30 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The first opinion held by both that I found occasion to controvert, 

 in those early conversations, w^as the Helvetius doctrine of the natural 

 equality of human beings in regard of capacity. I believe I induced 

 Grote at last to relax very considerably on the point ; but Mill never 

 accommodated his views, as I thought, to the facts. With all his 

 wide knowledge of the human constitution and of human beings, this 

 region of observation must have been to him an utter blank. 



This summer (1845) produced the article on Guizot, the last of his 

 series on the French historians (apart from Comte). It seems to have 

 been a great success, even in the point of view of the old " Edinburgh 

 Review" connection, to which it was often an effort to accommodate 

 himself. Jeffrey ("Napier Correspondence," p. 492) is unusually 

 elated with it : "a very remarkable paper," " passages worthy of 

 Macaulay," " the traces of a vigorous and discursive intellect." He 

 did not then know the author ; when made aware of the fact, he adds, 

 " Though I have long thought highly of his powers as a reasoner, I 

 scarcely gave him credit for such large and sound views of realities 

 and practical results." The reader will remember that the most prom- 

 inent topic is the Feudal System. 



We are now at the commencement of the " Political Economy," 

 which dates from the autumn of this year. The failure of the " Ethol- 

 ogy " as a portal to a complete sociology left the way clear for this 

 other project, at a time when his energy was still up to great things. 

 Indoctrinated as he was from babyhood in the subject, and having 

 written on it in articles and discussed it, both in private and in the 

 Political Economy Club, with all the experts of the time, it seemed to 

 offer a fine field for his expository powers. Add to which, he found he 

 could attach to it his views as to the great social questions ; although, 

 it must be allowed, the bond of connection was somewhat loose, and 

 the larger sociology would, have been a more fitting occasion for such 

 wide-reaching topics. 



In a letter dated February, 1846, he announces that the third part 

 of the " Political Economy " is written. He says, in the " Autobi- 

 ography," that it was the most rapidly written of any of his books ; 

 which showed that the subject had been well matured. He turned 

 aside to write an article for the "Edinburgh" on French politics, the 

 text being a series of political papers by Charles Duveyrier. Louis 

 Philippe was now at the height of his prosperity ; but the political 

 system was very unsatisfactory : and Mill returned for a little to his 

 old interest in France, and discussed in his usual style the workings of 

 the constitutional system, its weakness and its remedies. His author 

 — a calm, clear-sighted reasoner — put much stress upon a second Cham- 

 ber made up of old oflficials, and Mill sympathizes with his object in 

 desiring a counterpoise to democracy ; but remarks, with his usual 

 acuteness, " It is not the uncontrolled ascendancy of popular power, 

 but of any power, which is formidable." The article came out in 



