Lavengro by George Borrow (read me a book txt) 📕

at Colchester; 28th February to 5th March, 1812, at Harwich; 15th to 19th March, at Leicester; 21st to 30th March, at Melton Mowbray; 2nd to 25th April, at Leicester again; 28th April to 3rd May, at Tamworth; 8th to 26th May, at Macclesfield; 28th May to 2nd August, at Stockport; 3rd to 23rd August, at Ashton; 24th August to 15th December, at Huddersfield; 16th December, 1812, to 19th March, 1813, at Sheffield; 20th and 21st March, 1813, at Leeds; 22nd March, at Wetherby; 23rd March, Boroughbridge; 24th March, Allerton; 25th March, Darlington; 26th March, Durham (Wild Wales, pp. 258⁠–⁠59); 27th and 28th March, Newcastle; 29th March, Morpeth; 30th March, Alnwick; 3rd and 4th April, at Berwick-upon-Tweed; 6th April, 1813, Edinburgh Castle. —⁠Knapp ↩

William Lilly: A Shorte Introdvction of Grammar, generally to be vsed in the Kynges Maiesties dominions, for the bryngynge up of all those that inteade to atteyne the knowlege of the Latine tongue (1549). —⁠Knapp ↩

Bank of a river: The Tweed. The scene here described occurred on a Sunday, 4th April, 1813, near Berwick, where they “arrived the preceding night” —⁠Knapp ↩

Elvir Hill: See Borrow’s Romantic Ballads, Norwich, 1826, pp. 111⁠–⁠14. This piece entitled “Elvir Hill,” one of the old Danish ballads of Vedel’s collection, 1591, represents the dangers attending a youth who “rested” his “head upon Elvir Hill’s side” where he was so charmed in his sleep by a brace of seductive fairies, that:

“If my good luck had not managed it so
That the cock crew out then in the distance,
I should have been murder’d by them on the Hill,
Without power to offer resistance.

“ ’Tis therefore I counsel each young Danish swain
Who may ride in the forest so dreary,
Ne’er to lay down upon lone Elvir Hill
Though he chance to be ever so weary.”

—⁠Knapp ↩

Skaldaglam: The barditus of Tacitus, or the “din” made by the Norse “bards” (skalds) on shields and with shouts as they rushed into battle. It is not in Molbech, but Snorro frequently uses it in his Chronica, 1633. —⁠Knapp ↩

Kalevala: Title of the great Finnish epic, of which the hero is Woinomöinen. —⁠Knapp ↩

Polak: Polander or Pole. —⁠Knapp ↩

Magyar (pronounced “Mädjr”): Hungarian. —⁠Knapp ↩

Batuscha: An erratum of the author for his “Batuschca” (161)⁠—better “Batyushca,” “father Tsar”⁠—but generally applied by Borrow to his friend the Pope. —⁠Knapp ↩

Bui hin Digri: The Jomsburg Viking, 994 AD. See Borrow’s Romantic Ballads, p. 136, and Once a Week, IX, p. 686. The account is given in Snorro’s Chronica, 1633, p. 136 (see Snorre Sturlesøns Norake Kongers Chronica. Vdaat paa Danske / aff H. Peder Claussøn. Kiöbenhavn, 1633), but a more accessible version of it is found in Mallet’s Northern Antiquities (Bohn’s edition), pp. 144⁠–⁠45. —⁠Knapp ↩

Horunga Vog, read “Hjörúnga Vâgr” in Icelandic, or “Vaag” in Danish. In Romany Rye it is Englished as “Horinger Bay.” —⁠Knapp ↩

Hickathrift: A Norfolk worthy of the eleventh century, whose prodigious exploits with the axle of his cart as an offensive weapon, and the wheel as a shield, are handed down in the chap-books of the last three centuries. —⁠Knapp ↩

Elzigood: William E., of Heigham, Norwich, enlisted October, 1789, became Drum-major in the regiment, 22nd October, 1802; called facetiously or maliciously “Else-than-gude” [a few pages later]. —⁠Knapp ↩

O’Hanlon: Redmond O’Hanlon (died 1681), a proprietor of Ulster, dispossessed under the Cromwellian settlement, and afterwards leader of a band of outlaws. —⁠Knapp ↩

See Life, Writings, and Correspondence of George Borrow, London, 1899, I, pp. 39⁠–⁠43. —⁠Knapp ↩

Disbanded: The W.N.M. regiment left Edinburgh in July, 1814, and was disembodied at Norwich, 19th July. It was again called out, 10th July, 1815, and sent to Ireland. John Borrow was appointed Ensign, 29th May, 1815, and Lieutenant, 13th December of the same year. The regiment sailed from Harwich (“port in Essex”) 31st August, reaching Cork harbour (“the cove”) about 9th September, 1815. —⁠Knapp ↩

Wight Wallace: The Life and Acts of Sir William Wallace, of Ellerslie. By Henry the Minstrel. (Published from a MS. of 1488 with Notes by Dr. Jamieson.) Edinburgh, 1820. This rhymed “Storybook of Wight Wallace” is in twelve parts or books. —⁠Knapp ↩

Shorsha: The Irish for “George,” properly written “Seors,” but the author usually wrote his Irish by sound. —⁠Knapp ↩

Saggart, read “sagart:” (Lat. sacerdos), a priest. —⁠Knapp ↩

Finn-ma-Coul: In Irish Fionn-mac-Cumhail, the father of Ossian. —⁠Knapp ↩

Brian Boroo: In Irish, Brian Boroimhe, a king of Ireland (926⁠–⁠1014). —⁠Knapp ↩

Saggarting: Studying with reference to the priesthood. —⁠Knapp ↩

Mavourneen: Properly “mo mhuirnin,” my darling. —⁠Knapp ↩

Hanam mon Dioul: Wrongly given for “M’anam o’n Diabhal” [God preserve] my soul from the devil! See Romany Rye, where it is quite correct⁠—from sound. —⁠Knapp ↩

Christmas over: 1816. Regiment quartered at Templemore. John, now a lieutenant (not “ensign”), is sent with a detachment to Loughmore, three miles away. Sergeant Bagg, promoted to that rank, 10th July, 1815, accompanies him. —⁠Knapp ↩

Mountain: Called locally, “Devil’s Bit,” and not Devil’s Hill or Mountain, as in the text. —⁠Knapp ↩

Fine old language: