This episode damaged his reputation at Court, as did his increasingly vitriolic 'bantering' towards Oates' allies which ultimately inflamed the public mood. L'Estrange had damaged his case with works such as "Citt and Bumpkin" which employed the language of anti-Court rhetoric for his own ends, and ultimately a 1680 Council of State hearing focused more on his reputation than on the substance of the Popish Plot. Oates' increasingly deranged accusations discredited his plots by the end of 1681 while attempts to replace the Duke of York as heir with the Duke of Monmouth likewise failed. This period represented a major victory for the pro-Court faction, becoming known as 'Tories', but L'Estrange found himself increasingly out of favour.