What a world of adventure do the mere9 names of these places call up. Borrow entered the Peninsula at an exciting period of its history. Traces of the great war in which Napoleon’s legions faced those of Wellington still abounded10. Here and there a bridge had disappeared, and some of Borrow’s strange experiences on ferry-boats were indirectly11 due to the results of Napoleon’s ambition. Everywhere there was still war in the land. Portugal indeed had just passed through a revolution. The partisans12 of the infant Queen Maria II. had been fighting with her uncle Dom Miguel for eight years, and it was only a few short months before Borrow landed at Lisbon that Maria had become undisputed queen. Spain, to which Borrow speedily betook himself, was even in a worse state. She was in the throes of a six years’ war. Queen Isabel II., a child of three, reigned13 over a chaotic14 country with her mother Dona Christina as regent; her uncle Don Carlos was a formidable claimant to the throne and had the support of the absolutist and clerical parties. Borrow’s political sympathies were always in the direction of absolutism; but in religion, although a staunch Church of England man, he was certainly an anti-clerical one in Roman Catholic Spain. In any case he steered15 judiciously16 enough between contending factions17, describing the fanatics18 of either side with vigour20 and sometimes with humour. Mr. Brandram’s injunction to Borrow “to be on his guard against becoming too much committed to one particular party” seems to have been unnecessary.
Borrow’s three expeditions to Spain have more to be said for them than had his journey to St. Petersburg. The p. 112work of the Bible Society was and is at its highest point of human service when distributing either the Old or the New Testament21 in Christian22 countries, Spain, England, or another. Few there be to-day in any country who, in the interests of civilisation23, would deny to the Bible a wider distribution. In a remote village of Spain a Bible Society’s colporteur, carrying a coloured banner, sold me a copy of Cipriano de Valera’s New Testament for a peseta. But in the minds of the worthy24 people who ran the Bible Society eighty years ago it was not so much that humanity was to be bettered as that Roman Catholicism was to be worsened. Every New Testament sold in Spain was in the eyes of the English fanatic19 who subscribed25 his silver a blow to the Church of that land. Otherwise and as to the humanising influence of the propaganda it may be said that the villages of Spain that Borrow visited could even at that time compare favourably27, morally and educationally, with villages of his own county of Norfolk at the same period. The morals of the agricultural labourers of the English fen28 country eighty years ago were a scandal, and the peasantry read nothing; more than half of them could not read. They had not, moreover, the humanising passion for song and dance that Andalusia knew. But this is not to deny that the Bible Society under Borrow’s instrumentality did a good work in Spain, nor that they did it on the whole in a broad and generous way. Borrow admits that there was a section of the Roman Catholic clergy29 “favourably disposed towards the circulation of the Gospel,” and the Society actually fixed30 upon a Roman Catholic version of the Spanish Bible, that by Scio de San Miguel, although this version Borrow considered a bad translation. Much has been said about the aim of the Bible Society to provide the Bible without notes or comment—in its way a most meritorious31 aim, although then as now opposed to the instinct of a large number of the priests of the Roman Church. It is true that their attitude does not in any way possess the sanction of the ecclesiastical authorities. It may be urged, indeed, that the interpretation32 of the Bible by a priest, usually of mature judgment33, and frequently of a higher education than the people with whom he is associated, is at least as trustworthy as its interpretation at the hands of very partially34 educated young women and exceedingly inadequately35 equipped young p. 113men who to-day provide interpretation and comment in so many of the Sunday Schools of Protestant countries.
Behold36 George Borrow, then, first in Portugal and a little later in Spain, upon his great mission—avowedly at first a tentative mission—rather to see what were the prospects37 for Bible distribution than to distribute Bibles. But Borrow’s zeal38 knew no such limitations. Before very long he had a shop in one of the principal streets of Madrid—the Calle del Principe—much more in the heart of things than the very prosperous Bible Society of our day ventures upon. [113] Meanwhile he is at present in Portugal not very certain of his movements, and he writes to his old friend Dr. Bowring the following letter with a request with which Bowring complied, although in the coldest manner:
To Dr. John Bowring
Evora in the Alemtejo, 27 Decr., 1835.
Dear Sir,—Pray excuse me for troubling you with these lines. I write to you, as usual, for assistance in my projects, convinced that you will withhold39 none which it may be in your power to afford, more especially when by so doing you will perhaps be promoting the happiness of our fellow creatures. I returned from dear, glorious Russia about three months since, after having edited there the Manchu New Testament in eight volumes. I am now in Portugal, for the Society still do me the honour of employing me. For the last six weeks I have been wandering amongst the wilds of the Alemtejo and have introduced myself to its rustics40, banditti, etc., and become very popular amongst them, but as it is much more easy to introduce oneself to the cottage than the hall (though I am not entirely41 unknown in the latter), I want you to give or procure42 me letters to the most liberal and influential43 minds of Portugal. I likewise want a letter from the Foreign Office to Lord De Walden, in a word, I want to make what interest I can towards obtaining the admission of the Gospel of Jesus into the public schools of Portugal which are about to be p. 114established. I beg leave to state that this is my plan, and not other persons’, as I was merely sent over to Portugal to observe the disposition44 of the people, therefore I do not wish to be named as an Agent of the B.S., but as a person who has plans for the mental improvement of the Portuguese45; should I receive these letters within the space of six weeks it will be time enough, for before setting up my machine in Portugal I wish to lay the foundation of something similar in Spain. When you send the Portuguese letters direct thus:
Mr. George Borrow,
to the care of Mr. Wilby,
Rua Dos Restauradores, Lisbon.
