第9章

Mill，ontheotherhand，thoughtthatbyhelpingthedemocrat’simmediatepurposes，hewasalsogaininggroundforthepopularisationofthesesubsidiarythoughessentialchanges。Therelationissignificant；for，whatevermaybethevalueofMill’sproposals，therecanbenodoubtthatinmanywaysthedemocraticchangeswhichheadvocatedhaveledtoresultswhichhewouldhavethoroughlydisapproved。Thealliance，thatis，forthetime，coveredverydeepdifferences，andMillwasvirtuallyhelpingDemostogetintopower，intheexpectationthat，wheninpower，Demoswouldconsenttosubmittorestrictions，notyet，iftheyeverwillbe，realised。Thereisthefurtherquestion，notheredebatable，whether，ifrealised，theywouldactasMillsupposed。

Anyhow，forthepresent，thephilosopherwasreallythefollowerofthepartisan。Millmadehimselfunpopularwithaclasswiderthanthatwhichconstitutedthe’stupidparty。’HetookaveryactivepartintheagitationprovokedbyGovernorEyre’sactionintheJamaicainsurrection。Thathewasrightindemandingathoroughinvestigationseemstobeundeniable。Itseemsalsothatamorejudicialframeofmindwouldhaverestrainedhimfromapparentlyassumingthatsuchaninvestigationcouldhavebutoneresult。Peopleofahighmoraltonearetooapttoshowtheirvirtuebyassumingthataconcretecasecomesunderasimplemorallawwheninfactmostsuchcasesareexceedinglycomplex。

Mill，atanyrate，andhiscommitteeimpressedmanypeoplebesidestheirstrongestopponentsasallowingtheirindignationtoswamptheirsenseoffairplay。GovernorEyreappearedtobeavictimofpersecutioninsteadofacriminal，andtherewas，thoughMillcouldnotseeit，agenerouselementinthefeelingthatallowanceshouldbemadeforamanplacedinaterriblycriticalposition。

Afterthedissolutionofparliament，MillincurredfurtherodiumbysubscribingtotheelectionexpensesofBradlaugh。

Nothingcouldbemoreinharmonywithhisprinciplesthanthesupportofanhonestandstraightforwardman，attackedbythebitteresttheologicalprejudice。Hisseat，however，forWestminsterwaslost(1868)，and，refusingsomeotheroffers，hewasgladtoretireoncemoretoprivatelife，andtoliteraryandphilosophicalpursuits。Hisstrengthwasapparentlyfailing，andheachievedlittlemore。Hisparliamentaryactivityhadenlargedhiscircleofacquaintance，andduringtheseyearshebecamefarmoresociable。Admiringfriendsgatheredroundhim；hisoldallies，suchasHareandW。T。Thornton，theeconomistCairnes，andsuchrisingpoliticiansasHenryFawcett，MrCourtney，andMrWorley，lookeduptohim，andhadfrequentmeetingswithhim。Onecharacteristicpointmustbenoticed，hiswithdrawalofthe，wagefund，theorywhenimpugnedbyW。T。Thorntonin1869。Thecandourwhichheshowedonthisoccasion，andhisgenerousappreciationofhisfriend，waseminentlycharacteristic。Inthesameyearappearedhiseditionofhisfather’sAnalysis，which，hesays，(84*)’oughtnowtostandattheheadofthesystematicworksonAnalyticPsychology。’Hewaspreparingforotherwritings，buthistaskwasdone。HediedatAvignon，8thMay1873，ofasuddenattack，havingthreedaysbeforewalkedfifteenmilesonabotanicalexcursion。

TheimpressionmadeuponT。H。Green(85*)bysomeofMill’sletterswasthathemusthavebeenan’extraordinarilygoodman。’

