crown the disposal of almost all the lands in Ireland; this apparently zealous Catholic, and piously loyal subject, is said to have traitorously made an offer of his government to the prince of Orange;(1) and William is said to have politically refused it, that he might have a decent pretext for keeping up an army, in order to secure the obedience of England, and that he might be enabled, by Irish forfeitures, to gratify his English and foreign favourites.(2) But one who lived at the time, who was no friend to William, and who had every opportunity of knowing the character and examining the administration of Tyrconnel, declares that his firmness preserved Ireland in the interest of James, and that he nobly rejected all the advantageous offers which were made to induce him to submit to the prince of Orange:(3) and the general tenor of his conduct, as well as the testimony of other contemporary writers, seems to prove, that the proposals which he sent to the prince were only intended to gain time, that he might be enabled to put his government in a better state of defence, and procure assistance from France.(4) William, however, though somewhat suspicious of his sincerity, did not slight the advances of the lord-lieutenant: he despatched general Hamilton, his countryman and friend, to treat with him. Hamilton betrayed his trust:(5) Tyrconnel, in conformity with his real views, levied a great body of troops, which, having no regular pay, were left to live upon the plunder of the Protestants; and these unhappy people, roused by oppression, and fearing a general massacre, flew to arms, and throwing themselves into Londonderry, Inniskilling, and other places of strength, hoped to be able to hold out till they should obtain relief from England. (6)

In the mean time, James, who had been received with marks of the most cordial affection by Lewis XIV., either from a sympathy of religious sentiments, or with a view of making him subservient to his ambition, was preparing to make a descent in Ireland. Pressed by the solicitations, and encouraged by the favourable representations, of Tyrconnel, he accordingly embarked at Brest, early in the spring, and landed safely at Kinsale, with only twelve hundred men, all his native subjects, one hundred French officers, and some gentlemen of distinction. Seven battalions of French troops were afterward sent over. (7) But these, and all his Irish forces, were by no means sufficient to oppose the veteran army of William.

James and his adherents, however, had other ideas of the matter. Elated at the presence of a prince, who had lost two kingdoms from his predilection for their religion, the Irish Catholics every where received him with the highest demonstrations of joy. But this rage of loyalty, by involving him in measures subversive not only of the Protestant interest, but of all the laws of justice and humanity, has disgraced his character, and proved highly injurious to his cause. Having assembled a parliament, consisting chiefly of Catholics, a bill was passed for repealing the act of settlement, by which the Protestants

(1) Dalrymple's Append.

(3) Duke of Berwick's Mem, vol. I.

(2) Macpherson's Hist. of Brit. vol. i.

(4) In reasoning so circumstantially on this subject, I am less influenced by any desire of vindicating the conduct of William or of Tyrconnel, than of showing the insufficiency of those original papers, which have been so libérally produced of late years, to alter our opinion of the established characters of men: for, as in the present case, Tyrconnel's offer to negotiate with William is no proof of his being a traitor to James; so, in most other cases, our ignorance of the motives of the parties ought to make us suspend our judgment of such doubtful or suspicious evidence. At any rate, these abortive intrigues, and insidious anecdotes, which have been brought as a charge against so many otherwise unsullied reputations, are fitter for the chronicle of scandal, or the memoirs of individuals, than the page of general history, which they can serve only to contaminate and perplex. Little farther attention shall, therefore, be paid to them in the body of this work; which has chiefly for its object important events, with their causes and consequences.

To throw a shade over the brightest characters cannot surely be a desirable employment for a liberal mind; yet have some men of talents undertaken this invidious task, and prosecuted it with unwearied Industry. They who love to contemplate human nature on the dark side will find sufficient food for their passion in Dalrymple's Appendix, and Macpherson's Original Papers. Happily, however, these papers, contrary to the apparent purpose of the compilers, furnish arguments for the advocates of freedom, as well as the abettors of despotisin. I have accordingly used them as a counter poison.

(5) This treachery was attended with a very striking circumstance. Sir William Temple's son, who was secretary at war to king William, having engaged himself for the fidelity of Hamilton, was so much mortified at his defection, that he put an end to his own life, by leaping out of a boat into the Thames. Clarendon's Diary. (6) Burnet. King.

