CHAPTER XXXIX

1900-PART II

THE ODYSSEY RENDERED INTO ENGLISH PROSE

1900 MR. FULLER MAITLAND had written a magazine article Act. 64 of which he sent the MS. to Butler for his advice as to how it could be improved, several editors having refused it; Butler recommended that it should be shortened.

Butler to J. A. Fuller Maitland.

29 March 1900-I know how I kick when Waddington makes me cut out bars, but reflection always convinces me that he is right, and I have altogether jettisoned 22 bars out of 88 in the song on which I am now engaged [for Ulysses]. I believe in nine cases out of ten the pruning-knife is the most effective remedy whether in writing or music.

All the rest of the article seemed to me charming-I mean the poor man's verses about England and 75 per cent of the proverbs are racy and quite (to borrow a phrase I have seen in musical criticisms in The Times) "acceptable." I believe a little cutting down is all that is wanted.

The reader should perhaps be reminded that Mr. Fuller Maitland was himself the musical critic for The Times, and that the Waddington who made Butler cut out bars was the Mr. Sydney Pearce Waddington who, since Rockstro's death, had been helping us with Ulysses (ante, p. 231).

On 30th January 1900 my mother died at Nice. By her will she left me sufficiently provided for, and thereupon Butler stopped the allowance he had been making to me. I proposed to repay him the amount I had

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