was introduced to the king at Kenfington on his return, that monarch, far from appearing jealous of his fuccefs, bestowed upon him the highest encomiums, and declared that he knew no man fo fit for a general who had seen so few campaigns.

In order to avoid the neceflity of reverting to the Irish war, which was protracted to a late period of the fucceeding year, it may be proper here to fubjoin 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 folicitude to reftrain the ravages of the foldiery, divers examples of great severity being made by him during his refidence in Ireland: the most atrocious exceffes were, as is univerfally acknowledged, committed during the winter upon the helpless inhabitants; and it was difficult to ascertain whether they suffered more from their catholic oppreffors, or their proteftant protectors. Between them the country was dreadfully haraffed, and the ftock of cattle and corn in many parts almost entirely destroyed. About the beginning of June, 1691, general Ginckel, being now reinforced by a confiderable body of troops from Scotland under general Mackay, took the field, and immediately directed his march to Athlone, taking in his way the town of Ballymore, which was fortified and garrisoned as a fort of advanced poft, and on the 18th fat down before Athlone. The town is divided into two parts by the Shannon: that which is fituated to the eastward of the river was foon carried by affault; but the chief ftrength of the befieged lay in the fortifications on the Connaught or Irish fide, defended by a castle which could not be approached but by forcing the paffage of the river; and several vigorous attempts were made, though unattended with fuccefs, to gain poffeffion of the bridge. This fomewhat disheartening the troops, a council of war was held on the 30th, to determine whether it would not be adviseable to raise the fiege. On which the generals Mackay, Talmafh, Rou

vigny,

vigny, &c. urged that no brave action could be performed without hazard, and gave it as their opinion that the attack on the bridge fhould be given up, and the paffage of the river attempted at a ford a little below the bridge; and they offered themfelves to head the troops which fhould be deftined to the fervice. General Ginckel, who well knew what wonders military enthusiasm can perform, acceded to an offer which a too confiderate commander would have deemed romantic and impracticable. The fords of the Shannon are few and dangerous. That in question was only wide enough for twenty men to march abreast. The bottom was rocky, the ftream flowing with prodigious rapidity, and rifing in the fhalloweft part nearly breaft high. On the opposite shore was a bastion raised to defend the pass. In order to deceive the enemy, the troops were not drawn out till fix o'clock, the ufual time of relieving guard; and on ringing the church bell, the cuftomary fignal, a detachment of grenadiers, supported by fix battalions of infantry, commanded by the prince of Wirtemberg, the generals Mackay, Tetteau, and Talmafh, who ferved that day as a volunteer, entered the water by twenties, to the aftonishment of the Irish, who immediately began a very heavy fire from all their forts and batteries. General Sarsfield communicating in hafte to M. St. Ruth, now commander in chief of the combined armies of French and Irish lying at the diftance of a few miles from the town, that the English were actually attempting the passage of the river, and demanding immediate fuccours, St. Ruth treated the intelligence very lightly, and affirmed the thing to be impoffible. "They dare not make fuch an attempt," faid he," and I fo near! I would give 1000 piftoles to find it true." Sarsfield, amazed at the vanity and incredulity of this commander, told him, "he would find English courage capable of attempting any thing." Unappalled at the dangers which furrounded them, the affailants gradually advanced forward, in the face of a moft tremendous fire;

and

and having at length forced their way and gained the oppofite bank, the rest of the army foon followed on pontoons, and planks thrown across the broken arches of the bridge. The Irish, feized with confternation, fcarcely attempted refiftance; and in half an hour the town was in poffeffion of the befiegers, with the works, which remained entire towards the enemy's camp. St. Ruth now made a late and vain attempt to diflodge the English: but the cannons of the garrifon were by this time turned against him; and on that very night he decamped with his whole army without beat of drum, and took a new and very strong pofition in the neighbourhood of Aghrim, refolving there to risk the fate of a general engagement.

