marches of Wales was abolished, as an intolerable oppression. The protestant clergymen, who had been forced to leave their benefices in Ireland, were rendered capable of holding any living in England, without forfeiting their title to their former preferment, with the proviso that they should resign their English benefices when restored to those they had been obliged to relinquish. The statute of Henry IV. against multiplying gold and silver was now repealed: the subjects were allowed to melt and refine metals and ores, and extract gold and silver from them, on condition that it should be brought to the Mint, and converted into money, the owners receiving its full value in current coin. These, and several other bills of smaller importance being passed, the two houses adjourned to the twentieth day of September, and afterwards to the nineteenth day of October.

NOTES.

! Somers's Collection. Reresby. Burnet. 2 Sir John Holt was appointed lord chief justice of the king's bench, and Air Henry Pollexfen of the common pleas: the earl of Devonshire was

made lord steward of the household, and the earl of Dorset lord chambe lain.-Ralph.

3 Burnet

Reresby. King. Belcarres, De la Fayette. Voltaire.

CHAPTER II.

Duke of Schomberg lands with an Army in Ireland.... The Inniskilliners obtain a Victory over the Irish.... Schomberg censured for his Inactivity....The French worsted at Walcourt....Success of the Confederates in Germany.... The Turks defeated at Pacochin, Nissa, and Widen....Death of Pope Innocent XI....King William becomes unpopular....A good Number of the Clergy refuse to take the Oaths....The King grants a Commission for reforming Church Discipline.... Meeting of the Convocation....Their Session discontinued by repeated Prorogations.... Proceedings in Parliament.... The Whigs obstruct the Bill of Indemnity.....The Commons resume the Enquiry into the Cause of the Miscarriages in Ireland.... King William irritated against the Whigs.... Plot against the Government by Sir James Montgomery discovered by Bishop Burnet....Warm Debates in Parliament about the Corporation Bills.... The King resolves to finish the Irish War in Person.... General Ludlow arrives in England, but is obliged to withdraw.... Efforts of the Jacobites in Scotland.... The Court Interest triumphs over all Opposition in that Country....The Tory Interest prevails in the New Parliament of England.... Bill for recognising their Majesties.... Another violent Contest about the Bill of Abjuration.... King William lands in Ireland....King James marches to the Boyne....William resolves to give him Battle.... Battle of the Boyne.... Death and Character of Schomberg....James embarks for France ....William enters Dublin and publishes his Declaration.... The French obtain a Victory over the English and Dutch Fleets off Beachy-head....Torrington committed Prisoner to the Tower.... Progress of William in Ireland ....He Invests Limerick; but is obliged to raise the Siege, and returns to England.... Cork and Kinsale reduced by the Earl of Marlborough.... Lauzun and the French Forces quit Ireland.... The Duke of Savoy joins the Confede racy....Prince Waldeck defeated at Fleurus....The Archduke Joseph elected King of the Romans.... Death of the Duke of Lorrain.... Progress of the War against the Turks.... Meeting of the Parliament....The Commons comply with all the King's Demands.... Petition of the Tories in the City of London... Attempt against the Marquis of Caermarthen.... The King's Voyage to Ho land....He assists at a Congress.... Returns to England.

SCHOMBERG LANDS WITH AN ARMY.

HOUGH the affairs of Ireland were extremely pressing,

THOU

and the protestants of that country had made repeated application for relief, the succours were retarded either by disputes among the ministers, or the neglect of those who had the management of the expedition, in such a manner, that king James had been six months in Ireland before the army was embarked for that kingdom. At length, eighteen regiments of infantry, and five of dragoons, being raised for that service, a train of artillery provided, and transports prepared, the duke of Schomberg, on whom king

