Nor are his new Politicks any better than his new Language; he tells us,that the keeping 'Dunkirk undemolish'd in our Hands, is our Security against all the Princes concerned 'befides France; i. e. against the Confederates, as well as against France. It may be a Security against the Confederates, but while it is fo, it cannot be a Security against France. France can neither apprehend, nor feel any 'Mischief from it, whilst it is a Bridle against the Confederates. The Reafon is plain, France has it in its Power to Demolish it when it will. The IXth Article fays, France is to Demolish it in fo many Months time; thofe Months are expired, and therefore France can demolish it when it will: And whenever France apprehends any Danger from Dunkirk undemolish'd, it will demolish it immediately. 'Tis therefore plainly for the • Good and Intereft of France, that Dunkirk is undemolish'd. What, do we think we have made a Tool of France?

Upon the whole Matter, if there were no other Reason, Argument, or Motive in the 'World, for the Demolition of Dunkirk, but the Content and Eafinefs of France in feeing ' it not demolished, it were fufficient to move 'an honeft Englishman to hope, and wish, and pray, that it might be immediately demolish'd; and that fome other Bridle might be found out to keep in the Confederates, than that which is in the French Dominions, and may, whenever France pleafes, (let us talk what 'we will) be in the French Hands. What if • Dunkirk fhould be befieged, can the poor British Garrison defend it? Shall we raise

an

· an Army to recover it? Dunkirk undemolish ed may be loft, taken, betrayed, and got again into the Hands of France. Dunkirk demolished is a Fisher-Town again, and can 'do no harm.

This Gentleman argues France has a Power, but I fay, what is more with all honest Men, France has a Right to demolish it; and who fhall refift it, when the great King of France has both Power and Right to demolish it? But alas! who knows how long it will be in his Majefty's Will to do it?

I cannot forbear wishing he had depofited the Mony in our Hands, before our Sufpenfion of Arms, for the Demolition. I could name proper Perfons, that would have been gladly employed in that work, and fome of them are begging in our Streets.

The King at that time was low enough, if England had ftood out, to have granted that Demand; but it is an human weakness not to preferve fo lively a Senfe of a past Benefit, as we had at the Inftant of receiving it. It was thought an hard Article to defire him to Dethrone his Grandfon, tho' he had fent him to take, what we then believ'd, another Man's Country: Suppofe he should, tho' he has put it into other People's Poffeffion, at last take Compaffion of his own Town?

It has coft, to put it in its prefent Condition, above Six Millions; and it would go to a Man's Heart to part with what coft fo dear: But he is bound by Treaty, and he must do it, if he pleases.

But as there is this Letter published on my fide, there is another Pamphlet come out on

the

the Examiner's. It is Entituled, Reafons con. cerning the immediate Demolishing of Dunkirk being a Serious Enquiry into the State and Condition of that Affair. I like this Man better than any of the reft, for he does not give me ill Language, 'till he gives his Reasons why I deferve it. He talks very kindly thus in the fourteenth Page:

'We can hardly exprefs how much we are beholden in this Matter to the worthy Mr. Steele, the Publisher of the Guardian, N. 128. I will not be fo unjust to him, as to call him the Author: who has effectually • fet us right in this Matter, and has rescued the Town and Harbour of Dunkirk from the depreciating Arts of our Party-Men; who, it was to be feared, would have brought it " at loft fo low, that we might have been made believe, the King of France, if we should of fer to give it him again, would not accept of

it.

But the Guardian has taken the Courage to do Justice to the Dunkirkers, and of Confequence to the Ministry, in fecuring fuch · a Place in the Poffeffion of the Queen; for ' he has told us exprefly, that to take Dunkirk 'from the French, is removing France two. or three hundred Miles from us; that they ' have not any Port where they can fit out a. ny Fleet 'till they come to Breft; that it is of the laft Confequence to Britain, that it 'fhould no more be in the French Power; that the Injury we have received from them is Ineftimable. His words follow:

That when Dunkirk is demolished, the Power of France, on that fide, fhould it ever

be

be turned against us, will be removed several hundred Miles farther off of Great Britain than it is at prefent. Vide Guardian, No. 128.

As this is an undoubted Teftimony given to the Zeal of the Ministry, in taking hold of the present Conjun&ture, to get that im"portant Fortress into our Hands, and is the greatest and most juft Panegyrick which Mr. • Steele ever made upon any great Action in the World; and which, no doubt, he did in "Honour to the Queen, and the prefent Go'vernment; and that the faid Mr. Steele has 'gained the juft Approbation of all Her Majefty's good Subjects for fo doing: fo it is a fair Confutation of all those weak things ⚫ which had been advanced by a Party among us, in Prejudice of the late Negotiations: But above all, that it is an unanswerable Argument against our too foon parting with,. or too haftily Demolishing this important Place, which is of fuch Confequence to the Nation; and I cannot doubt, but Mr. Steele did it that Juftice with this intent. For it is 'impoffible a Man of his Penetration, and of his exquifite Politicks, could argue He grows in Jeft here at last, for he knows as well as I do, that I am no great Politician; and I know what he is, perhaps, a little better than he Thinks. But I fhall treat him as the Man whom I suppose him to be, tho' he has not me, as the Man he knows me to be. This Author you fee, allows me (tho' he did not think it was in me) to have done a laudable thing towards the Miniftry, in my Representation of the great Service the Demolition of Dunkirk would be: but his Anger against me is raised for the Point

of

of Time; Why must the Demolition be imme diate? My Reasons are as follow:

First, We have no Right to keep it, but in order to the Demolition of it.

Secondly, The Time was lapfed, within which it was to be demolished.

But why did I fay the British Nation expe& it should be immediately demolished, when the British Parliament had granted Mony to fubfift the Garrison of Dunkirk till next Christmas.

This is no Argument that the British Parliament did not expect the immediate Demolition; but it is indeed an Argument that the Parliament had a good Confidence in the Ministry, and were unwilling to diftrefs them: For if the Demolition had began the Day after the Parliament rofe, it might honestly have been retarded by ftrefs of Weather, and other Accidents, till a New Parliament fhould fit at Christmas; and if all things should have favoured, and the Demolition had been now perfected, my Lord High Treasurer would stand chargeable to the Nation with the Mony for the Garrison to Christmas.

As for what he fays about our Allies, and fomething to be expected from them, I cannot comprehend what he means; but whatever he means, and however juft Demands we may have upon them, his moft Chriftian Majesty will not think it any Reafon for delaying the Demolition of a Town in his Dominions, in the hands of another Prince, for Reafons of State to that Prince, and not to his French Majesty himself.

Really