Rene Bazin - "The Ink Stain, v1"

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New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

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NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Life of George Borrow

H >> Herbert Jenkins >> The Life of George Borrow





"I . . . sallied forth," he writes, {203b} "alone and on horseback,
and bent my course to a distant village; on my arrival, which took
place just after the siesta or afternoon's nap had concluded, I
proceeded . . . to the market place, where I spread a horse-cloth on
the ground, upon which I deposited my books. I then commenced crying
with a loud voice: 'Peasants, peasants, I bring you the Word of God
at a cheap price. I know you have but little money, but I bring it
you at whatever you can command, at four or three reals, according to
your means.' I thus went on till a crowd gathered round me, who
examined the books with attention, many of them reading aloud, but I
had not long to wait; . . . my cargo was disposed of almost
instantaneously, and I mounted my horse without a question being
asked me, and returned to my temporary abode lighter than I came."


Borrow did not repeat the experiment for fear of giving offence to
the clergy. The new means of distribution was to be used only as a
last resource.

Arriving at Padron on the return journey, Borrow found that he had
only one book left. He determined to send Antonio forward with the
horses to await him at Coruna, whilst he made an excursion to Cape
Finisterre.


"It would be," he says, "difficult to assign any plausible reason for
the ardent desire which I entertained to visit this place; but I
remembered that last year I had escaped almost by a miracle from
shipwreck and death on the rocky sides of this extreme point of the
Old World, and I thought that to convey the Gospel to a place so wild
and remote might perhaps be considered an acceptable pilgrimage in
the eyes of my Maker." {204a}


Hiring a guide and a pony, he reached the Cape, after surmounting
tremendous difficulties, and on arrival he and his guide were
arrested as Carlist spies. {204b} In all probability he would have
been shot, such was the certainty of the Alcalde that he was a spy,
had not the professional hero of the place come forward and, after
having cross-examined him as to his knowledge of "knife" and "fork,"
the only two English words the Spaniard knew, pronounced him English,
and eventually conveyed him to the Alcalde of Convucion, who released
him. On the man who had saved him Borrow privately bestowed a
gratuity, and publicly the copy of the New Testament that had led to
the expedition. He then returned to Coruna, by his journey having
accomplished "what has long been one of the ardent wishes of my
heart. I have carried the Gospel to the extreme point of the Old
World." {205a}

The black Andalusian was totally unfitted for the long mountainous
journey into the Asturias that Borrow now planned to undertake, and
he decided to dispose of him. He was greatly attached to the
creature, notwithstanding his vicious habits and the difficulties
that arose out of them. Now the entero would be engaged in a deadly
struggle with some gloomy mule; again, by rushing among a crowd
outside a posada, he would do infinite damage and earn for his master
and himself an evil name. Borrow thus announces to the Bible Society
the sale of its property: "This animal cost the Society about 2000
reals at Madrid; I, however, sold him for 3000 at Coruna,
notwithstanding that he has suffered much from the hard labour which
he had been subjected to in our wanderings in Galicia, and likewise
from bad provender." {205b}

Borrow next set out upon an expedition to Orviedo in the Asturias,
{205c} then in daily expectation of being attacked by the Carlists.
It was at Orviedo that he received a striking tribute from a number
of Spanish gentlemen.


"A strange adventure has just occurred to me," he wrote. {205d} "I
am in the ancient town of Orviedo, in a very large, scantily
furnished and remote room of an ancient posada, formerly a palace of
the Counts of Santa Cruz, it is past ten at night and the rain is
descending in torrents. I ceased writing on hearing numerous
footsteps ascending the creeking stairs which lead to my apartment--
the door was flung open, and in walked nine men of tall stature,
marshalled by a little hunchbacked personage. They were all muffled
in the long cloaks of Spain, but I instantly knew by their demeanour
that they were caballeros, or gentlemen. They placed themselves in a
rank before the table where I was sitting; suddenly and
simultaneously they all flung back their cloaks, and I perceived that
every one bore a book in his hand, a book which I knew full well.
After a pause, which I was unable to break, for I sat lost in
astonishment and almost conceived myself to be visited by
apparitions, the hunchback advancing somewhat before the rest, said,
in soft silvery tones, 'Senor Cavalier, was it you who brought this
book to the Asturias?' I now supposed that they were the civil
authorities of the place come to take me into custody, and, rising
from my seat, I exclaimed: 'It certainly was I, and it is my glory
to have done so; the book is the New Testament of God; I wish it was
in my power to bring a million.' 'I heartily wish so too,' said the
little personage with a sigh; 'be under no apprehension, Sir
Cavalier, these gentlemen are my friends. We have just purchased
these books in the shop where you have placed them for sale, and have
taken the liberty of calling upon you in order to return you our
thanks for the treasure you have brought us. I hope you can furnish
us with the Old Testament also!' I replied that I was sorry to
inform him that at present it was entirely out of my power to comply
with his wish, as I had no Old Testaments in my possession, but I did
not despair of procuring some speedily from England. {206a} He then
asked me a great many questions concerning my Biblical travels in
Spain and my success, and the views entertained by the Society in
respect to Spain, adding that he hoped we should pay particular
attention to the Asturias, which he assured me was the best ground in
the Peninsula for our labour. After about half an hour's
conversation, he suddenly said in the English language, 'Good night,
Sir,' wrapped his cloak around him and walked out as he had come.
His companions, who had hitherto not uttered a word, all repeated,
'Good night, Sir,' and adjusting their cloaks followed him."


