Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society

These letters reveal a restless scholar‑missionary juggling the demands of faith, language and culture. Borrow writes from Norwich to the British and Foreign Bible Society, championing his fledgling study of the Manchu tongue while critiquing a recent Gospel translation for its overly Greek‑laden phrasing. His lively remarks about the challenges of rendering “prophet” and “angel” into a language so distant from English showcase both his linguistic curiosity and his sharp wit.

Beyond the technical debates, the correspondence offers a glimpse into the broader world Borrow inhabited—tales of Mexican dialects, the colorful Gypsy community, and the practical hurdles of 19th‑century mail. The tone is earnest yet playful, as he petitions for grammar books, negotiates with fellow missionaries, and brims with a genuine desire to make scripture accessible across continents. Listeners will feel the pulse of an era where scholarship and evangelism marched together, driven by one man’s zeal to bridge cultures.