the zincali-第54章

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taking　the　change　will　contrive　to　convey　secretly　into　her　sleeves　



five　or　six　dollars　at　least；　after　which　she　will　depart　with　much　



vociferation；　declaring　that　she　will　never　again　enter　the　shop　of　



so　cheating　a　picaro。







Of　all　the　Gitanas　at　Madrid；　Aurora　the　fat　was；　by　their　own　



confession；　the　most　dexterous　at　this　species　of　robbery；　she　



having　been　known　in　many　instances；　whilst　receiving　change　for　an　



ounce；　to　steal　the　whole　value；　which　amounts　to　sixteen　dollars。　　



It　was　not　without　reason　that　merchants　in　ancient　times　were；　



according　to　Martin　Del　Rio；　advised　to　sell　nothing　out　of　their　



shops　to　Gitanas；　as　they　possessed　an　infallible　secret　for　



attracting　to　their　own　purses　from　the　coffers　of　the　former　the　



money　with　which　they　paid　for　the　articles　they　purchased。　　This　



secret　consisted　in　stealing　a　pastesas；　which　they　still　practise。　　



Many　accounts　of　witchcraft　and　sorcery；　which　are　styled　old　



women's　tales；　are　perhaps　equally　well　founded。　　Real　actions　have　



been　attributed　to　wrong　causes。







Shoplifting；　and　other　kinds　of　private　larceny；　are　connected　with　



stealing　a　pastesas；　for　in　all　dexterity　of　hand　is　required。　　



Many　of　the　Gitanas　of　Madrid　are　provided　with　large　pockets；　or　



rather　sacks；　beneath　their　gowns；　in　which　they　stow　away　their　



plunder。　　Some　of　these　pockets　are　capacious　enough　to　hold；　at　



one　time；　a　dozen　yards　of　cloth；　a　Dutch　cheese　and　a　bottle　of　



wine。　　Nothing　that　she　can　eat；　drink；　or　sell；　comes　amiss　to　a　



veritable　Gitana；　and　sometimes　the　contents　of　her　pocket　would　



afford　materials　for　an　inventory　far　more　lengthy　and　curious　than　



the　one　enumerating　the　effects　found　on　the　person　of　the　man…



mountain　at　Lilliput。







CHIVING　DRAO。　…　In　former　times　the　Spanish　Gypsies　of　both　sexes　



were　in　the　habit　of　casting　a　venomous　preparation　into　the　



mangers　of　the　cattle　for　the　purpose　of　causing　sickness。　　At　



present　this　practice　has　ceased；　or　nearly　so；　the　Gitanos；　



however；　talk　of　it　as　universal　amongst　their　ancestors。　　They　



were　in　the　habit　of　visiting　the　stalls　and　stables　secretly；　and　



poisoning　the　provender　of　the　animals；　who　almost　immediately　



became　sick。　　After　a　few　days　the　Gitanos　would　go　to　the　



labourers　and　offer　to　cure　the　sick　cattle　for　a　certain　sum；　and　



if　their　proposal　was　accepted　would　in　effect　perform　the　cure。







Connected　with　the　cure　was　a　curious　piece　of　double　dealing。　　



They　privately　administered　an　efficacious　remedy；　but　pretended　to　



cure　the　animals　not　by　medicines　but　by　charms；　which　consisted　of　



small　variegated　beans；　called　in　their　language　bobis；　（56）　



dropped　into　the　mangers。　　By　this　means　they　fostered　the　idea；　



already　prevalent；　that　they　were　people　possessed　of　supernatural　



gifts　and　powers；　who　could　remove　diseases　without　having　recourse　



to　medicine。　　By　means　of　drao；　they　likewise　procured　themselves　



food；　poisoning　swine；　as　their　brethren　in　England　still　do；　（57）　



and　then　feasting　on　the　flesh；　which　was　abandoned　as　worthless：　　



witness　one　of　their　own　songs：…











'By　Gypsy　drow　the　Porker　died；



I　saw　him　stiff　at　evening　tide；



But　I　saw　him　not　when　morning　shone；



For　the　Gypsies　ate　him　flesh　and　bone。'











