x from
it another grant of money by marrying his niece, the Princess Mary, to
William of Orange, President of the Dutch republic, and head of the
Protestant party on the Continent.

[2] See Summary of Constitutional History in the Appendix, p. xix,
S21.

478. The So-Called "Popish Plot"; the Exclusion Bill, and Disabling
Act, 1678.

While the King was playing this double part, a scoundrel, named Titus
Oates, whose hideous face was but the counterpart of a still more
hideous character, pretended that he had discovered a terrible plot.
He declared that the Catholics had formed a conspiracy to burn London,
massacre the inhabitants, kill the King, and restore the religion of
Rome.

The news of this alleged discovery caused an excitement which soon
grew into a sort of popular madness. The memory of the great fire
(S474) was still fresh in people's minds. In their imagination they
now saw those scenes of horror repeated, with wholesale murder added.
Great numbers of innocent persons were thrown into prison, and many
executed.

As time went on, the terror seemed to increase. With its increase,
Oates grew bolder in his accusations. Chief Justice Scroggs showed
himself an eager abettor of the miserable wretch who swore away men's
lives for the sake of the notoriety it gave him. In the extravagance
of his presumption Oates even dared to accuse the Queen of an attempt
to poison Charles. The craze, however, had at last begun to abate
somewhat, no action was taken, and in the next reign Oates got the
punishment he deserved--or at least a part of it (S485).

An attempt was now made (1679) to pass a law called the "Exclusion
Bill," debarring Charles's brother James, the Catholic Duke of York,
from succeeding to the crown; but though voted by the Commons, it was
defeated by the Lords. Meanwhile a second measure, called the
"Disabling Act," had received the sanction of both Houses, 1678. It
declared Catholics incapable of sitting in either House of Parliament
(S382); and from this date they remained shut out from all legislative
power and from all civil and corporate offices until 1829, a period of
over a century and a half (S573).

479. Rise of Permanent Political Parties, 1678; the King revokes City
Charters.

It was about this time that the names "Whig" and "Tory" (changed after
1832 to Liberal and Conservative) (S582) began to be given to two
political parties, which soon became very powerful, and practically
ha