John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

190 WIT AND HUMOUR. 1849-1872.
entitled to speak of him as possessing Wit and Humour. He
had not sufficient originality of style to yield literary effects
worthy of being printed ; but, like many other people having
the same limitations, he had more than enough to be enter
taining and genial in society and in talk. For the same reason
that Wit fails to display itself in his books, he did not produce
he did
many quotable sayings ; having so little love of display,
not make any efforts in this direction. I don t remember any
saying of his at all comparable to Cornewall Lewis s
"
Life
would be tolerable, but for its
"
amusements ; but he made
numerous sallies that amused the moment, as well as amateur
wit usually does; his enjoyment of a good joke was intense;
and his range of subjects was wide and liberal. He had the
essential conditions of a humourist, as opposed to scornful,
scathing mockery of the Swift and Voltaire stamp
say, sympathy and warmth of feeling, and the absence of
: that is to
egotistic fears as to his own dignity.*
Carlyle s "
"
phrase in the Reminiscences describing Mill s
"
"
conversation as sawdustish shows his worst temper, without
his usual felicity. As Mill did not lecture, but talk, he always
gave Carlyle himself abundant rope, and brought him out, as
only a small number of his friends could do. I never saw the
two together but once. Calling at the India House, at Mill s
hour for leaving, I found Carlyle in the room. We walked
together to the London Library, Carlyle having the largest
share of the talk. I remember only the conclusion. It was as
* I remember walking with him by Trafalgar Square, one afternoon, when
an advertising board set forth a dwarf figure wearing a helmet, and holding a
long javelin, but otherwise "
completely nude. This professed to be GENERAL
TOM THUMB AS ROMULUS ". (The dwarf had been giving a round of
personations). It caught Mill s eye, and put him into convulsions.
He was fond of taking off his father s Scotch friends that came to the house.
The best bit of humour of this sort that I remember his telling, was upon
Professor Wallace. About the time when knighthoods were given to a number
of scientific men Brewster, Leslie, and others Wallace happened to be staying
with the Mills. He was asked (I have no doubt by John Mill himself) why he
had not been knighted. His answer was "ye see they would ca" me Sir
Weelyam Wallace".