He concludes by reducing his harangue into a kind of problematical order, and makes a great many bold interrogatories, and answering of which, he imagines, would lay his opponents under the dilemma, of disapproving their own conduct, or allowing the justness of his arguments; such as these; _Will our M----r execute the treaty of ~Seville~, or will he not? would a Reconciliation at ~Vienna~, tho’ justifiable in other persons, be so in him? hath not the ~Emperor~ shewn that he does not fear us? will he not affect to show that he doth not want us?_ and many other queries to the like purpose. See _London Journal_ of the 16th. p. 6, 7. and _Free Briton_ of the 14th, p. 16, 17. Craftsman, _Jan. 16._ No. 237. Complains of the hardship that the authors of the _Craftsman_ lye under; that a certain gentleman makes use of his authority to restrain their pens, while he employs others to throw about scandal at random; and others are suffer’d to call the authors of the _Craftsman_, traytors and villains! Makes some reflections on the _London Journal Jan. 9._ which had took to pieces his _Hague_ Letter, concerning the report of a negotiation at _Vienna_. Mr _Osborne_ in the _London Journal_ having exposed a paradox from the _Craftsman_, that the ministry are never right; when they do what the _Craftsmen_ count wrong: and yet wrong, when they do what the _Craftsmen_ count right; the _Craftsman_ observes, that ’tis allow’d that an accommodation with the Emperor is a right measure, but attended with fatal consequences, and almost insuperable difficulties; because such measures might be resented by other courts as an infraction of treaties, which Mr. _Osborne_ says, were only occasional and temporal. The _Craftsman_ supposes these alliances to be such, but then asks, Will our allies understand ’em in the same sense! If not, what may be the consequences? As to what the _Craftsman_ had granted, that the fulness of time was come to desert one ally, and to Mr. _Osborne_’s reasons for such desertion, he replies by demanding, Whether it was not equally reasonable long ago? _Osborne_ had ask’d----if upon the non-execution of this treaty, occasion’d by the different views of the allies, another court should grow stubborn, what must we do? This the _Craftsman_ answers by another question, that is, Whether the different views of the allies do not proceed from their different interests? Craftsman, _Jan. 23._ No. 238. From the Minutes of Mr. _Oldcastle_. This paper continues remarks on Q. _Elizabeth_’s reign; and is a long _Encomium_ on her management of treaties with foreign powers, which she always conducted in such a manner as was best suited to the good of her people and the honour and dignity of the nation. Her _Ministry_ went wisely and steadily on to their own great purposes _of preserving the peace of ~Europe~, and the trade and prosperity of the Kingdom._ (_See_ _Free Brit._ p. 8, 326.) Craftsman, _Jan. 30._ No. 239.