themselves whether of English or Irish Extraction to advance the Power of England in that Kingdom Two main Objections answered Religion in the first place to be taken care of An Invasion from France upon that Kingdom England or Scotland at this juncture very improbable A Remark upon the last that endeavour'd it I Have now given you all that I know of this last unhappy Irish Wars that is fit at this juncture to be sent to the Press And it 's more possibly than some Men will thank me for or yet the following Remarks that I am going to make upon the Affairs of that Kingdom and its present Circumstances upon which if any please to throw away another half Hour tho' they find nothing worth taking notice of Yet I hope they 'll have no Reason to be angry since Opinion in things indifferent is free to all Men And we have no better way to conjecture what may be hereafter than by comparing our thoughts of it with what now is and formerly has been Ireland next to Great Brittain is the greatest Island The Circumference of Ireland in Europe esteemed by Sir William Petty at Ten Millions Five Hundred Thousand Irish Acres and by others at Ten Millions Eight Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand Acres which they reckon to be above 17 Millions of English Measure 121 Irish Acres making about 196 English and yet Sir William Petty computes the Irish Acres to make not above 14 Millions of English accounting nigh two Millions of Acres in Mountains Bogs Strands and other unprofitable Land a great part of which however is capable of improvement and makes Ireland in circumference almost equal to England Wales excepted The Latitude of Ireland North is said to be parallel with Dumfrese in Scotland and South to St. Michael's Mount in Cornwal its Longitude West to the utmost point of Ire Conaght in the County of Galway and East to the head of Houth The Kingdom for many Ages past has been divided Itâ— Division into Provinces and Counties into four Provinces three of which before that Division were commonly distinct Monarchies and sometimes the fourth which by degrees as the English Interest prevailed were subdivided into Counties of which there are thirty two at this day in all the Kingdom The Provinces are Leinster Munster Conaght and Vlster Leinster has eleven Counties Dublin Wicklow and Wexford on the Sea-side East-Meath West-Meath and Carlow within Land tho' with a corner reaching to the Sea Kilkenny Kildare Kings-County Queens-County and Longford are Inland Counties also Munster has six Counties two within Land as Tipperary and Limerick but Waterford Cork Kerry and Clare all on the Coast Conaght has Galway Mayo and Sligo towards the Sea with Roscomon and Letrim within Land Vlster has six Counties on the Sea-side Fermanagh Donegal London-Derry Antrim Down and Louth and four within Land as Cavan Monohan Armagh and Tyrone In the Year 1151 according to Cambden Christianus Into Arch-Bishopricks and Bishopricks Bishop of Lismore Legate of all Ireland and Johannes Paperon Cardinal Priest according to Sir James Ware brought four Palls from Eugenius the third and held a Synod or Council at Kells as some say or at Mellefort according to others whereat were present the Bishops Abbots Kings Captains and Elders of Ireland when by General consent four Arch-Bishopricks were Constituted Armagh Dublin Cashel and Tuam under whom there were 34 other Bishopricks viz. ten subordinate to Armagh five to Dublin twelve to Cashel and seven to Tuam But now they are reduced to 21 in all and those divided into 2278 Parishes and those in a political capacity have eight that are called Cities Dublin Kilkenny Waterford Cork Cashel Clogher Limerick and London-Derry besides about ninety Boroughs and Corporations As to the Natural Advantages of Ireland many People The Soil of Ireland can confirm what Sir John Davis a Man of Wit Learning and Prudence has writ several Years ago viz. That having been in all the Provinces of that Kingdom he had observed the good Temperature of the Air the fruitfulness of the Soil the pleasant and commodious Seats for Habitation the safe and large Ports and Havens lying open for Traffick unto all the West parts of the World the long Inlets of many Navigable Rivers and so many great Lakes and fresh Ponds within Land as the like are not to be seen in any part of Europe the rich Fishings and Wild Fowl of all Kinds And lastly the Bodies and Minds of the People Endowed with extraordinary Abilities of Nature And however it has become a Proverb in England The Irish no such Fools as the World Commonly makes them to call a dull unthinking Fellow a Man of an Irish Understanding yet for any thing appears to the contrary they have acted a Prudent part for at least these Five Hundred Years nor is their crafty insinuating wheedling way as yet any thing abated and whosoever