George Borrow and His Circle Part 41

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 n.o.ble 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, wis.h.i.+ng 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 ma.n.u.scripts 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. s.p.a.ce 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 ma.n.u.script 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 ma.n.u.script--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 ma.n.u.script there is also a considerable quant.i.ty, 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 t.i.tles 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]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BORROW AS A PROFESSOR OF LANGUAGES

An 'Advertis.e.m.e.nt' put forth by Borrow in Norwich during the years of struggle before he was sent to Russia by the Bible Society. This interesting doc.u.ment, which is in Borrow's handwriting, is in the possession of Mr. Frank J. Farrell of Great Yarmouth, by whose courtesy it is reproduced here.]

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 Athenaeum_ 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 pa.s.sage, the ma.n.u.script 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 ma.n.u.script' 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 ma.n.u.script:--

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 friends.h.i.+p for the author to contrive some mode of dissuading him from publis.h.i.+ng. 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A PAGE OF THE Ma.n.u.sCRIPT OF BORROW'S _SONGS OF SCANDINAVIA_--AN UNPUBLISHED 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 pa.s.sed 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 a.s.set 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 refres.h.i.+ng 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 Athenaeum_, 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 ma.n.u.scripts 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.