The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 4

William's Voyage to Holland—William's Entrance into the Hague—Congress at the Hague—William his own Minister for Foreign Affairs—William obtains a Toleration for the Waldenses; Vices inherent in the Nature of Coalitions—Siege and Fall of Mons—William returns to England; Trials of Preston and Ashton—Execution of Ashton—Preston's Irresolution and Confessions—Lenity shown to the Conspirators—Dartmouth—Turner; Penn—Death of George Fox; his Character—Interview between Penn and Sidney—Preston pardoned—Joy of the Jacobites at the Fall of Mons—The vacant Sees filled—Tillotson Archbishop of Canterbury—Conduct of Sancroft—Difference between Sancroft and Ken—Hatred of Sancroft to the Established Church; he provides for the episcopal Succession among the Nonjurors—The new Bishops—Sherlock Dean of Saint Paul's—Treachery of some of William's Servants—Russell—Godolphin—Marlborough—William returns to the Continent—The Campaign of 1691 in Flanders—The War in Ireland; State of the English Part of Ireland—State of the Part of Ireland which was subject to James—Dissensions among the Irish at Limerick—Return of Tyrconnel to Ireland—Arrival of a French Fleet at Limerick; Saint Ruth—The English take the Field—Fall of Ballymore; Siege and Fall of Athlone—Retreat of the Irish Army—Saint Ruth determines to fight—Battle of Aghrim—Fall of Galway—Death of Tyrconnel—Second Siege of Limerick—The Irish desirous to capitulate—Negotiations between the Irish Chiefs and the Besiegers—The Capitulation of Limerick—The Irish Troops required to make their Election between their Country and France—Most of the Irish Troops volunteer for France—Many of the Irish who had volunteered for France desert—The last Division of the Irish Army sails from Cork for France—State of Ireland after the War
This mode of transacting business would now be thought most unconstitutional; and many writers, applying the standard of their own age to the transactions of a former age, have severely blamed William for acting without the advice of his ministers, and his ministers for submitting to be kept in ignorance of transactions which deeply concerned the honour of the Crown and the welfare of the nation. Yet surely the presumption is that what the most honest and honourable men of both parties, Nottingham, for example, among the Tories, and Somers among the Whigs, not only did, but avowed, cannot have been altogether inexcusable; and a very sufficient excuse will without difficulty be found.