At Waterford, the king received such serious news as to the state of
things in England, that he determined to return home. On arriving at
Dublin, he was overwhelmed with petitions from the inhabitants, as to the
shameful conduct of the troops left in garrison there, especially those
of Trelawney's, Schomberg's, and some other regiments of horse, who, the
people complained, treated them, although Protestants, far worse than
James's Catholic soldiers had done. Inquiry showed these complaints to be
well founded, and, finding it impossible to restore order and discipline
among them, the king at once sent these regiments back to England.
Then, receiving better news from home, he again started to rejoin his
army, and marched towards Limerick, being joined on his way by the
division under Douglas, which had driven along with them all the cattle
and horses of the country through which they had passed.
Limerick was, at that time, the second city in Ireland. The country, for
a long distance along the mouth of the Shannon, was much wooded, but in
the immediate vicinity of the town it was surrounded by thick inclosures,
houses, orchards, gardens, and plantations. The cultivated land was
everywhere divided into small fields, inclosed by hedges and intersected
by lanes.
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