ll
too late.

The army of the Prince of Orange was said to be rapidly approaching the
town, in order to commence the siege.

On hearing this, and being made as certain as the vagueness and
unsatisfactory nature of my information, which came not from any
authentic source, would permit; at least, being sure of the main point,
which all allowed--namely, that Limerick was held for the king--and
being also naturally fond of enterprise, and impatient of idleness, I
took the resolution to travel thither, and, if possible, to throw myself
into the city, in order to lend what assistance I might to my former
companions in arms, well knowing that any man of strong constitution
and of some experience might easily make himself useful to a garrison in
their straitened situation.

When I had taken this resolution, I was not long in putting it into
execution; and, as the first step in the matter, I turned half of the
money which remained with me, in all about seventeen pounds, into small
wares and merchandise such as travelling traders used to deal in; and
the rest, excepting some shillings which I carried home for my immediate
expenses, I sewed carefully in the lining of my breeches waistband,
hoping that the sale of my commodities might easily supply me with
subsistence upon the road.

I left Dublin upon a Friday morning in the month of September, with a
tolerably heavy pack upon my back.

I was a strong man and a good walker, and one day with another travelled
easily at the rate of twenty miles in each day, much time being lost
in the towns of any note on the way, where, to avoid suspicion, I was
obliged to make some stay, as if to sell my wares.

I did not travel directly to Limerick, but turned far into Tipperary,
going near to the borders of Cork.

Upon the sixth day after my departure from Dublin I learned, CERTAINLY,
from some fellows who were returning from trafficking with the soldiers,
that the army of the prince was actually encamped before Limerick, upon
the south side of the Shannon.

In order, then, to enter the city without interruption, I must needs
cross the river, and I was much in doubt whether to do so by boat from
Kerry, which I might have easily done, into the Earl of Clare's land,
and thus into the beleaguered city, or to take what seemed the easier
way, one, however, about which I had certain misgivings--which, by the
way, afterwards turned out to be just enough. This way was to cross the
Shannon at