LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 341 



occasion ; for there the bill bore a long debate, 

 and was carried only by a small majority. *' The 

 Bill for applying the tenths and Jirst fruits,"" 8^c. 

 says he, " was cormnitted to a committee of the whole 

 House. We had a long debate about it. The Whig 

 Lords, and some of the Tories, about four, opposed 

 it. All the bishops were unanimous for it, I spoke 

 twice in it. We carried it by seven votes, the non- 

 contents being 27 ; the contents, 34." 



In the meantime the Convocation were very 

 early in their address of thanks to her Majesty 

 for her gracious message to the House of Com- 

 mons. And it was thought proper, that the 

 Archbishop and Bishops of the province of 

 York should join with them in the address upon 

 that occasion. Whereupon he was pitched upon 

 to present it ; my Lord of Canterbury being at 

 that time disabled from going abroad. But this 

 created an unexpected difficulty upon both the 

 archbishops. For it was suggested to his Grace, 

 at Lambeth, that his appointment of the other 

 archbishop to appear at the head of the bishops 

 and Convocation of the province of Canterbury, 

 was giving up his rights, and what he could not 

 do, having, by an instrument of substitution, 

 appointed the Bishop of Worcester to represent 

 him in Convocation. And therefore that bishop 

 was to present the address. This my Lord of 

 Canterbury signified to the Archbishop of York 