I start for Spain to-morrow, and I want letters something similar (there is impudence46 for you) for Madrid, which I should like to have as soon as possible. I do not much care at present for an introduction to the Ambassador at Madrid, as I shall not commence operations seriously in Spain until I have disposed of Portugal. I will not apologise for writing to you in this manner, for you know me, but I will tell you one thing, which is that the letter which you procured47 for me, on my going to St. Petersburg, from Lord Palmerston, assisted me wonderfully. I called twice at your domicile on my return; the first time you were in Scotland, the second in France, and I assure you I cried with vexation. Remember me to Mrs. Bowring and God bless you.
G. Borrow.
P.S.—I am told that Mendizábal is liberal, and has been in England; perhaps he would assist me.
During this eleven months’ stay in the Peninsula Borrow made his way to Madrid, and here he interviewed the British Minister, Sir George Villiers, afterwards fourth Earl of Clarendon, and had received a quite remarkable49 encouragement from him for the publication and distribution of the Bible. He also interviewed the Spanish Prime Minister, Mendizábal, “whom it is as difficult to get nigh as it is to approach the North Pole,” and he has given us a picturesque50 account of the interview in The Bible in Spain. It was agreed that 5,000 copies of the Spanish Testament were to be reprinted from Scio’s text at the expense of the Bible Society, and all these Borrow was to handle as he thought fit. Then Borrow made his way to Granada, where, under date 30th August, 1836, his autograph may be read in the visitors’ book of the Alhambra:
George Borrow Norvicensis.
p. 115Here he studied his friends the gypsies, now and probably then, as we may assume from his Zincali, the sordid51 scum on the hillside of that great city, but now more assuredly than then unutterably demoralised by the numerous but curious tourists who visit this rabble52 under police protection, the very policeman or gendarme53 not despising a peseta for his protective services. But Borrow’s hobbies included the Romanies of every land, and a year later he produced and published a gypsy version of the Gospel of St. Luke. In October, 1836, Borrow was back in England. He found that the Bible Society approved of him. In November of the same year he left London for Cadiz on his second visit to Spain. The journey is described in The Bible in Spain; but here, from my Borrow Papers, is a kind letter that Mr. Brandram wrote to Borrow’s mother on the occasion:
No. 10 East Street, Jany. 11, 1837.
My dear Madam,—I have the joyful54 news to send you that your son has again safely arrived at Madrid. His journey we were aware was exceedingly perilous55, more perilous than we should have allowed him to take had we sooner known the extent of the danger. He begs me to write, intending to write to you himself without delay. He has suffered from the intense cold, but nothing beyond inconvenience. Accept my congratulations, and my best wishes that your dear son may be preserved to be your comfort in declining years—and may the God of all consolation56 himself deign57 to comfort your heart by the truths of that holy volume your son is endeavouring, in connection with our Society, to spread abroad.—Believe me, dear Madam, yours faithfully,
A. Brandram.
Mrs. Borrow, Norwich.
A brilliant letter from Seville followed soon after, and then he went on to Madrid, not without many adventures. “The cold nearly killed me,” he said. “I swallowed nearly two bottles of brandy; it affected58 me no more than warm water.” This to kindly59 Mr. Brandram, who clearly had no teetotaler proclivities60, for the letter, as he said, “filled his heart with joy and gladness.” Meanwhile those five thousand copies of the New Testament were a-printing, Borrow superintending the work with the assistance of a new friend, Dr. Usoz. “As soon as the book is printed and issued,” he tells Mr. Brandram, “I will ride forth61 from Madrid into the wildest parts of Spain, . . .” and so, after some correspondence p. 116with the Society which is quite entertaining, he did. The reader of The Bible in Spain will note some seventy separate towns and villages that Borrow visited, not without countless62 remarkable adventures on the way. “I felt some desire,” he says in The Romany Rye, “to meet with one of those adventures which upon the roads of England are generally as plentiful63 as blackberries in autumn.” Assuredly in this tour of Spanish villages Borrow met with no lack of adventures. The committee of the Bible Society authorised this tour in March, 1837, and in May Borrow started off on horseback attended by his faithful servant, Antonio. This tour was to last five months, and “if I am spared,” he writes to his friend Hasfeld, “and have not fallen a prey64 to sickness, Carlists, banditti, or wild beasts, I shall return to Madrid.” He hopes a little later, he tells Hasfeld, to be sent to China. We have then a glimpse of his servant, the excellent Antonio, which supplements that contained in The Bible in Spain. “He is inordinately65 given to drink, and is of so quarrelsome a disposition that he is almost constantly involved in some broil66.” Not all his weird67 experiences were conveyed in his letters to the Bible Society’s secretary. Some of these letters, however—the more highly coloured ones—were used in The Bible in Spain, word for word, and wonderful reading they must have made for the secretary, who indeed asked for more, although, with a view to keeping Borrow humble68—an impossible task—Mr. Brandram takes occasion to say “Mr. Graydon’s letters, as well as yours, are deeply interesting,” Graydon being a hated rival, as we shall see. The question of money was also not overlooked by the assiduous secretary. “I know you are no accountant,” he writes, “but do not forget there are some who are,” and a financial document was forwarded to Borrow about this time as a stimulus69 and a warning.
