of Glorious Memory fell under I pray god forgive my Enemies as I freely do those that Accused me those that witnessed against me and all others that either desired my Blood or rejoyce at the shedding of it and all Persons that have any ways concern'd themselves with me I freely forgive them with all my Soul and beg my dear Jesus to forgive them and all others God Almighty bless you and bless the whole Nation and the Government and preserve it from all Evil and Mischief that I am afraid is coming on it for the shedding of Innocent Blood Sweet Jesus lay not my Innocent Blood to their Charge I shall say no more now Publickly Asked the Executioner Whether the Rope was right or no He said Yes and he asked him Whether he did forgive him To which Mr. Langhorne said I freely do I shall now recommend my self to God in Private S. You may have liberty The Writer The Lord have Mercy on your Soul L. The Lord in Heaven Reward your Charity Crost himself pray'd again Blessed Jesus into thy Hands I recommend my Soul and Spirit now at this instant take me into Paradice I am desirous to be with my Jesus I am ready and you need stay no longer for me Concerning Sr. George Wakeman Mr. Corker Mr Marsh alias Marshal and Mr. Rumley THese were Tryed at the Old Bayley on the 18. of July against whom Dugdale first appearing repeats his former Story of his knowing long ago somthing of the Plot but more particularly about two years since That the Killing of the King and Duke of Monmouth was told him by the Priests and my L'd. Stafford That Hartcourts Letters besides others were ever directed to him frought with the Business of the Plot That he open'd many of them privately and that he kept those he could not handsomly Seal again which Reader infinitly amaz'd the Auditory as not being able to imagin why if he were such a Privado he should play such Tricks with his Fellows and especially when there was no design or Advantage in it for he had not one of them to produce as the Prisoners urg'd Nor could any body comprehend how the Conspirators themselves should have Letters of such Concern intercepted and not be presently in an Uproar Then he said that Sr. James Symons Mr. Howard Mr. Gerard and Mr. Adderley were to be Officers in the Army which was to be rais'd That he saw St. Omer Acquittances of July last of the Payment of the money for this Affair That in a Letter directed to him there was also caution given That no Rumor should be of Armes or any thing else till the King were dispatch'd but he could not now recollect either who wrot it or its Date or from whence it came and yet 't was brought by the Common Post all which seem'd very strange to the Court nor did the Prisoners besides the other mad Assertions fail often to insist upon this Letter so that Dugdal being perplex'd Confounded was forc'd to run to another forsooth brought by a particular Messenger and Communicated also to my Lord Aston which at last prov'd as wild and odd as the former for it came he said from Paris and from Sr. John Warner as he thinks promising them not only all Assistance but advising them also to lay the Kings murther on the King-killing Presbiterians which would make the Church of England joyn with the Papists to cut them off and that my Lord Stafford Bellasis and Arundel did approve of this Advice by setting their very Hands to it which Reader was incredible Moreover he affirmed besides the notice of Sr. E. Godfreys Death as before That my Lord Stafford who came down about July last offer'd him 500 l. as a present Encouragement for Killing the King and to be received at his Arrival at London in October That they had all a great Confidence in him for he had bin free of his Purse in giving the Priests 400 l. secur'd upon Lands and 100 l. more on promise a passage Mr. Corker made sport with as thinking it very pleasant and prety for him to give 500 l. with one hand for the promotion of the Cause and then for Encouragement to receive as much with the other Nor had Dâ—gdal any better Reply ready than that my Lord Stafford he supposes knew not of the money given before by him which was far from answering the Difficulty why such a Zealot as he should have Encouragement for his bare personal help even out of the present publick Stock especially when he confesses the Contributions were so backward that Mr. Peter ' s complain'd to him of it But the Evidence that made the most Mirth both then and since was Mr. Whites Letter sent by the Common Post as he also mentions in the former Tryal to command Mr. Evers in express Terms To Choose hardy persons to kill the King for the Expedient in case Letters did miscarry which made not a few Laugh outright was That he the said Dugdal should be the only Person hang'd the Jesuits having as he assures the Court so devised it That they never subscib'd but two Letters of their names and the packet being directed