John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

DAILY TASKS. 13
part I." This Dialogue frequently conies up,
but without
We must take it as one of his exercises in
farther explanation.
original composition, perhaps in imitation of the Platonic
Dialogues. 8th. Engaged with Mr. G. in arranging the books
of the Library, which seems to have been set as a task to the
boys.
" Wrote
some of Dialogue ; learnt a very long fable
by heart ; resolved some problems of West (Algebra) ; did
French exercises (translating and so forth)." gth. "Break
fasted early and went with Sir S. and Lady Bentham in the
carriage to Montauban ; took a volume of Racine in "
;
my
remark his reading pace. On
pocket, and read two plays
returning home he reads a comedy of Voltaire. loth.
"
Before
breakfast, learnt another fable, and read some of Virgil. After
breakfast, wrote some of my Dialogue, and some French
exercises. Wrought some of the Differential Calculus. Read
a tragedy of Corneille." nth.
"
Learnt another fable ;
finished
my Dialogue. If good for nothing beside, it is good as an
exercise to my reasoning powers, as well as to both which it has tried extremely."
my invention,
We may be sure that it
aimed at something very high.
"
Wrote some French exer
cises ; began to learn an extremely long fable. Read a comedy
of Moliere, and after dinner a tragedy of Voltaire. Took a
short walk by myself out of the pleasure grounds." i2th.
"
Rose very early. Sir S. B. and Mr. G. went in the carriage
to Toulouse. Before breakfast, I wrote some French exercises,
read some of Lucian s Hermotimus. Revised part of my
Dialogue. After breakfast went with the domcstique Piertot to
see his Metairie and his little piece of land and help him to
gather cherries. After returning I finished the long fable."
Then follows an apology for not working at his Mathematics :
Sir Samuel s books are not unpacked, and in the Library of the
house he finds chiefly French Literature, and hence his read
ings in Racine, &c. Another tragedy read to-day. i3th.
Before breakfast assists Mr. G. in packing. Wrote French
exercises, read Voltaire and Moliere. It is by the advice of