Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 17.djvu/170

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HE lawyers, as their last effort to put off the composition, sent don Diego to John. Don Diego was a very worthy gentleman, a friend to John, his mother, and present wife and therefore supposed to have some influence over her: he had been ill-used himself by John's lawyers: but, because of some animosity to sir Roger, was against the composition : the conference between him and Mrs. Bull was word for word as follows:

D D. Is it possible, cousin Bull, that you can forget the honourable maxims of the family you are come of, and break your word with three of the honestest, best meaning persons in the world, esquire South, Frog, and Hocus, that have sacrificed their interests to yours? It is base to take advantage of their simplicity and credulity, and leave them in the lurch at last.

Mrs. B. I am sure they have left my family in a bad condition, we have hardly money to go to market