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第37章

the zincali-第37章

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'10。  Those who henceforth shall commit any crimes; having 



abandoned the language; dress; and manners of Gitanos; chosen a 



domicile; and applied themselves to any office; shall be prosecuted 



and chastised like others guilty of the same crimes; without any 



difference being made between them。







'11。  But those who shall have abandoned the aforesaid dress; 



language and behaviour; and those who; pretending to speak and 



dress like the other vassals; and even to choose a domiciliary 



residence; shall continue to go forth; wandering about the roads 



and uninhabited places; although it be with the pretext of visiting 



markets and fairs; such people shall be pursued and taken by the 



justices; and a list of them formed; with their names and 



appellations; age; description; with the places where they say they 



reside and were born。







'16。   I; however; except from punishment the children and young 



people of both sexes who are not above sixteen years of age。







'17。  Such; although they may belong to a family; shall be 



separated from their parents who wander about and have no 



employment; and shall be destined to learn something; or shall be 



placed out in hospices or houses of instruction。







'20。  When the register of the Gitanos who have proved disobedient 



shall have taken place; it shall be notified and made known to 



them; that in case of another relapse; the punishment of death 



shall be executed upon them without remission; on the examination 



of the register; and proof being adduced that they have returned to 



their former life。'







What effect was produced by this law; and whether its results at 



all corresponded to the views of those who enacted it; will be 



gathered from the following chapters of this work; in which an 



attempt will be made to delineate briefly the present condition of 



the Gypsies in Spain。



















THE ZINCALI … PART II



















CHAPTER I















ABOUT twelve in the afternoon of the 6th of January 1836; I crossed 



the bridge of the Guadiana; a boundary river between Portugal and 



Spain; and entered Badajoz; a strong town in the latter kingdom; 



containing about eight thousand inhabitants; supposed to have been 



founded by the Romans。  I instantly returned thanks to God for 



having preserved me in a journey of five days through the wilds of 



the Alemtejo; the province of Portugal the most infested by robbers 



and desperate characters; which I had traversed with no other human 



companion than a lad; almost an idiot; who was to convey back the 



mules which had brought me from Aldea Gallega。  I intended to make 



but a short stay; and as a diligence would set out for Madrid the 



day next but one to my arrival; I purposed departing therein for 



the capital of Spain。







I was standing at the door of the inn where I had taken up my 



temporary abode; the weather was gloomy; and rain seemed to be at 



hand; I was thinking on the state of the country I had just 



entered; which was involved in bloody anarchy and confusion; and 



where the ministers of a religion falsely styled Catholic and 



Christian were blowing the trump of war; instead of preaching the 



love…engendering words of the blessed Gospel。







Suddenly two men; wrapped in long cloaks; came down the narrow and 



almost deserted street; they were about to pass; and the face of 



the nearest was turned full towards me; I knew to whom the 



countenance which he displayed must belong; and I touched him on 



the arm。  The man stopped; and likewise his companion; I said a 



certain word; to which; after an exclamation of surprise; he 



responded in the manner I expected。  The men were Gitanos or 



Gypsies; members of that singular family or race which has diffused 



itself over the face of the civilised globe; and which; in all 



lands; has preserved more or less its original customs and its own 



peculiar language。







We instantly commenced discoursing in the Spanish dialect of this 



language; with which I was tolerably well acquainted。  I asked my 



two newly…made acquaintances whether there were many of their race 



in Badajoz and the vicinity:  they informed me that there were 



eight or ten families in the town; and that there were others at 



Merida; a town about six leagues distant。  I inquired by what means 



they lived; and they replied that they and their brethren 



principally gained a livelihood by trafficking in mules and asses; 



but that all those in Badajoz were very poor; with the exception of 



one man; who was exceedingly BALBALO; or rich; as he was in 



possession of many mules and other cattle。  They removed their 



cloaks for a moment; and I found that their under…garments were 



rags。







They left me in haste; and went about the town informing the rest 



that a stranger had arrived who spoke Rommany as well as 



themselves; who had the face of a Gitano; and seemed to be of the 



'errate;' or blood。  In less than half an hour the street before 



the inn was filled with the men; women; and children of Egypt。  I 



went out amongst them; and my heart sank within me as I surveyed 



them:  so much vileness; dirt; and misery I had never seen amongst 



a similar number of human beings; but worst of all was the evil 



expression of their countenances; which spoke plainly that they 



were conversant with every species of crime; and it was not long 



before I found that their countenances did not belie them。  After 



they had asked me an infinity of questions; and felt my hands; 



face; and clothes; they retired to their own homes。







That same night the two men of whom I have already particularly 



spoken came to see me。  They sat down by the brasero in the middle 



of the apartment; and began to smoke small paper cigars。  We 



continued for a considerable time in silence surveying each other。  



Of the two Gitanos one was an elderly man; tall and bony; with 



lean; skinny; and whimsical features; though perfectly those of a 



Gypsy; he spoke little; and his expressions were generally singular 



and grotesque。  His companion; who was the man whom I had first 



noticed in the street; differed from him in many respects; he could 



be scarcely thirty; and his figure; which was about the middle 



height; was of Herculean proportions; shaggy black hair; like that 



of a wild beast; covered the greatest part of his immense head; his 



face was frightfully seamed with the small…pox; and his eyes; which 



glared like those of ferrets; peered from beneath bushy eyebrows; 



he wore immense moustaches; and his wide mouth was garnished with 



teeth exceedingly large and white。  There was one peculiarity about 



him which must not be forgotten:  his right arm was withered; and 



hung down from his shoulder a thin sapless stick; which contrasted 



strangely with the huge brawn of the left。  A figure so perfectly 



wild and uncouth I had scarcely ever before seen。  He had now flung 



aside his cloak; and sat before me gaunt in his rags and nakedness。  



In spite of his appearance; however; he seemed to be much the most 



sensible of the two; and the conversation which ensued was carried 



on chiefly between him and myself。  This man; whom I shall call the 



first Gypsy; was the first to break silence; and he thus addressed 



me; speaking in Spanish; broken with words of the Gypsy tongue:…







FIRST GYPSY。 … 'Arromali (in truth); I little thought when I saw 



the errano standing by the door of the posada that I was about to 



meet a brother … one too who; though well dressed; was not ashamed 



to speak to a poor Gitano; but tell me; I beg you; brother; from 



whence you come; I have heard that you have just arrived from 



Laloro; but I am sure you are no Po

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