 I own I am apt to win, yet it is merely for my amusement."
"Win or not win, play or not play," exclaimed both the church-men, "this is a libel: no doubt, no doubt, a libel."

Poor Henry's confined knowledge of his native language tormented him so much with curiosity upon this occasion, that he went softly up to his uncle, and asked him in a whisper, "What was the meaning of the word libel?"
"A libel," replied the dean, in a raised voice, "is that, which one person publishes to the injury of another."
"And what can the injured person do" (asked Henry) "if the accusation should chance to be true?"
"Prosecute." Replied the dean.
"But then, what does he do if the accusation is false?"
"Prosecute likewise." Answered the dean.
"How, uncle! is it possible that the innocent behave just like the guilty?"
"There is no other way to act."
"Why then, if I was the innocent, I would do nothing at all, sooner than I would act like the guilty. I would not persecute—"
"I said prosecute." (Cried the dean in anger) "Leave the room, you have no comprehension."

"Oh yes, now I understand the difference of the two words—but they sound so alike I did not observe the distinction at first. You said "the innocent prosecute, but the guilty persecute." He bowed (convinced as he thought) and left the room.
"After this modern star-chamber, which was left sitting, had agreed on its mode of vengeance, and the writer of the libel was made acquainted with his danger, he waited, in all humility, upon Lady Clementina, and assured her, with every appearance of sincerity—
"That she was not the person alluded to by the paragraph in question, but that the initials which she had conceived to mark out her name, were, in fact, meant to point out Lady Catharine Newland."
"But, Sir," cried Lady Clementina, "what could induce you to write such a paragraph upon Lady Catharine? She never plays."
"We know that, madam, or we dared not have attacked her. Though we must circulate libels, madam, to gratify our numerous readers, yet no people are more in fear of prosecutions than authors and

editors; therefore, unless we are deceived in our information, we always
