42. The Struggle in Ireland 42. Der Kampf in Irland 42. La lucha en Irlanda 42. La lutte en Irlande 42. La lotta in Irlanda 42.アイルランドでの闘い 42. A luta na Irlanda 42. Борьба в Ирландии 42. Боротьба в Ірландії 42. 爱尔兰的斗争 42. 愛爾蘭的鬥爭

"Down thy valleys, Ireland, Ireland, Down thy valleys green and sad, Still thy spirit wanders wailing, Wanders wailing, wanders mad." "Dans tes vallées, Irlande, Irlande, Dans tes vallées vertes et tristes, Ton esprit erre en se lamentant, Il erre en se lamentant, Il erre en étant fou." —NEWBOLT. -NEWBOLT.

William now turned his attention to Ireland, where James II. was stirring up the country against him. de l'État contre lui, et il n'y a pas d'autre moyen de le faire. stava sobillando il Paese contro di lui. Neither was he the first English ruler to turn his eyes towards that unhappy land—that beautiful "Emerald Isle" across the seas, ever in a state of unrest and misery. Il ne fut pas non plus le premier souverain anglais à tourner son regard vers cette terre malheureuse, cette belle "île d'émeraude" de l'autre côté des mers, toujours en proie à l'agitation et à la misère. What was the story of this strange, lonely island, which was so close to England and yet so far? Quelle est l'histoire de cette île étrange et solitaire, si proche de l'Angleterre et pourtant si lointaine ?

Ireland, or Erin, as the poets love to call her, has been compared to a lovely and lonely bride whom England has wedded but has never won. L'Irlande, ou Erin, comme les poètes aiment à l'appeler, a été comparée à une fiancée charmante et solitaire que l'Angleterre a épousée mais n'a jamais gagnée. L'Irlanda, o Erin, come amano chiamarla i poeti, è stata paragonata a una sposa bella e solitaria che l'Inghilterra ha sposato ma non ha mai conquistato. But the time must come—perhaps is not far distant—when bridegroom and bride shall understand one another and shall go forward hand in hand— Mais le temps doit venir - il n'est peut-être pas loin - où l'époux et l'épouse se comprendront et avanceront main dans la main.

"Strong with a strength that no fate might dissever, One with a oneness no force could divide." "Fort d'une force qu'aucun destin ne peut dissoudre, Un avec une unité qu'aucune force ne peut diviser." "Forti di una forza che nessun destino potrebbe dissipare, Uno con un'unità che nessuna forza potrebbe dividere". Oliver Cromwell had ruled the people with a firm hand. Indeed he alone of English rulers stamped his image on the country. En effet, lui seul, parmi les souverains anglais, a marqué le pays de son empreinte. For eight weary years the Irish had fought for Charles I., and on his death they proclaimed his son king. Pendant huit ans, les Irlandais se sont battus pour Charles Ier et, à sa mort, ils ont proclamé son fils roi. This had roused Cromwell to action. In the summer of 1649 he landed in Ireland with a huge army. The following spring he returned to England, leaving Ireland once more crushed and lifeless. Au printemps suivant, il retourne en Angleterre, laissant l'Irlande une fois de plus écrasée et sans vie. Her Parliament had ceased to exist, a few Protestant members were transferred to London. Son Parlement ayant cessé d'exister, quelques membres protestants sont transférés à Londres. Vast military colonies were established by Cromwell, and the large Roman Catholic landowners were exiled to a corner of the country between the Shannon and the sea, called Connaught.

To all outward appearance England and Ireland were now one. All'apparenza, l'Inghilterra e l'Irlanda erano ormai una cosa sola. But when the English people rose against James II., and drove him over to France, the people of Ireland, ever true to the Stuart cause and the Roman Catholic religion, resolved to support him. Mais lorsque le peuple anglais se souleva contre Jacques II et le chassa en France, le peuple irlandais, toujours fidèle à la cause des Stuart et à la religion catholique romaine, résolut de le soutenir. Here is one of the legends of how the king arrived in Ireland.

Erin lay awake in bed. Erin est restée éveillée dans son lit. Outside a storm was raging and rain was falling in torrents. The wind was howling and roaring down the chimney. Suddenly there was a tap at the door.

"Who is there?" asked Erin.

"It is I, James, son of Charles. I have been driven forth by robbers from the home of my ancestors. J'ai été chassé par des voleurs de la maison de mes ancêtres. Give me shelter, I pray thee, from the fury of the storm." Quickly Erin unbarred the door and brought in the hapless stranger. Erin ouvrit rapidement la porte et fit entrer l'infortuné étranger. She took off his dripping cloak, gave him dry clothes, put fresh peat upon the fire, supplied him with food and shelter, and promised to help him. Gli tolse il mantello gocciolante, gli diede abiti asciutti, mise della torba fresca sul fuoco, gli fornì cibo e riparo e promise di aiutarlo.

The appearance of James in Ireland was hailed with enthusiasm. L'arrivée de Jacques en Irlande est accueillie avec enthousiasme. La comparsa di Giacomo in Irlanda fu salutata con entusiasmo. As a king, as a Roman Catholic, as a man in deep misfortune, he had a claim on the feelings of a warm-hearted race of people. En tant que roi, en tant que catholique romain, en tant qu'homme dans le malheur, il avait droit aux sentiments d'une race de gens chaleureux. He had landed at Kinsale on March 12, 1689. From Cork to Dublin people ran before him in crowds to greet him with tears and blessings. De Cork à Dublin, les gens se sont précipités en foule devant lui pour le saluer avec des larmes et des bénédictions.

