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No crime in affirming it, if it be truth. I will, for once, allow his propofition. But, if it be false, then I affirm, that whoever advanceth fo feditious a falfhood, deferves to be hanged. Doth he mean by the houfe of Bourbon, the two kings of France and Spain? If fo, I reject his meaning, which would infinuate, that the interefts and defigns of both those princes will be the fame; whereas, they are more oppofite than thofe of any two other monarchs in Chriftendom. This is the old foolish flander fo frequently flung upon the peace, and as frequently refuted. Thefe factious undertakers of the prefs, write with great advantage; they ftrenuously affirm a thoufand falfhoods, without fear, wit, confcience, or knowledge;. and we, who anfwer them, must be at the expence of an argument for each; after which, in the very next pamphlet, we fee the fame affertions produced again, without the least notice of what hath been faid to difprove them. By the houfe of Bourbon, doth he mean only the French King for the time being? If fo, and his affertion be true, then that Prince muft either deal with the devil, or elfe the money and blood spent in our ten years victories against him, might as well have continued in the purfes and veins of her Majesty's fubjects.

But the particular affertions of this author, are eafier detected, than his general ones: I fhall therefore proceed upon examining the former. For inftance: I defire him to afk the Dutch, who can best inform him, why they delivered up Traer

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bach to the Imperialifts? for, as to the QUEEN, her Majefty was never once confulted in it; whatever his preceptors, the politicians of Button's coffee-houfe, may have informed him to the contrary.

Mr. Steele affirms, that "the French have be"gun the demolition of Dunkirk, contemptu"oufly and arbitrarily, their own way." The governor of the town, and thofe gentlemen entrufted with the infpection of this work, do affure me, that the fact is altogether otherwife; that the method prefcribed by those whom her Majefty employs, hath been exactly followed, and that the works are already demolished. I will venture to tell him further, that the demolition was fo long deferred, in order to remove those difficulties, which the Barrier-treaty hath put us under; and the event hath fhewn, that it was prudent to proceed no fafter, until thofe difficul ties were got over. The mole and harbour could' not be destroyed, until the fhips were got out; which, by reafon of fome profound fecrets of ftate, did not happen until the other day. Who gave him thefe juft fufpicions, that the mole and barbour vill never be deftroyed? what is it he would now infinuate; that the miniftry is bribed to leave the most important part of the work undone; or that the Pretender is to invade us from thence; or that the QUEEN hath entered into a confpiracy with her fervants, to prevent the good effects of the peace, for no other end, but to lofe

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the affections of her people, and endanger her· felf?

Inftead of any further information, which I could easily give, but which no honeft man can want, I venture to affirm, that the mole and harbour of Dunkirk will, in a fhort time, be most effectually deftroyed; and, at the fame time, I venture to prophefy, that neither Mr. Steele, nor his faction, will ever confefs they believe it.

After all, it is a little hard, that the QUEEN cannot be allowed to demolish this town, in whatever manner she pleases to fancy. Mr. Steele must have it done his own way, and is angry the French have pretended to do it theirs; and yet he wrongs them into the bargain. For my own part, I do feriously think the moft Chriftian King to be a much better friend of her Majefty's, than Mr. Steele, or any of his faction. Befides, it is to be confidered, that he is a monarch, and a relation; and therefore, if I were a privy counfellor, and my advice to be asked, which of, thofe two GENTLEMEN BORN* fhould have the direction in the demolition of Dunkirk, I would give it for the former; because I look upon Mr. Steele, in quality of a member of his party, to be much more skilful in demolishing at home, than abroad.

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There is a profpect of more danger to the balance of Europe, and to the trade of Britain, from the Emperor over-running Italy, than from France over-running the empire: that

Mr. Steele often styles himself fo

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his Imperial Majesty entertains fuch thoughts, is vifible to the world: and although little can be faid to justify many actions of the French King, yet the worst of them have never equalled the Emperor's arbitrarily keeping the poffeffion of Milan, directly contrary to his oath, and to the exprefs words of the golden bull, which oblige him to deliver up every fief that falls, or else they muft all, in the course of time, lapse into his own hands.

I was at a lofs, who it was that Mr. Steele hinted at fome time ago, by " the powerful hand "that deals out crowns and kingdoms all around "us" I now plainly find, he meant no other hand but his own. He hath dealt out the crown of Spain to France; to France he hath given leave to invade the empire next fpring, with two hundred thousand men; and now at last, he deals to France the imperial dignity; fo farewel, liberty; Europe will be French. But in order to bring all this about, the capital of Auftria, the refidence of his Imperial Majesty, must continue to be vifited by the plague, of which the Emperor must die, and fo the thing is done.

Why should not I venture to deal out one fceptre, in my turn, as well as Mr. Steele? I therefore deal out the empire to the Elector of Saxony, upon failure of iffue to this Emperor at his death; provided the whigs will prevail on the fon to turn papift to get an empire, as they did upon the father to get a kingdom. Or, if this Prince be not approved of, I deal it out, in his ftead, to the Elector of Bavaria: and, in one or other of

thefe,

thefe, I dare engage to have all Christendom to fecond me, whatever the fpleen, in the fhape of politics, may dictate to the author of the Crifis.

The defign of Mr. Steele, in reprefenting the circumftances of the affairs of Europe, is to fignify to the world, that all Europe is put in the high road to flavery, by the corruption of her Majefty's prefent minifters; and fo he goes on to Portugal; which, "having during the war fupplied "us with gold, in exchange for our woollen ma"nufacture, hath only at present a fufpenfion of "arms for its protection, to laft no longer than "till the Catalonians are reduced; and then the "old pretenfions of Spain to Portugal will be "revived:" and Portugal, when once enflaved by Spain, falls naturally with the rest of Europe into the gulf of France. In the mean time, let us fee, what relief a little truth can give this unhappy kingdom. That Portugal hath yet no more than a fufpenfion of arms, they may thank themselves, because they came fo late into the treaty; and, that they came fo late, they may thank the whigs, whofe falfe representations they were fo weak to believe. However, the QUEEN hath voluntarily given them a guarantee to defend them against Spain, until the peace shall be made; and fuch terms, after the peace, are stipulated for them, as the Portuguese themselves are contented with.

Having mentioned the Catalonians, he puts the question, Who can name the Catalonians without a tear? That can I; for he hath told fo ma

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