means or practicability of impeding the advance of the shipping to the town, the inhabitants of Derry eagerly made signals to the fleet, indicating the extremity to which they were reduced, and pointing out the proper course for navigating the lake. There was indeed nothing to impede the progress of Kirk, who commanded this armament.

On a sudden, the ships were observed to haul to windward, to the amazement of the garrison, and the surprise of the army outside the walls. What could be the meaning of this manœuvre ? It was soon explained; the ships were standing out to sea. Signal followed rapidly after signal from the dismayed inhabitants of Derry, and Kirk made no sign in return.

Mean time the Irish take their measures. Batteries are planted along the shore. Strong battalions are marched to the water's edge, and line the borders of the lake where they approach the city. A boom of great strength, formed of timber, strong cables, and vast iron chains is stretched across a narrow part of the lake, and made firm upon either shore. While all this is transacting, the fleet was rapidly passing out of sight.

Faith and patience are the great foundations of the Christian religion; and though all are called upon to practise them, there have been few instances perhaps of a severer trial than this

was to the forlorn citizens of Derry. When the hand is stretched out to save and instantly withdrawn; when the time is come, and to-morrow will be too late, can the victim be accused if he dies with murmurs upon his lip?

Baker the governor was dead: and death was now rapidly thinning the ranks of the heroic garrison, more effectually than the sword of the enemy. Their food was dead horses, dogs, cats, rats, and all loathsome vermin. The extremity and horror of the famine had nearly dissolved all discipline and authority. Murmurs for a capitulation began to be heard among the dying and ghastly crowd; and were only suppressed by the fury of those who had become almost insane with their sufferings. They threatened death to any who should propose or mention a surrender, while they were themselves expiring and without hope. Their detestation of Popery seemed to derive strength from the decay of nature.

They heard in a short time from Kirk; he had sailed round to Lough Swilly. He still talked of relieving them, but he spoke doubtingly. He assured them that every thing went on well in England and Scotland for the Protestant cause, and advised them to hold out bravely and be careful of their provisions. It was uncertain whether Kirk's communications were not a cruel mockery.

Rosen, in the mean time, finding the garrison

still obstinate, contrived a mode of attack which has made his memory infamous. He sent out detachments and collected some hundreds of miserable Protestants from every part of the north; and gathering them together in his camp he drove them under the walls of the town there to perish of hunger and exposure, unless relieved by the surrender of the garrison. James's soldiers, we are told, executed the savage order with reluctance, and even with tears, as they drove along the young, and old, the helpless female, and the shrieking child. The garrison fired on the tumultuous and wailing crowd as they approached, mistaking them for enemies; for though they had been threatened with this execution in case of longer resistance, they probably thought that so inhuman a project would not be carried into effect.

This mode of carrying a fortress by attacking the hearts of the garrison rather than their battlements, did not succeed, and seldom has succeeded. There have been several instances of it in Irish warfare, and upon both sides, but no instance of its success. There was now a contest of cruelty between the garrison of Derry and the besiegers. The former erected a gallows upon the rampart in sight of the Irish army, and brought forth the prisoners they had taken during the siege, threatening immediate execution unless the crowd under the walls were

suffered to depart. These were dying fast of hunger and the weather, and in their last agonies, many of them conjured the soldiers on the walls to persevere in their defence, and not to regard their sufferings. So much stronger is the love of the cause, whatever it may be, than the love of life, in the human bosom, when driven to extremity.

But the noise of those barbarities having reached Dublin, James sent orders for the immediate liberation of the crowd suffering under the walls of Derry, and thus this odious experiment failed. It was said that James acted under the compulsion of public opinion; and that he had been previously acquainted with what had been done. But we should hope that this is not the fact, and that such a brutality is not to be added to the other inhumanities of which the king was undoubtedly guilty. The garrison rather profited by this abortive and disgraceful manœuvre. They availed themselves of it to get rid of a number of useless mouths, which encumbered the town. These were mingled with the crowd outside the walls when permitted to depart, and escaped with them, and at the same time they took in some able men that formed part of the multitude.

This was the crisis of the fate of Derry, and it was passed. It was their last trial of fortitude and trust in Providence. Already relief

was at hand. The tumult of the retreating multitude had hardly ceased outside the walls, when three ships were discovered in the lake with all sails set, and steering for the town. These were two store ships laden with provisions and the Dartmouth frigate, part of Kirk's squadron. Kirk had learned that his conduct at Derry had been heard with anger and astonishment in England; and he hastened to avert the storm which he saw was likely to overtake him. His dastardly or treacherous conduct had lengthened the sufferings of Derry from the middle of June to the end of July.

The ships approached in view of the besiegers and the besieged; but of the latter, more than half the eyes were closed in death that had witnessed the former ineffectual attempt at relief. The Irish army had taken their posts along the shore. The batteries that commanded the harbour were manned. The boom was made tight, and all was in readiness. As the vessels came within the range of shot, a heavy fire of cannon and musketry was opened upon them from the Irish lines along shore, They returned the fire with spirit, and continued to advance. At length the headmost store ship approached the boom, and struck it; the boom was broke, but the vessel went ashore with the violence of the rebound. The besieging army shouted and pre