But Borrow was happy, for next to the adventures of five glorious months in the villages between Madrid and Coruña nothing could be more to his taste than a good, wholesome70 quarrel. He was imprisoned71 by order of the Spanish Government and released on the intervention72 of the British Embassy. He tells the story so graphically73 in The Bible in Spain that it is superfluous74 to repeat it; but here he does not tell of the great quarrel with regard p. 117to Lieutenant75 Graydon that led him to attack that worthy zealot in a letter to the Bible Society. This attack did indeed cause the Society to recall Graydon, whose zealous77 proclamation of anti-Romanism must, however, have been more to the taste of some of its subscribers than Borrow’s “trimming” methods. Moreover, Graydon worked for love of the cause and required no salary, which must always have been in his favour. Borrow was ten days in a Madrid prison, and there, as ever, he had extraordinary adventures if we may believe his own narrative78, but they are much too good to be torn from their context. Suffice to say here that in the actual correspondence we find breezy controversy79 between Borrow and the Society. Borrow thought that the secretary had called in question the accuracy of his statements as to this or that particular in his conduct. Ever a fighter, he appealed to the British Embassy for confirmation80 of his word, and finally Mr. Brandram suggested he should come back to England for a time and talk matters over with the members of the committee. An interesting letter to his future wife belongs to this period:
To Mrs. Clarke
Toledo, Decr. 5, 1837.
My dear Madam,—I received your letter the day previous to my leaving Madrid for this place, whither I arrived in safety on the 2nd inst. I have availed myself of the very first opportunity of answering it which has presented itself. Permit me in the first place to sympathise sincerely in the loss which you have, it appears, lately sustained in your excellent brother, more especially as he was my own good kind friend. I little deemed when I parted from him only one short year since, at Oulton, that I was doomed81 never to press his honest hand again; but why should we grieve? He was a devout82 and humble Christian, and we have no reason to doubt that he has been admitted to the joys of his Lord; he was also zealous in his way, and although he had but two talents entrusted83 to him, he turned them to the best account and doubled them; perhaps he now rules over as many heavenly cities; therefore why, why should we grieve? Indeed it is possible that if we knew all, we should deem that we had high and cogent84 reason to rejoice that the Lord has snatched him from earth and earthly ties at this particular season. His principles were very excellent, but an evil and undue85 influence, continually exerted over him, might have gradually corrupted86 his heart, until it became alienated87 from loyalty88 and true religion, which are indeed inseparable; p. 118for the latter he might have substituted the vulgar savage89 bigotry90 of what is called “Dissent,” for the former “Radicalism,” that upas tree of the British Isles91 whose root is in the infernal pit.
You have stated to me how unpleasantly you are situated92, and certain heavy trials which you have lately been subjected to. You have, moreover, done me the honour to ask my advice upon these points. I give it without hesitation93 and in a very few words. Maintain unflinchingly your right, your whole right, without yielding one particle, without abandoning one position, as the slightest manifestation94 of weakness and hesitation will be instantly taken advantage of by your adversaries95, and be fraught96 with danger to yourself. Permit me here to state that it was in anticipation97 of something allied98 to the evil spirit which has lately been displayed towards you, I advised you on my last visit never to be persuaded to resign the house which you now occupy; it is one of the strongest of your entrenchments—abandon it and the foot of the enemy is in your camp, and with the help of law and chicanery99 you might be reduced to extremity100. A line of the poet Spencer is strongly applicable to your situation:
“Be firm, be firm, and everywhere be firm.”
I would likewise strongly advise that with the least possible delay you call in the entire amount of whatever claim you possess on the landed property lately your brother’s, else I foresee that you will be involved in an endless series of dispute and litigation, which by one single act of resolution you may avoid. Remember that no forbearance on your part will be properly appreciated, and that every kindly feeling and desire of conciliation101 which you may display, will be set down to fear, and the consciousness of standing102 on weak ground. I am old in the knowledge of the world and those who dwell upon it, and would rather trust myself to the loving mercies of the hungry wolves of the Spanish mountains, than to the generosity103 and sense of justice of the Radicals104 of England. However determined105 you may show yourself, no reasonable person can cast any blame upon you, for from the contents of your letter, it appears, that your enemies have kept no terms with you, and entirely unprovoked, have done all in their power to outrage106 and harrow your feelings. Enough on this point.
