cry down and they cannot but know that Coleman and the rest had a fair Trial that the proofs were home and evident against them and that they suffered justly and by due course of Law But it is their interest to seem of another mind and notwithstanding they have endeavoured to render the Lord Chief Justice odious and cunningly to insinuate his illegal proceedings with Mr. Coleman those of their own party could not but acknowledge the words that I shewed them in the seventeenth Page of his printed Trial to be full of honour and integrity For there speaking to Mr. Oates who was then to be sworn as evidence against Mr. Coleman he gives him warning to speak nothing but the truth not to adde the least tirtle that is false for any advantage whatsoever for that since the Prisoner's Bloud and Life was at stake he should stand or fall be justified or condemned by Truth He also then puts Mr. Oates in mind of the sacredness of an Oath and that to falsily it and thereby to take away a man's Life was Murther Therefore he desired he would speak nothing but the down-right Truth that he may not be condemned by any Circumstances but by plain evidence of Fact and so that not onely Mr. Coleman may be satisfied in the justness of his Trial but all people else I think this is sufficient to manifest the uprightness of the Judge and that Mr. Coleman had a free and legal Trial for his Life according to the Laws of England But that they should so boldly and with a consident Brow assert that nothing could be made out against him that should render him guilty of Treason or worthy of Death is very strange when not onely the witnesses that are brought against him do prove sufficient matter of fact but his own Letters produced and read before his face which he acknowledges for his own do in plain words say that he is about a great work no less then the Conversion of three Kingdoms and the total and utter Subversion and Subduing of that pestilent Heresy the Protestant Religion which hath reigned so long in this Northern part of the World and for the doing of which there never was such great hopes since our Queen Marie ' s days as at this time pag. 69. Now can there be any thing more clear then that this subversion of a Religion so generally received in those three Kingdoms and so long and thoroughly established could not be effected but by the subversion of those three Kingdoms and by the destruction of the established Laws the Liberties and the Lives of many thousands within those three Kingdoms and all this could not have been done without bringing in of forein Force or raising a Rebellion amongst your selves or both In his long Letter to Monsiour Le Chese he says pag. 53. He would willingly be in everlasting disgrace with all the world if by the assistance of 20000. li. to be obtained from the FRENCH KING he did not regain to the DVKE his MASTER his former Offices and especially that of being ADMIRAL of the FLEET and again pag. 54. he tells you for what end this design is that it might give the greatest blow to the Protestant Religion in England that ever it received since its birth and therefore in the conclusion of one of his Letters to Le Chese the French King's Confessour he desires the power and assistance of France which next under God he relies upon So that his own hand convicts him of endeavouring to bring in Forein Powers into England to establish the Roman Catholick Religion and to overthrow that now there established This was but one way to bring his designs about the other most horrid and bloudy was the taking away the Sacred Life of the King which Mr. Oates swears against him pag. 21. that he was privy to the Consult at the White-Horse Tavern in the Strand wherein it was resolved that Grove and Pickering should be employed to effect it and that Mr. Coleman did approve of the same so that by this the proof was plain against him for by the Laws of England his assent made him equally guilty with the Assassinates there being no Accessories in Treason And this Resolve he swears was communicated to Mr. Coleman in his hearing in Wild-house and pag. 22. he swears he heard him say the design was well contrived And pag. 24. Oates swears that Mr. Coleman knew of the four Irish Russians sent to Windsor to kill the King and in his hearing asked Harcourt at Wild-house what care was taken for those four Gentlemen that went last night to Windsor who replied there was So. li. ordered to be sent to them which he saw there on the Table most part of it in Guinies and that Mr. Coleman gave a Guiny to the Messenger who was to carry this reward to be nimble and to expedite his journey Then pag. 25. he swears again that Mr. Coleman was privy to the instructions sent by White Provincial of the Jesuits from these parts to impower the Consulters to propose 10000 li. to Sir George Wakeman to poyson the King and that he not onely saw and read these Instructions but copied