and without common sense; makes his Mock-minister a composition of insolence, malice, and a small talent for ridicule, yet is not half so odious as the Mock-patriot who drest him; who, while he counterfeits publick virtue, is infamously abusing the publick; clothes himself with the love of his country, while he is making a jest of it; and injures the community, while he pretends the highest regard for it; and who, because we have tried all possible ways to preserve the peace, calls our ministers Dupes of all the powers of Europe, political Mendicants, strolling about from court to court.
The Craftsman having advanc'd, that we are inexcuseable for not having foreseen and prevented these conjunctures in which nothing can be done which is not a fault to do; our author asks, what conjunctures those are, in which a man is not at liberty to act reasonably and honestly? or can it be a fault so to act?
By the treaty of Seville we only yielded to Spain a point, which, in real interest, concerned some of the contending powers. It could hardly be imagin'd that the Emperor would have put himself to the expence, or hazard of a war, for the small deviation of the Quadruple Alliance, had he not been informed, that the allies could not agree about the war; or that they disagreed about the scene of action; or, for the sake of peace, the allies might all concur to wait one Year to see what the Emperor would do. Any of these suppositions affords a reason why the treaty of Seville is not yet executed.
As to the queries put by the craftsman, (p. 4.) they are all ask'd for the sake of the two last, which demand, Will not this measure of making up with the Emperor be attended with worse consequences than turning out the minister? and ——— Will the objections against it, be so strong, if manag'd by another hand? ——— he answers no; for persons don't alter the relation of things, or change the nature of actions. If it is reasonable, 'tis equally so whoever does it.
London Journal, Jan. 23. No. 599.
BY the behaviour of the ministry for some years past, it evidently appears, that the preserving the peace of Europe, and securing the trade and prosperity of the kingdom, has been their greatest concern; but whether means taken to that end have been always right, is not so easily determin'd.
The sword indeed might have cut our way to peace, and added to our glory, but the event might have prov'd a general war. ——— Our ministry thought wisdom better than power. To this end, when our enemies arm'd we put ourselves in a posture of defence; we suffer'd little insults, as a proof that we were willing to be one with a nation with whom it is our interest to be one. To this end we united those who were disjoin'd, and separated those who were united; still avoiding a war.
But while the ministry have been industrious in preventing confusions, and watching opportunities of accommodating differences, their adversaries have practis'd all imaginary ways to insult and embarrass them.
Osborne clears himself from the imputation which the Craftsman had charg'd him with, viz. that the supposition that we are going to unite with the Emperor, will be attended with perfidy, infraction of treaties, and violation of faith.
London Journal, Jan. 30. No. 600.
THIS Journal contains observations on Mr. Oldcastle's minutes of Q. Elizabeth's reign, which he affirms is a collection of Scraps without order or method, coherence or connexion, being sounds without sense, confusedly thrown at the present administration. See p. 3.
Admits