to him he was upon all accidents to deny it and to observe the Secrecy which they had at least ten times sworn him to and then they could not be discover'd he said but must go free seeing all was flung upon him This Evidence being thus without either Head or Taile Rhyme or Reason the King's Counsel told the Prisoners that it was not to affect any in particular but to prove the Plot in general whereupon Sr. G. Wakeman readily answered That it was the worst made out that ever any thing was he believes â—rance therfore being next repeats also his old Tale and among the particulars of my Lord Arundel's Butler's acquainting him That the King was to be killed by Mr. Messenger and then Mr. Messenger's Answering him afterwards in surprize when he found â—rance knew it That they were now off the Business and then he adds as new That Mr. Paston told him that Sr. Henry Benningfield Mr. Stoner and Mr. Talbot of Long-ford had Commissions to to raise an Army which was to be Govern'd by the Ld's Bellasis Powis and Peters as Gâ—ove assur'd him whilst he was buying silver Spoons of him for a Christning Then stood up a new Witness to wit Mr. Robert Jennison who said That Mr. Ireland told him in June 78 his sister Anne Ireland being by that there was hope of the Restauration of their Religion that only one stood in the Gap and that it was easie to poyson the King That he the said Witness call'd it a horrid Action That Mrs Ireland did rebuke her Brother for talking so who answered That he thought it ought not to be done That Mr. Jennison reply'd that Violence would never do the thing it being a Scandal
serve thee in this life by Grace and injoy thee in the next by Glory be pleased to grant by the merits of thy bitter Death and Passion that after this wretched life shall be ended I may not fail of a full injoyment of thee my last end and soverain good I humbly beg pardon for all the sins which I have committed against thy Divine Majesty since the first Instant I came to the use of Reason to this very time I am heartily sorry from the very bottom of my heart for having offended thee so good so powerful so wise and so just a God and purpose by the help of thy Grace never more to offend thee my good God whom I love above all things O sweet Jesus who hast suffer'd a most painful and ignominious Death upon the Cross for our Salvation apply I beseech thee unto me the merits of thy Sacred Passion and sanctify unto me these sufferings of mine which I humbly accept of for thy sake in union of the sufferings of thy sacred Majesty and in punishment and satisfaction of my sins O My dear Saviour and Redeemer I return thee immortal thanks for all thou hast pleased to do for me in the whole course of my life and now in the hour of my Death with a firm belief of all things thou hast revealed and a stedfast hope of obtaining everlasting bliss I chearfully cast my self into the Arms of thy Mercy whose Arms were stretched upon the Cross for my Redemption Sweet Jesus receive my Spirit Mr. Gavan's Speach DEarly beloved Countrey-men I am come to the last Scene of Mortality to the hour of my Death an hour which is the Horizon between Time and Eternity an hour which must either make me a Star to shine for ever in heaven above or a Firebrand to burn everlastingly amongst the damned Souls in Hell below an hour in which if I deal sincerely and with a hearty sorrow acknowledge my Crimes I may hope for mercy but if I falsely deny them I must expect nothing but Eternal Damnation and therefore what I shall say in this great Hour I hope you will believe And now in this hour I do solemnly swear protest and vow by all that is Sacred in Heaven and on Earth and as I hope to see the Face of God in Glory that I am as innocent as the Child unborn of those Treasonable Crimes which Mr. Oates and Mr. Dugdale have Sworn against me in my Trial and for which Sentence of Death was pronounced against me the day after my Trial. And that you may be assured that what I say is true I do in like manner protest vow and swear as I hope to see the Face of God in Glory that I do not in what I say unto you make use of any Equivocation or mental Reservation or material Prolation or any such like way to palliate Truth Neither do I make use of any Dispensations from the Pope or any body else or of any Oath of Secresy or any Absolutions in Confesion or out of Confession to deny the Truth but I speak in the plain sence which the words bear and if I do speak in any other sence to palliate or hide the truth I wish with all my Soul that God may exclude me from his Heavenly Glory and condemn me to the lowest place of Hell Fire and so much to that point And now dear Country-men in the second place I do confess and own to the whole World that I am a Roman Catholick and a Priest and one of that sort of Priests called Jesuits and now because they are so falsly charged for