The royal cities held charters direct from the crown of England.  These cities were Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, and Cork.  Some idea has already been given of the streets and the size of Dublin.  The Castle was the most important building, at least to the civil portion of the community.  It contained within its walls a 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 his left knee, his foot resting on the table.  The Marshal of the Exchequer addresses the usher, and holds a document inscribed, “Exiit breve Vice-comiti.”