The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-20
THE
LITERARY
OUTLOOK.
eBy HERBERT BREwsTER)

4 u Is great work, one lilueeu.
which should add 10 the fame OF
the author. There are few men VINO
would not he proud Of such an achieve
neut. whether the conception Of the
play is due to Mr. Phillips. or whether
the idea was suggested 10 the poet by
Mr. Beerbohm Tree, who Is now pre-
seBting the piece in London. does not
in the least degree detraet from the
credit due to the one who has produced
such a mastery drama. There has re-
Gently been published. however, trag-
ment of playa single scene-Whlch,
together with some strange facts
/ brings up a question OF moral respon-
s.bility touching the ownership OF lit
erary ideas which Mr.. Tree should an
swer.
Early in June. 1900. Mr.. Richard Ar
| thur. a young English writer, met Mr..
Tree at the house OF Louis Parker, the
/ drsmatist. and at that time Mr. Ar
/ thur suggested a play based on the ad-
ventures of Ulysses. Mr.. Tree was
! much interested in the outline, and
asked Mr.. Arthur to submit the
1 scenario to him As soon as he could get
1 IL ready. Accordingly the young man
set TO work, and IN the course of few
d0ys-on June H. to be exact-he for
wardsd the thesis TO Mr.. Trees repre-
: -
/ Of the work was "Odyseeus and Pene-
I lope. and. as suggested by Mr. Tree.
! the play was TO be written in prose, al
/ though the author had originally
{ planned IT in blank verse.
/ During the course of the next few
months several letters passed between
] the principals In the case. and finally,
4 in January, 1901, Mr.. Hart wrote 20 Mr..
Arthur, advising him that Mr.. Tree vas
obliged to decide against the play I
( do not think ne Is at all IN love with
/ the subject. or that any version OF the
story would commend itself TO him.
was one of Mr.. Harris expressions.
Three days later Mr.. Hart wrate again,
saying that something had transp1red
which Mr.. Tree felt should be made
known
"0n Monday 1 wrote TO YOU Mr..
Hart's letter went on to explain, Civ
| ing YOU reasons for Mr.. Trees rejec-
ton of the synopsis OF your play around
the figure of Ulysses: on Tuesday even
ing a most distinguished poet and dra-
matist fOf course quite unconscious
that YOU or anybody else had ap-
preached the snbjecD arrived with a
! full scheme Of a play founded on the
Odyssey. which he disclosed TO me"
The distinguished poet and dra-
matist" was Stephen Phillips. For
months before he had been closely as
sOciated with Mr.. Tree. who was at that
time producing one Of his plays, He
rod" 1t is, of course quite possible
that Mr.. Tree never talked with Mr..
Stephen Phillips about a play TO fol-
low "HerOd." but it seems strange that
Mr.. Phillips should have worked out
the scheme Of just such a play as MI.
Tree had in mind. 1t is a strange CO
! incidence.
The scope OF. "Odysseus and Pene-
lOpe' as outlined by Mr.. Arthur TO MI
Tree, was as follows:
The dramatic incidents Of that part
Of the Odyssey OF Homer (handleG
freely and without undue respect TO the
text Of the poem, vet without doing il
whence either frorl the decision OF the
! Olvfnpjan gods 10 libeT8te OdysSeus
from the fiowery gives Of CALYPSO
down to his return to his home in tina
cs and the scattering of the weoers
who have been riotiRg in his halls an6
suing his wife. Penelope, to choose q
, husband from amongst them
The MSS. Of the scenario covered
p fourteen pages, and the action anC
course Of the play was thoroughly ex
planned. For six months this scenario
2 1 was in the hands OF Mr.. Tree. The day
! following its return to Mr.. Arthur, Mr.
4 ! Stephen Phillips appeared with the out
r I line Of play around the same charac
ter Mr.. Tree. 1t was explained to Mr.
Arthur was not in love with the sub
I jet and would not consider q plal
y based On these incidents. Mr.. Phillips
! plan was at once accepted.
, Ulysses" was NEitten and Mr.. Ire
: is now appearing in the play IN Lon
don.
e Twice unfortunate, for he had sim
- liar experience q year OF SO before, ME
Q Arthur prepared a part Of MS drama
but as he had no hope Of its accept
ance elsewhere in London. the worl
= was not completed A short time sg
2 the young man came to New York
= where. in spite Of bis former discour
4 aging experiences, he hopes 10 secur
4 a place for some OF his work on tn
stage. The fragment Of his drama, re
x Gently published. was written befor
r the scenario was submitted TO AIr. Trs
e and It shows something Of the quslit
Il Of his work. If the whole drama Ia
n been completed the fragment woul
have been the second seem Of the frs
act It represents the trials Of Uiysse
- and the attempts OF Calypso to secuT
: his love.
The following extracts are take
J. from a copy of an edition which wa
10 recently published privately
rs CALYPSO.
3 0 why Wit thou forever 81 ny c;hafe an
Of And bTIise thy brow against the roc
The desthless gods have set inviolsble
u And gall thy lie with sorrow and regre
e. / When. wouldst thou but fling wide Il
n And welcome In tie JOY that knocl
ct AZ Il.
Thy soul would lose these humors an
thy days
Flow sweet and lucid as a summer rill.
oDYssEUs.
10 To Join the ocean Of eternity.
To which all time is but a summer rill.
sy And unto tiule the petty life Of man
- Is but q bubble in the sumner nh.
And here my bubble fast evaporatesr
TO Suck'd lp in ardent heats and vaprous
signs.
Al Have but brief breath; and If We oreatl
en- AID work but half the purpose born
. Better we had not beeu-our life to b
We For when our dsstin'd course Of Gays
- However our feet have borne US ov
In study. stumbling. fleeing tardy Wis
Whether our eyes have sought one stea
W fast goal.
10 Or glanced aside or Inward all the wa
Whether we've stood erect On rugg
ere Or siipt and smirch'd ourselves in m
-, and mire.
y Whether we've lost OF won the envi
nrfTn