He takes notice of the _Craftsman_’s method of drawing of characters, in which he offends all the laws of honesty, propriety and decorum; charges without evidence or reason, 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.