396 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



In February following " he told her Majesty of 

 the Judge Advocate's circular letter for shutting up 

 all the episcopal meeting houses ; in which letter he 

 said he had orders from the Queeiiy under her hand 

 and seal, to do this. The Queen said it was not 

 true. Hereupon he charged it again upon her 

 conscience with some warmth, to take care to 

 put a stop to these persecutions ; and she an- 

 swered she would take care of them as fast as 

 she could." 



He applied himself by letter to the Duke of 

 Queensbury, May 1st, 1709, ** praying him to 

 use his best interest with the Queen for them, 

 who (says he) I am sure is most ready to come 

 into any methods that can be proposed for their 

 ease and relief; and if they be not made more 

 easy I am sure the fault will not lie at her 



door." 



Such repeated applications both to her Ma- 

 jesty and the nobility of Scotland had good 

 effect this year, for there followed a cessation of 

 those severities against the episcopal clergy with 

 which they had been before treated. In testi- 

 mony of which here follows a letter which he 

 received in the latter end of the same year. 



" May it please your Grace, 



** This new trouble is occasioned by 

 a letter I have from the clergy of the diocese 



