Most young men of generous mind have their heroes, especially if
they be book-readers. Thus Allan Cunningham, when a mason's
apprentice in Nithsdale, walked all the way to Edinburgh for the
sole purpose of seeing Sir Walter Scott as he passed along the
street. We unconsciously admire the enthusiasm of the lad, and
respect the impulse which impelled him to make the journey. It is
related of Sir Joshua Reynolds, that when a boy of ten, he thrust
his hand through intervening rows of people to touch Pope, as if
there were a sort of virtue in the contact. At a much later
period, the painter Haydon was proud to see and to touch Reynolds
when on a visit to his native place. Rogers the poet used to tell
of his ardent desire, when a boy, to see Dr. Johnson; but when his
hand was on the knocker of the house in Bolt Court, his courage
failed him, and he turned away. So the late Isaac Disraeli, when
a youth, called at Bolt Court for the same purpose; and though be
HAD the courage to knock, to his dismay he was informed by the
servant that the great lexicographer had breathed his last only a
few hours before.

On the contrary, small and ungenerous minds cannot admire
heartily. To their own great misfortune, they cannot recognise,
much less reverence, great men and great things. The mean nature
admires meanly. The toad's highest idea of beauty is his toadess.
The small snob's highest idea of manhood is the great snob. The
slave-dealer values a man according to his muscles. When a Guinea
trader was told by Sir Godfrey Kneller, in the presence of Pope,
that he saw before him two of the greatest men in the world, he
replied: "I don't know how great you may be, but I don't like your
looks. I have often bought a man much better than both of you
together, all bones and muscles, for ten guineas!"