I believe that nearly all the books that he handled came from the Norwich library, and when Mrs.
Borrow wrote to her elder son to say that George was working hard, as we may fairly assume, from the reply quoted, that she did, she was recalling this laborious work at translation that must have gone on for years.

We have seen the first fruit in the translation from the German--or possibly from the French--of Klinger's _Faustus_; we have seen it in _Romantic Ballads_ from the Danish, the Irish, and the Swedish.

Now there really seemed a chance of a more prosperous utilisation of his gift, for Borrow had found a zealous friend who was prepared to go forward with him in this work of giving to the English public translations from the literatures of the northern nations.

This friend was Dr.John Bowring, who made a very substantial reputation in his day.
Bowring has told his own story in a volume of _Autobiographical Recollections_,[85] a singularly dull book for a man whose career was at once so varied and so full of interest.

He was born at Exeter in 1792 of an old Devonshire family, and entered a merchant's office in his native city on leaving school.