THE LIFE OF Titus Oats From his CRADLE To his first PILLORING For Infamous PERJURY; With a True Account of his Birth and Parentage; Impartially set forth for the satisfaction of all Persons.  
Entered according to Order.  
Titus' Oats, the Infamous Subject of the Discourse of this Age, (whose detestable Memory, together with the Villainy of those that abbetted him, and folly of those that believed will be the Execration of Future Ages) was born at Okam in the County of Rutland, of mean Parentage: His Father was one Samuel Oats born at Norwich, and brought up there in Weaving Norwich Stuff, the chief Manifacture of that Town; in the time of Civil Broils, he stepped from the Loom into the Pulpit, where he retailed Sedition and Nonsense to the Baptists, being accounted among them a Famous Preacher, and a well Gifted Brother; he was not content to give those of his Tribe common Washing, but soused and douced them so that he drowned a Holy Sister in the dipping, for the which he narrowly escaped Hanging afterwards: when the King came in, he wheeled about with the Times, and got a Benefice at Hastings which he lost for his Misdemeanours and suspicion of Perjury against Old Mr. Parker, and came here to London, and died at the Half-Moon in King-street some two years ago, living there several years under vehement suspicion of Adultery; I should not here rake into his Ashes, but to show that Titus Oats (as the Proverb says) Was the bad Egg of an ill Crow, and that he was fitted by his depraved Education for the Villainies he has since Committed.  
Titus' Oats, till he was five years of age was much troubled with Convulsion-fits, and small hopes of Life; but afterwards growing stronger, was brought up by his Father from Okam to London, where in that time he was so Famous for Lying amongst his Companions, that severals did presage his future Villainies, and that one time or another, if he was not taken off by the hand of Justice, he would put whole Kingdoms in Convulsions. He went for some time to Westminster School, but profited little in Learning, his Genius being wholly bend to baseness and Villainy: Afterwards when his Father had procured by his seeming Conformity a Benefice at Hastings, he took his hopeful Sprig, Titus down with him, and Baptised him at the Age of 12 years, having some principal People of the Town for Godfathers and Godmothers, after he had continued some few years with his Father at Hastings; he was sent to the University of Cambridge where he was equally remarkable for his dulness and debauchery, he giving there a most remarkable Instance of his Roguery. He bought a Gown of a poor Tailor, and when he was Duned for the Money, he swore before his Tutor that he would take the Sacrament upon it that he had paid him; being asked by his Tutor how he came by so much Money, since all Money passed through his hands, he said it was privately sent him by his Mother by a Carrier, and Named him; the Carrier afterwards being called, he neither knew Oats, nor any thing of the Matter. Oats was now but a fresh man as to his standing in the University, but a Master of Arts in Lying and Swearing: After he had stayed some small time in the University, being Notorious for all sorts of Debaucheries; he was called home by his Father to be his ●itar at Hastings, his Father by this means preventing his being expelled the University, he having neither Wit nor Learning, presently became the Scandal of the Pulpit, insomuch that the Fisher-Women pulled him out of the Pulpit, during his abode at Hastings, he was always quarrelling, and by Lies and False Suggestions, setting Neighbours by the Ears, and afterwards Notoriously forswore himself in the Case of Mr. Parker Junior, which is related by people worthy of all Credit, as follows.  
There happened to be a Quarrel between Young Mr. Parker and this Famoso; upon which Oats was heard to say, that he would have the Lives of some of that Family in a short time, the Father Old Samuel Oats swore Treason against Mr. Parker Senior, and so made him be sent for up to London in the Interim. Titus swore a detestable Crime against Young Parker, said to be committed in the Church-Paroch: Mr. Parker Senior quickly got quit, because the thing was found to be but mere malice, but it went harder with Parker Junior, for it came to the dangerous Event of a Trial: but at the Trial, Mr. Parker Junior proved by several Witnesses, that he was at another place at that day, and that Masons and other Workmen working about the Church, it was impossible to commit such an offence without being Discovered by them; upon which Mr. Parker Junior at last was quit, and Oats was presently clapped up in the Goal in his place, for speaking scandalous things of Mr. Parker; there he continued a considerable time, but at last got a Certiorary to be removed to Dover one of the Cinque Ports (he pretending he could have no Justice there, because the Parkers were the chief Magistrates of the Town) there after some time he got out, and it is generally reported that he broke the Prison, and so got to London; when he was at London he found himself at a great loss, and so betook himself to his old Trade of Lying and Swearing.  
