Character | Page 9

spontaneous fruit of the mind. It was a
noble gift of his original nature--a gift which beyond all others it was
delightful to observe, delightful also to remember in connection with
him who has left us, and with whom we have no longer to do, except in
endeavouring to profit by his example wherever it can lead us in the
path of duty and of right, and of bestowing on him those tributes of
admiration and affection which he deserves at our hands."
The great leader attracts to himself men of kindred character, drawing
them towards him as the loadstone draws iron. Thus, Sir John Moore
early distinguished the three brothers Napier from the crowd of officers
by whom he was surrounded, and they, on their part, repaid him by
their passionate admiration. They were captivated by his courtesy, his
bravery, and his lofty disinterestedness; and he became the model
whom they resolved to imitate, and, if possible, to emulate. "Moore's
influence," says the biographer of Sir William Napier, "had a signal
effect in forming and maturing their characters; and it is no small glory
to have been the hero of those three men, while his early discovery of
their mental and moral qualities is a proof of Moore's own penetration
and judgment of character."
There is a contagiousness in every example of energetic conduct. The
brave man is an inspiration to the weak, and compels them, as it were,
to follow him. Thus Napier relates that at the combat of Vera, when the
Spanish centre was broken and in flight, a young officer, named
Havelock, sprang forward, and, waving his hat, called upon the
Spaniards within sight to follow him. Putting spurs to his horse, he
leapt the abbatis which protected the French front, and went headlong
against them. The Spaniards were electrified; in a moment they dashed
after him, cheering for "EL CHICO BLANCO!" (the fair boy), and
with one shock they broke through the French and sent them flying
downhill. (12)
And so it is in ordinary life. The good and the great draw others after
them; they lighten and lift up all who are within reach of their influence.
They are as so many living centres of beneficent activity. Let a man of
energetic and upright character be appointed to a position of trust and

authority, and all who serve under him become, as it were, conscious of
an increase of power. When Chatham was appointed minister, his
personal influence was at once felt through all the ramifications of
office. Every sailor who served under Nelson, and knew he was in
command, shared the inspiration of the hero.
When Washington consented to act as commander-in-chief, it was felt
as if the strength of the American forces had been more than doubled.
Many years late; in 1798, when Washington, grown old, had withdrawn
from public life and was living in retirement at Mount Vernon, and
when it seemed probable that France would declare war against the
United States, President Adams wrote to him, saying, "We must have
your name, if you will permit us to use it; there will be more efficacy in
it than in many an army." Such was the esteem in which the great
President's noble character and eminent abilities were held by his
countrymen! (13)
An incident is related by the historian of the Peninsular War,
illustrative of the personal influence exercised by a great commander
over his followers. The British army lay at Sauroren, before which
Soult was advancing, prepared to attack, in force. Wellington was
absent, and his arrival was anxiously looked for. Suddenly a single
horseman was seen riding up the mountain alone. It was the Duke,
about to join his troops. One of Campbell's Portuguese battalions first
descried him, and raised a joyful cry; then the shrill clamour, caught up
by the next regiment, soon swelled as it ran along the line into that
appalling shout which the British soldier is wont to give upon the edge
of battle, and which no enemy ever heard unmoved. Suddenly he
stopped at a conspicuous point, for he desired both armies should know
he was there, and a double spy who was present pointed out Soult, who
was so near that his features could be distinguished. Attentively
Wellington fixed his eyes on that formidable man, and, as if speaking
to himself, he said: "Yonder is a great commander; but he is cautious,
and will delay his attack to ascertain the cause of those cheers; that will
give time for the Sixth Division to arrive, and I shall beat him"--which
he did. (14)

In some cases, personal character acts by a kind of talismanic influence,
as if certain men were the organs of a sort of supernatural force. "If I
but stamp on the ground