se
unadventurous days, be woven. The manufactured incidents of which there
are so many in "Lavengro" and "The Romany Rye," are introduced to give
colour to a web of life that strong Passion had left untinged. But why?
In order to flash upon the personality of Lavengro, and upon Lavengro's
attitude towards the universe unseen as well as seen, a light more
searching, as Borrow considered, than any picture of actual experience
could have done. In other words, to build up the truth of the character
of Lavengro, Borrow does not shrink from manipulating certain incidents
and inventing others. And when he wishes to dive very boldly into the
"abysmal deeps of personality," he speaks and moves partly behind the
mask of some fictitious character, such as the man who touched for the
evil chance, and such as the hypochondriac who taught himself Chinese to
ward off despair, but could not tell the time of day by looking at the
clock. This is not the place for me to enter more fully into this
matter, but I am looking forward to a fitting occasion of showing whether
or not "Lavengro" and "The Romany Rye" form a spiritual autobiography;
and if they do, whether that autobiography does or does not surpass every
other for absolute truth of spiritual representation. Meantime, let it
be remembered by those who object to Borrow's method that, as I have just
hinted, at the basis of his character was a deep sense of wonder. Let it
be remembered that he was led to study the first of the many languages he
taught himself--Irish--because there was, as he said, "something
mysterious and uncommon in its use." Let it be remembered that it was
this instinct of wonder, not the impulse of the mere _poseur_, that
impelled him to make certain exaggerated statements about the characters
themselves who are introduced into his books.

III. ISOPEL BERNERS.

For instance, the tall girl, Isopel Berners--the most vigorous sketch he
has given us--is perfect as she is adorable. Among heroines she stands
quite alone; there is none other that is in the least like her. Yet she
is in many of her qualities typical of a class. Among the very bravest
of all human beings in the British Islands are, or were, the nomadic
girls of the high road and the dingle. Their bravery is not only an
inherited quality: it is in every way fostered by their mode of life. No
tenderness from the men with whom they travel, either as wives or as
mistresses, do they get--no