1835. Dec. 4. Samuel Butler born at Langar Rectory, Nottingham, son of the Rev. Thomas Butler, who was the son of Dr. Samuel Butler, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School from 1798 to 1836, and afterwards Bishop of Lichfield. 1843–4. Spent the winter in Rome and Naples with his family. 1846. Went to school at Allesley, near Coventry. 1848. Went to school at Shrewsbury under Dr. Kennedy. Went to Italy for the second time with his family. First heard the music of Handel. 1854. Entered at St. John’s College, Cambridge. 1858. Bracketed 12th in the first class of the Classical Tripos and took his degree. Went to London and began to prepare for ordination, living among the poor and doing parish work: this led to his doubting the efficacy of infant baptism and hence to his declining to take orders. 1859. Sailed for New Zealand and started sheep-farming in Canterbury Province: while in the colony he wrote much for the _Press_ of Christchurch, N.Z. 1862. Dec. 20. “Darwin on The Origin of Species. A Dialogue,” unsigned but written by Butler, appeared in the _Press_ and was followed by correspondence to which Butler contributed. 1863. _A_ _First Year in Canterbury Settlement_: made out of his letters home to his family together with two articles reprinted from the _Eagle_ (the magazine of St. John’s College, Cambridge): MS. lost. 1863. “Darwin among the Machines,” a letter signed “Cellarius” written by Butler, appeared in the _Press_. 1864. Sold out his sheep run and returned to England in company with Charles Paine Pauli, whose acquaintance he had made in the colony. He brought back enough to enable him to live quietly, settled for good at 15 Clifford’s Inn, London, and began life as a painter, studying at Cary’s, Heatherley’s and the South Kensington Art Schools and exhibiting pictures occasionally at the Royal Academy and other exhibitions: while studying art he made the acquaintance of, among others, Charles Gogin, William Ballard and Thomas William Gale Butler. “Family Prayers”: a small painting by Butler. 1865. “Lucubratio Ebria,” an article, containing variations of the view in “Darwin among the