Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 18.djvu/126

112 the garden before St. James's house, that the lady, the queen's fostersister, might judge of his mien, whether he were a sightly man, and, by his appearance, qualified for so great an employment. To carry the imposture farther, one Sunday, when, in the lord chamberlain's absence, Mr. vicechamberlain led her majesty to chapel, don Guzman, being there with his solicitor, said to him, with an expressive sneer, and a sort of rapture, "Ah, sir, what happiness! I am ravished to think of it. I wish your friend was here now, to see the vicechamberlain handing the queen: I would make him give the other thousand pounds for his employment."

These are the circumstances of this story, as near as I can remember. How the ingenious don could have got off clean from this business, I cannot possibly imagine: but it unfortunately happened, that he was not put to the trial of showing his dexterity; for the vicechamberlain, by what means I could never yet learn, got a little light into the matter. He was told that somebody had been treating for his place, and had information given him where to find the solicitor of the person who was to succeed him. He immediately sent for the man: who (not conceiving himself to be engaged in a dishonest action, and therefore conscious of no guilt) very freely told him all that he knew; and, as he had good reason, was as angry at the cheat put upon him and his friend, as the vicechamberlain himself; whereupon poor don Guzman and his two agents were, at Mr. vicechamberlain's request, examined before a cipal