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A. C. illuftrious Relations, and in confideration of his 1691. Difcovering the whole Confpiracy upon Oath, obtain'd their Majefties Pardon. As for Mr. Elliot, there being no pofitive Proof against him, he was

not brought to his Trial. Not long after, the February Queen caus'd a Proclamation to be iffued out for 5. 169. Discovering and Apprehending the late Bishop of Ely, William Penn, the famous Quaker, and Fam:s Graham Efq; as Accomplices of the Lord Prefton and John Afton, lately attainted of High-Treafon. Thus the Confpiracy being quash'd, all hopes of an Invasion and Infurrection were now laid afide, till the Jacobites could meet with a more favourable opportunity to revive them.

The Queen About this time the Queen exerting her Goodnefs and Charity in a moft effectual manner, by Sets up a Linnen- ftriking at the very Root of Vice and Want, I Manufa mean, Idlenefs; encourag'd the fetting up of a LinЯure. nen-Manufacture, wherein many Thousands of Poor People were employ'd; and to bring honeft Labour into Efteem, even among thofe who think themselves Born to live in voluptuous Sloth, Her Majefty did not difdain to bufie her Royal Hands with making of Fringes, wherein fhe was quickly imitated not only by her Maids of Honour, but by all the Ladies throughout the Kingdom.

On the 11th of March the Office of Poft Mafter General was granted by their Majefties Letters

Patents to Sir Robert Cotton,and Thomas Frankland,Efq; Sir Edw. and the 25th of the fame Month, Sir Edward Villiers Villiers Mafter of the Horfe to the Queen, was created Bacreated ron and Vifcount of England, by the ftile of Baron Viscount Villiers of Hoo, and Vifcount Villiers of Hartford, in Villiers, the County of Kent. About a Fortnight after, a March 25 Fire happen'd at Whitehall, at the end the Stone 1691. Gallery. It begun at the Lodgings of the Princess Fire at of Denmark's Maids of Honour, continued for fome Hours with great violence, and burnt down the April. 11. whole Gallery, but was ftopp'd before it reach'd the King's or Queen's Apartments.

White

hall.

This fmall Difafter was foon forgot on the happy Arrival of the King, who having given the neceffary Orders for the Reduction of Ireland, and for

the

the fitting out a numerous Fleet, which Admiral A. C. Ruffel was appointed to Command in Chief, beftow- 1691. ed his Royal Care on the filling the Vacant Ecclefiaftical Dignities. Dr. Tillotson, Dean of St. Paul's, Ecclefiaa Divine diftinguifh'd by the Purity of his Morals, ftical prehis Moderate Principles, and his Chafte, but Maf motions, culine Eloquence, was advanc'd to the Archbi- April 25. fhoprick of Canterbury,; Dr. Patrick, Bishop of Chichefter, a Prelate of univerfal Learning and exemplary Piety, was tranflated to the Bishoprick of Ely; and Dr. Beveridge was promoted to the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells; Dr. Fowler to the Bishoprick of Gloucester; Dr. Cumberland, to the Bishoprick of Pcterborough Dr. Moor, to the Bishoprick or Norwich; Dr. Grover, to the Bishoprick of Chichester; Dr. Sherlock, (who upon the King's Victory at the Boyne own'd their Majelties Title to the Crown) to the Deanery of St. Paul's; Dr. Comber, to the Deanery of Durham Mr. Talbot, to the Deanery of Worcefter; and Dr. Woodward to the Deanery of Sarum. Not many Weeks after, their Majefties nominated the famous Dr. Sharp, Dean of Canterbury, to be Archbishop of York, upon the Death of Dr.Lamplugh, late Archbishop of that See; Dr Ironfide, Bishop + May 27of Bristol. to fucceed Doctor Crofts, lately Deceas'd, in the Bishoprick of Hereford; Dr. John Hall to be* June 13. Bishop of Bristol, and Dr. † Richard Kidder Dean of Peterborough, to be Bishop of Bath and Wells; Dr. Ditto Beveridge having refus'd that Bishoprick, for the fame Reafon that the Bishop of London had declin'd the offer of the Archbishoprick of Canterbury, to wit, becaufe the Incumbent was alive. On the laft Day of April His Majefty, in purfuance of his Refolution to Command in Perfon the Confede rate Army in Flanders, fet out from Kenfington, Embark'd at Harwich on the 2d of May, fet Sail with a The Ring fair Wind, for Holland, attended by a Squadron of returns to Men of War,under Rear Admiral Rook, Landed the Holland, next Day near Machland Stuice, went from thence to May, 3. Hounflaerdick, and arriv'd the fame Evening at the Hague; where we fhall leave Him for a while, to fee how his Orders are executed in Ireland.

*

* May 9.

