except Carrickfergus, of which they determined, if poffible, to keep poffeffion. The English general attacked it by fea and land, and obliged the garrifon to capitulate in four days. Here he was joined by more of the troops from England, by the forces which Kirk had brought over to Ireland, and by the brave Ennifkilleners.

K

As the artillery horfes had not yet arrived, he ordered the cannon by fea to Carlingford, whilst he conducted the army thither by land. Before he advanced, the enemy burned that town and Newry. He put a stop to fuch barbarities, by declaring that if they perfifted in them he would fhew no quarter. Schomberg proceeded forward, until he came within a mile of Dundalk.

As the fleet with the cannon and other neceffaries had not yet arrived, and his men, a great part of whom were new levies, had confiderably suffered by their march, here he encamped. On the front, towards the Weft, a river protected him from the enemy, on the Weft, Newry mountains, and on the North, hills and bogs intermixed.

BUT there were other evils, which he could not prevent, and by which he was exceedingly injured. Unprovided in many neceffaries, prevented from exercife, confined in a damp fituation, and expofed to rainy weather, his foldiers were feized by ficknefs, which a peftilential disease, that unfortunately broke out in the camp, greatly aggravated. From thefe diftreffes, the enemy who were encamped on the neighbouring hills, and in full command of the open country, were in a great measure exempted. This favourable circumftance, their great fuperio rity in numbers and other advantages, induced them to use every endeavour to bring Schomberg to an engagement, but he carefully avoided a battle, in which,

which, it appears from his letters, where he gives a very affecting view, of the many unfavourable circumstances and diftreffes in his fituation, he was perfectly juftified.

UPON the approach of Winter, each army broke up their camp in order to retire into quarters. That of the English presented a scene of human calamity, quite fhocking to the imagination. The whole camp, from the number of the diseased, appeared like one common hofpital. When the fick were to be removed, from an apprehenfion of the aggravating pains they were about to endure, they filled the air with their cries and lamentations. The. miferies they anticipated were more than realized. By the jolting of the waggons, the feverity of the weather, the groans of the dying around them, and the fight of the dead bodies, which strewed the road as they paffed along, their fituation was rendered dreadful beyond defcription. Some of them cried out in anguish to their companions for affiftance; others, funk by their fufferings into the depth of defpair, adjured thofe around to kill them and put an end to their mifery. The most obdurate beholders could not look at fuch fpectacles of wretchedness, without exquifite fenfibility. Schomberg was deeply afflicted by the general calamity, which by every attention in his power, he endeavoured to alleviate. He was eighty years of age, and therefore ill qualified, for bearing the diftreffes of fuch an affecting fcene. From the time that the foldiers entered the eamp, eight thousand of them died of diftempera

ture.

Farewell.

N 2

LET

TH

HE people of England being much difappointed, made loud complaints with respect to this unfortunate expedition. Tories in particular took advantage of it, to enflame the difcontents of thofe, who were disposed to be dissatisfied with the revolution. In the house of commons, ftrict enquiries were made concerning the causes of the ill fuccess, which had attended the operations of the army. Among others, it appeared that Shales the purveyor, had been highly culpable, with respect to feveral matters entrusted to his care, more especially the artillery and provifions. In confequence of which he was feized and ordered into cuftody.

MEAN while, Schomberg exerted himself with the greatest industry, to put himself into a capacity of retrieving his late misfortune. He used every means, and that fuccefsfully, of restoring to health the diseased foldiers. He fent to England for recruits, to fill up the place of those who had perished. By the co-operation of government with his endeavours a reinforcement of Danes was fent to him, under the command of the Prince of Wirtemberg, which confiderably encreased his ftrength. These efforts, the defeat of the Duke of Berwick at Cavan by the Enniskilleners, with the apprehenfion, that the enemy would receive ftill more formidable affiftance from England, previous to the enfuing campaign, obliged James to apply to France for a reinforcement. Lewis fent him five thousand foldiers, under the command of Count Lauzun. For them, he exchanged an equal number of his own fubjects, whom he found from experience, to be incapable, of themselves, to fupport his exertions for recovery of

the

the crown. He thought also, that by this means, a fpirit of emulous competition would be excited in the foldiers of both nations.

IN Spring, the English reduced Charlemont, a place of confiderable importance. Schom- 1690. berg detached Caillemot, a fpirited officer,

against it with a body of troops. O'Regan the governor, made a brave defence, but want of provifions obliged him to furrender.

war.

FOR fome time, William had refolved to come over and take upon him in perfon, the conduct of the Irish The fame party spirit, which had created to him in other respects perplexing difficulties, delayed the execution of this defign. From the beginning, he had nothing to expect from the difaffected, but oppofition to the measures of his government. That his endeavours to promote the public good fhould be counteracted, that in almoft every instance, he should experience the most unfriendly jealoufy, from the very men who had placed him on the throne; men who by every tie of honor and every principle of gratitude, were called upon to treat him with that respect and veneration, due to the friend of their violated rights and the faviour of their country, was a circumftance of which he could have had no conception.

He felt it with the ftrongeft difpleafure. In his moments of bitter chagrin, he had thoughts of relinquishing the government, and of returning to Holland, to be delivered from the inquietudes, arifing from fuch difhonourable and unmerited usage. As the parliament could not be prevailed with, to grant him the neceffary fupplies, he diffolved it, changed his ministers, caft himself upon the tories who engaged to fupport him, and having committed the government to the Queen, accompanied by Prince

N 3

George

George of Denmark, and a number of his most refpectable nobility, fet off for Ireland, and to the unspeakable joy of the friends of liberty and the 107 Proteftant religion, arrived at Carrickfergus on the 5 695 fourteenth of June fixteen hundred and ninety. He had not a moment to lofe. His abfence from England was quite inconvenient, even dangerous to his affairs. Parties there were still in a commotion, each pursuing their respective objects, with a degree of intemperance, which even his own prefence was infufficient to restrain.

FRANCE was bufy in making formidable preparations; every hour ftrengthened the impreffions unfavourable to his caufe, occafioned by the disap pointments" of the laft campaign. James daily encreased in force. Having received an addrefs from the Proteftant clergy of Ulfter, and iffued a proclamation, by which he declared, that all dutiful subjects fhould be protected in their rights, and enjoined all officers and foldiers to obferve ftrict military difci+ pline, and in no refpects to injure the inhabitants, he fet off with his army.

Ar Hillsborough, from a sense of justice and of gratitude, to men who had fuffered much in his caufé, and were strongly attached to the principles of the revolution, he granted by warrant twelve hundred pounds annually, to the minifters of Prefbyterian diffenting congregations in Ireland. Charles the Second had made them a fimilar acknowlegement, for their attachment to the crown.

ALL his forces being collected from their feveral quarters of cantonment, met the King at Loughbrickland. He reviewed them with minute attention, and discovered a particular follicitude, that they should be provided with every neceffary; of this he was more anxious, than that he himself fhould have the

luxuries

117