpropertiesonthewastelandsofIreland。(59*)Thearticles，ofwhichfourorfiveoftenappearedinaweek，wereremarkableinthejournalismoftheday；buthisproposalsfailedtoattractattentionfromEnglishstupidityandprejudice。HetellsComteinhislastletterthattheEnglishwishtohelpIreland；but，fromtheirtotalignoranceofContinentalsystems，canonlythinkofenablingthepopulationtoliveaspaupers，insteadofintroducingtheoneobviousremedy。

HisfriendandcolleagueintheIndiaHouse，W。T。Thornton，waswritingaboutthesametimehisPleaforPeasantProprietors。(60*)ThorntonwasoneofthefewwhofromthisperiodsawmuchofMill；andhisinfluenceatalatertimewasremarkable。ThePoliticalEconomyrepresentsessentiallyadevelopmentoftheRicardodoctrine。Onepointrequiresnoticehere。Milltellsusthathehadturnedbackfromhis’reactionagainstBenthamism。’(61*)Attheheightofthatreactionhehadbecomemoretolerantofcompromisewithcurrentopinions。Bydegrees，however，hehadbecomemorethaneveropposedtotheestablishedprinciples。Hewaslessofademocrat，indeed，becausemoreconvincedoftheincapacityofthemasses；butmoreofaSocialist，inthesensethathelookedforwardtoacomplete，thoughdistant，revolutioninthewholestructureofsociety。InthefirsteditionofthePoliticalEconomyhehadspokendecidedlyagainstthepossibilityofSocialism。Theeventsof1848seemedtoopennewpossibilitiesforthepropagationofnoveldoctrines。Heaccordinglymodifiedthispartofhisbook，andthesecondedition(1849)representeda’moreadvancedopinion。’(62*)HowfarMillcouldbecalledaSocialistwillhavetobeconsideredhereafter。Thistendency，atanyrate，marksonecharacteristic。Millpointsout，asoneconditionofitsveryremarkablesuccess，thatheregardedpoliticaleconomy，notasa’thingbyitself，butaspartofagreaterwhole。’Itsconclusions，heheld，werevalidonlyasconditionedbyprinciplesof，socialphilosophy，ingeneral；(63*)andthebook，insteadofbeingostensiblyacompendiumofabstractscientificprinciples，isthereforewrittenwithconstantreferencetowidertopicsandtotheapplicationofthedoctrinestoconcretefacts。

HowfarMillsucceededingivingsatisfactorytheoriesisanotherquestion，butonethingatleastheachieved。ThePoliticalEconomybecamepopularinasenseinwhichnoworkuponthesametopichadbeenpopularsincetheWealthofNations；anditoweditssuccessinagreatdegreetotheconstantendeavourtotracethebearingsofmerelyabstractformulaeuponthegeneralquestionsofsocialprogress。Hestimulatedtherisinginterestinthoseimportantproblems，andevenifhissolutionsdidnotcarrygeneralconviction，theybroughttohiminlateryearsafollowingofreverentdisciples。

Thesetwobooks，theLogicandthePoliticalEconomy，containinfactanearlycompletestatementofMill’sleadingposition。

Althoughinlateryearshewastotreatofpolitical，ethical，andphilosophicaltopics，hisleadingdoctrineswerenowsufficientlyexpounded；andthelaterwritingswereratherdeductionsorapplicationsthanabreakingofnewground。Noneoftheminvolvedsostrenuousandlong-continuedaprocessofmentalelaboration。Thesuccessofthesetwobooksgavehimapositionatthetimeunrivalled。HewasacceptedastheLiberalphilosopher；andcouldspeakasoneofunquestionedauthority。

ProfessorBainthinksthatMill’senergywashenceforthlessthanithadbeen。Thevariousattacksfromwhichhehadsufferedhadprobablyweakenedhisconstitution。Itmustbenoticed，however，asProfessorBainalsoremarks，thatthereweresufficientcausesforsomedeclineofliteraryactivity，andhecertainlydidanamountofworkintheremainingtwenty-fiveyearsofhislifewhichwouldhavebeenenoughtoabsorbthepowersofmostmenevenofhighability。Thepublicationofneweditionsofhisgreatbooks，whichinvolvedrevisionandrepliestocriticism，andthecompositionofoccasionalreviewarticles，occupiedsomeoftheleisurefromhisofficialduties。Thesevereillnessof1854madenecessaryalongforeigntour。In1856hebecameheadofhisdepartment，andmoreworkwasthrownuponhim。

OntheextinctionoftheEastIndiaCompanyin1857，hedraftedapetitiontoparliamentontheirbehalf。Itisremarkablethat，likehisfatherin1833，hebecametheapologistofasystemgenerallycondemnedbytheLiberalsoftheday。Hisbelief——

whateveritsvalue——wasthatthegovernmentofIndiacouldnotbeefficientlycarriedonbytheEnglishparliament；thatIndianappointmentswouldbecomeprizestobewonbyjobbery；andthatthedirectruleofEnglishpublicopinionwouldimplyadisregardofnativeopinionsandfeelings。Thecompany，however，cametoanend；andMill，refusingtoacceptaplaceonthenewcouncils，retiredatthebeginningof1858onapensionof？500ayear。

