of nearly one half of Ireland, and well fupported by an army inured to war and commanded by able and experienced Generals. William experienced still greater embarraffments on the Continent and in England. A victory had been gained by Luxemburgh, in Flanders, over Prince Waldeck and the confederate army; Tourville had defeated the united fleets of England and Holland; and great dejection and discontent was visible among all his British fubjects. William having returned to England in the autumn of 1690, General Ginckle, with an army inferior to that of St. Ruth, who now commanded the Irish forces, commenced the campaign by the capture of the fort of Baltimore. Having afterwards taken Athlone, and defeated St. Ruth at the battle of Aughrim, he laid fiege to Limerick on the 25th of Auguft, 1691. The fortifications had been strengthened fince William was repulfed before it in the preceding year; the garrison was healthy, well fupplied, and in numbers equal to the affailants, and strong fuccours were daily expected from France*. The befiegers, on the other hand, were too few for the undertaking, * Leland, v. 3. b. 6. c. 6. the the season of the year was far advanced, and they had no expectations of receiving any reinforce ments. Week paffed away after week without Ginckle's obtaining any advantage over the besieged; at length he made a lodgment on the opposite fide of the Shannon. But, notwithstanding this fuccess, it was debated whether the siege should be carried on, or converted into a blockade; fuch were the difficulties foreseen in reducing the town. It was dangerous for the besiegers to continue in their present station on the approach of winter, and hazardous to divide an army fufficient only for affailing the town on one side; and yet the only effectual way of reducing it was to invest it on all fides, by cutting off the garrifon from all intercourse with the county of Clare*. William, in the mean time, was fo fenfible of the neceffity of obtaining the furrender of the Irish army, in order to fecure his newly acquired throne, and the fuccefs of the revolution, that he fent inftructions to the Lords Juftices to iffue a proclamation, offering to the Catholics still more liberal * Leland, y. 3. b. §. c. 6. liberal terms than those which they afterwards accepted; and he gave Ginckle urgent directions to terminate the war on any conditions*. For tunately, however, for William and the revolution party, but most unfortunately, as events have fince proved, for the Catholics, the garrison of Limerick beat a parley on the 29th day of the fiege. A ceffation of three days was granted; and, on the laft day of it, the Irish Generals proposed terms of capitulation. They required an act of indemnity for all paft offences, with a full enjoyment of the eftates they poffeffed before the prefent revolus tion, freedom for the Catholic worship, with an eftablishment of one Romish ecclefiaftic in each parish. They also required, that Catholics fhould be declared fully qualified for every office, civil and military; that they fhould be admitted into all corporations; and, that the Irish army fhould be kept up and paid in the fame manner with the King's other troops, provided they were willing to fervet. Ginckle refufed to accede to their propofal; * Leland, v, 3. b. 6. c. 6. and Harris's Life of William, p. 372. This was called the fecret proclamation, because, though printed, it never was published, in confequence of the Lords Juftices being informed of the inclination of the garrison to treat for their surrender. + Leland, ibid. pofal; but being defired to offer fuch terms as he could grant, he confented to conditions which were accepted by the garrifon, and which are contained in the following civil and military articles. Three days after they were figned the French fleet arrived in Dingle Bay. THE CIVIL AND MILITARY ARTICLES OF LIMERICK, Exactly printed from the Letters Patents; wherein they are ratified and exemplified by their Majefties, under the Great Seal of England. GULIELMUS & Maria Dei gratia, Angle, Scotia, Franciæ & Hiberniæ, rex et regina, fidei defenfores, &c. Omnibus ad quos præcentes literæ noftræ pervenerint falutem infpevimus irrotulament. quarund. literarum patentium de confirmatione, geren. dat. apud Weftmonafterium vicemo quarto die Februarii, ultimi præteriti in cancellar. noftr. irrotulat. ac ibidem de recordo remanem. in hæc verba. William and Mary, by the grace of God, &c. To all to whom thefe prefents shall come, greeting. Whereas certain articles, bearing date the third day of October last past, made and agreed on between our juftices of our kingdom of Ireland, and our general of our forces there on the one part; and several officers there, commanding within the city of Limerick, in our faid kingdom, on the other part. Whereby our said justices and general did undertake that we should ratify thofe articles, within the the fpace of eight months, or fooner; and ufe their utmost endeavours that the fame fhould be ratified and confirmed in parliament. The tenor of which faid articles is as follows, viz. ARTICLES AGREED UPON THE THIRD DAY OF OCTOBER, ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY-ONE. Between the Right Honourable Sir Charles Porter, Knight, and Thomas Coningsby, Efq. Lords Justices of Ireland; and his Excellency the Baron De Ginckle, Lieutenant General, and Commander in Chief of the English Army; on the one Part. And the Right Honourable Patrick Earl of Lucan, Piercy, Viscount Gallmoy, Colonel Nicholas Purcel, Colonel Nicholas Dufack, Sir Tody Butler, Colonel Garret Dillon, and Colonel John Brown; on the other Part: In the behalf of the Irish Inhabitants in the City and County of Limerick, the Counties of Clare, Kerry, Cork, Sligo, and Mayo. In confideration of the Surrender of the City of Limerick, and other Agreements made between the faid Lieutenant General Ginckle, the Governor of the City of Limerick, and the Generals of the Irish army, bearing date with thefe Prefents, for the Surrender of the City, and Submiffion of the faid Army: it is agreed, That, 1.THE Roman Catholics of this kingdom fhall enjoy fuch privileges in the exercise of their religion, as are confiftent with the laws of Ireland; or as they did enjoy in the reign of King Charles the Second: and their |