English learning help needed

[gxnn]

I found a sentence in the speech of Patrick Henry(founding father of the US): "...I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do, _____ opinions of a character very opposite to theirs,.."

In the blank which is provided by me, I think there must have been something missing, perhaps "to hold" is an option, or it sounds not complete as far as I know if it is not a mistake in printing and I am an English language learner who always turn to grammar books for help.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Weird Harold]

I found a sentence in the speech of Patrick Henry(founding father of the US): "...I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do, _____ opinions of a character very opposite to theirs,.."

In the blank which is provided by me, I think there must have been something missing, perhaps "to hold" is an option, or it sounds not complete as far as I know if it is not a mistake in printing and I am an English language learner who always turn to grammar books for help.

Thank you for your help.

There is nothing missing. in that context, "entertaining" is (roughly) a synonym for "holding" so the phrase could be read as, "...holding as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs..."

It is a somewhat archaic usage of "to entertain."