holding King-killing Doctrine I think it my duty to protest to you with my last dying words that neither I in particular nor the Jesuits in general hold any such opinion but utterly abhor and detest it and I assure you that amongst the vast number of Authors which among the Jesuits have Printed Philosophy Divinity Cases or Sermons there is not one to the best of my knowledge that allows of King killing Doctrine or holds this position That it is lawful for a private Person to kill a King although an Heretick although a Pagan although a Tyrant there is I say not one Jesuit that holds this except Mariana the Spanish Jesuit and he defends it not absolutely but only problematically for which his Book was called in and that opinion expunged and censured Aud is it not a sad thing that for the rashness of one single Man whilst the rest cry out against him and hold the contrary that a whole Religious Order should be sentenc'd But I have not time to discuss this point at large and therefore I refer you all to a Royal Author I mean the wise and victorious King Henry the Fourth of France the Royal Grandfather of our present gracious King in a publick Oration which he pronounced in defence of the Jesuits amongst other things declaring that he was very well satisfied with the Jesuits Doctrine concerning Kings as being conformable to the best Doctors in the Church But why do I relate the testimony of one single Prince when the whole Catholick World is the Jesuits Advocate therein Does not Germany France Italy Spain and Flanders trust the Education of their Youth to them in a very great measure Do not they trust their own Souls to be governed by them in the administration of the Sacraments And can you imagin so many great Kings and Princes and so many wise States should do or permit this to be done in their Kingdoms if the Jesuits were men of such damnable principles as they are now taken for in England In the third place dear Countrey-men I do protest that as I never in my life did machine or contrive either the deposition or death of the King so now at my death I do hartily desire of God to grant him a quiet and happy Reign upon Earth and an Everlasting Crown in Heaven For the Judges also and the Jury and all those that were any ways concern'd either in my Tryal Accusation or Condemnation I do humbly beg of God to grant them both Temporal and Eternal happiness And as for Mr. Oates and Mr. Dugdale I call God to witness they by false Oaths have brought me to this untimely end I hartily forgive them because God commands me so to do and I beg God for his infinite Mercy to grant them true Sorrow and Repentance in this World that they may be capable of Eternal happiness in the next And having discharged my Duty towards my self and my own Innocence towards my Order and its Doctrine to my Neighbour and the World I have nothing else to do now my great God but to cast my self into the Arms of your Mercy I believe you are One Divine Essence and Three Divine Persons I believe that you in the Second Person of the Trinity became Man to redeem me and I believe you are an Eternal Rewarder of the Good and an Eternal Chastiser of
the Bad. In sine I belive all you have reveal'd for your own infinite Veracity I hope in you above all things for your infinite Fidelity and I love you above all things for your infinte Beauty and Goodness and I am heartily sorry that ever I offended so great a God with my whole heart I am contented to undergo an ignominious Deth for the love of you my dear Jesu seeing you have been pleased to undergo an ignominious Death for the Love of me Mr. Fenwicks Speech GOod People I suppose you expect I should say something as to the Crime I am Condemned for and either acknowledge my Guilt or assert my Innocency I do therefore declare before God and the whole World and call God to witness that what I say is true that I am Innocent of what is laid to my Charge of Plotting the King's Death and endeavouring to subvert the Government and bring in a Foreign Power as the Child unborn and that I know nothing of it but what I have learn'd from Mr. Oates and his Companions and what comes originally from them Sher. How If you can make a good Conclusion to your own Life it will do well consider if your Letters did not agree with the Evidence That ' s another matter Fenwick I assure you I do renounce all Treason from my very heart I have always and ever shall disown the Opinion of such Devillish Practises as these are of King-Killing If I speak not the whole frame of my heart I wish God may Exclude me from his Glory Sher. How Those that Murdered Sir Edmun Bury Godsrey said as you do Fenwick As for Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey I protest before God I know nothing of it I never saw the man in my life Sher. How For my part I am of Opinion you had a hand in it Fenwick Now that I am a dying man