THE TRYALL OF Richard Langhorn Esq COUNSELLOR at LAW FOR Conspiring the Death OF THE KING Subversion of the Government AND Protestant Religion Who upon Full Evidence was found Guilty of HIGH TREASON And received Sentence accordingly at the Sessions in the Old-Bayley holden for London and Middlesex on Saturday being the 14th of June 1679. Published by Authority LONDON Printed for H. Hills T. Parkhurst J. Starkey D. Newman T. Cockeril and T. Simmons 1679. THE TRYAL OF RICHARD LANGHORN Esq Vpon Saturday the 14th of June 1679. at the Sessions in the Old-Bayley London the Court according to their adjournment the preceeding day met and proceeded to the Trial of Richard Langhorn Esq in this manner Cl. of Cr. SEt Richard Langhorn to the Bar. Richard Langhorn hold up thy hand which he did Thou standest Indicted in London by the name of Richard Langhorn late of London Esq For that you Rich. Langhorn the elder as a false Traitor of the most Illustrious Serene and Excellent Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith your Supream and Natural Lord not having the fear of God in your heart nor weighing the duty of your Allegiance but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil the Cordial love and true due and natural obedience which true and faithful Subjects of our said Soveraign Lord the King towards him do and ought to bear altogether withdrawing and devising and with all your strength intending the Peace and common Tranquility of this Kingdom to disturb and the true Worship of God within this Kingdom used and by Law Established to overthrow and Sedition and Rebellion within this Kingdom to stir up and procure and the true love duty and obedience which true and faithful Subjects of our said Lord the King towards him do and of right ought to bear to withdraw relinquish and extinguish on the 30th day of September in the 30th year of his Majesties Reign at London in the Parish of St. Dunstans in the West in the Ward of Faringdon without London aforesaid Falsly Maliciously Subtilly and Traiterously with many other false Traitors of our Soveraign Lord the King unknown did Purpose Compass Imagine Intend Consult and Agree to stir up Sedition and Rebellion within this Kingdom of England against our said Soveraign Lord the King and a miserable slaughter amongst the Subjects of our said Lord the King of his Kingdom of England to procure and cause and our said Soveraign Lord the King from his Kingly State Title Power and Government of his Kingdom of England totally to deprive depose and disinherit and our said Soveraign Lord the King to death and final destruction to bring and put and the Government of this Kingdom to subvert and change and the true Worship of God in this Kingdom by Law Established and used to alter and the State of this Kingdom in all the parts thereof well instituted totally to subvert and destroy and War within this Kingdom of England to procure and levy and the same most wicked Treasons Traiterous imaginations purposes compassings and agreements aforesaid and to perfect and fulfil You the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit◠〈◊〉 30th day of September in the 30th year aforesaid and divers◠〈…〉 before at London c. Falsly Advisedly Maliciously Subtiâ—â—y 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—terously did Compass Contrive and Write two Letters to be sent to certain Persons unknown at Rome and at St. Omers in parts beyond the Seas to procure the adherance aid and assistance of the Pope and of the French King and others to you the said Richard Langhorn and other false Traitors unknown the true Worship of God within this Kingdom of England by Law established and used to the Superstition of the Church of Rome to alter and the Government of this Kingdom of England to subvert and our said Soveraign Lord the King to death and final destruction to bring and put and that you the said Richard Langhorn in further prosecution of the said Treason Traiterous imaginations intentions and agreements aforesaid on the day and year aforesaid and the said other days and times before at London c. did Compass Contrive and Write 2 other Letters to be sent to Rome in parts beyond the Seas to one Christopher Anderton then Rector of the English Colledge at Rome aforesaid and two other Letters to be sent to St. Omers in parts beyond the Seas to diverse Persons unknown there residing and by the said respective Letters Traiterously you did advise the said Pope and Christopher Anderton and other Persons unknown residing beyond the Seas of the ways and manner to be taken for accomplishing the said most wicked Treasons for altering the true Worship of God in this Kingdom Established and used to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and for subverting the Government of this Kingdom and for the death and destruction of our said Lord the King and to the intent that the said Christopher Anderton and others unknown should give their aid assistance and adherance and should procure other aid assistance and adherance to you the said Richard Langhorn and other false Traitors unknown to alter the true Worship of God aforesaid to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and to subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England and to put our said Soveraign Lord the King