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told that if he compelled the king to bring up his heavy cannon he must expect no quarter, he thought proper to surrender. On the 5th of July the king encamped at Finglass, within two miles of Dublin, where he received advice of king James's flight to Waterford, and subsequent embarkation for France. The principal catholics having also abandoned the metropolis, the protestants had recovered their ascendency; and a deputation being sent requesting the king to honor the city with his presence, he made his public entrance the next day into Dublin, where he was received with triumphal acclamation.

BOOK 1.

1690.

of king

The Irish army had now retired in confusion Successes towards Athlone, a strong town on the banks of William. the Shannon. Dividing his forces, therefore, the king detached general Douglas to pursue the flying enemy, prosecuting himself his march to the southward, and taking possession successively of the towns of Carlow, Kilkenny, and Waterford-acquisitions of great importance. About this period, a proclamation of grace and pardon was published, which the king was desirous to have made much more comprehensive; for the general and vague exception it contained, of "the desperate leaders of the present rebellion,” rendered it wholly nugatory: but the king was told by those vultures in human shape who prey

Siege of Athlone raised:

BOOKI. upon property and are ravenous for confiscations, 1690. that there was a necessity for breaking the power of the great Irish chieftains. General Douglas having reached Athlone on the 17th of July, summoned the town to surrender; but colonel Grace, the governor, undaunted by the ill success which had recently attended their arms, fired a pistol at the trumpeter, saying, "These are my terms." The English general on this resolved on undertaking the siege of the place: but his force was not adequate to the enterprise; and after battering the castle for some days with little effect, he hastily withdrew his troops, finding that general Sarsfield was on his march to relieve the fortress, at the head of 15,000 men. But the principal object of the campaign, now far advanced, was the reduction of the important city of Limerick, in the vicinity of which the Irish had concentrated the far greater part of their force. The town is situated chiefly on an island in the

midst of the

Shannon, which is here very broad and deep, with suburbs extending to both the opposite shores -the three divisions being connected by bridges. The fortifications had been lately strengthened by additional outworks constructed under the direction of French engineers. The garrison consisted of no less than fourteen regiments of foot, exclusive of horse and dragoons; and the remainder of the Irish army, now recovered from its con

sternation, with the French auxiliaries to the

BOOK I.

1090.

Limerick.

amount of many thousands, lay at a small distance, waiting and watching the favorable opportunities of attack. Possibly the king, judging from the uninterrupted career of success he had hitherto experienced, might be prompted to hold the talents and resources of the enemy too cheap. A junction being formed between the king's forces and those employed in the attack of Athlone, within a few miles of Limerick, the city was invested with trivial opposition on the 9th of August 1690: and a summons being sent to the governor, M. Boisseleau, that officer replied, "that he thought the best way to gain the prince and of of Orange's good opinion was by a vigorous defence of the fortress entrusted to his care." The siege was now prosecuted with great diligence, and the place defended with equal resolution; but a most disastrous incident took place in the surprisal, by general Sarsfield, of almost the whole train of heavy artillery destined for the besieging army, and the total destruction of the carriages, waggons, and ammunition; after having previously attacked and cut in pieces the detachment by which the convoy was guarded. The event of the siege was from this time very doubt ful. At length, a breach having been made of about twelve yards in breadth, the king ordered a general assault. But the courage of the enemy

BOOK I. seemed on this occasion to rise to fury. After 1690. being driven from the counterscarp, they returned to the attack with an impetuosity never exceeded, the very women rushing forwards and encouraging the soldiers of the garrison with Amazonian fortitude. In fine, the English were repulsed, with the loss of 1200 of their choicest troops: and the operations of the besiegers being also impeded by the weather, which had now become very unfavorable, the king gave orders, in two days after this unsuccessful attempt, to raise the siege; and the army retreated towards Clonmel. Having constituted lord Sydney and sir Thomas Coningsby lords justices of Ireland, and leaving the command of the army with count Solmes, who soon after resigned it into the able hands of general Ginckel, his majesty embarked at Duncannon on the 5th of September 1690 for England, and arrived safely within a few days at Windsor.

King re

turns to

England.

Earl of

Marlbo

tures Cork

In the course of the autumn, the earl of Marlrough cap- borough, who had already distinguished himself by and Kinsale. his military talents, gained great increase of fame by a successful attack on Cork and Kinsale with 5000 troops from England, joined, agreeably to the project he had formed, by 5000 more in Ireland. By the capture of these cities, all connec¬ tion between Ireland and France on that side was cut off; and the earl of Marlborough re

turned to England covered with laurels, having been absent on this important expedition only thirty-seven days. The duke of Grafton, natural son of the late king Charles II., a young nobleman highly amiable and accomplished, fell bravely fighting in the first of these attacks. When the earl of Marlborough was introduced to the king at Kensington on his return, that monarch, far from appearing jealous of his success, bestowed upon him the highest encomiums, and declared that he knew no man so fit for a general who had seen so few campaigns.

In order to avoid the necessity of reverting to the Irish war, which was protracted to a late period of the succeeding year, it may be proper here to subjoin the principal occurrences which took place from the departure of the king, to its final termination. Although it had been the object of the king's anxious solicitude to restrain the ravages of the soldiery, divers examples of great severity being made by him during his residence. in Ireland, the most atrocious excesses were, as is universally acknowledged, committed during the winter upon the helpless inhabitants; and it was difficult to ascertain whether they suffered more from their catholic oppressors, or their protestant protectors. Between them the country was dreadfully harassed, and the stock of cattle. and corn in many parts almost entirely destroyed..

BOOK L

1690.

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