Joss Marsh's book Word Crimes is spoilt by factual errors; so is Adam Newey's review (Books, 6 November). The blasphemy law had not "become a dead letter" by the end of the 18th century; that was when the repeated prosecutions of Thomas Paine's book The Age of Reason began. The operation of the law was not entirely in the hands of judges; they defined the common law offence, but it was juries who decided whether particular items were blasphemous (they almost always did so). There is no mystery about why there were so many blasphemy prosecutions during the 19th century; because the growing number of anti-religious people produced offensive publications and formed permanent organisations.
Nicolas Walter
Rationalist Press Association
London N1