Do you think I would go and Damn my Soul Sher. How I wish you all the good I can but I le assure you I believe never a Word you say Fenwick I pray for his Majesty every day and wish him all happiness with all my heart Also I do with all my Soul pardon all my Accusers If the Judge or Jury did any thing amiss I Pardon them with all my Soul and all Persons directly or indirectly I am very willing and ready to suffer this Death I pray God Pardon me my sins and save my Soul And as to what is said and commonly believed of Roman Catholicks that they are not to be believed or trusted because they can have Dispensations for Lying Perjury Killing Kings and other the most Enormous Crimes I do utterly renounce all such Pardons Dispensations and withall declare That it is a most wicked and malicious Calumny cast upon Catholicks who do all with all their hearts and souls hate and detest all such wicked and damnable Practises and in the words of a dying Man and as I hope for Mercy at the hands of God before whom I must shortly appear and give an account of all my actions I do again declare That what I have said is true and I hope Christian Charity will not let you think that by the last act of my Life I would cast away my Soul by sealing up my last breath with a damnable Lye Then they were at their private Devotions for about an hour And Mr. Sheriff How spake to them Pray aloud Gentlemen that we may joyn with you we shall do you no hurt if we do you no good Are you asham'd of your Prayers Then he spake to Mr. Gavan and said It is Reported you did preach at the Quakers metting Gavan To which he made answer No Sir I never preached there in my life Concerning Mr. Langhorn MR. Langhorn was tryed at the Old Baily on Saturday the 14th of June 1679 to make good the charge of High Treason against him Dugdale first appeared who proved the Plot in general as having been at several Consults with the Jesuits about the Alteration of the Governmâ—nt and introducing Popery where they spoke of an Army to be raised of Killing the King and a Massacre and that he knew of Sir Edm. Godfry's death by Ewers Letter on the Munday night which began thus This very Nigâ—t Sir Edm. Godfry is dispatch't that upon his being concern'd that the Plot might be spoild by it Ewers said it would be put upon debauch't persons for he was severe with such yet he the said Dugdale could not it ran so much in his mind but the next morning he spoke of it at an Alehouse hard by and thence it was carried to Mr. Châ—twin Prance rose next and deposed that Mr. Messenger Gentleman of the Horse to my Lord Arundel was employed by his Lord and my Lord Powis to kill the King and this he was told of by my Lord's Butler That meeting Messenger he askt him what his reason was that he would kill the King who answered He was off of it now which Question and Answer Reader made many smile Then he proceeded sayd That presently 50000 men should be raised and governed by the said Lords to kill all that were not Catholickâ— that he heard it from Mr. Ireland Fenwick and Grove who spake of it to him together That Mr. Harâ—court acquainted him before one Thompson that the King was to be killed by several and that Fenwic said That Langhorn was to have a great hand in it so that still we see here are new men and mean ones too who know of the King's Death and tell it one another for pastime and ordinary News Oates followed next saying he went into Spain in April 1677 that returning in November he brought Letters from Mr. Langhorn's Sons who studied there That Mr. Langhorn at the Receit of them was informed by him that the Youths would enter into the Society which much rejoyced Mr. Langhorn being a great Votary of the Jesuits but said if they would continue Secular Priests they would have great Promotions in England since things would not last long in this Posture That Mr. Langhorn did upon Oates his going to St. Omers in November give him a Packet and in his Letter to the Fathers he mentioned his writing to Fa. La Chaise in order to their Concerns and that Coleman had written very largely to that Father which made him the more brief That Mr. Langhorn writ another in March or April about ordering Five Pounds to his Son that had bin in Rebellion and turn'd Soldier but was now reconcil'd to him by the Intercession of the Fathers In this Letter also Mr. Langhorn exprest at large his great Care of the Catholick Design and told them among other things that the Parliament Flagging they had a fair opportunity to give the Blow which seem'd very odd to many That in an ordinary letter of Domestick concerns He should treat of such high and secret matters Then Oates go's on and say's That after the great Consult of April he