Theremarkcamefromaphilosophicalopponent，andmightbeechoedbymanyadmirersandgenerousadversaries。ThereverenceofhispersonalfriendsissufficientlyindicatedbythearticlesofMrJohnMorley，(86*)writtenatthetimeoftheirloss。Mill’smoralexcellence，indeed，isinsomedirectionsbeyondalldispute。Nohumanbeingeverdevotedhimselfmoreunreservedlytoaworthyendfromhisearliesttohislatestyears；theendwasthepropagationoftruthsofthehighestimportancetomankind，andthedevotionimpliedentirefreedomfromallmeanerorsubsidiaryambitions。Amanofwhomthatcanbesaidwithoutfearofcontradictionhascertainlyextraordinarygoodness。Whenweaddthathewassingularlycandid，fairinargument，mostwillingtorecognisemeritsinothers，andastaunchenemyofoppressionineveryform，wemaysaythatMillpossessedinanalmostunsurpassabledegreethevirtuespeculiarlyappropriatetoaphilosopher。Acompletejudgment，however，musttakeothercharacteristicsintoaccount。Oneremarkisobvious。Millobserves(87*)thatthedescriptionofaBenthamiteas’amerereasoningmachine，’thoughuntrueofmanyofhisfriends，wastrueofhimselfduring’twoorthreeyears’——before，thatis，hehadlearnedtoappreciatethevalueoftheemotions。Manyreadersthoughtittrueofhimtothelast。Thoughthephrasemaybeunderstoodsoastoimplytheverycontradictoryofthetruth，Itakeittoimplyoneaspectofhischaracterwhichcannotbeneglected。TheAutobiography，thoughaveryinteresting，istomanyreadersfarfromanattractive，work；anditswantofcharmis，Ithink，significantoftheweaknesswhichiscaricaturedbytheepithet’reasoningmachine。’Omittingthepagesabouthiswife，thereisasingularabsenceofthequalitieswhichmakesomanyautobiographiesinteresting：thereisnotenderdwellinguponearlydaysandassociations；hisfatherisincidentallyrevealedasanobjectofprofoundrespect，butwithoutillusionastohisharsherqualities；hardlyanyreferenceismadetohismotherorhisbrothersandsisters；hisfriendsarebrieflynoticedandtheirintellectualmeritsdulysetforth，butthereisnowarmexpressionofpersonalfeelingtowardsanyoneofthem；hisremarksuponhiscountrymeningeneralarecontemptuous；and，thoughheisdesirousofthewelfareofthespecies，heisasfullyconvincedasCarlyle，thatmenare’mostlyfools。’Oldinstitutionsawakenothrill；theyaresimplyembodimentsofprejudice；andthenationisdividedbetweenthosewhohavea’sinisterinterest’inabuses，andthemasseswhoarestilltoobrutalisedtobetrusted。Atthebottomofhisheartheseemstopreferaprig，amanofrigidformula，tothevividandemotionalcharacter，whosemeritsherecognisesintheory。Hecomplainsfrequentlyofthegeneraldecayofenergy，andyethisidealwouldseemtobethethoroughlydrilledthinker，whoistheslaveofabstracttheories。His’zealforthegoodofmankind’

wasreallytothelastwhatheadmitsittohavebeenattheearlyperiod，a’zealforspeculativeopinions。’Thestartlingphrasesabouthiswifeareincontrasttothiscoolness，buttheyaresohystericalastocheckfullsympathy。Fromsuchremarks，somepeoplehaveinferredthatMillwasreallyafrigidthinker，aworthyprophetofthedismalscience，whichleavesoutofaccountallthatisdeepestandmosttrulyvaluableinhumannature。

Areplyeventoanunjustestimateshouldadmitwhatthereisoftruthinit。Inthefirstplace，ofcourse，Millwasnot，andnevertookhimselftobe，apoet。Hehadnovividpicturesofconcretefacts；hewasnot，asheputsitincontrastinghimselfwithCarlyle，amanofintuitions，andheformedhisjudgmentsofaffairsbyanalysingandreflectingandexpressingtheresultinabstractformula。Thatisonlytosaythathispredominantfacultywaslogical，andthattheimaginationwascomparativelyfeeble。Hewassensitivetosomepoetry，toShelleyaswellastoWordsworth；butheismoreimpressedbyitsphilosophicalthanitsdirectastheticalvalue。HewascertainlylessdeficientthanJamesMillinthisdirection；butinanotherqualitythecontrastwithhisfatherissignificant。JamesMill，whateverhisfaults，wasaman，andborntobealeaderofmen。Hewasrigid，imperative，andcapableofcontrollinganddominating。JohnStuartMillwasfarweakerinthatsense，andweakerbecausehehadlessvirility。Millneverseemsfullytoappreciatetheforceofhumanpassions；hefanciesthattheemotionswhichstirmentotheirdepthscanbecontrolledbyinstillingafewmoralmaximsorpointingoutconsiderationsofutility。Hehasinthatrespectless，humannature，inhimthanmosthumanbeings；andhasnot，likeCarlyle’sfavouriteRamDass，fireenoughinhisinsidetoburnupthesinsoftheworld。Oneeffectisobviouseveninhisphilosophy。Aphilosopher，Ithink，owesmorethanisgenerallyperceivedtothemoralqualitywhichgoesintomasculinevigour。

