In the year seventeen hundred and sixty Ireland sustained an inconsiderable hostile invasion, the first with which the kingdom had been visited in seventy years. The armament consisted originally of five ships; one of forty-eight guns; two of thirty-six; and two of twenty-four; having on board twelve hundred and seventy land forces. They were commanded by the celebrated Thurot, whose reputation, as captain of a privateer, had advanced him to this dignity. The squadron, however, was driven by adverse winds to Gottenburgh; where having continued a few days, they set sail for the place of their destination. On their arrival at the coast of Ireland, they were obliged to shelter themselves in Lough Foyle from a violent storm which again overtook them. The wind, however, having shifted, and continuing to blow tempestuously, they were obliged to keep out to sea. Two of the ships were thus separated from the rest by the violence of the storm, and returned to France; but the remaining three directed their course to the island of Ilay, where they anchored; and having repaired their damages, took in a supply of provisions and thence sailed to Carrickfergus.

In the mean time, an officer belonging to the small

number of troops at that time in Carrickfergus took post on a rising ground, with an advanced party, to observe the motions of the enemy. A skirmish ensued betwixt this party and Thurot's men, until the former, having expended all their ammunition, were obliged to retire into the town. Having in vain attempted to prevent the enemy from taking possession of it, the British troops shut themselves up in the castle, where they were soon obliged to capitulate, after having killed about one hundred of their enemies, with the loss of only three on their own part. The French having plundered the town, set sail on the twenty-sixth of February; and three days after were all taken by captain Elliot, Thurot himself being killed in the engagement.

Soon after the accession of George III. Ireland first began to be disturbed by a banditti who styled themselves White Boys; and as these were generally of the Romish persuasion, the prejudices against that sect broke forth in the usual manner. A plot was alleged to have been formed against government; French aud Spanish emissaries to have been sent over to Ireland, and actually to be employed to assist in carrying it into execution. The real cause of this commotion, howe

ver, was as follows: About the year seventeen hundred and thirty-nine the murrain broke out among the horned cattle in the duchy of Holstein, from whence it soon after spread through the other parts of Germany. From Germany it reached Holland, from whence it was carried over to England, where it raged with great violence for a number of years. The mitigation of the penal laws against the papists about this time encouraged the natives of the south of Ireland to turn their attention towards agriculture, and the poor began to enjoy the necessaries of life in a comfortable manner. A foreign demand for beef and butter, however, having become uncommonly great, by reason of the cattle distemper just mentioned, ground appropri ated to grazing became more valuable than that employed in tillage. The cotters were every where dispossessed of their little possessions, which the landlords let to monopolizers who could afford a higher rent. Whole baronies were now laid open to pasturage, while the former inhabitants were driven despe

rate by the want of subsistence. - Numbers of them fled to the large cities or emigrated to foreign countries, while those who remained took small spots of land, about an acre each, at an exorbitant price, where they endeavoured if possible to procure the means of

protracting a miserable existence for themselves and families. For some time these poor creatures were allowed by the more humane landlords the liberty of commonage; but afterwards this was taken away, in despite of justice and a positive agreement; at the same time, the payment of tythes, and the low price of labour, not exceeding the wages in the days of queen Elizabeth, aggravated the distresses of the unhappy sufferers beyond measure.

In such a situation, it is no wonder that illegal methods were pursued in expectation of redress. The people, covered with white shirts, assembled in parties at night, turned up the ground, destroyed cattle, and levelled the inclosures of the commons. These una vailing efforts were construed into a plot against the government; numbers of the rioters were apprehended in the counties of Limerick, Cork, and Tipperary, and some of them condemned and executed. In different places these unhappy wretches, instead of being looked upon as objects of compassion, were prosecuted with the utmost severity. Judge Aston, however, who was sent over to try them, executed his office with such humanity as did him the highest honour. A most extraordinary and affecting instance of this was, S

VOL. I.

that on his return from Dublin, for above ten miles from Clonmel, both sides of the road were lined with men, women, and children; who, as he passed along, kneeled down and implored the blessing of heaven on him as their guardian and protector.

In the mean time, the violence of the White Boys continued, notwithstanding that many examples were made. The idea of rebellion was still kept up; and without the smallest foundation, many gentlemen of respectability were publicly charged with being concerned in it, and some of them obliged to give bail, in order to protect themselves from injury. The catholics of Waterford presented a petition to Lord Hertford, the governor in 1765, in behalf of themselves and brethren, protesting their loyalty and obedience to government; but no effectual step was taken either to remove, or even to investigate the cause of the disturbances.

1

About two years after the appearance of the White Boys, a similar commotion arose in Ulster; which, however, proceeded in part from a different cause, and was of a much shorter duration. By an act of parliament, the making and repairing of highways in Ire