ficent inclinations of the king in that refpect, as well as his folicitude to bring the war in Ireland to a conclufion, acceded without difficulty to terms not indeed in the estimate of moderation and wifdom too favorable, but far more fo than in their fituation it was reasonable to hope. On the first of October (1691), the lords juftices arrived in the English camp; and on the 3d the articles were figned. The capitulation of Limerick is ftill famous in Irith hiftory. In it is comprehended not the furrender of Limerick merely, but of all the forts, caftles and garrifons ftill in poffeffion of the Irish. In return for which, among many other regulations of fubordinate importance, a general indemnity is granted; and they are reinftated in all the privileges of fubjects, on condition of taking the oaths of allegiance, without being required to take the oath of fupremacy. They were also restored to the enjoyment of fuch liberty in the exercise of religion as was conformable to that which they poffeffed in the reign of Charles II. All officers and foldiers in the fervice of king James defirous to go beyond fea were to be furnished with paffports, convoys, and carriages by land and water, to the amount of 70 tranfport veffels, accompanied, for their protection and the accommodation of the officers, by two fhips of war-and they likewife had liberty to transport 900 horfes. It was alfo conceded, that no person should be impleaded for any trefpafs committed, or rents received or enjoyed, fince the commencement of the war. The inhabitants of Limerick and other garrisons were empowered to remove their goods and chattels, without fearch, vifit, or payment of duty. Finally, it was agreed that all prisoners of war should be fet at liberty. The lords justices, conscious that they had ventured beyond the utmoft limit of their legal powers, engaged that their majes ties would use their endeavors that these articles fhould be ratified and confirmed in parliament. The military commanders on their part allowed all the refpective garrifons to march out of the towns and fortreffes yet in their poffeffion,. with the honors of war. Such were the terms which this devoted portion of a great and generous but unfortunate nation, who had dif played a firmness and gallantry worthy of a far better caufe, obtained from the wifdom and benignity of the British monarch. But great offence was taken at these articles, by the malignity of fome, and the rapacity of others, who hoped and expected to have converted the whole country, for their own individual emolument, into one tremendous mass of mifery, confifcation, and ruin. For to fuch a state of selfish and remorfelefs depravity may human nature be degraded, that, to use the forcible language of lord Bacon," there are thofe who would not hesitate to fet their neighbor's houfe on fire, merely to roaft their own eggs by the flames.” The many thousands who retired to the continent, left behind them, however, fufficient property to gratify any ordinary luft of wealth or vengeance: and the refugees were received, on their arrival in France, with that kindness and generofity which happily on fo many occafions ferve to foften the traits of the dark and terrific character of Louis XIV. General Ginekel was folemnly thanked by parliament for his fervices; and the titles of earl of Athlone and baron Aghrim were conferred upon him, in perpetual commemoration of his heroic achievements. On the king's departure for Ireland, the queen was conftituted fole regent, with a cabinet council confifting of nine perfons, four of whom were whigs*-but the real power was supposed to refide in the lords Carmarthen and Nottingham. མ་ These were the marquis of Carmarthen, prefident of the council; the earl of Nottingham, fecretary of state; the earl of Pembroke, who had fuperseded admiral Herbert, created earl of Torrington, in the admiralty ; fir John Lowther, first commiffioner of the treasury; and the earl of Marl borough, who were all accounted of the tory party. The whigs were the earl of Devonshire, lord steward; earl of Dorfet, lord chamberlain;' theearl of Monmouth, and Mr. Edward Ruffel. ham. The whigs, therefore, had little reason to be satisfied with this arrangement. The queen had hitherto led a very private and domeftic life, occupied with the amusements of reading and working with her ladies of honor; very charitable and exemplary in her social and religious duties, wholly inattentive to political tranfactions. But it now appeared that she was by no means destitute of talents for business and, notwithstanding the perpetual conflict between the two ftate factions, the governed with fuch mildness, which on no occafion degenerated into weakness; and mediated with such address, without any tincture of duplicity or artifice, that by a rare fortune the rose higher than ever in the estimation of both. Endowed with all the accomplishments of her sex, the conciliated the most ftubborn by the engaging affability of her manners.. Dignified in her perfon, of a pleasant and cheerful countenance, frank and noble in her manners, above all