Page:Conversations, between James Block, Esq. and Millar, the editor of the Monthly Miscellany.pdf/3

3 Millar—I think, Mr Block, you have a great deal of impudence, to come and treat me in such a manner 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, and heard with your own ears, what I said,  would not have had the smallest reason to be in a  about any expression that I used that evening,  these Characters you mention.

Block. It may be so, perhaps I may have got a bad et of it.

Millar. I recollect quite well, Sir, of that part of my discourse to which you allude. My Essay was "The causes of the different Seasons of the year." treating of vegetation in Spring, I said 'Shall we 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,  even the necessaries of life, without which we could  exist? The man who makes two blades of grass grow, where only one grew before, deserves far  of the world than either an Alexander, a Charles  Twelfth, a Nelson, a Blucher, or a Wellington;  employments have been to diminish the numbers  the human race, and for which they have been  with glory, and adored as demi-gods, while the Husbandman has been considered as a poor  Clown". So Sir, you see that you are placed in  same predicament, for you adore Nelson, Blucher,  Wellington as demi-gods.

Block. No, I do not, I consider them only as men myself. But men whose love of their country red their bosoms to heroic actions. If such men had arisen our Tight Little Island would have been  ruined. Buonaparte, that base usurper of the Crown of France, would have deprived us of our as a Nation, and reduced us to the situation of  slaves.