case ashton against Blagrave to say of a justice of the peace in the execution  of his office he be a rascal a villain and a liar be actionable S c stram S c  fort S c ld ray in a action on the case for scandalous word speak of a justice  of peace there be a colloquium lie of the plaintiff and of his office of  justice of the peace the defendant speak the follow word he meaning  thePlaintiff be a rascal a villain and a liar upon not guilty plead the  plaintiff have a verdict upon a motion in arrest of judgement a rule be make  that the plaintiff shall show cause c and now it be move for judgement that  these word be actionable because they convey a idea too mean and very much  unbecoming the office of a justice of peace and the meaning of word be always  to be take accord to common intendment therefore the call a man daffidowndilly  and ambidexter be hold actionable though those word import no crime in  themselves but in common acceptation be apply to some crime modern report the  signification of word be various as for instance it be now actionable to call  a man jacobite or papist but it be not so in a late reign therefore word must  be construe to be scandalous or not accord to the common acceptation when they  be speak but the word in the principal case do always import a meanness and  scandal of the person of who they be speak and there be a difference between  speak of a justice of the peace and speak of he in his office as special lie  in this declaration it be say on the other side that these word be so foreign  to the office of a justice of the peace that though he be name they can imply  any scandal to his office for none of they alone be actionable the word rascal  be not nor the word villain unless some other word be add as stay the villain  or seize the villain neither be the word liar actionable and if they be not  actionable alone they be not so when take all together and the rather because  they be not of any certain signification it be true it be actionable to say of  a justice of the peace that he be a coverer of thief because this be against  his oath as justice of the peace hob   a but it be otherwise for call he rogue  or varlet   more b and so it be to say he be a vermin in the commonwealth roll  Abr c neither be it actionable to call he a fool lev d a ass side e a coxcomb  salk f a bufflehead justice lev g so the word in this case be not actionable  to which it be answer that a justice of the peace have a double capacity and  that where it do not appear that the word be speak of he as a justice they may  not bear a action but where they be speak of he relate to his office they be  actionable Pratt chief justice deliver the resolution of the court this  opinion be deliver on the that November in Michaelmas term in the eleven year  of George the first h that the word be actionable they be lie to have be speak  of the plaintiff in the execution of his office and so find so that it be the  same as if the defendant have say that the plaintiff be a villain in the  execution of his office a rascal in the execution of his office the word  rascal and villain speak of a justice of peace where a colloquium be lie of  his office import a scandal for admit those word to be of a uncertain  signification yet they carry with they great scandal and in common  understanding import a vile and base man and that he be so in execution duty  and be a great imputation against the plaintiff integrity and behaviour in  that office but to also say he be a liar in the execution of his office be as  much as to say the justice of peace act partial and corrupt in the execution  of his office he must give false judgement know they to be false for it can be  a lie unless be know it to be modern report er p false and though it be a  right judgement and he think it to be wrong and so intend it it will be  partiality and corruption and the scripture say that a thief be better than a  man accustom to lie and therefore none of the case cite come up to this case  so take all together they be scandalous word and the plaintiff have judgement