a rate on these commodities, demanding them at this rate, returning his brass on the proprietors, and with all the meanness of a trader exported them to France. It appeared indeed in the end, that James was the only gainer by this iniquitous project, and that in the final course of circulation his own party became possessed of the greatest part of this adulterated coin, just at the time when William had power to suppress it.

William arrived at Carrickfergus attended by prince George of Denmark, the young duke of Ormond, and others. His military genius prompted him, and the distracted state of England, together with the formidable preparations of France, obliged him, to a vigorous prosecution of the war; and when some cautious councils were suggested by his officers, he rejected them with indignation. "I came not to Ireland," said he, "to let the grass grow under my feet."

Six days had elapsed from the time of William's landing, when James received the first intelligence that a prince, who he confidently believed must be detained in England by faction and discontent, was already on his march to meet him. To particularise the events of this civil war, would far exceed our proposed limits: the battle of the Boyne, which was fought on the first of July sixteen hundred and ninety, turned the scale of the kingdom: there William, although he commanded a considerable superiority of forces, attended to the duties of a vigilant, steady, and intrepid general: he shared the danger of his army, encouraging it by his presence and example, even after he had been wounded, and had been pressed by his officers to retire; whilst James stood secure at a distance, a quiet spectator of the contest for his crown; so fearful of his enemy, or so diffident of himself or his troops, that his chief concern and preparation before the battle were to secure his personal retreat. He fled with precipitancy to Dublin, and from thence to Waterford, where a frigate was ready to convey him back to France; leaving the beaten relics of his army to make the best stand against the enemy, and procure from him the best terms their personal bravery would entitle them to. The Irish army under Tyrconnel and Sarsfield made a very vigorous resistance against a superior well disciplined army acting under the first general in Europe, until they surrendered the town of Lime

rick, which was their last hold, on the third of October sixteen hundred and ninety-one, upon articles which sufficiently proved the estimation in which king William held their valour and steadiness, even after the many advantages which he had gained over them. Thus terminated the final effort of the old Irish inhabitants for the recovery of the ancient and the power, slender relics of Irish possessions now became the subject of fresh confiscation. From the report made by the commissioners appointed by the parliament of England in sixteen hundred and ninety-eight, it appears that the Irish subjects outlawed for the rebellion of sixteen hundred and eighty-eight amounted to three thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight, and that their Irish possessions, as far as could be computed, were of the annual value of two hundred and eleven thousand six hundred and twenty-three pounds; comprising one million sixty thousand seven hundred and ninety-two acres. This fund was sold under the authority of an English act of parliament to defray the expences incurred by England in reducing the rebels in sixteen hundred and eighty-eight; and the sale introduced into Ireland a new set of adventurers. It is a very curious and important speculation to look to the forfeitures of Ireland incurred in one century. The superficial contents of the island are calculated at eleven million forty-two thousand six hundred and eighty-two acres. In the reign of James I. the whole of the province of Ulster was confiscated, containing 2,836,837acres.

Set out by the court of claims at the restoration

7,800,000

Thus it appears that the whole island has been confiscated, with the exception of the estates of five or six families of English blood, some of whom had been attainted in the reign of Henry VIII. but recovered their possessions before Tyrone's rebellion, and had the good fortune to escape the pillage of the English republic inflicted by Cromwell; and no inconsiderable

portion of the island has been confiscated twice, or even thrice, in the course of a century. The situation of Ireland, therefore, at the revolution, stands unparalleled in the history of the inhabited world.*

* Speech of earl Clare.

CHAPTER VII.

DURING the succeeding reign of William and Mary and that of queen Anne, few affairs of any consequence with respect to Ireland seem to have been transacted. The catholics continued to be treated with still greater rigour, if possible than before. The Irish parliament struggled to have its jurisdiction acknowledged independent on that of Britain. They rejected all notions of dependance upon the British ministry; and though they allowed the king's right by conquest, they most positively denied that the British parliament had any authority whatever over them; and therefore looked upon the harsh restrictions which had been laid by it upon their trade as the most grievous and intolerable oppression.

In the year seventeen hundred and nineteen, according to Mr. Crawford, the oppressions and grievances of Ireland became altogether insupportable. A cause, for example, relative to an estate, betwixt Hester Sherlock and Maurice Annesly, was tried before the court of exchequer in Ireland. Here the latter obtained a decree in his favour; but, on an appeal, the sentence was reversed by the Irish lords. Annesly appealed from them to the English house of peers, who having again reversed the judgment, he was put in possession of the subject in dispute. Sherlock appealed again to the Irish lords, when the matter became very serious. It was proposed to the consideration of the judges, Whether by the laws of the land an appeal lies from a decree of the court of exchequer in Ireland to the king in

parliament in Britain. This question being determined in the negative, Sherlock was again put in possession of the estate. A petition was some time after presented to the house by Alexander Burrowes, sheriff of Kildare, setting forth "That his pre"decessor in office had put Sherlock in possession of the pre"mises; that, upon his entering into office, an injunction, agree"able to the order of the British peers, was issued from the "exchequer, requiring him to restore Maurice Annesly to the "possessions of the above mentioned lands; and that, not "daring to act in contradiction to the order of the house, he "was fined. In consequence of this, being afraid lest he should "be taken into custody, he durst not come in to pass his ac"counts; and for this he was fined twelve hundred pounds." His conduct was highly applauded by the Irish lords, who ordered the fines to be taken off; and in a short time after drew up a memorial to be presented to his majesty. In this they set forth that, having submitted to Henry II. as their liege lord, they had from him obtained the benefit of English law, with many other privileges, particularly that of having a distinct parliament. In consequence of this concession, the English had been encouraged to come over and settle in Ireland, where they were to enjoy the same privileges as in their own country. They further insisted that, though the imperial crown of Ireland was annexed to that of Britain, yet, being a distinct dominion, and no part of the kingdom of England, none could determine with regard to its affairs, but such as were authorized by its known laws and customs, or the express consent of the king. It was an invasion of his majesty's prerogative for any court of judicature to take upon them to declare that he could not by his authority in parliament, determine all controversies betwixt his subjects of this kingdom; or that, when they appealed to his majesty in parliament, they did not bring their cause before a competent judicature; and they represented, that the practice of appeals from the Irish parliament to the British peers, was an usurped jurisdiction assumed by the latter; the bad consequences of which they pointed out very fully. This representation being laid before his majesty in parliament, it was resolved, that the barons of exchequer in Ireland had acted with courage and fidelity, according to law; and an

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