a person who slaughters cattle for the use of the table, or who cuts up and retails the same.

Among the ancient Romans, there were three kinds of established butchers, whose office it was to furnish the city with the necessary cattle, and to take care of preparing and vending their flesh. The suarri provided hogs; the pecuarii or boarii, other cattle, especially oxen; and under these was a subordinate class, whose office was to kill, called lanii, and carnifices.

To exercise the office of butcher among the Jews with dexterity, was of more reputation than to understand the liberal arts and sciences. They have a book concerning shamble-constitution; and in case of any difficulty, they apply to some learned rabbi for advice; nor was any allowed to practice this art, without a licence in form; which gave the man, upon evidence of his abilities, a power to kill meat, and others to eat what he killed; provided he carefully read every week for one year, and every month the next year, and once a quarter during his life, the constitution abovementioned.

We have some very good laws for the better regulation and preventing the abuses committed by butchers. A butcher that sells swine's flesh mealed, or dead of the murrain, for the first offence shall be amerced; for the second, have the pillory; for the third, be imprisoned, and make fine; and for the fourth, abjure the town. Butchers not selling meat at reasonable prices. shall forfeit double the value, leviable by warrant of two justices of the peace. No butcher shall kill any flesh in his scalding-house, or within the walls of London, on pain to forfeit for every ox so killed, 12d. and for every other beast, 8d. to be divided betwixt the king and the prosecutor.

**Butcher-Bird**, in ornithology. See *Lanius*.

**Butcher-Broom**, in botany. See *Ruscus*.

**Butcher's Island**, in the East Indies, a small island about two miles long and scarce one broad. It has its name from cattle being kept there for the use of Bombay, from which it is about three miles distant. It has a small fort, but of very little consequence.

**Bute**, an island lying to the west of Scotland, being separated from Cowal, a district of Argyleshire, only by a narrow channel. In length it is about 18 miles; the broadest part from east to west is about five. Part of it is rocky and barren; but from the middle southwards, the ground is cultivated, and produces pease, oats, and barley. Here is a quarry of red stone, which the natives have used in building a fort and chapel in the neighbourhood of Rothsay, which is a very ancient royal borough, head town of the shire of Bute and Arran; but very thinly peopled, and maintained chiefly by the herring fishery, with the profits of which all the rents of this island are chiefly paid. On the north side of Rothsay are the ruins of an ancient fort, with its draw-bridge, chapel, and barracks. Here are likewise the remains of some Danish towers. The natives are healthy and industrious, speak the Erse and the dialect of the Lowlands indifferently, and profess the Protestant religion. The island is divided into two parishes, accommodated with four churches; and belongs chiefly to the earl of Bute, who possesses an elegant seat near Rothsay. This island, with that of Arran, the greater and lesser Cumbrae, and Inch-marne, form a county under the name of Bute. This shire and that of Caithness send a member to parliament alternately. The earl of Bute is admiral of the county, by commission from his majesty; but no way dependent on the lord high admiral of Scotland; so that if any maritime case occurs within this jurisdiction, (even crimes of as high a nature as murder or piracy), his lordship, by virtue of the powers as admiral, is sufficient judge, or he may delegate his authority to, any deputies. The name of this isle has by several authors, and in different periods, been very differently written, as *Bote*, *Both*, *Beth*, *Boot*, but now generally *Bute*. Our ancient writers suppose that it derived its name from a cell erected therein by St Brendan, an Irish abbot who flourished in the 6th century, because in his language such a cell was called *Beth*. It is, however, probable, that this name was of greater antiquity, since we find it denominated *Batis* by the anonymous geographer of Ravenna. It was from very early times part of the patrimony of the Stuarts: large possessions in it were granted to Sir John Stuart, son of Robert II. by his beloved mistress Elizabeth More; and it has continued in that line to the present time.

**Buteo**, in ornithology, the trivial name of a species of *Falco*.

**Butler** (Charles), a native of Wycomb in the county of Bucks, and a master of arts in Magdalen college, Oxford, published a book with this title, "The principles of music in singing and setting; with the two-fold use thereof, ecclesiastical and civil." Quarto, London 1636. The author of this book was a person of singular learning and ingenuity, which he manifested in sundry other works enumerated by Wood in the *Athens Oxon*. Among the rest is an English grammar, published in 1633, in which he proposes a scheme of regular orthography, and makes use of characters, some borrowed from the Saxon, and others of his own invention, so singular, that we want types to exhibit them: and of this imagined improvement he appears to have been so fond, that all his tracts are printed in like manner with his grammar; the consequence whereof has been an almost general difficulty to all that he has written. His "Principles of music" is, however, a very learned, curious, and entertaining book; and, by the help of the advertisement from the printer to the reader, prefixed to it, explaining the powers of the several characters made use of by him, may be read to great advantage, and may be considered as a judicious supplement to Morley's introduction.

