Queen Anne's Bounty. By W. R. Le Fanu. (Macmillan.)–• The
Secretary and Treasurer of Queen Anne's Bounty has written a lucid and interesting account of the history and the work of that ancient corporation. It was founded in 1704 by Queen Anne, who transferred to it the revenues derived from firstfruits and tenths, which had been taken from the Pope and annexed by Henry VIII. Firstfruits, or annates, were the full first year's revenue of a benefice, and tenths a tenth part of that revenue— as it was in the time of Henry VIII. Queen Anne intended these revenues, amounting to about £15,000 a year, to be used for the augmentation of poor livings. The Governors very wisely adopted the policy of making capital grants out of income for the purchase of land, augmenting the poorest livings first, and gradually raising the minimum. In their first century they augmented 3,306 livings with sums amounting in all to £1,440,700, and yet still had their original income intact. Parliament be .ween 1809 and 1820 voted £1,100,000 to assist the work. Many private benefactions were received and applied to the same pur- pose. Since 1896 the Governors have made grants for the repair of parsonages, and last year they decided to apply the available come in helping incumbents of poor livings to meet their lability for dilapidations. The Ecclesiastical Commission has ssumed the whole task of augmenting the poorer livings, while ueen Anne's Bounty deals with dilapidations, the redemption f tithe rent charge, the provision of new parsonages and the le of those that are unduly large or unsuitable, and the union
• f benefices. The Governors are unpaid, and, for practical urpeses, consist of the Bishops and a few laymen. It is not :enerally known that all Privy Councillors and all King's tinsel, as well as the Lord Mayors of London, York, and other ties are ex-officio Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty. They do ot, however, interfere with its quiet and efficient labours for he welfare of the poorer clergy.
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