The times., 1899-05-14

1t is not surprising to learn that after
this tour he became alienated in some way
! from the Bible Society.
The next event in his career was his
marriage to a Mrs. Clarke, widow with
one daughter, whom he appears to have
loved sincerely If not deeply. In one of
his letters he calls her the best manager
in East Anglia. After this came practi
cally the beginning of his literary career,
and in 1912 'Lavengro" was born.
The rest of Borrow's life was considera-
bly, more peaceful, though no less inter
esting. He and his wife settled on the
latter's estate. at Oulton, near Norwich.
A pen picture of him as ne appeared at
this time is given by a friend, DR.. Hake:
George Borrow was enc Of those whose mental
powers strong and whose bodily frame is yet
stronger. His temper good and bad; his
pride was humility his humility was pride; his
vanity. in being negative, OF the most posi-
| tive kind. He retieont and candid, measured
in speech, with emphasis that made trifes
significant
Borrow was essentially hypochondrical. Society
he loved and hated alike. He loved il that he
might be pointed out and talked Of; he hated it
because he not the prince that he felt him
sell in its midst. His figure was tall and his
bearing very noble. lie had a finely-mouded
head, and thick, white hair-white itom his youth;
his brown eyes soft, yet piercing; his nose
somewhat of the Semitic type which gave his
face the cast Of the young Memnon His mouth
had generous curve. and his features, for beauty
and true power, were such as can have no parallel
in our portrait gallery.
One of the most strongly marked charac-
-teristics of Borrow was his tendency to
fits Of melancholy, SO intense and over
powering as 10 amount to disease. Ref
erences to these are frequent in his cor
respondence.
In 1854 Borrow went a-hunting adventure
Though Cornwall, and assmilated various
odd traditions and old songs. as well as
fragments of the original Cornish language.
Rev. MIR. Berkeley. one of his Intimate
friends, gives some interesting reminis-
cences of him at this time. For example:
He was, when in the vein, q delightful talker.
II viii give some iuea Of the effect OF his ap-
| pearance, il | recount circumstance which oc-
Cured on his first visit at the vicarage. My eld-
| est son, then between 10 and II years OF age,
having been introduced, stood with eyes fixed on
| him for some moments and then without speak
ing left the apartment He passed into the room
where his mother was engaged with some ladies',
and cried out: well, mother, that is a -
! He could find no other words to express his ad-
miration. The child's enthusiasm evidently de-
/ lighted Borrow, who, from all / saw OF him, i
should judge TO have been sngularly alive TO, and
grateful for, tokens of affection.
We soon came to delight in his society. He
often dropped in OF an evening, when he would.
after tea. sit in the centre OF group before the
fire, with his hands on his knees his favorite
position-pouEing forth tales Of the he had
witnessed in his wanderings- sometimes among
I the gypsies Of Spain, sometimes among those OF
1 England. Then he would suddenly spring from
his seat, and walk to and fro the room in silence
anon he would clap his hands and sing a gypse
song. or perchance would chant forth translation
! of some Viking poem; after which he would sit
/ down again and chat about his father whose
memory he reyered he did his mothers and
finally he would recount some tale of suffering or
sorrow with deep pathos-his voice being capable
: Ot iOy he
saGness.
| In ''Lavengro' q think it is) he tells of an at
4 tempt made by a gypsy crone to poison him.
/ The effect OF that poison followed him through
! life producing attacks of the deepest depression,
so that he would sit silent and melancholy for
hours, refusing food and not answering if spoken
| TO. once saw him in one of these attacks. My
wife and j walked TO Penquite evening.
| When we went in we found him sitting in the
kitchen before huge fire, shivering If with
the ague. and looking hopelssly sad. We spoke
10 him, but he scarcely seemed TO be conscious of
/ what we said We remained for tea; and after
ward my wife sat down at the piano, thinking
! that music might produce effect. She played
! for some time, chiefly ballnd music; then some
old Irish and Scotch airs. After awhile we could
see that he began TO listen. His head was raised.
/ No spoke. At length he suddenly sprang TO
his feet, clapped his hands several times, danced
I about the room, and struck up some joyous mel
| ody. From that moment he was another man.
Tales and sidesplitting anecdotes followed fast
one upon the other. He told afterwards that
he was subject 10 those attacks ever since he
was nearly killed by the old gypsy's poison.
| A great part of the second volume of Mr..
| knapps work is made up of notes and
stories, hitherto unpublished, found among
the Borrow manuscript. One fragment
from a Manx notebook illustrates the re-
markable power which this man had of
getting at the hearts of diverse races and
| nations. The three great subjects about
which he knew most, we are told, were
| Danish and Welsh poetry and the Gypsy
| people, but he seems 10 have known little
| Tor great deal) of the language and Gus
| toms of all men. The Manx episode is as
J follows:
had a good deal Of conversation with the
woman in the onchan churchyard. asked her
| if she knew any Manx songs. 81 know some
| 'tAny old Manx songs?' NO" said she. "What
not one?'' NO" mot 'Molle Charaneg -
said l. c-''ob, yes" said she, with Kind Of
| start, II know that Then said !, why did
songf' "oh, sir" said she, 81 should never have
thought Of mentioning -Mollie Charane.'" do
you know anything elsei" said /. "No, sir, moth
ing at all-no, sir, nothing "What!' said /,
"oh, yes" said she, II know that, of course. -
| 'How, of courseY' said /. "Yon just said that
you knew nothing besides 'Mollie Charane, moth
! ing, nothing" "0h," said she, that is such q
(
! tioning such simple song as that TO a gentle
man like you than should think Of doing what
was very wrong 'Why?' said I, what harm
is there in the song? Any cursinsl Anything
about adultery mo, sir; but the truth is
that the Methodists set their faces against songs
| of that kind Are you n Methodist" said l.
NO sir; ! wish / were a good Methodist -
"And why not good churchwoman?" said l.
! Il should be glad TO be either said she
/ "Well' said ], "you may be good Methodist
at any rate a good churchwOman, and yet know
| 'Mollie Charane and The Sheep Beneath the
Snow and sing them, too. Do you know any
! lillian Dhoo?' " "oh. yes" said she. II know
that. All. that is song indeed. Whenever il
comes TO my mind my eyes fill with tears. All
that's a song. indeed About him who was shot
at Hangoe, the old chapel at Castletown. Ant
! yet they say there is something wrong about tha
| song; great folks don't like us to sing il, o
have it hung up in print on our cottage walls
! There IS nothing wrong in it, said !; cit onl!
breathes hatred against butchcry and tyranny
Do you know any other songs?" mo, sir" ''
believe" said /. "if | were 10 name dozer
| other M5nN songs you would know them all; bu
know no more" mo, sir: really know n,
songs. You seem fond of Manx things. sir.
81 am. very" said ]. you put me in mind,
said she, ''of English captain Of a merchan
vessel with whom son OF mine sailed-for
have three sons He would have my son teacl
him Manx and was always asking the names O
things, and my son taught him the o
everything except one, the name Of which h
had forgotten. II was the ManN word for tn
mast Of a ship, which very few people know.
didn't know it myself Till my sol
told il TO me, who is much stronge
in Manx than myself, who was bori
at CastletowR. At length my remem
bered the word and taught it to the captain
who was very glad. indeed. The word in Man
was-dear me- have forgotten it myself, for tn
word-do you see, is an old Manx or Iris
word II is-let me see!'' % Cram lung sal
l. Mercy upon us!' said the woman, that
Ill ,ir ilnat, .oft IL