I R E L A N D. 
32® 
defpalr towards Strabane, and the miferably-emaciated 
defenders of the town had fcarcely fnatched a hafty re- 
frelbment, before they exerted their fmall remains of 
ftrength in the purfuit of them. Of the garrifon, 4300 
furvived the hardfhipsof this memorable fiege, which had 
lafted one hundred and five days; but, out of this num¬ 
ber, above a thoufand were incapable of fervice. 
The flight of the befiegers was haftened by an impor¬ 
tant viftory gained by the proteftants collected at Ennif- 
killen, who had from the firft extremely embarrafled 
James’s adherents. Their excurfions were fo fuccefsful, 
that the terror of their name extended even to the capi¬ 
tal. Having procured arms and ammunition by a viftory 
at Belturbet, and fupplies from Kirk, they excited fuch 
apprehenfions, that three armies under Macarthy, Sarf- 
field, and the duke of Berwick, a natural fon of James II. 
were employed to attack them at once from different 
quarters. To ignorance of their danger the proteftants 
of Ennilkillen owed their l'afety. Informed only of the 
approach of Sarsfield’s force, they advanced with fuch ra¬ 
pidity to meet him, as to furprife his camp, and put his 
army to the rout with great daughter. Berwick, declin¬ 
ing an encounter with fuch impetuous adverfaries, thought 
fit to retreat; while Macarthy, returning viftorious from 
Munfter, where he had reduced lord Inchiquin, continued 
his progrefs. A general engagement took place at New¬ 
town Butler.. The Ennifkilleners, commanded by colonel 
Wolfey, one of Kirk’s officers, defeated and purfued the 
snemy with dreadful daughter. Two thoufand fell by 
the fword, five hundred were drowned in the neighbour 
ing lake, and as many were made prifoners. Among 
thefe was the general, who, defperately wounded, in the 
anguilh of grief for his difgrace, expreffed his fears left 
his wounds Ihould not prove mortal. 
During the tranfaftions in the north, the parliament 
iummoned by James met at Dublin. In his fpeech from 
the throne, the king declared his abhorrence of invading 
the rights either of confcience or property, and profeffed 
his readinefs to affent to wliolefome laws in general, and 
to the relieving of perfons injured by the afts of fettle- 
ament, as far as might be confiftent with reafon, juftice, 
and the public good. He alio publifhed a declaration, 
alluring his proteftant fubjefts of his proteftion of their 
rights both civil and religious. The proceedings of the 
parliament foon gave the Be to thefe profeliions. Not 
content with repealing the adds of fetdement and expla¬ 
nation, a meafure calculated to deprive alrnoft every Irilh 
proteftant who could write of his eftate, an aft of attain¬ 
der was pafted againft all Irilh fubjefts who had entered 
into the fervice of king William ; or who, from their reli- 
dence in Britain, were judged to be his adherents. Two 
thoufand four hundred and fixty one perfons of all ranks 
were included in the fentence of death and forfeiture of 
their eftates, unlefs they Ihould furrender within a limited 
time 5 and the aft, fo framed as to preclude the king from 
all power of pardoning after the ill of November, 1689, 
was carefully concealed in the cultody of the chancellor 
from the perfons whole lives and properties were thus de¬ 
voted. 
This parliament had voted the king a fubfidy of 20,000k 
a-month to be levied on lands. Finding this fupply in- 
fufficient for his wants, James had recourfe to the expe¬ 
dient of coining money from bafe metal, fuch as that of 
old cannon, which he ordered by proclamation to be taken 
as legai payment at the rate of five pounds fterlingfor one 
pound weight, really worth about fourpence. Subfequent 
reftriftions railed the nominal value of this coin Iti 11 higher, 
lo that a debt of a thoufand pounds might be dii'charged 
by bafe money fcarcely worth thirty lhillings. The hard- 
Ihips to which all ranks mult have been expofed by this 
infamous project may ealily be conceived. 
James at the fame lime proceeded vigoroufly in the ex¬ 
ecution of meafures which feemed to have for their aim 
nothing lefs .than the extermination of the proteftants. 
