In the twelfth century (1172) Ireland, which had been divided into a number of independent states, of which Munster, Leinster, Meath, Ulster, and Connaught were principal sovereignties, submitted to the authority of the English monarch Henry II. The religion of the people was the Roman Catholic, the same as generally prevailed in other parts of Europe; but two centuries afterwards, the introduction of the reformed religion commenced (1370), and was completed in England in 1534, in the reign of Henry VIII.; it, however, made little progress in Ireland, where the majority of the inhabitants continued Roman Catholics. The English, having embraced the Protestant religion, extended their reformed ecclesiastical institutions to Ireland, where many Protestant families fixed their residence and obtained possessions. The differences in religion, unfortunately, created hostile feelings between the English and Irish; commotions occurred, and a military establishment was found necessary. This consisted of various numbers at different periods: after the Restoration in 1660, the Army of Ireland was composed of twenty troops of horse, a regiment of foot guards, and seventy companies of foot; which were formed into three regiments of cavalry and eight of infantry, including the (Irish) foot guards[7], in 1684. In the following year King James II. ascended the throne, and instead of overlooking the nominal distinctions among his subjects, and seeking to promote the welfare of all, he commenced his endeavours to re-establish the Roman Catholic religion in the three kingdoms, by the most arbitrary proceedings in Ireland. Opposite views and interests were thus brought into collision; evil passions were called forth, which produced effects contrary to those designed, and the results embroiled Ireland in intestine war, and involved many families in misery. The King also commenced arbitrary proceedings in England, where a number of noblemen and gentlemen of property and influence, united in soliciting the Prince of Orange to come to England with an army to aid them in opposing the measures of the Court. [Sidenote: 1688] In the autumn of 1688 the Prince of Orange prepared an armament for England, when the army in Ireland was augmented with men of the Roman Catholic religion, who, not obtaining regular pay, were permitted to seize on the property of Protestants for subsistence: persecutions were also commenced against the latter, and a report was circulated of a design to massacre all persons of the reformed religion, on a named day, when many families fled to England, and others prepared to defend themselves.