n
neglected both, and our coast had no guardian, and our desecrated
fields knew no avenger.

We have printed the king's speech at the opening of this eventful
parliament, the titles of _all_ its Acts, and all the statutes
summarized in full detail which we could in any way procure--sufficient,
we think, with the scattered notices of the chief members, to make the
working of this Parliament plain. We are conscious of many defects in
our information and way of treating the subject; but we commenced by
avowing that we were not professors but students of Irish history;
trying to come at some clear understanding on a most important part of
it, communicating our difficulties and offering our solutions, as they
occurred to us, in hopes that some of our countrymen would take up the
same study, and do as much or more than we have done, and possibly that
one of those accomplished historians, of which Ireland now has a few,
would take the helm from us, and guide the ship himself.

We have no reason to suppose that we succeeded in either object; yet we
cling to the belief that, owing to us, some few persons will for the
future be found who will not allow the calumnies against our noble old
Parliament of 1689 to pass uncontradicted. It might have been better,
but this is well.

---------------------------------------------------------------
[29] The dates about the time of this revolution are most
important. On the 10th October, 1688, William issued an address,
dated at the Hague, and another from the same place, dated 24th
October, intended to counterwork James's retractations. He landed
at Torbay, November 5th, arrived in London December 17th. Some Whig
Lords signed an association, dated December 19th, pledging
themselves to stand by the prince, and avenge him if he should
perish. December 23rd, William issued the letter calling the
members of Charles II.'s parliament, the mayor, aldermen, and 50
councillors of London. December 26th they met, called on the prince
to assume the government and issue letters for a convention, and
they signed the association of the Whig Lords. They presented their
address 27th December, it was received December 28th, and then this
little club broke up. December 29th William issued letters for a
convention, which met 22nd January, 1688-9, finally agreed on their
declaration against James and his family, and for William and Mary,