the zincali-第13章

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custom　of　Spain。











'Below　there　in　the　dusky　pass



Was　wrought　a　murder　dread；



The　murdered　fell　upon　the　grass；



Away　the　murderer　fled。'











To　many；　such　a　scene；　as　above　described；　will　appear　purely　



imaginary；　or　at　least　a　mass　of　exaggeration；　but　many　such　



anecdotes　are　related　by　old　Spanish　writers　of　these　people；　they　



traversed　the　country　in　gangs；　they　were　what　the　Spanish　law　has　



styled　Abigeos　and　Salteadores　de　Camino；　cattle…stealers　and　



highwaymen；　though；　in　the　latter　character；　they　never　rose　to　any　



considerable　eminence。　　True　it　is　that　they　would　not　hesitate　to　



attack　or　even　murder　the　unarmed　and　defenceless　traveller；　when　



they　felt　assured　of　obtaining　booty　with　little　or　no　risk　to　



themselves；　but　they　were　not　by　constitution　adapted　to　rival　



those　bold　and　daring　banditti　of　whom　so　many　terrible　anecdotes　



are　related　in　Spain　and　Italy；　and　who　have　acquired　their　renown　



by　the　dauntless　daring　which　they　have　invariably　displayed　in　the　



pursuit　of　plunder。







Besides　trafficking　in　horses　and　mules；　and　now　and　then　attacking　



and　plundering　travellers　upon　the　highway；　the　Gypsies　of　Spain　



appear；　from　a　very　early　period；　to　have　plied　occasionally　the　



trade　of　the　blacksmith；　and　to　have　worked　in　iron；　forming　rude　



implements　of　domestic　and　agricultural　use；　which　they　disposed　



of；　either　for　provisions　or　money；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　those　