will look amongst the Natives of that Countrey at this juncture will probably find some Knaves but as few Folls as in any other Kingdom of the World But since I have mention'd so Judicious an Author Sir John Davis his Reasons why Ireland has been so long in reducing to the Crown of England as Sir John Davis I suppose it will not be unpleasant to hear some of his Reasons why it has been so long a time before Ireland was entirely subject to the Crown of England and why the English were more apt to run into the Irish Barbarous Customs and imitate their way of living than on the Contrary As to the first of these he mentions four main defects of the Armies that at different times were sent out of England to Conquer Ireland 1. They were for the most part too weak for a Conquest 2. When otherwise as in both the Journies of Richard the Second they were too soon broken up and dissolved 3. They were ill paid and 4. They were ill Govern'd a necessary Consequence of the former Which Inconveniences happen'd because the King 's of England for many Ages together were generally otherwise imploy'd either in the Holy-Land or in France or in their Wars with Scotland or else in that unhappy fewd between the two Houses of Lancaster and York So that they cou'd neither attend the Irish War in their own Persons nor spare a Competency either of Men or Money to compleat the Work which was only begun in King Henry the Second's days rather by a few private Adventurers than by any thing that had the face of a Royal Army And besides the standing Forces were seldom or never reinforced out of England that is in the times towards the beginning of the English Government only the King's Treasure there was spent and wholly spent in the King's service so that in the Reigns of four successive Kings Viz. Henry III. Edward I. Edward II. and Edward III. between the Receipts and Allowances this Entry is commonly found in the Pipe-Rolls In Thesauro
Drogheda's Regiment who finding themselves very much outnumbred and the Village no ways Tenible they retired all to a Mount nigh the middle of the same Village which they defended till the Irish were obliged to quit the place have killed us about 28 themselves leaving 16 dead upon the Streets besides several more that were killed in Plundering the Houses And several such Accidents hapned up and down the Kingdom most of which are already related in the former part of this History Towards the beginning of December his Majesty for the A Privy-Council appointed in Ireland better ordering the Affairs of that Kingdom appointed a Privy-Council and gave out new Commissions to supply the places of several Judges as yet awanting in the respective Courts of Judicature But though the Irish in and about Limerick and indeed in most other places within their Line were reduced to great necessities both as to Provisions and Cloaths yet this did not prevent them from having a very good opinion of themselves nor blunt the Edge of that Vain-glorious Boasting so peculiar to that sort of People as may appear by a pretended Declaration of the then Brigadeer Dorington's who after several invective Expressions against his Majesty and the English Government and Wheedling Insinuations to all Foreigners and others who he pretends were drawn in at unawares he promises to protect and receive into Pay all Officers or Souldiers that would forsake their Majesties Service and advance them according to their Merit or those that had no mind to serve should be Transported into France having all necessary Accommodation and be provided for in the mean time Dated at Limerick the 13th of December 1690. and Signed W. Dorington But this worthy Declaration had no other effect than to shew the folly and vanity of the Publisher only I cannot but observe what a scurvy Return those Officers and Souldiers of King William's to whom he addresses himself made him for his kind proffer since instead of going to him for his Pass into France they soon after sent his Worship himself Prisoner into England Monday the 15th of December Henry Lord Viscount My Lord Sidney goes for England Sidney being appointed one of the Secretaries of State for England set Sail for that Kingdom And on the 24th Sir Charles Porter another of the Lords-Justices came from thence being Sworn Lord Chancellour of Ireland on the 29th and then received the Purse and Great Seal from the late Commissioners We had now a part of our Army on their March towards Part of our Forces move towards the Shannon Lanesborough Pass Commanded by Major General Kirk and Sir John Lanier Lieutenant General Douglas was also upon his March towards Sligoe as was Major General Tetteau in Munster towards the County of Kerry The first Detachment beat the Irish from their Works on this side the River and staying there some time returned to Quarters as