This anecdote greatly impressed the General Committee. Mr Brandram
wrote (15th November 1837): "We were all deeply interested with your
ten gentlemen of Orviedo. I have introduced them at several
meetings."

Whilst at Orviedo, Borrow began to be very uneasy about the state of
affairs at the capital. "Madrid," he wrote, {207a} "is the depot of
our books, and I am apprehensive that in the revolutions and
disturbances which at present seem to threaten it, our whole stock
may perish. True it is that in order to reach Madrid I should have
to pass through the midst of the Carlist hordes, who would perhaps
slay or make me prisoner; but I am at present so much accustomed to
perilous adventure, and have hitherto experienced so many fortunate
escapes, that the dangers which infest the route would not deter me a
moment from venturing. But there is no certain intelligence, and
Madrid may be in safety or on the brink of falling."

Another factor that made him desirous of returning to the capital was
that, ever since leaving Coruna, he had been afflicted with a
dysentery and, later, with ophthalmia, which resulted from it, and he
was anxious to obtain proper medical advice. He determined, however,
first to carry out his project of visiting Santander, which he
reached by way of Villa Viciosa, Colunga, Riba de Sella, Llanes,
Colombres, San Vicente, Santillana. It was at Santander that he
encountered the unfortunate Flinter, {208a} as brave with his sword
as with his tongue.

Instructions had been given in a letter to Borrego to forward to
Santander two hundred copies of the New Testament; but, much to
Borrow's disappointment, he found that they had not arrived. He
thought that either they had fallen into the hands of the Carlists,
or his letter of instruction had miscarried: as a matter of fact
they did not leave Madrid until 30th October, the day before Borrow
arrived at the capital. Thus his journey was largely wasted. It
would be folly to remain at Santander, where, in spite of the
strictest economy, his expenses amounted to two pounds a day, whilst
a further supply of books was obtained. Accordingly he determined to
make for Madrid without further delay.

Purchasing a small horse, and notwithstanding that he was so ill as
scarcely to be able to support himself; indifferent to the fact that
the country between Santander and Madrid was overrun with Carlists,
whose affairs in Castile had not prospered; too dispirited to collect
his thoughts sufficiently to write to Mr Brandram, he set out,
accompanied by Antonio, "determined to trust, as usual, in the
Almighty and to venture." Physical ailments, however, did not in any
way cause him to forget why he had come to Santander, and before
leaving he made tentative arrangements with the booksellers of the
town as to what they should do in the event of his being able to send
them a supply of Testaments.

That journey of a hundred leagues was a nightmare. "Robberies,
murders, and all kinds of atrocity were perpetrated before, behind,
and on both sides" of them; but they passed through it all as if
travelling along an English highway. Even when met at the entrance
of the Black Pass by a man, his face covered with blood, who besought
him not to enter the pass, where he had just been robbed of all he
possessed, Borrow, without making reply, proceeded on his way. He
was too ill to weigh the risks, and Antonio followed cheerfully
wherever his master went. Madrid was reached on 31st October. {209a}
The next day Borrow wrote to Mr Brandram: "People say we have been
very lucky; Antonio says, 'It was so written'; but I say, Glory be to
the Lord for His mercies vouchsafed."