places　where　they　had　taken　up　their　temporary　residence。　　As　their　



bands　were　composed　of　numerous　individuals；　there　is　no　



improbability　in　assuming　that　to　every　member　was　allotted　that　



branch　of　labour　in　which　he　was　most　calculated　to　excel。　　The　



most　important；　and　that　which　required　the　greatest　share　of　



cunning　and　address；　was　undoubtedly　that　of　the　chalan　or　jockey；　



who　frequented　the　fairs　with　the　beasts　which　he　had　obtained　by　



various　means；　but　generally　by　theft。　　Highway　robbery；　though　



occasionally　committed　by　all　jointly　or　severally；　was　probably　



the　peculiar　department　of　the　boldest　spirits　of　the　gang；　whilst　



wielding　the　hammer　and　tongs　was　abandoned　to　those　who；　though　



possessed　of　athletic　forms；　were　perhaps；　like　Vulcan；　lame；　or　



from　some　particular　cause；　moral　or　physical；　unsuited　for　the　



other　two　very　respectable　avocations。　　The　forge　was　generally　



placed　in　the　heart　of　some　mountain　abounding　in　wood；　the　gaunt　



smiths　felled　a　tree；　perhaps　with　the　very　axes　which　their　own　



sturdy　hands　had　hammered　at　a　former　period；　with　the　wood　thus　



procured　they　prepared　the　charcoal　which　their　labour　demanded。　　



Everything　is　in　readiness；　the　bellows　puff　until　the　coal　is　



excited　to　a　furious　glow；　the　metal；　hot；　pliant；　and　ductile；　is　



laid　on　the　anvil；　round　which　stands　the　Cyclop　group；　their　



hammers　upraised；　down　they　descend　successively；　one；　two；　three；　



the　sparks　are　scattered　on　every　side。　　The　sparks　…











'More　than　a　hundred　lovely　daughters　I　see　produced　at　one　time；　



fiery　as　roses：　　in　one　moment　they　expire　gracefully　



circumvolving。'　（17）











The　anvil　rings　beneath　the　thundering　stroke；　hour　succeeds　hour；　



and　still　endures　the　hard　sullen　toil。







One　of　the　most　remarkable　features　in　the　history　of　Gypsies　is　



the　striking　similarity　of　their　pursuits　in　every　region　of　the　



globe　to　which　they　have　penetrated；　they　are　not　merely　alike　in　



limb　and　in　feature；　in　the　cast　and　expression　of　the　eye；　in　the　



colour　of　the　hair；　in　their　walk　and　gait；　but　everywhere　they　



seem　to　exhibit　the　same　tendencies；　and　to　hunt　for　their　bread　by　



the　same　means；　as　if　they　were　not　of　the　human　but　rather　of　the　



animal　species；　and　in　lieu　of　reason　were　endowed　with　a　kind　of　



instinct　which　assists　them　to　a　very　limited　extent　and　no　



farther。







In　no　part　of　the　world　are　they　found　engaged　in　the　cultivation　



of　the　earth；　or　in　the　service　of　a　regular　master；　but　in　all　



lands　they　are　jockeys；　or　thieves；　or　cheats；　and　if　ever　they　



devote　themselves　to　any　toil　or　trade；　it　is　assuredly　in　every　



material　point　one　and　the　same。　　We　have　found　them　above；　in　the　



heart　of　a　wild　mountain；　hammering　iron；　and　manufacturing　from　it　



instruments　either　for　their　own　use　or　that　of　the　neighbouring　



towns　and　villages。　　They　may　be　seen　employed　in　a　similar　manner　



in　the　plains　of　Russia；　or　in　the　bosom　of　its　eternal　forests；　



and　whoever　inspects　the　site　where　a　horde　of　Gypsies　has　



encamped；　in　the　grassy　lanes　beneath　the　hazel　bushes　of　merry　



England；　is　generally　sure　to　find　relics　of　tin　and　other　metal；　



avouching　that　they　have　there　been　exercising　the　arts　of　the　



tinker　or　smith。　　Perhaps　nothing　speaks　more　forcibly　for　the　



antiquity　of　this　sect　or　caste　than　the　tenacity　with　which　they　



have　uniformly　preserved　their　peculiar　customs　since　the　period　of　



their　becoming　generally　known；　for；　unless　their　habits　had　become　



a　part　of　their　nature；　which　could　only　have　been　effected　by　a　



strict　devotion　to　them　through　a　long　succession　of　generations；　



it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　after　their　arrival　in　civilised　



Europe　they　would　have　retained　and　cherished　them　precisely　in　the　



same　manner　in　the　various　countries　where　they　found　an　asylum。







Each　band　or　family　of　the　Spanish　Gypsies　had　its　Captain；　or；　as　



he　was　generally　designated；　its　Count。　　Don　Juan　de　Quinones；　who；　



in　a　small　volume　published　in　1632；　has　written　some　details　



respecting　their　way　of　life；　says：　　'They　roam　about；　divided　into　



families　and　troops；　each　of　which　has　its　head　or　Count；　and　to　



fill　this　office　they　choose　the　most　valiant　and　courageous　



individual　amongst　them；　and　the　one　endowed　with　the　greatest　



strength。　　He　must　at　the　same　time　be　crafty　and　sagacious；　and　



adapted　in　every　respect　to　govern　them。　　It　is　he　who　settles　



their　differences　and　disputes；　even　when　they　are　residing　in　a　



place　where　there　is　a　regular　justice。　　He　heads　them　at　night　



when　they　go　out　to　plunder　the　flocks；　or　to　rob　travellers　on　the　



highway；　and　whatever　they　steal　or　plunder　they　divide　amongst　



them；　always　allowing　the　captain　a　third　part　of　the　whole。'







These　Counts；　being　elected　for　such　qualities　as　promised　to　be　



useful　to　their　troop　or　family；　were　consequently　liable　to　be　



deposed　if　at　any　time　their　conduct　was　not　calculated　to　afford　



satisfaction　to　their　subjects。　　The　office　was　not　hereditary；　and　



though　it　carried　along　with　it　partial　privileges；　was　both　



toilsome　and　dangerous。　　Should　the　plans　for　plunder；　which　it　was　



the　duty　of　the　Count　to　form；　miscarry　in　the　attempt　to　execute　



them；　should　individuals　of　the　gang　fall　into　the　hand　of　justice；　



and　the　Count　be　unable　to　devise　a　method　to　save　their　lives　or　



obtain　their　liberty；　the　blame　was　cast　at　the　Count's　door；　and　



he　was　in　considerable　danger　of　being　deprived　of　his　insignia　of　



authority；　which　consisted　not　so　much　in　ornaments　or　in　dress；　as　



in　hawks　and　hounds　with　which　the　Senor　Count　took　the　diversion　



of　hunting　when　he　thought　proper。　　As　the　ground　which　he　hunted　



over　was　not　his　own；　he　incurred　some　danger　of　coming　in　contact　



with　the　lord　of　the　soil；　attended；　perhaps；　by　his　armed　



followers。　　There　is　a　tradition　（rather　apocryphal；　it　is　true）；　



that　a　Gitano　chief；　once　pursuing　this　amusement；　was　encountered　



by　a　real　Count；　who　is　styled　Count　Pepe。　　An　engagement　ensued　



between　the　two　parties；　which　ended　in　the　Gypsies　being　worsted；　



and　their　chief　left　dying　on　the　field。　　The　slain　chief　leaves　a　



son；　who；　at　the　instigation　of　his　mother；　steals　the　infan