(except the Bakehouse and Market afore excepted) to the aforesaid Provost and burgesses and their heirs and successors, of us and our successors for ever; rendering annually to us and our successors out of the said Town and pastures with their appurtenances the chief rent of nine marks, and out of the hundred and Court of the said Town one mark of the current money of Ireland, by equal portions at the feasts of St. Michael and Easter, for every service. Now we the said Maurianus the Archbishop and our Successors, with the consent aforesaid, will warrant acquit and by these presents in all places defend the said Town, pasture, hundred and Court with all their rights and appurtenances (except as before excepted) to the aforesaid Provost and Burgesses their heirs and successors for ever against all persons. In testimony whereof we have caused our seal together with the seal of our Chapter to be affixed to these presents. Dated at Cashell the twelfth day of July in the fourteenth year of the reign of King Henry aforesaid. Now we the said Roland Archbishop deeming the Charter, Donation and Grant of the aforesaid Maurianus our former predecessor to be confirmed and acceptable, have approved ratified and confirmed as by the tenor of these presents we approve ratify and confirm them for us and our successors, as far as in us lies, according to the force form and effect of the same, with the consent of the Dean and the whole Chapter of our Church of Cashell, with whom, pre-supposing the honesty and utility of the said Town of Cashell, we have had and made a solemn discussion and mature deliberation in this behalf in our Chapter House, and being specially summoned and assembled in Chapter for this purpose, we now of our certain knowledge and mere motion, with the consent of our Dean and Chapter aforesaid, have anew given and granted, and according to the tenor of these presents, we give and grant all those the Town, pastures, hundred Court and the rest of the premises and every parcel thereof, to Maurice Carny the present Provost and the Burgesses who now are and who for the time shall be, for ever, their heirs and successors in the same manner in which the said Maurianus our predecessor granted the same; in testimony whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent by appending thereto our seal and the seal of our Chapter. Dated at Cashell the nineteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and fifty-seven. Roland Archbishop of Cashel, Philip Archdeacon of Cashel, William Dean of Cashel, Hugo Precentor of Cashel, Thomas Chancellor of Cashel, Richard Treasurer of Cashel, John Sall Prebendary of Cashel.

AN OLD EXCISE TAX.

A very interesting trial took place before the Lords Justices in the seventh year of the reign of Edward the Second, at the suit of the Abbot of the Lower Rock of Cashel against thirty-eight public brewers of the eity, for disseising him of two flagons of ale out of every brewing made

for sale in the city. It appears that Marian O'Brien, who had been Archbishop, granted these two flagons towards the support of an hospital for the poor and infirm which was founded by his seneschal, Sir David le Latimer, for lepers and poor persons. A leper on one occasion having been affronted by Latimer's daughter when begging from the dame her mother, he predicted for the girl his own fate, whereupon she was then or soon after struck with leprosy. Her father after that liberally endowed the hospital, to which the gift of Maurianus was also attached. Subsequently David MacCarwill, Bishop from 1253 to 1289, dispossessed the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of the Lower Rock, and put Cistercians in their places. It is alleged that having dreamt that the Benedictines cut off his head, his mother persuaded him to eject. them. This he did, as before stated. To these he gave liberal endowments out of the lands of the Church. He also united the hospital, founded and endowed both by Maurianus and his seneschal, to the Abbey. This arrangement would appear to have worked smoothly for a time, but the citizens refused to pay their quota of beer, and were brought into court in the seventh year of Edward the Secord. One of the leading proofs offered in support of the claim was a Charter from Edward the First. In their verdict the jurors state that this beer-tax formed no part of the services required from the burgesses by the Charter of Maurianus, the original grantor of their lands. The jury further found that the burgesses were compelled by the later Bishop to pay these tolls to the monks of the new foundation.

CHARTER OF RICHARD THE THIRD.

