Forms: 4–8 libell, 5 libelle, 5–7 lybell(e, 6–7 lybel, (6 Sc. libal), 3– libel. [a. OF. libel masc., libelle fem. (mod.F. libelle), ad. L. libellus, dim. of liber book. Cf. Sp. libelo, Pg., It. libello, used in legal senses.]
† 1. A little book; a short treatise or writing.
1382. Wyclif, Num. v. 23. And the preest shal wryte in a libel [1388 litil book] thes cursid thingis.
1436. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 157. Here beginneth the prologe of the processe of the Libelle of Englyshe Polycye.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., V. cxxiii. 102. As before is shewyd in the .C. and .xiii. Chapitre of this libell.
1529. More, Dyaloge, III. Wks. 234/1. Yt no man should … translate … by way of boke, lybel, or tretice.
1530. Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 20. Quintyng, Mersar, Rowle, Henderson, hay, & holland, Thocht thay be ded, yar libells bene leuand.
1576. A. Fleming, Pref. to Caius’ Dogs, in Arb., Garner, III. 228. Caius spared no study … which seemed … requisite to the performance of this little libel.
a. 1709. Atkyns, Parl. & Pol. Tracts (1734), 86. Certain Books, which he termed Codicello’s; which in our Dialect, is the same with Libels or Little Books.
1715. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., I. 69. His English Libels were these, viz. A Merry Jest [etc.].
† b. A written paper. Sometimes = LABEL sb.1, for which it may have been substituted as etymologically more intelligible. Obs.
1603. North’s Plutarch (1612), 1183. With his testament there were three litle libels or codicils.
1642. trans. Perkins’ Prof. Bk., ii. § 136. 60. That [the seal] was so fixed againe to the libell [ed. 1657 label, orig. AF. (ed. 1601) label] of the deed.
1682. Keigwin, Mt. Calvary (1826), clxxxix. This lybell was fastened on ye cross fast … And over the head of Christ put.
1689. Moyle, Sea Chyrurg., I. 16. With every Medicament its Lybel upon it.
2. A formal document, a written declaration or statement. Obs. exc. Hist. (as occasional rendering of L. libellus), and Law (see 3).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10234. Hii sende him libel, & esste ek articles, þat nere noȝt to graunti wel.
1382. Wyclif, Matt. v. 31. Who euere shal leeue his wyf, ȝeue he to hir a libel, that is, a litil boke of forsakyng [1388 a libel of forsakyng].
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), V. 161. A cownsayle was kepede … where a libelle porrecte to Constancius.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxlv. [ccxlii.] 754. The knyght toke the kyng a lybell, the whiche was red; therin was conteyned that if there was nother knight … that wolde say that kyng Henry was not rightfull kyng, he was there redy to fyght with him.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 16/2. The Arrians returning from their Arrianisme, offered vp ond exhibited vnto the bishops of Rome their libels of repentance.
1565. Harding, Confut. Jewel’s Apol., IV. 161 b. Moses permitted a libell of diuorce.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., X. 366. Quha tuik al priuat libalis and accusatiounis, and causet exeme thame.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 15. With their image did Augustus sign all his Grants, Libels, and Epistles.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 750. The libels or billes of dowrie.
1652. Needham, Selden’s Mare Cl., 294. A Libel, or Bill of Complaint.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxviii. III. 75. A formal reply to the petition or libel of Symmachus.
3. a. Civil Law. The writing or document of the plaintiff containing his allegations and instituting a suit. b. Eccl. Law. The first plea, or the plaintiff’s written declaration or charges, in a cause. c. Sc. Law. The form of complaint or ground of the charge on which either a civil or criminal prosecution takes place.
1340. Ayenb., 40. Þe ualse notaryes … ualseþ þe celes makeþ þe kueade libelles and to uele oþre ualshedes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Friar’s T., 297. May I nat axe a libel, sir Somnour, And answere there, by my procutour, To swich thing as men wol opposen me?
c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., xviii. (1510), F v b. He that was domysman made the lybelle in theyre cause.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 131. A fals notarye, þat makyth false letterys, libellys, or false actys.
1535. Coverdale, Job xxxi. 35. Let him that is my contrary party, sue me with a lybell.
1548. Act 2 & 3 Edw. VI., c. 13 § 14. The same partie … shall bringe and deliver … the verie true copie of the libell dependinge in the ecclesiasticall Courte.
1592. Sc. Acts Jas. VI., § 73. All criminall libellis sall contene that the personis complenit on ar airt and paint of þe cryme libellit.
1601–2. Fulbecke, 1st Pt. Parall., 68. You lay and alleage in your libell as the ground of your action things farre distant in nature.
1681. Act in Lond. Gaz., No. 1648/4. Providing always that the Libel, whereupon the foresaid Sentence proceeded be special.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. II. viii. (1737), 76. First [in Eccl. causes] goes forth a Citation, then a Libel, and Answer.
