a smack in the Thames, and slinking ignominiously out of his
kingdom. Towards the end of June, 1689, William and Mary were
proclaimed King and Queen of Great Britain; and they were solemnly
crowned at Westminster about three months after.

But James II. had not yet been got rid of. In the spring of 1689 he
landed at Kinsale, in Ireland, with substantial help obtained from the
French king. Before many weeks had elapsed, forty thousand Irish stood
in arms to support his cause. It was clear that William III. must
fight for his throne, and that Ireland was to be the battle-field. He
accordingly called his forces together again--for the greater part had
been disbanded--when he prepared to take the field in person. Four
Huguenot regiments were at once raised, three infantry regiments, and
one cavalry regiment. The cavalry regiment was raised by Marshal
Schomberg, its colonel. It was composed of French gentlemen, privates
as well as officers. De Pechels was offered a commission in the
regiment, which he cheerfully accepted. He assumed the name of his
barony, La Boissonade, as was common in those days; and he acted as
lieutenant in the company of La Fontain.

The regiment, when completed, was at once despatched to the north of
Ireland to join the little army of about ten thousand Protestants, who
had already laid siege to and taken the fortified town of
Carrickfergus. Schomberg's regiment embarked from Chester, on Monday,
the 25th of August, 1689; and on the following Saturday the squadron
arrived in Belfast Lough. The troopers were landed a little to the
west of Carrickfergus, and marched along the road towards Belfast,
which is still known as "Troopers' Lane." Next day the Duke moved on
in pursuit of the enemy. The regiment passed through Belfast, which
was then a very small place. It consisted of a few streets of thatched
cottages, grouped around what is now known as the High Street of
Belfast. Schomberg's regiment joined the infantry and the
Enniskilleners, who were encamped in a wood on the west of the town.

Next morning the little army started in pursuit of the enemy, who,
though in much greater numbers, fled before them, laying waste the
country. At night Schomberg's troops encamped at Lisburn; on the
following day at Dromore; on the third at Brickclay (this must be
Loughbrickland); and then on to Newry. All the villages they passed
were either burnt or burning. At length they heard that James's Irish
army was at Ne