This was granted in the second year of that king's reign, and was merely confirmatory of previous privileges. Complaint was made by the Provost and burgesses that they could with great difficulty bold their own against the Irish enemy, who were in full rebellion and open war in all the country round. The Charter confirms to the Provost and his body the right to hold inquests on Englishmen through their own coroners, to pardon felons, to deal severely with artisans and labourers, to control the markets, examine weights, &c. With these the King's officer should only interfere once a year, and that merely for the purpose of inspection. A great variety of feudal exactions are enumerated from which the citizens are to continue to be exempt. The customs of the town of Clonmel, which belonged to Cashel, are regranted, together with free warren in said town and in the franchises and burgagery thereof, and also pillory, tumbrel and theam within its franchises and burgagery, The Charter apparently only confers one new privilege, viz. the right of exemption to the Provost and his successors from attending Assizes, juries, a ttainders, and inquisitions. In fine, complete control is confirmed. over all criminal and civil proceedings, with the exception of the four pleas of the Crown, viz.-treason, rape, treasure-trove, and arson. The

Charter throws a remarkable light on the position occupied by the town as a little self-governing English garrison in the midst of a hostile country.

AN INQUISITION.

In the 33rd year of Henry the Eighth an inquiry was held before the King's Commissioner at the instance of the Portreeve and Commons of Cashel, complaining that the neighbouring gentry and tenants trespassed on the Commons estate and cut furze thereon, and they demanded that they should be stopped. The Portreeve claimed that they held it in fee, and that it extended from the Magdalen Asylum to a little stream which is now at the foot of Rockwell College. The stream was then called Kiteriygy, and the lateral boundaries, like the two first named, are the very same to this day. The names of several of the neighbouring gentry, such as the Comans, Fitzwalters and Butlers, are mentioned among the offenders. A fine of ten pounds was imposed for every repetition of the offence. The well-known names of Barnewall, Howth, Gerald Aylin (evidently Aylmer), and Walter Kerwyffe are appended to the decree.

CHARTER OF PHILIP AND MARY.

This was granted in the second and third years of their reigns; and merely ratified and confirmed a previous Charter of Edward the Fourth, which in point of fact was merely confirmatory of the still more ancient one of Maurianus. This Charter, which we subjoin in full, was confirmed by one of Henry the Seventh, in the sixteenth year of his reign; and this was in turn again confirmed by another in the 31st year of Henry the Eighth. A remarkable feature in the Charter of Henry the Seventh is the mandate and authority which it gives to the Archbishop to fulminate (this is the exact word) all manner of sentences, excommunications, and interdictions against any man or men who may interfere with his rights.

The following is the text of the Charter of King Edward the Fourth-Edward, by the Grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland-To all to whom the present letters shall come. Greeting The venerable Father in Christ, John, Archbishop of Cashel, hath supplicated us; That whereas, he and his predecessors, Archbishops of the place aforesaid, claimed to have within all the manors and lordships of the Archbishopric aforesaid, the liberties underwritten, that is to say, Soc and Sac, Toll and Theam, Infangthef and Outfangthef, Fleas of homicide, murder, slaying of Englishmen, and of all manner of robberies, larcenies, duels of Englishmen, and of all others within their Lordships and Manors, and the abjuration of fugitives and felons flying to Holy Church, and also the liberty to take in their Courts, fines and redemptions for felonies done within their lands, in like manner to

