facilitate the condemnation of those whose prosecutions were resolved, the King had made Sir George JefFeries, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench. He was a man fit for the purposes of the Court, without honour or conscience, impudent to the last degree, and ever ready to betray his duty, and in the interests of Justice and the Kingdom, to recommend himself to those who were in power."
..... "The Duke of York (brother of Charles II.) also brought his action for Scandalum Magnatum against Titus Oates, for directly calling him a Traitor. For this offence the Court gave the Duke of York a hundred thousand pounds damages. Shortly after, he was indicted for perjury, in relation to Father Ireland's being in London at the time Oates swore to at his trial. Not long after another indictment of perjury was preferred against him in relation to his being present at the supposed consult of the Jesuits at the White Horse Tavern in 1678. But these indictments not being tried this reign, Oates continued in prison. He escaped with life, though properly condemned to perpetual imprisonment as not being able to pay their exorbitant fines."
On May 10th, 1685 (James II.), Oates was tried upon the second indictment of perjury concerning Father Ireland. The Attorney General (Sir Robert Sawyer), made a speech declaring Oates was one of the greatest impostors that ever did appear upon the stage, either in this Kingdom or any other nation. It must be observed that this Attorney General had been one of the Council for the King in 1678, to support and improve Oates' evidence. Oates desired it might be observed, that the King's Council who were now against him, had been for him in the trials of the five Jesuits, and particularly the Attorney and Solicitor General ; That Lord Chief Justice Jefferies, before whom his cause was pleading, was amongst the King's Council in 1678, and did then declare, " That the verdict against the five Jesuits was a just verdict." Above forty witnesses were produced against him, nine of whom were Protestants, who swore that Father Ireland was in Staffordshire, when Oates was in London ; and he was also found guilty of this indictment.
What is most strange, some pretend, there is not the least appearance of injustice or partiality in the verdict against Oates ; but on the contrary, the partiality is evident in the verdict against the five Jesuits. But, at least, it cannot be denied that there was a great deal of passion in the sentence against Oates, and much more in the execution of the same. The sentence was as follows :
1. That he should pay a fine of one thousand marks upon each indictment.
2. That he should be stripped of all his canonical habits.
3. That he should stand in the Pillory before Westminster Hall Gate upon Monday next, for an hour's time, with a paper over his head (which he must first walk with round about to all the Courts in Westminster Hall), declaring his crime; and that upon his first indictment
