nches, than the guns on
the walls, and the musketry of the defenders, poured their fire upon
them; while all the batteries of the besiegers opened, at the same
moment, to cover the assault. Through the hail of fire the grenadiers
kept on without faltering, and, as they neared the breach, the Irish
rushed out through the opening to meet them. There was a desperate
struggle, half hidden from the eyes of those on the walls by the cloud of
smoke and dust, which arose from the combatants; but the grenadiers,
fighting with the greatest gallantry, won their way to the counter-scarp,
and half the regiment forced its way through the breach and entered the
town. But the Irish troops, clustered behind the wall, then closed in
again, and barred the breach to those following.

The Dutch and English regiments were marched up, to aid the rest of the
grenadiers to cut their way in after their comrades; but these troops
were unable to imitate the valour of the grenadiers. They got as far as
the counter-scarp; but the fire from the walls was so deadly, that they
could not be prevailed upon to advance. The rain of fire mowed them down.
Their officers urged them on, and, unwilling to retreat and incapable of
advancing, they were shot down in scores.

Presently there was a sudden movement among the Irish defenders on the
breach, and a few of the grenadiers who had entered the city burst their
way through them, and rejoined their comrades. No sooner had they entered
the city, than they found themselves assailed on all sides. The Irish
troops and the citizens attacked them with fury, and even the women,
animated by the deadly hate which the deeds of William's soldiers had
excited, hurled missiles upon them from the windows, and even joined in
the attacks upon them in the streets.

The grenadiers resisted obstinately, but they were gradually overpowered
by numbers, until at last a few survivors, gathering together, burst
through their assailants, and succeeded in making their retreat. For
nearly three hours this furious conflict had raged within the city.
Regiment after regiment had been marched up to the assault, but none had
proved brave enough to fight their way up the counter-scarp to the aid of
the hard-pressed grenadiers in the town.

When the little remnant of the grenadiers rejoined them, they continued,
for a time, to keep up a constant fire upon the defenders on the walls,
but at last slowly and sullenly fell back to their camp.