The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-05 00:00:00

THE LATE DEAN OF PETERBOROUGH.

The death of Dr. Butler, the venerable Dean of Pe-
terborough, which took place on Saturday last, must not
be left to the brief and passing notice of our obituary.
The prominent station he has occupied during a long
life, and the personal regard in, which he was held by a
numerous body of pupils and friends, may well excuse a
somewhat fuller account of his earthly career.

George Butler,. son of the Rev. Weeden Butler, was
born in Pimlico, July 5, 1774. In 1790 he commenced
his residence as an undergraduate in Sidney Sussex Col-
lege, Cambridge. In January, 1794, being then only
19 years old, he was Senior Wrangler and Senior Smith's
Prizeman of his year, Lotd Lyndhurst (then Mr. Copley,
of Trinity College) being in each case second to him.
In the following year he travelled (principally on foot)
through a great part of Germany, where he became ac-
quainted with Klopstock, Schiller, Goethe, and other
eminent literary men,
On his return to Cambridge he commenced the study
of the law, keeping his terms at Lincoln's-inn, and was
on the point of being called to the bar, when he was
appointed to the mathematical lectureship of his college
—a circumstance which eventually altered the whole
direction of his life.

In 1802 he again went abroad, as tutor to the late
Mr. Blatchford, of Osborne-house, Isle of Wight ; tra-
velling on this occasion through France, Italy, and Sicily.
He was subsequently elected Fellow of his college,
took holy orders, and shortly after became a select
preacher before the University.

In 1805 he was elected head master of Harrow School
,vacated by the resignation of Dr. Drury), and entered
upon his duties there in the same year.
In 1814 he was presented by his college to the rectory
of Gayton, in Northamptonshire.
He continued in his arduous office at Harrow until
1829, when, after a head-mastership of four-and-twenty
years, he retired to the living of Gayton, and devoted
himself with the same unwearied energy to the duties of
a parish priest. He effected the restoration of his
church, was active in preaching and parochial visiting,
and filled an important position in the diocess generally,
as chairman of meetings of the clergy, and the promoter
of every useful and benevolent work.
In 1836 he became Chancellor of the diocese, and in
1842 was appointed by Sir Robert Peel to the vacant
deanery of Peterborough. In the latter office he con-
tinued till his death, discharging its duties to their fullest
extent, and preaching constantly in the cathedral till his
health failed him.

Few men could compete with him in versatility of
mind, and in the variety of his accomplishments. Besides
his great mathematical attainments, he was also a dis-
tinguished classical scholar, and spoke German, French,
and Italian with correctness and fluency. He was
practically versed in chemistry and other branches of
physical science. He was a good musician and draughts-
man ; and he excelled in all athletic exercises, being
one of the best skaters, fencers, swimmers, &c., of his
time. A remarkable example of his bodily activity,
as well as of the kindness of his heart, was given in
very advanced life, when, in the month of January,
1843, with snow on the groped, he plunged into a canal
(by the side of which he was accidentally riding) to res-
cue a woman from drowning—an exploit for which he
received a medal from the Royal Humane Society.
His affection for Harrow School, in the service of
which so many or the most active years of his life had
been passed, amounted to a passion. He maintained
with his successors (three of whom he lived to see) a
constant and most friendly intercourse ; and one of his
latest and fondest labours was the preparation (with no
httle pains and skill) of a selection of the lists of the
school from 1770 to 1826, appending to them his own
annotations upon the later fortunes of those whose
school-lire is there recorded.
He had the happiness of living to witness the distin-
guished honours of his four sons at the university ; and
the last weeks of his life were marked by the unexampled
occurrence of the election of his two younger sons to
university scholarships, almost simultaneously, the one
at Oxford and the other at Cambridge.
His latter years, though necessarily less active, were
no less happy than the earlier. It was in 1849 that his
fatal disease (of the heart) first declared itself. A gra-
dual failure of eyesight ended in almost total blindness.
But his patience, cheerfulness, and thankfulness never
failed. Within an hour of his last seizure he had spoken
of his many recent blessings, adding, " How long it will
last I cannot tell ; I feel something here " (placing his
hand on his heart) " which tells me it will not be for
long."
His death was quite sudden. He was seated at a
table with his family, and, after ten minutes of insensi-
hiltty, passed alway almost without a struggle.

THE GOLD DUST BUYERS OF SOUTHAMPTON use an
immense magnet as one means of testing the purity of
the gold, By plunging this magnet into a heap of gold
dust the freedom of the latter from metalliferous admix-
ture or otherwise is discovered by the quantity and de-
gree of firmness with which the dust adheres to the
magnet. It is this test Which deteets!Lisuperior purity
of Auxtralifixt COTIVOXIA Witb. Califon gold.
.