126 STAR-CHAMBER DECREE AGAINST DUELS. 



the party challenged, and for other contemptuous 

 and insolent behaviour used before the justices of 

 the peace in Surry at their sessions, before whom 

 he was convented. Upon the opening of which 

 cause, his highness s said attorney-general did first 

 give his reason to the court, why, in a case which he 

 intended should be a leading case for the repressing 

 of so great a mischief in the commonwealth, and 

 concerning an offence which reigneth chiefly amongst 

 persons of honour and quality, he should begin with 

 a cause which had passed between so mean persons 

 as the defendants seemed to be ; which he said was 

 done, because he found this cause ready published, 

 and in so growing an evil, he thought good to lose 

 no time ; whereunto he added, that it was not amiss 

 sometimes to beat the dog before the lion ; saying 

 farther, that he thought it would be some motive for 

 persons of high birth and countenance to leave it, 

 when they saw it was taken up by base and mecha 

 nical fellows ; l)ut concluded, that he resolved to 

 proceed without respect of persons for the time to 

 come, and for the present to supply the meanness 

 of this particular case by insisting the longer upon 

 the general point. 



Wherein he did first express unto the court at 

 large the greatness and dangerous consequence of 

 this presumptuous offence, which extorted revenge 

 out of the magistrate s hands, and gave boldness to 

 private men to be lawgivers to themselves ; the ra 

 ther because it is an offence that doth justify itself 

 against the law, and plainly gives the law an affront; 



