Life as to Forreign Affairs for he died not long after to wit in the Year 1547. the Fifty Sixth of his Life and of his Reign the Eight and Thirtieth The causes of this War with France were partly reasons of State and partly the League which King Henry had made with the Emperor EDWARD VI. BOrn at Hampton Court succeeded his Father King Henry VIII at the Age of nine Years a most excellent Prince and the wonder of the the Age both for Learning and Piety but England did not long enjoy the fruit of the Blessings coutched in his Person his Reign being shortned by an immature Death as it had been in a great measure rendred uneasie through the Feuds of the Nobles during his Life this together with the Reformation carried on at home made the Enemy insult abroad insomuch that the French assumed the boldness in Conjunction with the Scots to attack us in our own Borders for in the second year of this King's Reign on St. Peter's Eve Monsieur Dassey the French General with 10000 French and Germans besides Scots laid siege to Haddington a Town in Scotland but then in the hands of the English the Town made a most vigorous defence and at length came 1300 Horse from Berwick with intent to relieve it but failed in the attempt for most of the Horse being surrounded by the Enemy were either slain or made Prisoners together with Sir Robert Bowes and Sir Thomas Palmer their Commanders but for all this great discouragement and misfortune the Garrison would not flinch but continued making frequent and successfull Sallies upon the Enemy till Aug. 20. when the Earl of Shrewsbury with 16000 Men 4000 whereof were Germans came to succour the Place the Enemy had no sooner intelligence thereof but they marched away with all speed but first highly applauded the bravery of the Garrison the Earl revictualled the place for that time and then returned tho it was thought afterwards convenient to demolish it which was accordingly performed the 20th of September following by the Earl of Rutland The Year following i.e. the 3d. of the Kings reign it came to an open rupture between England and France the French thinking to surprise Jersey and Guernsey came suddenly with many Gallies upon our Fleet there but were received with that Resolution and Bravery that they were forced to flee with great loss both of Men and Shipping News came to the King and Protector Aug. 28th that the French had taken Blackness Hamiltoun and Newhaven near Bulloign by the means of one Sturton as 't was said a natural Son of the Lord Sturton who betrayed this last place into the Hands of the Enemy and took service himself in the French Army hereupon the Captain of Bulloign Bark fearing the consequence after he had conveyed the Stores and Ordinance to the High Town blew up the Fort the French made all possible preparations to attack the Place and for the more vigorous carrying on of the Siege and encouragement of the Soldiers the French King comes before Bulloign in Person where were many famous exploits done both by the Assailants and Defendants but the brave Sir Nicholas Arnold who was Governor began and continued to make so prudent as well as brave resistance that the French were constrained at last to quit their Enterprize and hereupon were made some overtures of Peace which at last was concluded and wherein it was agreed that Bolloign should be delivered up to the French upon condition there should be a reservation of King Edward's Title to the Crown of France and due payment made unto him of 500000 Crowns This King being about Sixteen Years Old died at Greenwich July 6th having reigned Six Years and about Five Months The cause of this War was the King's Minority and Feuds at home whereof the French thought to take advantage MARY ELdest Daughter to King Henry VIII by Q. Katherine of Spain succeeded her Brother Edward Anno 1553. pursuant to their Father's Will though contrary to her Brothers who left the Lady Jane Grey his Successor and after some small opposition by the foresaid Lady's Party more especially the Duke of Northumberland her Husbands Father got peaceable possession of the Throne and was crowned at Westminster the last of April in great State and Magnificence the former part of her Reign which in all was but short was much taken up in restoring Popery and the papal Power in her Dominions which she effected in a great measure through the shedding of much innocent Blood which has left a bitter stain upon her Memory in the Records of time as well for her Cruelty as Superstition tho Authors generally represent her to be a Princes of her self Compassionate and good natur'd she was married to Phillip King of Spain on St. James day in the second year of her Reign and this marriage engaged her about the fifth year of her Reign in a War with France for King Phillip passing over to Calais and