264 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



1327. The second, E. 3. 18, f . 4, is a paper transcript of the early seventeenth 

 centurr, not made from E. 4. 5, but from some later document. Of the two 

 Mss. of the Irish " Modus," E. -5. IS, f. 1, is a paper transcript of the sixteenth 

 century, made from an old MS. owiietl in the late seTenteenth century by 

 Dopping, Bishop of Meath. This MS. cannot now be found. The second 

 Irish " Modus " E. 3. 18, f. 10, also on paper, and written between 1597 

 and 1629, occure in a transcript of the documents exemplified by Heniy V 

 at Trim, 'llie " Modus " then exemplified would appear to be Dopping's MS. 

 before it was mutilated. Tims from these two tianscripts of the " old MS." 

 certain conclusions can be drawn. It is the earliest document of the 

 " Modus " for Ireland known to have been in existence. Although now lost, 

 copies of it remain, among them these two transcripts in Trinity College. 

 Dopping's contention that it belonged to the reign of Henry II cannot be 

 supported. Erom an examination of these transcripts it is evident that the 

 original is no earlier than documents of the English " Modus " already known, 

 i.e. it lies between 1294 and 1327. This would place it possiblj' about the 

 reign of Edward II.- 



This presumption is strengthened bj' the fact that the oath of the king of 

 England, which was exemplified with it in the reign of Heniy V, follows the 

 form of the oath of Edward II found in the " Liber Eeiralis" of that reign. 



Although this early MS. cannot now be found, its migration through 

 Ireland can be traced. It was firet deposited at Ca.shel- in the custody of 

 the Archbishop. Thence it passed to Clane,^ in Co. KUdare, where it was 

 found with Sir Christopher Preston and brought to Trim* to be exemplified 

 in 1418. Then it seems to have been mutilated and, when in that condition, 

 transcribed in the si.xteenth century.' Jt is next heard of in the Treasury 

 at Waterfoid* about 1670. Thence it came into Meatli to Bishop Dopping's 

 hands in 1692. Finally, the last record of it is its perusal bj' Molyneux at 

 Dublin in 1698.' Since then it seems to have disappeared. Until it is 

 found, these two transcripts in Tiinity College must remain the earliest 

 known MSS. of tlie " Modus " for Ireland. 



' Recent inquiry assign.s the English 3Iodos in its earliest knonm form to the reign 

 of Edward 11 (" Eug. Hist. Rev.," vol. xsiiv, p. 209 et it-<j.) or to the constitutional crisis 

 of 1386 (Roxmd, " Commune of London," pp. 317-18). 



= See above, p. 260. ^ E. 3. 18, f. 11 . 



4 MS., E. 3. 18, f. 10. 5 ibui^ f. 1. 



■» Dopping Pamphlets, 2fo. 4. ' Molyneux, " Case of Ireland," p. 36. 



