which were made to induce him to submit to the prince of Oranges and the general tenor of his conduct, as well as the testimony of other contemporary writers, seems to prove, that the proposals which he sent to the prince were only intended to gain time, that he might be enabled to put his government in a better state of defence, and procure assistance from France. William, however, though somewhat suspicious of his sincerity, did not slight the advances of the lord-lieutenant: he dispatched general Hamilton, his countryman and friend, to treat with him. Hamilton betrayed his trust': Tyrconnel, in conformity with his real views, levied a great body of troops, which having no regular pay,

5. Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. i.

6. In reasoning so circumstantially on this subject, I am less influenced by any desire of vindicating the conduct of William, or of Tyrconnel, than of shewing the insufficiency of those original papers, which have been so liberally produced of late years, to alter our opinion of the established characters of men: for, as in the present case, Tyrconnel's offer to negociate with William, is no proof of his being a traitor to James; so, in most other cases, our ignorance of the motives of the parties ought to make us suspend our judgment of such doubtful or suspicious evidence. At any rate, these abortive intrigues, and insidious anecdotes, which have been brought as a charge against so many otherwise unsullied reputations, are fitter for the chronicle of scandal, or the memoirs of individuals, than the page of general history, which they can serve only to contaminate and perplex. Little farther attention shall, therefore, be paid to them in the body of this work; which has chiefly for its object important events, with their causes and consequences.

To throw a shade over the brightest characters, cannot surely be a desira ble employment for a liberal mind; yet have some men of talents undertaken this invidious task, and prosecuted it with unwearied industry. They who love to contemplate human nature on the dark side, will find sufficient food for their passion in Dalrymple's Appendix, and Macpherson's original pa pers. Happily, however, these papers, contrary to the apparent purpose of the compilers, furnish arguments for the advocates of freedom, as well as the abettors of despotism. I have accordingly used them as a counter-poison.

7. This treachery was attended by a very striking circumstance. Sir William Temple's son, who was secretary at war to king William, having engaged himself for the fidelity of Hamilton, was so much mortified at his defection, that he put an end to his own life, by leaping out of a boat into the Thames. Clarendon's Diary.

were

were left to live upon the plunder of the protestants; and these unhappy people, roused by oppression, and fearing a general massacre, flew to arms, and throwing themselves into Londonderry, Inniskilling, and other places of strength, hoped to be able to hold out till they should obtain relief from England3.

In the meantime James, who had been received with marks of the most cordial affection by Lewis XIV. either from a sympathy of religious sentiments, or with a view of making him subservient to his ambition, was preparing to make a descent in Ireland. Pressed by the solicitations, and encouraged by the favourable representations of Tyrconnel, he accordingly embarked at Brest, early in the spring, and landed safely in Kinsale, with only twelve hundred men, all his native subjects, one hundred French officers, and some gentlemen of distinction. Seven battalions of French troops were afterwards sent over9. But these, and all his Irish forces, were by no means sufficient to oppose the veteran army of William.

MARCH 12.

James and his adherents, however, had other ideas of the matter. Elated at the presence of a prince, who had lost two kingdoms from his predilection for their religion, the Irish catholics every where received him with the highest demonstrations of joy. But this rage of loyalty, by involving him in measures subversive not only of the protestant interest, but of all the laws of justice and humanity, has disgraced his character, and proved highly injurious to his cause. Having assembled a parliament, consisting chiefly of catholics, a bill was passed for repealing the act of settlement, by which the protestants were secured in the possession of their estates; and, in order to complete the ruin of the whole sect, an act of attainder was afterward passed against the protestants, male and female, who were absent

8. Burnet. King. 9. Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. i.

from

from the kingdom; who did not acknowledge the authority of king James, or who had been any way connected with rebels from the first day of August in the preceding year. The number of protestants attainted by name in this act amounted to about three thousand. Another violent act was passed, declaring Ireland independent of the English parliament".

