y were attacked in the rear
by a fresh body of the enemy, and only a few of them managed to make
their escape.

"The appearance of the house fully corroborated his story. The inside was
piled with dead, who were found scattered all over the house. Among them
were a few men in the uniform of one of the Irish cavalry regiments. This
was some alleviation to my terrible anxiety. Had the assailants been a
body of peasants, I should have feared that they had wreaked on you and
Claire the hatred which they feel, I own not unjustly, towards the king's
foreign troops. As they were regular soldiers, I had hopes that they had
only carried you off as hostages.

"One of the female servants was found below, killed. No pursuit was
possible, as we could find no one of whom to inquire by which way the
enemy retreated; but, in the morning, we found that the horses of the
Hessians had been ridden to a spot some miles up the river, where they
had swam or forded the stream. There was a strong party of the enemy on
the opposite side. My anxiety was terrible, till I received your letter,
and you may imagine how great a shock it was to me to learn the frightful
scene through which you had passed, and how my sentiments changed towards
those whom I had regarded as your abductors, but whom I now learn were
your saviours.

"I have read that portion of your letter to the king, who is furious at
the evil conduct of his troops. He has, all along, done everything in his
power to repress it; but when not under his immediate eye, it seems as if
all discipline was lost, and the troops behaved rather as a horde of
savages than as soldiers. After what had happened, I cannot blame you for
the opinion you express in your letter, or for your determination not to
trust yourself and Claire in this camp, although I am sure that the king
would send a detachment of his own Dutch guards with you to Dublin. I
trust that you will, as soon as the work you have undertaken is over, go
to our cousins at Galway, and take ship without delay to England, where I
will at once join you, when I hear of your arrival there.

"Please express to Captain Davenant and his son the extreme obligation
under which I feel towards them, and assure them that I look forward to
the time when this unfortunate struggle shall be at an end, and I can
meet them and thank them personally. It will be a satisfaction to you to
be able to inform them that I have, this morning, obtained from the king