A. C. both too fmall and too high for an Affault, it was 1690. prudently laid afide. Nevertheless the Firing continued very brisk on both fides; but the Belicgers having loft Mr. Nelfon their beft Gunner and their Cavalry fuffering very much for want of Forrage; and at the fame time it being reported that Sarsfield was advancing with 150co Men to relieve that Place, Douglas held a Council of War, wherein it was thought fit to raife the Siege, which he accordingly did on the 25th, having loft near Four Hundred Men before the Town, the greatest part of whom died of Sickness.

liam

Soldier.

His Ation

The King, in the mean time, moving VVeftward, King Wil- reach'd Kill-Bullen Bridge on the rrth of July. That Morning paffing by the Nefs, and feeing a ftrikes a Soldier robbing a poor Woman, His Majefty was fo enrag'd at it, that He first gave the Fellow feveral Blows with his Cane, and then commanded that both he, and fome others Guilty of the like Crimes, fhould be Hang'd the Monday following. Some Difcom People reflected on this Action of the King's, it mended. being both mean in a Sovereign, at any time to lay Hands upon his Subject; and cruel, to inflict a Capital Punishment on one, whom he hath already corrected for his Fault. From this we may obferve, that the moft ElevatedSouls are not altogether fo free from Paffions, but that the Man breaks oftentimes through the Heroe. However, this exemplary Execution ftruck the Soldiers with fuch a Terror, thaɛ the Country was freed from all Violence during the whole March to Commalin, Caftle-Durmont, and fo beyond Carlow; from whence His Majefty detach'd the Duke of Ormond, with a Party of Horfe to take Poffeffion of Kilkenny, and fo to fecure the Proteftants and other Inhabitants of the adjacent Countries from being Plunder'd by the Enemy; who by this time began to look behind, and committed great Depredations. From Carlow the Army march'd on to Kells, thence to LoughlandBridge, and fo to Bennet-Bridge; and on the 19th of July His Majefty was fplendidly entertain'd at Dinner by the Duke of Ormond, at his Grace's Castle of Kilkenny, which had the good luck to have

been

205 been preferv'd by Count Lauzun, with all the Goods A. C. and Furniture, over and above a Cellar plentifully Stored. On the 21ft the Army Encamp'd at Car1690. rick, from whence Major General Kirk, with his own Regiment, and Collonel Brewer's, as alfo a Party of Horfe, was fent towards Waterford.___Kirk being arriv'd before the Place, difpatch'd a Trumpet to Summon the Town, who at first refus'd to Surrender, there being two Regiments then in Garrifon. However, their Anfwer was fo Civil, that their Inclinations were eafily understood; for foon after they fent out to know what Terms they might have, which were the fame with Drogheda; But not liking thofe, they propos'd fome of their own, which Waterwere rejected, and the heavy Cannon drawn down ford Sur that way, and fome more Forces order'd to march.rendred, The Irish being inform'd of thefe Preparations July 25. thought it advifeable not to put themfelves to Extremities, and thereupon agreed to march out with Arms and Baggage on the 25th, and fo were Conducted to Mallow. The Fort Duncannon, a Place of Strength, which Commands the River of VVaterford, was alfo Surrender'd into His Majefty's Hands Duncanupon the fame Articles with VVaterford; which non Sur laft Place was view'd by the King the Day it was July 26. given up. Here His Majefty took care that no Perfons fhould be moleft'd, and among the reft the Lord Dover was admitted to a more particular Protection from His Majefty, as having formerly applied himself, when the King was at Hilsborough, by Major General Kirk's means, to defire a Pafs for himself and Family to Flanders. The Lord George Howard did likewife embrace His Majefties Mer

cy.

On the 27th of July the King left the Camp at

rendered,

Carrick, and went to Dublin, in order to Embark King Wil for England. This fudden ftop in His Majefty's Pro- liam grefs occafion'd various Speculations; for it argu'd leaves the either that his Affairs in England were in no pleafing Army. Posture, or that he despair'd of Reducing Ireland this Campaign; Tyrconnel and Lauzun having gather'd a confiderable number of Forces in and about Limerick, and given the Command of that Impor

tant

A. C. tant Place to Monfieur Boiffeleau, a Refolute and 1690. Experienc'd Officer. Others of more refin'd Poli ticks afcrib'd it to a deeper Defign, as if His Majefty had been willing to draw the Irish War into length both to make himfelf more neceffary; to encline his English Subjects to lay afide their private Difcontents and Divifions, at the Prospect of their Common Danger; and to ufe them, by degrees, to bear the Burden of Taxes, which were neceffary to be raifed, to carry on a vigorous War against France. Whatever was the Reafon, His Majefty left the Command of the Army to Count Solmes,and lay that Night at Carlow, but upon fome Advices from England, expreft himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Camp. However he went to Chappel Izard, and spent there fome time to hear divers Complaints, and redrefs feveral Grievances. Here he likewife order'd a Weekly Faft, and publish'd a Second Declaration to confirm the former, in Favour of poor Labourers, Common Soldiers, Country Farmers, Ploughmen, &c. and declaring withal, That if thofe of Superiour Rank and Quality, and alfo fuch as had born Office under His Majefty's Enemies, whether Military or Civil, fhould by the 25th Day of that Month of Auguft, Surrender themfelves to his Obedience, and fhould be content during the Rebellion of that "Kingdom to betake themselves to fuch Town or "City as fhould be align'd them, they fhould be "fecure in their Lives, and have the Liberty of

He Pub

Lifts a 2d

Decorate

en, Aug.1.

