10 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



far complied with it, as to give Mr. Brooksbank 

 a prebend in Salisbury. 



Besides the course of studies that he went 

 through under the direction of his tutor, he 

 heard lectures in natural philosophy from Dr. 

 Thomas Burnet, afterwards master of the Char- 

 ter-house, but then fellow of Christ's College, 

 who taught the Cartesian philosophy. He used 

 indeed to lament that the study of mathematics 

 was neglected while he was a youth ; but he 

 had naturally so clear a head, and so good a 

 taste, that neither any prejudice in favour of the 

 opinions of Des Cartes, nor want of a more 

 early insight into mathematics, could afterwards 

 prevent his studying, — admitting and admiring 

 the new philosophy of Sir Isaac Newton, of 

 which he used frequently to discourse, and al- 

 ways spoke of it with great delight, as setting 

 forth the Creator in the most beautiful light that 

 it was possible for us to conceive him in, with 

 respect to external nature. 



Under whose direction he studied chemistry 

 and botany, does not now appear ; but that he 

 had, while he was at the university, taken a 

 great deal of pains and pleasure too, in both 

 those sciences, sufficiently appears from two 

 books wrote with his own hand in cypher, con- 

 taining transcripts of lectures, queries, and so- 

 lutions, and large excerpts out of writers upon 



