BORROW, GEORGE (1803-1881).—­Philologist and miscellaneous author, and traveller, b. at East Dereham, Norfolk, s. of a recruiting officer, had a somewhat wandering childhood.  He received most of his education in Edin., and showed a peculiar talent for acquiring languages.  After being for a short time in the office of a solicitor in Norwich, he travelled widely on the Continent and in the East, acquainting himself with the people and languages of the various countries he visited.  He specially attached himself to the Gipsies, with whose language he became so familiar as to pub. a dictionary of it.  His learning was shown by his publishing at St. Petersburg Targum, a work containing translations from 30 languages.  B. became a travelling agent of the Bible Society, and his book, The Bible in Spain (1843), giving an account of his remarkable adventures in that country, made his literary reputation.  It was followed by Lavengro (1851), and its sequel, Romany Rye (1857), and Wild Wales (1862), which, though works of originality and extreme interest, and now perhaps his most popular books, were received with less public favour.  The two first give a highly coloured picture of his own story.  He translated the New Testament into Manchu.  In his latter years he settled at Oulton Broad, Norfolk, where he d. B. was a man of striking appearance and great vigour and originality of character and mind.  His writings hold a unique place in English literature.

BOSTON, THOMAS (1677-1732).—­Scottish divine, was successively schoolmaster at Glencairn, and minister of Simprin in Berwickshire, and Ettrick in Selkirkshire.  In addition to his best-known work, The Fourfold State, one of the religious classics of Scotland, he wrote an original little book, The Crook in the Lot, and a learned treatise on the Hebrew points.  He also took a leading part in the Courts of the Church in what was known as the “Marrow Controversy,” regarding the merits of an English work, The Marrow of Modern Divinity, which he defended against the attacks of the “Moderate” party in the Church.  B., if unduly introspective, was a man of singular piety and amiability.  His autobiography is an interesting record of Scottish life, full of sincerity and tenderness, and not devoid of humorous touches, intentional and otherwise.

BOSWELL, SIR ALEXANDER (1775-1822).—­Antiquary and song writer, s. of James B., of Auchinleck, Johnson’s biographer, was interested in old Scottish authors, some of whose works he reprinted at his private press.  He wrote some popular Scotch songs, of which Jenny’s Bawbee and Jenny dang the Weaver are the best known.  B. d. in a duel with Mr. Stuart of Dunearn.