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