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