ART. 16] PLEADING, PRACTICE AND PROCESS. 423

may, in its discretion, under all the circumstances of the case,
judge reasonable and proper for avoiding delay or expense,
and for the attainment of justice; and the filing of such answer
shall in no case affect the validity of any testimony previously
taken.
Wagner v Shank, 59 Md., 313. Belt v. Bowie, 65 Md 350.

1888, art. 16, sec. 131. Rule 13.

144. Every bill or partition shall be expressed in terms as
brief and concise as it reasonably can be, and shall contain no
unnecessary recitals of documents of any kind, in haec verba,
nor any impertinent matter, or matter scandalous and not rele-
vant to the suit; and the same rule shall apply to all answers
and pleas filed by defendants; and if this rule be violated the
unnecessary or improper matter of averments may be stricken
out at the cost of the party introducing the same.

Chow v. Glenn, 82 Md 374.

Ibid. sec. 132. Rule 14.

145. All bills and petitions in the introductory part thereof
shall contain the names of all the parties, plaintiffs and defend-
ants, by and against whom this suit is brought. The form shall
be substantially as follows :

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR COUNTY.
A B, Plaintiff,

against

C D, Defendant,

To the Honarable the Judges of said Court
Your orator, complaining, says :

1. That, etc., making each paragraph contain a succinct but
a complete statement of fact.

Ibid. sec. 133. Rule 15.

146. All bills and petitions shall be divided into paragraphs,
as indicated in the preceding section, and be consecutively
numbered, and shall contain simply a statement of the facts
upon which the plaintiff asks relief, and, at his option, the
facts which are intended to avoid on anticipated defence, and
such averments as may be necessary, under the rules of equity
pleading, to entitle the plaintiff to relief; and the prayer for
relief shall specify particularly the relief desired, and shall
also contain the prayer for general relief. And if an injunc-