Yet，withallthisreadinessofattention，andwithallthiszealincollectingthesentimentsofthewellinformed，neverwasamanmorecompletelyuninfluencedbyauthoritythanSirAlexanderBall，neveronewhosoughtlesstotranquillisehisowndoubtsbythemeresuffrageandcoincidenceofothers。Theablestsuggestionshadnoconclusiveweightwithhim，tillhehadabstractedtheopinionfromitsauthor，tillhehadreduceditintoapartofhisownmind。Thethoughtsofotherswerealwaysacceptable，asaffordinghimatleastachanceofaddingtohismaterialsforreflection；buttheyneverdirectedhisjudgment，muchlesssupersededit。Heevenmadeapointofguardingagainstadditionalconfidenceinthesuggestionsofhisownmind，fromfindingthatapersonoftalentshadformedthesameconviction；unlesstheperson，atthesametime，furnishedsomenewargument，orhadarrivedatthesameconclusionbyadifferentroad。
Onthelattercircumstancehesetanespecialvalue，and，Imayalmostsay，courtedthecompanyandconversationofthosewhosepursuitshadleastresembledhisown，ifhethoughtthemmenofclearandcomprehensivefaculties。Duringtheperiodofourintimacy，scarcelyaweekpassedinwhichhedidnotdesiremetothinkonsomeparticularsubject，andtogivehimtheresultinwriting。Mostfrequently，bythetimeIhadfulfilledhisrequesthewouldhavewrittendownhisownthoughts；andthen，withthetruesimplicityofagreatmind，asfreefromostentationasitwasabovejealousy，hewouldcollatethetwopapersinmypresence，andneverexpressedmorepleasurethaninthefewinstancesinwhichIhadhappenedtolightonalltheargumentsandpointsofviewwhichhadoccurredtohimself，withsomeadditionalreasonswhichhadescapedhim。A
singlenewargumentdelightedhimmorethanthemostperfectcoincidence，unless，asbeforestated，thetrainofthoughthadbeenverydifferentfromhisown，andyetjustandlogical。Hehadonequalityofmind，whichIhaveheardattributedtothelateMr。Fox，thatofderivingakeenpleasurefromclearandpowerfulreasoningforitsownsake——aqualityintheintellectwhichisnearlyconnectedwithveracityandaloveofjusticeinthemoralcharacter。
Valuinginothersmeritswhichhehimselfpossessed，SirAlexanderBallfeltnojealousapprehensionofgreattalent。Unlikethosevulgarfunctionaries，whoseplaceistoobigforthem，atruthwhichtheyattempttodisguisefromthemselves，andyetfeel，hewasundernonecessityofarminghimselfagainstthenaturalsuperiorityofgeniusbyfactitiouscontemptandanindustriousassociationofextravaganceandimpracticability，witheverydeviationfromtheordinaryroutine；asthegeographersinthemiddleagesusedtodesignateontheirmeagremapsthegreaterpartoftheworldasdesertsorwildernesses，inhabitedbygriffinsandchimaeras。
Competenttoweigheachsystemorprojectbyitsownarguments，hedidnotneedthesepreventivecharmsandcautionaryamuletsagainstdelusion。Heendeavouredtomaketalentinstrumentaltohispurposesinwhatevershapeitappeared，andwithwhateverimperfectionsitmightbeaccompanied；butwherevertalentwasblendedwithmoralworth，hesoughtitout，lovedandcherishedit。IfithadpleasedProvidencetopreservehislife，andtoplacehimonthesamecourseonwhichNelsonranhisraceofglory，therearetwopointsinwhichSirAlexanderBallwouldmostcloselyhaveresembledhisillustriousfriend。Thefirstis，thatinhisenterprisesandengagementshewouldhavethoughtnothingdone，tillallhadbeendonethatwaspossible：-