George Borrow

“ Not daring to attack Christian directly, whom he hated on account of his puritanical principles, he gave him a side-thrust, by making it appear that he had a brother, whom he represents as a consummate villain, though the truth is that Christian had no brother at all. The name of Christian is still held in the highest veneration in Man; and the ballad of "Brown William," which gives an account of the betrayal of the poor patriot, and the vengeance taken by the hand of God upon his murderers, is the most popular of all the wild songs of Ellan Vannin. ”

“ God crown with bliss Sir Engelbret,
He ever was so free from sin.
But now I’ll take the holy vows,
Within the cloyster under Ey;
I’ll ne’er become another’s spouse,
But in religion I will die. ”

“ He who climbed up to steal the treasure, took the cloak out of the box, intending it for himself. He gave his comrades all the money, and only wanted to keep the cloak; but they refused to give it him. Now, who do you say should have the cloak?”
The Archimandrite imagining that it was his chamberlain who was speaking to him, cried:
“Oh, how tiresome you are! People are sure to dream at night. Pray don’t trouble my rest.”
Tim was silent for a time, but no sooner had the Archimandrite fallen asleep again, than he again awoke him, crying:
“Whom is the cloak to be given to?” ”

“ On arriving at the court-yard, they went to the kitchen, and one of them said:
“Brother, I am afraid we have lost our two hundred roubles. The old beldame, Tim’s mother, is awake and up. Don’t you hear her getting the mill in order? She is going to grind. However, I will go to my sister, and ask her, as I did before, where the swine is hid; perhaps it is not in the kitchen.” ”

“ But pirate crews the land beset,
No one, no one, my grief could tell;
They slew with sword Sir Engelbret,
And nine of my fair sons as well.
My husband and my sons with brand
They slew. How I bewail their case! ”

“ So the old man, taking with him the sum of ten roubles, which he destined for the binding his son out as an apprentice, set out, leading Tim by the hand. It happened, that the first people he met were two born brothers, who maintained themselves by levying taxes on the highway, and besides being tax-gatherers were expert tailors, using their needles so adroitly, that with a stitch or two they could make for themselves a coat or mantle ”

“ After some time, they came to a house in a very great wood, where the thieves lived with a young girl who was their sister. On their arrival they took off from Tim his rough country caftan and breeches, and clothed him in habiliments of the very best quality, and regaled the old man with plenty of capital wine. So the old man, after staying an hour or two, left their dwelling quite happy and content. ”

“ The concluding part, however, in which we are told how Tim’s comrades twice stole the pig from him, and how he twice regained it, is essentially Russian and original.
THE STORY OF TIM.
In a certain village there lived an old man who had lost almost the whole of his hair, partly from age, and partly from the friction of his fur cap, which he never laid aside, either by day or night. He had a helpmeet as ancient as himself, but who differed from him in having a hump. ”

“ Quoth the other: “I would almost give up the roubles for a horse or something to carry this load of carrion for us.”
Meanwhile, Tim, leading his horse some way aside, tied it to a tree, then drawing softly nigh he began to make a jingling with the bridle and stirrups which he had taken off the horse. One of the thieves hearing the jingling said:
“Listen, brother! some horse is going about entangled in its harness.”
As Tim still continued jingling, one of them fully persuaded that there was a horse close at hand set off to catch it, whilst the other rested himself sitting close by the swine. ”

“ By this time they were excessively weary, and wishing to take some rest, they flung the swine upon the ground in a rage, and one of them said:
“What a weight! It’s enough to kill one! Yet one must not mind toiling when two hundred roubles are at stake.” ”

“ He died with great courage, and with his last breath prayed God to forgive his enemies. His body was buried, the day after his execution, in the chancel of the church of Malew, or Saint Lupus, in the neighbourhood of Castletown. ”

“ The old man thinking that music, however sweet, would never fill the belly, and that it was quite impossible to live on an empty stomach, determined to have the boy taught some trade, but ere fixing on what it should be, he deemed it expedient to consult his old woman on the subject ”