Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible SocietyBorrow, George
Religion
Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society
Borrow, George
Authors, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence; British and Foreign Bible Society; English letters
(_Endorsed_: recd. Dec. 2, 1837)
MADRID, No. 16 CALLE ST. IAGO PISO 3RO.
_Novr._ 20, 1837.
REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--On the other side you have an account of the money
which I expended during my journey, and also of what I have laid out in
the Society's service since my return. In respect to my expenses, I wish
to state that most articles are very dear in Spain, especially in the
parts where I have travelled, and that I have been subjected to many
expenses which I have not specified in the account, for example the
gate-dues for the books, in every town where I have introduced them--the
printing of advertisements--and particularly farriers' bills, as the poor
horses were continually ailing from over-work, bad provender and falls
received amongst the mountains. In the account of Testaments sold you
will observe that I make no mention of by far the greater number, namely
those disposed of at Lugo, Saint James, etc., etc., as I have not yet
received the money from the booksellers. About a week since I received
advice from Leon that the forty copies which I had left there had been
all sold, and that the money was in readiness; I have despatched a fresh
supply of fifty to that important town, where last summer I nearly lost
my life in a burning fever. I am expecting every day a fresh order from
Salamanca, and hope that, as the circle widens in the lake into which a
stripling has cast a pebble, so will the circle of our usefulness
continue widening until it has embraced the whole vast region of Spain.
I have delayed writing for nearly a fortnight, as during that period I
have been looking out for a suitable shop in which to commence operations
in Madrid. I have just found one quite to my mind, situated in the
_Calle del Principe_, one of the principal streets. The rent, it is
true, is rather high (eight _reals_ per diem); but a good situation, as
you are well aware, must be paid for. I came to the resolution of
establishing a shop from finding that the Madrid booksellers entrusted
with the Testaments gave themselves no manner of trouble to secure the
sale, and even withheld advertisements from the public with which they
were supplied. But now everything will be on another footing, and I have
sanguine hopes of selling all that remain of the edition within a short
time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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