leading close by Captain Tottenham's. The laft is Orchardlane, leading by an Orchard on the left hand and the quaker's meeting-house on the right, to the great ftores on the Ballaft-quay.

When fpeaking of the Main-ftreet-lane I forgot to mention Bake-house-lane, which is a fort of Court or large Entry, to the right as we go up, i. e. about twelve yards above Barrack-lane, adjoining the Shambles. I am the more particular in this defcription (I fear, even to tediousness) for the convenience of thofe Officers and Soldiers who fought, and who, with the affiftance of this narrative, may be the better enabled to give a farther account, with the greater clearness and fatisfaction. For I am fenfible that there are many amufing incidents relative to the battle, of which I am ignorant; as well as others that I have not related fully; befides many more that I have not leisure to include. On the fituation of Rofs one general obfervation more, which I fhall now make is worth notice. The town is fo over-hung with eminences, fome gradual and others very steep, from Corbet-hill round about, that perhaps few towns in Ireland are more eafy of attack. Thefe and other disadvantages confidered, what fuccefs can any force of ill-armed and as badly difciplined rebels hope for, against an exceedingly inferior number of well-armed and well appointed regular troops; the closeness, regularity and quickness of whose movements, their unreserved, instantaneous, and almost mechanical obedience to orders; with the fenfe of personal honour, and the familiarity with danger, which belong to a disciplined veteran, and embodied foldiery, give fuch firmness and intrepidity to their approach; fuch weight and execution to their attack, as are not to be withstood by loose ranks, even of well-armed and well-appointed but newly-difciplined

troops,

troops, who, by their inexperience, are liable to diforder and confufion; and in whom fear is conftantly augmented by novelty and furprise. *

In an oppofition of pikes against fire-arms great strength does not avail fo very much as a bruiser or cudgel-player may imagine: The trigger of a loaded piece once drawn, though by a child, the ball flies with as much rapidity as if thus diflodged by a Goliah, or a Sampfon; and whether it ftrikes a Goliah or a Sampfon, on any vital part, he must fall."

SECTION IV. ·

OF THE BATTLE OF ROs s.

Apology-Introductory circumstances, just as they occurred to the author's perfonal knowledge the day before-Further circumftances as received by information-The Battle treated of in the like order-Further circumstances confequent thereon-Propofal for continuing this narrative at a future opportunity.

HE must be an ill-natured reader indeed, who, in return for the pains I am at to entertain him, will not allow me the fatisfaction of amusing myself in the narration, by giving it in an order most agreeable to myself; especially when not at all inconvenient to him. Now I think it is placing matters in the most convenient point of view, even to the reader, to diftinguifh what I saw from what I heard. Ought I, in order to avoid the imputation of Egotifm, to write as one who neither faw nor heard a fingle circumftance of what I relate? Am I to proceed, like a writer of long established history, to methodise materials from other works? But it will be faid, perhaps, "This writer fpins out his story by relating his own adventures, and his own feelings or impreffions. " To relate perfectly what I faw, I must account for my feeing it; and I ask, how can this be done? The answer is felf-evi

* See Paley's Philofophy. Vol. 2, Chapter xii. where this fubject is well handled.

dent

dent. And pray, Mr. Critic! whofe feelings or impref fions am I to be guided by? Perhaps yours; but do me the juftice to reflect, that I did not know them; nor, if I did, could I insure their acceptability to the world, any more than that of my own.

But my dear Brother WENTWORTH! I almost forget (as will probably the critic,) that I am writing to you, and that what I write will be read with eager partiality by those who I am most defirous to please; the Monafterevan loyalists, and those in the vicinity of Harristown, Nurney, &c.

On Monday the fourth of June (the day before the battle) an ominous cloud feemed to hang over Ross. The effects of the recent ftory was not yet obliterated from the minds of the loyalifts. Nothing occurred to diffipate the gloom.

