A tryste with Morfydd true I made,
’Twas not the first, in greenwood glade,
In hope to make her flee with me;
But useless all, as you will see.I went betimes, lest she should grieve,
Then came a mist at close of eve;
Wide o’er the path by which I passed,
Its mantle dim and murk it cast.
That mist ascending met the sky,
Forcing the daylight from my eye.
I scarce had strayed a furlong’s space
When of all things I lost the trace.
Where was the grove and waving grain?
Where was the mountain hill and main?* * * * *
Before me all affright and fear,
Above me darkness dense and drear,
My way at length I weary found,
Into a swaggy willow ground,
Where staring in each nook there stood
Of wry mouthed elves a wrathful brood.Full oft I sank in that false soil,
My legs were lamed with length of toil.
However hard the case may be
No meetings more in mist for me.
There is a copy of the First Edition of Wild Wales in the Library of the British Museum. The Press-mark is 10369. e. 12.
(15) [Romano Lavo-Lil: 1874]
Romano Lavo-Lil: / Word-Book of the Romany; / or, / English Gypsy Language. / With many pieces
in Gypsy, illustrative of the way of / Speaking and Thinking of the English Gypsies; / with Specimens of their Poetry, and an account of certain Gypsyries / or Places Inhabited by them, and of various things / relating to Gypsy Life in England. / By George Borrow, / Author of “Lavengro,” “The Romany Rye,” “The Gypsies of Spain,” / “The Bible in Spain,” etc. / “Can you rokra Romany? / Can you play the bosh? / Can you jal adrey the staripen? / Can you chin the cost?” / “Can you speak the Roman tongue? / Can you play the fiddle? / Can you eat the prison-loaf? / Can you cut and whittle? / London: / John Murray, Albemarle Street. / 1874.
Collation:—Crown octavo, pp. viii + 331; consisting of: Half-title (with blank reverse) pp. i–ii; Title-page, as above (with imprint “London: / Printed by William Clowes and Sons, / Stamford Street and Charing Cross” upon the centre of the reverse) pp. iii–iv; Prefatory Note regarding the Vocabulary p. v; Advertisements of five Works of George Borrow p. vi; Table of Contents pp. vii–viii; and Text pp. 1–331, including Fly-titles (each with blank reverse) to each section of the book. The reverse of p. 331 is blank. At the foot of p. 331 the imprint is repeated thus, “London: Printed by Wm. Clowes and Sons, Stamford Street / and Charing Cross.” There are head-lines throughout, each page being headed with the title of the particular subject occupying it. The signatures,
are A (a half-sheet of 4 leaves), B to X (20 sheets, each 8 leaves), Y (a half-sheet of 4 leaves), and Z (a quarter-sheet of 2 leaves).
Issued in dark blue cloth boards, with white paper back-label, lettered “Romano Lavo-Lil; / Word-Book / of / The Romany. / By / George Borrow.” The leaves measure 7¾ × 4⅞ inches. The published price was 10s. 6d.