them out and transmitted them to several Conspirators in this Plot within the Kingdom And pag. 26. he swears Mr. Coleman said he thought 10000. li. was too little and that it would be necessary to adde 5000 li. more that they might be sure to have it done And pag. 27. he swears that he saw Mr. Coleman's Commission for to be Secretary of State from the General of the Society of Jesus by virtue of a Brief from the Pope and that in Fenwick's Chamber in Drury-Lane he saw him open it and own the receipt of it saying it was a good exchange One witness is not enough in this case but I find also Mr. Bedlow a second to strengthen the other's Evidence he swears pag. 43. that he heard Mr. Coleman say at his own house That if he had an hundred Lives and a sea of Bloud to swim through he would spend it all to carry on the Cause of the Church of Rome and to establish that Church in England and if there were an hundred heretical Kings to be Deposed he would see them all destroyed so that both swear to the killing of the King and subverting the Government I cannot find that Mr. Coleman could make any good or satisfactory defence for himself but would have sought starting-holes and shifts to have amazed the minds of the Jury with putting the witnesses to have proved to a day what they averr which is in most things done and would take that advantage where Mr. Oates says pag. 72. he will not be positive that it was such a day but Mr. Coleman cannot bring any positive proof that it was not that day or that the witness contradicted himself as he attempted to doe And indeed though Mr. Coleman was never so wise a man sufficient to be Secretary of
strange and makes me think that they are infatuated or strangely deluded For it is plain that the design extended as well into Scotland and Ireland as through England and Mr. Oates swears positively in the first Article that one Wright Ireland and Morgan were sent into Scotland under the notion and in the disguise of Non-Conformist Ministers to preach up the Covenant and to promote Rebellion by that means and Artic. 11. he swears that Letters were sent to S. Omars and to Leshee the King of France his Confessour which Letters he had seen and read which gave an account that their Emissaries in Scotland had stirred up the Presbyterians there into a Rebellion and that 20000 would be in Arms if his Majesty of France would break with the King of England And Artic. 35. deposes that he was by at a Conference with the Jesuits in London wherein they read the Order from the Provincial for the sending new Messengers into Scotland to promote the Combustions there and this was in July last And Artic. 43. he farther swears that on the 5. of August two were sent away for Scotland the one named Father Moor the other F. Saunders alias Brown for they have usually divers names with full instructions how to behave themselves as Non-Conformist Ministers and to preach to the disaffected Scots the necessity of taking up the Sword for the defence of Liberty of Conscience and these the Deponent saw dispatch'd And Artic. 74. swears he saw Letters from White the Provincial dated at S. Ontars 4. of Sept. New Style which gave an account to Rich. Blundell that 12 more Jesuits of that Nation were sent into Scotland by order of the General of the Society with full instructions how to behave themselves like Non-Conformist Ministers among the Presbyterian Scots and that they had 1000 li. given them by Leshee the French King's Confessour so that we may easily perceive by what means the Rebellion of Scotland is promoted As to Ireland where they have a far greater interest they had sufficient means and preparations there to stir up the Irish of their own Religion and under their thraldome and command to Rebell And Article 18. Mr. Oates deposes Letters came from the Archbishop of Dublin Talbot which Letters he saw and read at S. Omars bearing date Jan. 1. 1678. New Style which gave an account how vigilant they had been in that Kingdom to prepare the people to rise for the defence of their Religion and Liberty and to recover their Estates and that they would open a place there to receive the King of France his Army when he should think fit to land them and advised them to confer with Leshee the French King's Confessour about the same And he farther deposes that Letters were thereupon sent to Leshee about the same who returned Answers by the same Messengers Nevill and Busby one being Prefect of the Studies and the other Procurator to the Seminary one of which to the Rectour of S. Omars Richard Ashby the Deponent saw which gave an account that the Father General of the Society would contribute 800000 Crowns to be paid in the month of June next ensuing and that his Holiness the Pope would not be wanting to supply them when they had made some progress in that glorious attempt And Article 21. he there deposes that he likewise saw Letters of Feb. 1. 