Chapter 38

BORROW'S UNPUBLISHED WRITINGS

To many in our day, less utilitarian than those of an earlier era, Borrow must have been an interesting man of letters had he not written his four great books. Single-minded devotion to the less commercially remunerative languages has now become respectable and even estimable. Students of the Scandinavian languages, and of the Celtic, abound in our midst. Borrow was a forerunner with Bowring of much of this 'useless' learning. Borrow came to consider Bowring's apparent neglect of him to be unforgivable. But that time had not arrived, when in 1842 he wrote to him as follows:

To Dr. John Bowring

OULTON, LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK, _July 14th, 1842._

DEAR DEAR SIR,--Pray excuse my troubling you with a line. I wish you would send as many of the papers and manuscripts, which I left at yours some twelve years ago, as you can find. Amongst others there is an essay on Welsh poetry, a translation of the _Death of Balder_, etc. If I am spared to the beginning of next year, I intend to bring out a volume called _Songs of Denmark_, consisting of some selections from the _Kæmpe Viser_ and specimens from Ewald, Grundtvig, Oehlenschläger, and I suppose I must give a few notices of those people. Have you any history of Danish literature from which I could glean a few hints. I think you have a book in two volumes containing specimens of Danish poetry. It would be useful to me as I want to translate Ingemann's _Dannebrog_; and one or two other pieces. I shall preface all with an essay on the Danish language. It is possible that a book of this description may take, as Denmark is quite an untrodden field.

Could you lend me for a short time a Polish and French or Polish and German dictionary. I am going carefully through Makiewitz, about whom I intend to write an _article_.

_The Bible in Spain_ is in the press, and with God's permission will appear about November in three volumes. I shall tell Murray to send a copy to my oldest, I may say my _only_ friend. Pray let me know how you are getting on. I every now and then see your name in the _Examiner_, the only paper I read. Should you send the papers and the books it must be by the Yarmouth coach which starts from Fetter Lane. Address: George Borrow, Crown Inn, Lowestoft, Suffolk. With kindest remembrances to Mrs. Bowring, Miss Bowring, and family--I remain, Dear Sir, ever yours,

GEORGE BORROW.

Now with the achieved success of _The Bible in Spain_ and the leisure of a happy home Borrow could for the moment think of the ambition of 'twelve years ago'--an ambition to put before the public some of the results of his marvellous industry. The labours of the dark, black years between 1825 and 1830 might now perchance see the light. Three such books got themselves published, as we have seen, _Romantic Ballads_, _Targum_, and _The Talisman_. _The Sleeping Bard_ had been translated and offered to 'a little Welsh bookseller' of Smithfield in 1830, who, however, said, when he had read it, 'were I to print it I should be ruined.' That fate followed the book to the end, and Borrow was premature when he said in his Preface to _The Sleeping Bard_ that such folly is on the decline, because he found 'Albemarle Street in '60 willing to publish a harmless but plain-speaking book which Smithfield shrank from in '30.' At the last moment John Murray refused to publish, but seems to have agreed to give his imprint to the title-page. Borrow published the book at his own expense, it being set up by James Matthew Denew, of 72 Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth. Fourteen years later--in 1874--Mr. Murray made some amends by publishing _Romano Lavo-Lil_, in which are many fine translations from the Romany, and that, during his lifetime, was the 'beginning and the end' of Borrow's essays in publishing so far as his translations were concerned. Webber, the bookseller of Ipswich, did indeed issue _The Turkish Jester_--advertised as ready for publication in 1857--in 1884, and Jarrold of Norwich _The Death of Balder_ in 1889; but enthusiasts have asked in vain for _Celtic Bards_, _Chiefs and Kings_, _Songs of Europe_, and _Northern Skalds, Kings and Earls_. It is not recorded whether Borrow offered these to any publisher other than 'Glorious John' of Albemarle Street, but certain it is that Mr. Murray would have none of them. The 'mountains of manuscript' remained to be the sorrowful interest of Borrow as an old man as they had--many of them--been the sorrow and despair of his early manhood. Here is a memorandum in his daughter's handwriting of the work that Borrow was engaged upon at the time of his death:

Songs of Ireland. Songs of the Isle of Man. Songs of Wales. Songs of the Gaelic Highlands. Songs of Anglo-Saxon England. Songs of the North, Mythological. Songs of the North, Heroic. Songs of Iceland. Songs of Sweden. Songs of Germany. Songs of Holland. Songs of Ancient Greece. Songs of the Modern Greeks. Songs of the Klephts. Songs of Denmark, Early Period. Songs of Denmark, Modern Period. Songs of the Feroe Isles. Songs of the Gascons. Songs of Modern Italy. Songs of Portugal. Songs of Poland. Songs of Hungary. Songs and Legends of Turkey. Songs of Ancient Rome. Songs of the Church. Songs of the Troubadours. Songs of Normandy. Songs of Spain. Songs of Russia. Songs of the Basques. Songs of Finland.

