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Cambridge　Pieces


by　Samuel　Butler







Contents：
　　　On　English　Composition　and　Other　Matters
　　　Our　Tour
　　　Translation　from　an　Unpublished　Work　of　Herodotus
　　　The　shield　of　Achilles；　with　variations
　　　Prospectus　of　the　Great　Split　Society
　　　Powers
　　　A　skit　on　examinations
　　　An　Eminent　Person
　　　Napoleon　at　St。　Helena
　　　THE　TWO　DEANS
　　　The　Battle　of　Alma　Mater
　　　On　the　Italian　Priesthood
　　　Samuel　Butler　and　the　Simeonites






ON　ENGLISH　COMPOSITION　AND　OTHER　MATTERS



This　essay　is　believed　to　be　the　first　composition　by　Samuel　Butler
that　appeared　in　print。　　It　was　published　in　the　first　number　of　the
EAGLE；　a　magazine　written　and　edited　by　members　of　St。　John's
College；　Cambridge；　in　the　Lent　Term；　1858；　when　Butler　was　in　his
fourth　and　last　year　of　residence。

＇From　the　Eagle；　Vol。　1；　No。　1；　Lent　Term；　1858；　p。　41。＇

I　sit　down　scarcely　knowing　how　to　grasp　my　own　meaning；　and　give　it
a　tangible　shape　in　words；　and　yet　it　is　concerning　this　very
expression　of　our　thoughts　in　words　that　I　wish　to　speak。　　As　I　muse
things　fall　more　into　their　proper　places；　and；　little　fit　for　the
task　as　my　confession　pronounces　me　to　be；　I　will　try　to　make　clear
that　which　is　in　my　mind。

I　think；　then；　that　the　style　of　our　authors　of　a　couple　of　hundred
years　ago　was　more　terse　and　masculine　than　that　of　those　of　the
present　day；　possessing　both　more　of　the　graphic　element；　and　more
vigour；　straightforwardness；　and　conciseness。　　Most　readers　will
have　anticipated　me　in　admitting　that　a　man　should　be　clear　of　his
meaning　before　he　endeavours　to　give　to　it　any　kind　of　utterance；
and　that　having　made　up　his　mind　what　to　say；　the　less　thought　he
takes　how　to　say　it；　more　than　briefly；　pointedly；　and　plainly；　the
better；　for　instance；　Bacon　tells　us；　〃Men　fear　death　as　children
fear　to　go　in　the　dark〃；　he　does　not　say；　what　I　can　imagine　a　last
century　writer　to　have　said；　〃A　feeling　somewhat　analogous　to　the
dread　with　which　children　are　affected　upon　entering　a　dark　room；　is
that　which　most　men　entertain　at　the　contemplation　of　death。〃
Jeremy　Taylor　says；　〃Tell　them　it　is　as　much　intemperance　to　weep
too　much　as　to　laugh　too　much〃；　he　does　not　say；　〃All　men　will
acknowledge　that　laughing　admits　of　intemperance；　but　some　men　may
at　first　sight　hesitate　to　allow　that　a　similar　imputation　may　be　at
times　attached　to　weeping。〃

I　incline　to　believe　that　as　irons　support　the　rickety　child；　whilst
they　impede　the　healthy　one；　so　rules；　for　the　most　part；　are　but
useful　to　the　weaker　among　us。　　Our　greatest　masters　in　language；
whether　prose　or　verse；　in　painting；　music；　architecture；　or　the
like；　have　been　those　who　preceded　the　rule　and　whose　excellence
gave　rise　thereto；　men　who　preceded；　I　should　rather　say；　not　the
rule；　but　the　discovery　of　the　rule；　men　whose　intuitive　perception
led　them　to　the　right　practice。　　We　cannot　imagine　Homer　to　have
studied　rules；　and　the　infant　genius　of　those　giants　of　their　art；
Handel；　Mozart；　and　Beethoven；　who　composed　at　the　ages　of　seven；
five；　and　ten；　must　certainly　have　been　unfettered　by　them：　　to　the
less　brilliantly　endowed；　however；　they　have　a　use　as　being
compendious　safeguards　against　error。　　Let　me　then　lay　down　as　the
best　of　all　rules　for　writing；　〃forgetfulness　of　self；　and
carefulness　of　the　matter　in　hand。〃　　No　simile　is　out　of　place　that
illustrates　the　subject；　in　fact　a　simile　as　showing　the　symmetry　of
this　world's　arrangement；　is　always；　if　a　fair　one；　interesting；
every　simile　is　amiss　that　leads　the　mind　from　the　contemplation　of
its　object　to　the　contemplation　of　its　author。　　This　will　apply
equally　to　the　heaping　up　of　unnecessary　illustrations：　　it　is　as
great　a　fault　to　supply　the　reader　with　too　many　as　with　too　few；
having　given　him　at　most　two；　it　is　better　to　let　him　read　slowly
and　think　out　the　rest　for　himself　than　to　surfeit　him　with　an
abundance　of　explanation。　　Hood　says　well；


And　thus　upon　the　public　mind　intrude　it；
As　if　I　thought；　like　Otaheitan　cooks；
No　food　was　fit　to　eat　till　I　had　chewed　it。


