PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 



1838. No. 10. 



February 26. 



SIR Wm. R. HAMILTON, A.M., President, in the Chair. 



The Rev. Dr. Mac Donnell, Secretary of Council, gave 

 notice that it was his intention to resign his Office of Secre- 

 tary, and place in the Council. 



A letter was read from Dr. Ferguson, resigning his place 

 in the Council. 



The recommendation of Council to repeal the latter part 

 of Chap. VIII. sect. 4, of the Statutes of the Academy, from 

 the words " except by a vote," to the end, was agreed to. 



The Rev. J. H. Todd exhibited the original of a Charter 

 granted to the Abbey of Mellifont, near Drogheda, in the 

 county Louth, by John, son of Henry II., afterwards king of 

 England. The charter was given at Castleknock, but the 

 year is not specified. It must, however, have been the year 

 1185, when John, by confirmation of Pope Urban VIII. was 

 appointed by his father, Lord of Ireland, {Hoved, fol. 359. d.) 

 whither he accordingly went soon after, accompanied by 400 

 knights, some archers, and many clerks, {clerici phires,) one 

 of whom was Giraldus Cambrensis, who tells us of himself 

 that he was specialius apatre cumjilio directus, [Gir, Cambr, 

 cap. 31, Hoved, fol. 360.) John was not quite a year altoge- 

 ther in Ireland, having been compelled to abandon the 