did also Lieutenant General Douglas Major General Tetteau Marched towards Ross taking a Fort called Screnelarld in his way after which the Irish set most of the Country on Fire and retreated He took also another Fort wherein were 80 of the Irish who being attacked by fifty Danes and fifty of the Kinsale Militia our Men carried the place and put most of the Enemy to the Sword Then our Party Marched towards Tralee where Lieutenant General Sheldon bad been with 21 Troops of Dragoons and 7 of Horse but with his Men had deserted the Town and made what haste they could towards Limerick resolving to force their way through Lieutenant General Ginckel's Troops who then was abroad also with a Party if they were not very much stronger or otherways to kill all their Horses and save themselves by crossing the Shannon in Boats But not being informed of this our Men returned without securing a considerable quantity of Provisiâ—â—â— then in Trallee which the Irish got afterwards to supply the Garrison of Limerick The Rapparees by this time were got to the end of the Rapparees in the Bogg of Allen. Bogg of Allen within 12 miles of Dublin and there Robb'd and Plunder'd the Country all about Fortifying an Island in the Bogg to secure their Prey which being so nigh Dublin it made a great noise So that Collonel Foulks with his own Regiment part of Collonel Cutts's and a Detachment of the Dublin Militia as also three small Field-Pieces Marched out towards them The Irish at first seemed to defend the place but as our Men advanced they quitted their Posts leaving us to fill up the Trenches they had made cross the Causeway which done Colonel Foulks Marched over into the Island of Allen where he met with Colonel Piper who had come in at the other side but the Irish betook themselves to the Woods and we only got some small Booty which they had left I have heard that my Lord Baltimore at his coming over from Ireland in King James the First 's time to give his Majesty an account of the State of that Kingdom amongst otherthings told the King That the Irish were a wicked People but had been as wickedly dealt withal I make no Applications of the Expression to our selves tho' most people that have been in that Country know how to do it But as to any publick Action little of moment hapned for some time after we returned to our Winter Quarters tho' the Rapparees being encouraged by our withdrawing were very troublesome all the Country over nor will it be amiss once for all to give you a brief Account how the Irish managed this Affair to make the Rapparees so Considerable as they really were doing much more mischief at this Upon what account the Rapparees were servicable to the Irish time o' th' year than any thing that had the face of an Army could pretend to When the Irish understood therefore how our Men were Posted all along the Line and what advantage might be hoped for at such and such places they not only encouraged all the protected Irish to do us secretly all the mischief they could either by concealed Arms or private Intelligence under the pretence of their being Plundered and abused but they let loose a great part of their Army to manage the best for themselves that time and opportunity would allow them to all these they gave Passes signifying to what Regiment they belonged that in case they were taken they might not be dealt withal as Rapparees but Souldiers These Men knew the Country nay all the secret Corners Woods and Boggs keeping a constant Correspondence with one another and also with the Army who furnished them with all necessaries especially Ammunition When they had any Project on Foot their method was not to appear in a Body for then they would have been discovered and not only so but Carriages and several other things had been wanting which every one knows that's acquainted with this Trade Their way was therefore to make a private appointment to meet at
Rex sub eo paratus ad servitium suum ut homo suus c. And King Henry the II. making William Fitz Audelm his Lieutenant of Ireland he hath it thus in his Commission Archiepiscopis Episcopis Regibus Baronibus omnibus fidelibus suis in Hibernia salutem King John also granted divers Characters unto the Irish Lords under the Title of Kings and so did Henry the III d. unto a Petty-King of Thoumond Rex Regi Thoumond Salutem c. Those Governed the People by their Brehon Laws they made their own Magistrates and Officers they Pardoned and Punished all Malefactors and made War and Peace one with another without Controulment After which several Attempts were made and Rebellions more or less broke out in every King's Reign And to omit those of Perkin Warbeck and others in the Reign of Henry 7. The Rebellion of Fitz Gerald and the rest of that Faction in King Henry 8th's time in the Year 1535. cost England Forty Thousand Pounds