a charge of obscenity. It was urged, in
his defence, that obscenity was criminal when it was intended to promote
the practice of vice; but that Mr. Savage had only introduced obscene
ideas with the view of exposing them to detestation, and of amending the
age by showing the deformity of wickedness. This plea was admitted;
and Sir Philip Yorke, who then presided in that court, dismissed the
information, with encomiums upon the purity and excellence of Mr.
Savage's writings. The prosecution, however, answered in some measure
the purpose of those by whom it was set on foot; for Mr. Savage was so
far intimidated by it that, when the edition of his poem was sold, he
did not venture to reprint it; so that it was in a short time forgotten,
or forgotten by all but those whom it offended. It is said that some
endeavours were used to incense the queen against him: but he found
advocates to obviate at least part of their effect; for though he was
never advanced, he still continued to receive his pension.

This poem drew more infamy upon him than any incident of his life; and,
as his conduct cannot be vindicated, it is proper to secure his memory
from reproach by informing those whom he made his enemies that he never
intended to repeat the provocation; and that, though whenever he thought
he had any reason to complain of the clergy, he used to threaten them
with a new edition of "The Progress of a Divine," it was his calm and
settled resolution to suppress it for ever.

He once intended to have made a better reparation for the folly or
injustice with which he might be charged, by writing another poem,
called "The Progress of a Free-thinker," whom he intended to lead
through all the stages of vice and folly, to convert him from virtue to
wickedness, and from religion to infidelity, by all the modish sophistry
used for that purpose; and at last to dismiss him by his own hand into
the other world. That he did not execute this design is a real loss
to mankind; for he was too well acquainted with all the scenes of
debauchery to have failed in his representations of them, and too
zealous for virtue not to have represented them in such a manner as
should expose them either to ridicule or detestation. But this plan was,
like others, formed and laid aside, till the vigour of his imagination
was spent, and the effervescence of invention had subsided; but soon
gave way to some other design, which pleased by its novelty for awhile,
and then