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 railways. There is the usual complaint of the torpidity of Radicals, Joseph Hume being his only exception.

For the July number he contributes only the opening article, which is a political survey, on the text of Sir John Walsh's "Contemporary History." It retraces the history of reform 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 Whigs"). 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 caveat.

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 notwithstanding, or even in consequence of this, the truest of histories. It is the history of the French Revolution, and the poetry of it, both in one; and, on the whole, no work of greater genius, either historical or poetical, has been produced in this country for many years." Nothing could be better calculated to disarm prejudice against the book than the conduct of this article throughout; it is indeed a masterpiece of pleading, and deserved to be successful, as it was. A little later, Mill admitted into the "Review" an article on Carlyle by John Sterling, which was a still more complete exhibition of Carlyle, and is probably yet one of the best