The early childhood of George Borrow was spent in stirring times.
Without, there was the menace of Napoleon's invasion; within, every
effort was being made to meet and repel it. Dumouriez was preparing
his great scheme of defence; Captain Thomas Borrow was doing his
utmost to collect and drill men to help in carrying it into effect.
Sometimes the family were in lodgings; but more frequently in
barracks, for reasons of economy. Once, at least, they lived under
canvas.

The strange and puzzling child continued to impress his parents in a
manner well-calculated to alarm them. One day, with a cry of
delight, he seized a viper that, "like a line of golden light," was
moving across the lane in which he was playing. Whilst making no
effort to harm the child, who held and regarded it with awe and
admiration, the reptile showed its displeasure towards John, his
brother, by hissing and raising its head as if to strike. This
happened when George was between two and three years of age. At
about the same period he ate largely of some poisonous berries, which
resulted in "strong convulsions," lasting for several hours. He
seems to have been a source of constant anxiety to his parents, who
were utterly unable to understand the strange and gloomy child who
had been vouchsafed to them by the inscrutable decree of providence.

In the middle of the year 1809 the regiment returned from Essex to
Norfolk, marching first to Norwich and thence to other towns in the
county. Captain Borrow and his family took up their quarters once
more at Dereham. George was now six years old, acutely observant of
the things that interested him, but reluctant to proceed with studies
which, in his eyes, seemed to have nothing to recommend them. Books