Millhimselfsaysthathewasbroughtupwithoutanyreligiousinstruction；andthoughProfessorBaintellsusthattheboywenttochurchinhisinfancy，itmusthavebeenatsoearlyaperiodastoleavenomarkuponhismemory。8*Uptotheageoffourteen，therefore，Mill，whilekeptapartfromtheordinaryinfluences，wasimbibingwithastonishingrapidityavastamountofknowledge，andinevitablytakingforgrantedthegeneralopinionsofhisfather’sparty。
AttheendofhisfourteenthyearMillwenttothesouthofFrance，andstayedforayearwithSirSamuel，thebrotherofJeremy，Bentham。TherehelearnedFrench，attendedvariouscoursesoflectures，andcarriedonhisstudyofmathematicsandofpoliticaleconomy。Hisintellectualappetitewasstillvoraciousandhishoursofstudywereprobablyexcessive。Theperiod，however，waschieflyremarkablefortheawakeningofothertastes。Thelessonsoffencingandridingmastersseemtohavebeenthrownaway；buthelearnedsomethingofbotanyfromGeorge，thesonofSirSamuel，afterwardseminentlydistinguishedinthescience。Mill’staste，thoughitdidnotdevelopintoascientificstudy，madehimagoodfieldbotanist，andprovidedhimwithalmosthisonlyrecreation。Itencouragedtheloveofwalking，whichhesharedwithhisfather；andinatourinthePyreneeshelearnedtoenjoygrandnaturalscenery。Heappears，too，tohavelostsomeofhisboyishawkwardnessinthenewsociety。Thegreatestadvantage，however，accordingtohimself，washis，havingbreathedforawholeyearthefreeandgenialatmosphereofcontinentallife。’9*Hiscommentsuponthisareremarkable。Hecouldnotthen，asheremarks，knowmuchofEnglishsociety。Hedidnotknowits’lowmoraltone，’the’absenceofhighfeelings’and’sneeringdepreciationofalldemonstrationsofthem，’nor，therefore，perceivethecontrastwiththeFrench，whocultivatesentimentselevatedbycomparisonatleast，andwho，bythehabitualexerciseofthefeelings，encouragealsoacultureoftheunderstanding，descendingtothelesseducatedclasses。10*Still，hewasimpressedbyFrenchamiabilityandsociability，andtheEnglishhabitof’actingasifeverybodyelsewaseitheranenemyorabore。’
IdonotventuretopronounceanyopinionuponthisestimateofthecontrastbetweenEnglishandFrenchsociety。WhatevertruthitcontainswouldbeintensifiedforMillbythefactthatalargeclassofEnglishmenclearlyregardedtheUtilitariansas’enemies，’andallmenfeltthemtobebores。The，practical，BritonnodoubttreatedtheviewsofthephilosophicalRadicalwithanapplicationofwhathemeantforhumourandMillreceivedasbrutality。Buttheestimateischaracteristic。Mill’sSpartandisciplinewasalreadyrousinghimtoadumbsenseofthevalueoftheemotions。Thoughhe，withhisschool，wasboundtodenounce’sentimentalism，’hewasbeginningtoseethattherewasanothersidetothequestion。And，inthenextplace，Mill’sappreciationofFrenchcourtesyfellinwithamarkedtendencyofhisthought。Hehad，ofcourse，atthistimeonlylaidthefoundationofanacquaintancewithFranceandFrenchmen，which，however，becamemuchcloserinthefollowingyears。HeacquiredacordialsympathywiththeFrenchliberals；hegrewtobethoroughlyfamiliarwithFrenchpolitics，andfollowedthelaterhistoryofhisfriendswithsympathyandadmiration。Inhisearlyessays，heisconstantlyinsistinguponthemeritsofFrenchwritersandlamentingthescandalousignoranceoftheirachievementsprevalentinEngland；theFrenchphilosophesoftheeighteenthcenturybecamehismodel；11*andhepushedhiszeal，ashethinks，eventoexcess；while，asweshallafterwardssee，somecontemporaryFrenchwritersexercisedaninfluenceuponhisownviewsofthehighestimportance。HedidnotlearnGermantillsometimelater，andneverbecameaprofoundstudentofGermanliteratureandphilosophy。ButFrancewasakindofsecondcountrytohim；andexcitedwhatmayalmostbecalledapatrioticsentiment。Patriotism，indeed，wasscarcelyheldtobeavirtuebytheUtilitarians。Itmeantforthemthestateofmindofthecountrysquireorhishanger-ontheparson；andisgenerallymentionedasgivingasufficientexplanationofunreasoningprejudice。Mill’sdevelopment，Idoubtnot，wasfurtheredbythisenthusiasm；itgavehimawideroutlook，andstimulatedmanyimpulseswhichhadbeenhamperedbythenarrownessofhisparty。
