[Illustration:  Thormond Bridge, Limerick.]

Finally, on August 9th, William’s army appeared before Limerick, and the famous siege began.  Tyrconnell signalized himself by deserting the fords over the Shannon and departing to Galway, declaring that the town would certainly surrender within a week.  The city, however, was of a different opinion.  The garrison, under Sarsfield, made vigorous preparation for a defence, and a party under Sarsfield himself cut off one of William’s convoys from Dublin, destroying the siege-train which was being brought for the attack on the city.  William’s cavalry, taking advantage of Tyrconnell’s retreat, crossed the ford of the Shannon to complete the investment of the city on that side, but they presently returned, having done nothing effective.

We hear of more attempts by Tyrconnell to undermine the resolution of the army, and of attacks by William’s force, which gave him possession of the outworks, so that he was able presently to begin cannonading the walls, to make a breach for an assault.  The officer in the Irish army whom we have already quoted, gives this account of the siege:  “Never was a town better attacked and better defended than the city of Limerick.  William left nothing unattempted that the art of war, the skill of a great captain and the valor of veteran soldiers could put in execution to gain the place; and the Irish omitted nothing that courage and constancy could practice to defend it.  The continual assaults of the one and the frequent sallies of the other consumed a great many brave men both of the army and the garrison.  On the nineteenth day, William, after fighting for every inch of ground he gained, having made a large breach in the wall, gave a general assault which lasted for three hours; and though his men mounted the breach, and some even entered the town, they were gallantly repulsed and forced to retire with considerable loss.  William, resolving to renew the assault next day, could not persuade his men to advance, though he offered to lead them in person.  Whereupon, all in a rage, he left the camp, and never stopped till he came to Waterford, where he took shipping for England; his army in the meantime retiring by night from Limerick.”

During this first siege of Limerick the garrison numbered some twenty thousand, by no means well armed.  William’s besieging army was about forty thousand, with forty cannon and mortars.  His loss was between three and four thousand, while the loss of the defenders was about half that number.

William, presently arriving in England, sent reinforcements to his generals in Ireland, under Lord Churchill, afterwards famous as the Duke of Marlborough.  Tyrconnell had meantime followed his runaway king to France, as was involved in a maze of contradictory designs, the one clear principle of which was the future advantage of Tyrconnell.  Louis XIV, who had reasons of his own for wishing to keep the armies of William locked up in Ireland, was altogether willing