part of England. Some of them are left by enthusiastic amateurs out of a pure love of the Bob-Major art; others to commemorate victories and occasions of national rejoicing. A variety of modes for commemorating events are provided by testators, prompted either by patriotism or private affection. At St Nicholas, Bristol, and Stroud, Gloucestershire, provision is made for the preaching of sermons on each anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. The following is one of the most interesting private memorials in the collection:-'Mrs Elizabeth Cook, of Clapham, Surrey, widow of Captain Cook, by her will, dated 8th April 1833, gave to the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of St Andrew the Great, and their successors, L.1000 three per cent. consols, upon trust, to apply the dividends and interest in and towards the keeping clean and in repair the monument and inscription put up by her in the church to the memory of her husband, Captain Cook, and family; as also, a stone in the middle of the said church, with her name and the names of her sons inscribed, and to be inscribed thereon; and after payment of the charges incident thereto, and of L.2 annually to the minister for the trouble he might have in the trust, the residue of the interest and dividends to be distributed yearly, on 21st December, equally between five poor aged women of good character, resident within and belonging to the parish, and not receiving parochial relief, to be named by the minister, churchwardens, and overseers for the time being, or a majority. After payment of the legacy-duty, the residue was invested in the three per-cent. consols, in the names of trustees, and produces L.27 a year.

There are many bequests for keeping up the ancient custom of ringing a curfew-bell. This is done every night at Chertsey, in Surrey; at Cropredy, Oxfordshire; at St Margaret's, Kent; at Presteign, Radnorshire; and in several other parish churches. Besides these, a great number of wills are quoted, in which money is left to awaken sleepers in, and to whip dogs out of, church; to encourage marriages, by giving portions to deserving

couples; to discourage it, by donations to old maids and bachelors; to strew places of worship with new rushes and straw every Sunday. Some of the last date as far back as the reign of King Stephen; but the funds are-now that flooring consists of more durable materialsotherwise applied.

A singular instance of prospective liberality occurs in the will of Mr William Vick, a merchant of Bristol; who, being of opinion that the erecting a stone-bridge over the river Avon, from Clifton Down, in Gloucestershire, to the opposite side of Leigh Down, in the county of Somerset, for carriages, as well as horse and foot passengers, toll free, would be of great public utility; and he had heard and believed that the building of such bridge was practicable, and might be completed for less than L.10,000; for the advancing and effecting of so useful a work, and for the encouragement of contributions thereto, he directed that the said sum of L.1000 should be placed out at interest, until the same should accumulate or increase to the said sum of L.10,000, which, when effected, the society was to expend so much thereof as should be necessary in erecting such stone-bridge, and in defraying the needful expenses. The total amount of accumulated principal and interest on the 14th October 1821, was reported to be L.4139, 9s. Sd.; and it was estimated that, supposing the interest on this sum to continue to be accumulated in a compound interest ratio, it would amount to L.10,076, 0s. 10d. on the 14th October 1851. The commissioners were subsequently informed, that, in consequence of suggestions which had emanated from them, a higher rate of interest had been computed on by the society, which was carried back in the calculations to 1782, and that thereby the accumulated principal and interest (which appeared to be in the company's hands), on 2d October 1821, was L.6074, 17s. 5d.' So much having been accumulated, an iron bridge has been erected at the place named in the will.

There are some remarkable charities connected with cows. In the parish of Bebington, Cheshire, a small benc

faction was made, in 1620, by William Hulme of Poulton, to enable the minister and churchwardens to lend a cow, at eight groats a year, to each of three poor and godly parishioners. Others have since added to the bequest, and, in 1835, as many as eight cows were on the roll. Each individual contributes five shillings a year for the use of his cow; and these contributions, with occasional additions from small fines imposed by the magistrates, enhance the value of the charity. On the 25th of April, in every year, these parish cows are publicly inspected. At Woodchurch, and at West Kirby, in the same county, there are similar charities, one having thirty-nine, and the other twenty-four cows. At Marston, Oxfordshire, there is a piece of bushy land, extending to about twenty-six acres, on which twelve of the poor have a right of common for a cow. The privilege, which is considered worth from 25s. to L.2 a year, is conferred by votes of the landowners and the vestry. At Minehead, Somersetshire, there is a farm of twenty acres of land, with the neces sary buildings, and a certain amount of stock, the whole producing a revenue of about L.1100, which is distributed annually to the poor in coats, cloaks, blankets, and money. This charity arose out of the operation of an act of parliament in the eighteenth year of Charles II., against importing cattle from Ireland, and giving half the proceeds of any seizure of illegally imported animals to the poor. A seizure having been made at Minehead in 1669, the profits of the moiety purchased the property which now supports the charity. At Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, the Duke of Marlborough bequeathed the milk of a cow to the poor of the parish, fixing the charge of the animal and its keep on the tenant of his farm of Lodge Hill. The cow is called the Alms Cow; and in 1833 its milk was distributed to twenty-two individuals daily, one person receiving it in the morning, and another in the evening. At Alresford, in Essex, Edmund Porter, by will, dated 27th May 1558, directed that John Porter should have a house called Knapps, with the appurtenances, church-fences, and caprons, which comprised thirty

