evidence, and pretended to have destroyed the most dangerous documents on the eve of his departure. His evidence was further weakened by the inability of the authorities to find Francis Evers, who remained free throughout the Plot. He gave evidence against the "five popish lords" (Lord Stafford, Earl of Powis, Lord Arundell of Wardour, Lord Belasyse and Lord Petre) in October 1678. On 24 December 1678, he swore information before two magistrates, Thomas Lane and J. Vernon in Staffordshire. His initial reception by the Government was extremely favourable: he was "a man of sense and temper", intelligent, educated and well-spoken, in marked contrast to the disreputable earlier informers like Titus Oates. His testimony, in the early stages, was so plausible that even Charles II, who had previously been a complete sceptic on the subject, "began to think there was somewhat in the Plot"; while Chief Justice William Scroggs found him entirely convincing, as did many others, for "somewhat in his air disposed people to believe him". By the time his unsavoury past came to light, he had done a great deal of harm. Despite his deep grievance against Lord Aston he seemed at first rather hesitant about accusing him of complicity in the Plot, but eventually did so: Aston was accordingly sent to the Tower of London. Dugdale charged John Tasborough and Mrs. Ann Price with soliciting him to sign a paper of recantation of his evidence, and offering him a £1,000 reward for it. In February 1679 these persons were tried and convicted at the king's bench; Price had been Dugdale's fellow-servant and sweetheart at Tixall. Afterwards, Dugdale led a shifty, vagabond life, giving evidence and writing pamphlets, at first associating chiefly with William Bedloe, Oates, and Edward Turberville, but eventually turning against Stephen College and confronting Oates. The Plot Trials At the trial of the five Jesuits (Thomas Whitebread, William Barrow alias Harcourt, John Fenwick, John Gavan, and Anthony Turner, from 13 June 1679) Dugdale charged two of them with consulting to bring about the assassination of Charles II. He charged Whitebread with writing a letter providing for the entertainment of 'good stout fellows,' namely the four Irish 'ruffians' who were reported to have been hired for the regicide. The next day, 14 June, at the trial of the barrister Richard Langhorn, Dugdale was a chief witness for the prosecution. All six men were found guilty and executed,