392 Proceedings o1 the Royal Irish Academy. 



taken by the Irish in 845. In 853, .Amlaibh brought a stronger reinforce- 

 ment : and the town at one time had 200 ships. Despite its two suiTenders 

 about 980 to King Maelsechnaill and King Brian, and the tremendous check 

 to the Danish power before its walls in the so-called Battle of Clontarf in 

 1014, it continuedin the hands of its founders. Sigtrygg, in 1038, built its 

 " Christchurch,"' for the result of "Clontarf" had discredited the religion of 

 Asgard. Its ruler, Asculf, son of Thorkill, fled on the approach of the 

 Enc'lish, returning to attack them in great force in 1170 ; but Milo de Cogan 

 held it, and it became and continued the Anglo-Xorman capital after the 

 visit of HeniY II in 1172, who planted there a colony from Bristol, and gave 

 them, bv an extant charter, aU the liberties, rights, and customs of their native 

 citv.* We are onlj- concerned with lights on its commercial history before 

 1330.' By Prince John's charter no foreign merehant could keep a wine-shop in 

 it save on ship-board, and two butts of wine (one fiom before and one behind 

 the mast) were reserved. It was customary law that no foreign trader should 

 stay in it over forty days, Henry lU had to rebuke its citizens for unjust 

 exactions on the foreigners. Its murage-grant shows that in 1233 it dealt in 

 wine, wheat, oats, horses, cows, hogs, sheep, hides, wool, lead, cloth, salt, 

 woad, tallow, cheese, honey, butter, herrings, and salmon. In 1241 it sent a 

 porpoise to Chester. In 1252 it was compelled to adopt a uniionu standard 

 of weights and measures. That same year the murage-grant, i besides the 

 former items, includes rates on pepper, wax, alum, millstones, squirrel-sldns, 

 &c. In 1284 it taxed wine and French millstones. In 1295* (besides the 

 above) linen, canvas, samite, diaper (from Tpres), baudekin, silk, and other 

 choice fabrics, and cordwain are named. Henry HI, in his charter, 1221,* 

 allowed a toll of two pence on each butt of wine for the city. The Pipe Eolls 



1 The coirespondence of the plans of the cathedrals of Dabiin and Wateri-jrd cannot be 

 attiibnted to the Danes, for the lemains are Gothic, or at eadiest in Christ Chureh Noimaa transitioii. 

 It is more than donbtful irhether any trace of Danish irork remains in either. Sare the Bing-Tower 

 at Waterford, Xorse Ireland seems to hare left no building or carved stone — a fact that minimize the 

 deductions from the non-occunence of snch in America, where the If oise barely landed. Only two 

 nmic inscriptions on swords have been fonnd in Ireland. 



' Facsimile in Gflberf s " Gal. of Ancient Bec-ords of Dublin," i, and " JNTational MSS. of Ireland.' ' 



' Apart from the numerous annals and historic of this (as of the other ports), I refer to the 

 Patent, Close, Hpe, Memoranda, and Plea Bolls, the Monastic and CaUiedral Begisteis, and 

 Sir. J. Gilbert's "Caleadars, &c.. Charters, and Docoments of the Ang^Normans," and of 

 coarse the Cal Doc Ir. 



•In thisyearacow was soldat 3». 6rf., but wonh 6». (Jnsfic. R. Cal., m. 17). Other morage- 

 grants (rather too late for this paper) date 1323-3, 1345-6, and 1336. The first two include 

 eMns of the bare, rabbit, eat, wolf, and squirrel. The last grant giy^ gold, satin, d'Tpres (diaper), 

 and laudekyn (cloth of gold or silTer with silt), French linen, and English cloth, and doth of 

 asdze of Flanders, Soimandy, and Brabant, also Spanish iron (CaL Anc. Bee., Dublin). 



' The reason of the grants to Dnblin, Limerick, Cork, &c., of the liberties of Bristol seems to be 

 tbat^ John (when Earl of Mortaine) granted a charter to the latter, in which they were eaxefolly 

 specified; and it was a .eammon practice to copy an older charter when a new one was needed. 

 Henry II bad given a charter to Bristol the very year of bis visit to Dublin, 1172. 