so to Flanders made great preparations against the French King and was assisted therein with a Thousand English Horse Four Thousand Foot and 2000 Pioneers whereof the Earl of Pembrock was General with this reinforcement King Phillip directs his March to St. Quintin and after a sharp Siege takes the place the English of whom the Lord Henry Dudley who first advanced the Standard upon the Wall was here slain doing him mighty service herein which the King generously rewarded with the spoils of the Town but this Action may be truly said to have been fatal to England in regard 't was the principal cause of the loss of Calais for while the greatest part of that Garrison was imployed in the foresaid Siege and before Calais was reinforced having then but 500 men in it the Duke of Guise with a Powerful Army advances towards it entrenches himself at Sand-gate sent one detatchment along the Downs towards Risebank and anotherb to Newnem-Bridge he soon possesses himself of oth for the few Soldiers that guarded them had fled secretly into the Town the next day they raised a Battery from the Hills of Rise-Bank against the Walls of Calais between the Water-gate and the Prison and continuing the same for three days made a small breach by which they could not well enter neither was it so designed for while the English were busie in the defence of this place the French making their way through the Ditch which was full of Water entred the Castle designing thence to pass into the Town but here the brave Sir Anthony Hagar withstood them and stopped their further progress though to the loss of his own life For there was not a man besides killed during the Siege till the Governour the Lord Wenthworth that same Evening which was the fifth of January considering succours far the Enemies nigh approach and the weakness of the Garrison thought fit to capitulate and so it was agreed the Town with the Ammunition and Artillery should be delivered to the French the
contrary to the Articles of Peace and 2 The contumelious Language used by King Phillip concerning his Person WILLIAM II. SUrnamed Rufus or the Red during his 12 Years and about 8 Months Reign had no Wars with France neither do we read of any just cause given to engage him thereto but he unjustly invaded Normandy then subject to his Brother Robert and disposest him of the County of Owe many Castles and some Monasteries but was in the mean time by divine Justice assaulted by his younger Brother Henry in his own Dominions and it had like to have cost him his Life for he was bore down in fight from his Horse by a valiant Knight who taking his Sword for to kill him was stop'd by the Kings crying out Hold thy hand Knave I am the King of England which words so struck the Knight with Reverence that he mounted him on another Horse and the King to recompence his Valour and Submission swore by St. Luke's Face he should be his Knight and be written in his White Book He was accidentally killed by Sir Walter Tyrell as he was Hunting in the New Forrest Anno 1100. buried at Winchester and died unlamented HENRY I. WHo for his learning was called Beauclerke was youngest Son to William the Conqueror he passing over into Normandy made War against the Earl of Anjou who kept Main against his will and this engaged Lewis the French King to take part with the latter whereupon ensued many sore Battles both in France and Normandy between them with various success at length taking Anjou's Daughter for Wife to his Son William Peace was concluded But it will not be amiss to give the Reader a tast of the high Spirit and Resolution of this King in a personal quarrel he had in France In his fathers life time he accompanying his eldest Brother Robert into that Kingdom while the latter associated himself with the then French King Henry according to the suitableness of their years took up with the company and divertisements of the Dauphine and being one Evening at Chess together the Dauphine happened to lose a considerable summ of Money to the Prince at that Game whereat the former grew so enraged that after some reproachful Language he struck the Prince who not brooking the high affront with the Chess-board knocks the Dauphine fairly down to the ground and being intent to pursue his Revenge his Brother Robert fortunately came in and minding him of the danger away they both fled and with great hast and difficulty recovered the next part of Normandy before their pursuers could reach them This King made his Exit as his Father before him in Normandy in the Year 1135. after he had reigned 35 Years and 4 Months The cause of this War we have before assigned to wit the King of France's taking part with Anjou against Henry STEVEN KIng of England was Son to Adella a Daughter of William the Conqueror and Nephew to the two last Kings he laid claim