Other editions of book Lavengro: The scholar, the gipsy, the priest

Gypsies appeared in Europe in great numbers in the 15th century. The term "Gypsy" evolved from their claim that they were Egyptian by descent. (It is now believed these itinerant Caucasoid peoples originated in India.) Who they were, what they were like, and how they lived in England are the focal points of George Borrow's 19th-century literary and anthropological classic LAVENGRO.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from Lavengro: A New Edition Containing the Unaltered Text of the Original Issue; Some Suppressed Episodes Now Printed for the First Time; Ms. Variorum, Vocabulary and Notes by the Author of the Life of George BorrowIt is my firm belief that certain individuals possess an inherent power, fascination, over certain creatures, otherwise I should be unable to accot for many feats which I have witnessed, and, indeed, borne a share in, cc nected with the taming of brutes and reptiles. I have known a savage, a vicious mare, whose stall it was dangerous to approach, even when beari provender, welcome, nevertheless, with every appearance of pleasure, uncouth, wiry-headed man, with a frightfully seamed face, and an iron ho supplying the place of his right hand, one whom the animal had never se before, playfully bite his hair and cover his face with gentle and endeari kisses; and I have already stated how a viper would permit, without reser ment, one child to take it up in his hand, whilst it showed its dislike to t approach of another by the fiercest hissings. Philosophy can explain ma] strange things, but there are some which are a far pitch above her, and tl 1s one.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In the Gypsy language, Lavengro means Master of Words. It was the pet name bestowed on George Borrow by his Gypsy friends for being such an outstanding linguist. Even so, this remarkable book is not about a teacher, but about a pupil. It describes the coming of age of an authentic genius, George Borrow himself, who by the end of his life mastered 60 languages, the mythology of a dozen nations and the literature of two thousand years. “Lavengro”, George Borrow himself maintained, “is a dream”. And so it is. Step by step it guides us through the enchanted landscapes of his childhood in the early 19th century. As a boy he wanders to every corner of the British Isles in the wake of his father’s regiment and roams freely over the windswept heath with his Gypsy friend Jasper Petulengro. We see him fail as an apprentice lawyer for being too restless and too kind-hearted. We see his stunning success as a budding linguist when taken in hand by the brilliant William Taylor. He goes to London to seek his fortune as a poet, but falls into the claws of an unscrupulous publisher, who squeezes him dry for every drop of talent. At last he escapes, and joins the road people, travelling with a cart and pony through the pristine land, living in the wilderness with Gypsies, pugilists, tinkers and postillions, horse thieves and horse dealers, and with one formidable young woman who can knock down a bull with one blow of her fist. cBy the time he reached manhood, George Borrow had become a dazzling Master of Words, not only as a linguist, but also as a writer. Lavengro itself proves the point. Woven from the strands of memory on a flawless loom of art, embroidered with the silken yarns of poetry, it possesses all the grace and beauty of a masterpiece. His descriptions of people and scenery are often unparalleled. The strength of the dialogues and the elegance of the thoughts expressed have few equals in the literature of the Victorian Age. It is, in fact, more than a dream. It is a revelation.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.