Both Uses of
libel
in
Gulliver's Travels
- Yet, so far have you been from answering my expectation in any of your letters; that on the contrary you are loading our carrier every week with libels, and keys, and reflections, and memoirs, and second parts; wherein I see myself accused of reflecting upon great state folk; of degrading human nature (for so they have still the confidence to style it), and of abusing the female sex.†
Chpt Intr. *
- Hence it follows of necessity, that vast numbers of our people are compelled to seek their livelihood by begging, robbing, stealing, cheating, pimping, flattering, suborning, forswearing, forging, gaming, lying, fawning, hectoring, voting, scribbling, star-gazing, poisoning, whoring, canting, libelling, freethinking, and the like occupations:" every one of which terms I was at much pains to make him understand.†
Chpt 4
Definition:
-
(libel) a published falsehood that damages a someone's reputation; or the act of publishing such a falsehoodeditor's notes: The legal distinction between libel and slander is that libel is an oral offense while slander is written or published.