The _Craftsman_ on the contrary divests the minister whose character he draws of all those _talents_ and _abilities_, without which, _power_ is not _easily acquir’d_, or _long maintain’d_. See p. 4. But the _minister’s abilities_ have been the dread and disappointment of his enemies, and have carried him thro’ innumerable difficulties for five years together, and enabled him to baffle all their attempts against him; notwithstanding he is describ’d as setting out in mean circumstances, and recommended to mankind by every bad quality, yet those who object this now, were more than ten years his associates in _private life_ as well as _publick affairs_. As to what has been said of his being _superior in impudence to all_, this author replies, that ’twas never heard that he call’d gentlemen _scoundrels_ in _publick assemblies_; reviled the _Speeches_ from the _Throne_; or, that if affairs were managed as he dictated, he would maintain his Majesty’s administration. Several other scurrilous reflections, thrown out against this honourable person, are answer’d at large in this paper, and some of them charged with notorious falshood. The British Journal: or, The Traveller, _Jan. 9._ The author mentions two evils which attend those that trade with pawnbrokers; the first is, persons who have left pledges in their hands, upon offering to redeem them, have been obliged to advance five or six shillings more than they borrow’d on them. The other is the power of the pawnbroker to defraud his customer entirely of his pledge; both which may be redress’d by obliging pawnbrokers to give a receipt to every person borrowing money on pledges, to which both borrower and lender shall subscribe their names, and each of them take a copy. In some considerations on the stage, opera’s, and the force of musick, he says, that an opera ought to be as regularly conducted, and the characters as justly maintain’d; the same end propos’d, and as large room for the exercise of a fine genius, as in tragedy or comedy. That a compleat opera set to musick would have an advantage over tragedy. Is not pleased with the _Recitativo_ of an opera, because ’tis the musick of the songs only that dwell on the memory. Distinguishes between the grand-opera and those ballad-opera’s now in vogue, which latter, if well set to musick, might deserve applause. Commends _Addison_’s _Rosamond_ as a beautifull piece of poetry, both in fable and language. In it is maintain’d the dignity of tragedy, the humour of comedy, and the principal end of opera’s; _i. e._ the encouragement of virtue, discouraging vice, and probability through the whole is preserv’d. The British Journal, _Jan. 23._