1st Edition 1817. A very rare radical pamphlet. The Late John Wilkes's Catechism was one of four liturgical parodies Hone composed and published in very early 1817. Together with and The Sinecurist's Creed and The Political Litany, the Catechism was one of the works singled out for prosecution by the Attorney General. William Hone published radical pamphlets, illustrated with the political satire of George Cruikshank. These usually avoided censorship due to humor and Hone's excellent defense of himself in court. Cruikshank.The Incident: Hone was arrested for publishing his pamphlet, A parody on the late John Wilkes's Catechism of a Ministeral Member. The Attorney General worried that he might be acquitted on charges of sedition so he changed the charges to be blasphemy, arguing that Hone was attacking the Church of England. Results of Incident: Despite poor health, Hone was forced to give three speeches in the three days of the trial, each over 6 hours in length. He defended himself so well that the jury needed no more than 15 minutes to declare him not guilty, despite a biased judge. Hone had to go to trial two more times over his pamphlets and was acquitted on both occasions.