ham, archbishop of York; ‘Poems’ in 2 vols. 1793, dedicated to the Hon. George Annesley, afterwards Lord Valentia, one of his former pupils. Some of these poems had been already printed. They are devoid of beauty, power, and originality. One of them, written on the death of Dr. Johnson, is a dialogue between Lord Chesterfield and Garrick in the Elysian fields, and represents Garrick conversing with ‘Avon's bard on those superior minds that since his day were gifted to produce their thoughts abroad.’ In 1777 Butt submitted a play entitled ‘Timoleon’ to Garrick, with whom he was on terms of friendship. Garrick told him that the play could not be acted as it stood, but professed himself unable to point out any faults in it, a declaration that has been taken by Butt's biographers as a high compliment. ‘Timoleon’ does not appear to have been acted or published. He published either in or after 1784 a tract entitled ‘The Practice of Liberal Piety Vindicated,’ which he wrote in defence of his friend Richard Valpy of Reading, when a sermon of Valpy's was attacked by certain Calvinists. At the time of his death he was engaged in correcting a religious novel which he seems to have called ‘Felicia.’ This book was edited and published by his daughter, Mrs. Sherwood, in 2 vols. 1824, under the title of ‘The Spanish Daughter;’ it is a dreary production.
[Mrs. Sherwood's Biographical Preface to the Spanish Daughter; Mrs. Sherwood's Autobiography; Life of Mrs. Cameron; some account of the Rev. G. Butt in Valpy's Poems spoken at Reading, 225–264; Nash's Worcestershire, i. 250, ii. 371; Welch's Alumni Westmon. 376, where the Spanish Daughter is incorrectly described as a play; Gent. Mag. 1795, vol. lxv. pt. ii. p. 969; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. ix. 736.]
BUTT, ISAAC (1813–1879), Irish politician, only son of the Rev. Robert Butt, rector of Stranorlar, county Donegal, by Berkeley, daughter of the Rev. R. Cox, of Dovish, county Donegal, was born at Glenfin, in Donegal, 6 Sept. 1813, and educated at the Royal School, Raphoe, entered Trinity College, Dublin, as a scholar in 1832, took his B.A. 1835, LL.B. 1836, M.A. and LL.D. 1840. During his collegiate course he published a translation of the ‘Georgics’ of Virgil, and other classical brochures, which showed a highly finished taste and scholarship. In 1833 he was one of the original founders of the ‘Dublin University Magazine,’ of which he was editor from August 1834 to 1838. He was for many years a contributor to its pages, chiefly of political articles and reviews; but he also wrote for it some tales under the general title of ‘Chapters of College Romance.’ In 1836 he was appointed to the chair of political economy, which was then founded by Archbishop Whately, and he continued in the chair until 1841. Having been called to the Irish bar November 1838, the high reputation which he had already won obtained for him a considerable share of practice. The old corporation of Dublin selected him as the junior barrister to plead their cause at the bar of the House of Lords 1840, and although he failed to induce that assembly to reject the Municipal Reform Bill, he added to his own prestige, and returning to Ireland was elected an alderman of the new corporation. He took an active part in the politics of the day, and was regarded as one of the ablest champions of the conservative cause. He entered the lists against O'Connell, opposed him in the corporation debates, and carried on a counter agitation to that of the Repeal Association in 1843.
He wrote for the conservative press on both sides of the Channel, and established in Dublin a weekly newspaper, called the ‘Protestant Guardian.’ This was afterwards amalgamated with the ‘Warder,’ with which he then became connected. The lord chancellor, Sir Edward Sugden, called him to the inner bar 2 Nov. 1844. Butt was retained as counsel in many great causes, and was one of those who defended Smith O'Brien and other prisoners in the state trials of 1848. On 8 May 1852 he entered parliament as member for Harwich; but he was not long in undisturbed possession of the seat, for in the same year there was a general election, and he then offered himself as a liberal-conservative for Youghal. This appears to have been his first divergence from the straight track of conservatism. He was opposed by the Hon. J. W. Fortescue, but was elected, and sat from July 1852 to July 1865, when he was defeated by Sir J. M'Kenna. Previously, on 17 Nov. 1859, he had been called to the English bar at the Inner Temple. About 1864 he returned to Ireland, and resumed practice in the Four Courts. The Fenian prisoners, beset by serious difficulties as to their defence, turned to him as one whose name alone was a tower of strength. For the greater part of four years, 1865–9, sacrificing to a considerable extent a splendid practice in more lucrative engagements, he busied himself in the prolonged and desperate effort of their defence. In 1869 he accepted the position of president of the Amnesty Association. Another opportunity of entering parliament now presented itself. He was chosen to represent the city of Limerick 20 Sept. 1871, and to take the leadership of the Home Rule party. He
