VOLUME ON MIND AND BODY.

313

and brain (senses and muscles being co-operating factors), the earlier chapters were devoted to arguing the position. Next came the hypothetical speculations as to the connexion of bodily functions with the Feelings, the Will, and the Intellect respectively. The chief novelty consisted in the treatment of the intellect upon the method of enumeration just referred to. One circumstance could be ascertained and established as growing out of the very nature of our mental products. The difference between one product and another lay in a certain primary element, A, being united at one time with B, at another time with C, and so on; while the embodiment of these in the nervous framework required nervous groupings corresponding to each, which groupings had to be kept distinct in the brain as they were in consciousness. This is one form of psychical difference. The other form, difference of degree of the same element, might be shown to be resolvable into difference of grouping also. Proceeding on those two modes of mental distinction, a hypothetical enumeration of psychical elements was attempted, and this was compared with the possibilities of nervous grouping in the cells and fibres of the brain.

The hypothesis was a legitimate one; but subsequent reflection led to the belief that the number of psychical elements, although run up to hundreds of thousands, was still inadequate.

A third of the volume was occupied with the historical growth of the prevailing notions respecting mind and body. In this, I had the assistance of G. Croom Robertson in the portion relating to the Fathers of the Church and the Scholastics, and also to the recent German materialists. Since by far the most important of the Middle Age Churchmen, in giving the prevailing doctrine its final shape, was Thomas Aquinas, I obtained from my class assistant at the time, Mr. J. B. Duncan, a careful analysis of the passages in Aquinas, which set forth his arguments and conclusions.

This historical survey was an essential part of the main argument; being intended to show the thoroughly unscientific character of the various steps whereby the common notion was arrived at.

It was necessary to classify the various alternative suppositions as to One or Two Substances, and to maintain the essential phenomenal distinctness of the psychical and the physical, while upholding the indissoluble union of the two. The expounders of the doctrine of the Trinity had formulated the mode of expressing the mystical union that we find in the Athanasian creed, as "not confounding the persons nor dividing the substance," a not inapt rendering of the union of mind and body, given as the conclusion of the argumentative and historical treatment. It was at Grote's suggestion that I made this application.

The work had a wide circulation in this country, in America, and on the Continent, through the translations effected by the publishers of the Series. What amount of influence it exercised in modifying the spiritualistic doctrine of the soul, as finally adjusted by Aquinas and adopted by the Christian Church at large, I have no precise means of determining. I am not aware that any effective reply has ever been made to its arguments. Indeed, so far as I know, a refutation has been seldom attempted.

In the same year was planned A First English Grammar, which, with the Key, was ready in the year following.

Applications had frequently been made to induce me to prepare a first or introductory grammar to pave the way to the higher. This was carried out towards the end of 1871, on the plan and with the views indicated in the preface. The speciality of the work was to provide a series of explanations and exercises of a purely logical character to be gone through in advance of the proper grammatical

topics.

66 A FIRST ENGLISH GRAMMAR."

315

How far teachers in using the grammar carried the pupils through this preliminary part, I never exactly ascertained. It was quite possible to dispense with it and accept the definitions of the parts of speech and so on, explaining these in the usual fashion of all grammars. To ease the teacher's labour and increase the grammatical discipline, a key was drawn up exclusively by Minto, and grammar and key were brought out together, and at once reproduced in America through Henry Holt & Co. of New York. Publication took place in January, 1872.

Winter Session, 1872-73, and Recess following.

The

The first months of 1873 were associated with the final stages of Mind and Body and the forwarding of Grote's Minor Works. In the month of March, occurred the first election of a School Board in Aberdeen, under Lord Young's Education Act. The contest turned almost exclusively on the point of religious education, and became very hot. religious sects concurred in adopting a set of candidates pledged to the maintenance of religious teaching; while, to secure the support of the Episcopalians, they agreed to drop the Shorter Catechism. The secular party put forward six candidates, who were all defeated with the exception of myself. I was able to attend only the first meeting before going abroad, and was the proposer of Dr. Pirie as chairman.

Immediately afterwards, we set out for London. During a few days' stay there, I saw Mill once at

his rooms in Albert Mansions, and, again, at a reception given by Lord and Lady Amberley. Leaving London, we started for Italy; going through Paris and the Mont Cenis Tunnel to Turin, thence to Genoa, and by the Apennines to Spezzia. The next visit was to Florence, where we stayed a week. Besides the usual sights of the place, we had the opportunity of seeing the anatomical models in wax that had been manufactured under the auspices of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Thence we went to Bologna, Padua, and Venice-which last was reached on Wednesday, the 7th of May. On Saturday, I called for letters at the Post Office and was blocked by the difficulty of not producing a passport. I was told there were several telegrams; but they were refused, and only got through being delivered at the hotel. These were all forwarded from London by Minto, and contained successively the illness and the death of Mill; the news, of course, having been sent from Avignon to London. I at once resolved to make our way homewards, and take Avignon on the route, by Milan and Nice. Spending a night at Nice, I talked with Dr. Gurney, who had attended Mill. When we reached Avignon, we called at Mill's cottage and saw Miss Helen Taylor. We also called on the physician who had attended Mill, and on the Protestant pastor who was present at the funeral and

gave a prayer.

Finally, proceeding by Lyons to Paris, we saw Madame Digweed, Mill's second surviving sister.

The French Assembly was then meeting at Versailles, in the theatre of the great palace; and there, we were introduced by M. Littré to a sitting. He was at that time Deputy of the Seine. M. Thiers, President of the Republic, sat among the members in the second front bench: his deposition followed the same week.

Arriving in London, in the beginning of June, I took the chair at a soiree given at James Heywood's to discuss the proposal for a testimonial to Mill. This had been mooted by Arthur Arnold, and his forwardness gave umbrage to Mill's more intimate friends; with the result that my business as chairman was to soothe the irritation expressed by various individuals on that point. Still, being once mooted, it seemed on the whole advisable to proceed with the proposal; and a special meeting for the purpose took place in Willis's rooms, Roebuck being in the chair. In consequence, however, of some disagreeable remarks with reference to Arnold's forwardness, Roebuck withdrew his name from the Committee and took no further share in the movement.

I returned to Aberdeen, in the end of June, and began to take part in the School Board proceedings.