the zincali-第15章

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



by　the　clergy；　who　were　his　principal　customers；　and　took　much　



pleasure　in　listening　to　his　discourse。







He　had　been　a　considerable　traveller　in　his　youth；　and　had　wandered　



through　all　Spain；　visiting　the　various　provinces　and　the　most　



remarkable　cities。　　It　was　likewise　said　that　he　had　visited　Italy　



and　Barbary。　　He　was；　however；　invariably　silent　with　respect　to　



his　travels；　and　whenever　the　subject　was　mentioned　to　him；　the　



gloom　and　melancholy　increased　which　usually　clouded　his　features。







One　day；　in　the　commencement　of　autumn；　he　was　visited　by　a　priest　



with　whom　he　had　long　been　intimate；　and　for　whom　he　had　always　



displayed　a　greater　respect　and　liking　than　for　any　other　



acquaintance。　　The　ecclesiastic　found　him　even　more　sad　than　usual；　



and　there　was　a　haggard　paleness　upon　his　countenance　which　alarmed　



his　visitor。　　The　good　priest　made　affectionate　inquiries　



respecting　the　health　of　his　friend；　and　whether　anything　had　of　



late　occurred　to　give　him　uneasiness；　adding　at　the　same　time；　that　



he　had　long　suspected　that　some　secret　lay　heavy　upon　his　mind；　



which　he　now　conjured　him　to　reveal；　as　life　was　uncertain；　and　it　



was　very　possible　that　he　might　be　quickly　summoned　from　earth　into　



the　presence　of　his　Maker。







The　bookseller　continued　for　some　time　in　gloomy　meditation；　till　



at　last　he　broke　silence　in　these　words：…　'It　is　true　I　have　a　



secret　which　weighs　heavy　upon　my　mind；　and　which　I　am　still　loth　



to　reveal；　but　I　have　a　presentiment　that　my　end　is　approaching；　



and　that　a　heavy　misfortune　is　about　to　fall　upon　this　city：　　I　



will　therefore　unburden　myself；　for　it　were　now　a　sin　to　remain　



silent。







'I　am；　as　you　are　aware；　a　native　of　this　town；　which　I　first　left　



when　I　went　to　acquire　an　education　at　Salamanca；　I　continued　there　



until　I　became　a　licentiate；　when　I　quitted　the　university　and　



strolled　through　Spain；　supporting　myself　in　general　by　touching　



the　guitar；　according　to　the　practice　of　penniless　students；　my　



adventures　were　numerous；　and　I　frequently　experienced　great　



poverty。　　Once；　whilst　making　my　way　from　Toledo　to　Andalusia　



through　the　wild　mountains；　I　fell　in　with　and　was　made　captive　by　



a　band　of　the　people　called　Gitanos；　or　wandering　Egyptians；　they　



in　general　lived　amongst　these　wilds；　and　plundered　or　murdered　



every　person　whom　they　met。　　I　should　probably　have　been　



assassinated　by　them；　but　my　skill　in　music　perhaps　saved　my　life。　　



I　continued　with　them　a　considerable　time；　till　at　last　they　



persuaded　me　to　become　one　of　them；　whereupon　I　was　inaugurated　



into　their　society　with　many　strange　and　horrid　ceremonies；　and　



having　thus　become　a　Gitano；　I　went　with　them　to　plunder　and　



assassinate　upon　the　roads。







'The　Count　or　head　man　of　these　Gitanos　had　an　only　daughter；　about　



my　own　age；　she　was　very　beautiful；　but；　at　the　same　time；　



exceedingly　strong　and　robust；　this　Gitana　was　given　to　me　as　a　



wife　or　cadjee；　and　I　lived　with　her　several　years；　and　she　bore　me　



children。







'My　wife　was　an　arrant　Gitana；　and　in　her　all　the　wickedness　of　her　



race　seemed　to　be　concentrated。　　At　last　her　father　was　killed　in　



an　affray　with　the　troopers　of　the　Hermandad；　whereupon　my　wife　and　



myself　succeeded　to　the　authority　which　he　had　formerly　exercised　



in　the　tribe。　　We　had　at　first　loved　each　other；　but　at　last　the　



Gitano　life；　with　its　accompanying　wickedness；　becoming　hateful　to　



my　eyes；　my　wife；　who　was　not　slow　in　perceiving　my　altered　



disposition；　conceived　for　me　the　most　deadly　hatred；　apprehending　



that　I　meditated　withdrawing　myself　from　the　society；　and　perhaps　



betraying　the　secrets　of　the　band；　she　formed　a　conspiracy　against　



me；　and；　at　one　time；　being　opposite　the　Moorish　coast；　I　was　