Toledo was formerly107 the capital of Spain. Its population at present barely amounts to fifteen thousand souls, though in the time of the Romans and also during the Middle Ages, its population is said to have amounted to between two and three hundred thousand souls, which at present however does not amount to fifteen thousand. It is situated about twelve leagues (40 miles) to the westward108 of Madrid, and is built upon a steep rocky hill, round which flows the Tagus on all sides but the North. It still possesses a great many remarkable edifices109, notwithstanding that it has long since fallen into decay. Its Cathedral is the most magnificent of Spain, and is the See of p. 119the Primate111. In the tower of this Cathedral is the famous bell of Toledo, the largest in the world, with the exception of the monster-bell of Moscow, which I have also seen. It weighs 1543 arrobes, or 37-032 pounds. It has, however, a disagreeable sound, owing to a large cleft112 in its side. Toledo could once boast the finest pictures in Spain, but many were stolen or destroyed [by the] French during the Peninsular War, and still more have lately been removed by order of the Government. Perhaps the most remarkable still remains113. I allude114 to that which represents the burial of the Count of Orgaz, the masterpiece of Domenico the Greek, a most extraordinary genius some of whose productions possess merit of a very high order; the picture in question is in the little parish church of San Tomé, at the bottom of the aisle115, at the left hand of the altar. Could it be purchased, I should say it would be cheap at £5,000. You will easily guess that I did not visit Toledo for the sake of seeing its curiosities, but rather in the hope of propagating the Word. I have this day caused three hundred advertisements to be affixed116 to the walls, informing the people where it is to be had. I have humble hope in the Lord that he will bless my labours, notwithstanding that Toledo abounds117 with priests, friars, and other minions118 of cruel Rome. Should you see my dear Mrs. Ritson, pray remember me kindly to her and assure her that I often think of her, and the same you may say to Miss Henrietta. I hope my dear Mother is well. God bless you at all times and seasons.
G. B.
P.S.—My Gipsy Translation of Luke is ready for the press, and I shall commence printing it as soon as I return to Madrid. I hope that in the event of any of these singular people visiting your neighbourhood you will seek them out, and speak to them of Christ, and tell them what is being done for their brethren in a far foreign land. A Gipsy woman and her child have paid me several visits since my arrival here; her husband is in the prison for mule-stealing, and next week departs for ten years slavery in the galleys119. She is in great trouble and affliction, and says that I am the only friend she has ever met with in Spain. She goes about telling fortunes, in order to support her husband in prison, notwithstanding that he had previously120 abandoned her, and departed for Granada with another Gypsy woman of the name of Aurora121, who persuaded him to commit the robbery, for which he is now suffering. If this is not conjugal122 affection, what is?
Mrs. Clarke,
Oulton Cottage,
Lowestoft,
Suffolk,
England.
In the beginning of September, 1838, Borrow was again p. 120in England, when he issued a lengthy123 and eloquent124 defence of his conduct and a report on “Past and Future Operations in Spain.” In December of the same year Borrow was again on his way to Cadiz upon his third and last visit to Spain.
Borrow reached Cadiz on this his last visit on 31st December, 1838, and went straight to Seville, where he arrived on 2nd January, 1839. Here he took a beautiful little house, “a paradise in its way,” in the Plazuela de la Pila Seca, and furnished it—clearly at the expense of his friend Mrs. Clarke of Oulton, who must have sent him a cheque for the purpose. He had been corresponding regularly with Mrs. Clarke, who had told him of her difficulties with lawyers and relatives, and Borrow had advised her to cut the Gordian knot and come to Spain. But Mrs. Clarke and her daughter, Henrietta, did not arrive from England until June.
In the intervening months Borrow had been working more in his own interests than in those of the patient Bible Society, for he started to gather material for his Gypsies in Spain, and this book was for the most part actually written in Seville. It was at this period that he had the many interviews with Colonel Elers Napier that we quote at length in our next chapter.
A little later he is telling Mr. Brandram of his adventure with the blind girl of Manzanares who could talk in the Latin tongue, which she had been taught by a Jesuit priest, an episode which he retold in The Bible in Spain. “When shall we hear,” he asks, “of an English rector instructing a beggar girl in the language of Cicero?” To which Mr. Brandram, who was rector of Beckenham, replied “Cui bono?” The letters of this period are the best that he ever wrote, and are incorporated more exactly than the earlier ones in The Bible in Spain.
Four letters to his mother within the period of his second and third visits may well be presented together here from my Borrow Papers:
To Mrs. Ann Borrow
Madrid, July 27, 1838.
