OTES' Letter. For the Right Honourable Sir Leoline Jenkins Knight His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State at Whitehall.  
I Gave your Honour the last Friday the trouble of a few Lines, in which I told you, that I had business of Importance with the King and Council; your answer was, That I must apply myself to a Justice of Peace, or Courts of Justice: The business I had with the Council, is a Complaint against Roger L'Estrange Esq who in several Libels of his called the Observator, and other Seditious Pamphlets, hath (as I humbly conceive,) Vilified and Ridiculed the Evidence of the Popish Plot, and Arraigned the Proceed of the Government, upon the said Plot; And to give himself a reputation in this his Illegal course, he pretends in one or more of those his said Observators, that he hath Authority or leave from some of His Majesty's Ministers for so doing; which I dare not believe. Your Honour knows, that His Majesty was so sensible of the danger he was in, by reason of that Horrid Conspiracy, that he did not only recommend the strict examination thereof, to His Houses of Parliament, but also was pleased to acquaint them, how unsafe he was till it was searched out to the bottom. Besides this, three Fasts were Proclaimed, Appointed and kept, which the King himself strictly kept, and commanded all His Loving Subjects so to do; several have been Executed; and several Parliaments have Voted, That there was an Horrid, Hellish Popish Plot; Now all these things considered, I could never have imagined that any private Persons, could have been so bold with the Government, as to use such Reflections upon their Proceed, and call in question the Veracity of the Testimony of that Evidence, which was justified by His Majesty's Council, and the Parliament, and the Courts of Justice; I thought I should never have lived to have seen the day that the Plot should be called in question, which the King had owned in his several Proclamations; But since it is so, I must pray your Pardon, if I cannot apply myself for Redress in that way and method your Honour was pleased to order: For I humbly conceive that it is the Government that is abused, and therefore in Conscience and Honour it is bound to vindicate its Proceed from such Aspersions as are cast upon them by the said L'Estrange and his Confederates; I would not use any method or way to injure the worst of my Enemies, but that the Council will take my hard usage from the said L'Estrange into serious Consideration, and cause the said L'Estrange to be Silenced, and Reparation to be made me. To that end, I have in this sent a Petition to the King and Council, which I would have presented if I might have had the liberty to appear at Court, in which I pray for Redress; I hope God will put it into your hearts to do me right. In the mean time, Sir I am  
Feb. 28. 1683. Your Honour's Humble Servant TITUS OATS.  
My humble Request is, that this Petition enclosed, may be presented to the King in Council, so that I may be in some probable way of having Redress.   

OTES' Petition, To the KING'S most Excellent Majesty, and to the Lords and others of His Majesty's most Honble Privy Council. The humble Petition and Complaint of Titus Oats  
SHOWETH,  
THat your Petitioner according to his Duty and Allegiance which he owes, and is always bound to pay to your Majesty and the Government Established by Law, did in the month of September, in the year 1678. Discover a most Horrid, Hellish Popish Plot against your Majesty and the Protestant Religion and Government, to the amazement of your Majesty and the Privy Council, as appears by the several Proclamations issued out by your Majesty's Order, with the Advice of your most Honourable Privy Council, which your Petitioner is, and will be ready to produce when thereunto commanded by your Majesty.  
That your Majesty was so highly sensible of the great danger your Person was in, and your Government, by reason of that Conspiracy, that you were graciously pleased to proclaim several solemn Fasts and days of Humiliation, and did will and require your Loving Subjects to join in Hearty Prayers and Supplication with your Majesty unto Almighty God for the Blessings of the Discovery, and for the farther Discovery thereof; and in several of your Majesty's most gracious Speeches to your Houses of Parliament, hath been pleased to express, How unsafe your Majesty was till the said Plot was searched to the bottom.  
That several Roman Catholics (Priests and others) were Apprehended, and Committed, Indicted and Convicted, Attainted and Executed upon your Petitioners Evidence, together with the Evidence of others, the Attainders of which persons remain (as your Petitioner believes) upon Record.  
That (upon the Evidence of your Petitioner and others) four Parliaments declared in their VOTES. That there was an Horrid Popish Plot for the Destruction of your Royal Person and your Government, and the Subversion of the Protestant Religion as by Law Established.  
That Roger L'Estrange, whom your Petitioner hears is now a Justice of the Peace, (though turned out for several Misdemeanours in the year 1680.) hath Defamed and Arraigned the Justice of the Nation, in Ridiculing the said Popish Plot, and the Discovery and the Discoverers thereof, in certain Scandalous and Seditious Pamphlets of his called the Observator and in several other Pamphlets.  
That the said Roger L'Estrange pretends in some of those Seditious and Scandalous Pamphlets, That he is authorised so to do by one or both your Secretaries  
That the said Scandalous and Seditious Pamphlet, appears to countenance Popery in your Protestant Government, and the Popish Party have been much encouraged by the same, to Revile and Threaten your Petitioner; he the said L'Estrange pretending that he had Authority for so doing.  
That your Petitioner hath born the Scandalous Reflections and Aspersions, upon the account of his Discovery of the said Plot, from the said L'Estrange this four years with Patience; and had the Scandals only touched your Petitioner, I would not have complained to your Majesty and this Honourable Board; But since the said L'Estrange Scandalously vilifies the said Discovery, and calls in question the Justice of your Government, your Petitioner therefore thought it fit to apply himself to your Majesty and this Board for Redress.  
The Premises considered, your Petitioner humbly prays your Majesty, and this Right Honourable Board, to Relieve your Petitioner and his Evidence from the Seditions Calumnies of the said Roger L'Estrange, and not suffer your Petitioner to be left, to be daily oppressed and destroyed for those Services which your Majesty, and Council, and Parliament, and Courts of Justice are sensible of:  
And your Petitioner shall (as in duty bound) pray for your Majesty's Health, and long Life; and happy Reign, etc. Titus Oats.