in-law, who, one-and-twenty years ago, fell a victim to their evil passions, I feel I have not so much reason to complain, particularly as my grandson was justly entitled to revenge. I therefore, my dear daughter, again receive you with tenfold pleasure. Take your son to reside with you, and he and his posterity will henceforth inherit the lands of Glan. These good friends who have accompanied him I will also willingly take under my protection, as long as it is their pleasure to remain at Augnenure Castle.'

"These conditions were gladly accepted of by young O'Lee and his mother, and when the feelings of sadness, caused by the death of his sons, had subsided, the old Chief of Aughnenure and his family ever afterwards lived on terms of amity with them, and this was the way, sir, the O'Lees first got their patrimony in the territory of Iar-Connaught."

The boat had now reached the Wood Quay, and Cuthbert having first generously remunerated its owner for his services, he proceeded on his journey, accompanied by his guard. On arriving at Clooneene, Cuthbert found the Chieftain, his son Major Forster, and Dermot Oge, in the parlour, who were all rejoiced at his safe return. Having narrated to them the particulars of the siege, and the brave conduct of the Mayor, who had fought sword in hand until the capitulation, and by whose coolness and determination the citizens were much encouraged, he informed Major Forster, that his brother-in-law, Colonel Burke, of Tyaquin, had escaped unhurt. While he spoke, the Chief appeared absorbed in grief, for the loss of the ancient and brave town of Galway was keenly felt by him. Arousing himself from his reverie, and addressing Fenwick, he said :—

"Cuthbert, I fear Limerick will also fall into the hands of our enemies, unless King Louis compels his Minister of War to send assistance speedily to the Earl of Lucan. The base and vile traitors who lurk about will, I am sure, betray us to De Ginckell, who, with the vast amount of English gold which he has at his command, will find no difficulty in corrupting them. Sending that wretched traitor, Colonel Henry Luttrell, to relieve Galway was a most foolish move, for after his conduct at Aughrim he never should have been trusted with command again."

Soon after, the family retired to rest, and early next morning Cuthbert Fenwick departed for Limerick, to again take command of the Clooneene Foresters.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

BARON DE GINCKELL BESIEGES LIMERICK.

Ox the 14th of August, the day on which the Williamite army, under the command of Lieutenant-General Baron de Ginckell, reached Caherconlish, the Duke of Tyrconnell, King James's Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, died within the city of Limerick, which sad event caused great excitement, but very little regret among the inhabitants, for many of the king's adherents had believed, for a long time past, that he was privately in league with the Prince of Orange. His Grace was quietly interred in the Cathedral Church of St. Mary (131).

The garrison now became divided into two parties: one wished to acknowledge the Prince of Orange as William III., and to submit on the best terms that could be obtained from his Commander-in-chief, while the other, believing that Louis XIV. would be faithful to his promise, preferred holding out at all risks.

Early on the morning of the 15th of August, 1,500 horse and dragoons, under the command of Major-General the Marquis de Ruvigney, and 1,000 foot as a reserve, commanded by Prince George de Hessed Armstadt, accompanied by Baron de Ginckell and all his principal general officers, advanced towarde Limerick to reconoitre. The Irish outposts, after a short skirmish with the enemy's advanced guard, retired into the city, leaving to the ever-vigilant and active Rapparees, the difficult task of cutting off the Williamite stragglers and convoys. After some hours spent in making observations, De Ginckell returned to his camp, and was much pleased to find, that a large number of strong waggons had arrived there, with a plentiful supply of bread. On the 16th, a strong detachment of horse and dragoons, under Major-General the Marquis la Forrest, was sent by De Ginckell to meet and escort to the camp the artillery, ammunition, and other necessaries which he expected. On the 17th, Sir William King, ex-governor of Limerick, who was imprisoned by the Irish, escaped to the Williamite camp, and nothing of any importance afterwards took place on either side until the 23rd. On this day the Commander-in-chief, impatient at being kept so long inactive by the bad weather which prevailed, sent 250 draft horses to hasten the arrival of the artillery, and ordered

each regiment to have prepared 2,000 fascines for the coming siege. Two soldiers were also hung for theft by De Ginckell's order, and a sutler suffered the same fate, for having received the goods which they had stolen. In the evening the cannon having appeared in sight of the camp, De Ginckell gave orders to have the army prepared for an early march next morning, which was to have an advanced guard of 600 horse, 300 dragoons, 1,000 foot, and 200 grenadiers. The advanced forces were to march in two lines, at the head of each wing of the main body, with four cannon, and twenty-five pioneers, to clear the way. After the detached foot, the whole of the horse were to march, after these the foot, and the rere was to be brought up by all the cannon. It was further directed, that the army was to form in order, without beat of drum, or any other noise that might create a suspicion in the city of their approach. At dawn on the morning of the 25th, the Williamites advanced to Limerick, with the exception of two regiments of foot, and 100 horse, that were to remain until the park of artillery would have arrived. On coming before the city, they commenced the siege, by making an attack on Old Church Fort, and Ireton's Fort (132), the former of which they found evacuated by the Irish. From the latter, the Irish retreated on the approach of the Williamites. In the evening, Count de Nassau attacked Cromwell's Fort, which he succeeded in taking after a short engagement, and changed its name to Nassau's Fort. Baron de Ginckell fearing the Irish would sally forth, ordered the horses not to be unsaddled, and the men to hold themselves in readiness during the night for any emergency that might occur. This evening, a random shot from the walls of the city, killed Colonel Donep, an officer who was much esteemed by De Ginckell, and who commanded the advanced guard of the besieging army. On the 26th, the park of artillery arrived, with a large quantity of ammunition, and the Williamites commenced to throw up earth-works, behind which, when completed, the Danes were placed, by order of Baron de Ginckell. While engaged in constructing these works, several of the soldiers were killed by the constant and steady fire maintained from the battlements. The garrison, on the 27th, having planted two field-pieces on the opposite side of the Shannon, opened such a galling fire on the two regiments stationed near that river, that they quickly forced them to retreat. De Ginckell also opened a heavy fire on the city from his batteries. During the afternoon, eighteen menof-war sailed up the Shannon, and opened fire on the Irish cavalry stationed on the Clare side of Limerick. On the morning of the 28th Baron de Ginckell sent a courier to Kinsale, to order all the vessels laden with provisions in that port to sail up the Shannon to Limerick.

