PROCEEDINGS 
OF 
THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 
1838. No. 10. 
February 26. 
SIR Wm. R. HAMILTON, A.M., President, in the Chair. 
Tue Rev. Dr. Mac Donnett, 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 Statntes 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 plures,) one 
of whom was Giraldus Cambrensis, who tells us of himself 
that he was specialius a patre eum Jilio directus, (Gir. Cambr. 
cap. 31, Hoved. fol. 360.) John was not quite a year altoge- 
ther in Ireland, having been compelled to abandon the 
o 
