And hereabouts were the first English planted in Ireland they were a Colony of West-Country men and retain their old English Tone and Customs to this day I am credibly informed that every day about one or two a Clock in Summer they go to Bed the whole Country round nay the very Hens fly up and the Sheep go to Fold as orderly as it were night The Duke of Ormond goes with a party to Killkenny The Army rested a day at Castle Dermot and the next day marched beyond Carlow sending forwards a party of Horse under the Command of the Duke of Ormond to take possession of Kill Kenny and to secure the Protestants and other Inhabitants in the Country about from being Plundred by the Enemy for by this time some of them adventured to look behind them and to return to take along what they had not time nor conveniency to carry off at first here the Army staid a day also and the next day marched to a place called Kells two miles beyond Loughlind Bridge and the day following to Bennets Bridge three miles to the Northest of Kill-Kenny upon the same River The 19. his Majesty dined with the Duke of Ormond at his Castle of Kill Kenny this House was preserved by the Count de Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture and left in a good Condition not without the Cellars well furnished with what they had not time to drink at their going off Killkenny signifies the Cell or Church of Canick who for the Sanctimony of his Solitary Life in this Country was highly Renowned this was one of the best Inland Towns in Ireland the Irish Town has in it the said Canick's Church now the Cathedral of the Bishop of Ossory The English Town was built by Randolph the third Earl of Chester and fortified with a Wall on the West side by Robert Talbot a Nobleman and this Castle by the Buttlers Ancestors to the present Duke of Ormond On Sunday the 20 th They marched six Miles farther and Encamp'd at a Place called Rossed-Narrow upon the Estate of one Mr. Read where the King had an Account of one Fitz Morrice Sheriff of the Queens County that was under Protection and afterwards went off in the Night with his Family and all his Stock the King had also News that the Enemy had quitted Clonmel whither Count Schomberg marched with â— Body of Horse This is one of the strongest Towns in Ireland and cost Oliver Cromwel at least 2000 Men in taking it the Irish made some Pretensions to hold it out now in order to which they levelled all the Suburbs and Hedges but all they did was to make the Inhabitants pay them 300 l. to save the Town from being burnt or plundred it stands upon the River Sure in a pleasant and fruitful Country Here my Lord George Howard and some more came in and submitted who had Protections The Army goes to Carruck Monday the 21 st The Army marched to Carruck situate upon a Rocky Ground whence it took its Name being called from Carruck Mack Griffin the Habitation formerly of the Earls of Ormond which together with the Honour of Earl of Carruck King Edw. II. Granted unto Edward Boteler or Buttler whose Posterity the present D. of Ormond still enjoy it There the King received an Account of the State of Waterford by some that escaped from thence and of the Resolution of the Garison to hold out There also the King had some Intelligence of the Condition of the City of Cork and that County with great Sollicitations from the Inhabitants to hasten to their Relief which at that time they represented as a thing very easie On the 22 d. Major General Kirk with his own Regiment and Colonel Brewers as also a Party of Horse went towards Waterford more Forces designing to follow Waterford summon'd The Major General sent a Trumpet to Summon the Town who at first refused to surrender there being Two Regiments then in Garison their Refusal however was in such civil Terms that we easily understood their Inclinations for soon after they sent out again to know what Terms they might have which were the same with Drogheda but not liking those they proposed some of their own which were That they might enjoy their Estates The Liberty of their Religion A safe Convoy to the next Garrison with their Arms and proper Goods those would not be Granted and then the heavy Cannon were drawn down that way and some more Forces ordered to march And Surrendred but the Irish understanding this sent to ask Liberty to march out with their Arms and to have a safe Convoy which was granted them and accordingly on the 25 th they marched out with their Arms and Baggage being conducted to Mallow In the mean time the Fort of * This Fort was also given John Talbot Earl of Shrewsburry but afterwards by Act of Parliament it was annexed to the Crown for ever Duncanon Seven Miles below Waterford was summon'd This is a Strong and Regular Fortification being at that time Commanded by one Captain Burk and well furnished with Guns and all other Necessaries the Governour required Seven days to Consider of it which being denied him he said he would take so much time but upon the approach of our Forces and the appearing of some Ships before it he surrendered upon the same Terms with Waterford The day that Waterford Surrendred the King himself went to see it and took great care that no Persons should be disturbed in their Houses or Goods Here we found my Lord Dover who was admitted to a more particular Protection he having formerly applyed himself when the King was at Hillsborough by a Leter to Major General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family into Flanders The City of Waterford was