210 M‘Sweeny, on the Cimate of Ireland. 
About the middle of March, 1643, the Marquis of Ormonde’s army at the siege of 
Ross, suffered from ‘ continual rains."—TVarner’s Civil Wars, Vol. I. p. 252. 
In the middle of June, 1643, some cavalry under Lord Castlehaven, “being fa- 
voured by the rain,” succeeded in a charge, in routing the troops under Sir Charles 
Vavasour.— Varner, Vol. I. p. 271. 
The forces of the council of Kilkenny, in 1645, laid siege to the fort of Dun- 
cannon “in January, and in extreme bad weather.”—/Varner. 
When O’Neil and Preston, advanced in the winter of 1646, to Dublin, to besiege 
it, the bad weather and a flood in the Liffey, which carried away some bridges, in- 
terfered with their operations.— Varner. 
In September, 1649, the English fleet, with an army, and Cromwell aboard, were 
put into Dublin by a strong gale from the south.— Ludlow’s Memoirs. 
The English army, shortly after their arrival. were affected with flux. Ludlow. 
Cromwell laid siege to Wexford, in October 1649, and took it after a short time. 
The Marquis of Ormonde was greatly disappointed, for he had flattered himself that 
it “would hold Cromwell long enough in play until his forces, which were unused to 
the climate of Ireland, would be so considerably reduced by the fatigues of a siege at 
such a season.” —/Varner, Vol. II. p. 188. 
*« Though the siege of Wexford had been very short, yet Cromwell’s army were not 
all pleased with a winter campaign, and complaining of great hardships, began to 
mutiny.”—TIbid, p. 189. 
A. D. 1650 “ The English army were much wasted with sickness and hard duty, as 
well as the plague, and the greatest part of those he (Cromwell) had brought 
with him, had perished; but the fatal revolt of the Munster forces, had recruited him 
with men, habituated to the climate, and inured to the hardships of an Irish war.”— 
Ibid, p. 208. 
A.D. 1651, Siege of Limerick—* Ireton lost many men by hard service, change 
of food, and alteration of the climate.”?—Tbid, p. 243. 
Cromwell’s army being attacked with flux soon after their arrival, coincides with the 
account of the climate which had been given by Campion. 
We can judge of the general character of the climate of Ireland, on an average of 
years from the work of Doctor Boate. He observes—“ So that the Irish air is greatly 
defectuous in this part, and too much subject to wet and rainy weather, wherein if it 
were of somewhat a better temperature, and as free from too much wet, as it is from 
excessive cold, it would be one of the sweetest and pleasantest in the whole world ; 
and very few countries could be named that might be compared with Ireland for 
agreeable temperature. Although it is unlikely that any revolution of times will pro- 
duce any considerable alteration in this, (the which indeed in some other countries, 
hath caused wonderful changes) because that those who, many years ago, have written 
of this island, do witness the self same things of it in this particular, as we do find 
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