He was an absolute gem of a man. Joseph Merrick was born with a pleasant, urbane temperament, and an appreciation for art and the stage that eclipsed that of even the most refined Victorian noble. All of the tragedy he had to endure did nothing to quell his love for beautiful things. That's really amazing, because most people have to be "bred" into appreciating beautiful things, through years of school and social encouragement, and usually not even that suffices. For Joseph, it came natural, and not even 20 years of the utmost degradation could suppress it. Joseph Merrick was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.
I'm actually such a fan of Merrick that, in my wallet, I carry around a print of a little poem he would attach to his stationary. He's one of my heroes!