Millhimselfsaysthathewasbroughtupwithoutanyreligiousinstruction；andthoughProfessorBaintellsusthattheboywenttochurchinhisinfancy，itmusthavebeenatsoearlyaperiodastoleavenomarkuponhismemory。8*Uptotheageoffourteen，therefore，Mill，whilekeptapartfromtheordinaryinfluences，wasimbibingwithastonishingrapidityavastamountofknowledge，andinevitablytakingforgrantedthegeneralopinionsofhisfather’sparty。
AttheendofhisfourteenthyearMillwenttothesouthofFrance，andstayedforayearwithSirSamuel，thebrotherofJeremy，Bentham。TherehelearnedFrench，attendedvariouscoursesoflectures，andcarriedonhisstudyofmathematicsandofpoliticaleconomy。Hisintellectualappetitewasstillvoraciousandhishoursofstudywereprobablyexcessive。Theperiod，however，waschieflyremarkablefortheawakeningofothertastes。Thelessonsoffencingandridingmastersseemtohavebeenthrownaway；buthelearnedsomethingofbotanyfromGeorge，thesonofSirSamuel，afterwardseminentlydistinguishedinthescience。Mill’staste，thoughitdidnotdevelopintoascientificstudy，madehimagoodfieldbotanist，andprovidedhimwithalmosthisonlyrecreation。Itencouragedtheloveofwalking，whichhesharedwithhisfather；andinatourinthePyreneeshelearnedtoenjoygrandnaturalscenery。Heappears，too，tohavelostsomeofhisboyishawkwardnessinthenewsociety。Thegreatestadvantage，however，accordingtohimself，washis，havingbreathedforawholeyearthefreeandgenialatmosphereofcontinentallife。’9*Hiscommentsuponthisareremarkable。Hecouldnotthen，asheremarks，knowmuchofEnglishsociety。Hedidnotknowits’lowmoraltone，’the’absenceofhighfeelings’and’sneeringdepreciationofalldemonstrationsofthem，’nor，therefore，perceivethecontrastwiththeFrench，whocultivatesentimentselevatedbycomparisonatleast，andwho，bythehabitualexerciseofthefeelings，encouragealsoacultureoftheunderstanding，descendingtothelesseducatedclasses。10*Still，hewasimpressedbyFrenchamiabilityandsociability，andtheEnglishhabitof’actingasifeverybodyelsewaseitheranenemyorabore。’
IdonotventuretopronounceanyopinionuponthisestimateofthecontrastbetweenEnglishandFrenchsociety。WhatevertruthitcontainswouldbeintensifiedforMillbythefactthatalargeclassofEnglishmenclearlyregardedtheUtilitariansas’enemies，’andallmenfeltthemtobebores。The，practical，BritonnodoubttreatedtheviewsofthephilosophicalRadicalwithanapplicationofwhathemeantforhumourandMillreceivedasbrutality。Buttheestimateischaracteristic。Mill’sSpartandisciplinewasalreadyrousinghimtoadumbsenseofthevalueoftheemotions。Thoughhe，withhisschool，wasboundtodenounce’sentimentalism，’hewasbeginningtoseethattherewasanothersidetothequestion。And，inthenextplace，Mill’sappreciationofFrenchcourtesyfellinwithamarkedtendencyofhisthought。Hehad，ofcourse，atthistimeonlylaidthefoundationofanacquaintancewithFranceandFrenchmen，which，however，becamemuchcloserinthefollowingyears。HeacquiredacordialsympathywiththeFrenchliberals；hegrewtobethoroughlyfamiliarwithFrenchpolitics，andfollowedthelaterhistoryofhisfriendswithsympathyandadmiration。Inhisearlyessays，heisconstantlyinsistinguponthemeritsofFrenchwritersandlamentingthescandalousignoranceoftheirachievementsprevalentinEngland；theFrenchphilosophesoftheeighteenthcenturybecamehismodel；11*andhepushedhiszeal，ashethinks，eventoexcess；while，asweshallafterwardssee，somecontemporaryFrenchwritersexercisedaninfluenceuponhisownviewsofthehighestimportance。HedidnotlearnGermantillsometimelater，andneverbecameaprofoundstudentofGermanliteratureandphilosophy。ButFrancewasakindofsecondcountrytohim；andexcitedwhatmayalmostbecalledapatrioticsentiment。Patriotism，indeed，wasscarcelyheldtobeavirtuebytheUtilitarians。Itmeantforthemthestateofmindofthecountrysquireorhishanger-ontheparson；andisgenerallymentionedasgivingasufficientexplanationofunreasoningprejudice。Mill’sdevelopment，Idoubtnot，wasfurtheredbythisenthusiasm；itgavehimawideroutlook，andstimulatedmanyimpulseswhichhadbeenhamperedbythenarrownessofhisparty。
Formanyyears，however，itcontributedtomakehimsomethingofanalien；andIdonotthinkthatincapacitytosympathiseevenwiththestupidprejudicesofone’scountrymenisanunmixedadvantage。
MillreturnedtoEnglandinJuly1821。Hetookuphisoldstudies，taughthisbrothersandsisters，readCondillacandahistoryoftheFrenchrevolution，ofwhich，inspiteofhispreviousstayinFrance，hehadknownverylittle，anddecidedthatitwouldbe，transcendentglory，tobe’aGirondistinanEnglishconvention。’Meanwhile，aprofessionhadtobechosen。Hewasintendedforthebar，andbegantostudyRomanlawunderJohnAustin。HesettoworkuponBentham，andthereadingofDumont’sTrait閟deL間islationformedanepochinhislife。Hisbotanicalstudieshadfosteredhisearlytasteforclassification，alreadyawakedbyhisearlylogicalstudies。Hewasnowdelightedtofindthathumanactionsmightbeclassifiedaswellasplants，and，moreover，classifiedbytheprincipleofutility，thatistosay，byreferencetoaguidingruleforallknownconduct。’Utility’