seized　and　bound　by　the　other　Gitanos；　conveyed　across　the　sea；　and　



delivered　as　a　slave　into　the　hands　of　the　Moors。







'I　continued　for　a　long　time　in　slavery　in　various　parts　of　Morocco　



and　Fez；　until　I　was　at　length　redeemed　from　my　state　of　bondage　by　



a　missionary　friar　who　paid　my　ransom。　　With　him　I　shortly　after　



departed　for　Italy；　of　which　he　was　a　native。　　In　that　country　I　



remained　some　years；　until　a　longing　to　revisit　my　native　land　



seized　me；　when　I　returned　to　Spain　and　established　myself　here；　



where　I　have　since　lived　by　vending　books；　many　of　which　I　brought　



from　the　strange　lands　which　I　visited。　　I　kept　my　history；　



however；　a　profound　secret；　being　afraid　of　exposing　myself　to　the　



laws　in　force　against　the　Gitanos；　to　which　I　should　instantly　



become　amenable；　were　it　once　known　that　I　had　at　any　time　been　a　



member　of　this　detestable　sect。







'My　present　wretchedness；　of　which　you　have　demanded　the　cause；　



dates　from　yesterday；　I　had　been　on　a　short　journey　to　the　



Augustine　convent；　which　stands　on　the　plain　in　the　direction　of　



Saragossa；　carrying　with　me　an　Arabian　book；　which　a　learned　monk　



was　desirous　of　seeing。　　Night　overtook　me　ere　I　could　return。　　I　



speedily　lost　my　way；　and　wandered　about　until　I　came　near　a　



dilapidated　edifice　with　which　I　was　acquainted；　I　was　about　to　



proceed　in　the　direction　of　the　town；　when　I　heard　voices　within　



the　ruined　walls；　I　listened；　and　recognised　the　language　of　the　



abhorred　Gitanos；　I　was　about　to　fly；　when　a　word　arrested　me。　　It　



was　Drao；　which　in　their　tongue　signifies　the　horrid　poison　with　



which　this　race　are　in　the　habit　of　destroying　the　cattle；　they　now　



said　that　the　men　of　Logrono　should　rue　the　Drao　which　they　had　



been　casting。　　I　heard　no　more；　but　fled。　　What　increased　my　fear　



was；　that　in　the　words　spoken；　I　thought　I　recognised　the　peculiar　



jargon　of　my　own　tribe；　I　repeat；　that　I　believe　some　horrible　



misfortune　is　overhanging　this　city；　and　that　my　own　days　are　



numbered。'







The　priest；　having　conversed　with　him　for　some　time　upon　particular　



points　of　the　history　that　he　had　related；　took　his　leave；　advising　



him　to　compose　his　spirits；　as　he　saw　no　reason　why　he　should　



indulge　in　such　gloomy　forebodings。







The　very　next　day　a　sickness　broke　out　in　the　town　of　Logrono。　　It　



was　one　of　a　peculiar　kind；　unlike　most　others；　it　did　not　arise　by　



slow　and　gradual　degrees；　but　at　once　appeared　in　full　violence；　in　



the　shape　of　a　terrific　epidemic。　　Dizziness　in　the　head　was　the　



first　symptom：　　then　convulsive　retchings；　followed　by　a　dreadful　



struggle　between　life　and　death；　which　generally　terminated　in　



favour　of　the　grim　destroyer。　　The　bodies；　after　the　spirit　which　



animated　them　had　taken　flight；　were　frightfully　swollen；　and　



exhibited　a　dark　blue　colour；　checkered　with　crimson　spots。　　



Nothing　was　heard　within　the　houses　or　the　streets；　but　groans　of　



agony；　no　remedy　was　at　hand；　and　the　powers　of　medicine　were　



exhausted　in　vain　upon　this　terrible　pest；　so　that　within　a　few　



days　the　greatest　part　of　the　inhabitants　of　Logrono　had　perished。　　



The　bookseller　had　not　been　seen　since　the　commencement　of　this　



frightful　visitation。







Once；　at　the　dead　of　night；　a　knock　was　heard　at　the　door　of　the　



priest；　of　whom　we　have　already　spoken；　the　priest　himself　



staggered　to　the　door；　and　opened　it；　…　he　was　the　only　one　who　



remained　alive　in　the　house；　and　was　himself　slowly　recovering　from　



the　malady　which　had　destroyed　all　the　other　inmates；　a　wild　



spectral…looking　figure　presented　itself　to　his　eye　…　it　was　his　



friend　Alvarez。　　Both　went　into　the　house；　when　the　bookseller；　



glancing　gloomily　on　the　wasted　features　of　the　priest；　exclaimed；　



'You　too；　I　see；　amongst　others；　have　cause　to　rue　the　Drao　which　



the　Gitanos　have　cast。　　Know；'　he　continued；