We will now glance at the countries which lie close to England and at her colonies:–a complete investigation scarcely falls within our province. We will first take Ireland, where the prominent questions have the characteristic of connecting the earliest with the latest times.

The English and Protestant interest had been reinstated by the war, but still the native and Catholic elements were by no means entirely suppressed, seeing that the capitulation of Limerick granted them rights, though indeed limited ones. How far, when occasion served, the articles of that agreement might be stretched may be seen from the Earl of Antrim, who, having posted himself with his followers on a height behind a slight entrenchment, claimed to be included among those troops under arms in towns and garrisons in the neighbouring counties which had received a promise of pardon, on condition that they laid down their arms. He thus saved his very large estates, valued at £5,000 a year. Similarly, the Maguires, one of the O'Neals, and many others recovered their forfeited estates. To such as submitted letters of protection were granted in great numbers by government; as many as three hundred such were deposited with the Sheriff of Dublin alone. Some native troops passed over into the King's service, and then took advantage of the free quarters which could not be refused to the standing army in Ireland as it was very insufficiently paid; they were no slight burden to the Protestant inhabitants.