He had felt some pride - he acknowledged it freely, and let his enemies make the most of it - he had felt some pride when he presented his Tittlebatian Theory to the world. It might be celebrated or it might not. (A cry of "It is," and great cheering.) He would take the assertion of that honourable Pickwickian whose voice he had just heard - it was celebrated; but if the fame of that treatise were to extend to the farthest confines of the known world, the pride with which he would reflect on the authorship of that production would be as nothing compared with the pride with which he looked around him, on this, the proudest moment of his existence.

He was a humble individual. ("No, no.") Still he could not but feel that they had selected him for a service of great honour, and of some danger. Travelling was in a troubled state, and the minds of coachmen were unsettled. Let them look abroad and contemplate the scenes which were happening in the world around them. Stage-coaches were upsetting in all directions, horses were bolting, boats were overturning, and boilers were bursting in their engine rooms. (Cheers - a voice "No.") No! (Cheers.) Let that honourable Pickwickian who cried "No" so loudly come forward and deny it, if he could. (Cheers.) Who was it that cried "No"? (Enthusiastic cheering.)

Vocabulary:

Celebrated: Here it means 'famous'.
Assertion: Strong statement.
Treatise: A detailed report on a subject.
Confines: Borders.
Humble: Opposite of proud and arrogant.
Unsettled: Troubled, uneasy.
Contemplate: Look at and think about.
Upsetting: Here it means falling over.
Bolting: Running off.