The governors^ of the pniverlity of Dublin, having, con¬ 
fiftent ly with their oaths, refufed to admit a catholic t© a 
fenior-fellowlhip, became the objefts of his vengeance. 
The fellows and fcholars were ejefted by an armeu force; 
the chapel converted into a magazine, and the chambers 
into prifons. By the intercellion of the bifhop of Meath, 
the members obtained their liberty, but on the exprels 
condition that three of them Ihould not meet together on 
pain cl death. The library was fortunately refcued from 
the ravages of barbarous troops by Moor, a Romiffi cccle- 
fialtic, a man of letters and liberal fentiments, who was 
appointed provolt by the king. 
With the fanftion of the magiftrates, the Romilh clergy 
feized proteftant churches for their own ule, not only m 
the country, but all'o in the capital. James indeed com¬ 
manded their reftitution, but he was not oneyed ; and, 
though he made Tome exertions to enforce his orders, he 
was completely foiled in the attempt. But the wretched 
proteftants were doomed to experience ftill more ferious 
afflictions. When they offered the bafe coin in exchange 
for provilions, thefe were inttantly leized for the king’s 
ufe, upon the pretext that they were deftined for the l'up- 
ply of his enemies. An order was ilfued by the governor 
of Dublin, forbidding more than live proteftants to meet 
together, even in church, on pain of death; and fuch ar¬ 
rangements were made, that a perfon of this perfuafioa 
could fcarcely procure a model to eat or a drop to drink 
in the whole metropolis. In Ihort, lbme of the catholics 
did not fcruple to declare it to be the plan of their party 
to ftarve one half of the proteftants, and to hang the 
other. 
A Heady perfeverance in this plan muft foon have ac- 
compliihed the intended purpofe, had not the attention 
of the perlecutors been diverted to other objefts. In the 
middle of Auguft, 10,000 men, part of the force prepared 
by king William for the reduction of Ireland, arrived in 
the bay of Carrickfergus, under the command of duke 
Schomberg. Landing at Bangor, in the county of Down, 
this general fent detachments to take poffellion of Belfaft 
and Antrim, abandoned by the enemy ; and with the 
main body of his forces laid liege to Carrickfergus, which 
in a few days capitulated. He next intended to attack 
Carlingford, but the enemy, retiring as he approached, 
burned that town, as well as Newry. In this career of 
devaltation they were checked by Schomberg, who threat¬ 
ened to give no quarter unlefs they Ihould defift. Dun¬ 
dalk was abandoned without conflagration; and about a 
mile from that place Schomberg encamped in a low moilt 
fituation, with the mountains of Newry to the eaft, and 
a traft compofed of hills and bogs to the north. Here ha 
fortified himfelf in fuch a manner, that the enemy could 
not pollibly force him to a battle. Various confiderationg 
had induced Schomberg to halt at a moment when his 
advance had Itruckfuch terror into James’s adherents, that 
they would have abandoned Drogheda, and Dublin alio, 
had it not been for the oppoiition of Tyrconnel. The 
Engliih army had not yet been joined by its artillery, 
which had been lent by lea to Carlingford. In the plains 
which now iay before it, the numerous cavalry of the 
enemy might have intercepted its fupplies ; and, being 
chiefly compofed of new levies, unuled to hardlhip, its 
ranks began to be thinned by fatigue and difeafe. The 
ravages of the latter foon increafed to fuch a degree, that 
the camp refembled one vaft hol'pital. Dyfentery, and a 
contagious fever communicated trom the garrifon of Derry, 
fwept off the drooping foldiers, who at length became fo 
familiarized with death, foiiftlefs and infenliole, that they 
employed the carcafes of their comrades for feats or Ihelter, 
and murmured when deprived of theie conveniencies by 
their interment. 
While theEnglilh army was thus enfeebled by licknefs,. 
a force of near 30,000 men was drawn together to oppofe it 
James advanced at its head, with the royal ftandard, and 
made difpoiitions that feemed-to indicate a refolution to 
ftonn Schomberg’s entrenchments. Such was the ardour 
which.pervaded, the troops of the-latter, that even the fick 
feiaed 
