1.
THE Reverend Alban Butler was the second son of Simon Butler, Esq., of
Appletree, in the county of Northampton, by Miss Ann Birch, daughter of
Thomas Birch, Esq., of Gorscot, in the county of Stafford. His family,
for amplitude of possessions, and splendor of descent and alliances, had
vied with the noblest and wealthiest of this kingdom, but was reduced to
slender circumstances at the time of his birth. A tradition in his
family mentions, that Mr. Simon Butler (our author's grandfather) was
the person confidently employed by the duke of Devonshire and the earl
of Warrington, in inviting the prince of Orange over to England; that he
professed the protestant religion, and that his great zeal for it was
his motive for embarking so warmly in that measure; but that he never
thought it would be attended with the political consequences which
followed from it; that, when they happened, they preyed greatly on his
mind; that to fly from his remorse, he gave himself up to pleasure: and
that in a few years he dissipated a considerable proportion of the
remaining part of the family estate, and left what he did not sell of it
heavily encumbered.
At a very early age our author was sent to a school in Lancashire, and
there applied himself to his studies with that unremitted application
which, in every part of his life, he gave to literature. Sacred
biography was even then his favorite pursuit. A gentleman, lately
deceased, mentioned to the editor that he remembered him at this school,
and frequently heard him repeat, with a surprising minuteness of fact,
and precision of chronology, to a numerous and wondering audience of
little boys, the history of the chiefs and saints of the Saxon aera of
our history. He then also was distinguished for his piety, and a
punctual discharge of his religious duties. About the age of eight years
he was sent to the English college at Douay. It appears, from the diary
of that college, that Mr. Holman, of Warkworth, (whose memory, for his
extensive charities, is still in benediction in Oxfordshire and
Northamptonshire,) became security for the expenses of his education.
About this time he lost his father and mother. The latter, just before
she died, wrote to him and his two brothers the following beautiful
letter:
"MY DEAR CHILDREN.
"Since it pleases Almighty God to take me out of this world, as no doubt
wisely foreseeing I am no longer a useful parent to you, (for no person
ought to be thought necessary in this world when God thinks proper to
take them out;) so I hope you will offer the loss of me with a
resignation suitable to the religion you are of, and offer {016}
yourselves. He who makes you orphans so young, without a parent to take
care of you, will take you into his protection and fatherly care, if you
do love and serve him who is the author of all goodness. Above all
things, prepare yourselves while you are young to offer patiently what
afflictions he shall think proper to lay upon you, for it is by this he
trieth his best servants. In the first place, give him thanks for your
education in the true faith, (which many thousands want;) and then I beg
of you earnestly to petition his direction what state of life you shall
undertake, whether be for religion, or to get your livings in the world.
No doubt but you may be saved either way, if you do your duty to God,
your neighbor, and yourselves. And I beg of you to make constant
resolutions rather to die a thousand times, if possible, than quit your
faith; and always have in your thoughts what you would think of were you
as nigh death as I now think myself. There is no preparation for a good
death but a good life. Do not omit your prayers, and to make an act of
contrition and examen of conscience every night, and frequent the
blessed sacraments of the church. I am so weak I can say no more to you,
but I pray God bless and direct you, and your friends to take care of
you. Lastly, I beg of you never to forget to pray for your poor father
and mother when they are not capable of helping themselves: so I take
leave of you, hoping to meet you in heaven, to be happy for all
eternity.
"Your affectionate mother,
"ANN BUTLER."
Though our author's memory for the recollection of dates was, in his
very earliest years, remarkable, he found, when he first came to the
college, great difficulty in learning his lessons by heart; so that, to
enable him to repeat them in the school as well as the other boys, he
was obliged to rise long before the college hour. By perseverance,
however, he overcame this disheartening difficulty. Even while he was in
the lowest schools, he was respected for his virtue and learning. One of
his school-fellows writes thus of him: "The year after Mr. Alban
Butler's arrival at Douay, I was placed in the same school, under the
same master, he being in the first class of rudiments, as it is there
called, and I in the lowest. My youth and sickly constitution moved his
innate goodness to pay me every attention in his power; and we soon
contracted an intimacy that gave me every opportunity of observing his
conduct, and of being fully acquainted with his sentiments. No one
student in the college was more humble, more devout, more exact in every
duty, more obedient or mortified. He was never reproved or punished but
once; and then for a fault of which he was not guilty. This undeserved
treatment he received with silence, patience, and humility. In the hours
alloted to play he rejoiced in the meanest employments assigned to him
by his companions, as to fetch their balls, run on their errands, &c.
&c. Though often treated with many indignities by his thoughtless
companions, on purpose to try his patience, he never was observed to
show the lest resentment, but bore all with meekness and patience. By
the frequent practice of these virtues he had attained so perfect
evenness of temper, that his mind seemed never ruffled with the least
emotion of anger. He restricted himself in every thing to the strictest
bounds of necessity. Great part of his monthly allowance of
pocket-money, and frequently of his daily food, went to the poor. So
perfectly had he subjected the flesh to the spirit, that he seemed to
feel no resistance from his senses in the service of God and his
neighbor."
As he advanced in age his learning and virtue became more and more
conspicuous. Monsieur Pellison,[1] in his life of the famous Huet,
bishop of Avranches, observes, that "from his tenderest youth he gave
himself to study; that at his rising, his going to bed, and during his
meal, he was reading, or had others to read to him; that neither the
fire of youth, the interruption of business, the variety of his
employments, the society of his friends, nor the bustle of the world,
could ever moderate his ardor of study." The same may be said of our
author. He generally allowed himself no more than four hours sleep, and
often passed whole nights in study and prayer. All his day was spent in
reading. When he was alone, he read; when he was in company, he read; at
his meals, he read; in his walks, he read; when he was in a carriage, he
read; when he was on horseback, he read; whatever he did, he read. It
was his custom to make abridgments of the principal works he perused,
and to copy large extracts from them; several bulky volumes {017} of
them have fallen into the hands of the editor. Many were surprised to
see the rapidity with which he read, or rather ran through books, and at
the same time acquired a full and accurate knowledge of their contents.
Footnotes:
1. Histoire de l'Academie, 1 vol. 102.