of the Mine had the promise of Secrecy bin valid must have discover'd his Complices nay we find in the said Treatise that he hufft in the beginning like a Scaevola and declar'd he would confess nothing laying all the blame upon himself which the wise Lords of the Counsel laught at knowing that the Gentleman being in Hold they would for all his Bravadoes find presently and so it happen'd the depth of the whole Intrigue 'T was the knowledg of this I mean that in a discover'd Treason there is no Reliance on Oaths that made Winter with both tâ—e Wrights upon Fawkes his Apprehension post out of town as he confessâ—s they did for had they not bin desperate and without further hopes of secrecy and faith they would never have run to seven or eight Gentlemen suppos'd then in Armes who had now up against them both King and Kingdom to their own particular knowledg Nor coul'd Tresham himself escape you see though he still continued as How tells us about the Court that he might thereby seem wholy free and innocent In fine their own Declarations were such that the Publisher of the Proceedings against them in the very Epistle say's That Justice pass'd on the several CONFESIONS of all the Capital Offenders which they openly CONFES'D and confirm'd at their Arraignments in the hearing of multitudes of People And by the way be pleased to remember that no Catholick ever denied this Treason only some question whether Protestant History it self dos not shew us that Cecil to ruin the Party drew those fiery men into it by his subtil Tricks and Artifices This one would think were more than enough to show you how you are by ill men deceiv'd and we abus'd but because no present Pretence shall be left untoucht I will speak a word of the two Examples which our weak Enemies deem so strong and pertinent to prove this Calumny The first is of one Curphy an Irish Papist who being condemn'd they say in his Countrey for Burglary deny'd it with great Asseverations at his Execution but the Rope by chance breaking before he was quite dead he thankt God confessing the Fact and then in spight of the Sheriffs great Intercession was again hanged by the Judge's special Order and Command The next is of the before mention'd Tresham who protested as they will have it in writing upon his Salvation and this just before his death That he had not seen Garnet in 16 years whereas Garnet and Mrs Vaux did both confess that they had been often since that time together As to Curphy then though truly I know not why any Christian or Pagan should be responsible for every Atheist or Libertine of his Proâ—ession give me leave to ask first how our Adversaries can think this so Nicking a Blow for since they themselves must acknowledge him already to have been an impudent Lyar and an ill man why may it not be as possible nay as probable also and then how is the Argument convincing that seeing he could not save his Life by asserting a TRVTH he now hop'd to work on the Judge by attacking him with a LYE on the other hand for the denying of a Fact to death never pleases him that gave sentence especially if the Evidence be in the least questionable nor was the said Curphy's Expectations it seems wholy frustrated since the Sheriff and others did as you see earnestly intercede for him Now for Tresham the Case is plain and at most but a poor simple womans Project and Mr. Att. Cook cannot but confess it in the aforesaid Speech for there he tell 's us That Tresham's wife understanding with great Concerâ—ment that he had confest all against Garnet got him a little before his death even when he could not WRITE himself to dictate the PROTESTATION to her servant so that 't is no wonder since the meer changing of a Word nay a Figure might do it if there were an Error as to the number of years in question But my Lords and Gent if both the Examples were as our Adversaries would have them what Resemblance or Analogy has the Action I beseech you of a single man once in a Century to Twelve that dyed together who were not only free from the least matter or Circumstance that could make them suspected besides the Testimony of most nefarious Persons but had also LIFE add PREFERMENT offer'd them upon their bare CONFESSION Besides do they that thus charge us think their Religion so harmless or us so ignorant that we can show no Precedents against them of this nature Certainly we can and as I suppose much more to the purpose Nay witnest also by Protestants themselves For does not first that most learned New-Gate-Divine declare in the before mention'd Treatise That in his late Experience as Ordinary there he knew some Malefactors condemn'd for Murther and Burglary to have gone out of the World with a Notorious asserting their Integrity although they had twice or thrice confest to him with some seeming remorse that theywere justly condemn'd for the said Crimes so that here Reader we have not only Protestant Penitents denying the truth at their death but a Protestant Confessarius revealing secrets and such another or one at least very like