with a Detachment towards Kilmulock, and Forti- A. C. fie that Place. But before he got out of the Camp, 1691. he was Countermanded, and a great many Paliffadoes were brought into Mackay's Fort, as if the Army intended to Winter there. On the 19th it was refolved to pass the River with a great Party, either to prefs the Siege on that fide, or at least to burn the Enemies Forrage. The fame Day a Battery was rais'd between Ireton's Fort, and the Old Church, to flank the Irih, in Cafe of a Sally from St. John's Gate; Four Mortars were brought from the great Battery to Mackay's Fort; the latter place. being judg'd the fitteft for Bombarding, fince the whole Town lay in a Line from thence; and Orders were given, in cafe of an Alarm from the Irifh Troops without, that every Regiment fhould ftand to their Pofts, aflign'd them for that Purpose. On the 23d General Ginckle, who was indefatigable in his Buhnefs, paft the Shannon over a Bridge of Boats, with ftrong Detachments of Horfe and Dragoons, Ten Battalions of Foot, and Fourteen pieces of Cannon, leaving Prince Wirtemberg, Mackay and Talmash to Command on this fide; and all that Morning the Enemy continually fired upon them from feveral Batteries, but without any great harm. In the Afternoon a Party of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons was vigorously attack'd by a stronger Detachment of the Enemy, till the English Foot coming up, the Irish retreated under their Cannon: Then all the English Grenadeers, fuftain'd by Four Regiments of Foot were commanded to affault the Works that cover'd Thomond Bridge, being one Fort to the Right, above a Mufquet-fhot from the Bridge, and another to the Left, fomewhat nearer, befides feveral other Fortifications wherein the Enemy had pofted above Two Hundred Men. The Difpute was hot and obftinate for a while, and the Attack extream hazardous, the Befieg'd plying the Affailants with their Cannon from the King's Caftle, and two or three more Batteries, as allo with their fmall fhot from the Wall; however, the Irish being undauntedly preft upon by the Gre nadiers, they abandon'd their Potts. Thereupon A. C. a strong Detachment was fent from the Town to 1691. fupport them, but the English went on with that Courage and Fiercenefs, that they beat the Enemy, notwithstanding this Reinforcement, and purfued them over the Bridge to the Town, A French Major who commanded at Thomund Gate, fearing the English would enter into the Town pell mell with the Runaways, order'd the Draw-bridge to be drawn up, and left the whole Party expos'd to the fury of their Purfuers, who killed Six Hundred of them, and made above 160 Prifoners: There were alfo many of the Irish drown'd. Hereupon the English lodg'd themfelves within ten Yards of the Bridge, notwithstanding a high Tower that ftood near the end of the Bridge next to them; and the Irish, finding now all Communica tion cut off between them and their Horfe, and defpairing of the French Succours, began to thing of giving up the Town; for foon after the Action Collonel Wachop, looking out of a Tower, call'd to Lieutenant General Scravenmore, and defired leave to come and fpeak with him, which was readily granted. After fome Difcourfe he defir'd the fame Liberty for Lieutenant General Sarsfield, to fpeak with Major General Ruvigny, which was likewife allow'd him, and accordingly both difcourfed about Terms for the furrender of the Place, and towards the Evening they return'd into the Town. The next Day Sarsfield and Wachop came out again, and defired a Ceffation of Arms for three Days, till they could fend to Lieut. Gen. Sheldon, who lay with about 1500 Horfe at Six-Miles Bridge, to the end they might be included in the general Capitulation, which was granted them, and thereupon the Prifoners in the Town were releas'd. On the 26th Sarsfield and Wachop dined with the General, and it being then agreed that Hoftages fhould be exchang'd in order to a farther Treaty, my Lord Cuts, Sir David Collier, Colonel Tiffin, and Colonel Piper, were fent into the Town, in the room of the Lords Westmeath, Evagh, Trimelstown, and Lowth, who remain'd in the English Camp. The next Day the Irif fent out their Propofals, but in fuch extra vagant Terms, that General Ginckle was fo far from A. C. granting them, that he return'd Anfwer: That tho' 1691. he was a Stranger to the Laws of England, yet he understood, that what they infifted upon was fo far contradictory to them, that he could not grant any fuch thing; and thereupon order'd a new Battery to be rais'd; but upon the Request of the Irish he fent them in 12 Articles, which prov'd to be the Sum of the Capitulation. On the firft of October the Lords Juftices of Ireland arriv'd in the English Camp, and after fome farther Conferences with the Commiflioners on the part of the Garrison, and ther Troops in the County of Clare, the Articles for the furrender of the City of Limerick, and the Caftles of Limerick Rofs and Clare,with all other Places and Caftles were Surrender'd ftill in the Hands of the Irish, were on the third Octo. 3. of that Month finally concluded. They confifted* of. two Parts, viz. Civil and Military; the first being Appendix. Signed by the Lords Juftices and General, but the latter on the English part by the General only. The fame Evening one of the Gates was deliver'd up to the English. By the 1ft, 2d, 3d and 4th Millitary Articles all the Irish