1678. New Style from Whitebread Keines Ireland Micho and the rest to Richard Ashby Rectour of S. Omars to let him understand that they had sent William Morgan and F. Lovell into Ireland to see how affairs stood in that Kingdom and that they had instructions given them to incourage the Irish Natives to defend their Religion and Liberty and that they carried with them 2000 li. to supply their present wants and order to promise 4000 li. more in case there should be any Action And Article 27. he farther deposes that in the month of April following he saw the Letters which Whitebread and the rest of the Jesuits in London sent to Richard Ashby Rectour and those of the Seminary at S. Omars in which they gave them an account that Morgan and Lovell were returned out of Ireland who gave them to understand that the Irish were ready to rise at 10 days warning with 20000 Foot and 5000 Horse and would let in the Army of the French King if he would land there and also that in the North of Ireland 15000 Horse and Foot were in a readiness to rise and that they were also very resolute and also that there were arrived Commissions from the General of the Society by virtue of a Brief from the Pope dated Oct. 1. 1673. to several persons and that they once more resolved to cut the throats of the Protestants when they should rise Thus we may perceive what provision they had made and how well prepared they were in those Kingdoms to effect their horrid Plot and Conspiracy but that they might leave no stone unturn'd and that they might every-where work the destruction of the Protestants I find Artic. 38. Mr. Oates swears that he saw and read at Mr. Fenwick's Chamber in London on the 11. of August Letters from S. Omars from the Provincial Whitebread that he had ordered 12 Jesuits to goe to Holland to inform the Dutch privately that the Prince of Orange did intend to assume the Crown and to be their King and to bring them under his Government which was to beget an evil opinion of the Prince of Orange in the Dutch and so to cause a commotion against the Prince and his Party Also Artic. 56. he farther deposes that the Letters came from the said Whitebread and the rest to John Fenwick and the rest which Letters he also saw and read dated 20. Aug. New Style which gave account that the 12 Jesuits were safely arrived in Holland and were using all their skill and interest to make a Commotion there and that Appletree Will by which they meant the Prince should not be great there urging the Fathers in London to mind their business By all this you may perceive the general ruine of the Protestants was laid and the large extent of this Plot. Three Kingdoms at once were to be in a Flame and the Neighbouring Provinces to be put into a Combustion But this Plot had been several years a hatching and if Mr. Oates swears truth as there is no scruple to be raised but he does for ought I can see by any objection raised against him we now know the manner and Authours of the great and famous Fire of London 1666. for Artic. 34. he deposes that he had it from the mouth of Richard Strange who had been Provincial of the Jesuits who told him that this Fire had been several times attempted by him and others in the years 1664 and 1665. being assisted by one Green and 8 others under the notion of Fifth Monarchy men but that failing and some of them being laid in Newgate they desisted
that he saw his Letter in which he expressed a great deal of Joy that Sir George Wakeman had accepted the 15000 l. to poison the King and also that he was by when Harcourt another of these Jesuits and Fenwick the Prisoner were at a Consult and agreed to the Proposition of Fogarthy of sending four Irish Russians to kill the King at Windsor and that they were sent accordingly And pag. 29. swears that Whitebread had sealed some hundreds of Commissions which they called Patents to raise an Army to be in a readiness upon the Death of the King which Seals were then produced in Court naming one Commission in special which he the Deponent delivered himself to Sir John Gage of Sussex Pag. 22. he swears against Fenwick that he told him that he the Prisoner and three Irishmen more fired Southwark and that he had 400 l. for his share and the rest 200 l. a piece And pag. 20. to shew the great Malice of these men Whitebread ordered Mr. Oates to come purposely from S. Omars into England to Murther D. Tongue for Writing the Jesuits Morals and pag. 21. the same Whitebread sent by him Instructions that care should be taken for the Murther of D. Stillingfleet and the Bishop of Hereford These are the chief things observable in Mr. Oates his Depositions and which are sufficient to prove this horrid Plot. Then the Second Witness Mr. Bedlow swears pag. 37. that he was employed for the space of near five years as a Messenger by these Conspiratours for the carrying their Letters to several beyond the Seas and returning others back all or most