LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 75 



to the words pretended to be spoken by Sharp, 

 was false, as he himself assured me." 



But what his lordship adds is a mistake, and 

 what most certainly he never had from Dr. 

 Sharp, namely, that Sharp went to court to shew 

 his notes, which he was ready to swear were 

 those from which he had read it ; by which the 

 falsehood of the information would appear. Dr. 

 Sharp was never forward to go to court, or to 

 swear any thing, but when first called upon by 

 proper authority ; and in this case his doing so 

 would not have helped him, for his notes being 

 all in cyphers, or characters, the falsehood of the 

 information, had he sworn to them, would not 

 thereby have appeared more than it did before ; 

 only he would have appeared himself, what by 

 his more prudent conduct he did not. For he 

 troubled not himself about any reports of infor- 

 mations against him, till Lord Chancellor JefFe- 

 ries sent for him, and acquainted him with the , 

 King's displeasure at what had been said con- 

 cerning his preaching. This was a fortnight 

 after the sermon was preached, being Whitsun- 

 day, May 23, in the evening ; whereas the ser- 

 mon which Dr. Sharp understood had given the 

 offence, was preached by him on the 9th of the 

 same month. His lordship having informed him 

 of the accusation laid against him, and of his 

 Majesty's resentment thereupon ; Dr. Sharp the 



