An Exact Account of the Affairs in Ireland, And the present Condition of LONDON-DERRY.  
With the Particulars of the Barbarous Murder of the Bishop of Waterford; In a Letter from a Gentleman at Liverpool, to a Person of Quality in London.  

Licenced  
July 23. 1689.   
SInce the state of Ireland in general, and the condition of London-Derry in particular is now become the subjects of most men's Discourse and Conversation, I think it not improper to send you the exactest and freshest Account I can, of what has been done in that Kingdom, which I have gathered from certain Gentlemen lately arrived here, some in a small Vessel, others in a Wherry.  
They assure us that Major-General Kirk had lately sent in another Messenger into the Town, with Orders to cause a White Flag to be set upon the Church-steeple, so soon as he got in, and to, fire a Gun for every Week's Provision they had yet remaining, and that accordingly four Guns were fired from the Town.  
That Coll. Gourdon O Neale, being admitted into the Town, had made a very plausible offer to the Besieged, That amongst other advantages, they should have their Lives, Liberties, and Estates, be permitted to wear their Swords, and go whither they pleased, provided they would surrender. But their answer was, That they had no reason to trust to any Promise they made, neither would they hope or look for the performance of any thing that should be offered them, since the solemnest Assurances, and most formal Capitulations had been violated to their Friends and Neighbours, when they came under their power, and that those that had Protection granted them by the late King and General Officers, had notwithstanding been plundered of all they had, and driven away from their Houses and Habitations to starve in the Fields; and therefore were resoved to stand it out to the last Man, hoping in a few days to be effectually relieved from England.  
That Lieutenant-General Hamilton being out of favour and employment, for having, as was pretended, used the Protestants in the North with too much lenity, the French General, who was commanded to go to the Siege of Derry, had refused to march, unless he might have a full power to act as he thought fit, declaring openly, that for his part, he was for putting all to the Sword, and would have the whole Country depopulated and laid waste, as is usually practised by the French. But in this he was opposed by the English and most of the Irish Nobility, as being a piece of unseasonable as well as of unjustifiable Inhumanity, in the present juncture of Affairs. However, the late King condescended so far to his French Importunity, as to leave the Town of London-Derry wholly to his discretion, not thinking it fit to gratify him any farther, in regard that several Towns, Families, and Persons in those Parts were under his particular Protection. Yet how little this Protection does avail in many places, the miserable and deplorable condition of divers Towns and Families does abundantly declare, and the remaining British and Protestant Inhabitants being daily threatened by their implacable Enemies, with a general Massacree, and total Extirpation, so soon as the English Forces shall set foot in that Kingdom. A Tragical Instance of their Cruelty has lately happened to the Bishop of Waterford, to whose House several French and Irish being come, they were very civilly entertained by him; till at last some of the Popish Priests that were in their Company began to pick Quarrels, and say very provoking things; the Bishop admonished them, and exhorted them to Civility, and to a Christian temper of mind and expression, which they not regarding, the good old Bishop being aged about 70 Years, was barbarously murdered in his own Parlour, the Dean and several of his Servants were much wounded, and escaped very narrowly running the same Fate with the Bishop: When they had done this Villainy, they fell presently on rifling and plundering the House, and carried with them all they could conveniently bring away, setting Fire to the rest, which soon laid the whole House in Ashes.  
These Gentlemen do further add, That the French and Irish bigoted Papists being daily set on, and exasperated by their governing Priests and Jesuits, 'tis feared they may be soon transported to great acts of Cruelty, unless the merciful hand of Providence appear for their deliverance. That the late King himself is not very well pleased with the posture of his Affairs there, finding that the coining of, and dispersing of so much Copper Money, does do him a great deal of Disservice in the Minds of the People, who look upon it as a formed Design to get into his hands what Money, Silver and Gold, he can, to make provision against another storm; and it is said, that a considerable Sum of Money is already put on Board a Vessel that went off from Kingsale, bound for France, wherein were also divers Priests and Jesuits, who not liking the present condition of their Affairs in Ireland, and being afraid to stay until the passages are shut up, thought fit to retire again into France.  