him Hind the famous Robber met with at Worcester being there convicted and hang'd by the evidence of his spiritual Guide But what do you think of a far more eminent Example to wit that of my Lord Castle haven who as all the Writers of King Charles's Reign will tell you was after a Netorious ill life Charg'd and condemn'd at last for prostituting his Daughter in Law for holding his own Wife whilst his servant forc'd her and lastly for Sodomy it self and yet though these Crimes were proved by several plain Circumstances by his wife and daughters Testimony and lastly by Brodway and Patrick his abus'd Patizans who were both hang'd for the facts and own'd the Committing of them to the last he at his Execution most solemnly deny'd all dying as Sanderson affirms not only a true Protestant but assisted also by his Chaplain's to wit the Dean of St Paul's and Doctor Wickham Thus then you see besides the former evident and unanswerable Reasons that we are not only free from this Imputation our selves but that the Protestant Doctrine is guilty of it if the Actions of some few men are sufficient to determine and adjudge the Point In fine then was it not very pertinently askt by the Author of the New Plot That seeing the Councel of Trent has positively declar'd No Absolution available which is not preceded by Detestation of the sin committed and seeing it is impossible freely to do a thing and at the same time to detest it how could it be imagin'd that the late executed Catholicks should hope for any benefit by such an Absolution as is pretended or be thought with the least appearance of Reason to make use of so wretched
particulars of that grand Meeting as aforesaid But this home Charge came to nothing because there were no Witnesses ready to prove it viva voce for as to the Print though publisht by the Chief Justice it was refus'd since a man was not as Mr. Justice Pemberton Answer'd to be Convicted by a History The Prisoner urged again the Record of the Lords House which could shew that Bedlow had there sworn that he had no persons more to accuse either in or out of the House than those he had already mention'd so that He Mr. Langhorn not being one of them the said Bedlow must be perjur'd but this was deny'd him as was also the hearing of Witnesses to prove that Bedlow had own'd in Mr. Reading's Tryal that he had formerly minc't his Evidence against Mr. Whitebread which was plain perjury since he then swore to speak the whole Truth as well as nothing but Truth Mr. Langhorn though he thought he had hard measure patiently acquiest for he was a very quiet and modest man and then the Court called the Witnesses that proved in the preceding Tryal Oates's being here in April but all of them in some material thing or other varied from their former Depositions for Walker the Minister finding it necessary to advance in his computation about the time when he drew Oates the next morning within the Scheme of his Knowledge as he worded it in the former Tryal tells us now that he believes it was in April and towards the middle of it though in the said former Tryal he made it every whit as likely to be in the latter end of March and yet half April could not then serve you see Oates his turn But Cicily Mayo on the contrary finding it as necessary to shorten her time will have it That it was a matter of a fortnight before Whitsuntide as she remembers when she saw Oates at the Doctor 's yet before she not only depos'd That it was the week before Whit suntide or May the 19 but that he came again to them a week after As for the Doctor or Knight himself who was to assure the Court that his servants told him of Oates his visits he now tells us that he was then sick in the Countrey whereas before he swears in these words At that time says he that they have given in Evidence I was abroad as my business leads me often abroad into the Countrey and then he add's a little after that upon the visit of a Gentleman he fell ill in which time Oates was gone but upon his Recovery to wit in June or July He came to enquire for Dr. Tongue So that if the said Doctor or Knight were sick and out of Town from February to Whitsun week or latter end of May as his Coach-man and He both now depose what becomes of his Boy Page's Testimony that remembred the day before Oates to have been at his Masters in the beginning of May because his said Master had a Patient in I slington Sick of a Feavor nay what shall be thought of the said Doctor himself who to vouch the Boy and to satisfy the Jury swore then that that Patient of his was Aldram Milvers daughter when as here we find him not in the Country about his business but under the Care of Doctor Needham and to be a Patient himself by his own Confession for a great many weeks together The School-Master's also shewd that he understood his business for having well consider'd Mr. Gavans late Inferences