ur army together, and
beat up one garrison after another; threaten the strongest places; compel
them to keep constantly on the move; and, before the spring, completely
wear out and exhaust those whom we cannot conquer. If England found that
she had the whole work to begin over again, she would think twice before
she went further.

"These petty German princes would not find their men so ready to embark
in a quarrel, with which they have no concern, when they learned that all
who had done so had laid their bones in the swamps of Ireland, and,
without his mercenaries, William would find it hard to gather an army,
for the English themselves have no heart whatever in the war. If we
remain inactive all the winter, and enable them to retain their foothold
everywhere, fresh reinforcements will arrive in the spring, and so, bit
by bit, all Ireland will be won.

"It is disheartening in the extreme, after seeing the enemy retire,
repulsed and utterly disheartened, from Athlone and Limerick, to allow
them unmolested to rest and gather strength again. If we could but get
rid of the French, there would be some hope for us. They have scarce
fired a shot, since the war began, and yet they assume superiority over
our generals. They thwart us at every turn. They not only refuse to
combine in any action, but they prevent our doing so.

"Since the Boyne, our army has lain inactive and has done nothing,
although they might have done everything. All Ireland was open to them,
on the day when William, with all his forces, sat down here before
Limerick. Why, they could have marched straight for Dublin and captured
it, before William heard that they had crossed the Shannon. They might
have cut off his supplies from Waterford. They might have starved him out
in his camp here. They have had the game in their hands, and they have
allowed it to slip altogether through their fingers. The only hope I
have, now, is that before the spring the French will go. It is but too
clear that Louis has no intention, whatever, of helping us in earnest.
Had he chosen he could, any time during the last six months, have landed
an army here, which would have decided the struggle. Instead of that, he
has sent five thousand men, and had in return as many of our best
soldiers; and the officers he sent seem to have been furnished with
secret instructions, not only to do nothing themselves, but to prevent us
from doing anything."

"Whom would you like to see in command