William had conferred the chief command of this armament, set out for Chester, after he had in person thanked the commons for the uncommon regard they had paid to his services, and received assurances from the house, that they would pay particular attention to him and his army. On the thirteenth day of August he landed in the neighbourhood of Carrickfergus with about ten thousand foot and dragoons, and took possession of Belfast, from whence the enemy retired at his approach to Carrickfergus, where they resolved to make a stand. The duke having refreshed his men, marched thither, and invested the place: the siege was carried on till the twenty-sixth day of the month, when the breaches being practicable, the besieged capitulated, on condition of marching out with their arms, and as much baggage as they could carry on their backs: and of their being conducted to the next Irish garrison, which was at Newry. During this siege the duke was joined by the rest of his army from England: but he had left orders for conveying the greater part of the artillery and stores from Chester directly to Carlingford. He now began his march through Lisburne and Hillsborough, and encamped at Drummore, where the protestants of the north had been lately routed by Hamilton. thence he proceeded to Loughbrillane, where he was joined by the horse and dragoons of Inniskilling. Then the enemy abandoned Newry and Dundalk, in the neighbourhood of which Schomberg encamped on a low, damp, ground, having the town and river on the south, and surrounded on every other part by hills, bogs, and mountains.

THE INNISKILLINERS OBTAIN A VICTORY.

His army, consisting chiefly of new-raised men little inured to hardship, began to flag under the fatigue of marching, the inclemency of the weather, and scarcity of provision. Here he was reinforced by the regiments of Kirke, Hanmer, and Stuart; and would have continued his march to Drogheda, where he understood Rosene lay with about twenty thousand men, had he not been obliged

to wait for the artillery, which was not yet arrived at Carlingford. King James, having assembled all his forces, advanced towards Schomberg, and appeared before his intrenchments in order of battle: but the duke, knowing they were greatly superior in number of horse, and that bis own army was undisciplined, and weakened by death and sickness, restrained his men within the lines, and in a little time the enemy retreated. Immediately after their departure, a conspiracy was discovered in the English camp, hatched by some French papists, who had insinuated themselves into the protestant regiments. One of these, whose name was Du Plessis, had written a letter to the ambassador, D'Avaux, promising to desert with all the papists of the three French regiments in Schomberg's army. This letter being found, Du Plessis and five. accomplices were tried by a court-martial, and executed. About two hundred and fifty papists being discovered in the French regiments, they were sent over to England, from thence to Holland. While Schomberg remained in this situation, the Inniskilliners made excursions in the neighbourhood, under the command of colonel Lloyd; and on the twenty-seventh day of September they obtained a complete victory over five times their number of the Irish. They killed seven hundred on the spot, and took O'Kelly their commander, with about fifty officers, and a considerable booty of cattle. The duke was so pleased with their behaviour on this occasion, that they received a very honourable testimony of his approbation.

SCHOMBERG CENSURED.

MEANWHILE, the enemy took possession of James-Town, and reduced Sligo, one of the forts of which was gallantly defended by St. Sauver, a French captain, and his company of grenadiers, until he was obliged to capitulate for want of water and provision. A contagious distemper still continued to rage in Schomberg's camp, and swept off a great number of officers and soldiers; so that in the beginning of next spring, not above half the number of those who

went over with the general remained alive. He was censured for his inactivity, and the king, in repeated letters desired him to hazard an engagement, provided any opportunity should occur; but he did not think proper to run the risk of a battle, against an enemy that was above thrice his number, well disciplined, healthy, and conducted by able officers. Nevertheless, he was certainly blameable for having chosen such an unwholesome situation. At the approach of winter he retired into quarters, in hopes of being reinforced with seven thousand Danes, who had already arrived in Britain. These auxiliaries were stipulated in a treaty which William had just concluded with the king of Denmark. The English were not more successful at sea than they had proved in their operations by land. Admiral Herbert, now created earl of Torrington, having sailed to Ireland with the combined squadrons of England and Holland, made a fruitless attempt upon Cork, and lost a great number of seamen by sickness, which was imputed to bad provision. The Dartmouth ship of war fell into the hands of the enemy, who infested the channel with such a number of armed ships and privateers that the trade of England sustained incredible damage.

THE FRENCH WORSTED AT WALCOURT.

THE affairs of France wore but a gloomy aspect on the continent, where all the powers of Europe seemed to have conspired her destruction. King William had engaged in a new league with the states-general, in which former treaties of peace and commerce were confirmed. It was stipulated, that in case the king of Great-Britain should be attacked, the Dutch should assist him with six thousand infantry and twenty ships of the line: and that, provided hostilities should be committed against the states-general, England should supply them with ten thousand infantry and twenty ships of war. This treaty was no sooner ratified than king William dispatched the lord Churchill, whom he had by this time created earl of