ded not guilty, and the case would have been
tried without any bother, and the defendants have been acquitted or
convicted according to the wisdom of the judge, the skill of the counsel,
and the common sense of the jury. But now suppose instead thereof,
Joseph had brought an action for the price of the corn."

"Would it not have been as simple?"

"You shall see. The facts would have been stated with some accuracy and
a good deal of inaccuracy, and a good many things which were not facts
would have been introduced. Then the defendants in their statement of
defence would have denied that there was any such place as Egypt as
alleged; {52} denied that Pharaoh was King thereof; denied that he had
any corn to sell; denied that the said Joseph had any authority to sell;
denied that they or any of them went into Egypt; denied that they ever
saw the said Joseph or had any communication with him whatever, either by
means of an interpreter or otherwise; denied, in fact, everything except
their own existence; but in the alternative they would go on to say, if
it should be proved that there was a place called Egypt, a man called
Pharaoh, an agent of his called Joseph, and that the defendants actually
did go to Egypt, all of which they one and all absolutely deny (as
becomes men of honour), then they say, that being large corn-merchants
and well known to the said Joseph, the factor of the said Pharaoh, as
purchasers only of corn for domestic purposes, and requiring therefore a
good sound merchantable article, the said Joseph, by falsely and
fraudulently representing that certain corn of which he, the said Joseph,
was possessed, was at that time of a good sound and merchantable quality
and fit for seed and domestic purposes, by the said false and fraudulent
representations he, the said Joseph, induced the defendants to purchase a
large quantity thereof, to wit, five thousand sacks; whereas the said
corn was not of a good sound and merchantable quality and fit for seed
and domestic purposes, but was maggoty from damp, and infected with smut
and altogether worthless, as he, the said Joseph, well knew at the time
he made the said false representations. The defendants would also
further allege that, relying on the said Joseph's word, they took away
the said corn, but having occasion at the inn to look into the said
sacks, they found that the said wheat was worthless, and immediately
communicated with the said Joseph by sending their y