LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 125 



and that his Grace's station afforded him a good 

 opportunity of doing so ;" and recommended 

 certain gentlemen for the city of York, and 

 borough of Ripon, where the Archbishop's in- 

 terest must of course be greatest, and concluded 

 with these words : — " That as the Dissenters 

 ivere neither sparing of their money nor their pains 

 to secure their elections in all counties, if those of 

 the church did not use a little more than ordi- 

 nary industry at that juncture of time, they 

 might repent it when it would be too late," &c. 



He answered my Lord President (for so the 

 Duke then was) with respect to his interest in 

 York city, thus : 



" I can by no means think it fit to appear as 

 a party in the election of city members, that 

 seeming to me, as things are now circumstan- 

 tiated, both to be to no purpose, and likewise 

 unavoidably to draw such consequences after it, 

 as will render me less capable of doing that 

 service in the city hereafter, which otherwise 

 in my station I might." 



And he concludes, in answer to my Lord 

 President's reasons, *'Why he should concern 

 himself as a Churchman, &c." thus : 



'* I have no fear that your Grace will censure 

 me as one unconcerned for the church's good, 

 upon account of my thus declaring my unwil- 

 lingness to meddle in the city elections, because 



