noted, not only for his pedestrian feats and athletic strength, but for his extensive knowledge of languages. On his desk, Ab Gwylyyon lay among his lawbooks; his early knowledge of spoken Irish had developed into an accurate acquaintance with the rarely-studied Celtic languages. In 1821 William Taylor wrote to his friend Southey: "A Norwich young man is construing with me Schiller's William Tell, with the view of translating it for the press. His name is George Henry Borrow, and he has learned German with extraordinary rapidity. Indeed, he has the gift of tongues, and though not yet eighteen understands twelve languages—English, Welsh, Erse, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German, Danish, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. He would like to get into the office for foreign affairs, but does not know how;" for in those days the "competitive system" had not come into force. William Taylor liked to be surrounded by young men, and to instil into them his own peculiar opinions. No doubt he endeavoured to teach his young protége other things than German. It is not difficult to discern the traces of his influence in Mr. Borrow's earliest book, published anonymously, and not included by himself in any list of his acknowledged works—"Faustus, his Life, Death, and Descent into Hell," London, 1828, and professing to be translated from the German. Admirers of Mr. Borrow's writings will not linger over this wild crude work, which was succeeded in the following year by another much more creditable to its author—"Romantic Ballads, translated from the Danish," &c., Norwich, 1826. These have been highly praised by competent critics for their veracity as translations, not sacrificing the rude strength and harmony of the Norse originals to the modern demand for polish of expression and smoothness of rhythm.
The death of Captain Borrow seems to have occurred about this period, when his son's term of indenture, too, was on the point of expiring. With a knowledge of languages for his chief capital, Mr. Borrow, bidding adieu to Norwich and the law, repaired to the great metropolis to become an author by profession. He took with him an introduction from William Taylor to the once celebrated, but now almost forgotten, Sir Richard Philips, undoubtedly the original of the vegetarian publisher, sketched at the opening of the second volume of "Lavengro." Of Mr. Borrow's literary trials, sufferings, and achievements, of his desertion of London and literature, of his subsequent wanderings in England as tinker, gipsy, postillion, ostler, a half-authentic, half-fanciful account will be found in "Lavengro," and its continuation, "Rommany Rye." After the series of events recorded in the latter, began Mr. Borrow's continental wanderings. Mostly on foot, he traversed some of the chief countries of the continent—France, Italy, Austria, Russia. He was in Paris during "the three days," watching in the streets the overturn of the Bourbon dynasty. Two or three years later he is at St. Petersburg, presiding over the translation of the bible into Mandschu-Tartar, and dating his departure from the Russian capital by the publication of a little-known work—"Targum, or metrical translations from thirty languages and dialects," St. Petersburg, 1835. Scarcely returned from Russia to England, he accepted from the Bible Society a mission to the Iberian peninsula, which occupied him for five years, and is admirably described in his well-known work. On his return to England once more, he withdrew into a rural solitude, which was fruitful to him of fame. There he prepared, and thence in 1841 he launched "The Zincali, or an account of the Gipsies of Spain, with an original collection of their songs and poetry, and a copious dictionary of their language," which was followed two years later by the publication of "The Bible in Spain." "The Zincali," by its unique information respecting the language, habits, and origin of a race, which is to other races' what Japan is to other countries of the earth; "The Bible in Spain," by its graphic pictures of life, high, middle, and low, in the byways as well as the highways of the land of Gil Blas; and both books, by their exhibition of the original and adventurous character of their author,—took the reading world by storm. They passed rapidly through several editions, and the raciness of their style, added to the interest of their contents, at once placed Mr. Borrow in the foremost rank among the popular writers of the age. Public expectation, wound up to a high pitch by repeated announcements, was, however, rather disappointed on the publication, in 1851, of "Lavengro, an autobiography," written principally in 1843, and completed so early as 1846. In this work, and in its sequel, "Rommany Rye," London, 1857, Mr. Borrow has interwoven, with a small portion of his own early biography, too large a mass of disquisition and dialogue for the popular taste. More adventure and autobiography were anticipated, and a certain disappointment has been the result. Mr. Borrow's published works give but an imperfect notion of his literary activity. Apart from autobiography, he has at least seventeen volumes in readiness for the press, including treatises on Celtic poetry, the people and language or Wales and Cornwall, the literature of the Isle of Man, translations from the Cambrian British, from the old Norse, from the popular tales of Russia, and the jest-books of Turkey. Mr. Borrow is married to a Norfolk lady, and lives in studious retirement at Great Yarmouth in his native county; his tall form, crowned for many years with hair prematurely white, being occasionally seen in the metropolitan thoroughfares, and specially in the library of the British Museum.—(Works passim; Robberd's Memoirs of William Taylor of Norwich, London, 1843; Original Information.—F. E.
