THE SPEECH OF Richard Langhorn Esq At his Execution July 14. 1679. Being left in writing by him under his own hand.  
IN regard I could not foresee whether I should be permitted to speak at my Death, so as to make a public Declaration of my Innocency 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 beforehand, 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 be well considered of, and digested by me, and that all mistakes might be prevented, as far as may be: I say, in regard of this, I have in the present Paper reduced what I have to declare, as to my Innocence and Loyalty. And 'tis in these following words.  
I Do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of Almighty God, profess, testify and declare, as followeth: That is to say,  
1. That I do with my heart and soul, believe and own my most Gracious Sovereign Lord, the King's Majesty, King Charles the Second, to be my true and lawful Sovereign, Prince and King, in the same sense and latitude, to all intents and purposes, as in the Oath commonly called, The Oath of Allegiance, His said Majesty is expressed to be King of this Realm of England.  
2. That I do in my soul believe, That neither the Pope, nor any Prince, Potentate, or Foreign Authority, nor the People of England, nor any Authority out of this Kingdom, or within the same, hath or have any Right to dispossess His said Majesty of the Crown or Government of England, or to depose him therefrom, for any Cause or pretended Cause whatsoever, or to give licence to me, or to any other of His said Majesty's Subjects whatsoever, to bear Arms against His said Majesty, or to take away his Life, or to do him any bodily harm, or to disturb the Government of this Kingdom, as the same is now established by Law, or to alter, or go about to alter the said Government, or the Religion now established in England, by any way of force.  
3. That I neither am, nor ever was, at any time or times, guilty, so much as in my most secret thoughts, of any Treason, or misprision of Treason whatsoever.  
4. That I did not in the Month of November, or at any other time or times whatsoever, say unto Mr. Oates, or unto any other person or persons whatsoever, in relation to my Sons in Spain, or either of them, or in relation to any other person or persons whatsoever, That if they did continue in the World, (as Secular Priests, or otherwise) they should suddenly have great Promotions in England, for that things would not last long in the posture wherein they then were; nor did I ever say any words to that or the like effect to any person or persons whatsoever.  
5. That I did never in all my life-time write any Letter, or other thing whatsoever, unto, or receive any Letter or other thing, from Father Le Cheese, or any French Jesuit whatsoever, or from Father Anderton, or Cardinal Barbarino, or any other Cardinal; nor did I ever see any Letter, or the Copy of any Letter, or other Paper, or other thing, written or purporting to be written unto the said Le Cheese, or unto the said Father Anderton, or the said Cardinal Barbarino, by any person or persons whatsoever, other than the printed Letters, printed in the Narrative of the Trial of Mr. Edward Coleman, lately executed, which I never saw otherwise than in the said printed Narrative; nor did I ever hear any mention made by any person whatsoever of the Name of Le Cheese, or Father Le Cheese, before I read the said printed Narrative.  
6. That I did never in all my life-time make any Entry or Entries, into any Book or Books, or take, or make, or write, or cause to be written into any Book or Books, or otherwise any Letter or Letters, or any Copy or Copies of any Letter or Letters, written by the said Edward Coleman, to any person or persons whatsoever.  
7. That I did never in all my life-time enter or register into any Book or Books, Paper or Papers whatsoever, or take, or make, or write, or cause to be written, any Copy or Copies, of any Act or Acts, Consult or Consults, Determination or Determinations, Order or Orders, Resolve or Resolves, or other matter or thing, at any time made, determined, resolved, passed, decreed or agitated, at any Congregation or Congregations, Consult or Consults, Chapter or Chapters, Assembly or Assemblies, of the Society or Order of the Jesuits, or of any other Religious Order whatsoever; nor did I ever see, read, or heard read, nor did any person or persons, at any time whatsoever, ever communicate unto me, any such Act, Consult, Determination, Order, Resolve, Matter or Thing whatsoever.  
8. That I did never in all my life-time, to my knowledge, belief or remembrance, see or speak with Mr. Bedloe, who gave Evidence against me at my Trial, until I saw him in that Court wherein he gave Evidence against me.  
9 That after the month of November, which was in the year of our Lord 1677. I did never see or speak with Mr. Titus' Oats before named, until I saw him in the same Court where he gave Evidence against me at my Trial.  
10. That I did never see in all my life-time, to my knowledge, belief or remembrance, any Commission or Commissions, Patent or Patents, Grant or Grants, Order or Orders, Instrument or Instruments, Writing or Writings, or other matter or thing whatsoever, under, or pretended to be under the Hand and Seal, or the Hand or the Seal of Johannes Paulus de Oliva, or any other General of the Jesuits whatsoever, other than the Paper or Instrument produced and showed unto me in the said Court at my Trial, which whether it was signed or sealed by the said de Oliva, I do not know.  
