of which Towns ſhut up its Gates the ninth of December, declaring for the Prince of Orange, and addreſſed for immediate Relief,[1] yet could neither get Arms or Ammunition till the 20th of March; and the Forces that were ſent with Cunningham and Richards arrived not there till the 15th of April, and immediately after deſerted the Service, and came back again, bringing Lundy the Governor before appointed by his Majeſty with them, and alledged for their Excuſe, that it was impoſſible to defend the Town. But notwithſtanding this Treachery, ſuch was the reſolution of the beſieged, that they continued to defend themſelves with the utmoſt Bravery, and ſent again for Relief, which under Kirk came not to them till the 7th of June, nor were theſe poor Creatures actually relieved till the 30th of July, though there appears no reaſon why he might not have done it when he firſt came into the Harbour, which was more than ſeven Weeks before. Thus we fee the Reſolution of theſe poor Men wearied out all their Diſappointments.
When the Convention met, they reſolved upon twenty eight Articles, as the Preliminaries upon which they would diſpoſe the Crown; but this Deſign dwindled into a Declaration of our Rights, which was in thirteen Articles, and the moſt conſiderable, viz, That the raiſing and keeping up a Standing Army in times of Peace is contrary to Law, had tagg'd to it theſe Words, without Authority of Parliament, as if the conſent of the Parliament would not have made it legal without thoſe words, or that their Conſent would make it leſs dangerous. This made the Jacobites ſay in thoſe early Days, that ſome evil Counſellors deſigned to play the ſame game again of a Standing Army, and attributed unjuſtly the neglect of Ireland to the ſame Cauſe, becauſe by that omiſſion it was made neceſſary to raiſe a greater Army to reduce it, with which the King acquainted the Parliament the 8th of March, when ſpeaking of the deplorable Condition of Ireland, he declared he thought it not adviſeable to attempt the reducing it with leſs than 20000 Horſe and Foot. This was a bitter Pill to the Parliament, who thought they might have managed their Share of the War with France at Sea; but there was no Remedy, a greater Army muſt be raiſed, or Ireland loſt; and to gild
- ↑ cf. Siege of Derry
