John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

l66 HER CHARACTER. 1849-1872.
to the author, is the most highly qualified, either to originate
or to appreciate speculation on social advancement, this work
is, with the highest respect and esteem, dedicated." He tells
us that he wished to prefix this dedication to the published
copies,
but she disliked it.
Although, like everybody else, I had always avoided any
allusion to Mrs. Taylor, I thought that- he had now, of his own
accord, introduced her name to his friends,- and that to
continue ignoring her existence was mistaken delicacy. I
accordingly did venture to speak of her, and drew him out
into a eulogy of her extraordinary powers. The phrase that
chiefly survives in "
my memory is she was an apostle of
He spoke with great vehemence, and seemed not
progress ".
at all to dislike my broaching the subject. I believe no one
else made the same use of the occasion ; and I was considered
to have done a very rash thing. I confess, I did not feel dis
posed to renew the reference very often : I alluded to her again
only two or three times, and not till after their marriage. He
asked no one, so far as I know, to visit her. Grote would
have most cordially paid his respects to her, had he
known it would have been agreeable but he did not receive
;
any intimation to that effect, and never saw her either before or
after her marriage to Mill. Mrs. Grote had, on one occasion,
at Mill s desire, taken her to the House of Commons to hear
Grote speak.
Her two sons were friends of Mill s mother and family. I
have repeatedly met them at the house. George
Mill used to
visit at their father s house, and knew their mother well. Of
course, he often spoke of her to his companions, myself among
the rest. Although a young man, he was not incapable of
forming a judgment of people; and his observation always
was, that Mrs. Taylor was a clever and remarkable woman, but
nothing like what John took her to be.*
* Mill for a time (I suppose during the thirties) went to the receptions of
Lady Harriet Baring, afterwards the first Lady Ashburton, whom he was said