My dear Mother,—I am in perfect health though just returned from a long expedition in which I have been terribly p. 121burnt by the sun. In about ten days I sold nearly a thousand Testaments125 among the labourers of the plains and mountains of Castille and La Mancha. Everybody in Madrid is wondering and saying such a thing is a miracle, as I have not entered a town, and the country people are very poor and have never seen or heard of the Testament before. But I confess to you that I dislike my situation and begin to think that I have been deceived; the B.S. have had another person on the sea-coast who has nearly ruined their cause in Spain by circulating seditious handbills and tracts126. The consequence has been that many of my depots128 have been seized in which I kept my Bibles in various parts of the country, for the government think that he is employed by me; I told the B.S. all along what would be the consequence of employing this man, but they took huff and would scarce believe me, and now all my words are come true; I do not blame the government in the slightest degree for what they have done in many points, they have shown themselves to be my good friends, but they have been driven to the step by the insane conduct of the person alluded129 to. I told them frankly130 in my last letter that I would leave their service if they encouraged him; for I will not be put in prison again on his account, and lose another servant by the gaol131 fever, and then obtain neither thanks nor reward. I am going out of town again in a day or two, but I shall now write very frequently, therefore be not alarmed for I will run into no danger. Burn this letter and speak to no one about it, nor any others that I may send. God bless you, my dear mother.
G. B.
Norwich (Inglaterra)
Madrid, August 5, 1838.
My dear Mother,—I merely write this to inform you that I am back to Madrid from my expedition. I have been very successful and have sold a great many Testaments. Indeed all the villages and towns within thirty miles have been supplied. In Madrid itself I can do nothing as I am closely watched by order of the government and not permitted to sell, so that all I do is by riding out to places where they cannot follow me. I do not blame them, for they have much to complain of, though nothing of me, but if the Society will countenance133 such men as they have lately done in the South of Spain they must expect to reap the consequences. It is very probable that I may come to England in a little time, and then you will see me; but do not talk any more about yourself being “no more seen,” for it only serves to dishearten me, and God knows I have enough to make me melancholy134 already. I am in a great hurry and cannot write any more at present.—I remain, dear mother, yours affectionately,
George Borrow.
p. 122To Mrs. Ann Borrow
(No date.)
My dear Mama,—As I am afraid that you may not have received my last letter in consequence of several couriers having been stopped, I write to inform you that I am quite well.
I have been in some difficulties. I was selling so many Testaments that the priests became alarmed, and prevailed on the government to put a stop to my selling any more; they were likewise talking of prosecuting135 me as a witch, but they have thought better of it. I hear it is very cold in England, pray take care of yourself, I shall send you more in a few weeks.—God bless you, my dear mama,
G. B.
It was in the middle of his third and last visit to Spain that Borrow wrote this next letter to his mother which gives the first suggestion of the romantic and happy termination of his final visit to the Peninsula:
To Mrs. Ann Borrow
Seville, Spain, April 27, 1839.
My dear Mother,—I should have written to you before I left Madrid, but I had a long and dangerous journey to make, and I wished to get it over before saying anything to you. I am now safely arrived, by the blessing136 of God, in Seville, which, in my opinion, is the most delightful137 town in the world. If it were not a strange place with a strange language I know you would like to live in it, but it is rather too late in the day for you to learn Spanish and accommodate yourself to Spanish ways. Before I left Madrid I accomplished138 a great deal, having sold upwards139 of one thousand Testaments and nearly five hundred Bibles, so that at present very few remain; indeed, not a single Bible, and I was obliged to send away hundreds of people who wanted to purchase, but whom I could not supply. All this has been done without the slightest noise or disturbance140 or anything that could give cause of displeasure to the government, so that I am now on very good terms with the authorities, though they are perfectly141 aware of what I am about. Should the Society think proper to be guided by the experience which I have acquired, and my knowledge of the country and the people, they might if they choosed sell at least twelve thousand Bibles and Testaments yearly in Spain, but let them adopt or let any other people adopt any other principle than that on which I act and everything will miscarry. All the difficulties, as I told my friends the time I was in England, which I have had to encounter were owing to the faults and imprudencies of other people, and, I may say, still p. 123are owing. Two Methodist schoolmasters have lately settled at Cadiz, and some little time ago took it into their heads to speak and preach, as I am informed, against the Virgin142 Mary; information was instantly sent to Madrid, and the blame, or part of it, was as usual laid to me; however, I found means to clear myself, for I have powerful friends in Madrid, who are well acquainted with my views, and who interested themselves for me, otherwise I should have been sent out of the country, as I believe the two others have been or will be. I have said nothing on this point in my letters home, as people would perhaps say that I was lukewarm, whereas, on the contrary, I think of nothing but the means best adapted to promote the cause; but I am not one of those disposed to run a ship on a rock when only a little skill is necessary to keep her in the open sea.
I hope Mrs. Clarke will write shortly; tell her if she wishes for a retreat I have found one here for her and Henrietta. I have my eye on a beautiful one at fifteen pence a day. I call it a small house, though it is a paradise in its way, having a stable, courtyard, fountain, and twenty rooms. She has only to write to my address at Madrid and I shall receive the letter without fail. Henrietta had better bring with her a Spanish grammar and pocket dictionary, as not a word of English is spoken here. The house-dog—perhaps a real English bulldog would be better—likewise had better come, as it may be useful. God bless you therefore for the present, my dearest mother.
