THE POCKET GEORGE BORROW***
Transcribed from the 1912 Chatto & Windus edition by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk
THE POCKET GEORGE BORROW PASSAGES CHOSEN FROM THE WORKS OF BORROW BY EDWARD THOMAS
To my brother Julian.
NOTE
When a man has read once, or twice, or three times, through Borrow's books, he will probably dip into them here and there at intervals. By so doing he gradually makes his own anthology; but it may be that he will yet find place for another man's, if it has no pretension to completeness or authority, and will go into his pocket. Borrow is not a pithy writer, nor is he best when sententious; the following passages are, therefore, somewhat longer than is usual in this series of Anthologies. Even so, many of the best things in his books, especially from Wild Wales, have had to be omitted, because they are longer still. But this selection aims only at giving strangers to Borrow an invitation or challenge, and lovers a few sprigs of his heather for a keepsake. Those who find themselves disagreeing with it may at any rate have had their own taste cleared and braced in the process.
Edward Thomas.
BORROW'S WRITINGS
ROMANTIC BALLADS TARGUM ZINCALI: THE GYPSIES OF SPAIN THE BIBLE IN SPAIN LAVENGRO ROMANY RYE WILD WALES THE SLEEPING BARD ROMANO LAVO-LIL THE TURKISH JESTER AND OTHER TRANSLATIONS
CONTENTS
It is very possible that the reader . . . Zincali "Are you of the least use?" . . . Lavengro "People are becoming vastly sharp" . . . Lavengro "Will you take a glass of wine?" . . . Lavengro One day it happened . . . Lavengro Because they have been known . . . Zincali One fact has always struck us . . . Zincali Many of them reside in caves . . . Zincali It has always struck me . . . Lavengro A sound was heard . . . Lavengro After much feasting . . . Zincali The English Gypsies . . . Zincali "I say, Jasper!" . . . Romany Rye "What is your opinion of death, Mr. Petulengro?" . . . Lavengro Beating of women . . . Romany Rye Of my wife . . . Wild Wales In the summer. . . . Wild Wales Fear God, and take your own part . . . Romany Rye Soldiers and sailors . . Romany Rye There they come, the bruisers . . . Lavengro The writer now wishes . . . Romany Rye "No," said I . . . Romany Rye Oh, genial and gladdening! . . . Lavengro On the whole . . . Romany Rye On the following day . . . Romany Rye The binding . . . Lavengro I commenced the Bible in Spain . . . Zincali And, as I wandered . . . Lavengro At length the moon shone out . . . Bible in Spain Upon the shoulder of the goatherd . . . Bible in Spain I have always found . . . Bible in Spain "C'est moi, mon maitre" . . . Bible in Spain After travelling four days and nights . . . Bible in Spain The posada. . . . Bible in Spain The landlord brought the ale . . . Wild Wales "Young gentleman" . . . Lavengro Becoming soon tired . . . Wild Wales Late in the afternoon . . . Bible in Spain I had till then . . . Bible in Spain "What mountains are those?" . . . Bible in Spain We had scarcely been five minutes . . . Bible in Spain I have heard talk . . . Lavengro "Well," said the old man . . . Lavengro I sat upon the bank . . . Lavengro Ah, that Irish! . . . Lavengro I said: "Now, Murtagh!" . . . Romany Rye Here I interrupted . . . Romany Rye "And who is Jerry Grant?" . . . Lavengro "Is it a long time?" . . . Wild Wales Now, a tinker . . . Lavengro "Did you speak, Don Jorge" . . . Bible in Spain Francis Ardry and myself . . . Romany Rye After a slight breakfast . . . . Romany Rye I did not like reviewing . . . . Lavengro A lad, who twenty tongues can talk . . . Romantic Ballads "He is a great fool" . . . Romany Rye I informed the landlord . . . Romany Rye "When you are a gentleman" . . . Romany Rye I was bidding him farewell . . . Romany Rye At the dead hour of night . . . Lavengro I should say . . . Lavengro To the generality of mankind . . . Lavengro I cannot help thinking . . . Lavengro O, Cheapside! . . . Lavengro Oh, that ride! . . . Lavengro Of one thing I am certain . . . Lavengro My curiosity . . . Bible in Spain The morning of the fifth of November . . . Wild Wales "Good are the horses of the Moslems" . . . Bible in Spain "The burra," I replied . . . Bible in Spain I was standing on the castle hill . . . Lavengro In Spain I passed five years . . . Bible in Spain On the afternoon of the 6th of December . . . Bible in Spain I know of few things . . . Bible in Spain It was not without reason . . . Bible in Spain Apropos of bull-fighters . . . Bible in Spain The waiter drew the cork . . . Romany Rye Leaving the bridge . . . Lavengro I went to Belle's habitation . . . Romany Rye I found Belle seated by a fire . . . Lavengro I put some fresh wood on the fire . . . Lavengro After ordering dinner . . . Wild Wales The strength of the ox . . . The Targum I began to think . . . Romany Rye On I went . . . Romany Rye As I was gazing . . . Wild Wales "Pray, gentleman, walk in!" . . . Wild Wales Now, real Republicanism . . . Romany Rye "Does your honour remember?" . . . Wild Wales I was the last of the file . . . Wild Wales For dinner . . . Wild Wales Came to Tregeiriog . . . Wild Wales The name "Pump Saint" . . . Wild Wales After the days of the great persecution . . . Zincali
