New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-13
GEORGE BORROW.
Il Glimpse of Him at OuIton Hall,

From The Sphere
George Borrow is, as 1 have said another of
my hobbies. and this coming to the OF
friend, recently led him to send quite budget
of unpublished material. What can be more in
teresting, for example, than the following letter
written by the late Professor Cowell who will
always be known the friend of F1tzGerald.
and the inspirer of his version of the 'Ru baiyat
of Omar Khayyam:
Cambridge, December 10 1892
Dear Sir: L fear cannot help you much by
my "reminiscences of Borrow. I never had the
slightest interest in the gypsies, but always
had a corner in my heart for Spain and Wales,
and consequently The Bible in Spain and
Wild Wales have always been favorite books.
But though Borrow's works were well known
saw Of him then made me feel that he was
of those men who put the best part of them
selves into their books. We get the pure gold
there without the admixture of alloy which
daily life seemed to impart
Il was staying one autumn at Lowestoft.
some ten years or more ago, when asked my
dear old friend Mr. Edward FITZGERALD. to give
me a letter of introduction to Mr.. George Bor-
row. Armed with this I started my pilgrim
age. and took a chaise for Oulton Hall. 1
member drew turned into a kind
Of drift road through the fields, where the long,
sweeping boughs Of the trees hung so low that
lost my hat more than once as we drove along.
My driver remarked that the old gentleman
would not allow any of his trees to be cut.
When we reached the hall went in at the gate
into the farmyard. but I could see nobody about
anywhere. 1 walked up to the front door, but
nobody answered my knock, except some dogs,
in answer to a very loud knock the door was
opened by old gentleman whom I at
recognized by the engraving to be Borrow him
self. I gave him my letter and introduced my
self He replied in tone Of humorous petu-
lance: What is the good Of your bringing me
letter when 1 haven't got my spectacles to read
itT However he took me into his room, where
I fancy my knock had reused him from a siesta.
We got into talk. He began by some
kind remarks about two of common
friends. but I turned the subject to books,
especially Spanish and Welsh books. Here I
own 1 was disappointed in his conversation. I
talked to him about Alb Gwilym, whom he
speaks so highly Of in Wild Wales but his in
terest languid. He did not seem interested
when 1 told him that the London Society Of
Cymmrodorion publishing in their journal
the Welsh poems of Iolo Goch, the bard of Owen
Glendower, who fought with our Henry v two
of whose poems Borrow had given spirited
translations Of in Wild Wales He told me he
had heaps Of translations from Welsh books
somewhere in his cupboards, but he did not
know where to lay his hand on them. He did
not show me Welsh Spanish book of any
kind. You may easily imagine that 1 dis
appointed with my interview, and never cared
to visit him again. Borrow was of real
genius, and his Bible in Spain and Wild Wales
are unique books in their way, but with all his
knowledge OF languages he was not a scholar. 1
should be the last person to depreciate his
Sleeping Bard for owe great deal to it,
1t helped to read the Welsh original; but it is
full Of careless mistakes. The very title is
wrong; II should not be the Visions of the
Sleeping Bard but the Visions of the Bard
Sleep as the bard or prophet Sleep shows the
author in a series OF dreams-his visions of life,
death and hell. which form the three chapters of
the book.
Borrow knew nothing Of philology. His
strange version Of ON mani padme hum ooh!
the gem in the lotus hold must have been taken
from some phonetic representation Of the sounds
as heard by an ignorant traveller In China or
Mongolia.
II have written this long letter lured by
my recollections, but after all I can tell you
nothing. Surely 1t is best that Borrow should
remain a name; we have the best part Of him
still living in his best books.
He gave the people OF his best;
His worst he kept, his best he gave.
I don't why should trouble ourselves
about his worst He had his weaker side like
all Of US the foolish part of his nature we'll
the wise; but de mortuis nil nSi bonum'
pecially applies in such cases. l remain, dear
sir, yours sincerely +. y. COWELL."