THE LAW IN LILLIPUT

From Swift's 1726 masterpiece:

"They (lilliputians) look upon Fraud as a greater Crime than Theft, and therefore seldom fail to punish it with Death. For they alledge that Care and Vigilance, with a very commom understanding, may preserve a Man's Goods from Thieves; but Honesty hath no Fence against superior Cunning: And since it is necessary that there should be a perpetual Intercourse of buying and selling and dealing upon Credit; where Fraud is permitted or connived at, or hath no Law to punish it, the honest Dealer is always undone, and Knave gets the Advantage"