New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-03
THE BOTHOOD OF JOHN STUART
MILL.


4 CURIOUS LETTER WRITTEN WHEN he WAS ONLY
Is YEARS OLD-HIS STUDIES AT SCHOOL.
Mr. J. A. Roebuck, NJ. p, sends to an English
provincial newspaper the copy of curious letter
written by the late John Smart Mill, when boy of
-, to Sir Samuel the brother of Jeremy Bentham.
Mr. ROchuck says that he found the original (which
he intends to send to the British Museuml among
some waste paper at the house Of Jeremy }entham,
and obtained permission to take it away. The let
ter is dated "Actou-placc lIoXton, July 80, 1872
he was born May q, 1906, and ls as follows:
at. 1873 m.---Aiy dear Sir,-It so long since |
last had the pleasure OF seeing you that have
almost forgotten when il was, but believe it in
the year 1911, the first year were at Ford Abbey.
| am very much obliged to you for yonr inquiries
with respect to my progress IN my studies and as
ncailY as | can remember Will endcdyor to give an
account of them from that year.
In the wear 1911 read ! hucydidcs, and Anac-
rcon and | beicro the ELECTRA Of SophocleS, the
PhTuiss;e Of Euripides, and the Plutus and the
Ciouds of ArlstophanCs. also read the ImlIpp'cs
The Lain which read was only the Grafton of
Cicero for the poet Archias, and the part of his
pleading against Nerrcs. And III mathematics,
was then reading Euclid; | also began EGler's
Algebra, Donnycastlcs, principally for the sake OF
the examples 10 perform. Tread likewise some OF
Vests Geometry
".Et. 9.-Thc Greek which read in the year 1915
was. think, lOWcTs Odyssey, IhcocIitus, some OF
Pindar, and the two Orations of HscIines. and De
mosfhencs on the Crown. In Latin Tread the six
first Lo0Ea | believe of Oyids MctamOrphoses the
five first books Of lyy, the ucocS and the SIX first
books of tie Eucld Of VIRGIL, and Fart 0i Cicero dc
ORATOR.. In mathematics, after finishing the irst
SIX books with the lh and l2h OF Euclid, and the
geometry Of Wet, J studied simpsons Conc Sec
tiOli>, and also Vests Come Sections, MenSuraOn,
and Spherics and m algebra, licsNys Algebra and
Ncwt0u's Universal Arithmetic, in which performed
all the problems without the book and most Of them
without any hc!p from the book.
1T. 1O.-ln the Y, ar 1916 | read the follow Ing
lii III 10
the Ajax, and the PhoctetcS OF SophocieS the
Mcdca Of Elripdes. ANA the frogs OF ArI.tpphanc',
and ercat, part OF tn" Antholo@1 Grrca III Lalin
read all Horace except the Book 0l Epodcs; and in
mathematics | read Stcwarts tr0pOSitloneS Geon-
ctucr, Playfair's lrigonometry ct Che end OF ms
Euclid, and an article on geometry IN me Ediil-
huTgI Encyclopaedia. l also studied Simpsons
Algebra.
".Et. lin the year 1871 read Ihucyddes
second time, and likewise read great many ora
tions OF Drmosthcncs and all Aristotle Rhetoric, of
which made a synoptc table. Ii l-rtiu read all
Mucrctus exc pt tie lat BOOK, and CicoroS Letters
10 Atiicls his iOptca, ard his treatise, DE Ialtl-
in the Encyclopedia Britannica, ana simpson
EuNions. I'm the application of mathematics read
kcllHs Astronomy and RoLllSons observation-disclosures
oPhI{. -t,, coma mara -, Do,.,os+I.oneo and
the four inst Books of ArlStotlcS OrgaG0n al which
| t.buatcd IN the same manner Is his lth torc.
Z" I'm Latin read all the works of TaciuS, except
the dialogue con acruing OratorN and great part oil
Juycnal, and began Quintlian. la Mathematics
Treatise on IrgOEODctry by Prof. Wallace OF the
Military, near Blg>hOt intended for the use "i tie
cadets. Likewise resolved several problems III
various branches Of mathematics; ana negan an
article on TlnXous III the Edinburgh hhcycio-
D,elia.' 49,
gias' and Protagoras and his Republic of which
made an extract. am still reading Qulntllian and
the Article Oh tIuXons, and am performing WITHOUT
book the problems in simpsons Select Exercises.
Last year began TO learn logic: | have read
several Latin books logic; those OF SMITH BrcTc-
wood. and Du lricl and part OF Burerrsdlhlils rs
far as nave gone Ill Aristotle. nave also READ
Hobbies Logic.
Il am now LEARNING political economy. have
made a kind of treatise from what my latter mas eS
piained 10 me on that subject, AMI am now reading
Mr. RicaTdU's work and writing an abstract or IT,
have learnt little natural philosophy, anu having
had opportunity OF ATTENDING course u l'ctlc1
Military College, have applied myself particularly
10 thai science and have read the last edition OF Dr.
lhomgons System of CAymlstry.
"Mhat English have read since the year 1914
cannot tell you, for cannot remembers lohS ago
But recollect that since that time have read er
f1lssou'- Roman and MitfOrd'5 GIeclan History.
have also read great deal OF Llvy by myself.
have sometimes tried NY hand at Writing history
had carried history OF the United lr9vliceS from
their revolt from SPAIN III The reign Oh rhlilp H. 10
tLe accession OF the Stakeholder, William Ill., to
tie throne OF England. . ,.s a., D.
man Government, which had carried down to the Ii
cuan Laws. should have begun To learn relic De-
fore this time, bat that my father has Tor u long
time mad II IN contemplation 10 go 10 inc oohllh,iIt
there To reside for time. But as we arc mn
dcrrd lon going by my fathers late appointment IN
tie East Inda hOusc | snail begin to learn french
ae sn"u as INV sisters have made progress enough i'll
Latin to learn with me.
hayo now ana then attempted to write poetry
Tho last production Of th.t kind mt which tined
INV band was a tragedy have now another III view
In which hope to correct the faults OF this. .
81 brIicye my sister Willie was reading Cornelius
Ncpos when You saw her. She has since that Time
rraI some oil Caesar. almost all ihgdrus, all the
caialiur and part OF the Jugllrtha of Sa!lSt, ana
two PLAYS of Terence she las read thc hist ana
mart OF fhe second book OF Lucrotius, and Is now
reading the Eclogues OF. virgil.
"Clara has begun Latin also. Alter going through
tbc Grammar she read some of Cornelius Nepos aud
Cr,ar. They are now both tolerably good aritl-
mctcians they have gone as far as the extraction
If tLs cube root. hey are reading the Roman An
tiouitcs and the Greek Mythology, ana TRANSMITTING
English and Latin from Mairss Introduction 10
Lain SyntaX. ,, = .o
This is to the best of my remembrance. true
account of my and my sisters progress since the
wear 1914 Your obedcnt, humble servant
jon john STUART MILL"
ITO Sir Samuel Bentham."