was selected by the master
as the boy to "horse" Borrow while he was undergoing corporal punishment.
Probably the proceeding was quite as distasteful to the young Martineau
as to the scapegrace. But Borrow never forgot the incident nor forgave
the compulsory participator in his degradation. And years afterwards he
declined to attend a social function when he had ascertained that
Martineau would be there, making a point of deliberately avoiding him.
Another instance this of the morbid egotism of the man.

Where, however, no whim or caprice stood in the way, Borrow reminds one
of the man who knows as soon as he has tapped the earth with the
"divining rod" whether or no there is water there. Directly he saw a man
he could tell by instinct whether there was stuff of interest there; and
he knew how to elicit it. And never is he more successful than when
dealing with the "powerful, uneducated man." Consequently, no portion of
his writings are more fascinating than when he has to deal with such
figures. Who can forget his delightful pictures of the gypsy--"Mr.
Petulengro"? Especially the famous meeting in _Lavengro_, when he and
the narrator discourse on death.

"'Life is sweet, brother.'

"'Do you think so?'

"'Think so! There's night and day, brother, both sweet things; sun,
moon, and stars, brother, all sweet things; there's likewise a wind
on the heath. Life is very sweet, brother. Who would wish to die?'

"'I would wish to die.'

"'You talk like a Gorgio--which is the same as talking like a
fool--were you a Romany chal you would talk wiser. Wish to die
indeed! A Romany chal would wish to live for ever.'

"'In sickness, Jasper?'

"'There's the sun and stars, brother.'

"'In blindness, Jasper?'

"'There's the wind on the heath, brother; if I could only feel that,
I would gladly live for ever. Dosta, we'll now go to the tents and
put on the gloves; and I'll try to make you feel what a sweet thing
it is to be alive.'"

Then again there is the inimitable ostler in _The Romany Rye_, whose talk
exhales what Borrow would call "the wholesome smell of the stable." His
wonderful harangues (Borrovized to a less extent than usual) have all the
fine, breathless garrulity of this breed of man, and his unique discourse
on "how to manage a horse on a journey" occupies a delightful chapter.
Here are the opening sentences:--

"'When you are a g