While James was thus attempting to establish his authority in Ireland, by flattering the prejudices of the natives, William was engaged in managing the English parliament, and in conducting that great system of continental policy, of which he had been so long the centre. To both these ends the violence of the Irish catholics, their influence with the dethroned monarch, and his throwing himself into their hands, contributed not a little and William, in order still farther to quiet and unite the minds of men, as well as to promote his own views, recommended to the parliament an act of general indemnity, and procured an address for a declaration of war against France. Both proposals were rea dily embraced. Inflamed with ancient and hereditary hate, and roused by recent jealousy, the English nation had long been desirous of turning its arms against Lewis XIV. and the supposed attachment of James to the French interest, his bigotry not excepted, had been the principal cause of his ruin. Had he acceded to the league of Augsburg, he would never have lost his crown. Threatened by that league, and willing to strike the first blow, Lewis had sent an army into Alsace, and made himself master of Philipsburgh in 1688. This violence, which was immediately succeeded by others, alarmed the emperor, Spain, Holland, and all the confederate powers on the continent. They saw the necessity of having immediate recourse to arms; and the interposition of France in the affairs of Ireland furnished William with a good pretence for throwing the whole weight of England into the hostile scale. The confederacy was now complete.

10. Burnet. Ralph. King.

11. Ibid.

But

But the critical state of his new dominions called off the attention of William, for a time, from the continental system. The duke of Gordon still held out the castle of Edinburgh for James; snd the viscount Dundee, the soul of the jacobite party in Scotland, having collected a small but gallant army of Highlanders, threatened with subjection the whole northern part of the kingdom. Dundee, who had publicly disavowed the authority of the Scottish convention, had been declared an out-law by that assembly; and general Mackay was sent against him with a body of regular troops. Lord Murray, son to the marquis of Athol, had laid siege to the castle of Blair, which was held by some of the adherents of James. Sir Alexander Maclean, by Dundee's order, marched against Murray, and forced him to raise the siege. But this event did not decide the contest. Mackay, who had hitherto contented himself with obstructing the progress, or watching the motions of the Highlanders, resolved to reduce the disputed castle, and put himself in motion for that purpose.

Apprised of the design of his antagonist, Dundee summoned up all his enterprising spirit, and by forced marches arrived at Athol before him. Next morning he was informed that Mackay's van-guard consisting of four JULY 17. hundred men, had cleared the pass of Killicranky; a narrow defile, formed by the steep side of the Grampianhills, and a dark, rapid, and deep river. Though chagrined at this intelligence, Dundee was not disconcerted. He immediately dispatched sir Alexander Maclean to attack the enemy's advanced party, with an equal number of his clan, while he himself should approach with the main body of the Highlanders. But before Maclean had proceeded a mile, Dundee received information that Mackay had marched through the pass with his whole army. He commanded Maclean to halt, and boldly advanced with his faithful band, determined to give battle to the enemy.

Mackay's army, consisting of four thousand five hundred foot, and two troops of horse, was formed in eight battalions,

VOL. IV.

Ee

talions, and ready for action, when Dundee came in view. His own brave but undisciplined followers, of all ranks and conditions, did not exceed three thousand three hundred men. These he instantly ranged in hostile array. They stood inactive for several hours in sight of the enemy, on the steep side of a hill, which faced the narrow plain where Mackay had formed his line, neither party choosing to change their ground. But the signal for battle was no sooner given, than the Highlanders rushed down the hill in deep columns ; and having discharged their muskets with effect, they had recourse to the broad sword, their proper weapon, with which they furiously attacked the enemy. Mackay's left wing was instantly broken, and driven from the field with great slaughter by the Macleans, who formed the right of Dundee's army. The Macdonalds, who composed his left, were not equally successful: colonel Hastings's regiment of English foot repelled their most vigorous efforts, and obliged them to retreat; But sir Alexander Maclean and sir Evan Cameron, at the head of part of their respective clans, suddenly assailed this gallant regiment in flank, and forced it to give way or cut it in pieces.

The victory was now complete. Two thousand of Mackay's army was slain; and his artillery, baggage, ammunition, provisions, and even king William's Dutch standard, fell into the hands of the Highlanders. But their joy, like a smile upon the cheek of death, delusive and insincere, was of short duration. Dundee was mortally wounded, in the pursuit, by a musket shot. He survived the battle, but expired soon after, and with him perished the hopes of James in Scotland. The castle of Edinburgh had already surrendered to the convention; and the Highlanders, discouraged by the loss of a leader whom they loved and almost adored, gradually dispersed themselves, and returned to their savage mountains, to bewail him in their songs'. His memory is

12. MS. Accounts in Dalrymple and Macpherson. Those of Macpherson are chiefly followed in this narration.