Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/302

 286 Anne retored to the church what had been thus indirectly taken from it. This he did, not by remitting the tenths and firt-fruits entirely; but, in a pirit of the truet equity, by applying thee uperfluities of the larger benefices to make up the deficiences of the maller. And to this end he granted her royal charter, which was confirmed by the tatute 2 Ann. c. 11. whereby all the revenue of firt-fruits and tenths is veted in trutees for ever, to form a perpetual fund for the augmentation of poor livings. This is uually called queen Anne's bounty; which has been till farther regulated by ubequent tatutes, too numerous here to recite. V. next branch of the king's ordinary revenue (which, as well as the ubequent branches, is of a lay or temporal nature) conits in the rents and profits of the demene lands of the crown. Thee demene lands, terrae dominicales regis, being either the hare referred to the crown at the original ditribution of landed property, or uch as came to it afterwards by forfeitures or other means, were antiently very large and extenive; comprizing divers manors, honors, and lordhips; the tenants of which had very peculiar privileges, as will be hewn in the econd book of thee commentaries, when we peak of the tenure in antient demene. At preent they are contracted within a very narrow compas, having been almot entirely granted away to private ubjects. This has occaioned the parliament frequently to interpoe; and, particularly, after king William III had greatly impoverihed the crown, an act paed, whereby all future grants or leaes from the crown for any longer term than thirty one years or three lives are declared to be void; except with regard to houes, which may be granted for fifty years. And no reverionary leae can be made, o as to exceed, together with the etate in being, the ame term of three lives or thirty one years: that is, where there is a ubiting leae, of which there are twenty years till to come, the king cannot grant a future interet, to commence after the expiration of the former, for any longer term than eleven years. The tenant mut alo be made liable to be punihed for Rh