BORSUM, Adam van, a Dutch painter, who painted animals with landscapes in the manner of Vanderneer and Paul Potter. "His colouring is natural," says Pilkington, "his touch firm and open." He lived about 1666.—W. T.
BORU, Brian, one of the most distinguished of the native monarchs of Ireland, was born in the year 926. He was a younger son of Kennedy, king of Munster, at whose death the sovereignty of that territory devolved upon Mahon, his eldest son. At this time Brian was thirty-four years of age; but he had long since attained a high reputation for valour and judgment, having signalized himself by his active and enterprising spirit, and by bold and adventurous exploits. He soon found himself at the head of the bravest youths of his native province, and with his little band of followers rendered many important services to his brother, especially against the hordes of plunderers that infested the forest retreats and mountain passes of Munster. The annals of the period do not always afford very clear or very reliable information; but some well-authenticated facts exist in proof of the valour and ability of Brian at this time. On one occasion, with his body of brave Dalcassians, he charged a strong detachment of Danes of Limerick with such rapid impetuosity that they were routed with the loss of half their number, a success which resulted in the total overthrow of the Danes, who lost 3000 men upon the field of battle, and fled to Limerick. Thither the victors followed them, and despoiled the city. Upon the death of Mahon, who was perfidiously decoyed and murdered by Maolmua, a neighbouring chief, Brian, who had been for some time chief of Thomond, ascended the throne of Munster. His first step was to revenge his brother; and, accordingly, collecting a large force, he followed Maolmua into the recesses of the mountain district, where he had withdrawn in the belief that his position was impregnable. But the caution, skill, and daring of Brian were superior to all obstacles. He first intercepted and defeated a strong body of Danes who were marching to the aid of his enemy, and then, rapidly turning his steps, he came unexpectedly on Maolmua, whom he surprised close to the spot where Mahon had been murdered; and there Morough, the son of Brian, avenged his uncle and won his first fame by slaying with his own hand the perfidious Maolmua. The enemy were totally routed with great slaughter. Brian's next achievement was against the Danes, who had taken possession of the island of Iniscathy in the Shannon. Landing with twelve hundred Dalcassians, he succeeded, after a fierce struggle, in clearing the island of the enemy, though assisted by a strong detachment of their countrymen from Limerick, and followed up his victory by expelling the Danes from their strongholds in the neighbouring islands. About the year 980 a strong confederacy was formed by the Danes of Decies, Cork, and Waterford, with the chief of Ossory, for the purpose of resisting a tribute which had been for some time levied by the kings of Munster. Brian, with his usual promptness and daring anticipated their measures, and invaded Leinster with an overwhelming force; he utterly routed the combined armies, devastated their territories, and carried away a large amount of spoil, and compelled them to give hostages for their future submission. Brian now indulged in a higher ambition than that of being a mere toparch. He entertained views of becoming the supreme sovereign of the kingdom. The throne of Ireland was at the time occupied by Malachy, who in the year 978 had distinguished himself by the splendid victory of Tara. This prince had invaded the Dalcassian territory on more than one occasion.