The expedition to the Northern Provinces had occupied five and a half
months. Every kind of fatigue had been experienced, dangers had been
faced, even courted, and every incident of the road turned to further
the end in view--the distribution of the Scriptures in Spain. The
countryside had proved itself ignorant and superstitious, and the
towns eager, not for the Word of God but "for stimulant narratives,
and amongst too many a lust for the deistical writings of the French,
especially for those of Talleyrand, which have been translated into
Spanish and published by the press of Barcelona, and for which I was
frequently pestered." {209b} Antonio had proved himself a unique
body-servant and companion, and if with a previous employer he had
valued his personal comfort so highly as to give notice because his
mistress's pet quail disturbed his slumbers, he was nevertheless
utterly indifferent to the hardships and discomforts that he endured
when with Borrow, and always proved cheerful and willing.

Borrow had "by private sale disposed of one hundred and sixteen
Testaments to individuals entirely of the lower classes, namely,
muleteers, carmen, contrabandistas, etc." {209c} He had dared to
undertake what perhaps only he was capable of carrying to a
successful issue; for, left alone to make his own plans and conduct
the campaign along his own lines, Borrow has probably never been
equalled as a missionary, strange though the term may seem when
applied to him. His fear of God did not hinder him from making other
men fear God's instrument, himself. His fine capacity for affairs,
together with what must have appeared to the clergy of the districts
through which he passed his outrageous daring, conspired to his
achieving what few other men would have thought, and probably none
were capable of undertaking. A missionary who rode a noble, black
Andalusian stallion, who could use a fleam as well as a blacksmith's
hammer, who could ride barebacked, and, above all, made men fear him
as a physical rather than a spiritual force, was new in Spain, as
indeed elsewhere. The very novelty of Borrow's methods, coupled with
the daring and unconventional independence of the man himself,
ensured the success of his mission. There was something of the
Camel-Driver of Mecca about his missionary work. He saw nothing
anomalous in being possessed of a strong arm as well as a Christian
spirit. He would endeavour to win over the ungodly; but woe betide
them if they should attempt to pit their strength against his.
Borrow's own comment upon his journey in the Northern Provinces was,
"Insignificant are the results of man's labours compared with the
swelling ideas of his presumption; something, however, had been
effected by the journey which I had just concluded." {210a}



CHAPTER XIV: NOVEMBER 1837-APRIL 1838



Great changes had taken place in Madrid during Borrow's absence. The
Carlists had actually appeared before its gates, although they had
subsequently retired. Liberalism had been routed and a Moderado
Cabinet, under the leadership of Count Ofalia, ruled the city and
such part of the country as was sufficiently complaisant as to permit
itself to be ruled. As the Moderados represented the Court faction,
Borrow saw that he had little to expect from them. He was
unacquainted with any of the members of the Cabinet, and, what was
far more serious for him, the relations between the new Government
and Sir George Villiers {211a} were none too cordial, as the British
Minister had been by no means favourable to the new ministry.

Having written to Mr Brandram telling of his arrival in Madrid,
"begging pardon for all errors of commission and omission," and
confessing himself "a frail and foolish vessel," that had
"accomplished but a slight portion of what I proposed in my vanity,"
Borrow proceeded to disprove his own assertion. He found the affairs
of the Bible Society in a far from flourishing condition. The
Testaments had not sold to any considerable extent, for which "only
circumstances and the public poverty" were the cause, as Dr Usoz
explained.

To awaken interest in his campaign, Borrow planned to print a
thousand advertisements, which were to be posted in various parts of
the city, and to employ colporteurs to vend the books in the streets.
He despatched consignments of books to towns he had visited that
required them, and in the enthusiasm of his eager and active mind
foresaw that, "as the circle widens in the lake into which a
stripling has cast a pebble, so will the circle of our usefulness
continue widening, until it has embraced the whole vast region of
Spain." {212a}

It soon became evident that there was to be a very strong opposition.
A furious attack upon the Bible Society was made in a letter
addressed to the editors of El Espanol on 5th November, prefixed to a
circular of the Spiritual Governor of Valencia, forbidding the
purchase or reading of the London edition of Father Scio's Bible.
The letter described the Bible Society as "an infernal society," and
referred in passing to "its accursed fecundity." It also strongly
resented the omission of the Apocrypha from the Scio Bible. Borrow
promptly replied to this attack in a letter of great length, and
entirely silenced his antagonist, whom he described to Mr Brandram
(20th Nov.) as "an unprincipled benefice-hunting curate." "You will
doubtless deem it too warm and fiery," he writes, referring to his
reply, "but tameness and gentleness are of little avail when
surrounded by the vassal slaves of bloody Rome." {212a} Borrow's
response to the "benefice-hunting curate" not only silenced him, but
was listened to by the General Committee of the Society "with much
pleasure."