to death and that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the day and year aforesaid at London c. Traiterously did deliver the Letters aforesaid to be sent to the said Christopher Anderton and others Persons beyond the Seas to perfect the traiterous purposes aforesaid and that you the said Richard Langhorn further to fulfil and accomplish the same most wicked Treasons traiterous imaginations purposes and compassings aforesaid afterwards the said 30th day of September in the 30th year aforesaid at London c. five Commissions in Writing made by Authority derived from the See of Rome for constituting Military Officers for leading the Forces to be levyed in this Kingdom against our said Soveraign Lord the King for the altering the Protestant reformed Religion to the use and Superstition of the Church of Rome and for Subverting the Government of this Kingdom of England Traiterously you did receive and Five other Commissions in writing made by Authority derived from the See of Rome for constituting Civil Officers for Governing this Kingdom after the most wicked Treasons and Traiterous imaginations purposes and compassings aforesaid were fulfilled and accomplished then and there Traiterously you did receive And that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the day and year aforesaid at London c. The said several Commissions so received to divers false Traitors of our Sovereign Lord the King unknown falsly knowingly and Traiterously did distribute give and dispose for Constituting Officers as well Military as Civil to the Traiterous purposes aforesaid And that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards on the day and
year aforesaid at London c. a Commission to Constitute and Authorise you to be Advocate General of the Army to be Levied in this Kingdom to war against our said Sovereign Lord the King Falsly Traiterously and against the duty of your Allegiance from a certain Person unknown did receive and had and the same Commission then and there falsly advisedly and Traiterously did inspect and read and in your custody keep and to the same Commission Traiterously did give your consent to the intent that you the said Rich. Langhorn should have and Execute the Place and Office of Advocate General of the Army aforesaid after the Army aforesaid should be rais'd against our said Sovereign Lord the King by you the said Richard Langhorn and other false Traitors unknown in Execution of the said Traiterous Compassings Imaginations and Agreements aforesaid And that whereas William Ireland John Grove and Thomas Pickering and other false Traitors of our Sovereign Lord the King unknown on the 24th day of April in the 30th Year aforesaid in the County of Middlesex did Consult to bring and put our said Sovereign Lord the King to Death and final Destruction and to change and alter Religion in this Kingdom of England Rightly and by Law Established to the Superstition of the Church of Rome at London c. had Notice of that Consultation and the same Consultation for the Destruction of the King and for the alteration of Religion in this Kingdom rightly Established to the Superstion of the Church of Rome and the Treasonable Agreements had in that Consultaon on the said 30th day the September in the 30th Year aforesaid from our said Sovereign Lord the King Advisedly and Traiterously did conceal and to that Consultation Traiterously you did consent And the said William Ireland John Grove and Thomas Pickering on the day and Year last aforesaid at London the Treasons aforesaid to perpetrate and perfect Maliciously Subtilly and Traiterously you did Abet Counsel maintain and comfort and that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the said 30th day of September in the 30th Year aforesaid at London c. falsly subtilly and Traiterously you did move and solicit the Benedictine Monks unknown to expend and pay the Sum of Six Thousand Pounds to procure a Person Traiterously to Kill and Murder our said Sovereign Lord the King And whereas Edward Coleman and other false Traitors of our said Sovereign Lord the King unknown on the 29th of September in the 30th Year aforesaid in the County of Middlesex Traiterously had conspired and consulted to procure Rebellion and Sedition within this Kingdom of England against our said Sovereign Lord the King and him from his Kingly State and Government of this his Kingdom of England to deprive and disinherit and to bring and put him to final Death and Destruction and the Government of this Kingdom of England to alter and the true Religion in this Kingdom of England by Law Established to alter and change And whereas he the said Edward Coleman had Traiterously written four Letters to Monsieur Le Cheese then Counsellor of the French Kings to procure the aid assistance and adherance of the French King to perfect and accomplish the Traiterous imaginations aforesaid you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the said 30th day of September in the 30th year aforesaid at London c. well knowing the Treasonable matters in the same Letters contained to the same Letters did consent and then and there falsly subtilly advisedly maliciously and traiterously did abet counsel maintain and comfort the said Edward Coleman to perpetrate and accomplish the Treason aforesaid against the duty