relating to this Plot for pag. 38. he swears he had a way to open the Letters and reade them whereby he fully informed himself of matters He swears pag. 37. that he heard some of these Conspiratours say they would not leave any member of an Heretick in England that should survive to tell in the Kingdom hereafter that there ever was any such Religion in England as the Protestant Religion He swears also the manner of his coming to be first employed by them and then he brings his Brother James Bedlow to confirm his being their Agent or Messenger who knew nothing of the Plot. He swears pag. 48. and 49. his being so long employed by them and that he had received oftentimes from these Jesuits and Priests several summs of money in his Brothers behalf sometimes 50. or 60. pounds at a time so that by this you may see Mr. Bedlow must be knowing in this design employed under them so long in it Pag. 41. He swears that about the latter end of August the very day he confesses he cannot swear to at Mr. Harcourts Chamber one of the Conspiratours he there met Ireland Pickering and Grove the Prisoners with some others where he heard them discourse that the four Russians missing of killing the King at Windsor that Pickering and Grove should go on in their design and that one Conyers was to be joyned with them to Assassinate the King in his Morning-walks at New market And that Mr. Grove was more eager or forward then the rest saying since it could not be done clandestinely it should be attempted openly and that those that do fall had the Glory to die in a good Cause but if the Discovery should be made it could never come to that height but their Party would be strong enough to bring it to pass All this he swears very punctually to and pag. 48. he farther swears that Harcourt told him that Grove was to have 1500 l. for his Reward and that Pickering was to have so many Masses as came to that money And pag. 45. he swears that at the same time he heard them discourse of the killing several noble Persons and of several Persons that were to execute it and in particular names one Knight assigned to kill the Earl of Shaftsbury Pritchard and Duke of Buckingham O-Neal the Earl of Ossory and O-Brian the Duke of Ormond So that by these two Testimonies the Evidence is very full against Ireland Pickering and Grove The Defence they have to make against this is first the denial of the Fact though they can bring no Witnesses to make any thing out but their own Asseverations but they who can have a Dispensation for the breaking of any Oath may be easily indulged for the telling of a lie to save their Lives and to keep off a Scandal from their profession In the next place they would endeavour to seem not to know Mr. Oates and make as if they had scarce seen him to this he swears by many several circumstances which they are forced to acknowledge and pag. 32. swears Fenwick was his Father Confessour But Ireland raised some little appearance of contradiction or mistake in Mr. Bedlow's Evidence for he brings two or three to prove pag. 56 57. that he was not in London all the month of August Mr. Bedlow swearing that he was at the Consult held at Harcourts Chamber in the latter end of August concerning the Death of the King And indeed two positively say the contrary and that he was from the third of August to the first or second of September in Staffordshire and Westchester and by circumstance that he was in the beginning of September at Wolverhampton But were this granted that he should mistake in the point of Time yet this is nothing as to the matter of Fact expresly sworn against them and so destroys not the Evidence unless it were necessary to the substance of the thing for this Meeting and Treasonable Contrivance might be some days or weeks after and so true And though such a mistake may somewhat weaken the Evidence in the opinion of the Jury it ought not to invalidate the truth of the thing it self which may be true in substance though not in circumstance of Time But against the asseverations of these Persons there is the Oath of Mr. Bedlow who swears it positively and besides Mr. Oates pag. 60. swears positively that ten days at least within August he was with him at Fenwick's Chamber in London and that in the beginning of September either the first or second day he was to his knowledge in London and that he had 20 s. of him Then a third person is produced that had been Grove's Maid-servant who very well knew Ireland and the swears positively and by good circumstances pag. 57 and 58. that she saw him at a Scriveners Door in Fetter-lane where he lodged about the twelfth or thirteenth of August So that these three concurrent Testimonies might very well be credited by the Jury in this case and make them justly bring in their Verdicts as they did Guilty without any deinur or hesitation As for Pickering and Grove they could not make any defence besides the denial of all that was sworn against them to be true and that they were innocent and not guilty And now let all the world judge who are to be believed in this