Toaccept，aswellastoannounce，adoctrinewhichclasheswiththeopinionsacceptedinhisclassrequiresanamountofvigourandself-reliancewhichisonlypossessedbythefew。Millheldveryunpopularopinions，buttheyhadbeeninstilledintohimfromchildhood；theywerethoseofthewholeworldinwhichhelived，anditwouldhaverequiredmorevigourtoabandonthantomaintainthem。ItisimpossibletoreadtheAutobiographywithoutwonderingwhetheradifferenteducationmightnothavemadehimaColeridgeaninsteadofaBenthamite。Ifhedisbelievedininnateprinciplesandintheboundlesspowerof’association，’itwaspartlybecausetheinfluenceofhisownidiosyncrasywassoslightlymarkedinhisintellectualdevelopment。Hewasoneofthemostremarkableinstancesofthepowerofeducationtomouldtheintellect，becausefewintellectssopowerfulhavebeensoamenable。

Thewantofthequalitieswhichmakeamanself-assertiveandoriginalimplies，however，nocoldnessoftheaffections。Millwasamanofgreatemotionalsensibility，andofveryunusualtenderness。Besideshisgreatattachment，hewasdeeplydevotedtoafewfriends，and，incertaincases，greatlyoverestimatedtheirqualities。Hisdevotiontospeculativepursuitsmademostofhisattachmentstheproductofintellectualsympathy；andheeitherdidnotform，orcouldnotkeepup，intimaciesformedwithpersonsincapableofsuchsympathy。Unlesshecouldtalkuponseriousmatterswithmanorwoman，hewouldhavenocommonbondwiththem；andhewastoosinceretoexpressit。Hisfeelings，however，were，Itakeit，astenderasawoman’s。Theywerewanting，notinkeenness，butinthemassivenesswhichimpliesmoremasculinefibre。Andthis，indeed，iswhatseemstoindicatethetruth。Millcouldneveradmitanyfundamentaldifferencebetweenthesexes。Thatis，Ibelieve，agreatbutanaturalmisconceptionforonewhowasincharacterasmuchfeminineasmasculine。Hehadsomeoftheamiableweaknesseswhichweatpresent——perhapsonaccountofthedebasedstateofsociety——

regardasespeciallyfeminine。Themosteminentwomen，hithertoatleast，areremarkableratherfordocilitythanoriginality。

Millwasespeciallyremarkable，asIhavesaid，forhispowersofassimilation。Nomorereceptivepupilcouldeverbedesiredbyateacher。Likeawoman，hetookthings——evenphilosophers——

withexcessiveseriousness；andshowsthecompletewantofhumouroften——unjustlyperhaps——attributedtowomen。Prejudicesprovokehim，buthedoesnotseethecomicsideofprejudiceoroflifeingeneral。WhenCarlyle，inhishastywrath，denounces，shams，withahugeguffaw，Millpatientlyunravelsthesophistry，andtriestodiscoverthesecretoftheirplausibility。Mill’smethodnodoubtleadsasaruletosaferandmoresoberresults。

Therealcandour，too，anddesireoflightfromallsidesismostgenuineandadmirable。Itmayleadhimrathertodevelopandwidenthephilosophyinwhichhewasimmersedthantostrikeoutnewpaths。Onemissesattimestheflashesofintuitionofkeenerphilosophers，andstillmorethedownrightprotestsofroughcommon-sense，whichcansweepawaycobwebswithouttryingelaboratelytopickthemtopieces。