102 S H A 
6 
ancestor, than the man to whom we owe our power of re¬ 
peating with truth, 
* Slaves cannot breathe in England ; if their lungs 
Receive our air, that moment they are free: 
They touch our country and their shackles fall.’ ” 
Similar principles led Mr. Sharp to use his endeavours to 
restrain the arbitrary practice of marine impressment; and a 
citizen of London having been carried off by a press-warrant, 
Mr. Sharp obtained a habeas corpus from the court of king’s 
bench, to bring him back from a vessel at the Nore; and 
by his arguments obliged the court to liberate him. In his 
political principles he was always the ardent and zealous 
friend to liberty, and he neglected no opportunity to defend 
its principles, and assert the rights of the people. He was 
the warm advocate of “ parliamentary reform,” and pub¬ 
lished, in 1778, the second edition of an excellent little 
work, full of constitutional knowledge and sound reasoning, 
entitled “ A Declaration of the People’s natural Right to 
a Share in the Legislature, which is the fundamental Prin¬ 
ciple of the British Constitution of State.” He was, in 
1794, as zealously attached to the cause as he had been 
twenty years before; though, perhaps, he did not feel him¬ 
self sufficiently active to engage in it as a partizan, when it 
was a subject of obloquy. He was not, however, an un¬ 
concerned spectator of the dreadful tyranny, which, but 
for the intervention of an honest English jury, would have 
overwhelmed the land. He sent, to one of the persons at 
that time confined in the Tower of London, a copy of the 
work referred to, with assurances of a readiness to do any 
thing in his power to stem the torrent setting in against the 
liberties of the country. 
Mr. Sharp’s plan of reform recommended to the public, 
was founded on the earliest principles and practices of the 
British constitution. He proposed to restore the ancient 
titkings, hundreds, &c.; and the whole body of the people 
were to form a national militia, each thousand to constitute 
a regiment, the alderman or magistrate to be the colonel; 
and each hundred to constitute a company, the constable of 
each for the time being to be their captain. So many of 
the thousands to be summoned once in every year, by their 
magistrate, as would have a right to vote in their respective 
hundreds, before the constable, in the choice of their part of 
the representative legislature. Mr. Sharp has shewn that the 
division of this kingdom into tythings and hundreds was in¬ 
stituted by the immortal Alfred; that such a division is con¬ 
sistent with the most perfect state of liberty that man is 
capable of enjoying, and yet fully competent to answer all 
the purposes of mutual defence, to secure the due execution 
of the laws, and maintain public peace. 
Mr. Sharp was educated in the principles of the established 
church, and through life shewed a warm attachment to them. 
He always, even at the close of life, had a thorough dread 
of Popery, but was candid and liberal to Protestant dissenters 
of all parties. His zeal for the established religion of the 
country, led him to recommend an episcopal church in 
America; and he introduced the first bishops from that 
country to the archbishop of Canterbury for consecration. 
Mr. Sharp died in July, 1813, and, like Cato, though ad¬ 
vanced to the age of 79, he pursued his studies with all the 
ardour of youth. He was an able linguist, deeply read in 
theology, and was well acquainted with the scriptures in the 
original tongues. He was pious and devout, without gloom, 
strictly moral and temperate, a great lover of music, and 
cheerful in conversation. His services to humanity were 
very distinguished, and few persons in private life have de¬ 
served a higher or more honourable commemoration. 
As a writer, his pieces are very numerous. From these 
we learn that he was a believer in the doctrines as set forth in 
the articles of the church, as that of original sin, the exist¬ 
ence and operations of the devil on the human mind, and of 
the Athanasian mystery of the Trinity. He also, from 
studying the book of Revelation, fully expected the com¬ 
mencement of the Millenium, or personal reign of Christ 
on earth, in the spring of 1811; but he lived long enough 
S H A 
to see his error. He possessed a very extensive library, in 
which the theologian, lawyer, classical scholar, politician, 
antiquary, and orientalist, might find almost every thing of 
which they could stand in need ; and his collection of bibles 
was esteemed the best in the kingdom. 
