ops, and other ecclesiastical
corporations, from setting their lands for above the term of twenty-one
years; the rent reserved to be one half of the real value of such lands
at the time they were set, without which condition the lease to be void.

Soon after the restoration of King Charles the Second, the parliament
taking into consideration the miserable estate of the Church, certain
lands, by way of augmentation, were granted to eight bishops in the act
of settlement, and confirmed in the act of explanation; of which bounty,
as I remember, three sees were, in a great measure, defeated; but by
what accidents, it is not here of any importance to relate.

This, at present, is the condition of the Church in Ireland, with regard
to Episcopal revenues: Which I have thus briefly (and, perhaps,
imperfectly) deduced for some information to those, whose thoughts do
not lead them to such considerations.

By virtue of the statute, already mentioned, under King Charles the
First, limiting ecclesiastical bodies to the term of twenty-one years,
under the reserved rent of half real value, the bishops have had some
share in the gradual rise of lands, without which they could not have
been supported, with any common decency that might become their station.
It is above eighty years since the passing of that act: The see of
Meath, one of the best in the kingdom, was then worth about L400 _per
annum_; the poorer ones in the same proportion. If this were their
present condition, I cannot conceive how they would have been able to
pay for their patents, or buy their robes: But this will certainly be
the condition of their successors, if such a bill should pass, as they
say is now intended, which I will suppose, and believe, many persons,
who may give a vote for it, are not aware of.

However, this is the act which is now attempted to be repealed, or, at
least, eluded; some are for giving bishops leave to let fee-farms;
others would allow them to let leases for lives; and the most moderate
would repeal that clause, by which the bishops are bound to let their
lands at half value.

The reasons for the rise of value in lands, are of two kinds. Of the
first kind, are long peace and settlement after the devastations of war;
plantations, improvements of bad soil, recovery of bogs and marshes,
advancement of trade and manufactures, increase of inhabitants,
encouragement of agriculture, and the like.

But there is another reason for the rise of