LIFE OF WHARTON. 163 



bers, who look upon what I say to concern 

 them but little. Perhaps thirty years hence, if 

 life and friends continue so long, when I shall 

 become old and lazy, and covetous and selfish, 

 I may be removed to a station, enabling^ me to 

 do that service to the public, which then I 

 neither shall be able nor perhaps willing to do." 



It has already appeared* that Mr. Wharton 

 gave the whole credit of the successful pursuit 

 of his studies to his distinguished patron Arch- 

 bishop Bancroft, who incited him to diligent 

 perseverance in them by every species of en- 

 couragement. Others have formed the same 

 judgment. '* We owe," says Willis, in his ac- 

 count of mitred Abbies, ** Mr. Wharton and all 

 that he did, to Archbishop Sancroft. This I 

 ought thankfully to remember, because, without 

 the perusal of the published books and MSS. of 

 that very extraordinary man, whose unprece- 

 dented industry will be for ever admired by all 

 who impartially consider his uncommon per- 

 formances beyond what was achieved by any 

 one of his years, it would have been impossible 

 for me to have drawn up this account of mo- 

 nasteries and conventual churches." 



It has been seen from the preceding extracts 



* See p. 72. 

 M 2 



