the zincali-第40章

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bound　to　take　you　to　his　house　and　feast　you；　whilst　you　remained；　



like　a　prince；　like　a　crallis　of　the　Cales；　as　I　believe　you　are；　



even　though　he　sold　the　last　gras　from　the　stall。　　Who　have　come　to　



see　you；　brother？　　Have　they　not　been　such　as　Paco　and　his　wife；　



wretches　without　a　house；　or；　at　best；　one　filled　with　cold　and　



poverty；　so　that　you　have　had　to　stay　at　a　mesuna；　at　a　posada　of　



the　Busne；　and；　moreover；　what　have　the　Cales　given　you　since　you　



have　been　residing　here？　　Nothing；　I　trow；　better　than　this　



rubbish；　which　is　all　I　can　offer　you；　this　Meligrana　de　los　



Bengues。'







Here　he　produced　a　pomegranate　from　the　pocket　of　his　zamarra；　and　



flung　it　on　the　table　with　such　force　that　the　fruit　burst；　and　the　



red　grains　were　scattered　on　the　floor。







The　Gitanos　of　Estremadura　call　themselves　in　general　Chai　or　



Chabos；　and　say　that　their　original　country　was　Chal　or　Egypt。　　I　



frequently　asked　them　what　reason　they　could　assign　for　calling　



themselves　Egyptians；　and　whether　they　could　remember　the　names　of　



any　places　in　their　supposed　fatherland；　but　I　soon　found　that；　



like　their　brethren　in　other　parts　of　the　world；　they　were　unable　



to　give　any　rational　account　of　themselves；　and　preserved　no　



recollection　of　the　places　where　their　forefathers　had　wandered；　



their　language；　however；　to　a　considerable　extent；　solved　the　



riddle；　the　bulk　of　which　being　Hindui；　pointed　out　India　as　the　



birthplace　of　their　race；　whilst　the　number　of　Persian；　Sclavonian；　



and　modern　Greek　words　with　which　it　is　checkered；　spoke　plainly　as　



to　the　countries　through　which　these　singular　people　had　wandered　



before　they　arrived　in　Spain。







They　said　that　they　believed　themselves　to　be　Egyptians；　because　



their　fathers　before　them　believed　so；　who　must　know　much　better　



than　themselves。　　They　were　fond　of　talking　of　Egypt　and　its　former　



greatness；　though　it　was　evident　that　they　knew　nothing　farther　of　



the　country　and　its　history　than　what　they　derived　from　spurious　



biblical　legends　current　amongst　the　Spaniards；　only　from　such　



materials　could　they　have　composed　the　following　account　of　the　



manner　of　their　expulsion　from　their　native　land。







'There　was　a　great　king　in　Egypt；　and　his　name　was　Pharaoh。　　He　had　



numerous　armies；　with　which　he　made　war　on　all　countries；　and　



conquered　them　all。　　And　when　he　had　conquered　the　entire　world；　he　



became　sad　and　sorrowful；　for　as　he　delighted　in　war；　he　no　longer　



knew　on　what　to　employ　himself。　　At　last　he　bethought　him　on　making　



war　on　God；　so　he　sent　a　defiance　to　God；　daring　him　to　descend　



from　the　sky　with　his　angels；　and　contend　with　Pharaoh　and　his　



armies；　but　God　said；　I　will　not　measure　my　strength　with　that　of　a　



man。　　But　God　was　incensed　against　Pharaoh；　and　resolved　to　punish　



him；　and　he　opened　a　hole　in　the　side　of　an　enormous　mountain；　and　



he　raised　a　raging　wind；　and　drove　before　it　Pharaoh　and　his　armies　



to　that　hole；　and　the　abyss　received　them；　and　the　mountain　closed　



upon　them；　but　whosoever　goes　to　that　mountain　on　the　night　of　St。　



John　can　hear　Pharaoh　and　his　armies　singing　and　yelling　therein。　　



And　it　came　to　pass；　that　when　Pharaoh　and　his　armies　had　



disappeared；　all　the　kings　and　the　nations　which　had　become　subject　



to　Egypt　revolted　against　Egypt；　which；　having　lost　her　king　and　



her　armies；　was　left　utterly　without　defence；　and　they　made　war　



against　her；　and　prevailed　against　her；　and　took　her　people　and　



drove　them　forth；　dispersing　them　over　all　the　world。'







