mpass also--then he will
talk Iliads of adventures even better than his printed ones. He cannot
abide those amateur pedestrians who saunter, and in his chair he is
given to groan and be contradictory. But on Newmarket Heath, in Rougham
Woods, he is at home, and specially when he meets with a thorough
vagabond like your present correspondent.'

In June 1874 FitzGerald writes to Donne:

'I saw in some _Athenaeum_ a somewhat contemptuous notice of G. B.'s
_Rommany Lil_ or whatever the name is. I can easily understand that B.
should not meddle with _science_ of any sort; but some years ago he
would not have liked to be told so; however, old age may have cooled him
now.'

[218] Mr. Robert Cooke was a partner in John Murray's firm at this time.

[219] It is to be found in Dr. Knapp's _Life_, vol. ii. pp. 248-9.

[220] I have a copy of FitzGerald's.

[221] Dr. Aldis Wright tells me that he did go over to Oulton to see
Mrs. MacOubrey, and gave her the best advice he could, but it was
neglected.

CHAPTER XXXII

_WILD WALES_

The year 1854 was an adventurous one in Borrow's life, for he, so
essentially a Celt, as Mr. Watts-Dunton has more than once reminded
us,[222] had in that year two interesting experiences of the 'Celtic
Fringe.' He spent the first months of the year in Cornwall, as we have
seen, and from July to November he was in Wales. That tour he recorded
in pencilled notebooks, four of which are in the Knapp Collection in New
York, and are duly referred to in Dr. Knapp's biography, and two of
which are in my possession. In addition to this I have the complete
manuscript of _Wild Wales_ in Borrow's handwriting, and many variants of
it in countless, carefully written pages. Therein lie the possibilities
of a singularly interesting edition of _Wild Wales_ should opportunity
offer for its publication. When I examine the manuscript, with its
demonstration of careful preparation, I do not wonder that it took
Borrow eight years--from 1854 to 1862--to prepare this book for the
press. Assuredly we recognise here, as in all his books, that he
realised Carlyle's definition of genius--'the transcendent capacity of
taking trouble--first of all.'

[Illustration: _WILD WALES_ IN ITS BEGINNINGS.

Two pages from one of George Borrow's Pocket-books with pencilled notes
made on his journey through Wales.]

It was on 27th July 1854 that Borrow, his wife and her daughter,
Henrietta Clarke, set out on their journey to