Smooth. Mr. Blunt, tho’ you speak thus in Derision, yet if you reflect with Seriousness, the Delay of a Remedy so extraordinary as the Repeal of the Septennial is, till after the War, will not seem so unmeet to you as it appears at present.
Blunt. Dost think the Repeal would abate the Courage of our Soldiers and Seamen, and raise that of the Enemy? Dost think it would pall the Appetites of those greedy Germans, that now and long have done us the Honour to receive Subsidies from us? Wou’d the Queen of Hungary and King of Sardinia receive English Money the less freely; or defend their own Territories the less carefully, if general Content should be spread throughout this Island, powerful as much or more by the Union of its Inhabitants, as by their Bravery and Wealth? Would our good Allies the Dutch be deafer to our Intreaties, or slower in their Motions than they have been of late, should they see the very Fountain of our Corruption and Venality dry’d up by a Legislative Spunge?
Over. Would our A—ls and G—ls have less Sense, Experience, Courage and Honesty, if they were to go to Market with their Bank-bills, but every Third Year?
Smooth. You forget that your favourite A—l was lately courted at many Markets without the Aid of Bank-bills.
Over. No, Sir; I don’t forget that his Merit had endeared him to the People, and render’d him hateful to—— Mi-Mi—Mi—Ministers.—’Sflesh! I thought I could never keep down another Word which would force itself in the room of Ministers.—— But enough of that. No, Mr. Smoothwell, I forget not that that gallant, honest Man has not been thought of in the present Change, tho’ his Valour, Experience, Probity, and good Sense, can’t be called in question.
Sir John. Truly I wonder’d when I saw not his Name among the List of C—rs of a certain Board.
Broad. There are certain Prejudices, which, in Prudence, we were obliged to overlook when we could not surmount them.
Sir John. I don’t at all question but there was a Prejudice to you all; but when you were able to conquer that which was always supposed to be conceived against you personally, Mr. Broadbottom, I should not wonder you could surmount all Prejudice whatever.
Over. Pr’ythee, Bottom, how came it practicable to ram one of your uncommon Size, down the narrow squeamish Throat of ——? again, another Word would intrude on the Word Ministers.
Blunt. I’ll tell thee; to take away from us all our Props; to strip us of our Leaders; in short, to leave no Speaker or Man of known Merit behind—