In the space of little more than a year after William was upon the throne, he broke with that parliament, and dismissed that party, which had placed him on it. Pro voked at the hostility of the Whigs in his first parlia ment, he determined to call another, and to throw him self into the hands of the Tories. In the new elections, the Tories generally prevailed. The privy seal was taken from Lord Ilalifax, and Lord Shrewsbury resign ed. After these changes, William announced his inten tion of conducting the war in Ireland in person. Leav ing London on the 4th of June 1690, he arrived at Car rickfergus on the 14th of the same month. As he ad vanced, the Irish army abandoned Ardee, and fell back to the south of the river Boyne, where they were joined by James at the head of his French auxiliaries. Wil liam's forces, composed of English, French (French Protestants,) Dutch, Brandenburghers, Irish, and Danes, amounted to 36,000 men. James, having an army every way inferior, resolved, after much hesitation, to give battle ; but took his measures rather for securing a retreat than to make a determined defence. William directed the river to be forded in three places, and the attack begun from as many quarters. Schomberg, with the right wing of 10,000 men, passed some fords up the river, and a bog on the other side, and attacked the forces of James, who rather watched than opposed him, and who fled to secure the pass of Dunleck, which guarded the Irish rear. The centre next crossed, and were maintaining a doubtful contest with their French and Irish opponents, when William, who passed the river farthest down with his cavalry, followed the army of James as it retired in a body around their king. While the armies were yet fighting, James rode oft' from the field of battle. The rout of the Irish, soon after became complete ; and they fled without obeying their sovereign's last injunction to defend the pass of Dunleck, leaving 2000 killed and wounded on the field. The day before the battle, William had received a slight wound by a shot which grazed his shoulder, from a can non which the enemy privately brought and planted op posite to the spot where he was reconnoitring the ground ; but the accident diminished neither the health nor spirits of the king, who, in the heat of the battle, was, as usual, at the head of his cavalry, with his sword drawn, and his arm thrown loose from its bandage. The remains of the Irish army retired precipitately to the Shannon ; and the late king, determining to go to Franco, took his leave of them, leaving orders behind him to continue their resistance.
The news of William's victory diffused exultation over the minds of the English, and came in good time to console them for the issue of a naval engagement which had mortified their national vanity. Torrington, with 34 English and 22 Dutch ships, engaged the French Admiral Tourville off Beachy head. The Dutch, who had been most prompt in the engagement, were the greatest sufferers; but such was the state of the com bined fleets after the battle, that they, next day, declin ed renewing it, and were obliged to retire into the Thames.
The king returned to England after the battle of the Boyne. General Ginckle, who commanded in his absence, pursued the Irish, now commanded by St Ruth, to the Shannon ; crossed the river by a bold enterprise, and engaged their whole army at Aughrim, where the Irish were defeated with great slaughter, and driven to make their last stand at Limerick, after losing 5000 men.
The siege of Limerick commenced in August, and for six weeks the enemy made a gallant defence, and were not likely to make a speedy submission. With the plans which William had formed for the greater objects of warfare and ambition, the prospect of a winter siege, and the renewal of a spring campaign, in Ireland, were by no means desirable. He gave orders, therefore, to Ginckle, to make the Irish the most favour able offers. By the treaty of Limerick, therefore, which was soon concluded, the Irish were granted their par dons, their estates, and a general amnesty of debts, incurred during hostilities. Attainders and outlawries were done away. The Catholics were to receive the same toleration as under Charles II. Such as were
inclined to go to France, were to be landed there, with their effects,at the expense of the English government. Fourteen thousand men, with arms in their hands, availed themselves of this last article, and consented to become, for ever, the subjects of a foreign power.
The defeat of Dundee subdued only the open enemies of the king in Scotland. An opposition to his mea sures was formed under the designation of the Club, or Country Party, and, among some of these,' a plot was laid for the restoration of James, by a coalition of the Jacobites and Presbyterians. The principal plot ters were Montgomery, Ross, the earl of Annandale, and Ferguson, men who had zealously promoted the revolution, but who sought revenge for being disap pointed of the rewards which they expected. But the plot was dissipated by the king's commissioner, Lord Melville, obtaining extensive powers to conciliate the Presbyterians by timely concessions. The king's supre macy over the church was given up, Presbytery- was confirmed on its broadest basis, and preparations were made to indemnify the patriotic Whigs, who had been suffering under the late tyrannical reigns. The con spirators, in dismay, hastened to save themselves. by revealing the plot to government ; and Montgomery, the principal plotter, died in exile, of grief and vexa tion. Nevil Pain, an English agent in the business, suffered the torture—he was the last victim of that in human practice in Scotland.—Otherwise, the suppres sion of the conspiracy was creditable to the humanity ef government, and not a single life was taken. But the double satisfaction arising from a plot (icing sup pressed and popular grievances redressed, was quickly followed, in Scotland, by a lamentable and atrocious event, which forms the only indelible blot amidst the glories of William's reign.
Towards the end of 1691, the Highland Jacobite chieftains were intimidated by a severe proclamation, and hastened to disarm the resentment of government by submission. The last to submit was McDonald of Glencoe, who, after travelling in vain to the governor of Fort William, hastened to Inverary, but was delayed by the snows, and unavoidable interruptions on the road. till the time of grace was expired. The sheriff of Inverary, however, moved by his intreatics and tears, administered the oath of allegiance, and certified the cause of his delay. But his oath was industriously suppressed by the advice of Stair, the president of the Scotch court of Session, and the certificate was erased from the list presented to the privy council. The earl of Braedalbane, whose lands the Highland chief had plundered, and whose treachery to government, in negociating with the Highland clans, Glencoe had also exposed, instigated the secretary Dalrymple, son to lord Stair, a statesman who had imbibed the bloody spirit of Lauderdale's administration, to co-operate with his sa vage resentment. They persuaded William that Glen coe was the main obstacle to the pacification of the Highlands, and concealing the circumstances in favour of the unfortunate chief, obtained orders for proceeding to military execution against his clan. Glencoe had remained unmolested, and confident of pardon, at home, when a detachment arrived from Fort William, under Campbell of Glenlyon, whose niece had married one of Glencoe's sons. The soldiers were received on pro mise of peace and friendship, and were quartered among the inhabitants of the sequestered vale, when their orders arrived at midnight not to suffer a man under 70 to escape their swords. The orders were obeyed with a dreadful strictness. The inhabitants were massacred in their houses ; some roused from their beds, and others when sitting round their fires. Women were butchered with their children in their arms. Thirty eight persons were thus sacrificed ; but though the ends of the glen were watched, the rest escaped in a tem pestuous night ; the carnage, however, was succeeded by rapine and desolation, and the women and children stript naked, were left to explore their way to some shelter, or to perish in the snows.