reant King had left for his occupation.

James II. fled from England at the end of December, 1688. Louis XIV.
received him courteously, and entertained him and his family at St.
Germain and Versailles. But he could scarcely entertain much regard
for the abdicated monarch. James had left his kingdom in an
ignominious manner. Though he was at the head of a great fleet and
army, he had not struck a single blow in defence of his kingly rights
And now he had come to the court of Louis XIV. to beg for the
assistance of a French fleet and army to recover his throne.

Though England had rejected James, Ireland was still in his favour.
The Lord-Deputy Tyrconnel was devoted to him; and the Irish people,
excepting those of the north, were ready to fight for him. About a
hundred thousand Irishmen were in arms. Half were soldiers; the rest
were undrilled Rapparees. James was urged by messengers from Ireland
to take advantage of this state of affairs. He accordingly begged
Louis XIV. to send a French army with him into Ireland to help him to
recover his kingdom.

But the French monarch, who saw before him the prospect of a
continental war, was unwilling to send a large body of troops out of
his kingdom. But he did what he could.

He ordered the Brest fleet to be ready. He put on board arms and
ammunition for ten thousand men. He selected four hundred French
officers for the purpose of disciplining the Irish levies. Count
Rosen, a veteran warrior, was placed in command. Over a hundred
thousand pounds of money was also put on board. When the fleet was
ready to sail, James took leave of his patron, Louis XIV. "The best
thing that I can wish you," said the French king, "is that I may never
see you again in this world."

The fleet sailed from Brest on the 7th of March, 1689, and reached
Kinsale, in the south of Ireland, four days later. James II. was
received with the greatest rejoicing. Next day he went on to Cork; he
was received by the Earl of Tyrconnel, who caused one of the
magistrates to be executed because he had declared for the Prince of
Orange.

The news went abroad that the King had landed. He entered Dublin on
the 24th of March, and was received in a triumphant manner. All Roman
Catholic Ireland was at his feet. The Protestants in the south were
disarmed. There was some show of resistance in the north; but no doubt
was entertained that Enniskillen and Derry, where the Protestants had
taken refuge, would soon be capture