LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 193 



his reason that he much doubted whether the 

 person recommended to hwi had all the qualifica- 

 tions necessary for the discharge of so great a7id 

 so difficult a post. Upon this he was civilly 

 called upon by the duke, but not altogether so 

 civilly by the clerk, to declare what he meant 

 by that doubt with which he had excused 

 himself from granting the favour that had been 

 asked. 



To the duke he wrote thus. 



*' My Lord, 



** Since your Grace commands me to explain 



myself as to what I wrote about Mr. , 



I will do it sincerely. 



The things that lay uppermost in my mind, 

 when I said that I was afraid that he had not all 

 the qualifications necessary for the discharge of 

 such a post, were these two. I thought that 

 town needed one of a higher form of learning 



and prudence, than in my opinion Mr. was. 



And besides, being a town much given to good 

 fellowship, I was afraid, if he came thither, he 

 would be exposed to too much temptation that 

 way. 



" This, my Lord, is all I meant by that ex- 

 pression, and I hope it will do him no prejudice 

 with your Grace, or hinder him of any prefer- 

 ment you designed him. And I hope likewise, 



. o 



