James himself fled south, and took shipping for France. Captain FitzGerald, son of the Earl of Kildare, headed the Protestants of Dublin in seizing the keys of the Castle and the city, and sending messengers to King William, beseeching his speedy occupation of the capital. On the 4th William encamped at Finglas; and on the 6th made his triumphal entry into Dublin, and heard service at St. Patrick's, where a sermon was preached by Dr. King, afterwards Archbishop of Dublin, "On the power and wisdom of the providence of God in protecting his people, and defeating their enemies." The afternoon of the same day the King returned to the camp, and published a declaration, promising pardon and protection to all common soldiers, countrymen, tradesmen, and citizens who before the 1st of August should return to their homes and deliver up their arms; directing rents to be paid to Protestant landlords; whilst such as held under persons concerned in the war on James's side were to hold them in hand until they had notice from the Commissioners of Revenue. Harris says that he desired to make his grace more comprehensive, "but this was opposed by the English in Ireland, who thought the opportunity was not to be lost of breaking the great Irish families, and destroying the dependence of the inferior sort upon them." On the 7th and 8th, King William reviewed his army, and found it to consist of 22,579 foot, 7,751 horse and dragoons, besides "483 reformed officers, and all the standing officers and sergeants, and also four regiments in garrison." He divided his forces into two corps—one of which he directed towards Athlone, while he proceeded at the head of the other to Limerick. Encamping at Crumlin on the 8th, he advanced on the 9th to Inchiquire, in the County of Kildare. We are told that on the way he "espied a soldier robbing a poor woman, which so enraged him that he first corrected him with his cane, and then commanded that he, with some others guilty of the like crimes, should be hanged. … The severity was seasonable, and struck such a terror into the soldiers as preserved the country from all violence during the whole march." The conclusion of King William's Irish campaign is thus related by Story: "His Majesty then marched forwards, and, from a place called Castledermot, sent Brigadier Eppinger, with a party of one thousand horse and dragoons, to Wexford, which before his arrival was deserted by the Irish garrison. The King all along upon his march was acquainted with the disorders and confusion of the Irish army, and of their speedy marches to Limerick and other strongholds. The 19th his Majesty dined at Kilkenny, a walled town, wherein stands a castle belonging to the Duke of Ormond, which had been preserved by Count Lauzun, with all the goods and furniture, and next day his Majesty understood that the enemy had quitted Clonmell, whither Count Schonberg marched with a body of horse. … Monday the 21st, the army marched to Carrick, where the King received an account of the state of Waterford, and whither Major-General Kirk went next morning with a party to summon the town, wherein were two regiments of the Irish, who submitted upon condition to march out with their arms; as did also the strong fort of Duncannon in a day or two after, which gave his Majesty sufficient shelter for all his shipping. When Waterford was surrendered, his Majesty in person went to view it. … His Majesty, at his return to the camp, declared his resolution to go for England, and leaving Count Solmes Commander-in-chief. He went as far as Chapel-Izard, nigh Dublin, with that intention; ordering one troop of guards, Count Schonberg's horse (formerly my Lord Devonshire's), Collonel Matthew's dragoons. Brigadier Trelawny's, and Collonel Hasting's foot, to be shipt off for that kingdom. Andonthefirst of August his Majesty published a second declaration, not only confirming and strengthening the former; but also adding, that if any foreigners then in arms against him in that kingdom would submit, they should have passes to go into their own countries, or whither else they pleased. … A proclamation was also published for all the Irish in the countrey to deliver up their arms; and those who refused, or neglected, to be abandoned to the discretion of the soldiers, … But the King received a further account from England, that the loss at sea was not so considerable as it was at first given out; and that there was no danger of any more French forces landing in that kingdom; they having already burnt only a small village, and so were gone off without doing any further damage. The danger of that being therefore over, his Majesty returned to the army, which he found encamped at Golden Bridge, nigh Cashell, and about seventeen miles from Limerick, where his Majesty had intelligence of the posture of the enemy in and about the city. … August the 8th, Lieutenant-General Douglas and his party from Athlone joined the King's army at Cariganlis; and on the 9th the whole army approached that stronghold of Limerick without any considerable
568