The cause of the trouble in Valencia lay with the other agent of the
Bible Society in Spain, Lieutenant James Newenham Graydon, R.N., who
first took up the work of distributing the Scriptures at Gibraltar in
1835. Here he became associated with the Rev. W. H. Rule, of the
Wesleyan Methodist Society. "The Lieutenant, who seems to have
combined the personal charm of the Irish gentleman with some of the
perfervid incautiousness of the Keltic temperament, finding himself
unemployed at Gibraltar, resolved to do what lay in his power for the
spiritual enlightenment of Spain. Without receiving a regular
commission from any society, he took up single-handed the task which
he had imposed upon himself." {213a}

Borrow had first met Lieutenant Graydon at Madrid, in the summer of
1836, where he saw him two or three times. When Graydon left, on
account of the heat, Borrow had removed to Graydon's lodgings as
being more comfortable than his own. The prohibition in Valencia was
directly due to the indiscretion and incaution of Graydon. The
Vicar-General of the province gave as a reason for his action, an
advertisement that had appeared in the Diario Comercial of Valencia,
undertaking to supply Bibles gratis to those who could not afford to
buy them. For this advertisement Graydon was admonished by the
General Committee, which refused to entertain his plea that, being
unpaid, he was not, strictly speaking, an agent of the Bible Society.
He was given to understand that as the Society was responsible for
his acts he must be guided by its views and wishes.

The next occasion on which Borrow came into conflict with this
impulsive missionary free-lance was in March 1838, when he heard from
the Rev. W. H. Rule that Graydon was on his way to Andalusia. Borrow
immediately wrote to Mr Brandram that he, acting on the advice of Sir
George Villiers, had already planned an expedition into that
province, and furthermore that he had despatched there a number of
Testaments. He explained to Mr Brandram that he was apprehensive "of
the re-acting at Seville of the Valencian Drama, which I have such
unfortunate cause to rue, as I am the victim on whom an aggravated
party have wreaked their vengeance, and for the very cogent reason
that I was within their reach." {213b} On this occasion Graydon was
instructed not to start upon his projected journey, although Mr
Brandram gave the order much against his own inclination. {214a}

One great difficulty that Borrow had to contend with was the apathy
of the Madrid booksellers, who "gave themselves no manner of trouble
to secure the sale, and even withheld [the] advertisements from the
public." {214b} This determined him to open a shop himself, and,
accordingly, towards the end of November, he secured premises in the
Calle del Principe, one of the main thoroughfares, for which he
agreed to pay a rent of eight reals a day. He furnished the premises
handsomely, with glass cases and chandeliers, and caused to be
painted in large yellow characters the sign "Despacho de la Sociedad
Biblica y Estrangera" (Depot of the Biblical and Foreign Society).
He engaged a Gallegan (Jose Calzado, whom he called Pepe) as
salesman, and on 27th November formally opened his new premises.
Customers soon presented themselves; but many were disappointed on
finding that they could not obtain the Bible. "I could have sold ten
times the amount of what I did," Borrow writes. "I MUST therefore be
furnished with Bibles instanter; send me therefore the London
edition, bad as it is, say 500 copies." {214c}

To facilitate the passing of these books through the customs, Borrow
suggested that they should be consigned to the British Consul at
Cadiz, who was friendly to the Society and "would have sufficient
influence to secure their admission into Spain. But the most
advisable way," he goes on to explain with great guile, "would be to
pack them in two chests, placing at the top Bibles in English and
other languages, for there is a demand, viz., 100 English, 100
French, 50 German, 50 Hebrew, 50 Greek, 10 Modern Greek, 10 Persian,
20 Arabic. PRAY DO NOT FAIL." {215a}

When Sir George Villiers first obtained from Isturitz permission for
Borrow to print and sell the New Testament in Spanish without notes,
he had cautioned him "to use the utmost circumspection, and in order
to pursue his vocation with success, to avoid offending popular
prejudices, which would not fail to be excited against a Protestant
and a Foreigner engaged in the propagation of the Gospel." {215b}
This warning the British Minister had repeated frequently since. It
was without consulting Sir George that Borrow opened his depot, and
"imprudently painted upon the window that it was the Depot of the
London (sic) Bible Society for the sale of Bibles. I told him," Sir
George writes "that such a measure would render the interference of
the Authorities inevitable, and so it turned out." {215c}

Borrow now lost the services of the faithful Antonio, who, on the
last day of the year, informed him that he had become unsettled and
dissatisfied with everything at his master's lodgings, including the
house, the furniture, and the landlady herself. Therefore he had
hired himself out to a count for four dollars a month less than he
was receiving from Borrow, because he was "fond of change, though it
be for the worse. Adieu, mon maitre," he said in parting; "may you
be as well served as you deserve. Should you chance, however, to
have any pressing need de mes soins, send for me without hesitation,
and I will at once give my new master warning." A few days later
Borrow engaged a Basque, named Francisco, who "to the strength of a
giant joined the disposition of a lamb," {216a} and who had been
strongly recommended to him.

