LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 217 



tions in it as that his courts might go on to 

 enforce the ecclesiastical censures with the civil 

 penalties, without fear of being baffled in their 

 proceedings. 



The great tenderness that he himself always 

 shewed to particular persons under the sentence 

 of excommunication, or liable to incur it (of 

 which some instances have been already given), 

 may acquit him, notwithstanding his zeal in 

 this matter, of all other views than that of the 

 public good ; which he apprehended must una- 

 voidably suffer by enervating discipline so much 

 in that only article, wherein, by the aid of the 

 temporal laws, it carries any terror in the eyes 

 of the lawless. 



Schools likewise, and schoolmasters, who 

 were subject to his visitation, met with a due 

 share of his consideration and care. This ap- 

 peared as often as he undertook the examina- 

 tion and correction of such rules and orders 

 (or, as they are sometimes called, statutes), as 

 were drawn up by the feoffees, governors, or 

 other managers, of the trust and revenues of 

 schools endowed. He observed, that these rules 

 were commonly drawn too strict, and consisted 

 of too many, and some of them quite unneces- 

 sary particulars. 



He thought the fewer and plainer they were, 

 they stood a better chance of being kept to, 



