120 CHARGE AGAINST DUELS. 



world, said in a solemn assembly, &quot; That he was no 

 &quot; honest man that would bear the lie :&quot; which was 

 the fountain of this new learning. 



As for words of reproach and contumely, whereof 

 the lie was esteemed none, it is not credible, but 

 that the orations themselves are extant, what ex 

 treme and exquisite reproaches were tossed up and 

 down in the senate of Rome and the places of assem 

 bly, and the like in Graecia, and yet no man took 

 himself fouled by them, but took them but for 

 breath, and the style of an enemy, and either des 

 pised them or returned them, but no blood spilt 

 about them. 



So of every touch or light blow of the person, 

 they are not in themselves considerable, save that 

 they have got upon them the stamp of a disgrace, 

 which maketh these light things pass for great mat 

 ter. The law of England, and all laws, hold these 

 degrees of injury to the person, slander, battery, 

 maim, and death; and if there be extraordinary 

 circumstances of despite and contumely, as in case of 

 libels, and bastinadoes, and the like, this court taketh 

 them in hand, and punisheth them exemplarily. But 

 for this apprehension of a disgrace, that a fillip to 

 the person should be a mortal wound to the reputa 

 tion, it were good that men did hearken unto the 

 saying of Consalvo, the great and famous comman 

 der, that was wont to say, a gentleman s honour 

 should be &quot; de tela crassiore,&quot; of a good strong warp 

 or web, that every little thing should not catch in it; 

 when as now it seems they are but of cob-web lawn, 