to the Kingdom of England in the year 1135 notwithstanding his Oath to Mawd the Empress and Daughter to Henry the First to the contrary wherefore without looking abroad into France for any Wars his whole Reign which was Eighteen Years and about ten Months was in a manner taken up in intestine Broils and Contests about his right to the English Crown wherein he was stiffly opposed by several Nobles and by the said Empress Mawd and her Son Henry afterwards Henry the 2d whom she bare to Geoffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou and Duke of Normandy from whence sprang the Noble Family of the Plantagenets that so long governed England he was once made Prisoner at Bristol and at last notwithstanding he had Children of his own was forced to adopt Henry for his Son and Heir and the Nobles sware fealty to him accordingly HENRY II. SOn of Mawd and Geoffrey Plantagenet as aforesaid at the Age of Three and Twenty Years and even in the life time of his Mother under whom he claimed began his Reign over England in the Year 1154. This Prince notwithstanding his Domestick Troubles and famous Atchievements against the Welch and his conquest of a great part of the Kingdom of Ireland so as he was the first of our English Kings that was stiled the Lord of that Country yet found opportunity to make War in France upon several occasions the Allyance he had made with the French Court by the Marriage of his Son Henry to King Lewis his Daughter Margaret proving rather an incitative to Contention and Discord then a bond of Peace and Amity The famous city of Tholouse was chiefly the seat of this War which was once and again bravely Assaulted by King Henry and as vigorously defended by Lewis In his first Expedition against this Place he was accompanied with Malcolm King of Scots a Welch King and with others of highest Rank and Dignity in England Normandy Aquitain Anjou and Gascoigny during his second expedition in France the Earls of Bulloign and Flanders with 600 sail of Ships attempted to make a Descent into England but their undertaking proved frustrate and abortive through the vigilance Courage and Prudence of Richard Lacy who then Governed England This King is famous or rather infamous in History for the many base Children he had being no less then 19 in Number for his fair Concubine Rosamond for whom he built that celebrated Labyrinth at Woodstock the recesses whereof could not be penetrated into but by insuperable jealousie the Queen as it was said by the help of a clew of Thread finding of her out at last and so used her that she lived not long after and no less to be mentioned for the troubles he met with from that proud Prelate Thomas a Becket to whose shire after his Murder much blind Devotion has been paid even by the greatest Potentates Tho his Son Henry who was crowned King in his life time and dyed before him gave him much disturbance yet when he found after his death that others and particularly his Son John conspired against him he was so strucken with grief that cursing his Son and the day of his own Birth he died July 6. 1189. Aged 61 having reigned 34 Years and almost seven Months The causes of the War were That King Lewis did incite the Prince his Son against the laws of Nature to oppose Henry his Father in the war time Lewis had promis'd upon the word of a King to meet him in order to a Treaty but he failed for his own Advantage whereupon Henry being sensible of the Fraud sought him out with his Army and made him give ground thereupon another interview being appointed betwixt Terwyn and Arras Histories relate that as the two Kings were busie in Conference there fell a clap of Thunder between them and meeting the next day the like accident happen'd which struck a Consternation in both Armies and inclined the Kings the more to an accommodation RICHARD I. WHo for his Valour was
lives of the Inhabitants saved and all to depart where they pleased excepting the Governour and fifty more such as the Duke of Guise should appoint to remain Prisoners and be put to ransom thus the good Town of Calais after it had been in the hands of the English for the space of 200 and 10 Years for it was taken by Edward III. after a Siege of Eleven Months in 1347. was lost in less then a Fortnight till which time we had the Keys of France at our Girdles and so 't was believed Queen Mary resented the loss accordingly for she died soon after having said not long before that if she were opened they should find Calais at her heart some feints were made for the repairing of this loss for the Queen equipped out a Fleet with a design to surprise Brest they landed in Conquet Road and in a short time became Masters of the Town with the great Abbey which they sacked and burnt together with diverse adjacent Villages where they found good Plunder from hence