IN vain is warning to such desperate men, who will not see their Errors, but hood-wink themselves upon the verge of Fate, and never consider, till 'tis too late, what a vast and boundless depth Eternity still bears; for were such men but sensible, it ever would start them from their fond opinions, that be­tray their Souls, and makes them equivocate and deny a perfect Truth when tum­bling into an immortal state, as has been plainly seen and heard by those Foreign Romanists, who have their lives most justly paid for those Diabolick Crimes by them designed, the which extended to the murder of their Native Prince, to gra­tifie [Page 2]ambitious Tyrants far remote: Nay, so much did Hell-bred malice prompt them on, that regardless of the Place that gave them birth, they did intend to Crimson it with streaming slaughter, pressed from out so many hundred thousand guiltless Souls; and surely, like the hundred handed Gyants, would have in­vaded Heaven too, had not the Great Jehova looked down, and quell'd their da­ring arrogance, &c.

But he of whose deserved, though most shameful downfall and catastrophe I here must treat, that he in such preposterous ways should tread, the which, no doubt, do tend to death and hell, it might, in most that knew him, raise an ad­miration, being counted heretofore a sober, serious, prudent, and, in his way, a most devout Professor of honesty and true Allegiance to his Prince. But, as holy Writ explains, [The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it] for often under the verdent fragrancy, a poisonous Serpent lurks, whose sting does bear inevitable death; so this Richard Langhorn, for such is his name, made his outward dealing a Cloak, to shroud the vileness of his Soul But notwithstanding all his sleights, his pernicious ways were pri'd into, and Justice found him at the last, nor could his shifting save him from its hands; for on Saturday the 14th of June, 1679. he was brought to his Trial at the Sessions-house in the Old-bailey, where holding up his hand, he was Arraigned for High-Treason, That he the said Richard Langhorn did cast off all due Allegiance to his Sovereign Lord the King, and that he did traiterously joyn and conspire with several notorious Villains, and that for the propagating the Roman Cause to subvert the Go­vernment, and that most inhumanely and barbarously to attempt the the Life of his most Sacred Majesty his lawful Sovereign; and having carried on the said Hellish design for many years, sending and receiving Letters from Rome and France, com­plotting with the French Kings Confessor Le Cheese, and Christopher Aderton, Re­ctor of the English Colledge at Rome; in which Letters he gave them notice from time to time how Affairs were carried on in England, and what courses they were best to take to effect their designs: And that he provided, paid, and distributed certain considerable Sums of Mony towards the encouraging impious Ruffins to promote the Massacre of all his Majesties loving Subjects, that should refuse to joyn or close with their accursed designs, and pernicious intreagues, &c. And that he did, to the utmost of his power, encourage and instruct the chief Traitors: And that he received several unlawful Commissions from the presumptuous See of Rome, Signed and Sealed, for the despising of Military and Civil Affairs, and thereby impowered to raise Rebellion in the Land, to harras, murder, and massacre his Majesties Subjects. And that he the said Richard Langhorn, contrary to his Faith and Allegiance to his Majesty taken, by several Letters to the Benedictine Monks, did require and procure 6000 l. to­wards the making up the sum promised for poisoning his Majesty, &c. And that his practise had been for many years imployed to serve and promote the Interest of the Ro­mish Faction, in carrying on their pernicious designs. These, and many other tedi­ous Circumstances were laid to his charge, of which these I have premised are the Heads, the whole Arguments being too tedious here to insert. To this he pleaded Not Guilty. But the Witnesses for the King appearing, and giving in their Evi­dences in the Court, they were most plainly proved, Dr. Oates swearing posi­tively to each particular that was any ways of any concernment [...]; as likewise Mr. Bedlow, Mr. Dugdale, and others, who positively swore to many Principles and Particulars: But Langhorn denied each Circumstance, adjuring whatsoever was alledged against him, putting many cross questions for his own defence: But the Witness was so plain, and every particular managed to the heighth, that his Scarlet Crimes were most detestably abhorred by all that heard them, except his own dysasterous Roman Practitioners for these and such like crimes. After a long [Page 3]audience of all that he could alledge in his own defence, the Court and the King's Council having given Instructions to the Jury; they, after half an hours debate, brought him in Guilty of High Treason; whereupon the Court proceeded to Sentence accordingly, That he should be Drawn, Hang'd, and Quartered, ac­cording as the Law has provided in that case for Capital Crimes, of so heinous a Nature. Whereupon he was conveyed back to Newgate, where, by his Majesties bounty, a longer time was granted him than was expected, considering how hei­nously he had offended so good and mild a Prince. During the time of his Re­prieve, he was carried before the Council and Examined, having Mercy tendered if he would accept, upon condition to declare his knowledge concerning his Dia­bolick Contrivances: but nothing could be got of him, being hardened by foolish Promises of being great in another World, for living in wickedness in this; for such are the fond opinions of such who court that imposterous Religion or Prin­ciples, &c.

