PIERCY KIRKE is represented by historians as an adventurous soldier of fortune, distinguished for personal bravery and gross immorality. He entered the army soon after the suppression of the insurrection of the Millenarians (or fifth-monarchy men) in 1661, and was many years an officer in the royal regiment of horse guards. During the Dutch war he obtained permission of King Charles II. to proceed to France to join the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of foot,--then in the service of Louis XIV. With this corps he served under the Duke of Monmouth at the siege of Maestricht in 1613; and in the two succeeding campaigns with the French army on the Rhine, commanded by the celebrated Marshal Turenne, under whose orders the English regiments of Monmouth and Churchill, and the Scots regiments of Douglas (now first royal) and of Hamilton, highly distinguished themselves. These corps also acquired additional laurels under Marshal Luxemburg, in 1676; and under Marshal De Crequi, in 1677; but the loose discipline which prevailed in the French army in Germany occasioned the troops to contract licentious habits, from which KIRKE was never afterwards thoroughly reclaimed. On the formation of the SECOND TANGIER, now KING'S OWN, regiment, he was appointed to the lieut.-colonelcy, and in November he succeeded the Earl of Plymouth in the command of the corps; he was also appointed commander of the forces at Tangier, and he subsequently performed the duties of governor of that colony. While at Tangier, he was employed on an embassy to the Emperor of Morocco; he is said to have contracted a friendship with several Moorish chiefs, and an interchange of civilities took place between him and the emperor: his connexion with these barbarians, among whom internal feuds and the exercise of cruel propensities were frequent, was not calculated to soften the rugged traits of his character. In 1682 he was removed to the first Tangier (now second or queen's royal) regiment; which corps he commanded at the battle of Sedgemoor, where the rebel army under the Duke of Monmouth was overthrown. He was afterwards directed to attend with his regiment Lord Chief Justice Jeffries and four other judges, who were appointed to try the rebel prisoners; and while employed on this service he is said to have executed a number of wounded rebels in a barbarous manner, and he was also charged with the commission of numerous acts of wanton cruelty, for which he afterwards pleaded the express orders of the king and of Lieut.-General the Earl of Feversham. Brigadier-General Kirke certainly did not exhibit on this occasion the traits of a humane disposition, yet no doubt can exist but that the barbarities said to have been committed by him have been much exaggerated. The secretary-at-war summoned him to appear at court and explain his proceedings, which he did to the satisfaction of the king. He afterwards joined the association in favour of the Prince of Orange; this was, however, not suspected by