having now allarmed the Country the Admiral judged it not convenient to pursue their enterprise and so returned King Phillip in the mean time went on with his Wars and could not conclude a Peace though both sides seemed to desire it because he insisted stifly upon the rendition of Calais to the English which the French would by no means yield to which together with the King's absence hastned the Queens death for she departed this life at St. James's November 17th 1558. when she had reigned five Years four Months and odd days The chief ground of this War with France was the conjugal tye whereby the Queen was bound to adhere to King Phillip her Husband ELIZABETH SEecond Daughter to Henry VIII by Queen Ann Bullen succeeded her Sister Mary to the Imperial Crown of England a Princess whose vertues its impossible for me to celebrate if it were my design having advanced the glory of the English Nation both at home and abroad beyond any of her predecessors and how far short her successors have been from improving or so much as maintaining of it is evident in History but no where so well as in that celebrated piece the Detection of the 4 last Reigns c. in War she was involved almost all her Reign and had not only to do with but triumphed over the proudest Monarchy then in Europe I might say in the World I mean that of Spain which however being forreign from the present design I shall not meddle with The first occasion of quarrel she had with France was in the second year of Her Reign when the French having upon the suit of the Queen Dowager of Scotland sent great numbers of Soldiers to aid and assist her against the reforming Lords Queen Elizabeth disliking such Neighbours and knowing the Queen of Scots was married and govern'd in France and began to assume the English Arms upon the humble suit of the said Lords sent them a strong reinforcement by land under the command of the Lord Grey of Wilton and at the same time dispatch'd Sir Will. Winter Vice Admiral with a Fleet of Ships for to block up Lieth the Army after some stay at Berwick pursued their March and after some usual pickering by the way and overtures of a cessation arrived before Leith which was chiefly garrisoned by French Soldiers the Place was bravely attack'd several times and wonders done by the English both by Sea and Land against it and the French omitted nothing that could be done for its defence and this continued from about the beginning of April till the latter end of June at what time the Place being very much streightned and must have yielded the Commissioners appointed for that purpose made a Peace at Edenburg which July 7th was proclaimed in the Town of Leith by vertue of which treaty the French were to depart out of Scotland except 120 and the Scottish Queen to put our oâ— her Title the Arms of England and Ireland c About two years after that horrid Massacre was perpetrated in France upon the poor Protestants that is so infamous in History the Popish party having leagued themselves against them which barbarity powerfully induced the Queen to assist the reformists in order to prevent their final destruction and to that purpose sent over a good band of Soldiers to New Haven in France which the Townsmen joyfully received over whom and other Forces that did arrive was constituted General the Earl of Warwick who landed here 29th of October Anno 1562. This place is remarkable in History for the long Siege it susteined through the valour of the English first came the Rhinegrave before it then the Constable of France and last of all the Prince of Conde whose united forces had in all probability been baffled had it not been for a violent Pestilence that raged within and swept away its defendants in great numbers but notwithstanding this and that the Enemies Cannon were within 26 Paces of the Town and many breaches made yet the noble Warwick with his respective Officers and Soldiers stood at the breaches to receive the Enemy if they offered to make an assault which the Constable perceiving caused a Trumpeter to sound a Parley which being accepted of the Town was surrendred upon honourable Articles after the Earl had held it Eleven Months the Perfidy of the Reformists giving also an helping hand to these misfortunes to which may be added another disadvantage in that the French had a pretence by this our aiding the Protestants to withold the surrendring of Calais after the term of 8 years whereof some were already expired About the 32th year of the Queens Reign Henry III. King of France was murdered whereupon the leaguers armed under the Duke of Main to keep Henry King of Navar then a Protestant from the Crown whom they pressed so hard upon that he was forced to flee into Diep designing from thence to get over into England but first sends to the Queen an account of his