Anne reſtored to the church what had been thus indirectly taken from it. This ſhe did, not by remitting the tenths and firſt-fruits entirely; but, in a ſpirit of the trueſt equity, by applying theſe ſuperfluities of the larger benefices to make up the deficiences of the ſmaller. And to this end ſhe granted her royal charter, which was confirmed by the ſtatute 2 Ann. c. 11. whereby all the revenue of firſt-fruits and tenths is veſted in truſtees for ever, to form a perpetual fund for the augmentation of poor livings. This is uſually called queen Anne's bounty; which has been ſtill farther regulated by ſubſequent ſtatutes, too numerous here to recite.
V. The next branch of the king's ordinary revenue (which, as well as the ſubſequent branches, is of a lay or temporal nature) conſiſts in the rents and profits of the demeſne lands of the crown. Theſe demeſne lands, terrae dominicales regis, being either the ſhare referred to the crown at the original diſtribution of landed property, or ſuch as came to it afterwards by forfeitures or other means, were antiently very large and extenſive; comprizing divers manors, honors, and lordſhips; the tenants of which had very peculiar privileges, as will be ſhewn in the ſecond book of theſe commentaries, when we ſpeak of the tenure in antient demeſne. At preſent they are contracted within a very narrow compaſs, having been almoſt entirely granted away to private ſubjects. This has occaſioned the parliament frequently to interpoſe; and, particularly, after king William III had greatly impoveriſhed the crown, an act paſſed[1], whereby all future grants or leaſes from the crown for any longer term than thirty one years or three lives are declared to be void; except with regard to houſes, which may be granted for fifty years. And no reverſionary leaſe can be made, ſo as to exceed, together with the eſtate in being, the ſame term of three lives or thirty one years: that is, where there is a ſubſiſting leaſe, of which there are twenty years ſtill to come, the king cannot grant a future intereſt, to commence after the expiration of the former, for any longer term than eleven years. The tenant muſt alſo be made liable to be puniſhed for
- ↑ Ann. ſt. 1. c. 7.