By　drao　also　they　could　avenge　themselves　on　their　enemies　by　



destroying　their　cattle；　without　incurring　a　shadow　of　suspicion。　　



Revenge　for　injuries；　real　or　imaginary；　is　sweet　to　all　



unconverted　minds；　to　no　one　more　than　the　Gypsy；　who；　in　all　parts　



of　the　world；　is；　perhaps；　the　most　revengeful　of　human　beings。







Vidocq　in　his　memoirs　states；　that　having　formed　a　connection　with　



an　individual　whom　he　subsequently　discovered　to　be　the　captain　of　



a　band　of　Walachian　Gypsies；　the　latter；　whose　name　was　Caroun；　



wished　Vidocq　to　assist　in　scattering　certain　powders　in　the　



mangers　of　the　peasants'　cattle；　Vidocq；　from　prudential　motives；　



refused　the　employment。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　these　powders　



were；　in　substance；　the　drao　of　the　Spanish　Gitanos。







LA　BAR　LACHI；　OR　THE　LOADSTONE。　…　If　the　Gitanos　in　general　be　



addicted　to　any　one　superstition；　it　is　certainly　with　respect　to　



this　stone；　to　which　they　attribute　all　kinds　of　miraculous　powers。　　



There　can　be　no　doubt；　that　the　singular　property　which　it　



possesses　of　attracting　steel；　by　filling　their　untutored　minds　



with　amazement；　first　gave　rise　to　this　veneration；　which　is　



carried　beyond　all　reasonable　bounds。







They　believe　that　he　who　is　in　possession　of　it　has　nothing　to　fear　



from　steel　or　lead；　from　fire　or　water；　and　that　death　itself　has　



no　power　over　him。　　The　Gypsy　contrabandistas　are　particularly　



anxious　to　procure　this　stone；　which　they　carry　upon　their　persons　



in　their　expeditions；　they　say；　that　in　the　event　of　being　pursued　



by　the　jaracanallis；　or　revenue　officers；　whirlwinds　of　dust　will　



arise；　and　conceal　them　from　the　view　of　their　enemies；　the　horse…



stealers　say　much　the　same　thing；　and　assert　that　they　are　



uniformly　successful；　when　they　bear　about　them　the　precious　stone。　　



But　it　is　said　to　be　able　to　effect　much　more。　　Extraordinary　



things　are　related　of　its　power　in　exciting　the　amorous　passions；　



and；　on　this　account；　it　is　in　great　request　amongst　the　Gypsy　



hags；　all　these　women　are　procuresses；　and　find　persons　of　both　



sexes　weak　and　wicked　enough　to　make　use　of　their　pretended　



knowledge　in　the　composition　of　love…draughts　and　decoctions。







In　the　case　of　the　loadstone；　however；　there　is　no　pretence；　the　



Gitanas　believing　all　they　say　respecting　it；　and　still　more；　this　



is　proved　by　the　eagerness　with　which　they　seek　to　obtain　the　stone　



in　its　natural　state；　which　is　somewhat　difficult　to　accomplish。







In　the　museum　of　natural　curiosities　at　Madrid　there　is　a　large　



piece　of　loadstone　originally　extracted　from　the　American　mines。　　



There　is　scarcely　a　Gitana　in　Madrid　who　is　not　acquainted　with　



this　circumstance；　and　who　does　not　long　to　obtain　the　stone；　or　a　



part　of　it；　its　being　placed　in　a　royal　museum　serving　to　augment；　



in　their　opinion；　its　real　value。　　Several　attempts　have　been　made　



to　steal　it；　all　of　which；　however；　have　been　unsuccessful。　　The　



Gypsies　seem　not　to　be　the　only　people　who　envy　royalty　the　



possession　of　this　stone。　　Pepita；　the　old　Gitana　of　whose　talent　



at　telling　fortunes　such　honourable　mention　has　already　been　made；　



informed　me　that　a　priest；　who　was　muy　enamorado　（in　love）；　



proposed　to　her　to　steal　the　loadstone；　offering　her　all　his　



sacerdotal　garments　in　the　event　of　success：　　whether　the　singular　



reward　that　was　promised　had　but　slight　temptations　for　her；　or　



whether　she　feared　that　her　dexterity　was　not　equal　to　the　



accomplishment　of　the　task；　we　know　not；　but　she　appears　to　have　



declined　attempting　it。　　According　to　the　Gypsy　account；　the　person　



in　love；　if　he　wish　to　excite　a　corresponding　passion　in　another　



quarter　by　means　of　the　loadstone；　must　swallow；　IN　AGUARDIENTE；　a　



small　portion　of　the　stone　pulverised；　at　the　time　of　going　to　



rest；　repeating　to　himself　the　following　magic　rhyme：…











'To　the　Mountain　of　Olives　one　morning　I　hied；



Three　little　black　goats　before　me　I　spied；



Those　three　little　goats　on　three　cars　I　laid；



Black　cheeses　three　from　their　milk　I　made；



The　one　I　bestow　on　the　loadstone　of　power；



That　save　me　it　may　from　all　ills　that　lower；



The　second　to　Mary　Padilla　I　give；



And　to　all　the　witch　hags　about　her　that　live；



The　third　I　reserve　for　Asmodeus　lame；



That　fetch　me　he　may　whatever　I　name。'











LA　RAIZ　DEL　BUEN　BARON；　OR　THE　ROOT　OF　THE　GOOD　BARON。　…　On　this　



subject　we　cannot　be