(7) Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. i.

were secured in the possession of their estates; and, in order to complete the ruin of the whole sect, an act of attainder was afterward passed against all Protestants, male and female, who were absent from the kingdom, who did not acknowledge the authority of king James, or who had been any way connected with rebels from the first day of August in the preceding year.(1) The number of Protestants attainted by name in this act amounted to about three thousand. Another violent act was passed, declaring Ireland independent of the English parliament.(2)

While James was thus attempting to establish his authority in Ireland, by flattering the prejudices of the natives, William was engaged in managing the English parliament, and in conducting that great system of continental policy of which he had been so long the centre. To both these ends the violence of the Irish Catholics, their influence with the dethroned monarch, and his throwing himself into their hands, contributed not a little; and William, in order still farther to quiet and unite the minds of men, as well as to promote his own views, recommended to the parliament an act of general indemnity, and procured an address for a declaration of war against France. Both proposals were readily embraced. Inflamed with ancient and hereditary hate, and roused by recent jealousy, the English nation had long been desirous of turning its arms against Lewis XIV., and the supposed attachment of James to the French interest, his bigotry not excepted, had been the principal cause of his ruin. Had he acceded to the league of Augsburg, he would never have lost his crown. Threatened by that league, and willing to strike the first blow, Lewis had sent an army into Alsace, and made himself master of Philipsburg in 1688. This violence, which was immediately succeeded by others, alarmed the emperor, Spain, Holland, and all the confederate powers on the continent. They saw the necessity of having immediate recourse to arms; and the interposition of France in the affairs of Ireland furnished William with a good pretence for throwing the whole weight of England into the hostile scale. The confederacy was now complete.

But the critical state of his new dominions called off the attention of William, for a time, from the continental system. The duke of Gordon still held out the castle of Edinburgh for James; and the viscount Dundee, the soul of the Jacobite party in Scotland, having collected a small but gallant army of Highlanders, threatened with subjection the whole northern part of the kingdom. Dundee, who had publicly disavowed the authority of the Scottish convention, had been declared an outlaw by that assembly; and general Mackay was sent against him with a body of regular troops. Lord Murray, son to the marquis of Athol, had laid siege to the castle of Blair, which was held by some of the adherents of James. Sir Alexander Maclean, by Dundee's order, marched against Murray, and forced him to raise the siege. But this event did not decide the contest. Mackay, who had hitherto contented himself with obstructing the progress, or watching the motions of the Highlanders, resolved to reduce the disputed castle, and put himself in motion for that purpose.

Apprized of the design of his antagonist, Dundee summoned up all his enterprising spirit, and by forced marches arrived in Athol before him. Next morning he was informed that Mackay's vanguard, consisting of four hundred men, had cleared the pass of Killicranky; a narrow defile, formed by the steep side of the Grampian hills, and a dark, rapid, and deep river. Though chagrined at this intelligence, Dundee was not disconcerted. He immediately despatched sir Alexander Maclean to attack the enemy's advanced party with an equal number of his clan, while he himself should approach with the main body of the Highlanders. But before Maclean had proceeded a mile, Dundee received information that Mackay had marched through the pass with his whole army. He commanded Maclean to halt, and boldly advanced with his faithful band, determined to give battle to the enemy.

Mackay's army, consisting of four ousand five hundred foot, and two

(1) Burnet. Ralph. King.

(2) Id. ibid

troops of horse, was formed in eight battalions, and ready for action, when Dundee came in view. His own brave but undisciplined followers, of all ranks and conditions, did not exceed three thousand three hundred men. These he instantly ranged in hostile array. They stood inactive for several hours in sight of the enemy, on the steep side of a hill, which faced the narrow plain where Mackay had formed his line, neither party choosing to change their ground. But the signal for battle was no sooner given, than the Highlanders rushed down the hill in deep columns; and having discharged their muskets with effect, they had recourse to the broadsword, their proper weapon, with which they furiously attacked the enemy. Mackay's left wing was instantly broken, and driven from the field with great slaughter by the Macleans, who formed the right of Dundee's army. The Macdonalds, who composed his left, were not equally successful: colonel Hastings's regiment of English foot repelled their most vigorous efforts, and obliged them to retreat. But sir Alexander Maclean and sir Evan Cameron, at the head of part of their respective clans, suddenly assailed this gallant regiment in flank, and forced it to give way, or cut it in pieces.

