In November 1840 a tall athletic gentleman in black called upon Mr. Murray offering a MS. for perusal and publication.  George Borrow had been a travelling missionary of the Bible Society in Spain, though in early life he had prided himself on being an athlete, and had even taken lessons in pugilism from Thurtell, who was a fellow-townsman.  He was a native of Dereham, Norfolk, but had wandered much in his youth, first following his father, who was a Captain of Militia.  He went from south to north, from Kent to Edinburgh, where he was entered as pupil in the High School, and took part in the “bickers” so well described by Sir Walter Scott.  Then the boy followed the regiment to Ireland, where he studied the Celtic dialect.  From early youth he had a passion, and an extraordinary capacity, for learning languages, and on reaching manhood he was appointed agent to the Bible Society, and was sent to Russia to translate and introduce the Scriptures.  While there he mastered the language, and learnt besides the Solavonian and the gypsy dialects.  He translated the New Testament into the Tartar Mantchow, and published versions from English into thirty languages.  He made successive visits into Russia, Norway, Turkey, Bohemia, Spain and Barbary.  In fact, the sole of his foot never rested.  While an agent for the Bible Society in Spain, he translated the New Testament into Spanish, Portuguese, Romany, and Basque—­which language, it is said, the devil himself never could learn—­and when he had learnt the Basque he acquired the name of Lavengro, or word-master.

Such was George Borrow when he called upon Murray to offer him the MSS. of his first book, “The Gypsies in Spain.”  Mr. Murray could not fail to be taken at first sight with this extraordinary man.  He had a splendid physique, standing six feet two in his stockings, and he had brains as well as muscles, as his works sufficiently show.  The book now submitted was of a very uncommon character, and neither the author nor the publisher was very sanguine about its success.  Mr. Murray agreed, after perusal, to print and publish 750 copies of “The Gypsies in Spain,” and divide the profits with the author.  But this was only the beginning, and Borrow reaped much better remuneration from future editions of the volume.  Indeed, the book was exceedingly well received, and met with a considerable sale; but not so great as his next work, “The Bible in Spain,” which he was now preparing.

Mr. George Borrow to John Murray. August 23, 1841.

“A queer book will be this same ‘Bible in Spain,’ containing all my queer adventures in that queer country whilst engaged in distributing the Gospel, but neither learning, nor disquisition, fine writing, or poetry.  A book with such a Bible and of this description can scarcely fail of success.  It will make two nice foolscap octavo volumes of about 500 pages each.  I have not heard from Ford since I had last the pleasure of seeing you.  Is his book out?  I hope that he will not review the ‘Zincali’ until the Bible is forthcoming, when he may, if he please, kill two birds with one stone.  I hear from Saint Petersburg that there is a notice of the ‘Zincali’ in the Revue Britannique; it has been translated into Russian.  Do you know anything about it?”