of your Allegiance against the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King his Crown and Dignity and against the form of the Statute in this case made and provided Cl. of Cr. How say'st thou Richard Langhorn art thou guilty of this High-Treason whereof thou standest Indicted or not guilty Langhorn Not Guilty Cl. of Cr. Culprit how wilt thou be tried Langhorn By God and my Countrey Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverance Then the Petty Jury impannelled for this Trial was called the Prisoner put to his Challenges but challenging none the 12 Sworn were these JURY Arthur Yong Edward Beeker Robert Twyford William Yapp John Kirkham Peter Bickering Thomas Barnes Francis Neeve John Hall George Sitwell James Wood and Richard Cawthorne After which Proclamation for information was made in usual manner Cl. of Cr. Richard Langhorn hold up thy hand which he did You of the Jury look upon the Prisoner and hearken to his Cause He stands Indicted in London by the name of Richard Langhorn late of London Esq for that as a false Traitor c. put in the Indictment Mutatis Mutandis and against the form of the Statute in that case made and provided Upon this Indictment he hath been Arraigned and thereunto hath pleaded Not guilty your Charge is to enquire whether he be guilty of the High-Treason whereof he stands indicted or not guilty if you find him guilty then you are to enquire what Goods or Chattels Lands or Tenements he had at the time of the High-Treason committed or at any time since if you find him guilty you shall enquire whether he fled for it if you find that he fled for it you are to enquire of his Goods and Chattels as if you had found him guilty If you find him not guilty nor that he did fly for it say no more and hear your Evidence Then Roger Belwood Esq of Counsel for the King in this Cause open'd the Indictment thus Mr. Belwood May it please your Lordship and you Gentlemen of the Jury The Prisoner at the Bar Mr. Langhorn stands Indicted of High Treason and it is for Conspiring the Murder of the King and endeavouring an alteration in the Government in Church and State And the Indictment sets forth that the 30th of August in the 30th Year of the King he and other false Traitors did agree to stir up Sedition and Rebellion in the Kingdom and to cause a great slaughter of his Majesties Subjects To introduce the Superstition of the Church of Rome and Depose and Murther the King and to alter the Government in Church and State And 't is there said that to accomplish these Evil Designs he writ Two Letters to be sent to Rome and St. Omers the effect of which Letters was to procure the Assistance of the Pope and the French King to alter the Religion Established by Law in this Kingdom to Romish Superstition to Subvert the Government and to put the King to Death and that in further prosecution of these Traiterous Designs he writ Two other Letters to be sent to Rome to one Christopher Anderton Rector of the English Colledg and a Jesuit and Two others to be sent to St. Omers and in these Letters he took upon him to Advise the way and means by which these Treasons might be effected and that these several
Ch. Just North. What were the Contents of it do you say Mr. Dugdale It began thus This very night Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey is dispatched Lord Ch. Just North. Who did it come from Mr. Dugdale It came from Mr. Harcourt Sir Cr. Levins They themselves know that he was not found here in London till Thursday Mr. Dugdale I could not hold it run so much in my mind but the next morning going to an Ale-house hard by I there spoke of it and immediately it was carryed to Mr. Chetwin and he was here yesterday to make it out that I so did Lord Ch. Just North. But why did they kill him was it expressed why Mr. Dugdale I had several times heard he was too much privy to their Consultations Lord Ch. Just North. That is you mean he had had too much discovered to him Mr. Dugdale And so they were afraid of Mr. Coleman too that he carried things too high and he was out of their favour for 2 years Sir Cr. Levins Then call Mr. Prance Pray Sir what can you say Mr. Prance There was one Mr. Messenger a Gentleman of the Horse to my Lord Arundel of Warder who was employed by my Lord Arundel of Warder and my Lord Powis and he was to kill the King and to have a very good reward for the doing of it and I was told so by my Lord Butler I afterwards met with this Messenger and asked him what his reason was that he would kill the King He told me he was off of it now Sir Cr. Levins But what was to be done after they should kill the King Mr. Prance Presently there should be an Army of 50000 men raised to be governed by my Lord Arundel and my Lord Powis and them I have heard Mr. Fenwick and Mr. Ireland and Grove to speak of this at the same time together Sir Cr. Levins What was that Army to be raised for Mr. Prance To settle the Catholick Religion Lord Ch. Just What was to become of other Persons Mr. Prance They were to be killed and ruined all So Fenwick told me Lord Ch. Just North. Look you Mr. Langhorn these Witnesses speak nothing to you in particular but only that there was a Conspiracy in general to kill the King and introduce Popery If you will ask them any Question you may Langhorn No my Lord they not accusing