The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-06 00:00:00

EGGS SIXTEEN A SHILLING.

There is reason in the roasting of egg-3," saith the
proverb, but it would appear from the case below that
there is very little reason or justice in th,e retailing of
them by the " petty chapmen" of our metropolis. The
us.ge of these gentlemen in the sale of eggs exemplifies
the adage that " the best is the cheapest." In this
case the plaintiff, Peter Riddell, sutninorbed Mary Par-
don for 7s. 3id. for sundry small wares.. The latter
pleaded that she was indebted in the sum of 6s lld
only, which she had tendered payment of in good and
lawful coin of the re Alm.
" The -11.," said she," I carn't think of paying, as
it's a trying to keep up a cruel imposition upon we poor
people."

.
A ComtisstosEit—Point out what item it is that
you object to.
Mrs. Pardon (the plaintiff's bill having been handed
to her)—There's " 19th Febbewerry eggs 6d, 25th
Febbewerry eggs again 3d, and then there's the fust of
March, eggs -lid." Those eggs was 16 a shilling, and
out of the 18 as I bought on them there occasions,
thene was bad the fust time three, the second time one,
and the third time two more, which makes six. That's
41d, and as Mr. Riddell wouldn't change 'ern, in course
it would be a robbery upon a poor woman to make her
pay for them.
The COMMISSIONERS appeared to think so, and called
upon the plaintiff to show cause why he should not al-
low the
And here it becomes necessary to describe the plain-
tiff. Mr. Peter Riddell, who appeared to be about
sixty years of age, was a little thin wisp of a fellow,
with sunken yet twinkling eyes, which peered from under
an overhanging shaggy eyebrow, with an indEscribable
slyness. His chin was enveloped in a cravat that would
have been prized by that devoted royalist Charette, or
that indistinct unaccountable old diplomatist Talley-
' rand. He was quiet and unassuming, slow of speech,
and was as much in earnest as an infidel in a storm,
while every person in Court was convulsed with laughter
at his comical figure and gravity.
" Why," asked a COMMISSIONER, " did you not allow
the poor woman for the eggs ?"
Peter—Because they warn't allowed to me. Ido as
I'm done by, and that's equal justice. Eggs is eggs.
CommissiosEa—No doubt they are, but we have
nothing to do with your buying ; it is with your selling
of eggs that we now have to do.
Peter—We must sell on the principle that we buy.
I warrant the 12 a shilling ; them at 16 they must take
as they come, good or bad.
CommissioNErt—People don t buy food, my good
man, that is not fit to be eaten. They must have
money's worth for their money.
Peter—But eggs is all a chance when they are six-
teen a-shilling. Them as buy 'em take 'em as they do
the weather, rain or shine.
COMMISSIONER—But people don't pay for bad wea-
ther, ray good man.
P_ eter—But they must put up with it.
COMMISSIONER—You certainly urge one of the
drollest reasons I ever heard in justification of selling
bad eggs.
Peter—l sell the 16 a-shilling as people marry—for
bet
ct eormoNrnws
soiros e.
ER
(almost convulsed with laughter)—
But persons marrying promise to be
good.
Peter—romAndatnhyetyh'rinego.fteNn
obbaodd.y aon me
xupcehe thet th awt oe rgsges.
altdlo6n'at shilling should be as good as eggs
don't. at 12 a shilling.
little be suretlestalisl: we
but if a poor person is
expect 'em
mP atrod obne—a TWe always
teox have 4 or 5 bad 'uns, she'd much better have the 12
a shilling.
Peter (turning his head in his cravat, so as to bring
the ``heel of his eye" upon the defendant)r,
bed—and—never—sleep.
This awful anathema from the old fellow put the
whole Court out of countenance for several minutes.
After the laughter had somewhat subsided, Peter,
with the gravity of a Rhadamanthus, while his eves
appeared to be laughing outright, took a deliberate sur-
vey of the Court, and observed, " As people make their
bed, so they must lie in it. They must take eggs as

they get 'cm."
COMMISSIONER—So it appears, for the defendant
had quite one-third of her's bad.
Peter—There's no special ground of complaint, no
particular reason to urge in the case. I serve ail my
customers alike. All people as sells eggs do the same.

COMMISSIONER—Then you rob them all, for while
you sell I'2 superior eggs for a shilling, any one of which,
if bad, you exchange for others that are good, you
palm off upon the poor, as in this case, I•_' inferior eggs
for 14d.

Peter—ThQre's 18 for 14d.
The COMMISSIONER—Yes ; but six out of this poor
woman's 18 were bad.
Peter—l buy them in the box, stale or fresb.
The COMMISSION ER—At what rate per 100 ?
Peter (evading the question)—Sometimes there's six
or eight bad out of 16.
The COMMISSIONER—Which loss, of course, falls
upon your customer?

Peter—Of course.
Mrs. Pardon—l've had as many as nine bad 'uns out
of 16.

The COMMISSIONER—We shall strike off the 4id.
Peter—Then I'm afraid I shall be obliged to decline
selling any more cheap eggs.
The defendant having proved that she tendered the
vaintiff 6s. 11d., the latter had to pay costs.
On leaving the Court Peter slowly turned round at
the doorway, and, looking at the Commissioners from
under his hat, which he clapped on immediately the ver-
dict was given against him, he drawled out, to the no
small amusement of all present, " Go—to—bcd—and—
never—sleep."