grant charters of pardons to felons aforesaid for felonies committed within their Lordships and Manors at their will, and also to waive and outlaw felons in their Courts, to have day, year, and waste of their lands, tenements, and rents, and to make from time to time their own Coroners, and to view and bury Englishmen, and all drowned and slain by misfortune, by their own Coroner, without the King's Coroner, and also justification, correction, and punishment of all manners of artificers and labourers within their Lordships and Manors; and to take fines and redemption from those who shall be convicted or found guilty in their Courts against any of the articles contained in the statutes and ordinances heretofore made by us or our progenitors, for artificers and labourers, and also all manner of pleas of the Crown (except four pleas, that is to say, Treason, Rape, Treasure Trove, and Arson), and also they have claimed to have their Courts concerning all manner of franchises, liberties, and privileges aforesaid, to be held by their Seneschal or Seneschals from time to time, at their will, to be made and appointed; and they have also claimed to have the full return and execution of all our Royal Writs, and precept for summonses, distress, and attachments to be made by our progenitors or us, concerning all places within the lordships, manors, and crosses of the said Archbishopric, and also view of Frank pledge and Assise of Wine, Bread and Beer, of their standard and Ells, Weights, Bushels, Gallons, yard and other measures and weights, and that the King's Clerk of the Market and Keeper of the measures should not interfere in the aforesaid Office within the Lordships, manors and the crosses of the Archbishopric aforesaid, except once in the year, to see and examine the standards of the aforesaid Archbishopric; and also they claimed to take fines and corrections from their tenants of all kinds, and further to perform all that pertains to the office of clerk of the market and keeper of the measures within their lordships, manors, and crosses aforesaid, and also that they had pleas of Withernam, and of all manner of pleas to Court Baron appertaining, in all their lordships and manors; and that they and all their men and tenants may be free of all toll, passage, murage, poundage, lestage, scot, guild, common assistance, and common amerciaments, and also free warren in all their lordships, manors, mountains, and lands; and also wrecks of the sea in all their manors, lordships, and land, coasts of the sea, and also pillory, tumbrell and theme in the places and manors aforesaid. We willing to provide concerning the premises, of our special grace, have given and granted, and by this our present Charter have confirmed, ratified, and approved for us and our heirs, to the said Archbishop, all the aforesaid franchises, liberties, privileges, customs, and usages, and every of them to have and to hold to him and his successors in all and singular the places aforesaid in manner and form above expressed freely, and quietly, without interruption or impediment of us our heirs, and Lieutenant, Justices, Escheators, Sheriffs, Seneschals,

Bailiffs, Ministers or Officers of us our heirs, whomsoever, notwithstanding that the said Archbishop and his predecessors heretofore have not maintained or used them, or any of them. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witness, the Reverend Father in Christ, our beloved William, Bishop of Meath, Deputy of our most dear brother, George, Duke of Clarence, our Lieutenant of our land of Ireland, at Dublin, the 24th day of June, in the 16th year of our reign.

CHARTER OF ELIZABETH (1584).

Queen Elizabeth issued a letter in the 25th year of her reign confirming the rights, &c., conferred by previous Charters on the Portreeve and Commonalty of Cashel. It specifies that it is enacted in consideration of their good behaviour and of their readiness to further the Queen's service, and to encourage them the more to continue therein.

This Charter was merely confirmatory. It would appear, however, that the pleas of the Crown might be tried by the Provost, provided he had the assistance of some person sufficiently learned in the law. The power to acquire lands in mortmain to the value of £30 a year English money. An item worthy of note is that the Head of the Municipality is again denominated Provost, instead of Portreeve-a term which was actually used in the Queen's letter before.

CHARTER OF CHARLES THE FIRST.

This was the governing Charter, and was granted in 1639. It is claimed that by whatever title Cashel was previously recognised, it should for ever from that day forward be entitled to be denominated a city. This shows that the title city had been heretofore employed. The Charter sets out that it was granted in consideration of a fine and of the city being well affected. The Body Corporate embraced a mayor (a title now used for the first time), seventeen aldermen, two bailiffs, citizens, and commons. All these were one body corporate. They were to administer the existing city estates, which they were not to pass from them, nor to assign away the rents thereof. They might acquire lands also up to £50 a year. The Mayor was elected annually by the retiring Mayor and Aldermen. Some show of voice was left to the Bailiffs, Citizens, and Commons. One bailiff was elected by the Mayor and Aldermen, and the other by the rest of the Corporation. Vacancies among the Aldermen were filled up (the weak point of the whole thing) by the Mayor and the other Aldermen. The Recorder was elected by the entire Body Corporate. The mace-bearer, sword-bearer, clerks, and servants were all elected by the entire Body Corporate, but were removable by the Mayor and Aldermen. Queroix was the first Mayor and Sull the first Recorder. These were sworn to do justice to the poor as well as to the rich. A full civil as well as a criminal jurisdiction was vested