Formanyyears，however，itcontributedtomakehimsomethingofanalien；andIdonotthinkthatincapacitytosympathiseevenwiththestupidprejudicesofone’scountrymenisanunmixedadvantage。
MillreturnedtoEnglandinJuly1821。Hetookuphisoldstudies，taughthisbrothersandsisters，readCondillacandahistoryoftheFrenchrevolution，ofwhich，inspiteofhispreviousstayinFrance，hehadknownverylittle，anddecidedthatitwouldbe，transcendentglory，tobe’aGirondistinanEnglishconvention。’Meanwhile，aprofessionhadtobechosen。Hewasintendedforthebar，andbegantostudyRomanlawunderJohnAustin。HesettoworkuponBentham，andthereadingofDumont’sTrait閟deL間islationformedanepochinhislife。Hisbotanicalstudieshadfosteredhisearlytasteforclassification，alreadyawakedbyhisearlylogicalstudies。Hewasnowdelightedtofindthathumanactionsmightbeclassifiedaswellasplants，and，moreover，classifiedbytheprincipleofutility，thatistosay，byreferencetoaguidingruleforallknownconduct。’Utility’
tookitsplaceas’thekeystonewhichheldtogetherthedetachedandfragmentarypartsofhisknowledgeandbeliefs。’12*Hehadnowaphilosophyandeven，’inoneofthebestsensesoftheword，areligion，theinculcationanddiffusionofwhichcouldbemadetheprincipaloutwardpurposeofalife。’Theverymoderationofthecreedwasamongitsclaims。Millwasnotroused，likeShelley，toanenthusiasticvisionofanabruptregenerationofman。Hisreligionwasstrictlyscientific；itrecognisedthenecessityofslowelaboration，butofferedasufficientlywidevistaofcontinuousimprovementtobepromotedbyunremittinglabour。Henowenlargedhisphilosophicalreading；
hestudiedLocke，Helv閠ius，andHartley，Berkeley，andHume’sEssays，besidesReid，DugaldStewart，andBrown’sessayuponCauseandEffect。Thesestudieswerecarriedonwhilehewasreadinghisfather’sanalysisinmanuscript，andnodoubtdiscussingwithhisfatherthepointsraisedbytheargument。Thelastbookwhichhementionsasaffectinghisearlydevelopmentis’PhilipBeauchamp’s’treatiseupontheutilityofreligion。The’searchingcharacterofitsanalysis，’hesays，producedagreateffectuponhim，ofwhichsomeresultswillappearhereafter。
II。EARLYPROPAGANDISM
In1822——attheage，thatis，ofsixteen——Millbegantocompose，argumentative，essays，whichwereapparentlycrudeenough，butwhichwereprofitableexercises。Already，too，hewasbeginningtotakeapositionintheUtilitariancircle。JohnAustin1790-1859，histutor，amanoflofty，ifover-fastidiouscharacter，encouragedtheboybyhiskindinterest。AnotherimportantfriendwasGeorgeGrote，who，asIhavesaid，hadalreadybecomeawriterinthecause。Toboththesemen，hisseniorsbysixteenandtwelveyearsrespectively，aboyofsixteenorseventeenwouldnaturallylookupwithrespectfuladmiration。WithGrote，aswithJohnAustin，heheldmuch’sympatheticcommunion，’buthisfirstallyamongmenwhomhecouldfeeltobecontemporarieswasAustin’syoungerbrotherCharles。Hewasamanwhogavetheimpression，accordingtoMill，of’boundlessstrength，’withtalentsandwillwhichseemedcapableof’dominatingtheworld。’Insteadofbeing，likehisbrotherJohn，incapacitatedforlifebyover-refinement，hemadeafortuneatthebar；andhisenergywas，afteratime，entirelydivertedfromtheUtilitarianpropagandaForthepresent，however，hewasdefendingthetruefaithinanuncongenialatmosphere。Hewas，saysMill，the’reallyinfluentialmindamongtheseintellectualgladiators’——theyoungCambridgeorators。
JamesMill，asIhavesaid，hadbeenencouragedbyhearingthatthecauseofUtilitarianismwasbeingupheldeveninoneoftheuniversities，whichhetooktobethenaturalcentresofobscurantism。JohnMillvisitedAustinatCambridgein1822，andtheboyofsixteengreatlyimpressedtheundergraduatesbyhisconversationalpowerTheelderMillwasurgedtosendhissontoTrinityCollege。Hewouldnodoubthavefearedtoexposetheyouthtosuchcontagion。13*JohnMillhimselflongheldtheuniversitiestobemereinstitutionsforsupportingtheestablishedcreed。’Weregardthesystemoftheseinstitutions，’
