SAMUEL BUTLER.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16702, 10 December 1919, Page 9

SAMUEL BUTLER.

THE AUTHOR OF "EREWHON."

(FROM OCT OW.N- COIUIESrON-DKNT.I LONDON, October lfi. Quite tho most important work about Samuel Butler has just appeared from the press of Macmillan and Co., at tho price of two guineas. This is the longlooked for memoir by his great friend, Henry Festing Jones, forecasts of which have appeared at various times since Butler's death in lfK)2. It is. of course, a very intimate personal biography, and Mr Jones has spared no trouble to pursue to ultimate sources every thread of evidence. This makes tho book particularly interesting to many Now Zealanders who have admiral the lihe»-::1 W«rl: of llv- pioneer settler from Ashhurton Forks, whero tile scone ol ' V.! e . ~.,M is iji.ued. A good deal of Butler's tvirlv work was published in "The Press" (Christchurch), during tho editorship of Mr Colborne-Vccl. Some of this had appeared under pen-names, which made it difficult for later generations to identify it, and Mr Jones acknowledges liberal help received from tho Hon. W. H. Trijrgs, editor of "The Press," Miss Colborne-Veel, and Professor G. S. Sale. Professor Sale, of course, was a hutmate -with Butler in the Canterbury npiands, nnd was for a while editor of "The Press." Ho is now, lam sorry to say. in a very feeble state of health in London. The chapters on Butler's Now Zealand life are too interesting to bo dealt with bv extracts. Tt was in New Zealand that he met wl at is described as his worst enemy, namelv, his closest friend, Charles Paino Patili. Hand-s-ome. attractive, and a man of the "world, Pauli hid no money and no health. Convinced that In- would die if he remained in New Zealand. Butler lent him £100 to return to England, which he did in 18G1, and promised to pay him £200 a year for three years, so that he micht ho called to the Bar.

Butler continmvl to support Pauli, as lie supposed, until the hitter's death in He never knew much about Patili's affair*. and forborne time Butler lived in penury, shnrinc what ho had •"vith Panli. He never even let hiin lihow where he lived. When Pauli »'»» d Butler c .vv h[ )> : s death in "The Timos.,'ind then discovered that at one timo he had earned from £800 to £000 a year at the Bar. and in reeont years abont £-500, and tbot ho left an isstate of £9000.