ential that Ireton made him an offer of forty
thousand pounds, (two hundred thousand dollars,) and a free pass to the
Continent, if he would cease his exhortations, and advise immediate
surrender. He scorned the offer, and so when the city at last fell
into the hands of the English, he was tried and condemned to death. He
was calm and heroic to the last; but before he was beheaded, he
addressed a few solemn, warning words to Ireton, which made the stern
soldier's blood curdle. He accused him of cruel injustice, and
summoned him to appear before the tribunal of God within a few days.
It is a singular fact that in a little more than a week from that time,
Ireton died of the plague.

Limerick was again besieged in 1690, by William III. It was defended
by the Irish Catholic adherents of James II. and their French allies,
and so well defended, that the King and his army beat a retreat in less
than a month. However, they made another trial the next year and with
a little better success, for after a six months' siege, the garrison
capitulated. A treaty was signed between the two armies, in which it
was stipulated that Limerick and the other Irish fortresses should
surrender to the new King--that the garrisons should be allowed to
march out with all the honors of war, and that they should be provided
with shipping to carry them to any country they should please to go to.
Then there were several other articles very favorable to the rights and
liberties of the Roman Catholics. To the shame of the English
government of that day, it must be said that this compact was most
dishonorably broken, and through that reign and many succeeding, the
Irish Catholics were greatly wronged and meanly persecuted. From this
circumstance, Limerick has always been called "The City of the Violated
Treaty"--at least, until the year 1847, when, one evening, a famous
tea-party given to the rebel leader, Smith O'Brien, was broken up by a
mob--on which occasion, Mr. Punch made a little change in the old
title, and called it "The City of the Violated _Tea-tray_."

The Cathedral of St. Mary's is a large, gloomy-looking building, with a
very high tower, from which one can get a magnificent view of the
surrounding country. In this tower is a very melodious chime of bells,
about which there is told a pretty and touching story, which I do not
doubt is true.

Once there lived in Italy a skilful young artisan, who was celebrated
for founding bells. N