In her edition of Mary Gladstone's "Diaries and Letters", Lucy Masterman would suggest that it was under her father's influence that Mary read Butler's "Analogy".
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Gladstone Print: Book
Elizabeth Sewell's brother William, seeing her reading Butler's "Analogy", exclaimed 'You can't understand that', which made her reticent for years about the comfort and strength this book had given her during adolescent depression.
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Sewell Print: Book
"At home, after leaving school in 1857 ... [Louisa Martindale's] reading was, at first, chiefly the Bible. On 16 September she started to take Fraser's Magazine, and her diary becomes full of references to this, and to articles in the Times on subjects as diverse as Fortification and The War in New Zealand. She read, and was charmed by, Symington on architecture, sculpture, and painting ... Further books which she read included Froude's History of England ... The Bible and Modern Thought, Butler's Analogy, Memorials of Fox, Bancroft's American Revolution, Rollin's Ancient History, Waddington's Church History, the Works of Paley, Locke on the Human Understanding, and Mrs Jameson's Characteristics of Women."
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Louisa Martindale Print: Book
[Letter from Lord Byron to Annabella Milbanke, Feb 15 1814]. 'In my letter of ye 12th in answer to your last I omitted to say that I have not for several years looked into the tract of Locke's which you mention - but I have redde it formerly, though I fear to little purpose since it is forgotten. - & have always understod that and Butler's Analogy to be the best treatises of the kind... Of the Scriptures themselves I have ever been a reader and admirer as compositions, particularly the Arab-Job - and parts of Isaiah - and the Song of Deborah'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon, Lord Byron Print: Book
'I will not tell you my exact state of health day by day, but will give you a diary of my reading, which is perhaps a good index of my physical state.
Friday morning. Full of buck. "Tartarin sur les Alpes".
Friday afternoon. Wanted soothing. "Letters from a Silent Study".
Saturday morning. Very depressed. "Pickwick Papers".
Saturday afternoon. A little better. "Esmond".
Sunday morning. Quite well thank you! "Butler's Analogy".
Sunday afternoon. Quite well thank you! "Esmond and Stonewall Jackson".
As a guide I may point out that "Pickwick" cheers me up when I am most depressed, while "Butler's Analogy" taxes all my strength.'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Donald William Alers Hankey Print: Book
[Marginalia]
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Taylor Coleridge Print: Book
Letter from Whewell to Rose, dated 24/6/1818, discusses Butler's argument.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: William Whewell Print: Book
'[By c. late 1830s] My mind had [...] become much quietened and strengthened by the reading of Butler's "Analogy", which I had always heard mentioned with admiration,and which I stumbled upon, as it seemed accidentally (though doubtless it was a Providential help sent me) [...] I took it up first for curiosity, and read it through nearly, but not quite to the end; feeling very much afraid all the time that some one would inquire into my studies, and being greatly humiliated by an observation made by William [reader's brother, a clergyman], who one day found me with it in my hand. His surprised tone, as he exclaimed,
"You can't understand that," made me shrink into my shell of reserve, and for years I never owned to anyone that Butler's "Analogy" had been to me, as it has been to hundreds, the stay of a troubled intellect and a weak faith.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Sewell Print: Book
'My mind also had become much quieted and strengthened by the reading of Butler's "Analogy", which I had always heard mentioned with admiration, and which I stumbled upon, as it seemed accidentally (though doubtless it was a Providential help sent me), while we were spending a few days at the Hermitage. I took it up first for curiosity, and read it through nearly, but not quite to the end; feeling very much afraid all the time that some one would inquire into my studies, and being greatly humiliated by an observation made by William, who one day found me with it in my hand. His surprised tone as he exclaimed, "You can't understand that", made me shrink into my shell of reserve, and for years I never owned to anyone that Butler's "Analogy" had been to me, as it has been to hundreds, the stay of a troubled intellect and a weak faith'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Missing Sewell Print: Book