difguife and concealment, ftudying only how to promote the welfare and happiness of the nation who had raised her to her prefent exalted preeminence, and to deferve their love and confidence--hiftory exhibits perhaps no character which will endure the test of a more rigorous investigation. How unjustly she has been accused of a want of fenfibility, her letters to the king her husband clearly demonftrate. During the Irish war, notwithstanding the complacency of her outward deportment, her heart was torn with apprehenfion and folicitude; and the intelligence of the victory of the Boyne appeared, as the earl of Nottingham informs us, to afford her no pleasure till he affured her of the fafety of the king her father. The first great object of the government during the regency was to fit out a fleet, equal at least to that which the French were preparing in the harbor of Breft. In this, however, the English admiralty was not successful. By the furprising exertions of M. de Seignelay, the marine minister of France, a fleet of no less than 78 fhips of the line, com F 2 manded manded by the count de Tourville, entered the English channel, and were difcovered off Plymouth on the 20th of June, 1690. The earl of Torrington, commander in chief of the combined fquadrons of English and Dutch, fell down to St. Helens, in order to give the enemy battle, though inferior in force by no less than 22 fhips of the line; thirty fhips of war lying in Plymouth Sound not being able to join them. Lord Torrington, extremely chagrined at this disappointment, would have avoided an engagement: but the queen was over-perfuaded to fend him pofitive orders to fight; fo that, ftanding far up the channel, he again bore down upon the enemy off Beachy-head, on the 30th of June, making two hours after day-break the fignal for battle, which the French were not difpofed to decline. The Dutch fquadron, which led the way, were foon engaged with the van, and the blue divifion of the English with the rear of the French; but the red, which formed the centre, under the command of Torrington in perfon, could not, or at least did not, come into action till ten: and even then a wide interval was left between the centre and the van; of which the French took the advantage, and furrounded the Dutch fhips in fuch a manner, that they would have been entirely cut off or deftroyed had not the centre divifion at length bore down to their affiftance, and drove between them and the enemy. About five in the afternoon the action was interrupted by a calm; and the English admiral, perceiving how feverely the fleet had fuffered, thought it expedient to wave a renewal of the engagement; and weighing anchor at the close of day, he retired eastward with the tide of flood. The French, who had neglected to anchor, drifted to the weftward, and in the morning were defcried at almoft viewlefs diftance: and pursuing alfo in a regular line of battle, lefs damage was fuftained than there was reafon to apprehend. They nevertheless followed as far as Rye; and the English were compelied to burn the difabled fhips, that they might not fall into the hands of the French. Upon Upon the whole, this was the moft fignal victory ever gained by the French over the English upon their own element. Such, indeed, was the heroic bravery with which the van and rear divifions fought, oppreffed as they were with the fuperiority of numbers, that no veffel would strike its colors: but three Dutch line of battle ships were funk in the engagement, and three more ftranded and burnt in the purfuit; befides two fhips loft by the English. The Gallic admiral giving over the farther chafe as fruitless, the earl of Torrington brought the shattered remains of his feet into the Thames, whence, devolving the command upon fir John Ashley, he immediately repaired to the metropolis, which he found in a state of the greatest confternation; he himself being the chief object of the popular rage and refentment. Nothing lefs than an immediate invafion was expected; but the French fleet, after infulting the coafts now wholly defenceless, made the best of their way back to the harbour of Breft. The conduct of the queen in this critical emergency indicated great fortitude and spirit. She iffued a proclamation, requiring the immediate service of all able feamen and mariners, with bounties for rendering themselves vòluntarily, and penalties for disobedience. She ordered a great number of new commiffions for the army, and a camp to be formed in the vicinity of Torbay, where a descent was deemed moft probable. She caufed to be apprehended the earls of Litchfield, Aylesbury, Caftlemaine, and the lords Prefton and Bellafis, with various other difaffected perfons. She deprived the earl of Torrington of his command, and fent him prifoner to the tower; and deputed an envoy extraordinary to the states-general, to inform their high mightineffes, "how much fhe was concerned at the misfortune which had befallen their fquadron in the late engagement, and at their not having been seconded as they ought; which matter her majefty had directed to be examined into, |