a Summ reputed so great in those days and so much disturbed that blustering Prince that he called the appeasing this Rebellion a New Conquest and put the Question to his Council how Ireland should be managed to bear the Charge of its own preservation and whether by Act of Parliament every Man's Estate should not be made liable to contribute its proportion or wehther by Virtue of this New Conquest the King might not seize on all the Estates of that Kingdom Temporal and Spiritual Cox 242. But tho' this wou'd not do yet he found out another A Statute against Absentees way to make a Statute against Absentees whereby a great part of the County of Carlow was taken from the Duke of Norfolk and other Lands from other great Men and from some Monasteries in England that held Land in Ireland for that by the absence of these and the neglecting their own private Estates whereby the Irish daily gained ground they brought the Publick into danger However this Rebellious Spirit continued in Ireland all Queen Elizabeth's time even to the ninth of King James the First as Sir John Davis observes but if he had lived in our days he wou'd have seen good reasons to say it was always the Genius of the People And one Mr. Lawrence has since that endeavoured to prove that Ireland was never intirely subjected to the Crown of England nor the Lands properly called the King's Lands until the Act of Settlement passed in the 12th Year of King Charles the Second for before this the Chief Inhabitants in all Cities and Towns were Papists as Sheriffs Justices of the Peace c by which means that Party was wonderfully encouraged and strengthened and besides the Irish before the late Rebellion were by far the greatest Proprietors tho' afterwards they enjoyed not much above a fifth part of the whole that is in propriety by which means and the industrious Management of some of the Chief Governours the English Interest was very far advanced in this Country before the death of King Charles the Second for tho' some Clouds arose before yet the Sun shone pretty clear till the Death of that Monarch made it more than Twilight with the English of that Country and then the late dark Night of Confusion approached so suddenly that it gave them no time to set things in Order till they cou'd not in a manner see where they were a going This put a full stop to the Carreer of all their Prosperity for a great many considerable Buildings and other Improvements in and about Dublin and other places in the Kingdom being pretty far advanced at that Juncture they were left off very abruptly the Workman throwing away his Tools and the Husbandman neglecting his Plow at the News as if they had then foreseen their approaching Misery and were amazed to find the Irish arm so fast on all hands by which they were assured that other sorts of Weapons than they had used for the Country's improving were soon like to grow more in fashion and that to the undoing of what themselves had so honestly endeavoured to make up So that the Irish were not then nor indeed are as yet so subdued as that no further Storm may ever be feared to arise from that corner And certainly the not thorowly endeavouring to make Ireland bear the Charge of its own preservation has in all Ages been very much to the disadvantage of Ireland shou'd be put into a Condition to bear its own Burden England But to carry this no higher than the Year 1595 the time of Tyrone's Rebellion which Cambden in his Annals tells us cost 1198717 l. to suppress Or if we compute the Charge of its first Conquest and the suppressing the several Rebellions from that time till this of Tyrone's to cost but double as much as this did as they needs must since before that Ireland never enjoyed seven Years peace at one time Then I say long e're this all those Rebellions had been forgot and the Trade and Product of Ireland more than trebly recompenced England for her former Blood and Treasure But as the Degenerate English grew more and more in love with the Irish and their Customs and so took their part against England The Charges encreased to more prodigious Sums and they generally make use of it as a great Argument for what they did of late that it was the Blood and Treasure of their Ancestors that first gained that Kingdom to the English Interest and therefore tho' they differed in Opinion yet it was very unreasonable that they should be quite excluded from sharing in the Government with those that were of a much later Date But this Objection is of an older standing than either the former War or this last for we are told that so great Heats have arose formerly between the English of Birth and the English of Blood in Ireland that they held different Parliaments and endeavoured by all means Possible to ruine one another But 't is observ'd by very Learned Men in this Kingdom that