As much injustice has been done the memory of King James II by Irish writers, who have taken too much for granted on traditional “hearsay,” we deem it only fair to place before the readers of this history the sentiments of the unfortunate monarch toward his Irish defenders. We quote from his Memoirs, Vol. II, pp. 465-467: “Thus was Ireland [he alluded to the fall of Limerick], after an obstinate resistance in three years’ campaigns, by the power and riches of England, and the revolt of almost all its [Ireland’s] own Protestant subjects torn from its natural sovereign, who, tho’ he was divested of the country, was not wholly deprived of the people, for the greatest part of those who were then in arms for the defence of his right, not content with the service already rendered, got leave [as was said] to come and lose their lives, after having lost their estates, in defence of his title, and brought by that means such a body of men into France as by their generous comportment in accepting the pay of the country [much less than British or Irish pay] instead of that which is usually allowed there [in France] to strangers and their inimitable valor and service during the whole course of the war, might justly make their prince pass for an ally, rather than a pensioner, or burden, to his Most Christian Majesty, whose pay, indeed, they received, but acted by the king’s, their master’s, commission, according to the common method of other auxiliary troops. As soon as the king [James] heard of their arrival [in France] he writ to the commander [General Sheldon, who went with the first contingent] to assure him how well he was satisfied with the behavior and conduct of the officers, and the valor and fidelity of the soldiers, and how sensible he should ever be of their service, which he would not fail to reward when it should please God to put him in a capacity of doing it.” Following is the full text of the letter addressed to the Irish troops through their general by King James, as given in Story’s Continuation, page 289: “JAMES REX.