1721. Wodrow, Hist. Ch. Scot., I. 51. Upwards of thirty different Libels were formed against him, for alledged Injuries, Oppressions, and the like.
1800. A. Carlyle, Autobiog., 319. Cuming, Webster, and Hyndman … were the committee who drew up the libel.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xii. Surely the pursuer is bound to understand his own libel.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., II. xi. 568. In Causes not criminal and not summary, the first plea is the complainants libel which corresponds to the declaration at common law.
1876. Grant, Burgh Sch. Scotl., II. i. 89. The libel having been served on the accused, he compeared.
† d. Used jocularly for: The collective body (of lawyers). Obs. rare–1.
1515–20. Vox Populi, 722, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 293. With iij or iiij greate clothiars, And the hole lybell of lawyars.
† 4. A leaflet, bill or pamphlet posted up or publicly circulated; spec. one assailing or defaming the character of some person (in early use more fully, famous libel = Law Latin libellus famosus).
1521. Bp. Longland, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. III. I. 253. Suche famous lybells and bills as be sett uppe in night tymes upon Chirche doores.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1240/1. The bishops … durst not openlie publish the excommunication of the king, but secretlie cast libels about the high waies, which gaue notice therof.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. i. 33. Plots haue I laide … By drunken Prophesies, Libels, and Dreames, To set my Brother Clarence and the King In deadly hate.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 94. Who when he turned his backe (more like a Pedant then an Ambassadour) dispersed a bitter Libell, in Latine Verse, against the King.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., II. § 86. Cheap senseless libels were scattered about the city,… traducing some, and proscribing others.
1689–90. Wood, Life, 12 March. Two malitious fellowes were found sticking up a libell reflecting on the fast.
1727. Swift, Further Acc. E. Curll, Wks. 1755, III. I. 155. Singeing a pig with a new purchased libel.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xi. (1869), I. 218. He scattered libels through their camp.
5. Law. Any published statement damaging to the reputation of a person. In wider sense, any writing of a treasonable, seditious or immoral kind. Also, the act or crime of publishing such a statement or writing.
a. 1631. Donne, Serm., ix. 87. And by the way, that which it may sometimes concerne us to know, yet it may be a Libell to publish it [surplusage].
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 125. With regard to libels in general, there are … two remedies; one by indictment and another by action.
1810. Bentham, Packing (1821), 2. In point of actual law, a libel is any paper in which he, who to the will adds the power of punishing for it, sees any thing that he does not like.
1840. B’ness Bunsen, in Hare, Life (1879), II. i. 12. Condemned to imprisonment for publishing seditious libels.
1862. Trollope, Orley F., xix. (ed. 4), 134. It may be very difficult to obtain evidence of a libel.
1888. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 Nov., 4/1. The judge answered … that it was clearly possible to publish a libel for the public good.
b. In popular use: Any false and defamatory statement in conversation or otherwise. transf., applied to a portrait that does the sitter injustice, or to a thing or circumstance that tends to bring undeserved ill repute on a person, a country, etc.
1618. Wither, Motto, Introd. Wks. (1633), 504. If any should confesse Those sinnes in publike, which his soul oppresse; Some guilty fellow (moov’d thereat) would take it Unto himselfe; and so, a Libell make it.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, I. vii. 18. The false report of the spies was in some respect but a libell of this land.
1667. Causes Decay Chr. Piety, i. 10. Are we reproacht for the name of Christ, that Ignominy serves but to advance our future Glory; every such Libel here, becomes Panegyrick there.
1673–4. Dk. Lauderdale, in L. Papers (1885), III. xix. 27. Thos addresses … have proved rether leik libells than treuth.
1693. Humours Town, 132. They [Men] are living Libels [as to Women’s virtue].
1694. Dryden, To Sir G. Kneller, 163. Good heav’n! that sots and knaves should be so vain, To wish their vile resemblance may remain! And stand recorded, at their own request, To future days, a libel or a jest!
1725. Young, Love Fame, I. 160. A rich knave’s a libel on our laws.
1777. Sheridan, Sch. Scand., I. i. His whole conversation is a perpetual libel on all his acquaintance.
1781. Cowper, Conv., 450. Or make the parrot’s mimicry his choice, That odious libel on a human voice.
1850. Lyell, 2nd Visit U.S., II. 163. The tale of suffering … was not authentic…. Such libels are hailed with pleasure by the Perpetualists as irritating the feeling of that class of slave owners who [etc.].
6. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 5) libel-spawning adj., (sense 3) libel summons.
Libel Act, the title of the Act 32 Geo. 3. c. 60, as shortened by Act of Parliament in 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. xiv).
1682. Tate, Abs. & Achit., II. 520. Parasites and libel-spawning imps.
1870. J. K. Hunter, Life Stud., xlvii. 289. I saw the auld chap go direct to the Fiscal’s office, and next day I had a libel summons chargin’ me wi’ every conceivable way of killing game on my neighbour’s grun’.
