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their gates upon their formidable foe, and determined, happen what might, that they would not surrender. Ah, they knew where to look in time of danger, they had put their trust in God, and were assured that He would be their "refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."

The governor of the city was an officer named Lundy, a man of a very different spirit from the people of whom we have just been speaking. Before James and his army appeared, he assembled a council of war, and in that council it was determined, that the chief officers should leave the city, and that a capitulation should be made with the enemy by the inhabitants. A messenger was accordingly sent to James, to propose a negotiation. When the brave garrison, and the Protestants of the town, heard this, they were exceedingly angry. Some of the commanders tried to persuade Lundy to maintain his government, and assist them in defending the place. But as he refused to do this, he was allowed to make his escape in disguise, and Mr. Walker and Major Baker were appointed governors in his place. Mr. Walker was a clergyman, the rector of Donoughmore, and he had already raised a regiment for the defence of the Protestants.

And now the siege began in earnest. For a time, the determined bravery of the people

in the town resisted the besiegers; but soon sickness and famine appeared within the walls, and carried off many of their number. Hun

dreds died of hunger; the only food which remained for them was horse-flesh, dogs, cats, rats, mice, tallow, and starch; and even these began at last to fail. James now returned to Dublin, and left the army under the command of the French general De Rosen. Rosen was perhaps naturally a cruel man, and he was so inuch vexed and annoyed at the trouble the inhabitants of Londonderry gave him by their long resistance, that he threatened to throw down the town, and destroy every one of the inhabitants, unless they would immediately submit to their lawful sovereign,-for so he called James. But distressed as they were, the garrison would not listen to such a proposal as this. The governors even declared, that any person who dared to talk of surrendering, should be put to death immediately. And so the siege went on. Then De Rosen tried a new plan to induce the inhabitants to submit. He told them that, if they still refused to open the gates, he would execute his vengeance upon all the Protestants in the country, -that he would drive them under the walls of Londonderry, and there let them perish by famine. Still the people would not yield;

the dreadful threat was actually performed.

Soldiers were sent thirty miles round, who collected all the Protestants they could find, plundered them, and then drove them on to the very walls of Londonderry! About four thousand,—men, women, and children,—were seen by the poor besieged people from their walls; fellow-countrymen they were,-fellow Protestants,—all exposed to the cruelty of the barbarous De Rosen and his fierce soldiers! The inhabitants of Londonderry were unable to help them, unless indeed they surrendered, and opened their gates, and let in the enemy; and perhaps you will expect to hear that they were induced to do this, to save their friends, though they would not do it to save themselves. Quite the contrary. They were now more determined than ever not to yield to such an enemy; but in order to frighten De Rosen, and, as they hoped, deter him from his cruel purpose, they sent him a message, saying, that they would hang all the prisoners they had taken during the siege, unless the Protestants were immediately allowed to depart. The people of Londonderry had no wish to take such revenge, but it seemed necessary to threaten to do so, for the sake of the poor sufferers under the walls; and happily the threat had the desired effect. After three days, they were released; but they had suffered so much from hunger and cruel treatment, that few lived

to reach their homes, and those who did, found them plundered by the Roman Catholic party; so that these poor creatures were left to perish without shelter, or to be murdered by the soldiers of the enemy!

But what became of the brave, suffering people in Londonderry? They were indeed reduced now to the most dreadful state of famine; and a proposal had even been made amongst themselves, that some should be killed as food for the survivors! But do you not remember that common saying, and true it is, as well as common, "Man's extremity is God's opportunity"? It was found true now by the patient long-enduring sufferers of Londonderry. Just at this time, a joyful sight appeared in the river upon which that city stands. Two vessels were seen, sailing up towards the town. They were laden with provisions,food such as those poor starving people had not enjoyed for many a long day of hunger and privation. Oh, how anxiously they watched the ships as they came nearer and nearer, fired upon by the enemy, as they advanced. Sometimes there seemed no hope that they could escape; they would certainly be sunk, or burnt, or destroyed by the cruel foe, and the food so much desired and so long watched for, would never be suffered to land safely to satisfy the starving inhabitants. But

still the ships sailed on; they reached the town; and then came the joyful moment,these vessels were unladen, and the provisions were distributed, and the poor people could once more satisfy the cravings of hunger. It was a day for gratitude indeed; and the occasion for that gratitude did not end with the mere relief which the food afforded. The besieging army, weary with their long exertions, and now in despair of success, left the walls of Londonderry that very night, and so ended the danger of the gallant Protestant band within.

But we have not yet done with Ireland, and the efforts made there to reinstate James in his lost kingdom. Not very long after the siege of Londonderry, a battle took place on the banks of the river Boyne. The English were commanded then by king William, who had come over to oppose the enemy in person. The two armies had for some time been approaching one another, and at last they found themselves stationed one on the right and the other on the left bank of the river, so that it was impossible for them to avoid an engagement. Accordingly William began to prepare for battle; he arranged his soldiers, and rode along the ranks to inspect them, and to observe the position of the enemy, that he might ascertain how he could best make the attack. While he was doing this, he was per

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