Various

“ To this purpose a law is made which tells them the consequences of it; a proper officer gives them warning; and if after this they will stay and be hang’d, ’tis their own fault.
He allows, that shou’d a Justice of the peace assume the liberty of reading the proclamation where a member of parliament is chusing, he ought to be hang’d. He don’t see how this act can injure us any other way; for while the constitution is preserv’d, and our liberties taken care of by the government, the people can’t be unjustly hurt by it. ”

“ 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. ”

“ He takes notice that the Craftsman in his reply to the pamphlet called Sedition and Defamation display’d, has not once attempted to show that the characters of two gentlemen there given are in the least unlike or injurious, and maintains that whatever is said of them in that pamphlet is indisputably true; yet observes, that the author admitted, that he who had wronged his friendship, and betrayed his confidence, came into the world with all the advantages that recommend men to the esteem, favour, and approbation of mankind. ”

“ Stonecastle, the nominal author, begins this day’s entertainment with observing that men are not born for themselves; that we are not only bound to relieve the necessities of others, but in all our dealings, &c. with mankind to render ourselves grateful to all, offensive to none, much less take pleasure in doing disagreeable things. Says there is a sett of people who are frequently committing ill-bred, rude, and even shocking things, which they excuse by only saying, ’tis their humour. ”

“ Every nation round us is arm’d, and must we alone stand naked and defenceless? If the liberties of many nations have been destroy’d by standing armies, the liberties of many have been preserv’d by them. ”

“ Asserts that the possibility of powers being abused is not a sufficient reason to strip the Government of such a security, or to lodge the safety of the King in the affections of the people, which are variable and easily seduced, and (as the Craftsman allows) very precarious, when he makes a doubt whether his present Majesty enjoys them. Not only Armies and Riot Acts, but even the very law itself, by ill designing men may be used for our destruction, which were made for our safety. But must we part with the law, because we may suffer by the law? ”

“ The regular physician is intruded upon by the empyrick; the masterly painter is slighted in favour of impudence and ignorance; the most elegant and chaste compositions of musick, are forc’d to give way to amusements less polite: Quackery interferes with trade, and undermines honesty. The pedlar stiles himself a merchant; No wonder then that authors of every character are so wretchedly personated. Exclaims against bad writers, from the Court-scribbler to the Grubstreet hackney. ”

“ In Feb. last an outcry was rais’d on [17] a pretended discovery that the ministry were making up at Vienna by an implicit guarantee of the Emperor’s succession to the Austrian Netherlands, as he should settle it; yet this could not be obtain’d of the British councils; and now we are told we are ready to lurch all our allies for his sake.
The authors of the Craftsman allow that this Treaty-breaking measure would be right, provided a certain great man was removed. As if national compacts could be dissolv’d by the change of the ministers: The nation must answer for the faith of treaties. ”

“ Near this place rests the body of Anne Oldfield, amidst so many celebrated Poets, herself not less deserving to be celebrated; for whene’er she trod the stage, her actions always illustrated and ennobled their compositions. Never was one Genius so adapted to the most different parts; she seem’d not made but born for each distinctly. ”

“ After repeating most of the points in debate, he defends his Hague letter (for which the government thought fit to call him to an account) in as much as there was nothing in it asserted, but only supposed; and adds, he has as much right to reason upon suppositions as Mr. Osborne; and to censure the conduct of ministers, as he hath to approve it; for unless the right is reciprocal, the liberty of the press is no liberty at all.
As to what Mr. Walsingham had allow’d, that we have a right to reason upon political affairs, tho’ not to lay down false facts ”

“ 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, [7] 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 ”

“ Men think that prosecutions and confinement are very hard, not considering the provocations that urg’d them; and that the worst imputations are charg’d on the councils of the crown, without the least colour of truth. The punishment inflicted on a libelling printer, bears no proportion with the wrongs thus offer’d to a great people.
Distinguishes between opinions offr’d upon national affairs, and misrepresentations of those affairs. ”

“ The Craftsman having in his said Journal advanced several arguments for the disbanding the Army and repealing the Riot Act, the Author of the London Journal undertakes here to confute them. He admits that a Government ought to have no more power than is necessary for the safety and protection, the preservation and happiness of the people, but adds that the laws alone, without a power to execute, and provide against all sudden emergencies, and possible dangers, will not answer these ends. ”

“ The author begins with observing, that tho’ the pretence of the Craftsman is liberty and patriotism, yet his real design is opposition to the court.
He then reflects on the Craftsman’s incoherent way of arguing, just as it serves to vent his spleen; for according to him the ministry are never right when they do what he counts wrong, and always wrong when they do what the Craftsman counts right. ”

“ Of this sort the most unfortunate and pitiful object is a woman of the town, who, if not quite abandon’d, gives a loose to her passion on such occasions. The consideration of her past, present, and future state, fills her with distraction, and involves her in endless evils, from which death only can deliver her. ”

