Clarissa and Justine: The misfortunes of virtue

At first glance Sade and Richardson appear to be the most disparate authors ever to appear on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. The French translation of Pamela was placed on the Index in 1744 by Benedict XIV, and the history of de Sade's censorship is a volume in itself. This paper will try to suggest that this disparity is deceiving and that both authors address themselves to similar moral, religious, and psychological themes--although they are often on different sides of a question,