11. That I did never in all my life-time write, or cause or procure to be written, any Treasonable Letter or Letters whatsoever, or any thing which was or is Treason or Treasonable, in any Letter or Letters, Book or Books, Paper or Papers, or otherwise howsoever.  
12. That I believe, that if I did know, or should know of any Treason or Treasonable Design, that was or is intended, or should be intended against His said Majesty, or the Government of this His Majesty's Kingdom, or for the Alteration by force, advice or otherwise, of the said Government, or of the Religion now established in this Kingdom, and should conceal and not discover the same unto His said Majesty, or His said majesty's Council or Ministers, or some of them; that such concealment would be in me a sin unto Death, and Eternal Damnation.  
13. That I do believe, that it is no ways lawful for me to lie, or speak any thing which I know to be untrue; or to commit any sin, or do any Evil, that Good may come of it. And that it is not in the Power of any Priest, or of the Pope, or of God himself, to give me a Licence to Lie, or to speak any thing which I know to be untrue, because every such Lie would be a sin against Truth: And Almighty God, who is perfect Truth, cannot give me a Licence to commit a sin against his own Essence.  
And I do solemnly in the presence of God, Profess, Testify and Declare, That as I hope for Salvation, and expect any benefit by the Blood and Passion of my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ, I do make this Declaration and Protestation and every part thereof in the Plain and Ordinary Sense, wherein the same stands Written, as they are commonly understood by English Protestant's and the Courts of Justice of England without any Evasion, or Equivocation, or Delusion, or Mental Reservation whatsoever. And without any Dispensation or Pardon, or Absolution already granted to me, for this or any other purpose by the Pope or any other Power, Authority or Person whatsoever, Or, without any hope, expectation or desire of any such Dispensation; and without thinking or believing that I am or can be acquitted before God or Man, or absolved of this Declaration or any part thereof, although the Pope or any other Person or Persons, or Power or Authority whatsoever should dispense with, Or take upon him or them to dispense with, or Annul the same, Or declare that it was, or is, or aught to be Null or Void in part, or in the whole, from the beginning, or otherwise howsoever.  
Having made this Declaration and Protestation in the most plain Terms that I can possibly imagine to express my sincere Loyalty and Innocency, and the clear intention of my Soul, I leave it to the Judgements of all Good and Charitable persons whether they will belive what is here in this manner affirmed and sworn by me in my present Circumstances, or what is sworn by my Accusers.  
I do now farther declare, That I die a Member (though an unworthy one) of that Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, mentioned in the Three Holy and Public Creeds, of which Church our Lord Jesus Christ is the Invisible Head of Influence, to illuminate, guide, protect and govern it by his Holy Spirit and Grace, and of which Church, the Bishop of Rome, as the Successor of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is the visible Head of Government and Unity.  
I take it to be clear, That my Religion is the sole cause, which moved my Accusers to charge me with the Crime, for which upon their Evidence I am adjudged to die, and that my being of that Religion, which I here profess, was the only ground which could give them any hope to be believed, or which could move my Jury to believe the Evidence of such men.  
I have had not only a Pardon, but also great Advantages, as to Preferments, and Estates offered unto me, since this Judgement was against me, in case I would have forsaken my Religion, and owned myself guilty of the Crime charged against me, and charged the same Crimes upon others: But blessed be my God, who by his Grace hath preserved me from yielding to those Temptations, and strengthened me rather to choose this death, than to slain my Soul with sin, and to charge others, against truth, with Crimes, of which I do not know that any person is guilty.  
Having said what concerns me to say as to myself, I now humbly beseech God to bless the King's Majesty with all temporal and eternal Blessings, and to preserve Him and His Government from all Treasons and Traitors whasoever, and that His Majesty may never fall into such hands, as His Royal Father of Glorious Memory fell into.  
I also humbly beseech thee (O God) to give true Repentance and Pardon to all my Enemies, and most particularly to the said Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedloe, and to all who have been any ways accessary to the taking away of my Life, and the shedding of my innocent Blood, or to the preventing the King's Mercy from being extended unto me; and likewise to all those who rejoiced at the Judgement given against me, or at the execution of the said Judgement; and to all those who are or shall be so unchristianly uncharitable, as to disbelieve, and to refuse to give credit unto my now Protestations.  
And I beseech thee (O my God) to bless this whole Nation, and not to lay the guilt of my Blood unto the charge of this Nation, or of any other particular person or persons of this Nation. Unite all (O my God) unto thee and thy Church, by true Faith, Hope and Charity, for thy mercy's sake.  
And for all those who have showed Charity to me, I humbly beg (O my Jesus) that thou wilt reward them with all Blessings both temporal and eternal.  
13 July, 1679. R. Langhorn.