[f. LIBEL sb.; OF. libeller, med.L. libellāre existed in certain senses.]
† 1. intr. To make libellous accusations or statements; to spread defamation. Const. against, on; by, of (Sc.). Obs.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xii. 157. Suppois ȝe crak, ȝe ly abak, And lybellis be the Law.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 1008. What suld I lyble of this lowne? Not all the paper of this towne … May had the half that he hes done.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., IV. iv. 17. What’s this but Libelling against the Senate?
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, 80. He is verie seditious and mutinous in conuersation … libelling most execrably and inhumanely on Iacke of the Falcon.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., III. ii. Nor shall you need to libell ’gainst the Prelates.
1637. Laud, Sp. Star-Chamber, 14 June, 9. Hee Libels against the King and the State.
2. trans. To defame or discredit by the circulation of libellous statements; to accuse falsely and maliciously; spec. in Law, to publish a libel against.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. vii. Thou shalt libell, and I’le cudgell the Rascall.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 4. With a spirit which equally disdaines to libel or to flatter him.
1709. Pope, Jan. & May, 44. But what so pure, which envious tongues will spare? Some wicked wits have libell’d all the fair.
1732. Swift, Beast’s Confess. to Priest, 202. I would accuse him [fabling Æsop] to his face For libeling the four-foot race.
1803. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1837), II. 492. Those who have deserted this service have been allowed to libel and defame his character.
1884. Manch. Exam., 7 Oct., 5/1. The Grub-street hacks, who in former times lived by libelling political personages.
fig. a. 1716. South, Serm. (1744), II. 158. It … misrepresents and libels God to the Conscience.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. v. 480. Beware of libelling what you profess to defend.
3. a. Eccl. and Sc. Law. To institute a suit against (a person) by means of a libel; also, to specify in a libel.
1582–8. Hist. Jas. VI. (1804), 220. Thai shall haue alswa the King’s licence … to reduce thair foirfaultors, upoun sick causes and considerations as they may libell.
1711. Countrey-Man’s Lett. to Curat, 48. When he was Lybell’d, the Missal and Breviary had not receiv’d the Rasures before spoken of.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 35. In all capital Crimes, the Facts are to be libelled, with the Hour, Day, Month … and Place in which the Fact happened.
1753. S. Fraser, in Scots Mag., April, 179/1. The facts … are not sufficient to infer the crime libelled.
1754. Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law (1809), 457. If these adminicles afford sufficient conviction, that the deed libelled did once exist.
1868. Act 31 & 32 Vict., c. 101 § 59. It shall be lawful to libel and conclude and decern for General Adjudication without such Alternative.
b. To bring suit in admiralty against (a vessel, cargo, or its owner).
1805. East’s Reports, V. 317. The vessel and her cargo have been libelled in the Court of Admiralty for condemnation.
1811. J. Adams, Wks. (1854), IX. 628. Nickerson was libelled in the Special Court of Vice-Admiralty by Jonathan Sewall.
1829. Marryat, F. Mildmay, xxi. The True-blooded Yankee was libelled in the Vice-Admiralty Court at Cape Town.
1894. Daily News, 20 Sept., 6/5. The owners of the steamer instructed a firm of solicitors at Halifax to ‘libel’ the vessel for 10,000 dollars.
Hence Libelled ppl. a., Libelling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1574. Burgh Rec. Glasgow (1832), 33. Anent þe libellit precept rasit at þe instance of maister Robert Herbertsoun.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 368/2. False and infamous railings and libellings.
1641. Milton, Animadv., Wks. 1738, I. 80. The practices … of libelling Separatists.
1668. Clarendon, Contempl. Ps., Tracts (1727), 668. A libelling look hath begotten very tragical mischiefs.
1697. Dryden, Virgil (1721), I. Life 29. Marc Antony … vex’d him with a great many Libelling Letters, in which he reproaches him with the Baseness of his Parentage.
1727. Swift, Further Acc. E. Curll, Wks. 1755, III. I. 159. That towards the libelling of the said Pope there be a sum employed not exceeding six pounds sixteen shillings and ninepence.
1794. Mathias, Purs. Lit. (1798), 385. His pictur’d person and his libel’d shape.
1830. D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. xi. 245. The art of libelling is no inefficient prelude to revolutionary measures.
