Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 51.djvu/432

 the ‘Greek Theatre,’ which was edited by Mrs. Charlotte Lennox in 1759. He published in 1766 John Locke's ‘Observations on Vines and Olives,’ from the original manuscript, with the fourth Earl of Shaftesbury, and about the same date revised Martyn's life of the first earl, which was edited by Kippis about 1790. In 1767 he collected and edited the dissertations of [q. v.]

A volume of Sharpe's ‘Sermons on various Subjects’ was published under the editorship of the Rev. Joseph Robertson in 1772. Letters by him are printed in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ 1773, pp. 545–6, Seward's ‘Supplement to the Anecdotes’ (1797), v. 177–82, and in Nichols's ‘Illustrations of Literature,’ iii. 692, and two volumes of his unpublished correspondence are mentioned by Chalmers in his ‘Biographical Dictionary.’ He was a frequent contributor to the ‘Monthly Review.’



SHARPE, JAMES (1577?–1630), Roman catholic divine, born in Yorkshire about 1577, was perhaps connected with the family of Sharp of Little Horton. He became a convert to Roman catholicism, and, entering St. Alban's College at Valladolid on 21 June 1602, was ordained priest on 14 April 1604. He was admitted a member of the Society of Jesus in 1607–8, and for a time was professor of sacred scripture and Hebrew at the English Jesuit College at Louvain. In 1611 he was sent to England, where he made it his first endeavour to bring about the conversion of his parents. They, however, refused to listen to him, and kept him in strict confinement, seeking to reconvert him to protestantism. He obtained his liberty by proclaiming himself a priest, but thereby incurred the penalty of banishment. After a brief sojourn in Belgium he returned to England under the name of Francis Pollard, and was serving in the Yorkshire district in 1621. On 12 May 1622 he was professed of the four vows, and in 1625 he was labouring in Lincolnshire. In 1628 he had removed to Leicestershire; but he died in Lincolnshire, at the residence of St. Dominic, on 11 Nov. 1630.

He was the author of ‘The Examination of the Private Spirit of Protestants.’ The only edition of the complete work now extant is dated 1640. There was an earlier edition, for a second part, entitled ‘The Triall of the Protestant Private Spirit, the Second Part, which is Doctrinal,’ is dated 1635. Sharpe also left a manuscript endorsed ‘Annals of F. Polla[rd]. Divers examples of cruelty and persecution in England, especially about York, and of the constancy of Catholics in the time of King James, 1610, 14 Oct.,’ which is now at Stonyhurst College, and which has been printed in Morris's ‘Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers,’ 3rd ser.



SHARPE, LEWIS (fl. 1640), dramatist, lived in the reign of Charles I. He is known as the author of the ‘Noble Stranger,’ a comedy which was first acted ‘at the Private House in Salisbury Court, by Her Majestie's servants,’ and was printed, in 4to, for James Becket, of the Inner Temple Gate, Fleet Street. It is dedicated to ‘the Worthy Knight, Sir Edmund Williams,’ and is prefaced with eulogistic verses by Richard Woolfall. From these it appears to have been a popular piece, frequently acted. Langbaine speaks highly of the play, especially commending the parts of Pupillus and Mercutio. The British Museum contains two copies.

A younger contemporary, (fl. 1610), poet, is known as the author of ‘More Fooles yet. Written by R. S.—At London. Printed by Thomas Castleton’ (1610, 4to). An address to the reader is signed Roger Sharpe. The work, which consists of a collection of epigrams, is of extreme rarity. A copy is in the Malone collection in the Bodleian, which formerly belonged to [q. v.] ({sc|Collier}}, Bibliogr. Catalogue, pp. 340–2;, Transcript of the Stationers' Register, iv. 196; , Handbook, p. 552).



SHARPE, LOUISA, afterwards (1798–1843), watercolour-painter born in 1798, was the third daughter of William Sharpe, a Birmingham engraver. Her father brought her and her three sisters, who all practised art, to London about 1816.

Louisa, the most gifted of the four sisters, commenced as a miniature-painter, exhibiting portraits at the Royal Academy from 1817 to 1829, when she was elected a mem-