George Borrow.
Borrow had need of friends more tolerant of his idiosyncrasies than the “powerful friends” he describes to his mother, for the worthy secretary of the Bible Society was still in a critical mood:
You narrate143 your perilous journey to Seville, and say at the beginning of the description, “my usual wonderful good fortune accompanying us.” This is a mood of speaking to which we are not accustomed—it savours, some of our friends would say, a little of the profane144.
I find among my papers an interesting letter to Mrs. Clarke of this period:
To Mrs. Clarke
Seville, 10 January, 1839.
My dear Madam,—As I left England very suddenly and had many preparations to make at exceedingly short notice, I was unable to perform my wish, and I believe my promise, of writing p. 124to you before my departure. I took shipping145 at Falmouth and arrived at Cadiz without any circumstance worthy of remark occurring. I am now, and have been for the last week, in Seville, the principal town of Andalusia, one of the most beautiful provinces in Spain. I proceed to Madrid within a few days, but it is my intention to return as soon as possible to these parts, and commence operations here, where up to the present moment nothing has been done towards propagating the word of God. Indeed my sole motive146 for visiting Madrid, and subjecting myself to a fatiguing147 journey through a country which I have already twice traversed, is to furnish myself with a sufficient stock of Testaments for distribution in the principal villages of Andalusia, as it is my intention to address myself chiefly to the peasantry, whom hitherto I have invariably found far more docile148 to instruction, and eager to acquire knowledge, than the brethren of the large towns. I intend, however, to make Seville my headquarters, and a depot127 for the books intended for other places. Nothing can be more delightful than the situation of this place, which stands on the eastern bank of the Guadalquivir, the largest river in Spain, with the exception of the Ebro; smiling meadows, orange-groves and gardens encompass149 it on every side; while far away towards the south east are descried150 the blue ridges151 and misty152 pinnacles153 of the noble chain of mountains called the Sierrania de Ronda. The streets are narrow and crooked154 like those of all the old Spanish and Moorish155 towns. Indeed in many of them, whilst standing in the middle, you can touch both sides with your hands extended. Yet the narrowness of the streets is by no means an inconvenience in this climate, especially in the summer when the sun burns with great heat and fury, but on the contrary is a very great comfort, as the hot beams are excluded, and the houses by this means kept seasonably cool. Nothing pleases me more than the manner in which the houses of Seville are built. They are, for the most part, of two stories, which surround a quadrangular court, of large or small dimensions, according to the size of the edifice110—the upper story being furnished with a gallery overhanging the court, and offering an agreeable place for walking to those not disposed to go abroad. In most of the courts is a stone fountain, continually streaming with cool and delicious water, and not unfrequently at the angles orange trees are planted, which perfume the air with their fruit and blossoms. There are many magnificent edifices in Seville, especially the Cathedral and Alcazar or castle. The former is indeed a glorious pile, constructed at various periods, and so large and covering so much ground that St. Paul’s, magnificent edifice as it certainly is, would look contemptible156, if placed by its side. Its tower which is called La Giralda is the work of the Moors157, and once formed part of a mosque158, and was the place from which the Imams at morn and eve summoned the children of Ismael to their devotions with the awful and true cry “There is but one God”; stultified159 however by the sequence “Mahomet is the Prophet p. 125of God.” The Alcazar is also the work of the Moors, and was the palace of their kings as long as they lorded on the banks of the Guadalquivir; it contains halls of grandeur160 indescribable, and which are worthy specimens161 of the perfection to which architecture was carried in Spain by the Moors who certainly deserve to be styled Lords of Masonry162, and who perhaps were upon the whole the most extraordinary nation which has appeared upon the earth since the time of the creation.
I must however proceed no further at present in describing the remarkable objects of Seville as there are other matters which I must now touch upon, and which relate immediately to yourself. Respecting your questions as to what quarter I would advise you to direct your course, as soon as your affairs shall have been arranged to your satisfaction, I beg leave to answer that I do not think that yourself and Miss Hen. could do better than come out to Seville, for a time, where you would be far out of the reach of the malignity163 of your ill-wishers, and might soon become useful helpers in the cause of God. With your income you might live here with the greatest respectability, tenant76 one of the charming houses, which I have just described, and enjoy one of the finest climates in the world. Therefore you had better give this point your very serious consideration. I do not think that Colchester or Edinburgh would please you half so much as Seville, where you would find a few excellent and worthy English families, long established in Spain, and following with great success the pursuits of commerce.
Perhaps it would be well to invest part of your money in the purchase of some vessel164 trading to the Mediterranean165 if such extraordinary good interest, with perfect security, can be obtained, as you have stated. However, pray act with the greatest caution and endeavour thoroughly166 to know your people before you place confidence in any person. Should Mr. W. apply to you again, I think you may tell him that you will reconsider the matter provided he will give you one thousand pounds for your interest in your charming little estate. I have no doubt that he would comply.
