Members of the Bloomsbury group circulated their work in mss. prior to publication, and they often acted out parts or read them to each other. So Eliot might have known it well before it was actually published. Also, the date for Crome Yellow is more definite than the date for that part of TWL. Part I may have been later; the dates are based on paper, etc. According to Gordon there is no documentary proof that part I was finished in the first half of 1921, even though it is likely. She discusses the two texts in her appendix on the composition of TWL. Nancy Date sent: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 02:44:21 -0800 Send reply to: "T. S. Eliot Discussion forum." <[log in to unmask]> From: Peter Montgomery <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Madame Sosostris To: [log in to unmask] I find myself questioning the theory that Madame S. is based on a similarly named character in Huxley's Chrome Yellow. If the novel came out in 1921 but Eliot wrote "Burial of the Dead" in the first part of 1921, wouldn't Eliot's wrk have come first? Also, Rickard, your note on this in "Exploring" says nothing about "had a bad cold" as being slang for a case of gonorrhea. Thanks for any opinions/information. Cheers, Peter