LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 311 



fore she pressed me very earnestly, that I would 

 endeavour, in all my conversation, to discourage 

 that matter, and not barely to be silent in it. I 

 told her I was of the sentiments I was before ; 

 and should be ready to shew I was so upon all 

 occasions. She asked me if I had not once 

 expressed myself that I abhorred the thoughts of 

 it. I told her I could not remember the words, 

 but if her Majesty said I did use those words, 

 I could not doubt but I did." 



Now it seems he had dropped such an ex- 

 pression to my Lord Treasurer Godolphin, as 

 he recollected afterwards, and marked it in his 

 diary. 



These passages are brought together to con- 

 firm what was above observed, that he was 

 steady in this principle, to preserve his liberty 

 and discretion of voting in the House of Peers 

 free from the influence not only oi private friend- 

 ships (such as he confessedly had with the Lords 

 Nottingham, Rochester, Guernsey, &c.), or of 

 the Court (where yet he had considerable favour 

 and interest), but also of party, considered as 

 such ; that is, so far as he deemed it mere faction 

 or opposition ; in which case he scrupled not to 

 declare himself fully against it. Indeed, it had 

 been impossible for him, without this temper, 

 notwithstanding the Queen's personal regard for 

 him, to have kept in so good correspondence as 



