These encouraging words were followed by a request that he would keep a careful account of all extraordinary expenses, that they might be duly met by the Society:—
“I allude, you perceive, to such things,” the letter goes on to explain, “as your journies huc et illuc in quest of a better market, and to the occasional bribes to disheartened workmen. In all matters of this kind the Society is clearly your debtor.” Borrow replied with a flash of his old independent spirit: “I return my most grateful thanks for this most considerate intimation, which, nevertheless, I cannot avail myself of, as, according to one of the articles of my agreement, my salary of £200 was to cover all extra expenses. Petersburg is doubtless the dearest capital in Europe, and expenses meet an individual, especially one situated as I have been, at every turn and corner; but an agreement is not to be broken on that account.” [136]
That the Committee, even before this proof of his ability, had been well pleased with their engagement of Borrow is shown by the acknowledgment made in the Society’s Thirtieth Annual Report: “Mr Borrow has not disappointed the expectation entertained.”
There were other words of encouragement to cheer him in his labours. His mother wrote in September of that year, telling him how, at a Bible Society’s gathering at Norwich, which had lasted the whole of a week, his name “was sounded through the Hall by Mr Gurney and Mr Cunningham”; telling how he had left his home and his friends to do God’s work in a foreign land, calling upon their fellow-citizens to offer up prayers beseeching the Almighty to vouchsafe to him health and strength that the great work he had undertaken might be completed. “All this is very pleasing to me,” added the proud old lady. “God bless you!”
From Mrs Clarke of Oulton Hall, with whom he kept up a correspondence, he heard how his name had been mentioned at many of the Society’s meetings during the year, and how the Rev. Francis Cunningham had referred to him as “one of the most extraordinary and interesting individuals of the present day.” Even at that date, viz., before the receipt of the remarkable account of his labours, the members and officials of the Bible Society seem to have come to the conclusion that he had achieved far more than they had any reason to expect of him. Their subsequent approval is shown by the manner in which they caused his two letters of 8th/20th and 13th/25th October to be circulated among the influential members of the Society, until at last they had reached the Rev. F. Cunningham and Mrs Clarke.
About the middle of January (old style) 1835, Borrow placed in the hands of Baron Schilling a copy of each of the four Gospels in Manchu, to be conveyed to the Bible Society by one of the couriers attached to the Foreign Department at St Petersburg; but they did not reach Earl Street until several weeks later. There were however, still the remaining four volumes to complete, and many more difficulties to overcome.
One vexation that presented itself was a difference of opinion between Borrow and Lipovzoff, who “thought proper, when the Father Almighty is addressed, to erase the personal and possessive pronouns thou or thine, as often as they occur, and in their stead to make use of the noun as the case may require. For example, ‘O Father! thou art merciful’ he would render, ‘O Father! the Father is merciful.’” Borrow protested, but Lipovzoff, who was “a gentleman, whom the slightest contradiction never fails to incense to a most incredible degree,” told him that he talked nonsense, and refused to concede anything. [138a] Lipovzoff, who had on his side the Chinese scholars and unlimited powers as official censor (from whose decree there was no appeal) over his own work, carried his point. He urged that “amongst the Chinese and Tartars, none but the dregs of society were ever addressed in the second person; and that it would be most uncouth and indecent to speak of the Almighty as if He were a servant or a slave.” This difficulty of the verbal ornament of the East was one that the Bible Society had frequently met with in the past. It was rightly considered as ill-fitting a translation of the words of Christ. Simplicity of diction was to be preserved at all costs, whatever might be the rule with secular books. Mr Jowett had warned Borrow to “beware of confounding the two distinct ideas of translation and interpretation!” [138b] and also informed him that “the passion for honorific-abilitudinity is a vice of Asiatic languages, which a Scripture translator, above all others, ought to beware of countenancing.” [139a]
Well might Borrow write to Mr Jowett, “How I have been enabled to maintain terms of friendship and familiarity with Mr Lipovzoff, and yet fulfil the part which those who employ me expect me to fulfil, I am much at a loss to conjecture; and yet such is really the case.” [139b] On the whole, however, the two men worked harmoniously together, the censor-translator being usually amenable to editorial reason and suggestion; and Borrow was able to assure Mr Jowett that with the exception of this one instance “the word of God has been rendered into Manchu as nearly and closely as the idiom of a very singular language would permit.”
Borrow’s mind continued to dwell upon the project of penetrating into China and distributing the Scriptures himself. He wrote again, repeating “the assurance that I am ready to attempt anything which the Society may wish me to execute, and, at a moment’s warning, will direct my course towards Canton, Pekin, or the court of the Grand Lama.” [139c] The project had, however, to be abandoned. The Russian Government, desirous of maintaining friendly relations with China, declined to risk her displeasure for a missionary project in which Russia had neither interest nor reasonable expectation of gain. In agreeing to issue a passport such as Borrow desired, it stipulated that he should carry with him “not one single Manchu Bible thither.” [139d] In spite of this discouragement, Borrow wrote to Mr Jowett with regard to the Chinese programme, “I again repeat that I am at command.” [139e]
This determination on Borrow’s part to become a missionary filled his mother with alarm. She had only one son now, and the very thought of his going into wild and unknown regions seemed to her tantamount to his going to his death. Mrs Clarke also expressed strong disapproval of the project. “I must tell you,” she wrote, “that your letter chilled me when I read your intention of going as a Missionary or Agent, with the Manchu Scriptures in your hand, to the Tartars, the land of incalculable dangers.”