The small Discovery he made, was only relating to the Lands the Jesuits have lately purchased in England, whereby to maintain and uphold their Hellish Pra­ctises; the which amounted to sixty thousand pounds per Annum sterling. So have those Locusts made thoir Footing good in this our English Nation, longing once more to bring so fair a Soil, sub juga Romani, having once tasted the plea­santness of its Delights; but he not revealing any thing to the purpose, the War­rant was Signed for his Execution this day, being the 14th as aforesaid. In the mean time he put up a Petition, intreating for Banishment, but hard it is to trust so dangerous a Man abroad, lest there he injure us more than at home; his Petiti­on not taking effect, Preparation was made in order to his Execution.

On Saturday-night before his Execution, he seemed exceeding joyful at ap­proaching Death, and expressed himself much satisfied at the certainty of his Transmigration to another State; but more because he foreknew the time prefixed, often kneeling on a Book, with frequent Prayers and Ejaculations, seeming to continue the hopes of Life, and to promise himself more sollid and substantial Joys.

He being brought down, and placed in the Sledg, he seemed to be little discou­raged at the near Approach of Death, that gastly King of Terrors, whose dread frowns can startle the daring'st he that Roman mischief can invent.

He being in the Sledg, often did extend his Hands and Arms, with elevating his Countenance, seeming exceeding penitent; from which place being Guarded by the Sherifs Men and a number of Constables and Watchmen, according to the Order in that Case as he passed on: whole Crouds of People thronging every Corner of the Streets and Lanes to see the miserable Wretch, of whom they late­ly heard so much.

During the time of his being drawn along, he made many Prayers, and was seemingly very Penitent, and so continued till he came to the place of Executi­on, where being Arrived and holpen into the Cart, which was ready there for that purpose, there he made many Protestations, and denied that he knew any in­treague or Design on foot by the Catholicks against this Nation, or any of his Ma­jesties Countries or Dominions: And as to a Letter written by the Earl of Roscom­mon, the which was aledged against him, he was altogether ignorant of; and that it was undeservedly laid to his Charge, making many Protestations of his Maje­sties Bounty and Princely Compassion towards him, that he had been so long plea­sed to grant him time to fit and prepare him for another Life, the which he was going to pass unto; and that now his transitory being crauled upon the utmost Verge of Hope; therefore he desired forgiveness of all that he had any ways in­jured, desiring the Prayers of all good People, saying that he held the Tenets of [Page 4]the Church of Rome a long time, and that he had been very Zealous in propaga­ting that Faith, and had likewise caused his Sons to be Educated in the same; and farther, that he did acknowledg his Soveraign, King Charles the Second, to be his just and lawful Prince, and without any Mental Reservation, or Equivocation ac­cording to the true meaning of the Oath of Allegiance, he did faithfully believe and hold him to be the lawful Heir of these Realms, and that neither the Pope nor any forreign Potentate had Right to dispossess him of his Crown, or depose him of his Government, nor to incense any to take up Arms, or raise Rebellion against his Majesty, either to the prejudice of himself, or his Subjects, nor to disturb the Government of the Kingdom, as it is now established, and that the Life of his Majesty ought to be held sacred upon the account of the preservation of his Subjects; and that he never was so much as Guilty of a secret Thought, the which might any ways tend to the hurt of his Majesty, and that he thought himself bound in Conscience, if he should know any thing in that Nature, immediately to dis­close it; and if that any Conspiracy, Design or intent whatsoever, were about to be put in Practice, that then he was obliged to reveal it, as he tendred his Eternal welfare, and hoped to escape Damnation. These and many other Protestations so common to those kind of desperate People, who trust in Romes Indulgences and Pardons, and pin their Consciences thereon, not weighing the displeasure of an angry God, but depend on the Infallibility of their Roman Impostor, that Devou­rer of Souls, whose Tyranny too oft had made the Nations Groan, but to the purpose, after his Attestations and absolute denial, he was executed according as the Law for such notorious Traitors have designed; the which though he was a Traitor, yet moved the Hearts of many to pitty him, by reason of his Age and Gravity; being a tall Man, of a Sanguin Complexion, of a moderate Grace and Gesture and of brave Eloquent and authentick parts, having been a Counsellor for this many years. After he was Cut down and Quartered, his Quarters were by his Majesties Order delivered to his Friends, in Order to his Burial, &c.

Now one would suppose that this and many other the untimely Ends of such like Miscreants, who have of late for their abhorr'd Crimes been justly made the Tro­phies of pursuing Justice, should stand as marks to warn their Brethren least they should headlong press upon those dangerous shoales of an untimely Fate; but 'tis in vain, pernicious men that bend on black Designes, Rush forwards not caring where they go, so they accomplish their destructive ends.