at Slane-bridge; while the main body of foot AC. 1690. fhould force their paffage at Old-bridge, and the left at certain fords between the enemy's camp and Drogheda. The duke perceiving his advice was not relished by the Dutch generals, retired to his tent, where the order of battle being brought to him, he received it with an air of difcontent, faying, it was the first that had ever been fent him in that manner. The proper difpofitions being made, William rode quite through the army by torch light, and then retired to his tent, after having given order for the foldiers to diftinguish themselves from the enemy by wearing green, boughs in their hats during the action.

At fix o'clock in the morning, general Douglas, Battle of the with young Schomberg, the earl of Portland, and Boyne. Overkirk, marched towards Slane-bridge, and paffed the river with very little oppofition. When they reached the farther bank, they perceived the enemy drawn up in two lines, to a confiderable number of horle and foot, with a morafs in their front, fo that Douglass was obliged to wait for a reinforcement. This being arrived,, the infantry were led on the charge through the morafs, while count Schomberg rode round it with his cavalry, to attack the enemy in flank. The Irish, inftead of waiting the affault, faced about, and retreated towards Duleck with fome precipitation; yet not fo faft, but that Schomberg fell in among their rear, and did confiderable execution. King James, however, foon reinforced his left wing from the center; and the count was in his turn obliged to fend for affiftance. At this juncture, king William's main body, confifting of the Dutch guards, the French regiments, and fome battalions of Englifh, paffed the river, which was waift high, under a general discharge of artillery. King James had imprudently removed his cannon from the other

3

A. C. 169c. fide; but, he had posted a strong body of mufque

teers along the bank, behind hedges, houses, and fome works raifed for the occafion. They poured in a clofe fire upon the English troops before they reached the fhore; but it produced very little effect: then the Irish gave way; and some battalions landed without farther oppofition. Yet be fore they could form, they were charged with great impetuofity by a fquadron of the enemy's horfe; and a confiderable body of their cavalry and foot, commanded by general Hamilton, advanced from behind fome little hillocks, to attack those that were landed, as well as to prevent the rest from reaching the fhore. His infantry turned their backs and fled immediately; but, the horse charged with incredible fury, both upon the bank and in the river, fo as to put the unformed regiments in confusion. Then the duke of Schomberg paffing the river in perfon, put himself at the head of the French proteftants, and pointing to the enemy, * Gentlemen, (faid he) thofe are your persecu

tors;" with thefe words he advanced to the attack, where he himself fuftained a violent onfet from a party of the Irifh horfe which had broke through one of the regiments, and were now on their return. They were mistaken for English, and allowed to gallop up to the duke, who received two fevere wounds in the head; but, the French regiments being now fenfible of their mistake, rafhly threw in their fire upon the Irish while they were engaged with the duke; and inftead of faving, fhot him dead upon the fpot. The fate of this general had well nigh proved fatal to the English army, which was immediately involved in tumult and diforder; while the infantry of king James rallied and returned to their pofts with a face of refolution. They were juft ready to fall upon the center, when king William having paffed with the

left

left wing, compofed of the Danish, Dutch, and A. C, 1690. Inniskillin horfe, advanced to attack them on the right. They were ftruck with fuch a panic at his appearance, that they made a fudden halt, and then facing about, retreated to the village of Dunore. There they made fuch a vigorous ftand,. that the Dutch and Danish horfe, though headed by the king in perfon, recoiled. Even the Innif killiners gave way, and that whole wing would have been routed, had not a detachment of dragoons belonging to the regiments of Cunningham and Levifon, difmounted, and lined the hedges on each fide of the defile, through which the fugitives were driven. There they did fuch execution upon. the purfuers as foon checked their ardour. The horfe which were broken, had now time to rally, and returning to the charge, drove the enemy before them in their turn. In this action general. Hamilton, who had been the life and foul of the Irish during the whole engagement, was wounded and taken; an incident which difcouraged them to fuch a degree, that they made no further efforts to retrieve the advantage they had loft. He was im-, mediately brought to the king, who afked him if he thought the Irish would make any further refiftance? and he replied, "Upon my honour I

