chapel, a jail, and a
mill--characteristic of the age. The mill was styled the "King's Mill."
The chaplains had each an annual salary of fifty shillings--not an
insufficient provision, if we calculate that the penny then was nearly
the same value as the shilling now; moreover, they had two shillings
each for wax, and probably fees besides. The chapel was under the
patronage of St. Thomas of Canterbury, who, when he had been martyred,
sent to heaven, and could give no more inconvenient reproofs, stood very
high in royal favour. The Castle was partly encompassed by a moat,
called the "Castlegripe;" the walls were fortified with bastions, and
had various gates, towers, and narrow entrances, which were defended by
strong doors and portcullises. The chief communication with the city was
by a drawbridge on the southern side of Castle-street. Rolls of the
fourteenth century exhibit disbursements for repairs, ropes, bolts, and
rings, from which we gather that everything was kept ready for immediate
service.

The hostages which were exacted from the Anglo-Norman lords, as well as
from the Irish chieftains, were kept in the Castle at their own expense.
They can hardly have found their position very pleasant, as at any
moment they might be called on to submit to the operation of having
their eyes put out, or to be hanged. The judges and other officials held
their courts in the Castle. In the Court of Exchequer the primitive
method of using counters for calculating[341] was still continued. These
were laid in rows upon the "chequered" cloth which covered the table.
Square hazel rods, notched[342] in a particular manner, styled tallies
and counter-tallies, were employed as vouchers.

The Red Book of the Exchequer contains a curious sketch of "the
Exchequer of the King of England in Dublin." Six officers of the court
are at the top; to the left, three judges; to the right, three suitors;
a sheriff is seated at the bottom. The crier is in the act of adjourning
the court, exclaiming "_a demain_," showing that even in Ireland
Norman-French was still the language of law, and probably of courtesy.
The officer to the left, supposed to be the Second Remembrancer, holds a
parchment containing the words, "_Preceptum fuit Vice-comiti, per breve
hujus Scaccarii_." The Chief Remembrancer occupies himself with a pen
and an Exchequer roll, commencing "_Memorandum quod X deg. die Maij_," &c.;
while the Clerk of the Pipe prepares a writ, placed on