ne ever condones. During his lifetime his
faults were for ever chafing and irritating his acquaintances, and now
that he and they are all dead these faults of his seem to be chafing and
irritating people of another generation. A fantastic fate, I say, for
him who was so interesting to some of us!

One writer assails him on account of his own ill-judged and unwarrantable
attacks upon a far greater man than himself--Sir Walter Scott; another on
account of his "no-popery" diatribes; another on account of his amusing
anger over "Charley o'er the Waterism."

When Mr. Murray's new and admirable edition of "The Romany Rye" came out
this year, a review of the book appeared in the _Daily Chronicle_, in
which vitality was given--given by one of the most genial as well as
brilliant and picturesque writers of our time--to all the old
misrepresentations of Borrow and also to a good many new ones. The fact
that this review came from so distinguished a writer as Dr. Jessopp lends
it an importance and a permanency that cannot be ignored. To me it gave
a twofold pain to read that review, for it was written by a man for whom
I have a very special regard. I cannot claim Dr. Jessopp as a personal
friend, but I have once or twice met him; and, assuredly, to spend any
time in his society without being greatly attracted by him is impossible.
I must say that I consider it quite lamentable that he who can hardly
himself have seen much if anything of Borrow should have breathed the
anti-Borrovian atmosphere of Norwich--should have been brought into
contact with people there and in Norfolk generally who did know Borrow
and who disliked, because they did not understand, him.

Lest it should be supposed that in writing with such warmth I am unduly
biassed in favour of Borrow I print here a letter I received concerning
that same review of Dr. Jessopp's. It is written by one who has with me
enjoyed many a delightful walk with Borrow in Richmond Park--one who knew
Borrow many years ago--long before I did--Dr. Gordon Hake's son--Mr.
Thomas St. E. Hake, the author of "Within Sound of the Weir," and other
successful novels, and a well-known writer in _Chambers's Journal_.

CRAIGMORE, BULSTRODE ROAD,
HOUNSLOW, W.
_May_ 15, 1900.

My Dear Watts-Dunton,--You will remember that when I congratulated you
upon the success of your two gypsy books I prophesied that now there
would be a boom of the gypsies: and I was right it seems. F