he swore at present only that it was on the first Munday in May to the best for sooth of his Remembrance and as he takes it which are expressions far different from the words Yes I do when the Judge askt him if he swere positively and directly As for Clay the old Priest he was confronted by Mr. Charles Howard the Duke of Norfolks Brother who was only examin'd though his wife and two servants were also present to attest That Oates was never with them after April 77 till July 78. Nor were these the sole witnesses that were past by for it had often happened thus both in this and the Jesuits Tryal there being above 30 who never came to their Examinations either for want of hearing or of being called Now because Mr. Howard fear'd his Testimony in Court might be alter'd by the Writers of the Tryal he gave the following account to several of his friends under his own hand one of which came accidentally into mine Nay he sent one to Oates himself to the end no foul play might be us'd with him An Account of what the Honourable Charles Howard said at the old Baily June 14. 1679. As he attest's under his own hand June 14. 1679. AT the Old Baily I'was examin'd how long I had been acquainted with Mr. Oates and at what times I had seen him I answered That I had bin acquainted with him two years or something more That I did see him in Arundel House in April 1677. That upon the Fifth day of May following my Son Charles died and that I have another Son living That after that time I did not see Dr. Oates until the third day of July 1678. That after the said Third of July Mr. Clay did see Dr. Oates with me at Arundel House in my Chamber and not before in my sight but how many times I do not remember That possibly Mr. Clay might see Dr. Oates before I did but as to that I could say nothing Charles Howard Besides it must be remembred that Mr. Howard above a moneth before had bin examin'd by a Committee of the Lords about this business in the presence of Clay and Oates where he satisfy'd their Lordships so well by the time of his Son Charles's Death who had as he told the said Lords bin Examin'd or posed by Oates in April 77 and by many other Circumstances concerning the whole matter that Clay himself confest he might be mistaken in time and that since Mr. Howard who had a better memory than he sayd Oates was not at his House in April 78. he would no longer gainsay it or words to that purpose Mr. Langhorn being found Guilty was Condemned with the five Jesuits that very day and on the Fourteenth of July he was drawn to Tyburn where he publickly declar'd his Innocence as appears by the following Speech which he left written under his own hand Mr. Langhorns's written Speech and Prologue IN regard I could not foresee whether I should be permitted to speak at my Death so as to make a publick Declaration of my Innocence and Loyalty as a Christian ought to do considering likewise that if it should be permitted unto me it would be more advisable for me rather to prepare before hand and set down in writing the very words in which I should make my Declaration than to trust my memory with them to the end that the same may
has he bin forc'd to fly from Chepstow by the Officers of Justice that would have apprehended him Was not Captain Spalding the now Governor there accus'd by him for a Traytor and Papist though no man could shew a more constant Zeal for the King and Protestant Religion than He only because he seis'd upon the Horses he had stoln as he would have done on him had he not then gotten away by chance Has he not committed a hundred late mean and wretched Cheats here in London even for Bread and has he not lain in Gaâ—l as Books of the Marshalsea show us for seven Mouths this very last year and reduc'd also to the Basket though the Spark were then forsooth every Noble mans Privado and the great Negotiator in the very Plot Hâ—s he not accus'd my Lord Brundel for a Grand Conspirator â—s his several Depositions Testify and most particularly in the Lords Journal and yet either his Lordships Conversion has made him as innocent as the Child unhorn or else his Worship's Testimony is lookt upon as false as it ought to be But what shall we say of this unheard of nay childish Perjury that whilst he was shirking as we see for a meer livelyhood and dipt also in the Plot as he pretends to the destruction of the King and Government he should scrupulously refuse 4000 l. to assist in the Murther of Sir Eâ— Godfrey and 2000 l. for carrying away his very body which had not bin Death though known But why should we wonder at any thing now since a man could have the Impudence to take his Oath in a high Court of Judicature to say all the Truth as well as nothing but the Truth and yet at one Trial we shall find him as you have seen in Mr. White 's lay several positive Treasons to his and Mr. Fenwick's Charge whenas in the former he