Samuel Butler (poet)

Samuel Butler was a prominent English poet and satirist during the 17th century. A satirist is a writer who uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to mock or criticize people's stupidity or vices.

Butler is remembered most significantly for his long satirical poem titled *Hudibras*. This work was highly influential in its time and even caused several phrases to enter the English dictionary. The poem was directed against religious sectarianism, which refers to the division of people into different sects or groups within a religion. Because of its wit, the poem was very popular and spawned many imitators.

Butler's writing style often utilized the mock-heroic technique. This is a form of satire that describes trivial or low subjects in an elevated, grand, or epic style. For example, he wrote a poem called "Cynarctomachy," or "Battle between Bear and Dogs." This work served as both a homage to and a parody of a Greek poem attributed to Homer called *Batrachomyomachia*. Another famous example of his wit was "The Elephant on the Moon." This poem was actually a satire on Sir Paul Neale of the Royal Society, using the image of a mouse trapped in a telescope to make its point.

Butler was born in Strensham, Worcestershire, to a farmer and churchwarden also named Samuel. While his exact birth date is unknown, he was baptized on February 14, 1613. Historical records can be confusing because the English New Year began on Lady Day, March 25, at that time. Some sources, such as the 1793 edition of *Hudibras* by Treadway Russell Nash, suggest a different baptism date. However, the parish register of Strensham clearly records his christening on the 14th of February in the year 1612. This discrepancy arises from the Calendar Act of 1750, which changed how the start of the year was calculated.

His education and early career shaped his observant nature. He attended the King's School in Worcester under the teacher Henry Bright. As a young boy, Butler was noted for making observations and reflections on everything people said or did. He would often judge whether an action was well or ill. In his youth, he served as a servant to the Countess of Kent. This position allowed him to meet the jurist John Selden, a man who influenced Butler's later literary works. Although he studied law, he chose not to practice it as a profession.

Butler held various administrative roles throughout his life. He served as a clerk for Sir William Russell of Strensham. After the Restoration, he became the secretary, or steward, to Richard Vaughan, the 2nd Earl of Carbery. This role required him to live in Ludlow, Shropshire, until January 1662. During this time, he was responsible for paying craftsmen who were repairing the local castle. In the summer of 1670, he was thought to be in the employment of the Duke of Buckingham. This position even included accompanying the Duke on a diplomatic mission to France.

Despite his literary fame, Butler's social and financial life was complex. He was not offered a position at the Royal Court, likely because his satirical wit often disobliged those he spoke with. This tendency created many enemies and few friends. However, he did receive a financial grant from King Charles II. Later in life, he lived in a house on Rose Street, west of Covent Garden. Although he had many unpublished works, such as his *Theophrastan* character sketches, he appeared to lack money toward the end of his life.

Butler died of consumption, which is another name for tuberculosis, on September 25, 1680. He was buried two days later in the churchyard of St. Paul's, Covent Garden. He requested a specific grave location, situated two yards from the pillaster of the door and six feet deep.

His legacy was honored in 1732 when a monument was placed in Westminster Abbey by John Barber and the Lord Mayor of London. A memorial plaque also exists in his birthplace of Strensham. His works continue to be studied, with notable editions produced by editors like Zachery Grey in 1744 and John Wilders in 1967.