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La Caillemote and Cambon, being put to great A. C. ftreights for want of Victuals, the Abdicated King 1990. fent a ftrong Detachment under Mack Mahon with Provifion to relieve it, of which Duke Schomberg being inform'd, order'd the Blockade to let Mack Mabon pafs with his Convoy after a flight Refiftance, but to drive back all that returned from the Caftle. By this means, the Garrifon that had receiv'd but a flender Relief, and were forc'd to feed their new Guefts as well as themfelves, were foon reduc'd to greater Exigencies than before, and by a vigorous Profecution of the Siege forc'd at laft to Capitulate on the 13th of May. The next day they march'd Charleout to the Number of Eight Hundred Men, and mont fur the Duke who was come to view them, feeing marendred, ny Women and Children among them, ask'd the May 13. Reafon of it, confidering they could not but deftroy their Provifions. He was anfwer'd that the Irish were naturally very Hofpitable, and that they all far'd alike: But the greatest Reafon was, the Soldiers would not ftay in the Garrifon without their Wives and Miftrelles, to which his Grace reply'd, There was more Love than Policy in it. There was found in the Place good ftore of Ammunition, Seventeen pieces of Brafs Cannon, and two Mortars. fo that the Enemy might have held out longer, if they had not wanted either Courage or Provifions. The fame Day that Charlemont furrendred, the Brave Colonel Woolley, who had been confiderably reinforc'd by a Party of Deanes, made himself, Master of the ftrong Caftle of Balingargy, near Cavin. Upon the lofs of which two confiderable Pofts,the Irish quitted and burnt feveral Caftles on that fide, and prepar'd to abandon Dundalk, Ardee, Caftle-Blaney and Carichmarh-Crofs.

Thus ftood Affairs in Ireland when King William Ring WilLanded at Carrickfergus on the 14th of June, being liam Lands attended by his Royal Highness Prince George of at CarDenmark, the Duke of Ormond, the Earls of Oxford, rickfer Scarborough and Manchefter, the honourable Mr.Boyle, gus, June and many other Perfons of Diftinction; and that '4. Evening went to Belfast in Duke Schomberg's Coach. Two or three Days after his Majefty march'd to Lisburn,

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A. C. Lisburn, where the General kept his Head Quarters, 1690. and from thence he paft to Hilsborough, where on the 20th he publifh'd an Order, forbidding the preffing of Horfes, and the committing any Viofences on the Country People. His Majefty having declar'd both his intention of purfuing the War with Vigour, and his Difapprobation of the Cautious Counfels of fome of his Generals, by faying, He did not come there to let Grafs grow under his Feet, orHe Views der'd the whole Army to Encamp at a place call'd the Army, Loughbritland; where upon a Critical Review June 22. he found them to confift of 36000 Men, Englisk,

Dutch, French, Danes and Germans, all well ap

pointed in every refpect. From Loughbritland King William march'd his Army to † Dundalk, and was Marches to fo pleas'd with the Profpect of the Country, as he Dundalk, rid along, that he faid to thofe about him, It was † June 27. highly worth fighting for. He did not stay long at Dundalk, but upon Advice that the Enemy had abandon'd Ardee, he immediately directed his march thither.

K. James leaves

The late King James was no fooner inform'd of King William's Landing, but he began to stir himDublin, felf and on the 16th of June fet out from Dublin June 16. with about 6000 French Foot, being old experienc'd Soldiers, lately arriv'd from France, and committed the Guard of that City to 6000 of the County Militia, under the Command of Coll. Lutterel. His Majefty having join'd the rest of his Forces, which now amounted to almost an equal number with thofe of King William's, befides 15oco which remain'd in Garrifons, a Council of War was held wherein it was thought fit to repafs the Boyne, and to weary out the English by Marches and Counter marches along that River, it being thought impoffible for them to pafs it, while King James had fuch an Army to defend the oppofite Banks at fuch an Advantage; But nevertheless that unfortunate Prince, knowing King William's Courage and Refolution were rather animated than damp'd by Difficulties, and miftrufting the Event, order'd Sir Patrick Trant, Commiffioner of the Revenue, to prepare him Ships at Waterfords

ford, that in cafe he were worfted, he might fecure A. C his Retreat to France.