me I have nothing to say to them Mr. Prance I heard one Mr. Harcourt say that the King was to be killed by several before one Mr. Thompson twice in his own Chamber in Duke-street And I heard Fenwick say that Mr. Langhorn was to have a great hand in it Langhorn Is that all you have to say as to me Mr. Prance It is all that I know of Then the Lord Chief Justice Scroggs came in Sir Cr. Levins Now my Lord we will call the Evidence that shall prove the particular matters of the Indictment as of writing the Letters beyond Sea of his receiving Commissions of his distributing them here to the several persons to whom they were directed of his Soliciting for the mony the 6000 l. to be raised by the Benedictine Monks which was either for a particular purpose to poison the King or to carry on the Design in general And first we call Dr. Oates who was Sworn and stood up Sir Cr. Levins Sir you hear what the matter is as to Mr. Langhorn be pleased to tell the Court whether you knew he writ any Letters and received any Commissions speak your whole knowledge Dr. Oates I hope your Lordship will be pleased to give me leave to use my own Method Lord Ch. Just Ay Ay take your own way Mr. Oates Dr. Oates Then I begin thus In the month of April 1677 I went into the Kingdom of Spain in the month of September following the sons of Mr. Langhorn came into the Kingdom of Spain it was September or sooner but I will not be possitive as to the time of their coming the one was a Scholar of the English Colledge at Madrid the other was a Scholar of the English Colledge at Valledolid They came there to study Philosophy in order to their receiving of the Priesthood my Lord my occasions called me into England in the month of November following and coming into England Mr. Langhorns sons did give me some Letters to Mr. Langhorn their Father and as soon as I had rested my self for a day or two after my Journey I came to Mr. Langhorns's house in Sheer-Lane Now Mr. Langhorns Wife being a Zealous Protestant I did whisper his Footboy or his servant boy in the Ear that he should go and whisper his Master Mr. Langhorn and tell him there was one would speak with him from his sons Mr. Langhorn by his son did desire me to meet him at his Chamber in the Temple in the Inner-Temple-Lane it was I think I know the Chamber however and accordingly I did meet Mr. Langhorn that night by the means of his half Brother who is brother I think by the mother and not by the Father his name is Smithson and when I came into Mr. Langhorns Chamber their Chambers being directly opposite one to another I was treated by Mr. Langhorn with a great deal of Civility and I delivered Mr. Langhorn the Letters from his sons and I told him that I thought his sons would enter into the Society Mr. Langhorn was mightily pleased with the News being himself a great Votary for the Society that his sons would enter into it Now may it please your Lordship Mr. Langhorn did say he thought if they did continue in the world that is secular Priests they would suddenly have very great promotion in England for he said Things would not last long in this posture that is at that time he then spoke I speak the words now that he said then And now my Lord I was with Mr. Langhorn another time while I was in England but in the latter end of November old Stile in the beginning of December new Stile I went to St. Omers and there were Letters that he delivered me looking upon the Prisoner a Pacquet to carry to St Omers And when the Pacquet was opened there was a letter Signed Richard Langhorn in which he gave the Fathers at St. Omers great thanks for the great care had of and kindness they shew'd to his sons and that what they had been out of Pocket for their Viaticum in Order to their journey into Spain which was 20 l. he promised them they should be repaid it and in this Letter he did expresly say that he had written to Father Le Cheese in order to our concerns those were his words Now my Lord the Letter that he writ to Father Le Cheese I saw not but only this Letter I saw which gave an account of that Letter he had writ to Father Le Cheese and he said Mr. Coleman had been very large with him and therefore it would not be necessary for him to trouble his Reverence
or what other sum Mr. Bedloe My Lord in May 1676. among the Letters I carryed to Le Cheese one of them was directed to Stapleton a Benedictine Monk to raise the mony for England Lord Ch. Just The mony what mony Mr. Bedloe The mony they had promised to remit into England Lord Ch. Just But did they name no sum Mr. Bedloe No my Lord for they had no particular promise but only that they did make it their business to raise what they could Lord Ch. Just And what was it Do you know of any sum of mony that was raised and by whom Mr. Bedloe Le Cheese told me himself that they had no reason to suspect him or his Interest with the French King for he had laid that sure enough And that when he found a fit opportunity the mony was ready to be remitted into England and that he had remitted some of it already to Mr. Coleman and Ireland Lord Ch. Just You know not but by what Le Cheese told you Mr. Bedloe No. Lord Ch. Just He speaks what Le Cheese told him that he would raise mony and that he had sent some to Mr. Coleman and Ireland Mr. Bedloe Yes and that the rest should