Page:History of the Kings & Queens of England and Scotland.pdf/12

 to his interest. As soon as the season admitted, he besieged Londonderry; the besieged enduring great hardships, from which they were at last relieved, by a store-ship breaking the boom laid across the river to hinder a supply. The army of James after this abandoned the siege, having lost about nine thousand men. William, having gone to head the protestant army, the rival kings met at the river Boyne: the two armies being inflamed with religious animosity and hatred. William immediately upon his arrival narrowly escaped being killed by a shot from a cannon privately planted against him by the enemy, which killed several of his attendants, and slightly wounded himself. Early next morning, William's army forced a passage over the river, and the battle commenced with great vigour, After an obstinate resistance, the Irish fled, followed by their French and Swiss auxiliaries. This victory was almost decisive, although the death of the Duke of Schomborg was severely felt by the protestant party.

After one or two more stands, William succeeded in reducing Ireland, and James returned to France, where he died in 1700. William, after endeavouring to preserve as much as he could of the royal prerogative, gave up the contest, and was for the most part of his reign engaged in carrying on war with France, which was terminated by the treaty of Ryswick in 1697. William died on the eighth of March, 1702, in consequence of a fall from his horse, in the fifty-second year of his age, and thirteenth of his reign: Mary, his consort, died some years before him.

Eminent men in this reign:—Duke of Schomborg; Montague, Earl of Halifax; Lord Somers; Archbishop Tillotson; Bishop Burnet; Sir Isaac Newton.