So　that　now；　say　the　Chai；　'Our　horses　drink　the　water　of　the　



Guadiana'　…　（Apilyela　gras　Chai　la　panee　Lucalee）。











'THE　STEEDS　OF　THE　EGYPTIANS　DRINK　THE　WATERS　OF　THE　GUADIANA







'The　region　of　Chal　was　our　dear　native　soil；



Where　in　fulness　of　pleasure　we　lived　without　toil；



Till　dispersed　through　all　lands；　'twas　our　fortune　to　be　…



Our　steeds；　Guadiana；　must　now　drink　of　thee。







'Once　kings　came　from　far　to　kneel　down　at　our　gate；



And　princes　rejoic'd　on　our　meanest　to　wait；



But　now　who　so　mean　but　would　scorn　our　degree　…



Our　steeds；　Guadiana；　must　now　drink　of　thee。







'For　the　Undebel　saw；　from　his　throne　in　the　cloud；



That　our　deeds　they　were　foolish；　our　hearts　they　were　proud；



And　in　anger　he　bade　us　his　presence　to　flee　…



Our　steeds；　Guadiana；　must　now　drink　of　thee。







'Our　horses　should　drink　of　no　river　but　one；



It　sparkles　through　Chal；　'neath　the　smile　of　the　sun；



But　they　taste　of　all　streams　save　that　only；　and　see　…



Apilyela　gras　Chai　la　panee　Lucalee。'















CHAPTER　II















IN　Madrid　the　Gitanos　chiefly　reside　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　



'mercado；'　or　the　place　where　horses　and　other　animals　are　sold；　…　



in　two　narrow　and　dirty　lanes；　called　the　Calle　de　la　Comadre　and　



the　Callejon　de　Lavapies。　　It　is　said　that　at　the　beginning　of　last　



century　Madrid　abounded　with　these　people；　who；　by　their　lawless　



behaviour　and　dissolute　lives；　gave　occasion　to　great　scandal；　if　



such　were　the　case；　their　numbers　must　have　considerably　diminished　



since　that　period；　as　it　would　be　difficult　at　any　time　to　collect　



fifty　throughout　Madrid。　　These　Gitanos　seem；　for　the　most　part；　to　



be　either　Valencians　or　of　Valencian　origin；　as　they　in　general　



either　speak　or　understand　the　dialect　of　Valencia；　and　whilst　



speaking　their　own　peculiar　jargon；　the　Rommany；　are　in　the　habit　



of　making　use　of　many　Valencian　words　and　terms。







The　manner　of　life　of　the　Gitanos　of　Madrid　differs　in　no　material　



respect　from　that　of　their　brethren　in　other　places。　　The　men；　



every　market…day；　are　to　be　seen　on　the　skirts　of　the　mercado；　



generally　with　some　miserable　animal　…　for　example；　a　foundered　



mule　or　galled　borrico；　by　means　of　which　they　seldom　fail　to　gain　



a　dollar　or　two；　either　by　sale　or　exchange。　　It　must　not；　however；　



be　supposed　that　they　content　themselves　with　such　paltry　earnings。　　



Provided　they　have　any　valuable　animal；　which　is　not　unfrequently　



the　case；　they　invariably　keep　such　at　home　snug　in　the　stall；　



conducting　thither　the　chapman；　should　they　find　any；　and　



concluding　the　bargain　with　the　greatest　secrecy。　　Their　general　



reason　for　this　conduct　is　an　unwillingness　to　exhibit　anything　



calculated　to　excite　the　jealousy　of　the　chalans；　or　jockeys　of　



Spanish　blood；　who　on　the　slightest　umbrage　are　in　the　habit　of　



ejecting　them　from　the　fair　by　force　of　palos　or　cudgels；　in　which　



violence　the　chalans　are　to　a　certain　extent　countenanced　by　law；　



for　though　by　the　edict　of　Carlos　the　Third　the　Gitanos　were　in　



other　respects　placed　upon　an　equality　with　the　rest　of　the　



Spaniards；　they　were　still　forbidden　to　obtain　their　livelihood　by　



the　traffic　of　markets　and　fairs。







They　have　occasionally　however　another　excellent　reason　for　not　



exposing　the　animal　in　the　public　mercado　…　having　obtained　him　by　



dishonest　means。　　The　stealing；　concealing；　and　receiving　animals　



when　stolen；　are　inveterate　Gypsy　habits；　and　are　perhaps　the　last　



from　which　the　Gitano　will　be　reclaimed；　or　will　only　cease　when　



the　race　has　become　extinct。　　In　the　prisons　of　Madrid；　either　in　



that　of　the　Saladero　or　De　la　Corte；　there　are　never　less　than　a　



dozen　Gitanos　immured　for　stolen　horses　or　mules　being　found　in　



their　possession；　which　themselves　or　their　connections　have　



spirited　away　from　the　neighbouring　villages；　or　sometimes　from　a　



considerable　distance。　　I　say　spirited　away；　for　so　well　do　the　



thieves　take　their　measures；　and　watch　their　opportunity；　that　they　



are　seldom　or　never　taken　in　the　fact。







The　Madrilenian　Gypsy　women　are　indefatigable　in　the　pursuit　of　



prey；　prowling　about　the　town　and