follow when he found there was absolute occasion but he would not part with his mony till they had assurance of their being in readiness here and likely to further and carry on the Design Mr. Just Atkins Mr. Bedloe had you any discourse with the Prisoner about any Commissions Mr. Bedloe No my Lord 't is at least a year and an half since I saw him Lord Ch. Just Did he ever own any Commissions he had Mr. Bedloe No Pritchard told me he had some Lord Ch. Just You have seen the Commissions have you not Mr. Bedloe No I never saw any in Mr. Langhorns hand Lord Ch. Just Where did you see them then Mr. Bedloe Sir Henry Tichbourn did shew me three Commissions in Paris Signed by the General of the Order and sealed with the Jesuits Seal which made me take up this Paper which hath been shewn tho it were a thing indifferent yet because it was written with the same hand and Sealed with the same Seal that the Commissions were that I saw in Paris Mr. Belwood Did Mr. Langhorn know any thing of the Treason to murther the King by Pickering and Grove Mr. Bedloe That I do know only y breport but when Grove Pickering and Conyers were going to New-Market I was at Harcourt's Chamber and I had a Design to go to Windsor to observe what they did and I did ask Father Harcourt to give me leave to go see a friend of mine take shipping at Plymouth to send some Commendations by him to my Friends in Italy then says Father Harcourt you cannot be spared you must not go now for we don't know what return these Gentlemen will make of their journy and what occasion there may be for you if there should be any good effect of it then said I I will go and write and send it by a friend down to be sent into Italy but said he you must stay a while till I come back again I am going to Mr. Langhorns Chamber in the Temple to take the Minutes of what they have done this morning that was the contrivance of sending down those people to New-Market to assassinate the King Mr. Just Atkins That is no Evidence against the Prisoner because it is by Hear-say Lord Ch. Just It is right and the Jury ought to take notice That what another man said is no Evidence against the Prisoner for nothing will be Evidence against him but what is of his own knowledge But I desire Mr. Bedloe as well as you can you would repeat the effect of one of the most material Letters Mr. Langhorn did transcribe Mr. Bedloe Though I was not so exact a French-man in the nicety of the Tongue yet I understood enough to learn the sence of those Letters The English Letter from Stapleton which he transcribed was to this effect That Coleman and Harcourt naming themselves We that is We and the Jesuites and it was to the Rector of the English Monks in particular but I missed of the Rector and Mr. Stapleton receiv'd it I say the effect of that Letter was they would have a certain answer from them Langhorn When was it Mr. Bedloe It was in 76 Lord Ch. Just What was the effect say you Mr. Bedloe The effect was that they would have a final Answer from those Religious at Doway and Paris to know how far they had proceeded with the English Religious and all their Friends beyond Sea in making Collections and remitting of money for there was only money wanting for the Arms of the Catholicks were all ready and they had all a good mind to the Business their Arms and Hearts were ready and the easiness of the King of England and the strength of the power of France made it an opportunity not to be neglected That the Garrisons were ready to be put into such hands as they could trust Lord Ch. Just Was there such an expression in the Letter upon your Oath that they had such Arms and that the Garrisons were ready to be put into their hands and whose hands they were ready to be put into Mr. Bedloe Yes my Lord there were such expressions and they would have the Garrisons only in such hands as they coâ—l â—ust Lord Ch. Just And did he transcribe those Letters Mr. Bedloe He did transcribe those 3. while we were in his Chamber Mr. Just Pemberton Was there any mention of exciting the French King by power to Invade this Kingdom Mr. Bedloe There was in the French Letter to Monsieur Le Cheese which he transcribed too Langhorn That was in French he says Lord Ch. Just I suppose you understand French too or else you could not do what you did Langhorn I Understand Law French Lord Ch. Just Mr. Bedloe did you never hear him discourse in French Mr. Bedloe No my Lord. Dr. Oates I cannot write nor read French but I can Translate it Mr. Recorder If you have any Questions to ask him you may ask him Langhorn How many were the Letters that then I transcribed Mr. Bedloe There were Three my Lord one was to the English Monks at Paris another was to Monsieur Le Cheese another to the Pope's Nuntio Langhorn Were they long or short ones I ask for this reason because I observe that in the Narrative Coleman's Letters are very long of what length might they be Mr. Bedloe They were the best part of half a sheet of Paper for Mr. Coleman writ a curious fine small hand and would put a great deal of Business into a little Paper the Popes Nuntio's Letter was very short Lord Ch. Just Did he transcribe them all before you went away Mr. Bedloe Whilst we walked in his Chamber he Registred them We took a great many turns about in the Chamber and I saw the Papers before him and