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riage-fettlements, generally, convey the reverfion of a 
confiderable part of the bridegroom’s eftate to the 
bride, for her natural life after his dcceafe ; to which 
two things all the freehold eftates in thefe kingdoms 
are liable : and if to thefe be added the great num- 
ber of copyholds, determinable on lives ; the great 
quantities of church, college, and other lands, leafed 
on lives, and the eftates pouefted by ecclefiaftical 
perfons of all degrees ; we fhall find, that the values 
of the poftefiions and reverfions, of much the greateft 
part, of the real eftates in thefe kingdoms, will, one 
way or other, depend on the value of lives. Like- 
wile the incomes annexed to all places, civil and 
military, all penfions, and molt charitable donations, 
are annuities for life. The intereft or dividends of 
many perfonalities in the flocks have been, by the 
wills of their pofleflors, render’d of the fame kind j 
befides which, there are fome annuities on lives, 
which have been granted by the government, and 
have parliamentary fecurity for their payment ; and 
others, that have been granted by parilhes, in con- 
quence of adts of parliament made for that pur- 
pofe. 
After this fummary view of the extenfive property, 
that is vefted in annuities on lives, it would be very 
eafy to name a great variety of circumftances, in 
which the computations of the values of one, two, 
or more lives, will become necefiary to thofe per- 
fons, who do not chufe to have their property de- 
termined by cuftoms, which feem to have been efta- 
blifhed merely for want of good methods of calcu- 
culation. But I know to whom I am addrefiing, 
and 