there is positively Dugdale and Oates And against Turner two likewise Dugdale and Oates Whereby the matter of Fact is plainly proved and the Evidence full and legal notwithstanding their denial of the same Now we will see what Defence these Learned men do make for themselves and as my Lord Chief Justice says they defend their Lives as they do their Religion with weak Arguments and fallacious Reasons which take many times with the Ignorant seldom with the Judicious As to the matter of Fact charged against them they can say nothing by way of disproof excepting their stout Denials and they are not ashamed to contradict all Oaths how punctually soever sworn to and in the face of the Court to charge them all with Perjury but prove nothing that can truly invalidate the Testimony that is brought against them All they endeavour is by way of Evasion and to catch at circumstances as to Time and Place and to disprove Mr. Oates they came as to that prepared as they thought and had brought a small Regiment of young Lads well trained in their Principles who endeavour'd to have perswaded the Jury that Mr. Oates was at S. Omar's at the time he said he was in London and that such persons did not come over with him as he had sworn did But supposing they had made this Allegation good still I say it depended upon the nice circumstance of Time which Mr. Oates might be mistaken in and yet the truth of the Plot no way invalidated nor those matters of Fact charged against them by the other Witnesses any ways disproved But you shall hear their Defence and how far they could make this Allegation good and how well Mr. Oates has defended himself and then judge The first thing that Whitebread and Fenwick Object is That they had come to a former Trial and therefore thought legally they ought not to answer for the same Fact pag. 4. But the Court cleared that to them that though Indicted they came not upon their Trial and the Jury had them not in charge and so their Lives were not in jeopardy and that it was the constant course of the Law so to do with several Reasons and Examples for the same there more fully shewn pag. 5. and 6. They then pleaded as the rest not Guilty As to their Evasions and odd Interpretations of the Letters and their aspersions of Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow as insufficient Witnesses they are little to the purpose therefore I shall pass them by The main in their Defence is their offering to prove Mr. Oates mistaken in point of Time for whereas he had sworn positively against them that he was with them at their Consult wherein they determined the Death of the King held the twenty fourth of April old Style in London they allege and endeavour to prove by at least sixteen Witnesses young Lads of the College or Seminary at S. Omar's that they saw Mr. Oates almost every day there in the College from December 1677. to the middle or latter end of June following and that he was never out of the College but that they saw him every day and convers'd and dined with him all that time except two days and one night he was absent at Watton and two or three days that he was in the Infirmary he not being well and that some of them saw and spake with him in the Infirmary and by several circumstances they seem to make all these Asseverations good So that if this be true and that they can perswade the Jury to believe this Testimony as they ought if no ways to be disproved they have done their work as to Mr. Oates And this they do pag. 46 47 48 49 50 51. and so to pag. 63. so that it is impossible that Mr. Oates should swear Truth and that he should be in London the twenty fourth of April at the Consult if what these Witnesses say be true and that Mr. Oates was never out of the College till some time in June from December before and so his Testimony ought to be invalidate Then whereas Mr. Oates had sworn he came over with Sir John Warner and Sir Tho. Preston Jesuits they endeavour to prove and from pag. 60. to 63. the Witnesses do confidently aver that the said persons were not the one from Liege the other from Watton in Flanders neither April nor May and so Mr. Oates could not come over with them to England as he had sworn Let us now see how Mr. Oates doth make good his Testimony and what proof he brings to contradict these Novices who came so well prepared First by the way we must observe that most of the Witnesses say that Mr. Oates left their College some time in June some say the tenth some at the latter end c. but pag. 53. one Witness mistakes his month and avers he is sure it was in July that Mr. Oates went away and being told that he differ'd from all the rest he cry'd he was sure he was there till after the Consult in London which gave a great light to what point of time these Novices