IN THE REALM OF MIND. 315 



observe the immense significance which attaches 

 to this exception. Why is Mr Mill compelled to 

 make it ? Because he mixes up in one assertion 

 two propositions which are totally distinct, one be- 

 ing true universally, and the other being true only 

 partially. The first proposition is, that all facts 

 which we can " bring about," must be so brought 

 about by the use of means. This is true univer- 

 sally. The second proposition is, that we are 

 guided to the knowledge of those means by Ex- 

 perience alone. Now, this last proposition is not 

 true, as Mr Mill is obliged to confess, of the whole 

 class of facts which are brought about by vital 

 effort. But the muscular contractions of the Body 

 are no exception whatever to the mere general 

 affirmation that all actions must have a cause, or 

 in other words, must be brought about by the use 

 of means. Exceptions they are, however, to the 

 affirmation that the nature of those means is 

 made known to us by Experience. The sen- 

 tence, in so far as it asserts the universal Law 

 of Causation, might have been so framed as 

 to require no abatement or exception whatever. 

 "We bring about any fact by means of some 



