coke dr Edward v dr Wooton No action on the case lie against one who send a  libel write in a letter seal and direct to the party libel without any other  publication but such offence be indictable post Inst Cumberb salk in the case  in the starchamber between Edward a physician plaintiff and Wooton a doctor in  physic defendant the case be that dr Wooton writ to Edward a infamous  malicious scandalous obscene letter to which he subscribe his name and this he  seal and direct to his love friend Mr Edward speed this and after the say  doctor publish and disperse to other a great number of copy of the say letter  toll gucere if such toll may be general or only on some particular township as  ancient demesne town c Note to former edition coke report er p and it be  resolve by the Lord chancellor Egerton the two chief justice et per totan  curian that this be a subtle and dangerous kind of libel for inasmuch as the  write of a private letter to another without any other publication the party  to who it be direct can have a action sur Le case a for this that no action  lie but when it be publish to other to the scandal of the plaintiff as it have  be of ten time adjudge a action lie the doctor think that this can not be  punish in any mariner but it be resolve that the say infamous letter which in  law be a libel shall be punish although it be sole writ to the plaintiff  without any other publication in the starchamber for that it be a offence to  the king and be a great motive to revenge and tend to the break of the peace  and great mischief b and for that reason it be necessary that it shall be  punish either by indictment or in the starchamber to prevent such occasion of  mischief but in the case at the bar the disperse of copy of it or the  publication of the effect of it aggravate the offence and make a new offence  for for that also the party may have a action sur Le case note that by the  civil law if any person have to disable himself to hear any office or for any  other purpose make a libel against himself he shall be punish for it and so it  seem to I he shall be in the starchamber for this be a offence to the king and  the commonwealth and without question although that the doctor subscribe his  name to the say letter yet the say letter import the scandalous matter of a  libel be in the law a libel coke notam the law of the Lydian be that he who  slander another shall be let blood in the tongue and he who hear it and assent  to it in the ear c