300 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



to be elected ; and earnestly begged of me that 

 I would do what I could against it in our House. 

 She said she depended upon me. I told her, 

 I had as yet talked with nobody about this bill. 

 But she might be sure, if I was satisfied that 

 the passing of it would be prejudicial to the 

 Crown, I should oppose it." 



Thursday, December 13, (1705). ** She then 

 bespoke me to vote against the bill for exclud- 

 ing officers, which was that day to be brought 

 into the House of Commons. I gave her no 

 promise, but said I would consider." 



Monday, December 9, 1706. *' In the after- 

 noon I went to Kensington, to wait upon the 

 Queen. She pressed me earnestly to be on her 

 side in all matters that came before the Parlia- 

 ment relating to the prerogative She 



desired I would not be governed by my friends 

 (meaning my Lord Nottingham* and that party) 



* Her Majesty knew his attachment to that family, and the 

 reasons of it. He did all that was in his power to shew his 

 respect to all the descendants of his great patron. And the 

 Queen had many applications from him in their favour, and 

 many testimonies of his desire to serve them. And his friend- 

 ship and intimacy with the Earl of Nottingham (which was 

 preserved to the last) would dispose her Majesty's ministers at 

 this time to be apprehensive that he would be governed by the 

 earl in his votes. But it appeared otherwise, as often as the 

 earl and he happened to differ in their sentiments, which they 

 did in several instances in the latter end of this reign, as well 

 as in some about this time. 



