[Letter] 1846 Nov. 28, India House [to Nassau William] Senior

                   India House
                    28th Nov.
                      1846

My dear Senior
   The friend whom I this 
morning mentioned to you, Mr 
Alexander Bain, has taught 
the Moral Philosophy Class 
at Marischal College Aberdeen 
for three years after the 
late Professor became
superannuated, & with 
great approbation & success. 
On the Professor's death  
Mr Bain was strongly recommended 
to the late government by ten 
of the other Professors to 
receive the appointment, but 
Sir J. Graham professed appointing 
a man of inferior claims 
with the word Reverend 
before his name.
Mr Bain was of great use 
to me in the improvement 
of my Logic, to which he 
supplied several useful thoughts 
& a large proportion of the 
examples, especially of these 
drawn from physical science. 
I have hardly ever known 
in any man, anything like 
the combination of acquirements 
in physical & mental science
which he possesses: in 
both he is moreover an 
original inquirer, & I feel 
the utmost confidence in his 
being the originator of 
important improvements 
in the mental sciences 
if he is enable to devote
himself to them. I am 
sure he would shed lustre 
upon any College, to which 
he might be attached in 
any of the departments
connected with Mind. 
This didactic aptitude has 
been shewn at Aberdeen 
& elsewhere, & he has 
made the art of communicating 
truth by lectures & 
discussion a particular 
study.
       Yours ever
            J.S.Mill