built first by certain Pyrates of Norway and afterwards won from the Irish by Richard Earl of Pembrook The Citizens hereof had large Privileges granted them by King Hen. 7. for demeaning themselves Loyally against Perkin Warbeck It was Granted by Patent from King Hen. 6. to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and his Heirs who by the same Patent were to be Senescals of Ireland But this City afterwards was annexed to the Crown The King speaks of going for England At the King 's returning to the Camp His Majesty held a Council wherein he declares his Resolution to go for England In the mean time our Horse Encamped between Carruck and Clonmell and the Earl of Granard came to wait on His Majesty he receiving at the same time an Express from Lieutenant General Douglass who gave but an indifferent Account of that Expedition On the 27 th the King left the Camp at Carruck and went towards Dublin in order for England which occasioned various Conjectures and some Apprehensions that the Affairs of England were in no pleasing Posture Count Solmes left General His Majesty left Count Solmes Commander in Chief and went that night to
therefore for Circumference one of the largest in that Kingdom except Dublin and the Houses are generally built very strong within the Walls being made most of them Castle-ways with Battlements It stands upon the River Shanon and though it be nigh Sixty Miles from the Sea yet Ships of Burden can come up to the Bridge for the River below the Town looks like an Arm of the Sea One part stands on Munster side and is called the Irish Town being compassed about with a very strong Stone Wall and without this a Counterscarp with Pallisado's and also several Forts and Bastions and on the in-side the Wall they had cast up a vast Ditch with an huge Bank of Earth and Stones having only a place left to go in and out The River about a quarter of a Mile above the Town splits it self in two and between the Branches lies a most pleasant spot of Ground called the King's Island being about Two Miles Circumference on the lower end of which stands the greater part of Limerick where there is a Castle and a Cathedral Church This also is invested with a Stone-Wall and is called the English Town between which and the Irish Town there is a very large Stone-Bridge and beyond the English Town upon the further Branch of the River there is another Bridge that leads into the County of Clare near which stands a considerable Fort of Stone and the Irish cast up several more of Earth and made great Fortifications in the King's Island at which they were busie all the while we continued there Here the Irish kept continually a strong Guard having also during our stay Two or Three Regiments entrenched opposite to the Danes on Munster side towards the West of the Irish Town This Place was first won from the Irish by Reimond the Gross an Englishman and Son of William Fitz Gerald but afterwards burnt by Duvenald an Irish Petty King of Thoumond and then in process of time Philip Bruce was infeoffed of it and it became an English like Town being fortified with a Castle and wall'd by King John In the late times Cromwel was called over into England before his Army reached that Place and Ireton managed the Seige who died here afterwards He laid a great many Months before it and did not take it at last Colonel Fennel and others of the Irish in some respect betray'd the Town to him for against the Governour 's Consent they drew up Articles and sending them to Ireton's Camp on the 27 th of October 1651. they received Two Hundred Men at St. John's Gate and more into another Fort called Price's Mill next day getting possession of the Town Ireton hang'd several of those that were still for defending of it But to come again to our business The Irish erect Forts The Irish began also to make Two small Forts between us and the Irish Town one nigh the South Gate about the middle of the Suburbs where stood Two Chimneys and it had that Name the other towards the East nigh that part of the Wal where we afterwards made a Breach They had a Citadel towards the West whereon they had several Guns which plagued us till we kill'd that Gunner and then we were more at ease from that Quarter There was a Spur at the South Gate whereon the greatest of their Guns were planted and at another small Gate with a Sally-port called St. John's Gate towards the East they had also a Battery of Three Guns which from its Colour we called the Black Battery This was just under the place where we made our Breach Our Camp was ordered thus The King's Camp was to the Right in the Second Line next him the Horse Guards and Blue Dutch then some English and Dutch Regiments then the French and Danes and behind all were the Horse though after some time we rather encamped conveniently than regularly Whether it was that His Majesty was made believe the Town would surrender upon Summons or what else was in it I know not but when we sate down before Limerick we had only a Field-Train though we had been a Month in our March from Dublin thither and whether it be usual to go before a Town without sufficient Materials to force it I am no Competent Judge However there were Six Twenty Four Pounders Two Eighteen Pounders a great quantity of Ammunition much Provisions our Tin Boats and abundance of other things all at this time upon the Road from Dublin under the Care of Two Troops of Colonel Viller's Horse Notice of our Guns coming up by a Deserter The Day after we got to Limerick a Frenchman