That discontent and grumbling do generally prevail amongst the better sort of the Irish, insomuch that they begin to be less zealous and concerned for the Interest of the late King; that they are kept together with the hopes they are daily fed with of invading England, when every one of their Fortunes is to be made, and great Riches to be had; being made believe, that the English are so far from being in a condition to invade them, that there is a considerable Party in England, that has declared for the late K. and will be ready to join with them upon their first landing; that the French are Masters of the Sea, and are daily expected to come and transport them over; that Scotland for the most part has declared for him, Dundee having defeated all those that appeared in opposition to his Interest, is become Master of the Field, and that Edinborough Castle holds out still, these being the Arts wherewith the staggering Minds and Hearts of K. James' Interest in that Kingdom are kept up: This Practice became so fashionable, that the very Night the News came to Dublin, of Dundees being defeated, and of the Castle of Edinborough's being surrendered, great Bonfires were ordered to be made, and ringing of Bells, to express the Joy for the Victory Dundee had obtained over his Enemies, and that he was marching with his Victorious Army towards the Relief of Edinborough Castle.  
The Wherry that came in hither yesterday, left Dublin on Thursday last, on pretence of going to Wicklow for Firewood, and brought over Capt. St. George and five other Gentlemen. They say, that the News at Dublin was, that about 7 or 8000 Protestants were driven to London-Derry Walls, who when almost starved, the Town took Compassion on them, and brought them into the Town and refreshed them, ordering at the same time several Gallows to be set up on the Wind-Mill-hill, and all their Prisoners, amongst whom they have considerable ones and divers Officers, to be brought forth in view of the Enemy, on purpose that they might see how they resolved to serve them; which they seeing to be in good earnest, beat a Parley, and in conclusion it was agreed upon, that all the Protestants that had been driven to the Town-Walls, should have liberty and security to return to their Habitations, without any injury or molestation, and accordingly they were all turned out, and the Prisoners carried back to the Town again.  
They Report also, that the Men of Derry have lately by a Stratagem given the Besiegers a great defeat, and the manner of it was thus. It was concerted amongst them, that none should appear on the Walls for some time but two or three Persons only, who were to walk up and down with disconsolate faces and despairing countenances, when in the mean time they had planted several great Guns against the Gate that leads into a Lane through which the Enemy must have marched if the Design took effect. The Enemy observing so few on the Walls, was surprised at it, some of them had the Courage to advance nearer, and to ask the reason of their being so solitary, to which no Answer was at first made, but shaking of their Heads in token of dislike of their Affairs within the Town. They proceeded then a little further, and became so familiar, as to discourse the Sentinels, and move a Parley, which being granted, these Sentinels told them a melancholy Story of their lamentable Condition, offering that if they would save their Lives, and give them some Reward, they would next Night after such an hour open one of the Gates. The Enemy believing all this to be true, drew up a great part of the Army nearer the Town, and seeing no appearance of Discovery or resistance from the walls advanced at the time appointed to the Gate, which the Sentinels presently opened; but they came no sooner within the reach of their Guns, than they poured whole Volleys of great and small shot amongst them, which made terrible Execution, and forced them to run back in great disorder; at the same time they made a Sally upon them, and followed them with the same Success. In this Action, they say, they killed several hundreds of the Enemy.  
That the Protestants in Inniskilling have also had a very Fortunate Adventure lately, having taking several Carts loaded with Arms and Ammunition, lately come from France, and a good deal of Money, which was going to the Camp before Derry; and this has so exasperated the Enemy, that there are about 15000 Men commanded to go and besiege that place, but have not yet the Courage to advance nearer to it than by ten Miles, where they lie in two several Bodies, as well to secure the Intercourse with Derry, as to hinder the other from Relieving it.  
That the Irish being now sensibly Alarmed with the undoubted Reports of a present Invasion (as they call it) from England, do bethink themselves of Imprisoning and Securing the most considerable Protestants throughout the Kingdom: At Dublin they have but two Regiments, and are fitting out two Ships for Privateers, and to get Intelligence from the English Coast. It is accounted a kind of Treason at Dublin to say that Edinborough-Castle is surrendered. Salt is worth 5 s. 4 d. the Bushel, and Coals 45 s. the Tun.  
Thus I have sent you the best Relation I could pick up from those several Persons that are lately come over, and if it can be any ways serviceable to you or your Friends, I shall have the Satisfaction of pleasing a Person that I owe so much Friendship and Kindness to, as I do to yourself, as being with much sincerity,  
SIR, Your most Humble Servant.   

LONDON: Printed for H. Jones. MDCLXXXIX.