On the 30th of June, King William being inform'd that the Enemy had repafs'd the Boyne, order'd his whole Army to move by break of Day in three Lines towards that River, which was about three Miles diftant from them; whereupon the advanc'd Guards of Horfe, Commanded by Sir John Lanier, moved in very good Order, and by Nine of the Clock got within two Miles of Drogheda. The King, who march'd in the Front of them, obferving there was an Hilt to the Eaft of the Enemy, and North from the Town rode thither to view their Camp, which he found to be all along the River in two Lines. Here the King held a long Confult with the Prince of Denmark, the Dukes of Schomberg and Ormond, Count Solmes, Major General Scravenmore, the Lord Sidney, and other great Officers, who made all their Obfervations upon the Enemy. Among the reft Scravenmore feem'd to defpife them, faying they were but a handful of Men, for he could not reckon above 46 Battalions that lay Encamp'd; but the King and Prince George wifely Anfwer'd, that they might have a great many Men in the Town, and that there was alfo an Hill to the South-Weft, beyond which part of their Army might be Encamp'd; However, added the King, We shall Soon be better acquainted with their Numbers. From this place the King rid on to the Pafs at the old Bridge, and ftood upon the fide of the Bank, within Musket-fhot of the Ford, there to take a nearer View of the Enemies Pofture; and in fome time after rid about 200 Paces up the River, nigh the Weft of all the Enemies Camp. Whilft the Army was marching in, his Majefty being Fatigued with his Toyl, alighted from his Horfe, and refted himfelf for an Hour on a little Eminence; which the Enemy perceiving they immediately planted two Field-Pieces oppofite to him. The King was no fooner mounted again, but the Irish Fired at him, and with the firft Shot kill'd a Man and two. Horfes within a hundred Paces of his Majefty. This Bulleɛ was prefently fucceeded by another that went near

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A. C. to put a fatal Period to thatprecious Life upon which 1690. the Safety of all Europe depended; but which ferv'd only to mark the fignal Care the Divine Providence took of a Heroe, whom she had miraculously rais'd, King Wil. to ftem the Progrefs of Oppreition and Superftition. The Ball having firft grazed on the Bank of the Wounded, River, did in its rifing flant upon the King's Right June 30. Shoulder, took out a piece of his Coat, and tore the Skin and Flefh, and afterwards broke the Head of a Gentleman's Piftol. 'Tis more ealie to conceive than exprefs what a fudden Confternation this unexpected Accident ftruck into all that were about the King; but 'tis difficult to imagine how calm and undisturb'd his Majefty remain d. On the other fide, the Enemy feeing fome diforder among those that attended King William, concluded prefently He was kill'd; which falfe Repor flew presently to Dublin, and from thence fead as far as Paris, where the giddy Multitude expreft their faucy impious Joy by Bone-res and Illuminations. King William having got his flight Wound dreft, mounted again on Horfeback, and fhew'd himself to the whole Army, to dilipate their just Alarm.

The two Armies being thus in fight, and Cannonading one another, King William, about Nine at Night, having call'd a Council of War, declar'd his Refolution to pafs the River next Day, which Duke Schomberg at firft oppos'd, but finding his Majefty pofitive, he advis'd that part of the Army, Horfe and Foot, fhould be fent that Night towards Slane-Bridge, in order to pafs the River thereabouts, and fo get between the Enemy and the Pafs at Duleck This Advice, which if follow'd would have ended the War in one Campaign, feem'd at first to be relifh'd; but it being afterwards oppos'd by the Dutch Generals, Duke Schonberg retir'd to his Tent, where not long after the Order of Battle was brought him, which he receiv'd with Difcontent and Indifference, faying, It was the first that ever was fent him. Lieutenant General Douglas was to Com, mand the Right Wing of Foot, and Count Maynard de Schomberg the Horfe, who were to march on early toward Slane-Bridge, and other Fords up the River,

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to Flank the Enemy, or get beteewn the Enemies A. C. Camp and Drogheda, whilt in the mean time a Bo- 1690. dy of Foot were to force their way at the Pafs at Old Bridge.

On the other fide the late King James having alfo call'd a Council, Lieutenant General Hamilton advis'd his Majefty to fend a Party of Dragoons to the Ford that was below the Town of Drogheda, which the English either knew not of, or elfe did not regard; and all the reft, being eight Regiments, towards the Bridge of Slane; but King James faid, he would fend Fifty Dragoons up the River, which juftly put Hamilton into great Amazement, confidering the Importance of the place to be defended. To vards the clofe of the Evening the Cannon ceas'd on both fides, and King William gave Orders, that every Soldier fhould be provided with a good stock ofAmmunition,and all to be ready to march at break of Day, with every Man a Green Bough or Sprig in his Hat, to diftinguifh him from the Enemy, who wore pieces of White Paper in their Hats. The Word that Night being Westminster, his Majefty rode in Perfon about 12 at Night with Torches quite through the Army, and then retired to his Tent, witheager Expectation of the Glorious approaching Day.

Never was a more memorable Battle fought in this Western part of the World, whether we confider the Combatants, or the Subject of their Quarrel. For as two Kings in Perfon contended for the Imperial Crown of England, fo the Fate of their refpectve Allies, and confequently of all Europe, feem'd o depend on the Succefs of their Arms. As for the Event of this Important Day, though, like all Actions of War, it feem'd to be doubtful, yet upon anexact Examination of the Advantages on both fices, there was room to conjecture which way Vetory would encline. 'Tis true both Armies vere animated by the Prefence of their Sovereign, both fought for their Religion; But then the new Poffeffor of the Vacant Throne was at the Head of many brave Englishmen, who befides Religion contended alfo for their Laws and Liber

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