Note 80 — Chapter V · (continued 2)

Note 80.—On the general Corruptness of Muslim Judges. Khiḍr Bey (whether he was a judge I do not know), conversing one day with his friends on the difficulties experienced in the exercise of judicature, one of the company remarked, "In my opinion, the greatest difficulty that is met with is, when one of the parties is rich, and the other, poor."—"In that case," replied Khiḍr Bey, "I find none; for it is clear that the rich will gain his cause, and the poor will lose: but the great difficulty is, when the two parties are equally rich and powerful. If thou, he continued, being a poor man, have a suit against one who is rich and powerful, beware of applying to the Ḳáḍee; for he will not fail to condemn thee: my advice is, that thou desist altogether from thy suit, and rather throw thyself at the feet of thine adversary; for thou wilt obtain more justice from him than from the Ḳáḍee."343—For a justification of the opinion here expressed, see my work on the Modern Egyptians, vol. i. ch. iv.