were instructed to speak to and caused the people to laugh to see the young man out in his part But to let that pass we will see Mr. Oates his proofs and he brings at least seven substantial Witnesses who swear they saw him in London in April and May 1678. the time they aver him to be at S. Omar's Page 80. Mr. Walker a Minister swears that in April 78. he met Mr. Oates in S. Martin's Lane disguised in a Serge Coat and Gray Hat which he wondered at not knowing he was turn'd Jesuite and the next morning he relates the same to one Mrs. Ives who in Court swears the same that in April the said Mr. Walker came to her Shop and told her that the day before he had met Mr. Oates at the upper end of Saint Martins-lane near Leicester-House in disguise So that you have here one positive Witness and a strong concurrent Testimony Pag. 81. Mrs. Mayo swears more punctually as to point of Time that a week before Whitsuntide or thereabouts which was in May she saw Mr. Oates in Sir Richard Barker's Court-yard in London and that one of Sir Richard's men told her that it was Mr. Oates and that he was either turn'd Quaker or Catholick but that she said he was no Quaker because he then wore a Perriwig and that about a week after she saw him again walking in the Garden with another Gentleman and swears this Mr. Oates then in Court was the same man she had seen The other young man that the knew Mr. Oates was dead Then pag. 81. one Page swears that he saw this Mr. Oates in a Gray or Light-coloured Campaign Coat and discours'd with him at Sir Richard Barker's in May 78. and tells a circumstance to prove his knowledge that it was in May. Then Sir Richard Barker swears that his Servants told him that Mr. Oates was
at his House about Whitsuntide and that he was there in two several disguises once with short hair and another time with a Perriwig and that they thought he was turn'd either Quaker or Papist Then pag. 83. Sir Richard Barker's Coachman swears he was well acquainted with Mr. Oates and that he was at Sir Richard's House in Barbican in the beginning of May 78. with his hair cut close to his ears in Gray Cloaths and a Gray Coat and then enquired of him for D. Tongue and that he knew him well for three years before and is very sure he in Court was the same man Pag. 84. Mr. Smith Schoolmaster at Islington swears that in the beginning of May 1678. he dined with him at his House in Islington and as he remembers it was the first Monday in May and that he knew him well for he had been his Scholar at Merchant-Taylours School when he was Usher there and that he stayed with him three or four hours after Dinner discoursing of his Travels Then Mr. Clay swears pag. 84. and 85. that he met Mr. Oates in April and afterwards in May 78. at Mr. Howard's who lived in one Corner of Arundel-House and that this was the same man he saw there and this Mr. Clay who testified this is a Roman Catholick so that they are not all Protestants that he brings to annul their Evidence but one of their own Religion who durst speak Truth And now let all the world judge whether the Jury had any reason to think that Mr. Oates his Evidence was any ways weakened by all that those Novices had averr'd knowing that the Protestant Religion allows in no case of telling a lie much less of swearing falsely As to their averring that Sir Jo. Warner and Sir Tho. Preston were at their several places of residence all April and May and so could not come over with Mr. Oates to England as he had sworn Mr. Oates not knowing of what they would have insisted on was not prepared with Witnesses to back that Testimony but it being a matter of little or no consequence and they failing of making good the more substantial part of their Defence we may well believe they also made a false Report in this latter as well as in the former Then Mr. Gawen pag. 63. undertakes also to prove that he was in the Country in Staffordshire all April June and July the time of the Consult and the time that Mr. Oates had sworn he saw his hand to the Consult and for this he brings several Witnesses from pag. 63. to 69. But whoever considers well what the Evidence says there in the Prisoners behalf will find that these Witnesses were not so confident as those from S. Omar's and that they speak so mincingly and give so weak Reasons that in truth it appears not by what they say but that Mr. Gawen might step up to London and sign this Consult in few days without their knowledge for they cannot but say he was sometimes at the Lord Aston's but pag. 65. Mrs. Winford says she knows he could not go to London because he had not his Linnen with him and this is all the reason which is a very weak one To this Mr. Oates swears again pag. 67. that he saw him in London either in the beginning or middle of July then Mr. Gawen brings several Witnesses pag. 68. and 69. that indeed prove he was not in London but at Wolverhampton the latter end of July