250 



IRELAND. 



History. 



Battle of 

 Aghrim. 



ken down, and die Shannon being here extremely deep, 

 and at the same time very nsrrow. Ginckle, under 

 these circinnitancfs, twice attempted to repair the 

 bridge, but the works were destroyed. His officers and 

 troops, instead of being discouraged, were eager to ford 

 the river, notwithstanding the obstacles and dangers to 

 which they would be thus exposed ; and the general 

 giving way to their impetuosity, they rushed into the 

 stream, gained the oppt>ii shore, and in spite of the 

 enemy's incessant fire, in halt' nn hour were masters of 

 the town. This disaster increased the mutual hatred 

 of the Irish and French ; and of it, and the hatred thus 

 increased, Ginckle endeavoured to take advantage, by 

 issuing a proclamation, offering pardon to those who 

 woulci desert James. This offer, however, produced 

 little effect; and it was evident that the cause must be 

 entirely decided by force of- arms. 



Saint Ruth, immediately on the reduction of Ath- 

 lone, retired with his army, which consisted of 25,000 

 men, to the heights of Kilcommeden. Here he took 

 up a strong position, and awaited the approach of Ginc- 

 kle, who was not slow in following him, notwithstand- 

 ing his army consisted of only 18,000 men. This infe- 

 riority, however, was amply compensated by the spirit 

 by which his soldiers were actuated. Indeed a most 

 bloody contest was about to take place. The first ef- 

 fort of Ginckle was to force a pass on the right of the 

 enemy ; and this having been effected, his whole left 

 wing advanced through it, and attacked the right of the 

 Irish. The contest was severely contended ; and the 

 Irish, even after they were obliged to give way, retired 

 only to flank their assailants in their turn. Saint Kwh, 

 as soon as he was informed of the attack on his right, 

 drew great part of his cavalry from his left to support 

 it. Advantage was immediately taken of this, and or- 

 ders given to force the pass of Aghrim Castle on the 

 left of the enemy by the cavalry, while the infantry 

 made a movement to support this attack. The latter 

 charging with impetuosity, the enemy designedly gave 

 way, and the assailants, pursuing too far, were over- 

 powered by a charge on the front and flank at the same 

 time. The cavalry, however, had succeeded in their 

 object, which induced Saint Ruth to make them the 

 principal object of his attack. But, while he was giv- 

 ing orders to that effect, he was slain by a cannon ball. 

 The disputes between the French and Irish now pro- 

 duced the most fatal results; for Saarfield, the Irish 

 general, being totally unacquainted with Saint Ruth's 

 plans, was unable to follow them up, and, before he 

 could decide in what manner to act, the English were 

 victorious. Their loss was only 700 killed and 1000 

 wounded, whereas the Irish lost 7000, besides 450 pri- 

 soners, and all their cannon, ammunition, &c. 



Allowing his troops a few days repose, Ginckle march- 

 ed against Galway, which soon surrendered, on condi- 

 tion that its garrison should be permitted to march to 

 Limeric. The terms in other respects were liberal as 

 well as politic ; for, as soon as they were known, con- 

 siderable numbers deserted the cause of James. Still, 

 however* his partizans were numerous, and such as re- 

 mained firm, were animated by a most determined spi- 

 rit of resistance. 



No place of consequence now remained to James ex- 

 cept Limeric, and thither Ginckle directed his march. 

 Recollecting, however, the ill success of his master be- 

 fore this place, he resolved to proceed with the utmost 

 caution. He took measures to prevent the garrison re- 

 ceiving supplies by sea, and to secure his own commu- 

 nication with Kerry, in case he should be obliged to 



Limeric 



taken. 



Articles of 

 Limeric. 



take up his winter quarters there. As the garrison Kirtoty.' 

 was equal in numbers to his own army, it would have s ""~r""' 

 been madness to have attempted to have "taken the 

 town by assault. Instead, therefore, of\ra-,tin;>; his tim; 

 in making breaches in the walls, he resolved to cut clF 

 their provisions, by cutting them off from the county 

 of Clare, whence they were drawn. This enterprize 

 was successfully performed, to the surprise and comter- 

 nation of the Irish, who, when they saw the batteries 

 dismounted, thought that the siege was about to be rais- 

 ed. The next object of the general was to gain posses- 

 sion of Thomond Bridge and King's Island, which lie 

 to the north of what is called the English Town. The 

 Shannon was crossed, the works that protected the 

 bridge were approached and stormed, and, after a des- 

 perate resistance, the English made a lodgment with- 

 in ten yards of it. Ginckle was surprised at his own 

 success ; but a general engagement which the enemy 

 ought to have hazarded on this occasion, was prevented 

 by the disputes between the Irish and the French. 

 This dissension, together with the success of the Eng- 

 lish, produced an offer to capitulate ; and Gmckle here, 

 as at Athlone, gave the most liberal terms. I n a few 

 days after Limeric was thus reduced, a FrencM fleet ap- 

 peared in the Shannon, with such applies of troops, 

 &c. as must have rendered it impossible, if they had 

 got into the city, to have taken it. 



The articles of Limeric, as they are called, that is, 

 the terms on which this city, and all the other posts in 

 possession of the adherents of James, were surrendered, 

 were in substance as follows: " That the Catholics 

 should enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their re- 

 ligion, as were consistent with law, or such as they had 

 enjoyed in the reign of Charles II.: That their Ma- 

 jesties, as soon as their affairs -would permit, should 

 summon a parliament, and endeavour to procure from 

 it such further security as might preserve them from 

 being troubled on account of their religion : That all 

 the Irish in the kingdom in the service of James, should 

 be pardoned, and exempted from all actions for debt, 

 on account of plunder committed by them in the course 

 of the war: That they should be reinstated in their 

 property, and in their rights and titles, as soon as they 

 took the oath of allegiance, enjoined by an act of the 

 English parliament in the first year of King William's 

 reign : That every lord and gentleman, who was inclu- 

 ded in this capitulation, should be allowed to carry 

 arms for defence or amusement: That the garrisons 

 should march away with all the honours of war: And 

 that those who might choose to leave Ireland, should be 

 permitted to carry off their effects to any country ex- 

 cept Britain, ships being provided for that purpose by 

 the British government. Fourteen thousand Irish 

 availed themselves of this article, and left their native 

 country." 



As William was now completely master of Ireland, 

 it was hoped and expected that he would immediately 

 summon an Irish parliament, but this he did not do 

 till 1692, when he wanted money. In the mean time 

 the English parliament legislated for Ireland ; the most 

 important of their acts was one to substitute other 

 oaths, instead of the oath of supremacy, which, in fact, 

 excluded Catholics from both houses of parliament. In 

 1692, when the Irish parliament met, it became evi- 

 dent that the commons were disposed to stand up for 

 the' rights of their country much more firmly than Wil- 

 liam wished or expected ; they even went so far, as to 

 contend that Poyniiig's law did not extend to money 

 bills, and rejected one that was sent over to them from 



William* 

 summons 

 an Irish 

 parliament. 

 A. D. 1692. 