On his return from a hurried visit to Toledo, Borrow found his
Despacho succeeding as well as could be expected. To call attention
to his premises he now took an extremely daring step. He caused to
be printed three thousand copies of an advertisement on paper yellow,
blue, and crimson, "with which I almost covered the sides of the
streets" he wrote, "and besides this inserted notices in all the
journals and periodicals, employing also a man, after the London
fashion, to parade the streets with a placard, to the astonishment of
the populace." {216b} The result of this move, Borrow declared, was
that every man, woman and child in Madrid became aware of the
existence of his Despacho, as well they might. In spite of this
commercial enterprise, the first month's trading showed a sale of
only between seventy and eighty New Testaments, and ten Bibles,
{216c} these having been secured from a Spanish bookseller who had
brought them secretly from Gibraltar, but who was afraid to sell them
himself. Mr Brandram's comment upon the letter from Borrow telling
of the posters was that its contents had "afforded us no little
merriment. The idea of your placards and placard-bearers in Madrid
is indeed a novel one. It cannot but be effectual in giving
publicity. I sincerely hope it may not be prejudicial." {216d}

When in England, at the end of 1836, Borrow had been authorised by
the Bible Society to find "a person competent to translate the
Scriptures in Basque." On 27th February 1837, he wrote telling Mr
Brandram that he had become "acquainted with a gentleman well versed
in that dialect, of which I myself have some knowledge." Dr Oteiza,
the domestic physician of the Marques de Salvatierra, was accordingly
commissioned to proceed with the work, for which, when completed, he
was paid the sum of "8 pounds and a few odd shillings." Borrow
reported to Mr Brandram (7th June 1837):


"I have examined it with much attention, and find it a very faithful
version. The only objection which can be brought against it is that
Spanish words are frequently used to express ideas for which there
are equivalents in Basque; but this language, as spoken at present in
Spain, is very corrupt, and a work written entirely in the Basque of
Larramendi's Dictionary would be intelligible to very few. I have
read passages from it to men of Guipuscoa, who assured me that they
had no difficulty in understanding it, and that it was written in the
colloquial style of the province."


Borrow had "obtained a slight acquaintance" with Basque when a youth,
which he lost no opportunity of extending by mingling with Biscayans
during his stay in the Peninsula. He also considerably improved
himself in the language by conversing with his Basque servant
Francisco. Borrow now decided to print the Gitano and Basque
versions of St Luke, which he accordingly put in hand; but as the
compositors were entirely ignorant of both languages, he had to
exercise the greatest care in reading the proofs.

During his stay in Spain he had found time to translate into the
dialect of the Spanish gypsies the greater part of the New Testament.
{217a} His method had been somewhat original. Believing that there
is "no individual, however wicked and hardened, who is utterly
GODLESS," {217b} he determined to apply his belief to the gypsies.
To enlist their interest in the work, he determined to allow them to
do the translating themselves. At one period of his residence in
Madrid he was regularly visited by two gypsy women, and these he
decided to make his translators; for he found the women far more
amenable than the men. In spite of the fact that he had already
translated into Gitano the New Testament, or the greater part of it,
he would read out to the women from the Spanish version and let them
translate it into Romany themselves, thus obtaining the correct gypsy
idiom. The women looked forward to these gatherings and also to "the
one small glass of Malaga" with which their host regaled them. They
had got as far as the eighth chapter before the meetings ended. What
was the moral effect of St Luke upon the minds of two gypsies?
Borrow confessed himself sceptical; first, because he was acquainted
with the gypsy character; second, because it came to his knowledge
that one of the women "committed a rather daring theft shortly
afterwards, which compelled her to conceal herself for a fortnight."
{218a} Borrow comforted himself with the reflection that "it is
quite possible, however, that she may remember the contents of those
chapters on her death-bed." {218b} The translation of the remaining
chapters was supplied from Borrow's own version begun at Badajos in
1836.