but as to the beginning or middle of the Month none of them can speak so that the thing is plain he doth not contradict Mr. Oates his Testimony for he might be in the Country all the time his Witnesses aver and yet be in London at the time Mr. Oates had sworn Then pag. 69. Mr. Whitebread offers Witnesses to prove that D. Oates had sworn an untruth and therefore he was not probus Testis a credible Witness in that he had sworn Mr. Ireland was in London the middle of August and beginning of September which he could prove was false but the Court let him know that having already received a Verdict it ought not to be heard again yet pag. 71. they were so favourable as to hear his Witnesses though to that point and 72 73. to 76. some Witnesses that were not at Ireland's Tryal do aver that Mr. Ireland was in Staffordshire from the fourth to the twenty sixth of August so that it could not be true what Mr. Oates had sworn that he was in London about the middle of August Against this Evidence you have not onely D. Oates his Testimony upon his Oath but also Sarah Pain pag. 78. and 79. appeared in Court who there gave in the same Evidence she had done in the former Tryal of Mr. Ireland that she saw Mr. Ireland going into Mr. Groves his House and that she made a Curtisie to him about the middle of August which is the time that D. Oates charges him to be in Town So that you have two Witnesses on Oath that contradict those brought by the Prisoners But since they have made a great talk of this Evidence and have said that they had several Witnesses against two one of them being their Accuser and that some have thought this point not sufficiently cleared I have for the satisfaction of the world here published what hath since come to my hands and not at the time of the Tryals of these persons known which is a very great confirmation of the Truth of D. Oates his Testimony and I hope will give much satisfaction A Letter from Mr. Jennison a Papist touching Mr. Ireland's being in London in August 1678. which more clearly proves that what he asserted at his Tryal and not onely there but in Articulo mortis at the Gallows and what his Party affirmed in Court and offer'd to swear that he was in Staffordshire and out of London from the fifth of August 78 to the seventh of September following is a great untruth which is a material strengthening to the Evidence against him and confirmation of Mr. Oates his Testimony Which did come to light since the death of Mr. Ireland and is now published for the satisfaction of those who might any ways doubt thereof and think that the King's Evidence was not full therein READING Decemb. 19. 1678. Dear Sir YOurs I had bearing date the fifteenth of this Instant and have not missed a Post I could send to you by I am not ignorant of the offer made by his Majestie 's Proclamation and lay hold of nothing but pardon for concealing what circumstances I have known so long yet did not altogether conceal it neither for I told my Cousin Smith of it within two or three days of the breaking out of this damnable Conspiracy which how much it weighs I am not sit to judge The speaking of Truth is an Action that rewards it self and I would not were it to gain a million nay a million of worlds if possible draw the least
there were twelve men of one mind that thought them guilty and I am confident that there are twelve thousand of the same opinion and that all those who say to the contrary must speak it out of Ignorance or Prejudice As to the proofs against Mr. Langhorn you will find them very home and positive and first pag. 6. and 7. Mr. Dugdale is brought to prove the Plot in general which he again swears to as to their several Consultations and design of murthering the King and massacring the Protestants and bringing in of Popery to which also Mr. Prance concurs Then as to the particular Charge against Mr. Langhorn Dr. Oates swears pag. 10. that he carried several Letters from Mr. Langhorn to persons beyond the Seas in one of which he saw under his own hand That now they had a fair opportunity to begin and give the blow with many other expressions plain enough concerning the Plot and these he saw signed Richard Langhorn and then he farther swears that he had Orders from the Provincial to give Mr. Langhorn an account of the Resolutions and passages that were form'd and done at this Consult of the twenty fourth of April and that he gave him an account of the same and of their Resolution of killing the King and that the said Langhorn lift up his hands and eyes and pray'd to God to give to it a good success Then pag. 11. he swears he saw in his Chamber in the Inner-Temple lying on the side of his Desk certain Commissions which he had heard to have been sent over to him for several persons in England which they called Patents and that upon Dr. Oates his desire to see them he permitted him to peruse several of them which he did and there saw one