The best general advice that I can give you for the present is to make the most of any species of property which you may deem it advisable to dispose of, and by no precipitate167 haste run the risk of incurring168 a loss. Let no person persuade you, whether legal adviser169 or not, to take any step by which you may deem that your interests will be in the slightest degree compromised, and be reserved in your communications to all respecting your ultimate intentions. I shall write to you speedily from Madrid and then I hope to have the satisfaction of hearing from you.
Pray let Hen. continue to collect as much money as possible towards affording spiritual instruction to the Spanish Gypsies. Pay a visit to dear Mrs. Ritson and communicate to her my best remembrances and kindest regards and inform her at the p. 126same time that if she please she may subscribe26 in this good cause. I am shortly about to publish, on my own account, a work which I hope will prove of no slight spiritual benefit to these unhappy people.—I remain, dearest Madam, ever yours,
G. B.
Mrs. Clarke,
Oulton Cottage,
Oulton,
near Lowestoft,
Suffolk,
England.
On 29th July, 1839, Borrow was instructed by his Committee to return to England, but he was already on the way to Tangier, whence in September he wrote a long and interesting letter to Mr. Brandram, which was afterwards incorporated in The Bible in Spain. He had left Mrs. Clarke and her daughter in Seville, and they joined him at Gibraltar later. We find him en route for Tangier, staying two days with Mr. John M. Brackenbury, the British Consul170 in Cadiz, who found him a most fascinating man.
His Tangier life is fully48 described in The Bible in Spain. Here he picked up a Jewish youth, Hayim Ben Attar, who returned to Spain as his servant, and afterwards to England.
Borrow, at the end of September, was back again in Seville, in his house near the cathedral, in the Plazuela de la Pila Seca, which, when I visited Seville in the spring of the year 1913, I found had long been destroyed to make way for new buildings. Here he received the following letter from Mr. George Browne of the Bible Society:—
To Mr. Borrow
Bible House, Oct. 7, 1839.
My dear Friend,—Mr. Brandram and myself being both on the eve of a long journey, I have only time to inform you that yours of the 2d ult. from Tangier, and 21st from Cadiz came to hand this morning. Before this time you have doubtless received Mr. Brandram’s letter, accompanying the resolution of the Comee., of which I apprised171 you, but which was delayed a few days, for the purpose of reconsideration. We are not able to suggest precisely172 the course you should take in regard to the books left at Madrid and elsewhere, and how far it may be absolutely necessary or not for you to visit that city again before you return. The books you speak of, as at Seville, may be sent to Gibraltar rather than to England, as well as any books you p. 127may deem it expedient173 or find it necessary to bring out of the country. As soon as your arrangements are completed we shall look for the pleasure of seeing you in this country. The haste in which I am compelled to write allows me to say no more than that my best wishes attend you, and that I am, with sincere regard, yours truly,
G. Browne.
I thank you for your kind remembrance of Mrs. Browne. Did I thank you for your letter to her? She feels, I assure you, very much obliged. Your description of Tangier will be another interesting “morceau” for her.
“Where is Borrow?” asked the Bible Society meanwhile of the Consuls174 at Seville and Cadiz, but Borrow had ceased to care. He hoped to become a successful author with his Gypsies; he would at any rate secure independence by marriage, which must have been already mooted175. In November he and Mrs. Clarke were formally betrothed176, and would have been married in Spain, but a Protestant marriage was impossible there. When preparing to leave Seville he had one of those fiery177 quarrels with which his life was to be studded. This time it was with an official of the city over a passport, and the official promptly178 locked him up for thirty hours. Hence the following letter in response to his complaint. The writer is Mr., afterwards Sir George, Jerningham, then Secretary of Legation at Madrid, who, it may be mentioned, came from Costessey, four miles from Norwich. It is written from the British Legation, and is dated 23rd December, 1839:
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your two letters, the one without date, the second dated the 19th November (which however ought to have been December), respecting the outrageous179 conduct pursued towards you at Seville by the Alcalde of the district in which you resided. I lost no time in addressing a strong representation thereon to the Spanish Minister, and I have to inform you that he has acquainted me with his having written to Seville for exact information upon the whole subject, and that he has promised a further answer to my representation as soon as his inquiries180 shall have been answered. In the meantime I shall not fail to follow up your case with proper activity.
Borrow was still in Seville, hard at work upon the Gypsies, all through the first three months of the year 1840. In April the three friends left Cadiz for London. A letter of p. 128this period from Mr. Brackenbury, the British Consul at Cadiz, is made clear by these facts:
To George Borrow, Esq.
My dear Sir,—I received on the 19th your very acceptable letter without date, and am heartily182 rejoiced to find that you have received satisfaction for the insult, and that the Alcalde is likely to be punished for his unjustifiable conduct. If you come to Cadiz your baggage may be landed and deposited at the gates to be shipped with yourselves wherever the steamer may go, in which case the authorities would not examine it, if you bring it into Cadiz it would be examined at the gates—or, if you were to get it examined at the Custom House at Seville and there sealed with the seal of the Customs—it might then be transhipped into the steamer or into any other vessel without being subjected to any examination. If you take your horse, the agents of the steamer ought to be apprized of your intention, that they may be prepared, which I do not think they generally are, with a suitable box.
