Samuel Butler: A Sketch | Page 6

Italy, and was written, so he says, to show how they got so much
into three weeks and spent only 25 pounds; they did not, however,
spend quite so much, for the article goes on, after bringing them back
to England, "Next day came safely home to dear old St. John's, cash in
hand 7d." {1}
Butler worked hard with Shilleto, an old pupil of his grandfather, and
was bracketed 12th in the Classical Tripos of 1858. Canon M'Cormick
told me that he would no doubt have been higher but for the fact that he
at first intended to go out in mathematics; it was only during the last
year of his time that he returned to the classics, and his being so high as
he was spoke well for the classical education of Shrewsbury.
It had always been an understood thing that he was to follow in the
footsteps of his father and grandfather and become a clergyman;

accordingly, after taking his degree, he went to London and began to
prepare for ordination, living and working among the poor as lay
assistant under the Rev. Philip Perring, Curate of St. James's, Piccadilly,
an old pupil of Dr. Butler at Shrewsbury. {2} Placed among such
surroundings, he felt bound to think out for himself many theological
questions which at this time were first presented to him, and, the
conclusion being forced upon him that he could not believe in the
efficacy of infant baptism, he declined to be ordained.
It was now his desire to become an artist; this, however, did not meet
with the approval of his family, and he returned to Cambridge to try for
pupils and, if possible, to get a fellowship. He liked being at Cambridge,
but there were few pupils and, as there seemed to be little chance of a
fellowship, his father wished him to come down and adopt some
profession. A long correspondence took place in the course of which
many alternatives were considered. There are letters about his
becoming a farmer in England, a tutor, a homoepathic doctor, an artist,
or a publisher, and the possibilities of the army, the bar, and diplomacy.
Finally it was decided that he should emigrate to New Zealand. His
passage was paid, and he was to sail in the 'Burmah', but a cousin of his
received information about this vessel which caused him, much against
his will, to get back his passage money and take a berth in the 'Roman
Emperor', which sailed from Gravesend on one of the last days of
September, 1859. On that night, for the first time in his life, he did not
say his prayers. "I suppose the sense of change was so great that it
shook them quietly off. I was not then a sceptic; I had got as far as
disbelief in infant baptism, but no further. I felt no compunction of
conscience, however, about leaving off my morning and evening
prayers--simply I could no longer say them."
The 'Roman Emperor', after a voyage every incident of which
interested him deeply, arrived outside Port Lyttelton. The captain
shouted to the pilot who came to take them in:
"Has the 'Robert Small' arrived?"
"No," replied the pilot, "nor yet the 'Burmah'."
And Butler, writing home to his people, adds the comment: "You may
imagine what I felt."
The 'Burmah' was never heard of again.
He spent some time looking round, considering what to do and how to

employ the money with which his father was ready to supply him, and
determined upon sheep-farming. He made several excursions looking
for country, and ultimately took up a run which is still called
Mesopotamia, the name he gave it because it is situated among the
head-waters of the Rangitata.
It was necessary to have a horse, and he bought one for 55 pounds,
which was not considered dear. He wrote home that the horse's name
was "Doctor": "I hope he is a Homoeopathist." From this, and from the
fact that he had already contemplated becoming a homoeopathic doctor
himself, I conclude that he had made the acquaintance of Dr. Robert
Ellis Dudgeon, the eminent homoeopathist, while he was doing parish
work in London. After his return to England Dr. Dudgeon was his
medical adviser, and remained one of his most intimate friends until the
end of his life. Doctor, the horse, is introduced into 'Erewhon Revisited';
the shepherd in
Chapter XXVI
tells John Hicks that Doctor "would pick fords better than that
gentleman could, I know, and if the gentleman fell off him he would
just stay stock still."
Butler carried on his run for about four and a half years, and the
open-air life agreed with him; he ascribed to this the good health he
afterwards enjoyed. The following, taken from a notebook he