But the Irish, with the hapless exile James at their head, were no match for the great military force now landing in the north, commanded in person by William III. Mais les Irlandais, avec à leur tête l'infortuné exilé Jacques, ne font pas le poids face à la grande force militaire qui débarque alors dans le nord, commandée en personne par Guillaume III. of England.

"The country is worth fighting for," said William to his mixed army of English and Dutch as he marched through Ireland for the first time in his life. "Le pays vaut la peine qu'on se batte pour lui", dit Guillaume à son armée mixte d'Anglais et de Néerlandais alors qu'il marche sur l'Irlande pour la première fois de sa vie. He noted the rich greenness of the land, the bays and rivers so admirably fitted for trade. Il note la riche verdure de la terre, les baies et les rivières si admirablement adaptées au commerce. Where were the forests of masts that lay in every harbour of his native Holland? Où sont les forêts de mâts qui s'étendent dans tous les ports de sa Hollande natale ? Dov'erano le foreste di alberi che si trovavano in ogni porto della sua Olanda? Where the warehouses that should have lined the quay? Où sont passés les entrepôts qui auraient dû border le quai ? Dove sono i magazzini che avrebbero dovuto costeggiare la banchina? Could he not give these people the government and religion that had made Holland the wonder of the world? Ne pouvait-il pas donner à ces gens le gouvernement et la religion qui avaient fait de la Hollande la merveille du monde ?

He marched on till he came to the green banks of the river Boyne. Il marcha jusqu'à ce qu'il arrive sur les rives verdoyantes de la rivière Boyne. As the glorious beauties of the valley burst upon him he could not suppress his admiration. En découvrant les beautés glorieuses de la vallée, il ne put réprimer son admiration. Here on the neighbouring hill of Dromore was the camp of James II. Here was to be fought one of the most famous battles of the age. C'est là que devait se dérouler l'une des plus célèbres batailles de l'époque.

An old story says, that as the exiled king stood looking over the fair country, his crown fell from his head and rolled down the steep green slope till it plunged into the dark still waters below. Une vieille histoire raconte qu'alors que le roi exilé contemplait le beau pays, sa couronne tomba de sa tête et roula le long de la pente verte et abrupte jusqu'à ce qu'elle plonge dans les eaux sombres et tranquilles du bas. On the walls of Drogheda, at the mouth of the Boyne, waved the flags of James and Louis XIV., side by side: every soldier, Irish and French, had a white badge in his hat. Sur les murs de Drogheda, à l'embouchure de la Boyne, flottent côte à côte les drapeaux de Jacques et de Louis XIV : chaque soldat, irlandais et français, porte un insigne blanc dans son chapeau.

William's keen eye took in the whole situation. L'œil vif de William observe la situation dans son ensemble. "I am glad to see you, gentlemen," he said; "if you escape me now, the fault will be mine." "Je suis heureux de vous voir, messieurs, dit-il ; si vous m'échappez maintenant, ce sera ma faute. "Their army is but small," said one of his Dutch officers. "Leur armée est peu nombreuse", dit l'un de ses officiers hollandais. "They may be stronger than they look," answered William, for he knew that many Irish regiments were hidden from view. The 1st of July dawned. Le 1er juillet s'est levé. The sun rose bright and cloudless. With drums beating, William and his army advanced to the banks of the Boyne. Au son des tambours, Guillaume et son armée avancent jusqu'aux rives de la Boyne. Each man had bound a green bough in his hat. Chaque homme avait attaché un rameau vert à son chapeau. Ogni uomo aveva legato un ramo verde nel cappello. Ten abreast, the soldiers then plunged into the stream, until the Boyne seemed to be alive with muskets and waving boughs. À dix de front, les soldats plongent dans le fleuve, jusqu'à ce que la Boyne semble animée par des mousquets et des branches agitées. Dieci alla volta, i soldati si tuffarono nel torrente, finché il Boyne sembrò animarsi di moschetti e rami ondeggianti. It was not till they had reached the middle that they realised their danger. Whole regiments of foot and horse, hidden from their sight, now seemed to start out of the very earth. Des régiments entiers de fantassins et de cavaliers, cachés à leur vue, semblaient maintenant sortir de terre. A wild shout rose from the opposite shore, as the Irish and French together rushed to battle. Un cri sauvage s'élève de la rive opposée, alors que les Irlandais et les Français se précipitent ensemble dans la bataille. But the great army led by William was too much for them. The Irish foot-soldiers were untrained, badly armed, and unused to action. I soldati a piedi irlandesi erano poco addestrati, male armati e non abituati all'azione. True, the cavalry stood firm, but their valour was powerless to win the day. Certes, la cavalerie a tenu bon, mais sa vaillance n'a pas suffi à remporter la victoire. È vero che la cavalleria resistette, ma il suo valore non riuscì ad avere la meglio. At the first shock of reverse James fled to Dublin. Au premier choc du revers, James s'enfuit à Dublin. Alla prima scossa di rovescio Giacomo fuggì a Dublino. He arrived convulsed with rage.

"Madam," he cried to the wife of one of his brave officers—"Madam, your countrymen have run away." "Madame, s'écrie-t-il à la femme d'un de ses braves officiers, vos compatriotes se sont enfuis. "If they have, sire," answered the Irish lady with ready wit, "your majesty seems to have won the race." "Si c'est le cas, sire, répondit la dame irlandaise avec beaucoup d'esprit, votre majesté semble avoir gagné la course. And the old stories say that James never stopped running till he reached the coast, when he took ship for France! Et les vieilles histoires disent que James n'a jamais cessé de courir jusqu'à ce qu'il atteigne la côte, où il s'est embarqué pour la France !