re would be unity of design in their operations. Saint Ruth
was accompanied by a large number of young French officers, whose
demeanour still further widened the breach between the French and Irish.

Saint Ruth at once inspected the army, now concentrated between Limerick
and Athlone. Except that there was a great deficiency in horses for the
cavalry, the army was greatly improved in discipline and appearance since
the battle of the Boyne, for both officers, petty officers, and men had
learned their duties. The army had passed the winter in comfortable
quarters, and had been well supplied with food.

The difficulty was to find horses. The rapparees had carried off many of
the chargers of the English cavalry, by stratagem, and it was a common
practice of the Danish and other foreign troops to sell their horses to
the Irish, at the outposts, and pretend that they were stolen. Still, the
supply was altogether insufficient, and Saint Ruth, finding that he could
not get horses from the enemy, determined to take them from his friends.

A proclamation was accordingly issued, inviting all the gentry throughout
the country held by the Irish, to meet him at Limerick, mounted and
accoutered in the best manner. Reports were spread that an important
communication was to be made to the gentlemen of the country, from King
James, and that many marks of honour and distinction were to be
conferred.

Accordingly, there was a very numerous attendance of gentry on the day
fixed. Saint Ruth appeared on the ground with a large body of cavalry. He
made a speech to the gentlemen--complimented them on their punctual
attendance and gallant appearance; told them that it was necessary that
every man should make sacrifices for the defence of his religion and his
estates, and requested them to hand over their horses to the cavalry. He
then at once rode off the ground, leaving the cavalry to take possession
of the horses.

Anger and expostulation were useless, and the gentlemen had to return on
foot, sadder men; but the army obtained a large and valuable addition of
horses, and Saint Ruth was able to march out at the head of twenty
thousand foot, and five thousand well-appointed cavalry.

Their direction was Athlone, towards which point Ginckle was also
directing his movements, having assembled his whole force at Mullingar,
withdrawing the garrisons from almost all the towns, in order to raise
his force in the field. The alarm in Dublin was, in c