Transcribed from the 1911 John Murray edition, ,
LAVENGRO
THE SCHOLAR, THE GYPSY,
THE PRIEST
BY GEORGE BORROW
a new editioncontaining the unaltered text
of the original issue; some suppressed
episodes, ms.variorum, vocabulary
and notes by the author of
the life of george borrow
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1911
p. ivFirst Edition . . . 1851
Second Edition . . . ----
Third Edition . . . 1872
Fourth Edition . . . 1888
Fifth Edition . . . 1896
Sixth (Definitive) Edition . . . 6/-March, 1900
Reprinted . . . July, 1902
Reprinted . . . May, 1904
Reprinted . . . Thin Paper . Aug., 1905
Reprinted . . . 6/- . Jan., 1907
Reprinted . . . Sept., 1907
Reprinted . . . 2/6 net . Sept., 1907
Reprinted . . . Thin Paper . June 1908
Reprinted . . . 1/- net . Feb., 1911
LAVENGRO;
THE SCHOLAR—THEGYPSY—THE PRIEST.
ByGEORGE BORROW,
author of “the bible in spain” and “the gypsiesof spain”
IN THREE VOLUMES—VOL. I.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1851.
p.viADVERTISEMENT. (1851.)
In compliance with the advice of certain friends who aredesirous that it may not be supposed that the following work hasbeen written expressly for the present times, the author begsleave to state that it was planned in the year 1842, and all thecharacters sketched before the conclusion of the year 1843. The contents of the volumes here offered to the public have, withthe exception of the Preface, existed in manuscript for a veryconsiderable time.
p. viiPREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. (1851.)
In the following pages I have endeavoured to describe a dream,partly of study, partly of adventure, in which will be foundcopious notices of books, and many descriptions of life andmanners, some in a very unusual form.
The scenes of action lie in the British Islands. Pray benot displeased, gentle reader, if perchance thou hast imaginedthat I was about to conduct thee to distant lands, and didstpromise thyself much instruction and entertainment from what Imight tell thee of them. I do assure thee that thou hast noreason to be displeased, inasmuch as there are no countries inthe world less known by the British than these selfsame