! something like an Englishman!'

Two volumes before me show Phillips as the precursor of many of the
publishers of one-volume books of reference so plentiful in our day. _A
Million of Facts_ is one of them, and _A Chronology of Public Events
Within the Last Fifty Years from 1771 to 1821_ is another, while one of
the earliest and most refreshing guides to London and its neighbourhood
is afforded us in _A Morning Walk from London to Kew_, which first
appeared in _The Monthly Magazine_, but was reprinted in 1817 with the
name 'Sir Richard Phillips' as author on the title-page. Phillips was
now no longer a publisher. Here we have some pleasant glimpses of a
bygone era, many trite reflections, but not enough topography to make
the book one of permanent interest. It would not, in fact, be worth
reprinting.[55]

This, then, was the man to whom George Borrow presented himself in 1824.
Phillips was fifty-seven years of age. He had made a moderate fortune
and lost it, and was now enjoying another perhaps less satisfying; it
included the profits of _The Monthly Review_, repurchased after his
bankruptcy, and some rights in many of the school-books. But the great
publishing establishment in Bridge Street had long been broken up.
Borrow would have found Taylor's introduction to Phillips quite useless
had the worthy knight not at the moment been keen on a new magazine and
seen the importance of a fresh 'hack' to help to run it. Moreover, had
he not written a great book which only the Germans could appreciate,
_Twelve Essays on the Phenomena of Nature_? Here, he thought, was the
very man to produce this book in a German dress. Taylor was a thorough
German scholar, and he had vouched for the excellent German of his pupil
and friend. Hence a certain cordiality which did not win Borrow's
regard, but was probably greater than many a young man would receive
to-day from a publisher-prince upon whom he might call laden only with a
bundle of translations from the Danish and the Welsh. Here--in
_Lavengro_--is the interview between publisher and poet, with the
editor's factotum Bartlett, whom Borrow calls Taggart, as witness:

'Well, sir, what is your pleasure?' said the big man, in a
rough tone, as I stood there, looking at him wistfully--as well
I might--for upon that man, at the time of which I am speaking,
my principal, I may say my only hopes, rested.

'Sir,' said I, 'my name is So-and-so, and I am the bearer of