324 I R E L A N T>. 
Dunleek, retreated, arid gained the pafs, followed by his 
army, who poured through the defile, not without annoy¬ 
ance from a party of Englifh dragoons. Having halted 
in the open grounds beyond Dunleek, and cannonaded 
their purfuers, they retired in good order. Their lofs, in 
a battle fought between the mod numerous armies that 
had ever engaged in Ireland, is ftated at 1500, and that 
of the conquerors at five hundred. 
James continued his flight with fuch precipitation, 
that he reached Dublin the very fame night. Early next 
morning he afiembled the magiftrates, told them that, fince 
he had been deferted by his Englifh army, and that of Ire¬ 
land had fled from the enemy, he muft yield to hie for¬ 
tune, and exhorted them to fubmit to his rival. Then 
renewing his flight, and ordering all the bridges to be 
broken down behind him, he embarked at Waterford, 
and failed for France. Molt of the Irifh troops, palling 
through Dublin in their retreat, directed their march to 
Athione and Limeric. Irritated at the charge of cowar¬ 
dice brought againft them by their pufillanimous mo¬ 
narch, they were not fparing of fevere animad verfions on 
his conduct, and indignantly exclaimed, “ Let the Eng- 
-lifh change kings with us, and we will fight the battle 
over again.” The metropolis, abandoned by its officers 
both civil and military, had nearly fallen a prey to the 
horrors of anarchy. The proteftants were about to re¬ 
taliate on the catholics the cruelties exercifed upon them- 
felves, when Fitzgerald, a military officer whofe family 
and character gave him confiderable influence, affirmed 
the government of the town, gained poffeflion of the 
-caftle, and fent expreffes to William for immediate af- 
iiftancel Troops were in confequence difpatclied, and 
the metropolis was fecured. 
The garrifon of Drogheda having furrendered to the 
.king immediately after his wiftory at the Boyne, he de¬ 
tached general Douglas to reduce Athione, while he him- 
ielf proceeded llowly fouthward with the main body of 
his army, and encamped at Finglafs, two miles from 
•Dublin. A day of foiemn thankfgiving for his fuccefs 
was appointed by the proteftant clergy, and he iffued a 
.proclamation alluring all, except the “ defperate leaders 
of the rebellion,” of pardon and protection. A more li¬ 
beral policy would probably have put an end at once to 
the Irifh war; but the avidity of William’s followers for 
confilcation probably triumphed over his better judg¬ 
ment. The principal men among the catholics, rendered 
defperate by their exclufion from the amnefty, laboured 
to attach the lower orders to their party, and thefe en¬ 
deavours were but too powerfully feconded by the in- 
juftice and oppreflion of the agents of the new govern¬ 
ment. The news of the fuccefs of the French in the 
Netherlands, and the victory gained by their fleet over 
the combined fquadrons of England and Holland, off 
Beachy-head, defignedly magnified and embellifhed by 
fiftion, likewife encouraged William’s enemies to perfe- 
vere with vigour in their reflftance. Neverthelefs Wex¬ 
ford declared in his favour; Clonmell was abandoned by 
the Irifh ; and Waterford and Duncannon furrendered, 
on condition that their garrifons fhould march away with 
arms and baggage. 
