The Samuel Butler Collection at Saint John's College, Cambridge Part 19

He always took this with him on his travels.

Two account books, 1897-1900 and 1900-1902.

Butler destroyed his early account books when he made the Skeleton Diary of his life which is in Vol. III. of his MS. Note-Books. After his death the remaining account books were destroyed except these two.

Books in which Butler used to keep his accounts by double entry. The handwriting during the early years is Butler's, afterwards it is Alfred's. Journal, 1895-1902; Cash Book, 1881-1899; Cash Book, 1899-1902; Union Bank Book, 1881-1902; Ledger.

A set of books containing accounts for his published works.

Two of the small note-books which after April 1882 Butler always carried in his pocket and in which he made the notes afterwards copied into his full-size MS. Note-Books.

Before 1882 he used some other kind of pocket note-book. The first one he had of this kind was sent to him by Miss Savage in a letter of 18th April, 1882, from which the following is an extract; the words in square brackets are a note by Butler on Miss Savage's letter.

"I send you a little present; the leaves tear out, so that when you leave your note-book at the "Food of Health" [I don't remember ever going to the "Food of Health." I do not know the place. S. B.] or elsewhere, as you sometimes have done, you will not lose so much, and then you can put the torn leaves into one of the little drawers in your cabinet which is just made for such doc.u.ments." (_Memoir_, I.

373.)

The cabinet she refers to was one of the two j.a.panese cabinets, the next items, which he had bought at Neighbour's grocery and tea-shop in Oxford Street, and which she had seen in his rooms. He used to keep stamps in them.

One small j.a.panese cabinet.

One larger j.a.panese cabinet.

Two pen trays.

One camera lucida with table (see the _Memoir_).

One round wood-carving: a female bust.

Two large dishes, German or Swiss, which stood on his table.

One tin case holding pencils and brushes for water-colour sketching.

One tin water-bottle for sketching. One sketching camp-stool. One sketching portfolio. One water-colour paint-box.

One sloping desk.

"I shoud explain that I cannot write unless I have a sloping desk." See "Quis desiderio--" (_The Humour of Homer_). This is the sloping desk on which he wrote in Clifford's Inn.

One pair of chamois horns given him by Dionigi Negri at Varallo Sesia.

One handle and webbing in which he carried his books to and from the British Museum.

A photograph showing one wall of Butler's chambers in Clifford's Inn with the fireplace and accompanying sketch plan.

Some of the pictures mentioned in Section I. of this Catalogue can be identified, and also the following nine items, which are on the mantelpiece or on the wall. The two dolls (no. 9) were destroyed by Butler about 1898; the other eight objects are included in this collection at St. John's.

One pair of pewter candlesticks (1).

One bust of Handel (2).

One plate, which he called "Three Acres and a Cow," because it seems to be decorated in ill.u.s.tration of that catch-word (3).

Two crockery holy water holders; only one is shown in the photograph (4).

Three medallions under gla.s.s, representing, in some kind of plaster, the Madonna di Oropa (5).

Three crockery examples of "the Virgin with Child" (6).

One only is shown in the photo. One of these is from Oropa where the Virgin and Child are both black, see "A Medieval Girl-School" in _The Humour of Homer_. These holy water holders and Madonnas are some of the cheap religious knick-knacks which are sold at most Italian Sanctuaries.

We often brought back a few and gave them away to Gogin, Alfred, Clark, and other friends.

Bag for pennies (7).

Miss Savage's kettle-holder (8).

In Oct. 1884 (see the _Memoir_), about four months before her death, Miss Savage sent Butler a present of a pair of socks which she had knitted herself, and she promised to make him some more. Butler gratefully accepted her gift, but

"As for doing me any more, I flatly forbid it. I believe you don't like my books, and want to make me say I won't give you any more if you make me any more socks; and then you will make me some more in order not to get the books. No, I will let you read my stupid books in ma.n.u.script and help me that way. If you like to make me a kettle- holder, you may, for I only have one just now, and I like to have two because I always mislay one; but I won't have people working their fingers out to knit me stockings."

_Miss Savage to Butler_, 27_th_ _Oct._ 1884: "Here is a kettle-holder.

And I can only say that a man who is equal to the control of two kettle- holders fills me with awe, and I shall begin to be afraid of you. . . .

The kettle-holder is very clumsy and ugly, but please to remember that I am not a many-sided genius, and to expect me to excel in kettle-holders _and_ stockings is unreasonable. I take credit to myself, however, for affixing a fetter to it, so that you may chain it up if it is too much disposed to wander. My expectation is that it is too thick for you to grasp the kettle with, and the kettle will slip out of your hand and scald you frightfully. I shall be sorry for you but you would have it, so upon your own head be it."

_Butler to Miss Savage_, 28_th_ _Oct._ 1884: "The kettle-holder is beautiful; it is like a filleted sole, and I am very fond of filleted sole. It is not at all too thick, and fits my kettle to perfection."

The subject is developed antiphonally between Miss Savage and Butler throughout several letters, and near the close comes this note made by Butler when "editing his remains" at the end of his life:

"I need hardly say that the kettle-holder hangs by its fetter on the wall beside my fire, and is not allowed to be used by anyone but myself. S.B.

January 21st, 1902."

Two small Dutch dolls (9)

Mr. Charles Archer Cook was at Trinity Hall with me. He is mentioned in the _Memoir_ as having edited _The Athenaeum_ in October, 1885, during the absence of MacColl, the editor. Butler and I sometimes dined with him and met his brother, Mr. (afterwards Sir) Edward T. Cook and his wife. Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Cook came to tea with Butler, and Alfred was showing them round the sitting room, while Butler was in his painting room, where he had gone to look for something.

"These are the pictures which the governor does when he is away," said Alfred, "and these are the photographs which he brings back with him and the plates and images."

"And please, Alfred, what are these two little dolls among the pictures?"

"Oh, those, ma'am! Those are ---."

"Alfred!" exclaimed the reproving voice of Butler, who although in the next room, had overheard.

"Well, Sir," replied Alfred, "that's what we always call them."

Alfred was referring to a recent divorce case in which the names of two ladies had been brought prominently before the public, but Butler did not approve of the names being blurted out in the presence of visitors.

A bra.s.s bowl which my brother Edward brought from India.

It always stood on my table in Staple Inn, and Butler used it as an ash- tray and played with it and liked the sound it made when he struck it. He also liked its shape, and was pleased with it for not being "spoilt by any silly ornament." It is mentioned in the _Memoir_ (II. xliii.) when Miss Butler comes to my rooms after Butler's death.