Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-03-19
MISCELLANEOUS.
TITUS OATES.
THE FATE OF A KNAVE.

Every history of England that has thus far
been written, has immortalized the biography of
Titus Oates, most infamous hypocrite and
period he hourished as preacher of the Gospel,
in the regns of James and Charles of England,
was the cause of the sacrifice of thousands of
lives.
Macauley, in his 'IIistory of England 2 gives
the following thrilling description of the pun
ishment which oates,s infamy at last subjected
him. We copy it without further preface =
Charleston ller.
James, a short time before his accession, had
instituted a civil suit against Oates, for defama-
tory words, and a jury had given damages to
the enormous amount of a hundred thousand
pounds. The defendant had been taken in exc
cutlon, and was laying i'll prison as a debtor,
without hope of release. Two bills of indict-
ment against him for perjury, had been found
by the grand jury of Milldlesex, a few weeks
before the death of Charles Soon after the close
OF the elections, the trial came up.
Among the upper and middle classes, Oates
had scarcely friend left All intelligent Wings
were now convinced that, even if his narrative
had some foundation in fact, he had erected on
that foundation vast superstructllre OF romance.
A considerable number of low fanatics, however,
still regarded him as public benefactor. These
people well knew that, if he We're convicted, his
sentence would be one of extreme severity and
were, therefore, indefatigable in their endeayors
to manage al escape. Though as yet in con-
finement only for debt, he was put in irons by
the authorities of the Kings Bench ;,rison ; and
even so he was with difficulty kept in safe Gus
tody. The mastiH that guarded his door was
poisoned; and on the very night preceding his
trial. ladder of ropes were introduced into his
cell.
On the day in which he was brought ITO the
bar, Westminster Hall was crowded with spec
tators, among whom We're many Roman Catho-
lies, eager to see the misery and humiliation of
their prosecutors. A few years earlier his short
neck, his legs uneven as those of a badger, his
forehead low as that of balloon, his purple
cheeks, and his monstrous length of chin, had
been familiar with all who frequented the courts
of law. He had been the idol of the nation
wherever he appeared; men had uncovered their
heads to him. The lives and estates of the mag
mates of the realm had been at his mercy Times
had now changed, and many who had formerly
regarded him as the deliverer of his country,
shuddered at the sight Of those hideous features
on which villainy seemed to be written by the
hand of God.
1t was proved beyond all possibility of doubt,
rately murdered several guiltless persons! He
called in vain on the most eminent members of
the Parliament, which had rewarded and ex-
tolled him, to give evidence in his favor. Some
of them whom he had summoned absented them
selves. One of them the Earl of Huntingdon,
bitterly reproached him with having deceived
the houses, and drawn on them the guilt of she'd
ding innocent blood. The Judges brow-beat
and reviled the prisoner with an intemperaqre
which, even i'll the most atrocous cases, ill-be-
comes the judicial character. He betrayed how
ever, no signs of fear or of shame, and faced the
storm of invective which burst upon him from
bar, bench, and witneeaboy, with the insolence
of despair. He was convicted on both indict-
ments. His offence, though, in moral light,
murder OF the most aggravated kind, was in the
eye OF tine law, merely misdemeanor.
The tribunal, however, was DESTROYS to make
his punishment more severe than that of felons
and traitors, and not merely put him to death,
but to put him to death by frightful torments-
He was sentenced to be stripped of his clerical
habit, to be pillored in Palace Yard, to be led
round Westminster Hall, with an inscription de-
claringl his infamy over his head toibe pillored
whipped from Aldgate to Neweate, and, after
an interval of two days to be whipped from New
gate to Tyburn. If, against all probability, he
should happen to survive this horrible intiiction,
he was to be kept close prisoner during life.
Five times every year,sh was to be brought forth
from his dungeon, and exposed on the pillory in
different parts of the capital.
This rigorous sentence was vigorously eNecu-
ted. On the day Oh which Oates was pilored in
in Palace Yard, Zoe was merciessly pelted and
ran some risk of being pulled to pieces; but in
the city, his partisans mustered in great force,
raised a riot, and upset the pilory. They We're,
however, unable to rescue their favorte. 1t was
supposed that he would try to escape the horrible
doom mnieh awaited him, by swallowing poison.
ly inspected ON the following morning he
was brought forth to undergo tine first tagging.
At an early hour, an nnumelable multitude filled
all the streets from Aldgate 10 the Bailey, The
hangman laid on the lasl with such unusual Sc
yenty as showed he had received special instluc-