as was reported a Gunner of ours run away from us into Town and gave the Enemy an account where our Train lay as also of those Guns and other things that were coming up the manner of our encamping and where the King's Tents stood with all the Particulars that were material for them to know They had always a plaguy spight at our Guns and therefore on Monday Morning early they play'd theirs most furiously towards the place where our Train lay I hapned to be not far from the place that time and in less than a quarter of an hour I reckon'd Nineteen or Twenty great Shot that fell in a manner all in a Line This place grew presently so hot that we were obliged to remove our Train beyond an Hill further off They fired also all this day and the next at the places where the King's Tents stood killing some Men as also Two of the Prince of Denmark's fine Horses His Majesty was advised to remove to some more convenient and secure Ground which he did Monday the 11 th in the Morning we planted six Twelve Pounders at Cromwell's Fort which dismounted one of the Enemies best Guns upon the Spur and did further damage to the Houses in the Town The same Morning came one Manus O Brian a substantial Country Gentleman to the Camp and gave notice that Sarsfield in the Night had pass'd the River with a Body of Horse and design'd something extraordinary Sarsfield passes the River For when Sarsfield heard what the Frenchman had told he was pretty sure that if those Guns Boats and other Materials came up to us the Town would not be able to hold out and therefore he resolves to run a hazard and destroy them in their March if it were possible if he succeeded then he broke our Measures but if not he then design'd for France if he did but survive the Attempt In order to which he takes all the best Horse and Dragoons that were in Town and that very Night marches over the Shannon at a Place called Killalow a Bishops See on the Shannon Twelve Miles above our Camp The Messenger that brought the News was not much taken notice of at first most People looking upon it as a Dream A great Officer however called him aside and after some indifferent Questions askt him about a Prey of Cattel in
the Popish Part in England was by much the least of Three things were so well managed on that Side as to make the Protestants fall foul upon one another not only with hard Names and Characters of Reproach but in other Actions that seem'd more severe by which means the Interest of both Parties was not only considerably weakned but that of the Papists incredibly strengthned Then what by the dexterous management of the Presbyterian Plot and some improvements made of that by the Observator by which the Popish Party obtain'd a great Reputation and people begun to think that the Devil was not so black as he is painted in the height of which when they say some measures were thought of to reduce the D. of Tork and his Favourites King Charles died King James proclaimed The Duke of York was proclaimed King by the universal consent of all People and afterwards as generously assisted in the West as the Circumstances of the Nation would allow But then when the Parliament came to address his Majesty and beseech him That for the satisfaction of the Nation the Popish Officers and others might be removed from Places of Trust and have competent Pensions allowed them he gave a very positive Answer which was in effect That they were his best Friends and he would not be without them After this things grew every day worse than other for then all mens eyes were opened and every body could discern the Storm approaching Ruines his own Interest Accordingly the Rain came and beat violently upon the House but it being founded upon a stock thanks be to God has stood And as God often brings Light out of Darkness and can by ways unthought of or not look'd into by men turn things contrary to what they design or intend them P. of Orange comes so in the midst of our Necessities he rais'd up an Instrument who by his Virtue and Wisdom contrived and by his Valour put our Deliverance in execution How prosperously this succeeded in England is known to all the World for besides the natural Inclinatiof the people to Variety their general aversion to Popery made the thing at that Juncture very easy tho the Prince was then in a manner a Stranger to the Nation in general The State of Ireland at that time But tho all things succeeded so happily for the Protestant Interest in England yet there was a Cloud in Ireland that seem'd to threaten us if due care was not taken in time to disperse it My Lord Tyrconnel during the Late King's Reign had been framing and modelling an Irish Army that might be ready to serve the Popish Interest on all occasions part of which was sent over into England some time before the Prince Landed and after his being proclaimed King my Lord Tyrconnel having still a considerable Body of men in Arms refuses to deliver up the Sword Some say that it was not demanded from him and more That he had been easily forced to it at first or at least there might have been a Method taken to have persuaded him But the management of this was entrusted to Major General Hambleton a profest Papist Lieut. Gener. Hambleton sent over and so well did my Lord Tyrconnell and he with some other play their Cards that they got Hambleton sent over against the advice of most that understood the Affairs of that Kingdom by which means Succours were delayed and Hambleton as soon as he was safe in Ireland was so far from