one acres of land, to him and his heirs, upon condition that they should give, for ever, the morning milk of two able milk beasts to the poor people of this parish every Sunday yearly, from Whitsunday to Michaelmas; 3s. 4d. on Good-Friday; and a like sum on Christmas-day. This milk- tribute has subsequently been commuted for a money-payment, which is distributed in bread amongst the poor.

We often hear of wealthy individuals endowing hospitals for the benefit of claimants of their own name. The following conceit of a Derbyshire legatee is only a degree more absurd:- Henry Greene, by will, dated 22d December 1769, gave to his sister Catherine Greene, during her life, all his lands in Melbourne and Newton, and after her decease to others, in trust, upon condition, that the said Catherine Greene should give four green waistcoats to four poor women every year, such four green waistcoats to be lined with green galloon lace, and to be delivered to the said poor women on or before the 21st December yearly, that they might be worn on Christmas day? Melbourne, in Derbyshire, has had more eccentrics than Mr Greene. A Mr Gray rivals him in oddity. Thomas Gray, by his will, bearing date the 25th April 1691, directed his executrix, Mary Gray, and others, to lay out L.200 in the purchase of lands; and out of the profits of such land to lay out six nobles yearly to buy six waistcoats of gray cloth, edged with blue galloon lace; and 40s. to buy three coats of gray cloth, to be faced with baize; and that four of the said waistcoats should be given yearly to four poor widows, or other poor women living in Castle Donnington, who were to be of good behaviour and endeavour to live honestly: and the other two waistcoats to two poor widows or women of like behaviour of the parish of Melbourne: and two of the coats to be given yearly to two poor men of Castle Donnington, and the other to a poor man of Melbourne.'

There are a few charities in support of bull-baiting, but now properly devoted to better objects. At Prince's Risborough, Buckinghamshire, a charity of unknown anti

quity, called the Custom of the Bull and Boar, is still in operation, but also in a modified form. 'Up to about 1813, a bull and a boar, a sack of wheat, and a sack of malt, were given away to the poor by the lord of the manor of Prince's Risborough about six o'clock every Christmas morning. This practice was then discontinued, and for about five or six years after the discontinuance, beef and mutton were distributed to the poor about Christmas, in lieu of the above articles.' The change was judicious, for, of old, when the doors were opened, they rushed to the feast prepared for them with so little decorum and forbearance, that often, in their zeal for priority, they inflicted wounds on one another with their knives. whole of the remaining portion of Christmas - day is also stated to have been spent by many of them in publichouses.'

The

The work under notice professing to afford nothing beyond examples of curious charitable bequests, is of course silent upon the gross amount of capital yearly expended in England for benevolent purposes. From other sources we are enabled to add, that in 1839 the compulsory poor-rate amounted to L.4,406,907. In 1835, the gross revenues of endowed schools and other educational institutions supported by voluntary bequests and contributions was, as nearly as could be ascertained, L.748,178. The hospital charities of the country are supported by a gross sum, certainly not less than a million annually; whilst such bequests as form the subject of the volume before us may, at a moderate conjecture, be set down at L.100,000 per annum. Leaving out, therefore, all calculations of casual charity, of funds collected by societies for the relief of specific objects of commiseration and want, missionary and other religious communities, &c.; exclusive of these, the sum collected and distributed in England every year may be with confidence said to exceed six millions sterling, or twice the amount of the total revenue of the kingdom of Belgium !*

*In 1838, the total revenue of Belgium was 94,967,326 francs.¬Budget Général for that year,