The principal works of Mr. Sharp, besides those already 
mentioned, are “ Remarks on several very important Pro¬ 
phecies;” “Remarks on the Uses of the definitive Article 
in the Greek of the New Testament, containing many new 
Proofs of the Divinity of Christ,” &c. This occasioned “ Six 
more Letters” to be addressed to him, in vindication of his 
theory; and also “ Six more Letters, &c.” by Gregory 
Blunt, Esq., which is a work of great talent, profound 
learning, and masterly wit. It has long since been out.of 
print, and the author is probably known only to two or 
three persons; the designation Blunt being assumed to con¬ 
ceal the real name. Mr. Sharp’s last work was entitled 
“ Remarks on the 68th Psalm, addressed to the Consider¬ 
ation of the House of Israel.”— Clarkson's Hist, of the 
Abolition of the Slave Trade. 
SHARP (Samuel), an able and distinguished surgeon in 
the middle of the last century, was a pupil of the celebrated 
Cheselden, and afterwards studied his profession with great 
zeal at the hospitals of Paris. He is said to have commenced 
his profession rather late in life; nevertheless, after settling 
in London, and obtaining an appointment as surgeon of 
Guy’s hospital, his genius and assiduity soon obtained for 
him a high degree of celebrity, and extensive practice. He 
was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and a foreign 
member of the Academy of Surgery at Paris; and he con¬ 
tributed to the improvement of his art by two valuable pub¬ 
lications, which passed through many editions, and were 
translated into several foreign languages. The first of these 
was “ A Treatise on the Operations of Surgery, with a 
Description and Representation of the Instruments; and an 
Introduction on the Nature and Treatment of Wounds, 
Abscesses, and Ulcers;” first printed in 1739. Our edition, 
printed in 1751, is the sixth. The second work was entitled 
“ A critical Inquiry into the present State of Surgery;” first 
printed, we believe, in 1750. Our edition of 1761 is the 
fourth. See Eton Diet. Hist, de la Med., and Sharp’s 
Works. 
SHARPE (Gregory), a learned divine, was bom in 
Yorkshire, in the year 1713. He received his education 
first at Westminster school, and afterwards at Aberdeen, 
under the learned Blackwell. Upon his entering orders, he 
became minister of St. Margaret’s chapel, Westminster; 
after this, he was appointed chaplain to the king, and master 
of the Temple. He was also elected a fellow of the Royal 
and Antiquarian Societies; and died in 1771. He united to 
great learning a taste for the fine arts, and etched several 
plates in the edition of Dr. Hyde’s Syntagma. His own 
works are:—1. A Review of the Controversy about the 
Meaning of the Demoniacs in the New Testament. 2. A 
Defence of Dr. Clarke against Leibnitz. 3. Two Disser¬ 
tations upon the Origin of Languages, and the Power of 
Letters; with a Hebrew Lexicon. 4. A Dissertation on the 
Origin and Structure of the Latin Language. 5. Two Argu¬ 
ments in Defence of Christianity. 6. Translation of Hol- 
berg’s Introduction to Universal History. 7. Sermons. 
To SHA'RPEN, v. a. [pceappan, pceppan. Sax.] To 
make keen; to edge; to point.—The grating of a saw, when 
sharpen'd, offends so much as it setteth the teeth on edge. 
Bacon. 
The squadron bright, sharpening in mooned horns 
Their phalanx. Milton. 
To make quick, ingenious, or acute.—Overmuch quick¬ 
ness of wit, either given by nature, or sharpen'd by study, 
doth not commonly bring greatest learning, best manners, 
or happiest life in the end. Ascham. —To make quicker of 
sense. 
The air— sharpen'd his visual ray 
To objects distant far. 
Milton. 
To 
