of missionary work for Borrow in the Chinese
Empire; but on 1st June 1835 he wrote to say that the Russian
Government, solicitous of maintaining good relations with China, would
not grant him a passport across Siberia except on the condition that he
carried not one single Manchu Bible thither.[110] And so Borrow's dreams
were left unfulfilled. He was never to see China or the farther East,
although, because he was a dreamer and like his hero, Defoe, a bit of a
liar, he often said he had. In September 1835 he was back in England
awaiting in his mother's home in Norwich further commissions from his
friends of the Bible Society.

* * * * *

Work on the Manchu New Testament did not entirely absorb Borrow's
activities in St. Petersburg. He seems to have made a proposition to
another organisation, as the following letter indicates. The proposal
does not appear to have borne any fruit:

PRAYER BOOK AND HOMILY SOCIETY,
NO. 4 EXETER HALL, LONDON, _January 16th, 1835._

SIR,--Your letters dated July and November 17, 1834, and
addressed to the Rev. F. Cunningham, have been laid before the
Committee of the Prayer Book and Homily Society, who have
agreed to print the translation of the first three Homilies
into the Russian language at St. Petersburg, under the
direction of Mr. and Mrs. Biller, so soon as they shall have
caused the translation to undergo a thorough revision, and
shall have certified the same to this Society. I write by this
post to Mrs. Biller on the subject. In respect to the second
Homily in Manchu, if we rightly understand your statement, an
edition of five hundred copies may be sent forth, the whole
expense of which, including paper and printing, will amount to
about L12. If we are correct in this the Committee are willing
to bear the expense of five hundred copies, by way of trial,
their wish being this, viz.: that printed copies should be put
into the hands of the most competent persons, who shall be
invited to offer such remarks on the translation as shall seem
desirable; especially that Dr. Morrison of Canton should be
requested to submit copies to the inspection of Manchu scholars
as he shall think fit. When the translation has been thoroughly
revised the Committee will consider the propriety of printing a
larger edition. They think