The victory was now complete. Two thousand of Mackay's army were slain; and his artillery, baggage, ammunition, provisions, and even king William's Dutch standard, fell into the hands of the Highlanders. But their joy, like a smile upon the cheek of death, delusive and insincere, was of short duration. Dundee was mortally wounded, in the pursuit, by a musket shot. He survived the battle, but expired soon after, and with him perished the hopes of James in Scotland. The castle of Edinburgh had already surrendered to the convention; and the Highlanders, discouraged by the loss of a leader whom they loved and almost adored, gradually dispersed themselves, and returned to their savage mountains, to bewail him in their songs.(1) His memory is still dear to them: he is considered as the last of their heroes; and his name, even to this day, is seldom mentioned among them without a sigh or a tear.(2) Dundee, indeed, appears to have been a very extraordinary man. Besides great knowledge of the military art, the talent of seizing advantages, and the most perfect recollection in battle, he possessed, in no common degree, that distinguishing feature of the heroic character, the power of influencing the opinions of others, and of inspiring them with his own ardour.

Fortune did not prove more favourable to the affairs of James in Ireland. His most important enterprise was the siege of Londonderry. Before this town he appeared in person, with a large army, commanded by the mareschal de Rosen, De Maumont, general Hamilton, the duke of Berwick, and other officers of distinction. But so bold was the spirit of the inhabitants, that instead of tamely surrendering, they gallantly repelled all attempts to reduce the place, and even annoyed the besiegers with their sallies. At length, however, weakened and distressed by famine, and diminished in number by pestilence, its too common attendant, they were reduced almost to despair. In order finally to complete their depression, in this frightful extremity, mareschal De Rosen, in the absence of James, collected all the Protestants in the neighbouring country, to the number of four or five thousand, without distinction of age, sex, or condition, and cruelly placed them between his lines and the walls of the town; where many of them were suffered to perish of hunger, from a persuasion that the besieged would either relieve their friends or surrender the place. But this barbarous expedient had no such effect; it served only to confirm the inhabitants in their resolution of holding out to the last man. Happily, before their perseverance utterly failed, a reinforcement arrived from England with ammunition and provisions, and the besiegers thought proper to abandon the undertaking.(3)

The difficulties of James now crowded fast upon him. Soon after the failure of this enterprise, the mareschal, created duke of Schomberg, landed

(1) MS. Accounts in Dalrymple and Macpherson. Those of Macpherson are chiefly followed in this (2) Macpherson.

narration.

(3) King. Burnet. Duke of Berwick. James II. 1689.

in Ireland with ten thousand men. But the impracticable nature of the country, his unacquaintance with it, and the declining season, prevented that able and experienced general from making any progress before the close of the campaign. During the winter, however, though his troops suffered greatly by disease, he gained some advantages over the Irish; and William, in order to quicken his operations, and put at once an end to the war, came over in person, with a fresh army, the beginning of next summer.

James, on this occasion, embraced a resolution that has been considered as rash, but worthy of a sovereign contending for his lost kingdom. Though his army was inferior in numbers as well as in discipline, to that of his rival, he determined to put all to the hazard of a battle. He accordingly took post on the southern bank of the Boyne, and extended his troops in two lines, opposed to the deep and dangerous fords of that river. No position could be more advantageous. A morass defended him on the left, and in his rear lay the village of Dunore, where he had intrenched a body of troops. But all these circumstances, so favourable to James, did not discourage William from seeking an engagement. After having reconnoitred the situation of the enemy, he resolved, contrary to the advice of Schomberg, to attack them next morning, though under no necessity of running such a risk. His army accordingly passed the river in three divisions, one of which he headed in person. Schomberg, who led another, was killed soon after reaching the opposite bank, but not before he had broken the Irish infantry. The Irish cavalry, commanded by general Hamilton and the duke of Berwick, behaved with more spirit, charging and recharging ten times. But even they were at last obliged to yield to superior force. General Hamilton was made prisoner; and James, who had shown some courage, but no conduct, thought proper to retreat towards Dublin, under cover of the French auxiliaries, who had never been put into disorder. His loss was but small, not exceeding fifteen hundred men; yet was the victory complete, as many of the Irish troops deserted their officers during the following night, and returned to their several homes. (1)

The subsequent conduct of James was more blameable than either his precipitancy in risking a battle, or his behaviour during the engagement, allowing both to be deserving of censure. No sooner was he informed of the dispersion of his army than he despondingly gave up Ireland as lost; and, leaving the inhabitants of Dublin to make their own conditions with the victor, immediately embarked for France, though he had still many resources left. By bravely collecting his scattered, but not annihilated forces, and drawing troops from his different garrisons, independent of new levies, he might have appeared in the field more formidable than ever; whereas his pusillanimous flight, by disheartening his friends, and encouraging his ene mies, left but a melancholy prospect to his generals.