circumstances who commiserating his Condition forthwith sends him Sixty Thousand brave Soldiers under the command of the Lord Willoughby the report of whose arrivall coming to Main's Ears he suddenly raises the Siege which so animated the King that he marched out encountred and defeated his Enemy and so by degrees prevailed through the Queens good assistance from time to time both of Men and Money the Spaniards having also about this time by means of the leaguers got footing in Bretaign the Queen dispatches thither 3000 Men under the command of that thrice famous General Sir John Norris who beat them quite out of that Country about a year after my Lord Willoughby's succors arrives in France the renowned Earl of Essex with 4000 foot more some Horse and Pioneers as a further reinforcment to the King and did honourable service challenging Monsieur Villerse Governour of Roan to a single combat which he refuses and then return'd but had the mortification to have
his Brother Walter Devereux a brave young Gentleman slain with a Musket Bullet before Roâ—n the last succors was to the number of 2000 and put under the command of that excellent Soldier Sir Rogâ—r Williams who was always forward for the greatest attempts and did here excellent service He beat the leaguers that blockt up the Passes about Diep upon such unequal terms that Henry IV. could not but take notice and highly extoll his valour in his letter to the Queen this Queen after a glorious Reign of 44 Years 5 Months and odd days at the Age of 70 Years Anno 1602. and lived longer then any of the Kings of England since the Conquest dyed at Richmond and lies buried at Westminster The causes of the War in this Queen's time were not direct but collateral in behalf of the King and Reformists of France JAMES I. THen the sixth King of Scotland of that name t was immediately upon the death of Queen Elizabeth proclaimed King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. as being descended from the united Roses of Lancaster and York King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth his Wife whose issue by the Male failing in the late deceased Queen Elizabeth the off-spring of Margaret their eldest Daughter was next heir which Lady was married to James IV. King of Scotland by him had issue James V. whose only daughter Queen Mary was Mother to this our Monarch This King was of a timorous Nature and peaceable Disposition so that Beati Pacifici was his Motto and was so far from making any pretensions to the Crown of France or any part of its Dominions notwithstanding his great power and the flourishing state of the Nation that he suffered his Son-in-Law the Palsgrave and his own Daughter Elizabeth his Wife with their numerous issue not only to be beaten out of Bohemia but even from their just Patrimony the Palatinate and to live many years in great want and Penury to the Kings great dishonour who was nothing but a bluster of Words and ever and anon sending Embassadors till all was quite lost and unretriveable this King died at Theobalds March 27th in 1625. in the 59 year of his Age having reigned 22 years compleat CHARLES I. THe only surviving Son of King James for that noble Prince Henry died before his Father succeeded to the Imperial Crown of England the reformed in France in the beginning of this King's Reign lay under great oppressions from their King Lewis XIII and his prime minister of state Cardinal Richieu in so much that they were forced for their fafty to have recourse to Arms under the command of that ever famous Cap. the Duke of Roan by Land and Monsieur Sobiez his Brother who rid Admiral at Sea and by that means Rochel besieged by the French King's Arms was relieved upon all occasions hereupon thro' the contrivance of the Duke of Buckingham an English Fleet was sent to join that of the French under the Duke of Momerancy the Dutch then basely concurring with some Ships of their alsos with which united force Momerancy fights and utterly defeats the Fleet of the Rochellers under Monsieur Sobiez and then reduced the Isles of Rhee and Oleron under the French Power but Buckingham soon after changing his Sentiments the grounds whereof we 'll assign in the causes of this War there is a Declaration of War published against France and 〈◊〉 the Prosecution of the same with Vigor the Duke is commissioned Admiral and General of a Navy of an 100 Sail and 6 or 7000 land Soldiers with which he came before Rochel still besieged by the French where Sobiez came on Board of him and for several reasons it was agreed to land the Army on the Island of Oleâ—on and not on the Isle of Rhee But Sobiez going to perswade the Rochellers to join with the English the Duke before his return lands on the Isle of Rhee in spight of the opposition made by the French but instead of pursuing the blow not