LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 347 



He continued very active in w^hatever related 

 to the completing this design; as, in the dis- 

 patch of the charter, providing a place for the 

 commissioners, attending regularly and con- 

 stantly himself, &c. Nor w^as he wanting in his 

 solicitations for the like bounty to the clergy of 

 Ireland. He presented their petition to her 

 Majesty on March 13, following; in which they 

 besought her to be as kind to them, in granting 

 her ecclesiastical revenues there, as she had 

 been here in England. 



And when difficulties arose to some private 

 clergymen, on the grant of the bounty, from 

 the Attorney-General's opinion, that it was not 

 proper to do any act ivhich might lessen the Queen'' s 

 gift ; and therefore my Lord Treasurer doubted 

 whether it were proper to remit the arrears of 

 tenths, which from some persons were consi- 

 derable, he interposed in behalf of the clergy 

 in arrear, *' and alleged that the forgiving their 

 debt could not be a lessening of the general gift, 

 since the general gift was only designed for the ease 

 and benefit of particular men. That, as he took it, 

 the Queeiis grant had only respected the tenths and 

 first fruits that were to become due after passing the 

 act, but did not extend to the arrears of them. That 

 the discharging the arrears of abundance of the poor 

 clergy was necessary y especially such as were con- 

 tracted before their incumbency.'' And in another 