A　book　that　is　worth　reading　will　be　worth　reading　thoughtfully；　and
there　are　but　few　good　books；　save　certain　novels；　that　it　is　well
to　read　in　an　arm…chair。　　Most　will　bear　standing　to。　　At　the
present　time　we　seem　to　lack　the　impassiveness　and　impartiality
which　was　so　marked　among　the　writings　of　our　forefathers；　we　are
seldom　content　with　the　simple　narration　of　fact；　but　must　rush　off
into　an　almost　declamatory　description　of　them；　my　meaning　will　be
plain　to　all　who　have　studied　Thucydides。　　The　dignity　of　his
simplicity　is；　I　think；　marred　by　those　who　put　in　the　accessories
which　seem　thought　necessary　in　all　present　histories。　　How　few
writers　of　the　present　day　would　not；　instead　of　＇Greek　text　which
cannot　be　reproduced＇　rather　write；　〃Night　fell　upon　this　horrid
scene　of　bloodshed。〃　｛1｝　　This　is　somewhat　a　matter　of　taste；　but　I
think　I　shall　find　some　to　agree　with　me　in　preferring　for　plain
narration　（of　course　I　exclude　oratory）　the　unadorned　gravity　of
Thucydides。　　There　are；　indeed；　some　writers　of　the　present　day　who
seem　returning　to　the　statement　of　facts　rather　than　their
adornment；　but　these　are　not　the　most　generally　admired。　　This
simplicity；　however；　to　be　truly　effective　must　be　unstudied；　it
will　not　do　to　write　with　affected　terseness；　a　charge　which；　I
think；　may　be　fairly　preferred　against　Tacitus；　such　a　style　if　ever
effective　must　be　so　from　excess　of　artifice　and　not　from　that
artlessness　of　simplicity　which　I　should　wish　to　see　prevalent　among
us。

Neither　again　is　it　well　to　write　and　go　over　the　ground　again　with
the　pruning　knife；　though　this　fault　is　better　than　the　other；　to
take　care　of　the　matter；　and　let　the　words　take　care　of　themselves；
is　the　best　safeguard。

To　this　I　shall　be　answered；　〃Yes；　but　is　not　a　diamond　cut　and
polished　a　more　beautiful　object　than　when　rough？〃　　I　grant　it；　and
more　valuable；　inasmuch　as　it　has　run　chance　of　spoliation　in　the
cutting；　but　I　maintain　that　the　thinking　man；　the　man　whose
thoughts　are　great　and　worth　the　consideration　of　others；　will　〃deal
in　proprieties；〃　and　will　from　the　mine　of　his　thoughts　produce
ready…cut　diamonds；　or　rather　will　cut　them　there　spontaneously；　ere
ever　they　see　the　light　of　day。

There　are　a　few　points　still　which　it　were　well　we　should　consider。
We　are　all　too　apt　when　we　sit　down　to　study　a　subject　to　have
already　formed　our　opinion；　and　to　weave　all　matter　to　the　warp　of
our　preconceived　judgment；　to　fall　in　with　the　received　idea；　and；
with　biassed　minds；　unconsciously　to　follow　in　the　wake　of　public
opinion；　while　professing　to　lead　it。　　To　the　best　of　my　belief　half
the　dogmatism　of　those　we　daily　meet　is　in　consequence　of　the
unwitting　practices　of　this　self…deception。　　Simply　let　us　not　talk
about　what　we　do　not　understand；　save　as　learners；　and　we　shall　not
by　writing　mislead　others。

There　is　no　shame　in　being　obliged　to　others　for　opinions；　the　shame
is　not　being　honest　enough　to　acknowledge　it：　　I　would　have　no　one
omit　to　put　down　a　useful　thought　because　it　was　not　his　own；
provided　it　tended　to　the　better　expression　of　his　matter；　and　he
did　not　conceal　its　source；　let　him；　however；　set　out　the　borrowed
capital　to　interest。　　One　word　more　and　I　have　done。　　With　regard　to
our　subject；　the　best　rule　is　not　to　write　concerning　that　about
which　we　cannot　at　our　present　age　know　anything　save　by　a　process
which　is　commonly　called　cram：　　on　all　such　matters　there　are　abler
writers　than　ourselves；　the　men；　in　fact；　from　whom　we　cram。　　Never
let　us　hunt　after　a　subject；　unless　we　have　something　which　we　feel
urged　on　to　say；　it　is　better　to　say　nothing；　who　are　so　ridiculous
as　those　who　talk　for　the　sake　of　talking；　save　only　those　who　write
for　the　sake　of　writing？　　But　there　are　subjects　which　all　young　men
think　about。　　Who　can　take　a　walk　in　our　streets　and　not　think？　　The
most　trivial　incident　has　ramifications；　to　whose　guidance　if　we
surrender　our　thoughts；　we　are　oft…times　led　upon　a　gold　mine
unawares；　and　no　man　whether　old　or　young　is　worse　for　reading　the
ingenuous　and　unaffected　statement　of　a　young　man's　thoughts。　　There
are　some　things　in　which　experience　blunts　the　mental　vision；　as
well　as　others　in　which　it　sharpens　it。　　The　former　are　best
described　by　younger　men；　our　province　is　not　to　lead　public
opinion；　is　not　in　fact　to　ape　our　seniors；　and　transport　ourselves
from　our　proper　sphere；　it　is　rather　to　show　ourselves　as　we　are；　to
throw　our　thoughts　before　the　public　as　they　rise；　without　requiring
it　to　imagine　that　we　are　right　and　others　wrong；　but　hoping　for　the
forbearance　which　I　must　beg　the　reader　to　concede　to　myself；　and
trusting　to　the　genuineness　and　vigour　of　our　design　to　attract　it
may　be　more　than　a　passing　attention。

I　am　aware　that　I　have　digressed　from　the　original　purpose　of　my
essay；　but　I　hope　for　pardon；　if；　believing　the　digression　to　be　of
more　value　than　the　original　matter；　I　have　not　checked　my　pen；　but
let　it　run　on　even　as　my　heart　directed　it。

CELLARIUS。



OUR　TOUR



This　essay　was　published