that were willing to go into France had Li berty to do it: But General Ginckle receiving a Letter, on the 5th of October, from a Lieutenant Colonel in the Irish Army, wherein he complain'd, he was Confined for refuling to go into France, he refented that Violence to that degree, that he immediately order'd Four Guns to be planted upon Bolls-Bridge, faying in fome Heat, He would teach the Irish to play tricks with him. Thereupon Sarsfield came to the English Camp, and fome fharp Expreffions pafs'd between him and the General; Sarsfield faying at laft, That he was then in the General's Power. Not fo, replied Ginckle, but you shall go in again and do the worst you can. However all things were quiet at laft, and the Prifoner enlarg'd; and as many of the Irish as were willing to go, were fhipp'd off for France; where, upon their arrival, they were welcom'd with a comforting Letter from King James, directed to Lieutenant General Sheldon, then the Officer in chief with them, the fub ftonce See the h A. C. ftance of which was; "That having been in 1691. "form'd of the Neceflities which forc'd the Lords "Juftices and the General Officers of his Forces to K. James's" furrender Limerick, and the other Places that reLetter to "main'd to him in his Kingdom of Ireland, he would the Irifh, "not defer to let him know, and the rest of the Dated the Officers that came along with him, that he was 27th of "extreamly fatisfied with his and their Conduct, and "of the Valour of the Soldiers, but most particu Novem. Ireland •intirely Scotifh 66 larly of his and their Declaration and Refolution to "come and ferve where he was; affuring both him, "and the other Officers and Soldiers, that he fhould "never forget this Act of Loyalty, nor fail, when "in a Capacity, to give them, above others, par46 ticular Marks of his Favour. In the mean time "his Majefty charg'd Sheldon to inform them, that "they were to ferve under his Majefty's Com"mand, and by his Commiflions; and that his "Brother, the King of France, had already given "Orders to cloath them, and furnish them with all "Neceflaries, and to give them Quarters of Re"freshment. Thus by the Conqueft of Limerick was that of all Ireland compleated; the Town of Sligo having fome time before furrendred to the Earl of Grenard; and thus ended this famous Irish War to the Immortal Honour of General Ginckle, and with fo much the more Glory to the English, in that the Rebels were fo powerfully fupported by the King of France; who had reafon to think it his Intereft to divert their Arms that way, whofe Ancestors had done fuch terrible things in his Kingdom. And it is worth obfervation, that a Fleet of Men of War and Store-Ships, which the French King had fent to the Relief of Limerick, arriv'd in Dingle Bay, but a Day or two after the Articles were fign d. The Highlanders of Scotland were pretty quiet this Year, and what happen'd in the Civil Affairs Affairs in- of that Kingdom was fo inconfiderable that 'tis not confidera- worth mentioning. Neither was there any thing ble this extraordinary done at Sea, for the Fleets being now of almoft equal ftrength on both fides, the French as cautiously avoided a general Engagement, as Year. they they eagerly fought it the Year before. Their main A. C. Delign was to intercept the English Turkey-Fleet, 1691. which was exceeding rich; and to that end they hover'd a long time about the Irish Coaft; but thro' a particular Providence, they had left but fome few Days the Offing of Kingfale, before the Smyrna Fleet came all fafe into that Harbour, under a Con- The Engvoy of 14 Men of War, Commanded by Captain lifhSmyr Aylmer, having been held back feven Weeks by na Fleet contrary Winds, in their paffage from Cadiz. The arrives in English Grand Fleet all this while kept another Kingfale Courfe, not for want of Zeal or Fidelity in theJuly 3. Commander in Chief, but of Intelligence; For as foon as the brave Admiral Ruffel was inform'd, that they were got into Kingfale, he steer'd thither from Cape Clear, and afterwards took all imaginable care for their being fafely convoy'd into their respective Ports, and then ftood over to Ubant in queft of the Enemy, who, he was inform'd, were return'd that way to their own Coafts. Being come within fome Leagues of Brest, he understood they lay at Bellefle, fecured in fuch a manner, that it was impoflible to attack them; whereupon he return'd towards the English fhore, but met with fuch a violent Storm, that the Coronation, and one or two more Ships of lefs Confideration were loft; and the Admiral himself had much ado to get the rest of the Fleet fafe into Plimouth. Sept. 3 in Flan Let's now attend the King whom we left at the Hague. His Majefty being gone to Loo, difpatch'd Campaign taway to Flanders the Earl of Marlborough and ders. Count Solmes, to prepare all things against his arri + May 27. val there. Some few Days after, the King put him- N. S. felt at the Head of the Confederate Army, whither he was follow'd by the Duke of Omond, the Marquis of Winchester, and the Earl of Effex, who reviving the ancient Custom of the English Nobles, chofe rather to fhare with their Sovereign the honourable Hazards of the Field, than to lead a fecure inglorious Life at Home. His Majefty having fruftrated the Attempt which the Marquis de Boufflers made upon Liege, endeavour'd to bring Marefchal de Luxemburg to an Engagement, as well Τι by 1 |