The Pocket George Borrow | Page 2

in Spain Francis Ardry and myself . . .
Romany Rye After a slight breakfast . . . . Romany Rye I did not like
reviewing . . . . Lavengro A lad, who twenty tongues can talk . . .
Romantic Ballads "He is a great fool" . . . Romany Rye I informed the
landlord . . . Romany Rye "When you are a gentleman" . . . Romany
Rye I was bidding him farewell . . . Romany Rye At the dead hour of
night . . . Lavengro I should say . . . Lavengro To the generality of
mankind . . . Lavengro I cannot help thinking . . . Lavengro O,

Cheapside! . . . Lavengro Oh, that ride! . . . Lavengro Of one thing I am
certain . . . Lavengro My curiosity . . . Bible in Spain The morning of
the fifth of November . . . Wild Wales "Good are the horses of the
Moslems" . . . Bible in Spain "The burra," I replied . . . Bible in Spain I
was standing on the castle hill . . . Lavengro In Spain I passed five
years . . . Bible in Spain On the afternoon of the 6th of December . . .
Bible in Spain I know of few things . . . Bible in Spain It was not
without reason . . . Bible in Spain Apropos of bull-fighters . . . Bible in
Spain The waiter drew the cork . . . Romany Rye Leaving the bridge . . .
Lavengro I went to Belle's habitation . . . Romany Rye I found Belle
seated by a fire . . . Lavengro I put some fresh wood on the fire . . .
Lavengro After ordering dinner . . . Wild Wales The strength of the
ox . . . The Targum I began to think . . . Romany Rye On I went . . .
Romany Rye As I was gazing . . . Wild Wales "Pray, gentleman, walk
in!" . . . Wild Wales Now, real Republicanism . . . Romany Rye "Does
your honour remember?" . . . Wild Wales I was the last of the file . . .
Wild Wales For dinner . . . Wild Wales Came to Tregeiriog . . . Wild
Wales The name "Pump Saint" . . . Wild Wales After the days of the
great persecution . . . Zincali

GEORGE BORROW SELECTED PASSAGES
It is very possible that the reader during his country walks or rides has
observed, on coming to four cross-roads, two or three handfuls of grass
lying at a small distance from each other down one of these roads;
perhaps he may have supposed that this grass was recently plucked
from the roadside by frolicsome children, and flung upon the ground in
sport, and this may possibly have been the case; it is ten chances to one,
however, that no children's hands plucked them, but that they were
strewed in this manner by Gypsies, for the purpose of informing any of
their companions, who might be straggling behind, the route which
they had taken; this is one form of the patteran or trail. It is likely, too,
that the gorgio reader may have seen a cross drawn at the entrance of a
road, the long part or stem of it pointing down that particular road, and
he may have thought nothing of it, or have supposed that some
sauntering individual like himself had made the mark with his stick: not

so, courteous gorgio; ley tiro solloholomus opre lesti, you may take
your oath upon it that it was drawn by a Gypsy finger, for that mark is
another of the Rommany trails; there is no mistake in this. Once in the
south of France, when I was weary, hungry, and penniless, I observed
one of these last patterans, and following the direction pointed out,
arrived at the resting-place of 'certain Bohemians,' by whom I was
received with kindness and hospitality, on the faith of no other word of
recommendation than patteran. There is also another kind of patteran,
which is more particularly adapted for the night; it is a cleft stick stuck
at the side of the road, close by the hedge, with a little arm in the cleft
pointing down the road which the band have taken, in the manner of a
signpost; any stragglers who may arrive at night where cross-roads
occur search for this patteran on the left-hand side, and speedily rejoin
their companions.
By following these patterans, or trails, the first Gypsies on their way to
Europe never lost each other, though wandering amidst horrid
wildernesses and dreary denies. Rommany matters have always had a
peculiar