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Millar—I think, Mr Block, you have a great deal of impudence, to come and treat me in such a manner ⟨in⟩ my own shop, whatever I said in my discourse on Saturday evening, I had a right to do so, independent of you, Sir. If you had attended upon that discourse ⟨yourself⟩, and heard with your own ears, what I said, ⟨you⟩ would not have had the smallest reason to be in a ⟨passion⟩ about any expression that I used that evening, ⟨concerning⟩ these Characters you mention.
Block. It may be so, perhaps I may have got a bad (illegible text)et of it.
Millar. I recollect quite well, Sir, of that part of my discourse to which you allude. My Essay was ⟨upon⟩ "The causes of the different Seasons of the year." ⟨On⟩ treating of vegetation in Spring, I said 'Shall we ⟨on⟩ this occasion forget the ploughman, 'who whistles o'er the furrow'd land, an' toils for us the lee lang day,' to supply us not only with the conveniences, ⟨but⟩ even the necessaries of life, without which we could ⟨not⟩ exist? The man who makes two blades of grass ⟨to⟩ grow, where only one grew before, deserves far ⟨better⟩ of the world than either an Alexander, a Charles ⟨the⟩ Twelfth, a Nelson, a Blucher, or a Wellington; ⟨whose⟩ employments have been to diminish the numbers ⟨of⟩ the human race, and for which they have been ⟨covered⟩ with glory, and adored as demi-gods, while the Husbandman has been considered as a poor ⟨Insignificant⟩ Clown". So Sir, you see that you are placed in ⟨the⟩ same predicament, for you adore Nelson, Blucher, ⟨and⟩ Wellington as demi-gods.
Block. No, I do not, I consider them only as men ⟨like⟩ myself. But men whose love of their country (illegible text)red their bosoms to heroic actions. If such men had ⟨not⟩ arisen our Tight Little Island would have been ⟨totally⟩ ruined. Buonaparte, that base usurper of the Crown of France, would have deprived us of our ⟨existence⟩ as a Nation, and reduced us to the situation of ⟨abject⟩ slaves.