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This evening about half an hour after four o'clock, I having occafion to go to the country feat of Mr. CULLIMORE, at the foot of Corbet-hill, paffed the picquet guard about one quarter of a mile, when I saw a small party of peasants a little way before me. I went up to them, led by mere cu riofity, and found them to be rebels armed with pikes, which affected me fenfibly, expecting to be preffed by them, or murdered in cafe of refractorinefs. They all appeared dead drunk; and two of them stepping forward, interrogated me together, one in English and the other in Irish; but both in fuch unintelligible jargon as would on any other occafion provoke laughter. I behaved with an addrefs which, at this distance of time astonishes me, being naturally pufillanimous. I demanded roughly, how they durft leave the remainder of their party? and to that effect. They all became respectfully filent and fuffered me to walk on towards their camp, taking me, as I suppose, for a priest; for I heard them mutter the name of "Father Keefe," or "Keating." Obferving them hurry on precipitately by the more common road, I followed them with my eye for a few minutes, when I perceived at a distance

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distance, an immenfe crowd. Then looking towards Rofs I perceived a foldier not far off, but without belts or fidearms. I ran to him, and he met me with eager respect. I told him what I had feen, and requested him to alarm the picquet-guard; on which he flung a ftone at me and ran off, à green bough which I had not obferved before, Bouncing in his hat. I had a loaded pistol in my pocket, which I imamediately cocked, but was loth to ufe my only charge without urgent neceffity. I foon afterwards met with an old feldier, evidently fo, though dreffed in coloured clothes. To him I made the fame requeft, adding, as my reafon for not doing the business myself, my inability to run far, on account of a wound received in my breast, last war. He looked me earneftly in the face and defired to know my name and place of abode, "for" fays the fhrewd experienced fellow, “we must " take care upon what authority we alarm a garrifon." I fatisfied him in those particulars! and he then informed me that he was upon that very errand; a very common reply on the like occasion, amongst the soldiery, to infure the merit of first tidings. But it appears the old man had his doubts of my veracity; nor was he on any fuch bufinefs; for I could hear nothing more of him, than that he paffed the picquet by virtue of a written permiffion from Sir James Fowles, Colonel of the Mid-Lothian cavalry. Shortly after this a man mounted on an excellent hunter, but with a wretched bridle and faddle, rode quietly up to me, and standing still began to make obfervations on the weather and to ask what it was o'elock? I requefted him alfo to give the alarm; but obferving him turn his whip in his hand, I produced my cocked piftol and infifted on his inftant compliance.-Without further ceremony he galloped on towards the picquet, and I followed him closely with my eye, till I faw him fo far advanced, that I was fure he would not be fuffered to return without examination. I then went chearfully on my jour

ney

ney to Mr. Cullimore's. But I left it early, and led by infatiable curiofity went through fome fields towards Corbetbill.

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I came near enough to be convinced that the great body of people were the rebel army. I viewed them through a hedge. From what I faw I judged them to be about three thousand; but it appears, that I did not fee the one tenth of them: for I have been fince informed, upon good authority, that the whole number was thirty-five thoufand; and that they had, befides pikes, two thousand stand of fire-arms. It was only now they all arrived, and having by hundreds as I am fince informed, first drank large quantities of whiskey, and taken very little other refreshment, pretty quietly they rofe at once, and one of their cannon being fired, they filled the air with repeated huzzas. I could easily perceive they were very drunk; and indeed they proclaimed as much to the garrison; for they continued at certain intervals of their inebriation, wantonly to fire their cannon; and fo fell to drinking again, till from huzzas they changed their notes to hideous yells, which, to my ear, were awfully expreffive of their infernal defigns. Two mufquet fhots were fired across the hedge through which I looked. Whether they were defigned før me, I can not fay, for the firft did not pass within two yards and a half of my head, and the other not very much nearer. Like Falstaff, I inftantly fell; but foon began to creep on all fours in the grafs, till I got a thorn in one of my hands, with which I was fo agonized, that I inftantly rofe, on my feet and ran off as hard as I could. Getting out on the Refs road, I grew exceffively tired, and with great labour walked very lowly against a very gradual eminence. Becoming quite ** faint I fat in a ditch for about ten minutes, when I was alarmIed by what I rightly conjectured to be the ratling of cannon Lywheels, Liftantly rofe, and foon perceived GENERAL JOHNSON on honfeback, accompanied by three other gen

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