only neglects to take the Fort la Prie to secure his retreat and prevent the French from landing supplies but staies five days whereby Toiras the French Governour incouraged his Men and also got more Force and Provisions into the Cittadel of St. Martins the French were so allarmed at this invasion that the King offered the Duke of Roan and the Rochellers any terms to join against the English which both refusing caused both their Ruins The Enemies retreat upon the landing of the English was so hasty that they quitted a Well about 20 paces from the Counterscarp which supplied the Cittadeâ— with Water which not being possest by the English upon their first approach the French drew a work about it which ouâ— Men could not force and without which Well the besieged could not have subsisted however the Duke resolves to take the Fort by Famine buâ— instead of pressing it with a strait Siege he entertains a Treaty of surrender with Toiras and several complements past between them subscribed your Humble Servant Buckingham and you Humble Servant Toiras till the latter got relief 〈◊〉 Men Victuals and Ammunition and then brokâ— off the Treaty with the Duke soon after thâ— the French landed Forces on the Island by thâ— neglect of the English to oppose them and ordeâ— were given to draw the English out of the Trenches which the French possess whereupoâ— the English were forced to Retreat at last the Duâ—â— makes a vain storm upon the Castle but 〈◊〉 beaten off and two days after retreats the 〈◊〉 being now equal to him in Foot and superior Horse when the English were intangled in thâ— Retreat the Duke having neglected to take la Prie or build a Fort upon a narrow Lane or Causey to secure their Retreat the French charged the English Horse in the Rear and rout them who rout the foot in the narrow passages between the Salt-pits and Ditch but in this confusion and adversity the bravery of the English appear'd for a few having past the Bridge the French following the English rallied and faced about gallantly to charge the French who cowardly retreated over the Bridge and of this a Forraign Author speaking saith The English were magis audaces quam fortunati and withall taxeth them for want of secrecy in their Counsels and Conduct of so great an affair the Duke of Buckingham upon his retreat from the Isle of Rhee promised the Rochellers to send them speedy relief now close besieged by the French King and upon return sent away the Earl of Denbigh his Brother-in-law with a Fleet to that purpose who on the first of May 1628. arrives before Rochell where he found the French Fleet consisting of 20 Sail had blockt it up by Sea upon the Earls approach the French retire towards their Fortification and anchored within two cannon shot of our Fleet and so continued till the 8th of May. The Earl promised the Rochellers to sink the French Fleet when the Waters increased and the
Treaty of Peace they were forced to restore all to the English again but they left St. Christophers in so pittiful a plight by destroying all the Plantations that it seemed in a manner to be as much a Wilderness as when first the English took footing in it About Seven Years after things veer'd about the French joining with the English against the Dutch in a second Dutch War during this Reign and here a late learned Author has observed that as the English were so succesful in the former War against both and the Dane to boot and were never beaten but once and that when the Fleet was divided so in this the English in all the Fights they had which were Four came off with more loss then the Dutch but the truth of it is the French only came out to learn to fight both in the one and the other War for they stood still looking on or firing at a very great distance while the English and Dutch battered one another and Monsieur de Martel for falling on and engaging bravely was recalled check'd and dismissed his imploy in so much that the Parliament who began to smell the French designs moved November the 4th 1673. that the Allyance with France was a Grievance and so a Peace was concluded with the States and our King sets up for a Mediator at Nimeguen between the French and Dutch with their Confederates and in the mean time having got considerable supplies from his Parliament raises Forces for the French King had during this Navall War possessed himself of a great part of Flanders and the Territories of the States but before a Peace was shuffled up or at leastwise before the Prince of Orange knew or would know of its being concluded the Prince not staying for Eight Thousand English that were on their march to join him did with the assistance only of Ten Thousand English under the command of the Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Ossery storm the Duke of Luxemburg's Camp fortified with all