Commission to the Lord Arundel of Wardour and another to the Lord Powis the one to be Lord High Chancellour the other to be Lord High Treasurer of England and to the Lord Bellasis to be General to the Lord Peters to be Lieutenant-General and one for Mr. Coleman to be Secretary of State and for Mr. Langhorn himself to be Advocate of the Army and that these were signed Johannes Paulus de Oliva by virtue of a Brief granted by the Pope These Commissions were signed with the Jesuits mark And that Mr. Langhorn told him he had sent one of these Commissions by his Son to be delivered to the Lord Arundel of Wardour's Son and that it was delivered And pag. 13. he swears that Mr. Langhorn being employed as Solicitour for several of the Fathers of the Society that upon his solicitation of the Benedictine Monks they had promised him 6000 li. for the carrying on of the Cause and that Mr. Langhorn promised in his hearing to do his utmost for the procuring the said money And also that he was much disgusted with Sir George Wakeman because he was not contented with 10000 li. to poison the King and pag. 14. he swears that Mr. Langhorn call'd the said Sir George Wakeman a covetous man and that since it was a publick concern it was no matter if he had done it for nothing but that he was a narrow-spirited and narrow-soul'd Physician Then an Instrument being produced in Court signed by Paulus de Oliva Mr. Oates swore that the Commissions he saw were signed by the same hand and had all the same mark but they were all convey'd away and this being onely concerning an Ecclesiastical business was left however this shews he used to receive Patents from and had Commerce with the Superiour of the Jesuits in Rome And this was found in Mr. Langhorn's Chamber a long time after Mr. Oates had given in his Testimony Then pag. 19. Mr. Bedlow swears he went with Mr. Coleman to Mr. Langhorn's Chamber and there Mr. Coleman gave him his Letters to Le Chese and to the Pope's Nuntio and to others open to reade and to register in a Book by him kept for that purpose and that he saw Mr. Langhorn reade these Letters which were concerning the design they had in hand and that he registred them in a Book in his Closet whilst he and Mr. Coleman walked in the outer Room and that afterwards Coleman sealed up these Letters and gave them to Mr. Bedlow who was to carry them to Le Chese the King of France his Confessour and that some of the expressions in those Letters were That all things were now in a readiness and that they onely wanted money That the Catholicks were now in safety and that all places and offices had been disposed to them and that all the Garrisons were already in their hands or would be put into their hands suddenly And that now they had a fair opportunity having a King so easy to believe what was dictated to him by their party and that if they mist the opportunity they might despair of ever introducing Popery into England This was the effect of most of the Letters and with them Mr. Langhorn was made acquainted and register'd them in a Book Pag. 20. he swears he brought Letters from Harcourt to Mr. Langhorn to be register'd which Mr. Langhorn receiv'd and register'd accordingly for he wrote by him to Harcourt that he had receiv'd the Letters by Mr. Williams which was the name that Bedlow then went by and that he would transcribe them and return them to him again Now these Letters were one of them declared to be from the Rectour of the Irish Colledge at Salamanca which specified that the Lord Bellasts and the rest of the Lords concerned and the whole party should be in a readiness and to have it communicated with all expedition for that they had sent some Irish Cashier'd Souldiers with many other Lay-Brothers under the notion of Pilgrims for S. Jago who were to take shipping at the Groin and to land at Milford-Haven in Wales and there to meet and join with the Lord Powis The other Letter was from Sir William Godolphin which Mr. Bedlow had brought out of Spain directed to the Lord Bellasis which was about the same design and was also register'd by Mr. Langhorn in a Book which he saw near 3 inches thick and that he guesses two thirds of the Book might be wrote out Now by this judge you whether the Indictment of High Treason be not proved against Mr. Langhorn and whether he be not guilty of this Treason and Conspiracy of bringing in Popery of levying War and killing the King by two several witnesses who have so positively sworn it against him The defence Mr. Langhorn makes for himself is no other then what his Brethren in Iniquity had done before him to deny the fact and to endeavour to invalidate the credit of the Witnesses by intrapping them in point of time and place And to this end pag. 14 15 16 c. he asks Mr. Oates many questions little to the purpose and onely to amuse the Auditours Then pag. 27. he would make Mr. Oates an Approver as having been pardoned for the same