tho' the English have often fallen out amongst themselves and there were generally found in many places of the Kingdom such of English extraction as would joyn with the Irish against England yet the People of the Pale were always firm and Loyal to the Crown and the greatest strength that England had against the Irish Nation for which they were often plentifully Rewarded 'till in the Year 1641 they all broke loose which they say was occasioned thus Tho since the first Conquest of Ireland there have been continued feuds in that Kingdom between the People of both Nations upon the account of Interest yet when the Reformation was once set on foot the Breach was widned upon that account it being what the Natives of that Country have always endeavoured to destroy and with it the English Interest there but finding this a very difficult Task by reason that the old English of the Pale tho' many of them were of
being done with the Duke's consent who took Mackarty for a man of Honour the Governor was acquitted The beginning of January our Regiments being all very thin and it appearing a little difficult to recruit them in England most people being then out of humour for the loss of their Relations and Acquaintance nor altogether that number of Voluntiers appearing then as formerly therefore several Regiments were broke one into another and the supernumerary Officers continued at half-pay till Provision could be made for them in other Regiments Sir Tho. Gower being dead my Lord Drogheda's Regiment was broke into his and his Lordship made Collonel of it my Lord Roscommon's Regiment was broke also into Collonel Earl's and Collonel Zanchy's formerly my Lord Lovelace's Sir Henry Inglesby's and Collonel Hambleton's of Inniskilling were broke into other Regiments and about the 12th 16th and 20th most of the Officers designed for that Service went from Lisburne towards England for Recruits to the Army January the 18th A Proclamation was published strictly forbidding Cursing Swearing and Prophaneness in Officers or Soldiers under the Penalties enjoined in the Articles of War and his Grace's utmost Displeasure but neither this nor yet the Judgments of God then hanging upon us for those and a great many other sins had that effect that the General and other good men heartily wished for and no doubt of it the Debaucheries in Armies are the high-way to Ruin since those both obey and fight best that are the most sober The 22 d. Brigadier Stuart went with a Party of Five hundred Horse and Foot towards Dundalk destroying several Cabins amongst the Mountains where the Irish used to shelter themselves and his Party brought in a considerable Prey at their return The 25th the General went from Lisburne in order to visit our Frontier Garisons and appointed stores of Bread Cheese Shooes and other Necessaries at several places especially at Armagh the Metropolis of the whole Island On the 11th of February a part of our Army being The Irish Army in motion drawn together to attend the Enemy's Motion who we understood were then in a Body towards Dundalk The General himself went to Drummore and so to Loughbritland in order to give the Enemy Battel if they advanced our Men and Horses having recovered by this time from their late Diseases to a Miracle Sir John Laneir and Brigadier La Mellionere advanced with a Party towards Carlingford but returned with an Account that there were only three Regiments at Dundalk as formerly but the Design of the Irish lay another way For whilst the Duke was abroad on that side Collonel Woolsley had notice that the Enemy were resolved to fall upon Belturbet where he then commanded to which purpose they had already crouded a Garison of theirs called Cavan eight miles from Belturbet at what place they expected a greater Force in a day or two but Collonel Woolsley to be before-hand with their visit marched from Belturbet on the 12th about Four in the Afternoon with Seven hundred Foot and Three hundred Horse and Dragoons hoping to surprize the Enemy next Morning early but he met with so many Difficulties in his march that instead of being at the Place before day as he designed it was fair day-light before he came near it the Enemy had also taken the Alarm and were so far from being surprized that instead of the usual Garison which we only as yet expected there the first thing that our men saw was a Body of the Enemy's drawn up in good order and judged to be about Four thousand It was rather therefore a surprize upon us than them however we fought and routed The Battel of Cavan them killed Brigadier Nugent with several other Officers and about Three hundred Soldiers taking Twelve Officers and Sixty private Men Prisoners burnt the Town and returned with a good Booty having lost Major Trahern Captain Armstrong and Captain Mayo with about Thirty private Men and