persuading my Lord Tyrconnell to yield that he ordered all the Horses that were left in Protestant hands and fit for Service to be seiz'd for the Late King's use and treated those whom he believed King William's best Friends at Dublin very harshly for which Service he was made Leutenant-General of the Irish Army The State of England at that Juncture But the Affairs of England did not admit of present Succours to be sent to the Protestants in Ireland who now were groaning under several Afflictions for a great part of the old Army was disbanded or sent into Holland the Dutch were sent home and it 's thought some unseasonable Disputes and Heats about Matters of Religion did no small disservice to the Publick There was also a hot Report about that time at London and indeed all over England that King James was dead which Report was only spread abroad by his own Party and several other such little Artifices were used on purpose to make others more secure month March King James lands in Ireland March 12. 1689. for shortly after we had a certain Account that he landed from France at Kingsale in the West of Ireland having about 1800. men with him This was on the 12. of March and after some small time he came to Dublin where he was received with all the Demonstrations of joy imaginable by my Lord Tyrconnell and all the Popish Party who look'd upon him as their only Support Champion and Deliverer tho several of them have since changed their minds A little before this the Protestants in Ireland were in daily expectation of Arms Ammunition Commissions and some Forces from England and it 's more than probable that if they had got them or not hop'd for them the Business had cost neither so much Blood or Treasure as since it has yet some advised not to make any shew of discontent till they had an Opportunity and were in a condition to make their party good by the arrival of Succours from England But the greater part impatient of delays begin to list Men and with what Arms they could get to make a shew of forming an Army Rout at Drummore March 14. Against those in the North Lieutenant-General Hambleton marched with about One Thousand of the Standing Army and nigh twice as many Rapparees in a distinct Body they met at Drummore in the County of Down and on the 14 of March the Protestants were routed with no great difficulty and no wonder for they were very indifferently provided with Arms Ammunition and Commanders nor was their Discipline any better This was called afterwards The Break of Drummore a Word common amongst the Irish Scots for a Rout At the same rate were some others served shortly after at a place called Killeleigh under one Hunter and those that resisted had the same Fate at several other places In the mean time Major-General Macarty by the same measures and some little Artifices brought the Protestants of Munster under the same Circumstances This gave occasion to King James and my Lord Tyrconnell to take the Arms and Horses from all the Protestants of that Kingdom except those that fled to Londonderry and some few that went towards Iniskilling but a great many that could get away for either England or Scotland made what haste they could and in some few Weeks after those that went that way were actually shut up in Derry On the 25th of March they had Arms and Ammunition brought
built by Henry Londres Arch-Bishop of that Sea And in the Reign of King Ed. 2. Alexander de Bicknor Arch-Bishop of Dublin began to incourage the profession of Learning having obtained from Pope John the 22. the priviledges of an University to the Colledge of Dublin which he builtin the place where of old stood the Monastry of All-hallows the first Master hereof was Fryar William Hardite In times of War and Tumult it was defac'd but rebuilt in Queen Elizabeths time and endowed with several priviledges being ever since a Nursery of Protestants till they were turn'd out by King Jams's Souldiers and it made a Guard House but now at King Williams coming restored to the Protestants with their other possessions Monday the 6. Several parties of Horse were sent up and down the Country and next day the Bishop of Meath the Bishop of Limerick and all or most of the Clergy then in or near the City of Dublin waited upon the King the Bishop of Meath made a Speech telling his Majesty The Bishops and Clergy Address the King That they came not to Beg his Protection for he had given sufficient demonstrations of his affection towards them by ventring his Royal Person for their deliverance but they came to Congratulate his Arrival to pray for the continuance of his good success and to give his Majesty all the assurance possible of their Loyalty and Obedience intreating his Majesty not to think worse of them for staying in Ireland and submitting to a Power that it was impossible for them to resist since they had been as serviceable to the Churches interest and his Majesties by staying as they could have been otherwise with a great deal more to that purpose The King made Answer that as he had by the blessing of God succeeded so far he doubted not but by Gods Assistance to free them absolutely and that in a small time from Popish Tyranny which was his design in coming Then the Bishop of Limerick desired his Majesty to give them leave to appoint a day of publick Thanksgiving and to compose a Form of Prayer upon that Occasion to which his Majesty assented Money left in the Treasury The Irish went away in such haste that they left 16000 l. Brass mony in the Treasury and a