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fuch Town or City; and if they were Deftitute "and in Want, fhould alfo have a Subfiftance al"low'd them, according to their refpective Qualilitics. As to Strangers, of what Nation foever, who had taken Service in that Kingdom against His Majefty, He did further declare, That if they "fhould forfake the Enemy, and come into his Quarters within the time aforefaid, they should not only receive his Majefty's Protection, whilft they were in the Kingdom, but forthwith have "Pafports given them to go directly home into their "refpective Countries. But if thefe Manifeftations "of his Grace and Favour fhould not be valued as

..

66

"they

56

they deferved; or if any fhould perfift in that A. C. "Barbarous and Unchriftian way of Burning and 1690. "Defolation, which in fome Places had of late been "practis'd, His Majefty fhould hold himself dif charg'd of thofe Confequences and Calamities which muft inevitably follow, fince thofe who "were obftinate against his Mercy became the Authors of their own Confufion.

About this time the King having a farther Account from England, that the Defigns of the Malecontents were difcover'd and prevented, the lofs at Sea repair'd, and that the French had only burnt one fmall Village in the VVeft of England, and fo gone off again, He refolv'd to return to the Army, which on the 4th Day of Auguft He found Encamp'd at Golden-Bridge, and by the 7th reach'd Carrickellish, a Place within five Miles from Limerick, where Lieutenant General Douglas join'd him. The next Day in the Morning the Earl of Portland and Brigadier Stewart were detach'd towards Limerick, with 900 Horfe, and 1200 Foot, who advanc'd within Cannon-fhot of the Town,with little oppofition from the Enemy; and in the Evening the King himself accompanied by Prince George, Monfieur Overkerk, Lieutenant General Ginkle, and feveral other great Officers, with about 200 Horfe, went to view the Pofture of the Enemy, and the Avenues to the Town. On the 9th the whole Army decamp'd at Five in the Morning, and made their Approaches in excellent order, 200 Horfe and Dragoons, with 1000 chofen Foot, leading the Van. The Country be ing full of Hedges and Ditches, the Pioneers were immediately employ'd to cut down the firft and fill up the latter, which was no fooner done but the Army advanc'd, and drove the Enemy before them till they came to a narrow Pafs between two Bogs, within half a Mile of the Town, which was not above 150 Yards, and this befides full of Hedges and other Incumbrances. In this Pafs were Lanes leading to the Town, in the middlemoft of which, being the broadeft, ftood the Irish Horfe, and to the Right and Left of which the Hedges were lined with Mufqueteers. The detach'd Party of English

Foot

He returns

to

the Ar

my, Aug.4.

A. C. Foot was upon the Advance towards the Center, 1690. the Horfe a little to the Right of them, the Danes to the Left, and the Blue-Duch, with feveral English Regiments upon the Right. Whilst thefe things were going on thus, the King order'd two Field. Pieces towards the Left, where they could bear up. on the Enemies Horfe, and fir'd from thence with fo good Succefs, that the Enemy foon quitted that Poft. At the fame time Collonel Earl led on his Foot, who march'd with fo much Bravery, though the Enemy made a great Fire through the Hedge, that they forc'd them to retire, and continued this Hedge Fight for two Hours, driving the Irish under the very Walls of the Town, poffelling themselves of two advantageous Pofts, call'd Cromwell's Fort and the Old Chappel, and being hardly stop'd there by the Orders His Majefty fent them. Thereupon the Irish ply'd our Forces with their great Guns, that kill'd fome few Men as they march'd in, which the whole Army did by Five in the Afternoon, and moft of them Encamp'd within Cannon-fhot. The Danes, according to their Poft, Encamp'd to the Left, where they found an old Fort built by their Ancestors, of which they were not a little Proud, and from whence they fired three or four FieldPieces upon the Irish, that lay Intrench'd between them and the Town. Orders were alfo given forthwith to plant four Field-Pieces on Cromwell's (alias Ireton's) Fort to play upon the Town from the Outworks.

The first

Aug. 9.

The Army being pofted, the King fent a TrumSiege of Peter with a Summons to the Town. A great maLimerick, ny of the Garrifon were for Capitulating; but Mon'fieur Boilleleau the Governour, the Duke of Berwick, and Collonel Sarsfield oppos'd it with a great deal of Heat, faying, there were great Divifions, and even an actual Infurrection in England, that the Dauphin was landed there with a great Army, and that the Prince of Orange would quickly be oblig'd to withdraw his Forces thither. Hereupon Boiffeleau fent the Trumpeter back with a Letter Directed to Sir Robert Southwell Secretary of State, (to avoid the blunt Rudeness of Addreifing himfelf directly to

the