[143] Quoted by Mr. Watts-Dunton in his introduction to “The Romany Rye”—“In Defence of Borrow” (Minerva Library).
[146] Miss Harvey related (in the Eastern Daily Press) a story of Borrow’s prowess as a swimmer and diver. He was bathing with a friend, and after he had plunged under water, nothing was seen of him for so long a time that his companion began to be alarmed. Presently, Borrow’s voice was heard from afar off, crying: “There! If that had been written in one of my books, they would have said it was a lie, wouldn’t they?”
[154] Borrow’s admiration of Irish women was comprehensive. He notes that on one of his visits to the vicarage, Berkeley’s aunt was present: “Fine old Irish lady; received me in most kind and hospitable manner.” Later, when Berkeley spent an evening at Penquite, they discussed and compared Irish and Cornish women with many illustrations of points of resemblance in vivacity and difference in character.
[166] Related by Mr. Thomas Quiller-Couch to W. C. Hazlitt.
[168] Mr. William Pollard, of Woolston, Mr. Robert Pollard, and Mrs. Edey, of Liskeard, and Mrs. Toll, of Pensilva (1908).
[174a] This is the characteristic Cornish version of the rhyme, as cited by Mr. Couch in “Folklore in a Cornish Village.” The natural rhyme (and the common version) substitutes “birth” for “death.”
[174b] He records a visit at Tremar to Henry Goodman, ninety years old, who in his boyhood had heard the Cornish language spoken. If this was true, the old tongue must have lingered in these hills after the death of Dolly Pentreath, who in the Far West was said to be the last person who spoke it. And, with regard to the dialect then current, he remarks that he “hardly understood” old Goodman. “Miss Taylor and his daughter, Ann Honeychurch, interpreted.”
[176] Miss Every’s companion on this visit was a Miss Hambly—name of ill omen! Mr. William Pollard gave me an amusing addition to Borrow’s observations. “At the beginning of last century,” said he, “things were very different from what they are now. We had no police or anything of the kind, except parish constables. Miss Hambly was a descendant of Edmund Hambly, the parish constable of Menheniot, whom George Borrow’s father fought at Menheniot Fair. He detested the name, and was as near being rude to Miss Hambly as he could be. He neglected her all the evening, while Miss Every was in great feather with him. This is her book.” It was an old edition of “The Gypsies of Spain,” in Murray’s Home and Colonial Library, with the signature “M. Every” in a fine-pointed handwriting and faded ink; the book had been kept with care; here and there it was interleaved with neat little cuttings of sentimental verses, slit from casual newspapers. It should have lain beside a Victorian jar of rose-leaves.
[179] This was the locally celebrated Pillar at Boconnoc, on “Druid’s Hill.” It is an unquestionably ancient round-headed cross, raised to its present position by modern piety.
[185] See Dr. Knapp’s transcript.