340 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



" Anne R. 



*' Her Majesty having taken into her serious 

 consideration the mean and insufficient mainte- 

 nance belonging to the clergy in divers parts of 

 this kingdom, to give them some ease, has been 

 pleased to remit the arrears of the tenths to the 

 poor clergy. And for an augmentation of their 

 maintenance, her Majesty is pleased to declare, 

 that she v^ill make a grant of her whole reve- 

 nues arising out of first fruits and tenths, so far 

 as it now is, or shall become, free from incum- 

 brances, to be applied to this purpose. And if 

 the House of Commons can find any proper 

 method by which her Majesty's good intentions 

 to the poor clergy may be made more effectual, 

 it will be a great advantage to the public, and 

 very acceptable to her Majesty. St. James's, 

 February 7, 1703-4." 



This message was on the same day delivered 

 to the House by Mr. Secretary Hedges, and 

 was well received, most of the members having 

 been apprised of it before. The Archbishop 

 had upon this occasion turned solicitor, and 

 applied personally to Sir Thomas Pelham, Sir 

 Richard Onslow, Sir Simon Harcourt, Sir 

 Christopher Musgrave, Sir John Holland, Mr. 

 Bromley, Mr. St. John's, and others, who were 

 leading men. The same he did also in the 

 House of Lords, where there was rather more 



