296 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



Kenns. However the Archbishop's sentiments 

 on these expected compliances of the bishops 

 to the Court, on the account of their being per- 

 sonally obliged by the Crown for their seats in 

 that noble House, appear sufficiently, from many 

 instances (which will be hereafter given), of his 

 non-compliance with the Court measures, when he did 

 not approve them, and of his asserting his right 

 to judge for himself, in all his votes to be given 

 in Parliament, even when the late Queen herself 

 pressed him to be, as she termed it, on her side. 

 To be on the side of the prerogative (which was 

 his principle, when taken in a proper and just 

 sense), admitted so great a latitude of construc- 

 tion, that sometimes the best friends to the 

 Crown could not come up to what was so 

 termed by the ministry, and yet were blamed 

 as deserters of the interests of the Crown in all 

 critical junctures. And to be sure, whenever 

 this charge was laid on the bishops' bench, it 

 was accompanied with insinuations of ingrati- 

 tude, forgetfulness of favours, and with com- 

 plaints of their having deceived their friends, 

 and being too late discovered. A hard case of 

 the bishops, who, when they are with the Court, 

 are scarce allowed to be so upon principle, but 

 are represented either as acknowledging and 

 compensating past favours, or seeking and press- 

 ing after future ; and ivhen they are against it. 