'[Rev Charles Burney's] Abridgement of Pearson's Exposition of the Creed, is printed, though not yet published. He gave to my father & me each a Copy. His Motto, I think a most happy one, taken from some work of the great Bentley's - "The most excellent Bishop Pearson - the very dust of whose writings is gold". - I have read above half the volume; it is all fudge to call it a book for the use of [underlined] young persons [end underlining] - Unless they are such Young Persons as Moll, who reads Lock on Human Understanding in two days, & says it is easy, & fancies she understands it - And the same farce she played regarding Butler's Analogy, the toughest book (allowed by learned men) in the English language, which she spoke of with the familiar partiality I would speak of Tom Hickerthrift, & bamboozled me into trying to read - and, Good Lord! when I had pored over a dozen pages & shook my ears, and asked myself - "Well, Sal, how dost like it? Dost understand one word?" "O, yes; all the [underlined] words [end underlining], but not one of their meanings when put together." "Why, then, Sal; put the book away; and say nothing about it; but say thy prayers in peace, & leave the reasons [underlined] why [end underlining] thou art impelled to say them, and all the [underlined] fatras [end underlining] of analyzation, to those who have more logical brains, or more leisure to read what they do not comprehend". But, however, a great part of Dr Charles's abridgement, I flatter myself I [underlined] do [end underlining] understand; and what is too deep for me, Moll may explain. He has retained a heap of hard words, which send me to Dr Johnson's dictionary continually - Some of them, are expressive, & worth reviving, others, we have happier substitutes for, and it was ungraceful to admit them, and shewed a false and pedantic taste'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Sarah Harriet Burney Print: Book
'[Rev Charles Burney's] Abridgement of Pearson's Exposition of the Creed, is printed, though not yet published. He gave to my father & me each a Copy. His Motto, I think a most happy one, taken from some work of the great Bentley's - "The most excellent Bishop Pearson - the very dust of whose writings is gold". - I have read above half the volume; it is all fudge to call it a book for the use of [underlined] young persons [end underlining] - Unless they are such Young Persons as Moll, who reads Lock on Human Understanding in two days, & says it is easy, & fancies she understands it - And the same farce she played regarding Butler's Analogy, the toughest book (allowed by learned men) in the English language, which she spoke of with the familiar partiality I would speak of Tom Hickerthrift, & bamboozled me into trying to read - and, Good Lord! when I had pored over a dozen pages & shook my ears, and asked myself - "Well, Sal, how dost like it? Dost understand one word?" "O, yes; all the [underlined] words [end underlining], but not one of their meanings when put together." "Why, then, Sal; put the book away; and say nothing about it; but say thy prayers in peace, & leave the reasons [underlined] why [end underlining] thou art impelled to say them, and all the [underlined] fatras [end underlining] of analyzation, to those who have more logical brains, or more leisure to read what they do not comprehend". But, however, a great part of Dr Charles's abridgement, I flatter myself I [underlined] do [end underlining] understand; and what is too deep for me, Moll may explain. He has retained a heap of hard words, which send me to Dr Johnson's dictionary continually - Some of them, are expressive, & worth reviving, others, we have happier substitutes for, and it was ungraceful to admit them, and shewed a false and pedantic taste'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Marianne Francis Print: Book
'I also sent for Bishop Watson's Apology for the Bible, in Letters to T. Paine; Bishop Porteus's Compendium of the Evidences of Christianity, Butler's Divine Analogy, Paley's Evidences of Christianity, Pilgrim's Good Intent, Pascal's Thoughts, Addison's Evidences of Christianity, Conibeare on Revealed Religion, Madam de Genlis's Religion the only Basis of Happiness and sound Philosophy, with Observations on pretended modern Philosophers, 2 vols. Jenkin's Reasonableness and Certainty of Christianity, and several others of the same tendency. Those excellent defences of revealed religion I read through, during which I had many struggles . . . '
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: James Lackington Print: Book
'I am now reading Butler's Analogy'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Gurney Print: Book
'Rained all day without stopping. Read Butler's Crusade. May bought winter dress at Selfridge's £1.0.5. payed her with cheque..'
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Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Harriet Bickersteth Cook Print: Book
'Dense fog. Could hardly see ... May had to go to bed till night. I read Memoir of J. E. Butler.'
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Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Harriet Bickersteth Cook Print: Book
