But the fall of Athlone and the slaughter of Aghrim had broken the spirit of the army.

A small party, at the head of which were Sarsfield and a brave Scotch officer named Wauchop, cherished a hope that the triumphant progress of Ginkell might be stopped by those walls from which William had, in the preceding year, been forced to retreat.

But many of the Irish chiefs loudly declared that it was time to think of capitulating.

Henry Luttrell, always fond of dark and crooked politics, opened a secret negotiation with the English.

One of his letters was intercepted; and he was put under arrest; but many who blamed his perfidy agreed with him in thinking that it was idle to prolong the contest.