In Eng- lish law. Scandal or slander of great men or nobles. Words spoken in derogation of a peer, a judge, or other great officer of the realm, for which an action lies, though it is Pnow rarely resorted to. 3 Bl. Comm. 123; 3 Steph. Comm. 473. This offense has not existed in America since the formation of the United States. State v. Shepherd, 177 Mo. 205, 76 S. W. 79, 99 Am. St. Rep. 624.