Chapter I: Introduction

THERE is a substantial biography of George Borrow in two large volumes by the late Dr. Knapp, an American professor who gave many years of devotion to the subject. But I have had the singular advantage over Dr. Knapp in that all the private letters and personal papers left by Borrow to his step-daughter and heir, Henrietta MacOubrey, have come into my hands. These include Borrow’s letters to his wife and step-daughter, many of which will be found scattered through this biography. This book was first published under the title of _George Borrow and his Circle_, but I am grateful to a publisher for sending it forth once more in a form which makes it available to a larger public. Certain new letters from Borrow to his wife which have been found since the first appearance of this book have been added, together with other hitherto unprinted documents, making this issue of _The Life of George Borrow_ of much more value than its predecessor.

CLEMENT K. SHORTER.

_Dec._ 9_th_, 1919.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
INTRODUCTION 3
I. CAPTAIN BORROW OF THE WEST NORFOLK MILITIA 7
II. BORROW’S MOTHER 14
III. JOHN THOMAS BORROW 17
IV. A WANDERING CHILDHOOD 25
V. THE GURNEYS AND THE TAYLORS OF NORWICH 36
VI. AT THE NORWICH GRAMMAR SCHOOL 44
VII. IN A LAWYER’S OFFICE 50
VIII. AN OLD-TIME PUBLISHER 55
IX. “FAUSTUS” AND “ROMANTIC BALLADS” 60
X. “CELEBRATED TRIALS” AND JOHN THURTELL 67
XI. BORROW AND THE FANCY 74
XII. EIGHT YEARS OF VAGABONDAGE 78
XIII. SIR JOHN BOWRING 81
XIV. BORROW AND THE BIBLE SOCIETY 90
XV. ST. PETERSBURG AND JOHN P. HASFELD 97
XVI. THE MANCHU BIBLE—“TARGUM”—“THE TALISMAN” 102
XVII. THREE VISITS TO SPAIN 110
XVIII. BORROW’S SPANISH CIRCLE 130
XIX. MARY BORROW 140
XX. “THE CHILDREN OF THE OPEN AIR” 147
XXI. “THE BIBLE IN SPAIN” 153
XXII. RICHARD FORD 160
XXIII. IN EASTERN EUROPE 168
XXIV. “LAVENGRO” 183
XXV. A VISIT TO CORNISH KINSMEN 191
XXVI. IN THE ISLE OF MAN 195
XXVII. OULTON BROAD AND YARMOUTH 199
XXVIII. IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND 207
XXIX. “THE ROMANY RYE” 222
XXX. EDWARD FITZGERALD 227
XXXI. “WILD WALES” 235
XXXII. LIFE IN LONDON 244
XXXIII. FRIENDS OF LATER YEARS 250
XXXIV. HENRIETTA CLARKE 255
XXXV. THE AFTERMATH 268
INDEX 273