great quantity of French peices called Souses I enquired of some People concern'd in the Treasury in King James's time and they told me that there had not been much above 1100000 l. Brass mony Coyned during all the time it passed On Tuesday July the 7. the King sent out his Declaration to the Irish assuring all under such a Quality of his protection and because the not observing of it has since done a great deal of prejudice not only to his Majesties affairs but also to all sorts of People belonging to that Country it will not be improper here to insert it The Declaration of William and Mary King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland c. To all Our People of Our Kingdom of Ireland whom it may concern William R. K. Williams Declaration AS it hath pleased Almighty God to bless Our Arms in this Kingdom with a late victory over Our Enemies at the Boyn and with the Possession of Our Capital City of Dublin and with a general dispersion of all that did oppose us we are now in so happy a prospect of Our Affairs and of extinguishing the Rebellion of this Kingdom that We hold it reasonable to think of Mercy and to have Compassion upon those whom we judge to have been seduced Wherefore We do hereby declare We shall take into Our Royal Protection all poor Labourers Common Souldiers Country Farmers Plowmen and Cottiers whatsoever As also all Citizens Trads-men Towns-men and Artificers who either remain'd at home or having fled from their dwellings shall by the first of August next repair to their usual places of abode surrendring up what Arms they have to such Justices of the Peace as are or shall be appointed by Vs not only to receive the same but also to Register the Appearance of such of the said Persons as shall come and submit to Our Authority For Our Royal Intention is and We do hereby declare That We will not only pardon all those seduced people as to their Lives and Liberties who shall come in by the time aforesaid for all violences they have committed by the command of their Leaders during the time of the War But We do also promise to secure them in their Goods their Stocks of Cattle and all their Chattels personal whatsoever willing and requiring them to come in and where they were Tenants there to preserve the Harvest of Grass and Corn for the supply of the Winter But forasmuch as many of them have a Legal Right to the Tenancy of several Lands some holden from Protestants and some held from Popish Proprietors who have been concern'd in the Rebellion against Us. Our Will and Pleasure is that all those who held from Our good Protestant Subjects do pay their Rents to their respective Landlords and that the Tenants of all those who have been concern'd in the Rebellion against us do keep their Rents in their hands until they have notice from the Commissioners of Our Revenue unto whom they are to account for the same And as we do hereby strictly forbid all violence Rapine and Molestation to any who shall thus come in and remain Obedient to us We do hereby Charge and Require that they be not disquieted in any sort without Our particular Command For the desperate Leaders of this Rebellion who have violated those Laws by which this Kingdom is united and inseparably annexed to the Imperial Crown of England who have called in the French who have Authorized all Violences and depredations against the Protestants and who rejected the Gracious Pardon We offered them in Our Proclamation of the 22 of February 1688. As we are now by Gods great favour in a Condition to make them sensible of their Errours So are we resolved to leave them to the Event of War unless by Great and Manifest demonstrations We shall be convinced that they deserve Our Mercy which We shall never refuse to those that are truly penitent Given at Our Royal Camp at Finglass neer Dublin the 7 th of July 1690. In the Second year of Our Reign This Declararion was published in the Camp two days after and had it been punctually observed according to the intent of it we had had fewer Enemies at this day by at least 20000 For tho' the King was punctual in his observance of it some Officers and Soldiers were apt to neglect the Kings Honour and the Honour of our Country and Religion when it stood in Competition with their own profit and advantage July the seventh and eighth the King took a view of his Army by distinct Regiments and though it often Rain'd very fast yet his Majesty sate on Horseback in the midst of it and saw
and Sixty These were mounted upon small Horses and retreated as did also their main Body burning the Country Our Men then went towards Ross wherein the Enemy had a Garrison of Six Hundred Men commanded by Colonel Mackartey We did not think fit to attack the Town but went towards a Fort near it which we attacked with Fifty Danes and Fifty of the Kingsale Militia We carried the Fort in which were Seventy Seven Men of whom Fourteen swam towards a Rock Five were taken and the rest kill'd Captain Baenburg and Captain Caroll the Commanders were both wounded the former with a Granade and the other shot through the Leg. Goes to Tralee From thence we marched towards Tralee which the Enemy deserted having therein Twenty One Troops of Dragoons and Seven of Horse Commanded by Colonel Sheldon The Enemy were much alarm'd on this side and if they had been pressed home on the other it had been much for our Interest But I heard of nothing further remarkable at Lanesborough except of one Captain Edgworth's defending a Pass with One Hundred Men against a