seemd hardly to know them Is not Prance also a Witness of great value were there besides the extravagancy of his Tale all along no more to be urgd against him than his notorious and solemn Recantation before the King and Councel for what can render a Testimony invalid if this will not Nay our very Law which grants and supposes that there may be Knights of the Post leaves them no possibility or way to stop the mischief when begun but by making as he has done an humble and hearty Confession of their Villainy But now if on the one side we consider the Advantages he was to have by continuing an Accuser as Oates and Bedlo too plainly showd him and on the other side the Inconveniences that would necessarily ensue by a Paliâ—ode or Retraction for this was to make him a perjurd man â—n Record this was to submit him to all the Cruelties and hardships of a Prison and this was to endanger his very Neck as being an Actor by his own Confession in a great and horrid Murther I say if we consider all this can there be any equality or proportion between one Action and the other let our greatest Enemies themselves be the Judges As Pain then and Terror drove this unhappy Man as has been already hinted in the Trial to proceed contrary to the Touches of his own Conscience in this wickedness so the Motives that first induced him to it were Revenge and Profit for what mountains had the success and good fortune of the forementioned Couple Created in his Fancy and how quit did he imagin he should now be with the Queen for refusing to let his Name though he were only a Workman to the Chappel be put into the List of her servants after the late Proclamation had banished all Catholick Artizans out of Town Now for Dugdalâ— the fourth Worrthy both the Town and County of Stafford know not only what an idle and inconsiderable Companion he was but how ill he behav'd himself in my Lord Aston's service Nay my Lord took him in flagranti at last even making a Tenant a Debter who had but just before show'd his Lordship the Acquittance for his Rent This put the Fellow into the utmost Confusion especially when call'd to give up his Accounts which knowing he could not possibly do He conveighed his things out of his Chamber and went away privately by Night so that skulking a while he was in the end arrested by some Creditors and then other great Actions being enter'd against him He laid hold on the Kings Proclamation and presently knew the whole Plot with the management of it as youâ— see for several Years together 'T is with the utmost Regret my Lords and Gentlemen that I am forc'd upon this ungrateful subject but since impending Dangers have made the very Dumb to speak what Pen can stop in its Cariere when the Writer sees not only himself and Relations under the Talons of such Bloody Vultures but even his very Countrey at their Mercy also For if whole Parties may be thus devoured which of them and in England we know there are many can assure it self but the like trick may be put upon it especially seeing besides our Transcendent Loyalty and service to the Crown which two of our great Monarchs have amply own'd there was a time when Episcopacy was as much hated as Popery and a time too when Papists were far more esteem'd than any sictary whatever The Changes and Chances of time are ineffable And therefore let him that thinketh that he stands take heed least he falls nor is the Caution unnecessary when we consider the Precipice on which every good Protestant is at present plac'd for how many of them have already been either sacrific'd to the private Malice of these Birds of Prey or singled out by them to satisfy some Patron 's Revenge Nay what Patron can really deem himself secure since several that have stifly abetted them have also felt their unparallel'd Treachery and Falshood Fallacious without doubt is the World in general but most fallacious are such particular servants yet how unconceivable is it that these should impose or put the Dice on any man since their abandond and prostituted Reputation was like a smoke by day and a Flame by night to give every body warning of them But seeing the death of Sir Edmund bury-Godfrey has with many bolster'd up their dying credit some sew Considerations and Reflexions on that Affair cannot but be at present very pertinent and necessary Were it not a sufficient Assurance to any one even against the positive Testimony of ten Travellers though of some ordinary Credit That the grand SEIGNIOR did not send the VISIER here to Kill this Knight because his Death being of no import to him he would never order so vain a thing and certainly the confirmation of it would be yet greater were the Witnesses of different stories among themselves If then my Lords and Gentlemen this be enough to show the falsity of such an Evidence we have it in our present Concern and infinitely more which demonstrates the