The Irish camp was extended two miles on the ridge of a . hill, with a morafs in front, paffable only by a narrow central path, crossed by the river Suke, and defended at the extremity by the castle of Aghrim; on their left were steep hills rifing among fwamps; and on the right was a pafs defended by two old forts about half a mile from the morass, the interval being occupied by many fmall enclosures lined with mufqueteers. General Ginckel, having viewed the enemy's pofition, declared his determination to attack them, for that a retreat must be attended with lofs and difgrace. St. Ruth on his part, perceiving the preparations made for that purpose, exerted all the efforts of an able commander to counteract them, making an harangue to his troops well calculated to produce upon minds fo grofs and barbarous a very powerful effect. "He told them how fuccessful he had been in fuppreffing herefy in France, and bringing over a vast number of deluded souls into the bosom of the church. That for this reafon his mafter had made choice of him before others to establish the church of Ireland on fuch a foundation that it fhould not henceforward be in the power of hell or heretics to disturb it: and that all good Roman catholics depended on their courage to fee thefe glorious things effected. He confeffed that matters did not entirely

anfwer

anfwer his expectation since he came among them, but that ftill all might be recovered. That he was informed the prince of Orange's heretical army was refolved to give them battle; that now or never was the time for them to recover the loft honors, privileges, and eftates of their ancestors; that they ought now to remember they were no mercenary foldiers; their all being at stake, and their design to restore a pious king to his throne, to propagate the holy faith, and extirpate herefy. And lastly, to animate their courage, he affured them of king James's love and gratitude, of Louis the Great's protection, of himself to lead them on, of the church to pray for them, and of faints and angels to carry their fouls into heaven." He closed his speech with a strict order to give quarter to none, especially not to spare any of the French heretics in the prince of Orange's army. He took likewise the most effectual way poffible to infuse courage into the Irish, by fending their priests among them to animate them by all the methods they could think of; and especially, as the most powerful and impreffive, making them swear on the facrament never to forfake their colors.

About eleven in the morning of the 12th of July (1691), being Sunday, the English army advanced to the edge of the morass with a view to force the paffes, which were defended by the enemy with furprifing and enthufiaftic refolution. No ground, after several hours' conteft, being gained, a feint was made on the enemy's left; on which large reinforcements being fent by St. Ruth to that quarter, to the weakening of the right and centre, the paffes after much effufion of blood were ultimately forced. No fooner, however, had the English obtained firm footing on the other fide of the morafs and begun to afcend the hill, than the main body of the enemy fell upon them with fuch fury, that the affailants were compelled to retreat with precipitation into the morafs; at the fight of which St. Ruth cried out in a bravado, "Now will I drive the English army back to the gates of Dublin." Reinforcements arriving, however, the

English

English again rallied; and the enemy at the fame instant fuftaining an irreparable lofs by the death of their general, who, ftill confident of victory, was, by one of those accidents which mock all calculation, taken off by a random ball, the fate of the battle was at once decided. Sarsfield, next in command, but to whom St. Ruth had not deigned to communicate his difpofitions, was unable to counteract the despair of the moment. The camp was abandoned, and great flaughter was made by the cavalry and dragoons in the purfuit.

The English army marched forward with all expedition to Galway, which made no memorable refiftance. But Limerick, now the laft refource of the Irish nation, difplayed, under the gallant aufpices of Sarsfield, every symptom of determined and heroic fortitude. On the 26th of Auguft that city was a fecond time invefted on the Munster fide; two days previous to which died within its walls theearl of Tyrconnel, at one period fo confpicuous in Irish history, but who had become odious to the French by his treachery, and to the Irish by his pufillanimity in exhorting his countrymen to an accommodation, fince, as he faid, their ruin was otherwise inevitable. His admonitions were thought to have more weight after his death than during his lifetime. The operations of the army were feconded by a fquadron of ships of war, which failed up the Shannon and did confiderable fervice. The fiege being preffed for near a month and little advance made, the enemy receiving continual fupplies from the other fide of the river; general Ginckel, at the head of a large divifion of the army, paffed the Shannon over a bridge of boats on the 22d of Septem ber, fome miles above the town, leaving the prince of Wirtemberg, Mackay, and Talmafh to command on the other fide; and, after feveral bloody encounters; fucceeded in effecting the complete investment of the city. The garrison now seemed to think only how to fecure the best terms for themselves. And general Ginckel, well knowing the bene