among the Machines," and another, "The World of the Unborn," as a
starting-point and helping himself with a few sentences from 'A First
Year in Canterbury Settlement', he gradually formed 'Erewhon'. He
sent the MS. bit by bit, as it was written, to Miss Savage for her
criticism and approval. He had the usual difficulty about finding a
publisher. Chapman and Hall refused the book on the advice of George
Meredith, who was then their reader, and in the end he published it
at his own expense through Messrs. Trubner.

Mr. Sydney C. Cockerell told me that in 1912 Mr. Bertram Dobell,
second-hand bookseller of Charing Cross Road, offered a copy of
'Erewhon' for 1 pound 10s.; it was thus described in his catalogue:
"Unique copy with the following note in the author's handwriting on
the half-title: 'To Miss E. M. A. Savage this first copy of
'Erewhon' with the author's best thanks for many invaluable
suggestions and corrections.'" When Mr. Cockerell inquired for the
book it was sold. After Miss Savage's death in 1885 all Butler's
letters to her were returned to him, including the letter he wrote
when he sent her this copy of 'Erewhon'. He gave her the first copy
issued of all his books that were published in her lifetime, and, no
doubt, wrote an inscription in each. If the present possessors of
any of them should happen to read this sketch I hope they will
communicate with me, as I should like to see these books. I should
also like to see some numbers of the 'Drawing-Room Gazette', which
about this time belonged to or was edited by a Mrs. Briggs. Miss
Savage wrote a review of 'Erewhon', which appeared in the number for
8th June, 1872, and Butler quoted a sentence from her review among
the press notices in the second edition. She persuaded him to write
for Mrs. Briggs notices of concerts at which Handel's music was
performed. In 1901 he made a note on one of his letters that he was