George Borrow to John Murray junior, 31 December 1842: 'With respect to the critique [of his The Bible in Spain] in the Times, I fully agree with you that it was harsh and unjust, and the passages selected by no means calculated to afford a fair idea of the contents of the work. A book, however, like "The Bible in Spain" can scarcely be published without exciting considerable hostility, and I have been so long accustomed to receiving hard knocks that they make no impression upon me. After all, the abuse of the Times is better than its silence; it would scarcely have attacked the work unless it thought it of some importance, and so the public will think [...] You ask me my opinion of the review in the Quarterly. Very good, very clever, very neatly done. Only one fault to find -- too laudatory. I am by no means the person which the reviewer had the kindness to represent me [sic].'