double the number wounded And to let the Enemy see that we were ready Sir John Lanier goes to Dundalk with a Party for them on all sides Sir John Lanier marched again on the 15th towards Dundalk with a Party of One thousand Horse Foot and Dragoons he came before the Place early next Morning which the Enemy had fortified very regularly And placing some of his men near the Works on the North-east Side towards the Bridge he sent a Party of Collonel Leveson's Dragoons cross the River who took Bedloe's Castle an Ensign and Thirty men surrendring themselves Prisoners In the mean time another Party marched in at the South-west End of the Town and burnt most of what was left without the Works in which Service we lost a Lieutenant and two or three Dragoons our Men returning with a Prey of Fifteen hundred Cows and Horses The beginning of March landed the Duke of Wertenberg The Danes land in Ireland with Six Thousand Danes being proper men very well Cloathed and Armed On the 12th Colonel Callimot with a Party endeavoured to burn the Wooden Bridge at Charlemont which he set fire to and killed about Twenty of the Enemy lost his own Major with about Six men and so returned March the 14th Five thousand French Foot under 5000 French land in Ireland Count Lauzune and the Marquess de Lery landed at Kinsale in order to join the Late King's Army for whom in exchange Major-General Macharty and near the same number of Irish were sent into France our English Fleet then attending the Queen of Spain made this Undertaking more easie to the French April the 6th Collonel Woolsley with a Party of Seven hundred men attacked the Castle of Killyshandra seven miles from Belturbet where the Enemy had a Garison of One hundred and sixty men commanded by one Captain Darcy after some Mines were fixed and a brisk Assault or two made upon their Works in which we lost Eight men the Besieged surrendred and we left a Garison of One hundred men in the Place Nigh which time a great many Recruits as also Collonel Cutt's Collonel Babington's with a Danish Regiment of Horse landed at White-House April the 18th Sir Clousley Shovell went into the Bay Sir Clousley Shovell takes a Frigat out of the Bay of Dublin of Dublin and brought from a Place called the Salmon Pool a Frigat of Sixteen Guns and Four Pattereroes loaden with Hides Tallow some Plate and other Rich Moveables designed for France the Late King and several of his Irish Regiments marching as far as Rings-End where they were all Witnesses of so wicked an Action as they called it done on so good a Day it being Good-Friday May the 2 d Lieutenant-Collonel Mackmehon with Relief put into Charlemont about Four hundred men Ammunition and some small quantities of Provisions got into Charlemont in the Night but our French and other Regiments posted thereabouts watched him so narrowly that though he made two or three Attempts yet he could not
he admitted my Lord Dover to a more particular Protection than ordinary because he had applied himself formerly by a Letter to Major-General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family to go into Flanders His Majesty at his return to the Camp declared The King intends for England his Resolution to go for England and leaving Count Solmes Commander in Chief he went as far as Chappel-Izard nigh Dublin with that Intention ordering one Troop of Guards Count Sconberg's Horse formerly my Lord Devonshires Collonel Matthews's Dragoons Brigadier Trelawny's and Collonel Hastings's And sends some Forces thither Foot to be shipt off for that Kingdom And on the first of August His Majesty published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthening the former but also adding That if any Foreigners then in Arms against him in that Kingdom would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither else they pleased A Proclamation was also published for all the Irish in the Countrey to deliver up their Arms and those who refused or neglected to be abandoned to the Discretion of the Soldiers As also another Proclamation for a Weekly Fâ—st And then His Majesty appointed Richard Pine Esq Sir Richard Reves and Robert Rochfort Esq Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal who began now to act accordingly But the King received a further Account from England But returns to the Camp That the loss at Sea was not so considerable as it was at first given out and that there was no danger of any more French Forces landing in that Kingdom they having already burnt only a small Village and so were gone off without doing any further damage The danger of that being therefore over His Majesty returned to the Army which he found encamped at Golden Bridge nigh Cashell and about seventeen miles from Limrick where His Majesty had intelligence of the Posture of the Enemy in and about that City August the 