278 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



not afford her an opportunity. I can only add, 

 that she spoke of your grace with a particular 

 esteem and respect. When your grace shall 

 think fit to write to her electoral highness, I 

 would humbly beg the favour that you would 

 vouchsafe to acquaint her, that I had signified 

 her pleasure to you, and to present my most 

 humble duty and service." 



The rest of Mr. Bagnalfs letter is upon a 

 quite different affair. 



They who are inclined to suspect that the 

 Archbishop, towards the latter end of his life, 

 and after the great change made by the Queen 

 in her ministry, dropped his good inclinations 

 'to the House of Hanover, and directed his wishes, 

 if not also his counsels, to another quarter, 

 ought to have some good grounds for their sus- 

 picion; which to them who intimately knew his 

 sentiments and conversation, cannot but seem 

 very unaccountable. 



His alienation from the interests he had so 

 long espoused (unless he be also supposed to 

 have been acting a part from the beginning, a 

 supposition the most incompatible with his 

 general character that is possible), must have 

 appeared in some instances or other too noto- 

 rious to have been kept a secret to this time. 

 And yet he never was charged, at least not 

 openly so, as to give any opportunity of vindi- 