“ Artemisa is exquisitely handsome, but takes the liberty of abusing every body at random, by asking ill-natur’d questions, and being witty upon others imperfections: excuses herself by saying, ’tis her way to tell unlucky truths and she can’t help it. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Whatever is the topick of discourse, he will suffer no body to talk upon it but himself; his uncle has but one hope of curing him of his folly, that is, by engaging him to talk of maritime affairs before captain Firebal of the Tempest, who, very probably, will beat him into better manners. ”

“ This conduct of the last reign, Fog says, ought to be apply’d to a person or two since dead, and not to the present ministers. Adds, that he might have spar’d his encomium of the Utrecht treaty, or shewn us the folly of cultivating a good understanding with the Emperor and Spain at the same time, by which our affairs, every where were left in a stupid calm; for had they contriv’d to make either of ’em our enemy, we should always have had a quarrel and a treaty depending, and so have given vent to our humours and money too. ”

“ Proceeds to the description of a good author; says, his principal end, in occasional writings, should be to entertain the publick innocently and genteely; to insinuate knowledge in the disguise of amusement, and trifle the world into virtue and good manners: he should consider every reader as a critick and a gentleman, and be earful of offending either: points out what a writer should observe, who would recommend himself and entertain the world ”

“ This paper begins with a piece of humourous irony; observing that as criticks never appear so disappointed as when they meet with beauties in an author; so the present sett of disaffected political writers conceive no small joy to see their country involv’d in difficulties; nor can they be worse mortified than to see this nation flourish in trade, wealth and credit.
That Osborne (writer of the London Journal) and Walsingham (of the Free Briton) affirm, That the present crew of factious writers proceeds on this principle. ”

“ England is not obliged to execute the treaty, unless the other allies will act their part.
The Craftsman charges the ministry with obstinate perseverance in bad measures, and now with a precipitate alteration of councils. This the author of this Journal denies, and says, it should be more justly called, a wise and prudent accommodating themselves to the late unfortunate juncture of affairs. Changing hands is not an alteration of councils, but a conduct which wise and honest men ought to observe. ”

“ London Evening Post, Jan. 28th. ’tis advertis’d from Whitehaven, that a vessel sailed for London, laden with the late Mr. Wood’s ore, coals, cinders, and lime-stone, to be carried to Chelsea, to give a Specimen that iron is to be made from the ore and pit-coal. A reason is demanded why Chelsea, that produces neither, is a better place to make iron, than the neighbourhood of Whitehaven, where there is plenty of both, unless there was design of imposing upon the World? ”

“ The author begins with observing that nothing has increased their society so much as poetry: We are taught it at school; if not, believe we are born poets. Every corner abounds with its professors; the bellman nightly salutes his master and mistress: the marshal, his gentlemen soldiers every Christmas; every street rings with ballads ”

“ This paper, or letter, the Journalist says, is made up of mere conjectures, and suppositions; or else insinuations, unsupported by facts or reason: justifies our ministry from the aspersion that we are undoing what we have been doing these five years; and insists that we have been continuing to do the same thing, that is, pursuing the peace and happiness of the nation by different means, as alterations happen’d, or circumstances varied. ”

“ Craftsman, No. 236.
All his oratory here is pointed at the person of a certain great man whom he represents as affecting all the qualities and requisites of the most consummate statesman, without any qualifications in him necessary for so high a post. He ridicules him for a ready habit of lying, because it is sometimes proper for a politician to conceal the truth: Charges him with a dark mysterious proceeding on all Occasions, because secrecy is requir’d in a statesman, and adds, that ’tis a proof that his secret services are great by the large sums requir’d for carrying them on. ”

“ The allies of Seville now see in what advantageous situation the treaty of Utrecht has put the Emperor in Italy. We find, that the Empire, which in the reign of Leopold, could not send 20,000 men to the Rhine or Flanders, without subsidies from England or Holland, can send 20,000 men to Italy, and maintain them there without assistance, its revenue amounting to no less than 15 millions of Florins a year. ”

“ He shou’d think himself a son of the publick and be an example of the generous spirit he would recommend; he should be able to race the passions thro’ all their disguises; have knowledge in his head, and good humour in his heart: he should be an enemy to vice, but a friend to all mankind. ”

“ A needle might be introduced into the eye, and the Retina quite remov’d. The spleen might be taken out of some vile malefactor, and an observation made whether their inclinations to evil courses depend not on a superfluity of the Atra Bilis. Another experiment he recommends as of great consequence, that is, whether the tying up one of the testicles would not determine the sex of a child begotten at such a time. By this means, he says, many illustrious families might be inform’d of a just and certain method of obtaining an heir to their estates. ”