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CHAP the waggons; and others in the progress of the journey, insomuch that the roads were strewed with their carcases. In the midst of their distresses the troops received intelligence that the enemy was advancing to attack them. Still confident of success, all who had any remains of strength seized their arms with eagerness, and cried aloud that the foe should now suffer for their long confinement to a pestilential spot. The alarm proved false. The catholic troops, who, encamped on high and firm ground, had ascribed the sickness of the heretical army to the vengeance of Heaven, found themselves also at length invaded by disease, and obliged to retire, with diminished and enfeebled numbers, into winter quarters. Retiring in like manner, unmolested by the foe, except in an abortive attempt to seize the pass of Newry, Schomberg distributed his men, reduced to half their complement, in the towns of Ulster, whither unhappily was conveyed the infection of his camp.

Discontents

In England, where high expectations had been in England. entertained of the success of Schomberg's arms, violent discontents arose on the news of his misfortunes. The house of commons in that kingdom, from the first rise of the war in Ireland, had shewn attention to Irish affairs, and the relief of Irish protestants who had taken refuge among the English. Their artificers were allowed to trade in English corporations; their clergy to hold benefices in England, consistently with their Irish preferments, till the latter should be recovered; and their gentry recommended

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recommended to receive subsistence out of the es- CHAP. tates of those who were in arms against king William. When this prince declined to lay before the commons the minute books of that committee of the privy-council who managed the affairs of Ireland, they voted that his Majesty's advisers were enemies to the king and kingdom. When they were indulged with the inspection of these books, and found little for their purpose, they examined witnesses, and prayed his Majesty, that Lundy, who had been sent prisoner from Scotland to the tower of London, should be transmitted to Derry, where his misconduct had been flagrant, for trial by a court-martial. On the arrival of George Walker, the sacerdotal warrior, in London, in the November of 1689, with an address to the king from the people of Derry, he was presented with five thousand pounds, invited to an entertainment by the city of London, and received through their speaker, for himself and those who had served under him, the thanks of the commons, who, on his petition for the relief of the orphans and widows of the combatants killed in the defence of Derry, addressed the king to distribute for this purpose ten thousand pounds. Informed that the misfortunes of Schomberg had been caused by the misconduct of one Shales, purveyor to the army, who had failed to supply the troops with necessaries, the commons presented addresses repeatedly to his Majesty. Shales was committed to prison; but the king declined to inform them by whose advice he had been employed. They,

on

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CHAP. On the other hand, declined his Majesty's gracious offer, who proposed that themselves should nominate commissioners to take care of all preparations for the service of Ireland. Though pleased with the royal condescension in this instance, they renewed their addresses; and the king, who, mortified and distracted by contending factions, had once entertained thoughts of relinquishing the English crown, and retiring to Holland, formed at length the more fortunate resolution of committing to his queen the reins of the English government, and of leading in person his forces in Ireland.

operations.

Various Restored gradually to health by wholesome food 1690. and warm quarters, the troops of Schomberg were inspirited by the news of their sovereign's intention, and by the successes of the Enniskilleners. These fierce irregulars, having seized and fortified Belturbet, early in the February of 1690, proceeded thence, in the number of a thousand, under the command of the victorious Wolsey, to surprize the town of Cavan; but were unexpectedly intercepted by four thousand Jacobites, led by the duke of Berwick, detached from the main army at Ardee. The northerns, undaunted by this vast superiority, made a furious onset, drove the enemy from the field, and burst into the town. But here their irregularity might have caused their destruction; for, while they were occupied in plundering, the enemy rallied at the fort, and were proceeding to fall upon them in their disorder; when, forced from their

booty

booty by an effort of their commander, who found CHAP. himself obliged for that purpose to set the town in XXXII. flames, the champions of Enniskillen were again collected, and completed their victory with considerable slaughter. In the mean time, with provisions and other necessaries, arrived reinforcements to the opposite armies; to Schomberg seven thousand Danes under the prince of Wirtemberg; to James five thousand French under the count Lausun. In exchange for these, five thousand Irish were sent to France; and James, who seems now to have relinquished the idea of depending solely on his own subjects for the recovery of his dominions, had little reason to rejoice in the exchange, as these auxiliars contemned his authority, and their commander paid little attention to his interest, permitting his troops to live at free quarter.

While the main armies were preparing to face each other in the field, some secondary operations were performed, of which two in particular were adverse to the Jacobites. The only frigate remaining to James of the mighty fleet which had formerly obeyed his orders, was, with all the vessels under her convoy, laden with merchandize for France, which had been procured by the obtrusion of base coin, captured in the bay of Dublin by Sir Cloudesly Shovel, who had sailed for this purpose from Belfast. The unfortunate monarch had the mortification of being a spectator on this occasion; for, imagining the cannonade, heard from sea, to be caused by some of his subjects of England returning to their VOL. II. allegiance,

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CHAP. allegiance, he had ridden hastily to the shore at the head of his guards. The fortress of Charlemount, which had been considered by Schomberg, in his progress toward the south, in the foregoing year, as too strong to be attempted, was in the following spring attacked by Caillemote, a gallant French officer in the service of William, who, taking post. on the river Blackwater, streightened the garrison, which was afterwards invested with a closer siege. A vigorous defence was made by Sir Taig O'Regan, the governor, a good officer, though of rude manners, who returned no other answer to the summons than these words, the old knave Schomberg shall not have this castle." Five hundred men, bringing a small supply of ammunition and provisions to the garrison, gained an entrance to the fortress with little opposition; but were, in their attempts to return, repeatedly driven back. Enraged at their want of success, and dreading a failure of provisions from so many mouths, the governor swore that they must either force their way through the enemy, or remain exposed outside of the castle; and they were obliged to make their lodging on the counterscarp and dry ditch within the palisadoes. Famine at length compelled a surrendry. O'Regan parleyed; and, by shewing to the English envoy a number of casks, apparently full of provisions, yet containing none, except a thin layer deceptiously placed at top, he imposed a belief of his being able to sustain a much longer siege, and was thereby permitted to march from the place with all the honours of war.

The