374 



SHARON 



SHARP 



from a depth of 400-500 fathoms ; the Spinons 

 Shark ( Erliinorhtnut tpinonu), a Mediterranean 

 form, which seems also to live in deep water. 



Khiniile are a family represented solely by the 

 almost cosmopolitan, somewhat ray-like, Angel- 

 fish or Monk-li-li (, l!li inn tquatina). 



Pristipphoridu 1 are a family parallel to the 

 Pristiuriiiii' among the rays, for the genus 

 Pristiophorus has its snout prolonged into a saw 

 as in the much larger genus Pristis, 



It seems necessary furthermore to establish a 

 family for a remarkable Japanese shark, CUamy- 

 doselachus anyuineujt, a somewhat eel -like animal, 

 6 feet long, less than 4 inches in diameter, sugges- 

 tive of a sea-serpent, but more important since it 

 seems as if it were a direct descendant of forms 

 which flourished in Devonian times (see FISHES). 



Sharks are destructive to food fishes and to 

 fishermen's nets, and sometimes attack man him- 

 self. On the other hand, many of the smaller 

 forms are eaten by man ; the gristly tin -rays are 

 used in China in the making of gelatine ; the livers 

 are sometimes utilised as sources of oil ; the skin 

 of those which are thickly beset with skin-teeth 

 was formerly much used by cabinet-makers for 

 polishing purposes, serving, under the name of 

 shagreen, instead of sandpaper. 



Sharon, the name of an extensive tract of 

 plain and corn-land ( partly under cultivation ) in 

 Palestine, lying lietween the sand-dunes of the 

 coast and tlie fool hills of the interior, and extend- 

 ing from the neigliliourliood of Carmel on the north 

 to near Joppa. The so-called Rose of Sharon is 

 the subject of an article. 



Sharon, a liorough of Pennsylvania, on the 

 Slienango River, 71 miles by rail NNW. of Pitts- 

 burgh. Ita manufactories include rolling-mills 

 and foundries, steel and boiler works, a chain- 

 factory, planing and flour mills, a soap-factory, 

 and machine-shops ; and coal is largely mined near 

 by. Pop. (1890)7447. 



Sharp, a sign Z in Music, which, when prefixed 

 to a note, elevates it by a semitone in the scale. 

 See Music, Vol. VII. p. 357. A double sharp x 

 raises a note two semitones. 



Sharp, ABRAHAM, a meritorious mechanist and 

 astronomer, who, born at Little Morton near Brad- 

 ford in 1653, and apprenticed to a tradesman, 

 became a schoolmaster, and acquired a thorough 

 knowledge of mathematics and the cognate sciences. 

 Having also acted as exciseman and i>ookkeeper in 

 a London office, he was in 1688 asked by Vlam- 

 steed to assist in mounting instruments at Green- 

 wich Royal Observatory. There for some years he 

 did admirable work on the instruments, perfecting 

 hand -graduation and other processes, and making 

 many very valuable observations; and after retir- 

 ing to Morton, he continued to assist I'bunsteed 

 I >y his extraordinary jxiwers as a calculator. He 

 published tables of logarithms and a treatise. 

 Geometry fm/irmwl (1717), and made observations 

 in a Hinull observatory fitted up by himself. He 

 died 18th July 1742. See his Life and Correspond- 

 ence, edited by Cudworth ( 1889). 



Sharp, CI:AN VII.I.K, abolitionist, was the son of 

 the archdeacon of Northumberland, and was lx>rn 

 at Durham in 1734. He came to London, and, after 

 studying law, obtained a | H >-i in the OrdnanceOHice ; 

 bat this he resigned in 1777 on the outbreak of the 

 war with America, of which he disapproved. He 

 was the author of upwards of sixty-one pithlicat ions 

 mainly pamphlet* on philological, legal, politi- 

 cal, and theological subjects (the English tongue, 

 hundreds and tithings, the definite article in the 

 Ureek Testament, Hebrew syntax and iiromincia- 

 tion, Melchisedek, Armageddon); but nis princi- 

 pal writings and the main labour* of his life were 



in defence of the negro, and for the abolition of the 

 slave-trade and slavery. He defended the cause 

 of the negro Somerset, securing the decision of the 

 twelve judges ( 1772) that whenever a slave touches 

 Knglish >oil be becomes free. He was with Clarkaon 

 one of the founders of the Association for the A Imli- 

 tion of Negro Slavery, and assisted in the estab- 

 lishment of the colony of Sierra Leone for freedmen. 

