PROFESSOR BUTCHER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 17 February 1911, Page 6

PROFESSOR BUTCHER.

A CHARMING PERSONALITY. ■ -• After a, long illness' H; Butcher, M.P. for Cambridge University, and Emeritus Professor of , Greek, in the .of., Edinburgh, Apaswdii'iiWiy in his house in London recently. He was born 011 April 16, -1850, at Dublin. His father was Bishop ofi'Meath; He prepared at Marlborough for the University, and proceeded to Trinitv College, Cambridge, in 1569. At college'ho had a brilliant carrying the best scholarships and medals before him. One year lifter graduating, he beeomo Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge." ;In 1876, however, he had to vacate his Fellowship, owing,to his marriage with p. daughter of the Archbishop of Dublin. .But,'.in the samp year, he was elected without examination to an Extraordinary Fellowship at University College, Oxford.' He remained there until his appointment to the Chair of Greek in Edinburgh University in'lSß2, where he succeeded John Stuart Blacki?. ■ .

His teach ill!? in Edinburgh had a marked effect. His charming personality had much ,to do with it, but he yas also, gifted'with the power of convincing his hearers that he firmly believed what ho was saving. Professor Bntcher published little, but of his various works each was of tho highest merit. There were his little stndy of Demosthenes, the famous Butcher and Lang's Translation 'of tho Odyssey, his brilliant essays on the Poetics of Aristotle, hi? Harvard lectures, and. lastly, his work on the text of Demosthenes for .the Oxford Press. Tho Homp Rule auestion attracted Professor Butcher, and he became attached to .the Unionist sidfl. He spent a good deal of time over the Scottish Universities Commission.- " '

. Professor Butcher was deeply attached to his wife, and his resignation in 1903 was due to the deen sorrow,, caused by her death:. Although not a strong mail' he devoted himself to all manly sports. His country home in Killarnoy -was a favourite r»=ort of his.

In I9ofi- Professor - Butcher entered tlio House.of Commons as on» of . the roprev sentdtives of Cambridge Universitv. and lie was re-elected at last election. He was an ideal member for a university ; const!-' tuency. Unon' those subieots, which specially affect the scholar's equipment his contributions in debate were ever notable because of their depth of knowledge. In the House of Commons he in-' terested him«elf most in Irish educational questions, and he devoted great deal of his spare timo to the Classical Association. . •