Imaginable Art before Monts with that resolution and bravery that he beat him out of it and relieved the place and this was the last act of Hostility between England and France of any kind during this Reign this King afterwards instead of putting a stop to the growing greatness of that Kingdom fell in more and more with the interest of it and the Nation during the latter part of his Reign was almost rent to pieces with the Parties of Whig and Tory which are but too much felt to this day and he himself at last died on the 6th of February 168 4-85 in the Fifty Fifth Year of his Age and the 37th of his Reign computing it from his Father's Death JAMES II. ONly Surviving Brother to Charles II. immediately assumed the English Crown of which notwithstanding the opposition made against him in the preceding Reign he got a peaceable possession but had not been long invested with the regal Dignity when the Earl of Argyle landing in Scotland and the Duke of Monmouth in the West of England put him in no small danger of losing that he had so lately attained but this storm blew over and ended in the Execution of both the aforesaid Chiefs with a multitude of their followers and that in a very barbarous manner which execution as it drew no small emulation upon his Person so the success egged him on with so much violence in the pursuits of his designs for the advancing of the Papal Power in these Kingdoms that it made the Subjects now in danger of the loss both of their Religion and Civil Properties have recourse for relief to that Prince who has since so worthily filled the Abdicated Throne and who then readily embraced their Quarrel and in the most perillous season of the Year with an Army from Holland landed at Torbay Novemb. 5th 1688. a day and year memorable in the Annals of time for the English deliverance and having wished success was the 13th of February following with his Princess Proclaimed King and Queen of England c. King James having sometime before withdrawn himself into France with whom he was so far from having any Wars during his absent four Years Reign that he entred into a stricter Alliance with that Crown but since his present Majesty's ascending of the Throne what traverses of War there have been between England and France by Sea and Land and what the Causes of them were consists in the following Pages WILLIAM III. UPon King James's withdrawing himself out of the Kingdom and retiring into France in consideration the French had committed many Hostilities in the Palatinate on the Rhine and on the Frontiers of Flanders and assisted the Irish in Rebellion with considerable Naval and Land Forces a War was Proclaimed and the King of England entered into a strict confederacy against the French King with Brandenburgh Spain and the United Provinces c. to hinder the Excessive Power and growing Greatness of France from Insulting over the Neighbouring Princes and Forces were sent over under the Command of the Earl of Marlborough and others who gained considerable advantages over the French Parties But as yet the greatest Scene of War on our Part was in Ireland where the Earl of Tyrconnel had declared for King James and put most of the Irish Papists especially in Arms stopping the Ports and hindering the Escape of many English nor was it long e'er King James Landed there with a great many French Officers and Soldiers so that most of the Principal Places in that Kingdom fell into his Hands A Party of the Iniskilling Men and London-Derry being almost all the Loyal English held in Ireland and these two acted wonders and in fine baffled the Enemies Power for the former gained in several signal advantages in the Field and the latter the Town being commanded in chief by one Mr. Walker a Minister a very valiant Man though enduring the Extremity of Famine that no unclean thing was left uneaten held out a Siege of 105 days Killing a great number of the Enemy in Salleys and from the Wall whose Army against it was at least 40000 so that the Besieged being relieved with Provisions by the way of the River the Besiegers despairing of success drew off and were pursued loosing a great many Men and some Cannon Tents and Ammunition in the Retreat On the 13th of August 1689. the Duke of Schomberg with a fair Army from England Landed at Carickfergus whereupon the Garison of Antrim deserted and Carickfergus after a short Battery surrendred the Garison being only allowed to march out without Baggage to the next Garison and that Winter the Duke Encamped after reducing some other Places on the Plains of Dundalk whose unhealthy Air and Dampness destroyed abundance of our Men yet in that Season Parties were daily out took some Places and got great Advantage over the Enemies Parties in the Field In 1690. The King with a Royal Army set forward and landed the fifteenth