After

Ireland

A. C. After both Armies in that Kingdom had gone in1691. to their Winter Quarters, the preceding Year, they remain'd pretty quiet on either fide for a time; and Afairs of though feveral Designs were form'd by each Party Ireland in against the other, yet nothing of any great Moment 1691. happen'd between them. The greatest mischief done to the English was by the Irish Robbers, call'd infefed by Rapperees, who committed great Cruelties and DeRapperees. predations, and then retreated into their Bogs and Faftneffes, where the regular Forces could not reach them: Nor were the Lords Juftices more fuc cefsful in their Attempts to fupprefs them, either by offers of Mercy to fuch of them as fhould fubmit to their Majefties Obedience, or by propofing a Balymore Reward for every Head of a Rapperee. But now invested. the English Army having taken the Field about the beginning of June, thofe Banditti mix'd themselves, with the late King's Forces, with whom they muft wait the Fortune of War. King William's Forces being confiderably augmented by the addition of thofe Troops, which under Mackay had happily compleated the Reduction of the Scotch Highlanders; Lieutenant General Ginckle, Commander *June 6. in Chief, Decamp'd from Mullingar, and came + June 7. before Ballymore; the Marquis de Ruvigny, Major General, being fent before with a Detachment of Horfe and Dragoons, to poflefs himself of a Pafs between that Place and Athlone. The Barteries be*June 8. ing rais'd, the General* fent a Meffage to Colonel Ulicke Bourke, who commanded in the Town, That if he and the Garrifon would furrender within two Hou ́s, he would fave their Lives, and make them Prisoners of War; if not, they were to expect no Mercy. To which the Governor made a fhuffling fort of Reply in hopes of getting better Terms; but the Cannon and Bombs having made two Breaches the Pontons being put into the Water, and all things ready for a Storm, it occafion'd fo great a Confternation among the Enemy, that the fame Evening the Garrifon which confifted of 780 Men, befides 4 Field Officers, and 259 Rapperees, laid down their Arms and fubmitted at Difcretion.

And fur.
And fur

rendr'd June 8.

The

The English having repair'd the Damage done to A. C. Ballymore, and put that Town in a better condition 1691. for Defence, they march'd from thence on the 18th

of June, and being join'd the fame Day by the Athlone Prince of Wirtemberg, Encamp'd at Balymony's Pals, Beficged. whilst a strong Detachment of Horfe advanc'd towards Athlone. On the 19th, very early in the Morning, the Vanguard march'd from Balymony, and beat the Enemy from feveral Out-Ditches of the English Town of Athlone, on this fide the Shannon, and lodg'd themfelves there. The next Day a Battery of ten 18 Pounders having ruin'd a Bastion near the Water-fide, looking towards Lanesborough, the General order'd an Affault to be made. The fame was perform'd accordingly; and though the Irish made confiderable Refiftance, yet the English went one, and kept firing till they came to the Breach, which a French Captain of Grenadiers firft mounted, throwing his Grenado, firing his Piece, and ordering his Men to do the fame. His Bravery fo encourag'd his Party, that though he was kill'd The Engin the Action, yet the ifh were foon forc'd to quitli Town their Poft, fome retiring over the Bridge to Con-lone taken of Athnaught fide, and the reft leaping into the Shannon, June 20. where many were drown'd.

After this Succefs, Batteries were planted against the Irish Town, which being finifh'd by the 22d, the Cannon and Mortars began to play very briskly on the North Eaft fide of the Caffle, where it was weakeft, and continued to do fo next Day, when the Pontons came up. The 25th was spent in raifing Batterics, one below and another above the Bridge, while a third was erected without the Town Wall by the River-fide, oppofite to a Bastion the Irish had made on the other fide the River. At the fame time the General was contriving Methods to march part of his Army over the Shannon, at a Ford towards Lanesborough,but that Defign being fruftrated, he refolv'd to force his way thro' Athlone, and therefore labour'd hard to gain the Bridge, wherein he found no fmall Difficulty. However, on the 27th, in the Evening, the English burnt the Wooden Breaft work the Enemy had made on the other fide Sf

of

A. C. of the broken Arch, and the next Morning had laid 1691. their Beams over, and partly plank'd them, which a Party of the Befieg'd endeavouring to ruin, they were all kill'd in the Attempt. This did not dif courage another Party of Ten Men to fet about the fame Work, which they bravely effected, throwing down the Planks and Beams into the River, maugre all the firing and skill of the English; which made the General refolve to carry on the Work by a clofe Gallery on the Bridge, and to pafs the Shannon next Day; but they met with fuch oppofition, efpecially by having their Gallery burnt by the Enemy, that the farther profecution of the Attack was deferr'd for that Day. On the 30th a Council of War being held, it was warmly debated, whether it were advifeable to make another Attempt, or to draw off? There were not wanting great Reafons for the latter; but the Duke of Wirtemberg, the Major Generals Mackay, Talmash,Ruvigny,and Tetteau andCol.Cambon urg'd;That no brave Action could be perform'd without Hazard; That the Attempt was like to be attended with Succefs, and proffer'd themselves to be the first that should pass the River, and attack the Enemy. Their Opinion having prevail'd, the Detachment drawn out the Day before, was order'd still to be in readiness, and the General gave command that they fhould be brought down by Six, the ufual Hour of relieving the Guards, that the Eneny might not fufpect the Defign; which indeed they did not. All things being ready, the Conjuncture favourable, and the Signal given, Captain Sandys and two Lieutenants led the first Party of 60 Grenadiers, all in Armour, and 20 a Breaft, feconded by another ftrong Detachment of Grenadiers (which were to be fupported by 6 Batallions of Foot) and with an unparallell'd Refolution took the Ford, that was a little to the left of the Bridge, against a Bastion of the Enemies, the Stream being very rapid, and the Paffage very difficult by reafon of fome great Stones that were in the River. At the fame time the English great and fmall Shot began to play from their Batteries and Works upon thofe of the E

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