 He died in London, 6th July 1813. There is a Lif 

 by Hoare (1820), and a smaller one by Stuarl 

 (New York, 1836). See also SLAVERY. 



Sharp, JAMKS, Archbishop of St Andrews, wa 

 born at the castle of Banff on 4th May 1618, the 

 son of the sheritl'-clerk of Banttshire. Kducated for 

 ; the church at King's College, Aberdeen (1633-37), 

 he afterwards visited England, and became ac- 

 quainted with several eminent English divines, as 

 Hammond, Sanderson, and Taylor. In 1643 he 

 was appointed a ' regent ' of philosophy at St 

 Andrews, and in 1648 minister of Crail, an office 

 which be held throughout Cromwell's ascendency. 

 i In 1651, however, when Monk was reducing Scot- 

 i land to obedience, Sharp was carried oil" to England 

 with several other ministers ; but be quickly re- 

 gained his liberty , and for some years enjoyed the 

 confidence of the ' Resolutioners,' or more moderate 

 party in the church. In 1656 he was chosen by 

 them to plead their cause in London before the 

 Protector against the 'Protesters;' and liaillie 

 speaks of him on this occasion as ' that very '>i thy, 

 pious, wise, and diligent young man.' On the eve 

 of the Restoration he was sent up again to London 

 to use his utmost endeavours with Monk in favour 

 of the Kirk of Scotland, and at Monk's suggestion 

 he crossed over to Breda, and had several inter- 

 views with Charles II. His correspondence for 

 some months after his return from Holland is full 

 of apprehensions of Prelacy, 'cassock-men,' and 

 the Service-hook ; but iUt perfidy stands revealed 

 in his letter of 21st May 1661 to Middleton, which 

 proves that he was then (as probably liefore) in 

 confidential communication and hearty co-opera- 

 tion with Clarendon and the English bishops for 

 the immediate re establishment of Episcopacy in 

 Scotland. The bribe was a great one, for on 16th 

 December he was consecrated Archbishop of St 

 Andrews, having first received Episcopal re-ordi- 

 nation. The supple and dexterous tool of Middle- 

 ton or Lauderdale, as either gained the ascendency, 

 a liar and coward, and a vindictive oppressor of 

 those he had betrayed, he soon became an object 

 of detestation to the populace and of contempt to 

 his employers. When in 1668 Rnliert Mitchell, a 

 conventicle preacher, fired a pistol at him in the 

 street* of Edinburgh, the bystanders tillered the 

 fanatic to escape only, however, to be executed 

 ten years later on his own confession, enticed from 

 him by an assurance of his life. At last, on M 

 Mav 1679, on Magus Mnir, twelve Fife Covenanters 

 rlackston of Ratbillet, John Balfour of Kinlocb, 

 the rest peasants or artisans fell in with him as 

 he was driving with his daughter to St Andrews, 

 and, dragging him from his coach, bucked him 

 clumsily to death in spite of his frantic prayers. 

 In his epitaph at St Andrews Sharp is described as 

 ' a most pious prelate, a most prudent senator, and 

 a most holy martyr ;' but to-day even his apologists 

 can plead little for him but that he was not lie-en 

 tiotis, that his portrait is not that of a monster of 

 cruelty, and that he was simply an ambitious 

 ecclesiastic of plausible ami courtly manners, who 

 may have thought that, if there must be an arch- 

 bishop of Si Andrews, there was no great reason 

 why he should not lie the man. 



See vol. vii. of Hill Burton's Hutory of Scotland 

 ( L 1874 ) ; O. Airy's Lavderdalt Paperi ( Catnden 800, 

 1884); an article in the North firituk Review (1848); 

 iid two in the ScoUitk Review (1884-85). 