These translations were intended to form a volume with copious notes, but were only completed a month before Mr. Borrow's death, which occurred at his residence, Oulton Cottage, Suffolk, July 26th, 1881, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. This grand old man, full of years and honour, was buried beside his wife (who had proved a noble helpmate to him), in Brompton Cemetery, August 4th.

And so what many will consider Borrow's 'craze' for verse translations remained with him to the end. We know with what equanimity he bore his defeat in early years. Did he not make humorous 'copy' out of it in _Lavengro_. It must have been a greater disappointment that his publisher would have none of his wares when he had proved by writing _The Bible in Spain_ that at least some of his work had money in it. For years it was Borrow's opinion that Lockhart stood in his way, wishing to hold the field with his _Ancient Spanish Ballads_ (1821), and maintaining that Borrow was no poet. The view that Borrow had no poetry in him and that his verse is always poor has been held by many of Borrow's admirers. The view will not have the support of those who have had the advantage of reading all Borrow's less known published writings, and the many manuscripts that he left behind him. But on the general question let us hear Mr. Theodore Watts-Dunton:--

It should never be forgotten that Borrow was, before everything else, a poet.... By poet I do not mean merely a man who is skilled in writing lyrics and sonnets and that kind of thing, but primarily a man who has the poetic gift of seeing through 'the show of things,' and knowing where he is--the gift of drinking deeply of the waters of life, and of feeling grateful to Nature for so sweet a draught.'[245]

Possibly Mr. Watts-Dunton did not contemplate his idea being applied to Borrow's verse translations, but all the same the quality of poetic imagination may be found here in abundance. The little Welsh bookseller of Smithfield said to Borrow in reference to _The Sleeping Bard_:

Were I to print it I should be ruined; the terrible description of vice and torment would frighten the genteel part of the English public out of its wits, and I should to a certainty be prosecuted by Sir James Scarlett. I am much obliged to you for the trouble you have given yourself on my account--but, Myn Diawl! I had no idea, till I had read him in English, that Elis Wyn had been such a terrible fellow.

And here the little Welsh bookseller paid Borrow a signal compliment. In the main Borrow provided a prose translation of _The Sleeping Bard_. In _Targum_ however, he showed himself a quite gifted balladist, far removed from the literary standard of _Romantic Ballads_ ten years earlier. Space does not permit of any quotation in this chapter, and I must be content here to declare that the spirit of poetry came over Borrow on many occasions. The whole of Borrow's _Songs of Scandinavia_ will ultimately be published, although for eighty and more years[246] the pile of neatly written manuscript of that book, which is now in my possession, has appealed for publication in vain. There will be found, in such a ballad as _Orm Ungerswayne_, for example, a practical demonstration that Borrow had the root of the matter in him. It is true that Borrow's limited acquaintance with English poetry was a serious drawback to great achievement, and his many translations from his favourite Welsh bard Goronwy Owen that are before me are too much under the influence of Pope. In addition to the _Songs of Scandinavia_ I have before me certain other ballads in manuscript--such portions of his various unpublished but frequently advertised works as did not fall to Dr. Knapp.[247] Of these I do not hesitate to say that whatever the difference of opinion as to their poetic quality there can be no difference of opinion as to their being well-told stories of an exceedingly interesting and invigorating character. But I must leave for another time and another opportunity any discussion of Borrow's poetic achievement of which at present the world has had little opportunity of knowing anything.[248] Of prose manuscript there is also a considerable quantity, including diaries of travel and translations of nine or ten stories from various languages. Of the minor books already published we have already spoken of _Faustus_, _Romantic Ballads_, _Targum_, and _The Talisman_, and Borrow's last and least interesting book _Romano Lavo-Lil_. There remains but to recall:--

_The Sleeping Bard_, published by John Murray, 1860 _The Turkish Jester_, " W. Webber, 1884 _The Death of Balder_, " Jarrold and Sons, 1889

These eight little volumes will always remain Borrow's least-read books. Only in _Targum_ and _The Sleeping Bard_ do we find much indication of those qualities which made him famous. It is not in the least surprising that the other work failed to find a publisher, and, indeed, from a merely commercial point of view, the late John Murray had more excuse for refusing _Romano Lavo-Lil,_ which he did publish, than _The Sleeping Bard_, which he refused to publish--at least on his own responsibility. Such books, whatever their merits, are issued to-day only by learned societies. In a quite different category were those many ballads[249] from diverse languages that Borrow had hoped to issue under such titles as _Celtic Bards_, _Chiefs and Kings_, and _Northern Skalds, Kings and Earls_. These books would have had no difficulty in finding a publisher to-day were they offered by a writer of one half the popularity of Borrow.[250]