Consuls are not authorised to unite Protestant subjects in the bonds of Holy Matrimony in popish countries—which seems a peculiar183 hardship, because popish priests could not, if they would—hence in Spain no Protestants can be legally married. Marriages solemnised abroad according to the law of that land wheresoever the parties may at the time be inhabitants are valid—but the law of Spain excludes their priests from performing these ceremonies where both parties are Protestants—and where one is a Papist, except a dispensation be obtained from the Pope. So you must either go to Gibraltar—or wait till you arrive in England. I have represented the hardship of such a case more than once or twice to Government. In my report upon the Consular184 Act, 6 Geo. IV. cap. 87—eleven years ago—I suggested that provision should be made to legalise marriages solemnised by the Consul within the Consulate, and that such marriages should be registered in the Consular Office—and that duly certified185 copies thereof should be equivalent to certificates of marriages registered in any church in England. These suggestions not having been acted upon, I brought the matter under the consideration of Lord John Russell (I being then in England at the time of his altering the Marriage Act), and proposed that Consuls abroad should have the power of magistrates186 and civil authorities at home for receiving the declarations of British subjects who might wish to enter into the marriage state—but they feared lest the introduction of such a clause, simple and efficacious as it would have been, might have endangered the fate of the Bill; and so we are as Protestants deprived of all power of being legally married in Spain.
p. 129What sort of a horse is your hack187?—What colour? What age? Would he carry me?—What his action? What his price? Because if in all these points he would suit me, perhaps you would give me the refusal of him. You will of course enquire188 whether your Arab may be legally exported.
All my family beg to be kindly remembered to you.—I am, my dear sir, most faithfully yours,
J. M. Brackenbury.
There is a young gentleman here, who is in Spain partly on account of his health—partly for literary purposes. I will give him, with your leave, a line of introduction to you whenever he may go to Seville. He is the Honourable189 R. Dundas Murray, brother of Lord Elibank, a Scottish nobleman.
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1
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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7
persistency
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| n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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partisans
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| 游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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judiciously
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| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
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factions
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| 组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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subscribe
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| vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助 | |
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favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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fen
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| n.沼泽，沼池 | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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partially
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inadequately
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| ad.不够地；不够好地 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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rustics
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| n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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64
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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inordinately
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broil
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| v.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂；n.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intervention
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| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
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graphically
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| adv.通过图表；生动地，轮廓分明地 | |
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superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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81
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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82
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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83
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84
cogent
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| adj.强有力的，有说服力的 | |
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85
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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86
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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87
alienated
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| adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等） | |
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88
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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89
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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90
bigotry
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| n.偏见，偏执，持偏见的行为[态度]等 | |
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91
isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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92
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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93
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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94
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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95
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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96
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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97
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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98
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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99
chicanery
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| n.欺诈，欺骗 | |
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100
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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101
conciliation
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| n.调解，调停 | |
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102
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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103
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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104
radicals
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| n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数 | |
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105
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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106
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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107
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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108
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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109
edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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110
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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111
primate
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| n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的 | |
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112
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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113
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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114
allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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115
aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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116
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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117
abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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118
minions
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| n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 )；走狗；宠儿；受人崇拜者 | |
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119
galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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120
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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121
aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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122
conjugal
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| adj.婚姻的，婚姻性的 | |
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123
lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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124
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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125
testaments
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| n.遗嘱( testament的名词复数 )；实际的证明 | |
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126
tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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127
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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128
depots
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| 仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库 | |
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129
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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130
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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131
gaol
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| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
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132
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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133
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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134
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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135
prosecuting
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| 检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师 | |
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136
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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137
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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138
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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139
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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140
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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141
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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142
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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143
narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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144
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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145
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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146
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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147
fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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148
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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149
encompass
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| vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成 | |
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150
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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151
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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152
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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153
pinnacles
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| 顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 )； 顶点； 尖顶； 小尖塔 | |
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154
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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155
moorish
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| adj.沼地的，荒野的，生[住]在沼地的 | |
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156
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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157
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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158
mosque
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| n.清真寺 | |
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159
stultified
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| v.使成为徒劳，使变得无用( stultify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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160
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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161
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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162
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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163
malignity
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| n.极度的恶意，恶毒；（病的）恶性 | |
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164
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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165
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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166
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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167
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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168
incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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169
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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170
consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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171
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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172
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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173
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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174
consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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175
mooted
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| adj.未决定的，有争议的，有疑问的v.提出…供讨论( moot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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176
betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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177
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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178
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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179
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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180
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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181
consulate
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| n.领事馆 | |
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182
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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183
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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184
consular
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| a.领事的 | |
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185
certified
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| a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的 | |
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186
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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187
hack
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| n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳 | |
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188
enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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189
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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