During thefe operations, Douglas, who had marched to 
Athione, laid fiege to that town ; but finding his artillery 
quite inadequate to the undertaking, and alarmed by a 
report that a powerful army was advancing to cut off his 
retreat, he decamped at midnight, and rejoined the king, 
•who was then on his march to attack Limeric, the prin¬ 
cipal poft now remaining to his enemies. This place was 
ftrongly fortified, and the feafon advanced ; yet William, 
whofe army was reduced to 20,000 men, began his ap¬ 
proaches on the 9th of Auguft. To this meafure he was 
probably induced by the affurance that the principal 
French officers had abandoned the town, that all the 
troops of that nation in Limeric, amounting to 3000, had 
declared their refolution of capitulating feparately, and 
leaving Ireland, but had been diverted from this inten¬ 
tion by the clamours and importunities of the Irifh ; and 
that Boilcau, one of their generals, had affumed the 
command in the city, while the Irifh lay encamped on 
the Connaught fide of the Shannon, having fecured the 
paffes of that river, and prepared to fupply the place with 
reinforcements and provifions. To William’s fummons 
JBoileau replied, that he was determined to merit the 
good opinion of the prince of Orange by a vigorous de¬ 
fence. Three days after the commencement of the fiege, 
the governor, having received intelligence that a convoy 
with artillery and other necefl'aries was on its way to the 
Englifh army, under a flight efcort, difpatched Sarsfield 
with a chofen body of cavalry to intercept it. Croffing 
the Shannon twelve miles from Limeric, and marching 
by unfrequented roads, that officer furpriled the efcort at 
the diftance of only feven miles from William’s army, 
killed or difperfed the whole party, fpiked the cannon, 
deftroyed the ammunition, and returned in fafety to the 
town. While this fuccefs infufed new fpirit into the 
befieged, and difcontent began to pervade the’ Englifh 
camp, William, whofe equanimity no viciffitudes of for¬ 
tune were capable of disturbing, furnifhed his batteries 
with two pieces of cannon which had efcaped the general 
deftruition, and others brought from Waterford, and 
opened his trenches on the 18th of Auguft. A breach 
of twelve yards being made, he gave orders on the 27th 
for an aflault againft the counterfcarp and two towers 01.1 
either fide of the breach. Five hundred grenadiers ac¬ 
cordingly advanced, carried the counterfcarp, from which 
they diflodged the enemy, and, purfuing them to the 
very breach amidft a tremendous fire, many even entered 
the town, while the Irifh fled in confufion from the walls. 
The fugitives, foon rallying, overwhelmed thofe whofe 
ardour had thus carried them too far; they rufhed with 
fury to the breach, and to the other parts of the walls, 
the very women mingling with the men, and throwing 
ftones at the aflailants. After a defperate conteft of 
three hours, in which five hundred of the Englifh troops 
were killed and fifteen hundred wounded, William or¬ 
dered a retreat. A truce, which he demanded the fol¬ 
lowing day for the interment of the (lain, was haughtily 
refufed by the governor. The Englifh were eager for 
another aflault; but the king, fearing the rifk that migh‘ 
be incurred from farther delay in an advanced feafon, 
retired flowly without moleftation. Leaving his army at 
Clonmel under the command of count Solms and Ginkel, 
and the civil government to two lords juftices, he em¬ 
barked at Duncannon for England, where his prefence 
had become neceffary. 
During the fiege of Limeric, the earl, afterwards fo 
celebrated as the duke, of Marlborough, having made a 
propofal, which was accepted, for the reduction of Cork 
and Kinfale, landed near the former city with 5000 men. 
Being joined by nearly as many detached from the army 
under Ginkel, on whom the chief command had de¬ 
volved, he ‘laid fiege to Cork. Here fell the duke of 
Grafton, the moft refpefted of the fons of Charles II. 
. who ferved as a volunteer under Marlborough. A breach 
being effected, the aflailants were preparing to ftorm the 
place, on which the garrifon furrendered as prifoners of 
war. Kinfale was immediately fummoned ; but the com¬ 
mander returned a haughty anfwer, and threatened to 
kill the meffenger. Setting fire to the town, he placed 
the garrifon in two fortreffes; one of which after an ob- 
ftinate refiftance was taken by ftorm, the governor with 
half of his men being flain; the other withftood a vigo¬ 
rous attack of ten days, when the garrifon capitulated on 
condition of being allowed to march with arms and bag¬ 
gage to Limeric. Marlborough, having thus completed 
his enterprife in twenty-three days, returned to England. 
On the retreat of the Englifh army from .Limeric, Boi- 
leau and the French troops, being recalled in confequence 
of the reprefentations made by 'James .'of the cowardice of 
the Irifh, marched to Galway, and embarked for France. 
The Irilh beheld the departure of their allies without re¬ 
grets 
