An alleged conspiracy by Roman Catholics to kill Charles II of England and replace him as king by his Roman Catholic brother, James, Duke of York. The plot was invented by Titus Oates, an Anglican priest, who asserted that a massacre of Protestants and the burning of London were imminent. The plot achieved credibility because of Shaftesbury’s willingness to use Oates as a means to secure James’s exclusion from the throne. A nationwide panic ensued during which more than 80 innocent people were condemned before Oates was discredited. He was punished for perjury, but survived to receive a pension from William III.