John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

POLITICAL ARTICLES. 49
and its consequences, and discourses on the relative merits of
Tories, Whigs, and Radicals, with the usual complaints.
Knowing the state of his health this year, the occurrence of his
father s death, and his three months absence, we are surprised
to find that he can contribute to the October number ; of
which the first article is his on the Definition and Method of
Political Economy. Doubtless, this had been lying by him,
and had been brought out to fill a gap.
In January, 1837, the political article is by Sir William
Molesworth (The Terms of Alliance between Radicals and
WT higs). Mill contributes only a short paper on an anonymous
work of Arthur Helps, I believe his first publication Thoughts
in the Cloister and the Crowd . This was another occasion
when he displayed his passion for discerning and encouraging
the first indications of talent and genius. I remember when I
first came to London, this was one of the books he lent me ;
and we agreed that, in point of thinking power, Helps had not
fulfilled the promise of that little work.
For April, 1837, he contributes a review of Fonblanque s
England under Seven Administrations ; which would be easy
work. The article is laudatory enough, but iterates the author s
standing complaint against all the journals, namely, too great
subserviency to the ministry in power. The political summary
in the number is again by Molesworth. Carlyle contributes a
short paper on the French Revolution, under an editorial careat.
In July, appears the review of Carlyle s French Revolution,
which Mill considers to have been one of his grand strokes in
the Review. Carlyle s reputation was as yet hanging very
dubious. The effect to be produced by the French Revolution
was extremely uncertain. Mill was now well acquainted with
Carlyle, and knew how his peculiarities affected people, and how
easily a prejudice might be created that would retard his fame
for years. A judicious boldness was the only chance, and the
article opens thus :
This is not so much a history, as an epic poem ; and not
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