Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/23

ſays my Brother, What have you to ſay againſt me? I am an honeſt Man in my Buſineſs, and fear not you, nor no Body. You would have me to ell it then, ſays the old Man; and turning to the People, lays to them; Know, good People, that this Fellow inſtead of ſelling Mutton, as he ought to do, he ſells Man’s Fleſh. You are a Cheat, ſays my Brother. No, no, ſays the old Man; good People, this very Minute that I am ſpeaking to him, there’s a Man with his Throat cut hung up in the Shop like a Sheep; do any of you go thither, and ſee if what I ſay be not true.

Before my Brother had opened his Trunk he had juſt killed a Sheep, dreſs’d it, and expoſed it in the Shop, according to Cuſtom; he proteſted, that what the old Man ſaid was falſe; and notwithſtanding all his Proteſtations, the Mob being prejudic’d againſt a Man accuſed of fuch a heinous Crime, would go to ſee whether the matter was true. They oblig’d my Brother to quit the old Man, laid hold of him, and run like mad Men to his Shop, where they ſaw a Man murdered and hung up, as the old Man had told them; for he was a Magician, and deceived the Eyes of all People, as he did my Brother, when he made him take Leaves inſtead of Money. At this Spectacle, one of thoſe who held Alcouz, gave him a great Blow with his Fiſt, and ſays to him, thou wicked Villain, doſt thou make us eat Man’s Fleſh inſtead of Mutton; and at the ſame time the old Man gave him another Blow, which beat out one of his Eyes, and every Body that could get near him beat him; and not content with that, they carried him before a Judge, with the pretended Carcaſe of the Man, to be Evidence againſt him. Sir, ſays the old Magician to the Judge, we brought you a Man, who is ſo barbarous as to murder People and to ſell their Fleſh inftead of Mutton. The Publick expects that you ſhou’d puniſh him in an exemplary manner: The Judge heard my Brother with Patience, but would believe nothing of the Story of the Money exchanged into Leaves, called my Brother a Cheat, told him he would believe his own Eyes, and ordered him to have 500 Blows. He afterwards made him tell where his Money was, took it all from him, and baniſhed him for ever, after having made him ride three Days through the Town upon a Came], expoſed to the Inſults of the People.