believe they will; for they have ftill a good ssbody of horse intire." William eying him with a look of difdain, repeated, "Your honour! your

honour!" but took no other notice of his having acted contrary to his engagement, when he was permitted to go to Ireland, on promise of perfuading Tyrconnel to fubmit to the new government. The Irish now abandoned the field with precipitation; but, the French and Swifs troops that acted as their auxiliaries, under Lauzun, retreated in good order, after having maintained the battle for fome time with intrepidity and perfeverance. As

A. C. 1650 king William did not think proper to purfuë the enemy, the carnage was not great.

Death and character of

The Irifh loft about fifteen hundred men, and Schomberg. the English about one third of that number; tho the victory was dearly purchased, confidering the death of the gallant duke of Schomberg, who fell in the eighty-fecord year of his age, after having rivalled the beft generals of the age in military reputation. He was defcended of a noble family in the Palatinate, and his mother was an Englifhwoman, daughter of lord Dudley. Being obliged to feave his country on account of the troubles by which it was agitated, he commenced a foldier of fortune, and ferved fucceffively in the armies of Holland, England, France, Portugal, and Brandenburgh. He attained to the dignities of marechal in France, grandee in Portugal, generaliffimo in Pruffia, and duke in England. He profeffed the proteftant religion; was courteous and humble in his deportment, cool, penetrating, refolute, and fagacious; nor was his probity inferior to his courage. This battle likewife proved fatal to the Erave Caillemote, who had followed the duke's fortunes, and commanded one of the proteftant regiments. After having received a mortal wound, he was carried back through the river by four foldiers; and though almost in the agonies of death, he with a chearful countenance encouraged those who were croffing to do their duty, exclaiming "A la gloire mes enfans; a la gloire! To glory,

my lads; to glory!" The third remarkable perfon who loft his life on this occafion, was Walker the clergyman, who had fo valiantly defended Londonderry against the whole army of king James. He had been very gracicufly received by king William, who gratified him with a reward of five thousand pounds, and a promife of further favour; but his military genius ftill predominating, he attended his royal

royal patron in this battle; and being fhot in the A. C. 1690. belly, died in a few minutes. The perfons of dif tinction who fell on the other fide, were the lords Dongan and Carlingford, Sir Neile O Neile, and the marquis of Hocquencourt. James himself ftood aloof during the action, on the hill of Dunmore, furrounded with fome fquadrons of horfe; and feeing victory declare against him, retired to Dublin, without having made the leaft effort to reaffemble his broken forces. Had he poffeffed either fpirit or conduct, his army might have been rallied, and reinforced from his garrifons, fo as to be in a condition to keep the field, and even act upon the offenfive; for his lofs was inconfiderable, and the victor did not attempt to moleft his troops in their retreat; an omiffion which has been charged upon him as a flagrant inftance of mifconduct. Indeed, through the whole of this engagement, his perfonal courage was much more confpicuous than his military skill.

James em→

› France.

King James no fooner arrived at Dublin, then he affembled the magiftrates and council of the city, barks, for and in a fhort fpeech refigned them to the fortune of the victor. He complained of the cowardice of the Irish; fignified his refolution of leaving the kingdom immediately; forbad them, on their alle. giance, to burn or plunder the city after his departure; and affured them, that though he was obliged to yield to force, he would never ceafe to labour for their deliverance. Next day he fet out for Waterford, attended by the duke of Berwick, Tyrconnel, and the marquis of Powis. He ordered all the bridges to be broken down behind him, and embarked in a veffel which had been prepared for his reception. At fea he fell in with the French fquadron, commanded by the fieur de Foran, who perfuaded him to go on board one of his frigates, which was a prime failor. In this he was

fafely