He pretended he had made a Discovery of a Church, of which his Grace Henry late DUKE of Norfolk, he said was Lawful Patron, and so he made Friends to his Grace, who promised him the Benefice in case he could make an Effectual Discovery, and in the Interim he gave him for some months, the Title of one of his Honorary Chaplains, but that project failing, he then began to pretend scruples in points of Religion, and that he was not well satisfied with the Church of England's Doctrine, and she as little with his Practice and Example. After he had Discoursed some Members of the Roman Communion, he was as he pretended all on Fire to be joined to it and resolved to become a new man, and so at last he was admitted; then nothing would serve his turn, but he would needs become an Apostle, and reduce all as he said to the Ancient Faith; those whom he transacted this Affair with being wholly ignorant of his former flagitious Life, were prevailed with, by his seeming Zeal to give him Commendations for the English Seminary at Vallodolid in Spain, by the Name of Titus Ambrose; There he had not been long, but he gave many evident Proofs of his Incorrigible Nature and Blockishness; so being a constant Quarrel, and Combatant with the Servants and found altogether unfit to proceed any farther, after some two months' time he was dismissed that College, and took Ship at Bilbo, and so came for England, never coming near Salamanca, of which Famous University he pretended to be a Doctor.  
After he came into England he began to be very troublesome to his Romish Acquaintance, still pretending great Zeal, and that he miscarried at Vallodolid only because he did not understand the Humour of the Spainards', who were superiors of that College; and so at last he prevailed with them to give him a second Recommendation to St. Omers, hoping he should give them better satisfaction in a Seminary of all English; and there he was received by the Name of Samson, a Name that something squared to his Achievements; for he killed as many men almost as Samson, and that by the same Instrument, the Jawbone of an Ass, (and after set Fire on the Fox's Tails:) He came thither about December 1677. having been but the Summer, before at Vallodolid; he had not been long there, but he began to be as remarkable as he had been at Vallodolid: The Boys for his folly and stupidness flocking about him as small Birds do about an Owl, so that he was judged by all very unfit to go on to higher Studies, not being able to speak two words of true Latin, as is evident by what was proved lately in Court against him, and by his own essaying to read the Year of our Lord, out of figures into Latin words; and besides he was very proud and disobedient, slighting the Discipline of the House, and perpetually murmuring and speaking ill of the Royal Family; so that at last they resolved to dismiss him, having received his Character from Vallodolid; accordingly he was turned out about the middle of June 1678.  
There is one thing very remarkable happened the Night before his Dismission, which is as follows.  
There is by Relation a private Oratory in the Seminary where the Students do their private Devotions; there being there an Altar and a Crucifix, one of the Superiors of the House coming late to do his Devotion, observed that Mr. Samson was got upon the Altar, and his hand upon the hand of the Crucifix; he asked him what he was doing, he replied he was taking leave of Jesus Christ; at his Dismission he said to several of the Students, he would be revenged of the Jesuits to the full, for denying him Entrance into their Order, and for turning him out of the College, both which it seems he has in great part performed. After he came over into England again, he went skulking up and down the Town among the Romanists, and was very troublesome, being perpetually begging something for a poor Student and a converted Minister, who had voluntarily left a great Benefice, for to Embrace the Catholic Faith, which moved the Charity of several; to those that he thought were no great Friends of the Jesuits; he made great complaints, and threatened them sore; he told some of the Jesuits (who afterwards by the Virtue of his Oath were Executed,) that if they would not by such a time furnish him with such a sum of Money, they should all repent it; they knowing their own Conscience, looking on him as a mere Vagabond and Scoundrel, took no notice of what he said, knowing his Majesty's Clemency, and never suspecting that he would take such a Diabolical Course as swearing of Treason, but only inform of them as being Priests: Oats in the mean time was Caballing with Dr. Tongue and the Earl of Shaftsbury.  
It's generally supposed that Tongue drew up his Narrative: Oats being among the Jesuits as you have heard for sometime could furnish them with Names of several; but they drew up the Method of the pretended Treason, and altered it afterwards according as they found the pulse of the Nation beat. About the middle of August they thought all things were ready for a shame Discovery, and so was the Brat Midwifed into the World, which after by the inveterate Malice of some, and the Folly and Madness of others; grew in a short time into that great Giant that like another Goliath defied the Arms of the living Lord.  
After the sitting of the Parliament which was in October following, Titus came into that Credit, that at the Intercession of the House of Commons; he had Ten Pounds a Week allowed him and a Guard, which Pension was continued till after the Oxford Parliament, where at the Trial of Stephen College, Oats set up for an Evidence against the King, and at his return was forbid the Court; then he went and herded himself among the Factious Party of the City, where he Caballed, but was never trusted in the great Design; because as Coll. Rumsey said, he was too great a Rogue; however they maintained him very well, but his credit sunk lower and lower, every day; and was quite ruined upon the Discovery of the Fanatic Plot: The Summer following he was clapped up into the Kings-Bench, upon an Action of Scandalum Magnatum against our present King, where he has behaved himself very insolently, and talked very basely of the Royal Family, which by the Discovery of his pretended Plot, he pretended to have a great kindness for; this Term, Upon the 9th of May, and also upon the 10th he was found out to be a great Imposter, and to have falsely Perjured himself by above threescore Evidences, many of them Protestants; for which he is now to suffer several Penalties, Notoriously known to the World.   

London Printed by E. Mallet, in Black-Horse-Alley near Fleet-bridge, 1685. reprinted at Edinburgh, by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to his most Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1685.