8th Lieutenant-General Douglas and his Limerick Besieged Party from Athlone joined the King's Army at Cariganlis And on the 9th the whole Army approached that strong Hold of Limerick without any considerable loss the greatest part of their Army being Encampt beyond the River in the County of Clare His Majesty as soon as his Army was posted sent a Summons to the Town which was refused to be obeyed by Monsieur Boiseleau the Duke of Berwick Sarsfield and some more though a great part of their Army were even then willing to Capitulate Next Morning early the King sent a Party of Horse and Foot under Major-General Ginckell and Major-General Kirk to pass the River which they did near Sir Samuel Foxon's House about two miles above the Town The same day some Deserters from the Enemy gave his Majesty an account of their Circumstances and one of our own Gunners did as much for us who informed the Enemy of our Posture in the Camp as also of Eight Pieces of Cannon with Ammunition Provisions the Tin-Boats and several other Necessaries then upon the Road which Sarsfield with a Party of Horse and Dragoons had the luck to surprize two Some of our â—â—ns surprized days after at a little old Castle called Ballynedy within seven miles of our Camp killing about Sixty of the Soldiers and Waggoners and then marched off with little or no opposition tho his Majesty had given Orders for a Party of Horse to go from the Camp and meet the Guns the night before Tuesday the 12th Brigadier Stuart went with a Party Castle Connel taken and four Field-Pieces to Castle-Connel a Strong-hold upon the Shannon four miles from Limerick the besieged being 126 under one Captain Barnwell after some time submitted and were brought Prisoners to the Camp Sunday the 17th at night we opened our Trenches Our Trenches opened which were mounted by Seven Battalions under the Duke of Wirtenbergh Major-General Kirk Major-General Tetteau and Sir Henry Bellasts beating the Irish out of a Fort nigh two old Chimneys where about Twenty were killed and next night our Works were relieved by Lieutenant General Douglas my Lord Sidney Count Nassau and Brigadier Stuart with the like number and the day following we planted some new Batteries which his Majesty going to view as he was riding towards Ireton's Fort he stopt his Horse on a sudden to speak to an Officer a Four and twenty pound Ball the very moment grazing on the side of the Gap where his Majesty was going to enter which certainly must have dash'd him to pieces had not the commanding God of Heaven prevented it who still reserves him for greater matters This I saw being then upon the Fort as I did that other Accident at the Boyne before Wednesday the 20th we attack'd a Fort of the Enemies A Fort taken nigh the South East Corner of the Wall which we soon took and killed 50 taking a Captain and twelve men Prisoners and about an hour after the Enemy sallyed with great Bravery thinking to regain the Fort but were beat in with loss there being killed in the Fort and the Sally about Three hundred though we lost Captain Needham Captain Lacy and about Eighty private men A PROSPECT of LIMERICK BEARING DUE WEST Exactly shewing the Approaches Batteries Breach ct Sold by R. Chiswell in St. Pauls churchyard Next day the Soldiers were in hopes that his Majesty would give orders for a second Attack and seemed resolved to have the Town or lose all their lives but this was too great a risque to run at one place and they did not know how our Ammunition was sunk especially by the former day's work we continued however our Batteries and then a storm of Rain and other bad weather begun to threaten us which fell out on Friday the 29th in good earnest upon which his Majesty calling a Council of War it was concluded the safest way was to quit the Siege without which we could not have secured our heavy Cannon which we drew off from the Batteries by degrees and found much difficulty in marching them five miles next day Sunday the last of August all our His Majesty raised the Siege Army drew off most of the Protestants that lived in that part of the Countrey taking that opportunity of removing further into the Countrey with the Army and would rather leave their Estates and all their Substance in the Enemies hands than trust their persons any more in their power His Majesty seeing the Campaign nigh an end went towards Waterford where he appointed Henry Lord Viscount Sidney Sir Charles Porter and Tho. Conningsby Esq Lords Justices of Ireland and then setting And returns to England sail with a fair Wind for England his Majesty was welcomed thither with all the Joy and Satisfaction imaginable CHAP. III. September 1690. The French Forces quit Ireland Birr besieg'd by the Irish who draw off towards Banoher Bridge Count Solms 's Answer to the Duke of Berwick 's Letter Lieutenant-General