It amuses me to hear the talk of one of those beings described by Thackeray-- "Letters four do form his name"-- about a social development which belongs to the very noblest stage of civilization.

All generous companies of artists, authors, philanthropists, men of science, are, or ought to be, Societies of Mutual Admiration.

A man of genius, or any kind of superiority, is not debarred from admiring the same quality in another, nor the other from returning his admiration.

They may even associate together and continue to think highly of each other.

And so of a dozen such men, if any one place is fortunate enough to hold so many.