much greater Body of the Irish and after our Men had laid there in the Cold for nigh a Fortnight they were ordered back being much harassed with Cold and Hunger The Boats were never brought to the River and Lieutenant General Douglas went as far as James-Town and then retired again into the North without doing anything remarkable This indeed is to be said for both sides That suppose our Men had passed the River at Lanesborough they must have gone Three Miles forwards before they could have seen any thing but Bogs and Woods The Irish no doubt knew of their coming and would have let them advance some Miles at least and then resolved with all the Force in their Power to attack them nor could Lieut. Gen. Douglas joyn them on a sudden so that seeing our Men were inferiour to theirs in number it was not the safest to go into the midst of their Troops and yet any that will but consider the Circumstances of the preceeding Story and put things together will find that it has been partly our own faults that Ireland has not been reduced already A short Description of the former State of Ireland The Soil of this Country is in all respects as good if not better than that of England And as to the People though this Country was in the Infancy of Christianity called Sanctorum Patria yet in process of Time the Irish did very much degenerate and did in a manner turn perfect Barbarians till at length they were partly civilized by the English Conquest of that Country and yet as the Nature of Man is apter to decline than improve instead of Reforming the Irish a great many of the English did dwindle into meer Irish both in Customs and Habit and are the very People that we are subduing at this juncture not One in Ten of them being of ancient Irish Extraction Most part of the North of Ireland is at present inhabited by People from Scotland The Reason of this may be because of the Vicinity of those Two Nations at that place they not being Three Hours Sail asunder or else it is because in the Ninth Year of King James the First the North of Ireland being then in Rebellion that King invented a New Title of Honour both in England and Scotland for all such the Number not exceeding as I remember Two Hundred in each Nation as would maintain Thirty Soldiers a piece for Three Years at the rate of 8 d. per diem in the Service of Ireland and yet they were to be Gentlemen and worth 1000 l. per annum those he called Barronets and made this Title Hereditary adding to each Man Phternal Cont the Arms of Ulster which is in a Canton or an Escatcheon which they please in a Field Argent a Sinister Hand Cooped at the Wrist Gules But this however was more taken notice of by the Scots than the English at least a great many of them went over themselves in Person into Ulster and after the Rebellion had Lands assigned to them and their Followers whose Posterity enjoy them still As for the other Provinces in Ireland viz. Lemster Munster and Conaught they were generally inhabited with English and Irish intermixt though the Irish were in a manner Slaves to the English and every Landlord was as absolute as a Prince amongst his own Tenants but in all other respects they had the English Laws and Customs and lived more plentifully than they did in any place of England Some may justly wonder to hear of all those multitudes of Cattle which have been at several times taken from the Irish but as they went off from any place they still drove along all the Englishment Stocks and certainly the Country affords abundance because it has never been throughly inhabited for those places that might be improved and tilled are for want of People stoct with Sheep or Cattel which was the Reason that in Queen Elizabeth's Days we read of one surly Boy in the North of Ireland who had a Stock of Fifty Thousand Cattel to his own share Of the Present State of the Irish Army But in short my humble Opinion of the Affairs of that Kingdom at present is First as to the Irish they are naturally a fawning flattering People they 'll down upon their Knees to you at every turn but they are rude false and of no Courage as D. Aquila complain'd when he came out of Spain with an Army to their assistance in Queen Elizabeth's Reign Give them but Encouragement and then there 's no People so insolent So that as Slaves there 's no way to deal with them but to whip them into good Manners and yet many of the Vulgar Irish have been abused in what they had who thinking our Soldiers in the fault they cut their Throats whereever they can get the upper hand As to their Army their Condition is not in some Respect much worse than it was before For 1. Their Men have seen more Service and understand the use of their Arms better being made good Fire-men at Limerick and Athlone 2 dly They are now in a much narrower compass which is easilier defended and they may in a small time draw their whole Army to any corner when as we are dispersed up and down and cannot so easily be got together upon any sudden occasion They have also most of the Passes upon the Shanon in their possession which could not easily be taken from any but Irishmen 3 dly They are very watchful and diligent having always good Intelligence which is the Life of any Action and yet it 's plain there is no such way to destroy the Irish as to imploy some to ruine the rest which they will certainly do their own Fathers for Money But then after all this they have a vast Crowed of People and will not nor cannot have convenient Subsistence for one half of them in a small