贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the zincali >

第14章

the zincali-第14章

小说: the zincali 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!





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



son; who; at the instigation of his mother; steals the infant heir 



of his father's enemy; who; reared up amongst the Gypsies; becomes 



a chief; and; in process of time; hunting over the same ground; 



slays Count Pepe in the very spot where the blood of the Gypsy had 



been poured out。  This tradition is alluded to in the following 



stanza:…











'I have a gallant mare in stall;



My mother gave that mare



That I might seek Count Pepe's hall



And steal his son and heir。'











Martin Del Rio; in his TRACTATUS DE MAGIA; speaks of the Gypsies 



and their Counts to the following effect:  'When; in the year 1584; 



I was marching in Spain with the regiment; a multitude of these 



wretches were infesting the fields。  It happened that the feast of 



Corpus Domini was being celebrated; and they requested to be 



admitted into the town; that they might dance in honour of the 



sacrifice; as was customary; they did so; but about midday a great 



tumult arose owing to the many thefts which the women committed; 



whereupon they fled out of the suburbs; and assembled about St。 



Mark's; the magnificent mansion and hospital of the knights of St。 



James; where the ministers of justice attempting to seize them were 



repulsed by force of arms; nevertheless; all of a sudden; and I 



know not how; everything was hushed up。  At this time they had a 



Count; a fellow who spoke the Castilian idiom with as much purity 



as if he had been a native of Toledo; he was acquainted with all 



the ports of Spain; and all the difficult and broken ground of the 



provinces。  He knew the exact strength of every city; and who were 



the principal people in each; and the exact amount of their 



property; there was nothing relating to the state; however secret; 



that he was not acquainted with; nor did he make a mystery of his 



knowledge; but publicly boasted of it。'







From the passage quoted above; we learn that the Gitanos in the 



ancient times were considered as foreigners who prowled about the 



country; indeed; in many of the laws which at various times have 



been promulgated against them; they are spoken of as Egyptians; and 



as such commanded to leave Spain; and return to their native 



country; at one time they undoubtedly were foreigners in Spain; 



foreigners by birth; foreigners by language but at the time they 



are mentioned by the worthy Del Rio; they were certainly not 



entitled to the appellation。  True it is that they spoke a language 



amongst themselves; unintelligible to the rest of the Spaniards; 



from whom they differed considerably in feature and complexion; as 



they still do; but if being born in a country; and being bred 



there; constitute a right to be considered a native of that 



country; they had as much claim to the appellation of Spaniards as 



the worthy author himself。  Del Rio mentions; as a remarkable 



circumstance; the fact of the Gypsy Count speaking Castilian with 



as much purity as a native of Toledo; whereas it is by no means 



improbable that the individual in question was a native of that 



town; but the truth is; at the time we are speaking of; they were 



generally believed to be not only foreigners; but by means of 



sorcery to have acquired the power of speaking all languages with 



equal facility; and Del Rio; who was a believer in magic; and wrote 



one of the most curious and erudite treatises on the subject ever 



penned; had perhaps adopted that idea; which possibly originated 



from their speaking most of the languages and dialects of the 



Peninsula; which they picked up in their wanderings。  That the 



Gypsy chief was so well acquainted with every town of Spain; and 



the broken and difficult ground; can cause but little surprise; 



when we reflect that the life which the Gypsies led was one above 



all others calculated to afford them that knowledge。  They were 



continually at variance with justice; they were frequently obliged 



to seek shelter in the inmost recesses of the hills; and when their 



thievish pursuits led them to the cities; they naturally made 



themselves acquainted with the names of the principal individuals; 



in hopes of plundering them。  Doubtless the chief possessed all 



this species of knowledge in a superior degree; as it was his 



courage; acuteness; and experience alone which placed him at the 



head of his tribe; though Del Rio from this circumstance wishes to 



infer that the Gitanos were spies sent by foreign foes; and with 



some simplicity inquires; 'Quo ant cui rei haec curiosa exploratio? 



nonne compescenda vagamundorum haec curiositas; etiam si solum 



peregrini et inculpatae vitae。'







With the Counts rested the management and direction of these 



remarkable societies; it was they who determined their marches; 



counter…marches; advances; and retreats; what was to be attempted 



or avoided; what individuals were to be admitted into the 



fellowship and privileges of the Gitanos; or who were to be 



excluded from their society; they settled disputes and sat in 



judgment over offences。  The greatest crimes; according to the 



Gypsy code; were a quarrelsome disposition; and revealing the 



secrets of the brotherhood。  By this code the members were 



forbidden to eat; drink; or sleep in the house of a Busno; which 



signifies any person who is not of the sect of the Gypsies; or to 



marry out of that sect; they were likewise not to teach the 



language of Roma to any but those who; by birth or inauguration; 



belonged to that sect; they were enjoined to relieve their brethren 



in distress at any expense or peril; they were to use a peculiar 



dress; which is frequently alluded to in the Spanish laws; but the 



particulars of which are not stated; and they were to cultivate the 



gift of speech to the utmost possible extent; and never to lose 



anything which might be obtained by a loose and deceiving tongue; 



to encourage which they had many excellent proverbs; for example …







'The poor fool who closes his mouth never winneth a dollar。'







'The river which runneth with sound bears along with it stones and 



water。'















CHAPTER III















THE Gitanos not unfrequently made their appearance in considerable 



numbers; so as to be able to bid defiance to any force which could 



be assembled against them on a sudden; whole districts thus became 



a prey to them; and were plundered and devastated。







It is said that; in the year 1618; more than eight hundred of these 



wretches scoured the country between Castile and Aragon; committing 



the most enormous crimes。  The royal council despatched regular 



troops against them; who experienced some difficulty in dispersing 



them。







But we now proceed to touch upon an event which forms an era in the 



history of the Gitanos of Spain; and which for wildness and 



singularity throws all other events connected with them and their 



race; wherever found; entirely into the shade。











THE BOOKSELLER OF LOGRONO











About the middle of the sixteenth century; there resided one 



Francisco Alvarez in the city of Logrono; the chief town of Rioja; 



a province which borders on Aragon。  He was a man above the middle 



age; sober; reserved; and in general absorbed in thought; he lived 



near the great church; and obtained a livelihood by selling printed 



books and manuscripts in a small shop。  He was a very learned man; 



and was continually reading in the books which he was in the habit 



of selling; and some of these books were in foreign tongues and 



characters; so foreign; indeed; that none but himself and some of 



his friends; the canons; could understand them; he was much visited 



by the clergy;

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的