122 LIFE OF AllCHBISHOP SHARP. 



It may be more acceptable to the reader to 

 have his sentiments on this subject in his own 

 words. A letter or two of his upon these occa- 

 sions will sufficiently shew the rule by which 

 he governed himself, and the manner in which 

 he answered the applications made to him on 

 this head. The following letter was wrote by 

 him in answer to the Lady Russel, who had 

 solicited his interest for the Lord Hartington, 

 candidate for the county of York, 1702. 



" Madam, 

 '* I had the honour of your ladyship's letter 

 yesterday. In all things wherein I can fairly 

 serve my Lord Marquis of Hartington, your 

 ladyship may be sure I will ; but in this in- 

 stance your ladyship proposes, I cannot with- 

 out being guilty of great prevarication with Sir 

 John Hay, and Mr. Wentworth, who are both 

 now candidates for knights of our shire at the 

 next parliament, and are both my old friends, 

 and to whom I am much obliged. By whom 

 when I have been solicited to appear for them 

 (as I have been by the former several times 

 heretofore, and by the latter of late,) my answer 

 to them has always been, that I thought it very 

 improper for me to meddle in parliament elec- 

 tions, either for the city or county : that I 

 foresaw great inconveniences would come upon 