He afterwards went on board the ships already in the river, and ordered several of their cannon and mortars to be sent on shore for the immediate use of his army. At the close of this day, the Williamites had completed all their earth-works, the progress of which was greatly retarded by the close fire kept up by the Irish during the entire day. They then commenced to erect a strong battery, on which they intended to plant ten great guns, and seven mortars, and worked so hard during the night, that they had it finished at break of day. On the 30th, they mounted the guns and mortars on this battery, and immediately opened fire on the city and Thomond Bridge. Showers of shell and grenades were now thrown into Limerick with such success, that the more exposed houses in the English Town were soon enveloped in flames, which, however, were as quickly extinguished. Still the Irish held out bravely, and kept up a heavy and destructive fire on their assailants. The unfortunate proprietors of the dilapidated houses fled in disorder to the King's Island, where they took shelter in tents made of the scanty supply of bed-clothes which they had with difficulty saved from the flames. Notwithstanding the bitter privations they were thus obliged to endure, their love of country was so great that they did not for a moment upbraid Lord Lucan, but unanimously agreed that his Lordship was perfectly right in holding out against the enemy to the last. The English artillery continued to fire on the city during the whole of the 31st; but Baron de Ginckell, not yet satisfied with the number of his batteries, now ordered another to be erected nearer to the walls of the city. Finding, however, he could not spare the foot-soldiers for this purpose, who had already enough to do, whole regiments of them being placed on duty every second night, he employed four men out of each troop of horse and dragoons to perform the required work. These men being only accustomed to do duty on horseback, he considered the erection of the fort would take a reasonable time, but in this he was agreeably mistaken, as they had it completed at the first dawn of the morning. Brigadier Levison was despatched to Kerry on this day, and succeeded, though not without considerable trouble, in subduing part of that county. In the evening, eight large cannon were conveyed to the new battery, but Baron de Ginckell having changed his mind, and considering it was not close enough to the city, they were not mounted. During the night and the next morning the entire of the Williamite artillery played incessantly on the city of Limerick.

On the evening of Tuesday, the 1st of September, the Irish garrison made a bold sally, by which they gained no advantage, and on the evening of the 2nd two great mortars were brought from on board,

one of the ships then stationed in the River Shannon, from which several shells were thrown into the city, but with little effect. As the batteries already erected, though very numerous, did not suit De Ginckell's purpose, or in any way satisfy him, on the 4th, the Duke de Wirtemberg proposed building another on that side of the river next the King's Island, and about three hundred yards distant from the walls of the city. There were four strong forts erected on this day between the King's Island and the old church. The evening of the 5th, being very dark, it was resolved to commence the battery suggested by the Duke de Wirtemberg. The Williamites succeeded in carrying on this work for some time undiscovered by the garrison, but the moon suddenly emerging from behind a cloud, they were observed, and a heavy fire was opened on them, but not with such effect as to prevent them from continuing the work they had begun. During the 6th they continued to labour on with great perseverance, and would have had the battery completed earlier, but for the heavy rain which had fallen. On the 7th Baron de Ginckell wrote a letter in reply to one he had received on the previous day from Brigadier Levison, informing him of the burning of Tralee by the Irish. This day also the new battery was completed to the entire satisfaction of the Duke de Wirtemberg. During the whole of the 8th a heavy and galling fire was kept up from all the new Williamite batteries, which proved exceedingly destructive to the city. On one of these batteries ten cannon were mounted, which incessantly fired red hot ball into the city; on another, twenty-five, eighteen, and twenty-four-pounders, and on a third, eight large mortars were placed. Independently of the batteries, which commanded the northeast end of the city, there were also eight twelve-pounders on Mackay's Fort, and some heavy guns planted on the south-west side, where the Danish soldiers were stationed. In consequence of this continued fire, a breach was at length made in the old walls capable of admitting a large force of the enemy to pass through. Though this object was at length attained, Baron de Ginckell feared to attempt entering the city, remembering the fearful disaster that befell the Brandenburg Regiment, when the Prince of Orange ordered them in the previous year to take the city by storm. The Irish were overjoyed when they saw that the Williamites shrunk from an open assault, as they entertained hopes that Baron de Ginckell would raise the siege. On the 9th the guns continued to fire for the purpose of widening the breach, which they succeeded in doing, and also in injuring a large number of houses in the town. In the course of this day the Irish made another sally, but were obliged to return without having gained any material