would have preferred ruin to breaking it." {31a}

Fortunately for Borrow there was at the Norwich Guildhall a valuable
library consisting of a large number of ancient folios written in
many languages. "Amidst the dust and cobwebs of the Corporation
Library" he studied earnestly and, with a fine disregard for a
librarian's feelings, annotated some of the volumes, his marginalia
existing to this day. One of his favourite works was the Danica
Literatura Antiquissima of Olaus Wormius, 1636, which inspired him
with the idea of adopting the name Olaus, his subsequent
contributions to The New Magazine being signed George Olaus Borrow.

Whilst Borrow was striving to learn languages and avoid the law,
{31b} the question of his brother's career was seriously occupying
the mind of their father. Borrow loved and admired his brother.
There is sincerity in all he writes concerning John, and there is
something of nobility about the way in which he tells of his father's
preference for him. "Who," he asks, "cannot excuse the honest pride
of the old man--the stout old man?" {31c}

The Peace had closed to John Borrow the army as a profession, and he
had devoted himself assiduously to his art. Under Crome the elder he
had made considerable progress, and had exhibited a number of
pictures at the yearly exhibitions of the Norwich Society of Artists.
He continued to study with Crome until the artist's death (22nd April
1821), when a new master had to be sought. With his father's
blessing and 150 pounds he proceeded to London, where he remained for
more than a year studying with B. R. Haydon. {32a} Later he went to
Paris to copy Old Masters.