Lavengro - George Borrow (nice books to read TXT) 📗

of his most severe “battles” were fought between 1780 and 1790⁠—one on the 30th of August in the latter year, with Hooper at Newbury, Berks. A few days after this exploit, he picked a quarrel with Sergeant Borrow of the Coldstream Guards, which resulted in the Hyde Park encounter. Some four months later, i.e., 17th January, 1791, the decisive fight for the championship came off between Brain and Johnson. It was an appalling spectacle, and struck dumb with horror, even in that day, the witnesses to the dreadful conflict. Big Ben was the victor, and remained champion of England from that date until his death three years (not “four months”) later⁠—8th April, 1794. “Lavengro,” carried away by the enthusiasm of early reminiscence, allowed himself to declare that his father read the Bible to Brain in his latter moments. But in 1794 Thomas Borrow was busy recruiting soldiers in Norfolk, one hundred miles from the scene of the dying pugilist. However, the error was probably one of date merely, and during the year 1791 Thomas doubtless read the Bible to him in London, since we learn from Pierce Egan that “Ben derived great consolation from hearing the Bible read, and generally solicited those of his acquaintance who called upon him to read a chapter to him.”409 —⁠Knapp ↩

Captain: The West Norfolk Militia was raised in 1759 by the third Earl of Orford.He died in December, 1791, when the regiment was reorganised (not “raised”) under the new Colonel, the Hon. Horatio Walpole, subsequently the sixth Earl of Orford. Thus in February, 1792, Thomas was transferred from the Guards to be Sergeant-major in the W.N.M., and stationed at East Dereham. He married the following year, became Quartermaster (with the rank of Ensign) in 1795, and Adjutant (Lieutenant) in February, 1798. This his final promotion doubtless gave him the honorary rank of Captain, since in the Monthly Army List for 1804 we read: “Adjutant, Thomas Borrow, Capt.” But a letter before me dated 18th April, 1799, from his Major, is officially addressed to him as “Lieut. Borrow, Adjutant,” etc., etc. —⁠Knapp ↩

MS., “Orford.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Petrement: Our author knew very well that his mother’s maiden name was Ann Perfrement, pronounced and written Parfrement at the present day by those of the family we have met. The correct spelling is found on the tombstone of her sister, Sarah, at Dereham (1817), and on that of her brother, Samuel, at Salthouse near Holt (1864). —⁠Knapp ↩

Castle of De Burgh: A fanciful Borrovian epithet applied to Norwich Castle. Nor did the exiles build the Church of St. Mary-the-Less, in Queen Street, Norwich; it was a distinct parish church long before Elizabeth’s reign, and in her time the parish was consolidated with the neighbouring one of St. George’s, Tombland, while the church became municipal property. But the French exiles of the Edict of 1685 did worship there, even as did the Dutch refugees from Alva’s persecution a century before (1565⁠–⁠70). —⁠Knapp ↩

Middle Age: Borrow’s father was thirty-four, and his mother twenty-one, at the date of their marriage. John was born seven years after the marriage, and George ten. The mother was, then, thirty-one at George’s birth. —⁠Knapp ↩

Bishop Hopkins: Sermons. —⁠Knapp ↩

Angola: More correctly “Angora.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Foreign grave: Lieut. John Thomas Borrow died at Guanajuato, Mexico, 22nd November, 1833. —⁠Knapp ↩

“Snorro” Sturleson: Poet and historian of Iceland (1178⁠–⁠1241). Harald (not “Harold”) III, called “Haardraade.” Battle of Stamford Bridge, 1066 AD, same year as Norman Conquest. See Mallet’s Northern Antiquities, pp. 168⁠–⁠71 and 194; Snorro’s Heimskringla, II, p. 164, and his Chronica, 1633, p. 381, for the quotation. —⁠Knapp ↩

Norwegian ells⁠—about eight feet. ↩

Winchester: Rather “Winchelsea,” according to the Regimental Records. —⁠Knapp ↩

A gallant frigate: A reminiscence of Norman Cross gossip in 1810⁠–⁠11. “Ninety-eight French prisoners, the crew of a large French privateer of eighteen guns called the Contre-Amiral Magon, and commanded by the notorious Blackman, were captured 16th October, 1804, by Capt. Hancock of the Cruiser sloop, and brought into Yarmouth. They marched into Norwich, 26th November, and the next morning proceeded under guard on their way to Norman Cross barracks”⁠—Norwich Papers, 1804. —⁠Knapp ↩

Lady Bountiful: Dame Eleanor Fenn (1743⁠–⁠1813). —⁠Knapp ↩

Bard: William Cowper (1731⁠–⁠1800). —⁠Knapp ↩

Some Saint: Withburga, daughter of Anna, king of the East Angles, was the “saint” and the “daughter” at the same time. —⁠Knapp ↩

Hunchbacked rhymer: Alexander Pope. —⁠Knapp ↩

Properties of God, read “attributes.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Rector: The Rev. F. J. H. Wollaston. —⁠Knapp ↩

Philoh: James Philo (1745⁠–⁠1829). —⁠Knapp ↩

Tolerism, read “toleration.” —⁠Knapp ↩

MS., “in regimental slang.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Mere: Whittlesea Mere, long since drained. —⁠Knapp ↩

Bengui: See the glossary for all Gypsy words. —⁠Editor ↩

MS., “Ambrose” throughout the book.410 —⁠Knapp ↩

Three years: Included in the subsequent narrative, not excluded from it as his Norwich school days (1814⁠–⁠15, 1816⁠–⁠18) were. They extend from July, 1811, to April, 1813⁠—from Norman Cross to Edinburgh. The chronology, according to the Regimental Records, was as follows: George was at East Dereham from 22nd July to 18th November, 1811, at J. S. Buck’s (“Dr. B.’s”) school; 30th November, 1811, to February, 1812,