the case de little book Famosis in the case of l p in the star chamber this  term against who the attorney general proceed over as far as on his own  confession for compose and publish a infamous libel in verse by which John  archbishop of Canterbury who be a prelate of singular piety gravity and  learning now dead by circumlocution and description and not in express term  and Richard bishop of Canterbury who now be be traduce and scandalize in which  these point be resolve that every libel which be call much talked of  little book seuinfamatoriascriptura be make either against a private man or  against a magistrate or public person if it be against a private man it  deserve a severe punishment for although the libel be make against one yet it  incite all those of the same family kindred or society to revenge and so may  be the cause of per subsequent to quarrel and breach of the peace and may be  the cause of shed of blood and of great inconvenience if it be against a  magistrate or other publicperson it be a great offence for it concern not only  the breach of the peace but also the scandal of government for what great  scandal of government can there be than to have corrupt or wicked magistrate  to be appoint and constitute by the king to govern his subject under he and  great imputation to the state can be than to suffer such corrupt man to sit in  the sacred seat of justice or to have any meddle in or concern the  administration of justice although the private man or magistrate be dead at  the time of the make of the libel yet it be punishable for in the one case it  stir up other of the same family blood or society to revenge and to breach the  peace and in the other the libeler do traduce and slander the state and  government which die not a libeler who be call much talked of defamator shall  be punish either by indictment at the commonlaw or by bill if he deny it or  over as far as upon his confession in the star chamber and accord to the  quality of the offence he may be punish by fine or imprisonment and if the  case be exorbitant by pillory and loss of his ear it be not material whether  the libel be true or whether the party against who the libel be make be of  good or ill fame for in a settle state of government the party grieve ought to  complain for every injury do he in a ordinary course of law and not by any  mean to revenge himself either by the odious course of libel or otherwise he  who kill a man with his sword in fight be a great offender but he be a great  offender who poison another for in the one case he who be the party assault  may defend himself and know his adversary and may endeavour to prevent it but  poison may be do so secret that none can defend himself against it for which  cause the offence be the more grievous because the offender can easy be know  and of such nature be libel it be secret and rob a man of his good name which  ought to be more precious to he than his life hard be to come upon seller  infamatoriae writing because that when the offender be know he ought to be  severe punish every infamous libel or be in scribe or without scribe a  scandalous libel in scribe when a epigram rhime or other write be compose or  publish to the scandal or contumely of another by which his fame and dignity  may be prejudice and such libel may be publish word or oft repeated saying as  where it be malicious repeat or sing in the presence of other tradition when  the libel or copy of it be deliver over to scandalize the party Famosus  little book without scribe may be painting as to paint the party in any  shameful and ignominious manner battle standard as to fix a gallows or other  reproachful and ignominious sign at the party door or elsewhere and it be  resolve mich Elizabeth in the star chamber in Halliwood's case that if anyone  find a libel and will keep himself out of danger if it be compose against a  private man the finder either may burn it or present deliver it to a  magistrate but if it concern a magistrate or other public person the finder of  it ought present to deliver it to a magistrate to the intent that by  examination and industry the author may be find out and punish and libel and  calumniation be a offence against the law of God for Leviticus non facias  charge proximo Exodus for principi poplar tree tui non to speak ill of Solomon  in cogitation tua ne to draw off king nec in separately bed  tui rich  to speak ill of because bird sky to bear voice thy who to have feather  annuntiabi opinion Psal facing I to speak who to sit in port in I psalleba who  to drink vinum job for son foolish unknown in land inside non parent nunc in  the dawn song versus sum factus sum the dawn in proverb and it be observe that  job who be the mirror of patience as appear by his word become  in a certain way impatient when libel be make of he and therefore it appear of  what force they be to provoke impatience and contention and there be certain  mark by which a libeler may be know because tribune to follow defamatorem  much talked of bad condition growth increase of lewdness bursae shrinkage  decrease of money and beggary  knowledge defeat shipwreck of conscience