which he opened with a royal speech, in which he disclosed some of his intended policy. He stated his willingness to relieve those who were injured by the act of settlement, as far as might be consistent with reason and justice, and public faith. The commons understood the value of those conditions, and received a bill for the actual repeal of the act of settlement with acclamation and shouts of delight. James, who was playing his cards to win both his English and Irish subjects, professed to disapprove of so wholesale a measure; but the French ambassador, who exercised unlimited control over James, approved of the bill, which was passed, and contained a statement exculpating the Irish from all criminality in the rebellion of 1641. The next step was pretty much in the same direction-a bill of attainder, by which two thousand persons were attainted of high treason, and adjudged to suffer the pains of death and forfeiture of their estates. Nagle, on presenting the bill, declared that many were attainted on such evidence as satisfied the house, and the rest on common fame !* This parliament granted James a monthly * Leland. subsidy of £20,000 from landed property, and he imposed a similar subsidy of £20,000 on personal chattels, without the concurrence of parliament; such was the facility with which James dealt with legal forms, and the rights of his unhappy subjects. But his great financial measure was the establishing of mints at Dublin and Limerick, and the coinage of brass and copper, and afterwards of tin money, by which from a pound weight of those vile materials, pieces were coined of the nominal value of five pounds, which were ordered to be received in all payments, and forced upon the public. General Hamilton now led his army towards Dublin to oppose the duke of Schomberg, who it was expected would land on the eastern coast, in that direction; but he landed at Carrickfergus, with an army consisting of twelve thousand men, chiefly composed of hastily raised and imperfectly trained troops. The best of them were French Protestant exiles, and they were disaffected, and detected in private communication with D'Avaux : some were hanged, and a considerable number of them were sent in chains to England.* James now marched towards the north, reached Drogheda, and found that the duke of Schomberg was encamped near Dundalk. He then led his troops to the village of Alphene, and encamped in the presence of the enemy, with only a bog and a small river between the two armies. Tirconnell, Rosen, and other officers of James's council, urged him to attack Schomberg, whose army was weakened and reduced by a wasting disease, but James could not be prevailed upon to assume the offensive, and thus lost a favourable opportunity of defeating the enemy, and of gaining a victory which would have changed the aspect of his affairs, and have secured the confidence, sympathies, and liberal supplies of France. It was on this memorable instance of James's cowardice, and want of determination, that Rosen exclaimed, "Sire, eussiez-vous cent royaumes vous les perdriez." The royal army, after James's pusillanimous display, decamped in the month of October, and went into winter quarters, and Schomberg, released from his perilous position, broke up his camp, and retired to Ulster. His forces were reduced to five thousand effective men, with a long train of the sick and dying. He formed his head quarters at Hilsborough, having lost one-half of his army without fighting a single battle. Schomberg devoted his whole time and attention to training and drilling his raw recruits, many of whom were unacquainted with the use of arms. He was also badly supplied with provisions: by a corrupt and inefficient commissariat, which increased the suffering of his army, they were in want of those requisite comforts on which the health of an army so much depends. Louis XIV. sent James seven battalions, under the command of M. Le Comte de Lausun, a person destitute of military knowledge or experience, and not equal to the command of such an army, more especially as the troops were newly raised conscripts, and required much training to render them efficient. They were far inferior to Lord Mountcashel's brigade, which Louis got in exchange for them. William, prince of Orange, landed at Carrickfergus on the fourteenth of June, 1690, with a powerful army, well supplied with artillery, and supplied with all the requirements necessary for his important expedition; he brought with him £200,000, and a large supply of provisions. He at once proceeded to Belfast, had a conference with Schomberg, and was warmly received and welcomed by public manifestations of joy and respect. While at Belfast he authorised the collector of customs to pay twelve hundred pounds annually to some of the principal ministers of Down and Antrim, as trustees for their brothers, which is still continued to the Presbyterians of Ulster.* Soon after the landing of William, James appointed Luttrel, a cruel bigot, governor of Dublin, and led six thousand French troops to join his forces. He took up his position on the hill of Donore, while his army encamped on the southern banks of the river Boyne. His council recommended him to retire to Athlone on the Shannon, and to carry on a desultory war, and decline a general engagement, for which he was not as yet adequately prepared. would have afforded him time to raise and train his forces, which were undisciplined recruits, and not the hundredth part of what might be collected if proper measures were adopted; but Tirconnell, ever reckless, and over sanguine in his expectations of success, urged James to risk This *Dr. Reid's "History of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland." |