hesaidin1836，’asadministeredfortwocenturiespast，withsentimentslittleshortofutterabhorrence。’14*ItisidletoaskwhetherclosercontactwiththeaverageEnglishyouthwouldorwouldnothavebeenbeneficial，butthesentimentmarksthedegreeinwhichMillwasanalienamongmenofhisownclassinEnglishsociety。Meanwhile，heformed，inthewinterof1822-23，alittlesocietyofhisown。HecalledittheUtilitarianSociety，adoptingthetitlewhichhadbeencursorilyusedbyBentham15*fromGalt’sAnnalsoftheParish。Hementionsamongitsmembers，whichneveramountedtoten，WilliamEytonTooke，sonofThomasTooke，theeconomist，whodiedyoung；WilliamEllis1800-1881，known，saysMill，forhis’apostolicexertionsfortheimprovementofeducation，’chieflyinthedirectionofpromotingthestudyofpoliticaleconomyinschools；GeorgeJohnGraham，afterwardsanofficialintheBankruptcyCourt；andGraham’sspecialfriend，JohnArthurRoebuck1801-1879，whowastobecomeoneofthemostthoroughgoingRadicalsofthefollowingperiod，thoughinlateryearsthefaithfulAbdielbecameanIshmael，andfinallyaTory。Withtheseyouths，allapparentlyMill’sseniorsbyafewyears，hediscussedtheprinciplesofthesect，andbecame，ashesays，，asortofleader。’Hetriedhardtoenlistrecruits，andsoonbecameaneffectivecombatantintheactualwarfareofthetime。Thesocietywasbrokenupin1826。
Millhadalreadyreceivedtheappointmentwhichdecidedthefuturecourseofhislife。HewasappointedtoaclerkshipintheIndiaHouse，21stMay1823，havingjustfinishedhisseventeenthyear。Hereceivedsuccessivepromotions，tillin1856hebecamechiefoftheofficewithasalaryof？000ayear。Millgiveshisownviewoftheadvantagesoftheposition，Whichtoamanofhisextraordinarypowerofworkwereunmistakable。Hewasplacedbeyondallanxietyastobread-winning。Hewasnotboundtomakealivingbyhispen，andcoulddevotehimselftowritingofpermanentvalue。Hewasatthesametimebroughtintocloserelationwiththeconductofactualaffairs；forcedtorecognisethenecessityofcompromise，andtostudytheartofinstillinghisthoughtsintomindsnotspeciallypreparedfortheirreception。Mill’sbooksshowhowwellheacquiredthisart。
Whatevertheirothermeritsordefects，theyreconcileconditionstoooftenconflicting；theyaretheproductofmaturereflection，andyetpresentedsoastobeintelligiblewithoutspecialinitiation。Heisunsurpassableasaninterpreterbetweentheabstractphilosopherandthemanofcommon-sense。Thedutieswerenotsuchastoabsorbhispowers。Thoughhisholidayswerelimitedtoamonth，hecouldenjoySundayramblesinthecountryandpedestriantoursathomeandabroad；andthoughconscientiouslydischarginghisofficialduties，hemanagedtoturnoutasmuchotherworkasmighthaveoccupiedthewholetimeofaveragemen。TheUtilitarianswerebeginningtomakethemselvesfeltinthepress。Mill’sfirstprintedwritingsweresomelettersintheTravellerin1822，defendingRicardoandJamesMillagainstsomecriticismbyTorrens。HethencontributedthreeletterstotheMorningChronicle，denouncingtheprosecutionofCarlisle，whichthenexcitedtherightfulwrathoftheUtilitarians。Twolettersincontinuationweretoooutspokentobepublished。16*MillcontributedtotheWestminsterReviewfromitsstartinthespringof1824，helpinghisfather’sassaultupontheEdinburgh。Hewas，hesays，themostfrequentwriterofall，andbetweenthesecondandeighteenthnumbercontributedthirteenreviews。Theyshowthathewasreadingwidely。AnarticleuponScott’sNapoleonin1828showsthathehadfullymadeuphisdeficienciesastothehistoryoftheFrenchrevolution。Hehadnot，however，asyetattainedhisfullpowersofexpression；andneitherthestylenorthearrangementofthematterhasthemeritsofhislaterwork。17*ThemostremarkablebyfaristhereviewofWhately’sLogicinJanuary1828。Itshowssometouchesofyouthfularrogance，thoughexceedinglycomplimentarytotheauthorreviewed。Buttheknowledgedisplayedandthevigouroftheexpressionaresurprisinginayouthoftwenty-one；anditprovesthatMillwasalreadyreflectingtosomepurposeuponthequestionstreatedinhisLogic。