Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/338

 322 is yet another retriction with regard to college leaes, by tatute 18 Eliz. c. 6. which directs, that one third of the old rent, then paid, hould for the future be reerved in wheat or malt, reerving a quarter of wheat for each 6s 8d, or a quarter of malt for every 5s; or that the leees hould pay for the ame according to the price that wheat and malt hould be old for, in the market next adjoining to the repective colleges, on the market-day before the rent becomes due. This is aid to have been an invention of lord treaurer Burleigh, and ir Thomas Smith, then principal ecretary of tate; who, oberving how greatly the value of money had unk, and the price of all proviions rien, by the quantity of bullion imported from the newfound Indies, (which effects were likely to increae to a greater degree) devied this method for upholding the revenues of colleges. Their forefight and penetration has in this repect been very apparent: for, though the rent o reerved in corn was at firt but one third of the old rent, or half of what was till reerved in money, yet now the proportion is nearly inverted; and the money ariing from corn rents is, communibus annis, almot double to the rents reerved in money.

leaes of beneficed clergymen are farther retrained, in cae of their non-reidence, by tatutes 13 Eliz. c. 20. 14 Eliz. c. 11. and 18 Eliz. c. 11. which direct, that, if any beneficed clergyman be abent from his cure above fourcore days in any one year, he hall not only forfeit one year's profit of his benefice, to be ditributed among the poor of the parih; but that all leaes made by him, of the profits of uch benefice, and all covenants and agreements of like nature, hall ceae and be void: except in the cae of licened pluralits, who are allowed to demie the living, on which they are non-reident, to their curates only; provided uch curates do not abent themelves above forty days in any one year. And thus much for leaes, with their everal enlargements and retrictions. Rh