**Butler** (Samuel), a celebrated poet of the last century, was the son of a reputable Worcestershire farmer, and born in 1612. He passed some time at Cambridge, but was never matriculated in that university. Returning to his native country, he lived some years as clerk to a justice of peace; where he found sufficient time to apply himself to history, poetry, and painting. Being recommended to Elizabeth countess of Kent, he enjoyed in her house, not only the use of all kinds of books, but the conversation of the great Mr Selden, who often employed Butler to write letters, and translate for him. He lived also some time with Sir Samuel Luke, a gentleman of an ancient family in Bedfordshire, and a famous commander under Oliver Cromwell: and he is supposed at this time to have wrote, or at least to have planned, his celebrated *Hudibras*; and under that character to have ridiculed the knight. The poem itself furnishes this key; where, in the first canto, Hudibras says,

``` 'Tis sung, there is a valiant mamaluke In foreign land yclep'd — — To whom we oft have been compard For person, parts, address, and beard." ```

After the restoration, Mr Butler was made secretary to the earl of Carbury, lord-president of Wales, who appointed him steward of Ludlow castle, when the court was revived there. No one was a more generous friend to him than the earl of Dorset and Middlesex, to whom it was owing that the court tattled his *Hudibras*. He had promises of a good place from the earl of Clarendon, but they were never accomplished; though the king was so much pleased with the poem, as often to quote it pleasantly in conversation. It is indeed said, that Charles ordered him the sum of 3000l.; but the sum being expressed in figures, somebody through whose hands the order passed, by cutting off a cypher, reduced it to 300l., which, though it passed the offices without fees, proved not sufficient to pay what he then owed; so that Butler was not a shilling the better for the king's bounty. He died in 1680: and though he met with many disappointments, was never reduced to any thing like want, nor did he die in debt. Mr Granger observes, that Butler "stands without rival in burlesque poetry. His *Hudibras* (says he) is, in its kind, almost as great an effort of genius, as the Paradise Lost itself. It abounds with uncommon learning, new rhimes, and original thoughts. Its images are truly and naturally ridiculous. There are many strokes of temporary satire, and some characters and allusions which cannot be discovered at this distance of time."

Butler (Joseph), late bishop of Durham, a prelate distinguished by his piety and learning, was the youngest son of Mr Thomas Butler, a reputable shopkeeper at Wantage, in Berkshire, where he was born in the year 1692. His father, who was a Presbyterian, observing that he had a strong inclination to learning, after his being at a grammar-school, sent him to an academy in Gloucestershire, in order to qualify him for a dissenting minister; and while there, he wrote some remarks on Dr Clark's first sermon at Boyle's lecture. Afterwards, resolving to conform to the established church, he studied at Oriel college, where he contracted an intimate friendship with Mr Edward Talbot, son of the bishop of Durham, and brother to the lord chancellor, who laid the foundation of his subsequent advancement. He was first appointed preacher at the Rolls, and rector of Haughton and Stanhope, two rich benefices in the bishopric of Durham. He quitted the Rolls in 1726; and published in 8vo a volume of sermons, preached at that chapel. After this he constantly resided at Stanhope, in the regular discharge of all the duties of his office, till the year 1733, when he was called to attend the lord chancellor Talbot as his chaplain, who gave him a prebend in the church of Rochester. In the year 1736, he was appointed clerk of the closet to queen Caroline, whom he attended every day, by her majesty's special command, from seven to nine in the evening. In 1738 he was appointed to the bishopric of Bristol; and not long afterwards to the deanery of St Paul's, London. He now resigned his living of Stanhope. In the year 1746, he was made clerk of the closet to the king; and in 1750, was translated to Durham. This rich preferment he enjoyed but a short time; for he died at Bath June 16th, 1752. His corpse was interred in the cathedral at Bristol; where there is a monument, with an inscription, erected to his memory. He died a bachelor. His deep learning and comprehensive mind appear sufficiently in his writings, particularly in that excellent treatise intitled, The Analogy of religion, natural and revealed, to the constitution and course of nature, published in 8vo, 1736.