There is, I repeat, excellent work in these ballads. As to _Targum_ let it not be forgotten that Hasfeld--really a good judge--said in _The Athenæum_ that 'the work is a pearl of genius,' and that William Bodham Donne declared that 'the language and rhythm are vastly superior to Macaulay's _Lays of Ancient Rome_.' As to _The Sleeping Bard_ Borrow himself was able to make his own vigorous defence of that work. In emulation of Walter Scott he reviewed himself in _The Quarterly_.[251] His article is really an essay on Welsh poetry, and incidentally he quotes from his unpublished _Celtic Bards, Chiefs and Kings_ a lengthy passage, the manuscript of which is in my possession. We are introduced again to all Borrow's old friends of _Wild Wales_: Hew Morris, Goronwy Owen, and finally Elis Wyn. Borrow quotes from _The Romany Rye_, but as becomes a reviewer of his own book, gives no praise to his achievement.

I find no plays among Borrow's 'mountains of manuscript' in my possession, and so I am not disposed to accept the suggestion that the following letter from Gifford to Borrow refers to a play which Borrow pretended to be the work of a friend while it was really his own. If it was his own he doubtless took Gifford's counsel to heart and promptly destroyed the manuscript:--

To George Borrow, Esq.

_A Specimen of Gifford's criticism on a friend's_ play, _which I was desired to send to him_.

MY DEAR BORROW,--I have read your M.S. very attentively, and may say of it with Desdemona of the song--

'It is silly, sooth, And dallies with the innocence of love Like to old age.'

The poetry in some places is pretty, the sentiment is also excellent. And can I say more? The plot is petty, the characters without vigour, and the story poorly told. Instead of Irene the scene seems to be laid in Arcadia, and the manners are not so much confounded as totally lost. There are Druids--but such Druids! O Lord!

There is to be seen no physical, perhaps no moral lesson, though a Druid should not be a rogue--but it is not so set down in the bond. Is this the characterisation which we have been used to see there? To end an unpleasant letter, I must leave to your friendship for the author to contrive some mode of dissuading him from publishing. If, however, he is determined to rush on the world, let him do it, in the first place, anonymously. If it takes, he may then toss up his nose at my opinion, and claim his work.

Say nothing of me, for I would not be thought to offend so excellent and so able a man. He may be content with his literary fame, and can do without poetic praise.

Your answer is short. The play might have passed very well had it been published when written, and when the writer was yet young and little known, but it will be hazardous now, as the world is cross-grained, and will not see your master in the grave and learned author of so many valuable works; but judge him from his present attainments. But this, as Mrs. Quickly says, 'is alligant terms,' and it may do.--Ever yours,

WM. GIFFORD.

_P.S._--I see the preface is already written, and do what you will, the play will be published.

One other phase of this more limited aspect of Borrow's work may be dealt with here--his mastery of languages. I have before me scores of pages which reveal the way that Borrow became a lav-engro--a word-master. He drew up tables of every language in turn, the English word following the German, or Welsh, or whatever the tongue might be, and he learnt these off with amazing celerity. His wonderful memory was his greatest asset in this particular. He was not a philologist if we accept the dictionary definition of that word as 'a person versed in the science of language.' But his interest in languages is refreshing and interesting--never pedantic, and he takes rank among those disinterested lovers of learning who pursue their researches without any regard to the honours or emoluments that they may bring, loving learning for learning's sake, undaunted by the discouragements that come from the indifference of a world to which they have made their appeal in vain.

FOOTNOTES:

[245] _The Athenæum_, September 3, 1881.

[246] In the _Monthly Magazine_ for March 1830 under the head of 'Miscellaneous Intelligence' we find the following announcement:--

'Dr. Bowring and Mr. George Borrow are about to publish _The Songs of Scandinavia_, containing a selection of the most interesting of the Historical and Romantic Ballads of North-Western Europe, with specimens of the Danish and Norwegian Poets down to the present day.'

[247] Dr. Knapp's Borrow manuscripts are now in the Hispanic Society's Archives in New York.

[248] I contemplate at a later date an edition of Borrow's Collected Writings, in which the unpublished verse will extend to two volumes.

[249] Certain of these have of late been privately printed in pamphlet form--limited to thirty copies each.

[250] The works of Dr. George Sigerson, Dr. Douglas Hyde and Dr. Kuno Meyer in Irish Literature are an evidence of this. Dr. Sigerson's _Bards of the Gael and Gaul_ and Dr. Hyde's _Love Songs of Connaught_ have each gone through more than one edition and have proved remunerative to their authors.

[251] _The Quarterly Review_, January 1861, pp. 38-63.