George Borrow - The Man and His Books by Edward Thomas
page 260 of 365 (71%)
page 260 of 365 (71%)
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"'And why not cuckoos, brother?' "'You should not talk so, Jasper; what you say is little short of blasphemy. How should a bird have a soul?' "'And how should a man?' "'Oh, we know very well that a man has a soul.' "'How do you know it?' "'We know very well.' "'Would you take your oath of it, brother--your bodily oath?' "'Why, I think I might, Jasper!'" There is no doubt that Borrow liked a strong or an extraordinary man none the less for being a scoundrel. There is equally little doubt that he never demeaned himself with the lower orders. He never pretended, and was seldom taken, to be one of themselves. His attitude differed in degree, but not in kind, from that of a frank, free squire or parson towards keepers, fishermen or labourers. And if he did not drink and swear on an equality with them, neither did he crankily worship them as Fitzgerald did "Posh," the fisherman. They respected him--at least so he tells us--and he never gives himself away to any other effect--because he was honest, courageous and fair. Thus he never gave cause for suspicion as a man does who throws off the cloak of class, and he was probably as interesting to them as they to him. Nor did his refusal to adopt their |
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