V。MINORWRITINGS

Agreatchangewasnowtotakeplaceinhislife。MrTaylorhaddiedinJuly1849；andinApril1851hiswidowbecameMill’swife。Theyco-operatedinoneremarkablework，whichistobeconnectedwiththedevelopmentofhisopinionsatthetime。MillhadwelcomedtheFrenchrevolutionof1848withenthusiasm。Hesawinitthevictoryofthepartytowhichhehadbeenmostattachedfromhisyouth；andin1849hewroteavigorousvindicationofitsleadersagainstthecriticismsofBrougham。(64*)HespokewithmuchsympathyevenoftheSocialismofLouisBlanc，though，ofcourse，admittingthatitcontainedmanygraveerrors。The，successofanunprincipledadventurerinDecember1851，putanendtohishopesfortheimmediatefuture。

Hefeltpainfullythateventherecognitionofmanyopinionsforwhichhehadcontendedinhisyouthhadbroughtlessbenefitthanhehadanticipated。Hebecameconvincedthatagreatchangeinthe’fundamentalconditionsof(men’s)modesofthought’wasessentialtoanygreatimprovementintheirlot。(65*)During1854

hehadplannedanessayuponLiberty，whichwasessentiallyanattempttopointoutcertainconditionsofsuchimprovements。

Duringthelasttwoyearsofhisofficiallife，hewentoverthiselaboratelywithhiswife。Afterbeingtwicewritten，hetellsus，everysentencewascarefullyweighedandcriticisedbythemboth。Heintendedtomakeafinalrevisionduringthewinterof1858-59。Thatwasnottobegiven。Thebook，however，isnotonlycharacteristic，butis，fromapurelyliterarypointofview，thebestofMill’swritings。MrsMilldiedatAvignonfromasuddenattackofcongestionofthelungs。Theblowwascrushing。Millfeltthat’thespringofhislifewasbroken。’Hewithdrewforatimeintocompleteisolation，thoughhesoonfoundsomesolaceinwork。HeboughtahouseatAvignon，andspenthalfhistimetheretobenearhiswife’sgrave。TherestofhistimewasspentatBlackheath。Hisstepdaughter，MissTaylor，livedwithhim，andheexpresseshisgratitudeforhavingdrawntwosuchprizesin’thelotteryoflife。’Otherfriendsanddisciplesweretogatherroundhiminlateryears。

ItisnecessarytosaysomethingofthewomantowhomMillwasthusdevoted。Yetitisverydifficulttospeakwithoutconveyingsomefalseimpression。Itisimpossible，ontheonehand，tospeaktoorespectfullyofsodeepandenduringapassion。Mill’sloveofhiswifeisaconclusiveanswertoanyonewhocandoubtthetendernessofhisnature。Amanwhocouldlovesodeeplymusthavebeenlovablehimself。Ontheotherhand，itisnecessarytopointoutplainlycertainpeculiaritieswhichitreveals。Millspeaksofhiswife’sexcellencesinlanguagesoextravagantasalmosttochallengeantagonism。(66*)IhavealreadyquotedthepassageinwhichhesaysthatherqualitiesincludedCarlyle’sandhisownand’infinitelymore。’Inotherpassages，heseemstobeendeavouringtooutdothisstatement：

herjudgment，hedeclares，was’nexttoinfallible’；’thehighestpoetry，philosophy，oratory，andartseemedtrivialbythesideofher，andequalonlytoexpressingsomepartofhermind’；andheprophesiesthat，ifmankindcontinuetoimprove，theirspiritualhistoryforagestocomewillbetheprogressiveworkingoutofherthoughtsandrealisationofherconceptions。’

’OnlyJohnMill’sreputation，’saidGrote，’couldsurvivesuchdisplays。’(67*)ThetruthseemstobethatinMill’sgriefoneexquisitepangcamefromthethoughtthathiswifehadleftnothingbywhichherexcellencecouldbemademanifesttoothers。

Theonlyarticlewhichhecouldcallherswasthatuponthe’enfranchisementofwomen，’theprefatorynotetowhichincludesthephrasescited。Hefeelsthatitwouldhardlyjustifyhiswords；andhastoaddthatshewould，hadshepleased，haveexcelleditineloquenceandprofundity。Eventhathastobequalifiedbysayingthatshecouldhavewrittennothingonasinglesubjectwhichwouldhaveadequatelyshown’thedepthandcompassofhermind。’Hisreaders，therefore，havetotakehisstatementsonfaith，andhetriestomakeupforthewantofproofbyvehemenceofasseveration。Theonlywayofacceptingsuchutterancesfairly。istoregardthemasacryofpoignantanguish，notasasetofstatementstobelogicallycriticised。

Theaccumulationofsuperlatives，meanwhile，hasthedisadvantagethatitleavesuswithoutanydistinctivecharacteristic。Thefigureinvestedwithsuchablazeoflighthasneitherdistinctformnorcolouring。Millwas，Ithink，alwaysathisfeeblestindescribingcharacter，andthatwasanaturalweaknessofonewho，withallhisperspicacity，wasessentiallyabadjudgeofmen。