But these new resources, and the consequences of neglecting them, did not occur to a mind broken by accumulated misfortunes. Besides, the fugitive monarch tells us, that he had hopes of being able to recover the English crown, by means of an armament from France, during the absence of William and his veteran troops. These hopes, however, suddenly disappeared; though, on his arrival at Brest, the prospect seemed to brighten. He was there informed, that the French navy had gained a signal victory over the combined fleet of England and Holland, commanded by the earl of Torrington and admiral Evertzen, and that Tourville was riding triumphant in the channel. All this was nearly true; and a descent on England, in favour of James, might certainly have been made to great advantage, while it was in the power of the French fleet to have prevented the return of William. But the flight of that unfortunate prince from Ireland had so discouraging an aspect, and Lewis XIV. placed so little faith in the perpetual rumours of insurrections and discontents in England, that he was resolved not to risk an army in such an enterprise. He therefore lent a deaf ear to all James's pro

(1) Ralph. King. Duke of Berwick. James II., 1690.

posals for an invasion. He even refused him a small supply of ammunition for the remains of the army in Ireland, saying, that whatever should be sent thither would be so much lost.(1) As a proof of his sincerity, he despatched transports to bring off his own troops. And James, labouring under the deepest mortification and self-condemnation, was made severely sensible, when too late, that a prince who deserts his own cause will soon see it deserted by all the world.

The Irish, however, though abandoned by their king and his grand ally, did not resign themselves to despondency, or attempt by submissions to conciliate the clemency of their invaders. Seeming ashamed of their misbehaviour at the passage of the Boyne (for it does not deserve the name of a battle), and anxious to vindicate their reputation, they every where made a gallant resistance; a circumstance which contributed not a little to aggravate the tormenting reflections of James, by convincing him, that his adverse fortune was more to be ascribed to his own imprudence than to the disloyalty of his subjects, or their want of zeal in his service.

After visiting Dublin, William advanced with his whole army to invest Limerick; into which the remains of James's infantry had thrown themselves, while the cavalry, under the command of Berwick and Tyrconnel, kept the field, in order to convey supplies to the garrison. Limerick is situated on the Shannon, where that river is broad, deep, and rapid. Part of the town stands on the Munster side, part on an island in the Shannon, and the castle on the side of Clare. These three divisions were united by two bridges. William, not daring to cross the Shannon in the face of the enemy's cavalry, invested Limerick only on the south side; so that it was in no danger of being distressed for want of provisions. Aware of this disadvantage, he attempted to carry the place by storm, after having made a practicable breach in the walls. But although ten thousand men, by a kind of surprise, made their way into the town, the Irish charged them with such fury in the streets, that they were driven out with great slaughter.(2) Chagrined at his failure in that assault, which cost him near two thousand men, William raised the siege in disgust, and returned soon after to England.(3)

But this repulse, though inglorious to the British monarch, afforded short relief to the adherents of the dethroned prince. Lord Churchill, created earl of Marlborough, who may justly be denominated the evil genius of James, arrived soon after in Ireland, with five thousand fresh troops. More active and enterprising than William, and even, perhaps, already more deeply skilled in the whole machinery of war, he reduced in a few weeks Cork and Kinsale, though both made a vigorous defence; and having put his army into winter quarters, he returned to England covered with glory at the close of the campaign.(4)

Ireland, however, was by no means yet subdued. Athlone, Galway, Limerick, and other places, still held out. Athlone was besieged in the beginning of the next campaign by baron Ginckle, who commanded the forces of William; and by an effort of boldness and vigour, to which history scarce furnishes a parallel, the place, though strongly garrisoned, was carried by storm and surprise between two and three in the afternoon; although the Irish army lay encamped behind it, and the assailants, who had the Shannon to ford, were breast high in water when they advanced to the breach!-St. Ruth, who commanded the Irish army, and whom Lewis XIV. had sent over for that purpose, at the request of James, filled with shame at his own fatal negligence, determined to hazard a battle with the enemy; and to recover his reputation, or lose the kingdom and his life in the attempt. He accordingly took post at Aghrim, where he waited the approach of Ginckle. An obstinate engagement ensued, in which the fortune of the day remained long doubtful, but at last declared against St. Ruth. He was killed by a can

(2) Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. 1.

(1) James II., 1690. (3) Id. ibid. "He gave out, through Europe," says the duke of Berwick, "that continual rains had been the cause of his abandoning the enterprise; but I can affirm, that not a drop of rain fell for above a month before, or for three weeks after." Mem. vol i (4) Ralph. King. Duke of Berwick.