He then criticises on several other parts of the discourse, especially on those which extol the conduct of our ministry and their management of our affairs, relating to the inaction of the squadron sent to the _West Indies_, and keeping back the _Spanish_ Treasure, thereby rendring it useless, as to any dangerous purposes. The wisdom of this conduct, _Fog_ takes notice, proved itself in the Event; The _Spaniards_ were provoked; sent out their privateers, and pillag’d our merchants! As to humouring the Q. of _Spain_ in settling the _Italian_ dukedoms on Don _Carlos_, says, sneeringly, besides obliging a fair Lady, _Great Britain_ has gain’d the treaty of _Seville_! Fog’s Journal, _Jan. 30._ No. 124. _The Press_, says he, _has lately swarm’d with writing ~pro~ and ~con~, upon the present posture of affairs, by which we find that one party is of opinion, that ministers of state are no more than ~men~; t’other will have ’em to be ~angels~ (that is while they continue in power.)----Here you read, that Affairs are in no better situation than they should be----there, that we have neither past miscarriages, or present grievances to complain of, and that the nation never was in so flourishing a condition. One ~D’Anvers~, and, if I mistake not, one ~Fog~, are accused of seditiously asserting that a ~Crow~ is black, but the writers on the other side, have with infinite Wit, proved a ~black Crow~ to be the ~whitest~ bird of all the feather’d kind._ He proceeds thus merrily to remark on a pamphlet intitled, _Considerations on the present state of affairs, with regard to the Number of Forces in the Pay of ~Great Britain~_; and endeavours, in his ironical way, to overthrow the several arguments advanced by the author for maintaining the _Hessian_ troops, and concludes with giving his opinion that they will be very far from convincing the disaffected. The Grub-street Journal, _Thursday, Jan. 14._ No. 53.