Transcribed from the 1912 John Murray edition ,
THE LIFE OF
GEORGE BORROW
COMPILED FROM UNPUBLISHED
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, HIS
WORKS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.
BY HERBERT JENKINS
WITH AFRONTISPIECE IN PHOTOGRAVURE, AND
TWELVE OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1912
TO
JOHN MURRARY THE FOURTH
IN GRATEFULRECOLLECTION OF THE KEEN INTEREST
HE HAS SHOWN IN THE WRITING OF THE LIFEOF
A MAN WHOM HE WELL REMEMBERS AND MUCHADMIRES
THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED
BY THE AUTHOR
PREFACE
During the whole of Borrow’smanhood there was probably only one period when he wasunquestionably happy in his work and content with hissurroundings. He may almost be said to have concentratedinto the seven years (1833–1840) that he was employed bythe British and Foreign Bible Society in Russia, Portugal andSpain, a lifetime’s energy and resource. From anunknown hack-writer, who hawked about unsaleable translations ofWelsh and Danish bards, a travelling tinker and a vagabondUlysses, he became a person of considerable importance. Hisname was acclaimed with praise and enthusiasm at Bible meetingsfrom one end of the country to the other. He developed anastonishing aptitude for affairs, a tireless energy, and adiplomatic resourcefulness that aroused silent wonder in thosewho had hitherto regarded him as a failure. His illegalimprisonment in Madrid nearly brought about a diplomatic rupturebetween Great Britain and Spain, and later his missionary work inthe Peninsula was referred to by Sir Robert Peel in the House ofCommons as an instance of what could be achieved by courage anddetermination in the face of great difficulties.
Those seven rich and productive years realised to the full thestrange talents and unsuspected abilities of GeorgeBorrow’s unique character. He himself referred to theperiod spent in Spain as the “five happiest years” ofhis life. When, however, his life came to be written by DrKnapp, than whom no biographer has approved himself more loyal orenthusiastic, it was found that the records of that period werenot accessible. The letters that he had addressed to theBible Society had been mislaid. These came to light shortlyafter the publication of Dr Knapp’s work, and type-writtencopies were placed at my disposal by the General Committee longbefore they were given to the public in volume form.
A systematic search at the Public Record Office has revealed awealth of unpublished documents, including a lengthy letter fromBorrow relating to his imprisonment at Seville in 1