gments of
these will be found in Dr. Knapp's book. These show a keen intelligence,
great practicality, and common sense. George--in 1829--had asked his
brother as to joining him in Mexico. 'If the country is soon settled I
shall say "yes,"' John answers. With equal wisdom he says to his
brother, 'Do not enter the army; it is a bad spec.' In this same year,
1829, John writes to ask whether his mother and brother are 'still
living in that windy house of old King's; it gives me the rheumatism to
think of it.' In 1830 he writes to his mother that he wishes his brother
were making money. 'Neither he nor I have any luck, he works hard and
remains poor.' In February of 1831 John writes to George suggesting that
he should endeavour to procure a commission in the regiment, and in July
of the same year to try the law again:

I am convinced that your want of success in life is more owing
to your being unlike other people than to any other cause.

John, as we have seen, died in Mexico of fever. George was at St.
Petersburg working for the Bible Society when his mother writes from
Norwich to tell him the news. John had died on 22nd November 1833. 'You
are now my only hope,' she writes, '... do not grieve, my dear George.
I trust we shall all meet in heaven. Put a crape on your hat for some
time.' Had George Borrow's brother lived it might have meant very much
in his life. There might have been nephews and nieces to soften the
asperity of his later years. Who can say? Meanwhile, _Lavengro_ contains
no happier pages than those concerned with this dearly loved brother.

[Illustration: GEORGE BORROW'S BIRTHPLACE AT DUMPLING GREEN

_From a drawing by Fortunino Matania_]

FOOTNOTES:

[15] I am not able to trace more than three of John Borrow's pictures:
firstly, a portrait of George Borrow, reproduced in this book, which was
long in the possession of Mr. William Jarrold, the well-known publisher
of Norwich, and is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London,
having been purchased by the Director in 1912; secondly, the portrait of
Borrow's father in the possession of a lady at Leamington; and thirdly,
_The Judgment of Solomon_, which for a long time hung as an overmantel
in the Borrow Home in Willow Lane, Norwich. Dr. Knapp also saw in
Norwich 'A Portrait of a Gentleman,' by John Borrow. A second portrait
of George Borrow by his brother was taken by the latter to Mexico, and
has not since been heard of.

[16] _Laveng