the zincali-第56章

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Gitanas　snapped　their　fingers　in　their　own　fashion；　louder　than　



castanets；　distorting　their　forms　into　all　kinds　of　obscene　



attitudes；　and　uttering　words　to　repeat　which　were　an　abomination。　　



In　a　corner　of　the　apartment　capered　the　while　Sebastianillo；　a　



convict　Gypsy　from　Melilla；　strumming　the　guitar　most　furiously；　



and　producing　demoniacal　sounds　which　had　some　resemblance　to　



Malbrun　（Malbrouk）；　and；　as　he　strummed；　repeating　at　intervals　the　



Gypsy　modification　of　the　song：…











'Chala　Malbrun　chinguerar；



Birandon；　birandon；　birandera　…



Chala　Malbrun　chinguerar；



No　se　bus　trutera　…



No　se　bus　trutera。



No　se　bus　trutera。



La　romi　que　le　camela；



Birandon；　birandon；'　etc。











The　festival　endures　three　days；　at　the　end　of　which　the　greatest　



part　of　the　property　of　the　bridegroom；　even　if　he　were　previously　



in　easy　circumstances；　has　been　wasted　in　this　strange　kind　of　riot　



and　dissipation。　　Paco；　the　Gypsy　of　Badajoz；　attributed　his　ruin　



to　the　extravagance　of　his　marriage　festival；　and　many　other　



Gitanos　have　confessed　the　same　thing　of　themselves。　　They　said　



that　throughout　the　three　days　they　appeared　to　be　under　the　



influence　of　infatuation；　having　no　other　wish　or　thought　but　to　



make　away　with　their　substance；　some　have　gone　so　far　as　to　cast　



money　by　handfuls　into　the　street。　　Throughout　the　three　days　all　



the　doors　are　kept　open；　and　all　corners；　whether　Gypsies　or　Busne；　



welcomed　with　a　hospitality　which　knows　no　bounds。







In　nothing　do　the　Jews　and　Gitanos　more　resemble　each　other　than　in　



their　marriages；　and　what　is　connected　therewith。　　In　both　sects　



there　is　a　betrothment：　　amongst　the　Jews　for　seven；　amongst　the　



Gitanos　for　a　period　of　two　years。　　In　both　there　is　a　wedding　



festival；　which　endures　amongst　the　Jews　for　fifteen　and　amongst　



the　Gitanos　for　three　days；　during　which；　on　both　sides；　much　that　



is　singular　and　barbarous　occurs；　which；　however；　has　perhaps　its　



origin　in　antiquity　the　most　remote。　　But　the　wedding　ceremonies　of　



the　Jews　are　far　more　complex　and　allegorical　than　those　of　the　



Gypsies；　a　more　simple　people。　　The　Nazarene　gazes　on　these　



ceremonies　with　mute　astonishment；　the　washing　of　the　bride　…　the　



painting　of　the　face　of　herself　and　her　companions　with　chalk　and　



carmine　…　her　ensconcing　herself　within　the　curtains　of　the　bed　



with　her　female　bevy；　whilst　the　bridegroom　hides　himself　within　



his　apartment　with　the　youths　his　companions　…　her　envelopment　in　



the　white　sheet；　in　which　she　appears　like　a　corse；　the　



bridegroom's　going　to　sup　with　her；　when　he　places　himself　in　the　



middle　of　the　apartment　with　his　eyes　shut；　and　without　tasting　a　



morsel。　　His　going　to　the　synagogue；　and　then　repairing　to　



breakfast　with　the　bride；　where　he　practises　the　same　self…denial　…　



the　washing　of　the　bridegroom's　plate　and　sending　it　after　him；　



that　he　may　break　his　fast　…　the　binding　his　hands　behind　him　…　his　



ransom　paid　by　the　bride's　mother　…　the　visit　of　the　sages　to　the　



bridegroom　…　the　mulct　imposed　in　case　he　repent　…　the　killing　of　



the　bullock　at　the　house　of　the　bridegroom　…　the　present　of　meat　



and　fowls；　meal　and　spices；　to　the　bride　…　the　gold　and　silver　…　



that　most　imposing　part　of　the　ceremony；　the　walking　of　the　bride　



by　torchlight　to　the　house　of　her　betrothed；　her　eyes　fixed　in　



vacancy；　whilst　the　youths　of　her　kindred　sing　their　wild　songs　



around　her　…　the　cup　of　milk　and　the　spoon　presented　to　her　by　the　



bridegroom's　mother　…　the　arrival　of　the　sages　in　the　morn　…　the　



reading　of　the　Ketuba　…　the　night　…　the　half…enjoyment　…　the　old　



woman　…　the　tantalising　knock　at　the　door　…　and　then　the　festival　



of　fishes　which　concludes　all；　and　leaves　the　jaded　and　wearied　



couple　to　repose　after　a　fortnight　of　persecution。







The　Jews；　like　the　Gypsies；　not　unfrequently　ruin　themselves　by　the　



riot　and　waste　of　their　marriage　festivals。　　Throughout　the　entire　



fortnight；　the　houses；　both　of　bride　and　bridegroom；　are　flung　open　



to　all　corners；　…　feasting　and　song　occupy　the　day　…　feasting　and　



song　occupy　the　hours　of　the　night；　and　this　continued　revel　is　



only　broken　by　the　ceremonies　of　which　we　have　endeavoured　to　



convey　a　faint　idea。　　In　these　festivals　the　sages　or　ULEMMA　take　a　



distinguished　part；　doing　their　utmost　to　ruin　the　contracted　



parties；　by　the　wonderful　despatch　which　they　make　of　the　fowls　and　



viands；　sweetmeats；　AND　STRONG　WATERS　provided　for　the　occasion。







After　marriage　the　Gypsy　females　generally　continue　faithful　to　



their　husbands　through　life；　giving　evidence　that　the　exhortations　



of　their　mothers　in　early　life　have　not　been　without　effect。　　Of　



course　licentious　females　are　to　be　found　both　amongst　the　matrons　



and　the　unmarried；　but　such　instances　are　rare；　and　must　be　



considered　in　the　light　of　exceptions　to　a　principle。　　The　Gypsy　



women　（I　am　speaking　of　those　of　Spain）；　as　far　as　corporeal　



chastity　goes；　are　very　paragons；　but　in　other　respects；　alas！　…　



little　can　be　said　in　praise　of　their　morality。















CHAPTER　VIII















WHILST　in　Spain　I　devoted　as　much　time　as　I　could　spare　from　my　



grand　object；　which　was　to　circulate　the　Gospel　through　that　



benighted　country；　to　attempt　to　enlighten　the　minds　of　the　Gitanos　



on　the　subject　of　religion。　　I　cannot　say　that　I　experienced　much　



success　in　my　endeavours；　indeed；　I　never　expected　much；　being　



fully　acquainted　with　the　stony　nature　of　the　ground　on　which　I　was　



employed；　perhaps　some　of　the　seed　that　I　scattered　may　eventually　



spring　up　and　yield　excellent　fruit。　　Of　one　thing　I　am　certain：　　



if　I　did　the　Gitanos　no　good；　I　did　them　no　harm。







It　has　been　said　that　there　is　a　secret　monitor；　or　conscience；　



within　every　heart；　which　immediately　upbraids　the　individual　on　



the　commission　of　a　crime；　this　may　be　true；　but　certainly　the　



monitor　within　the　Gitano　breast　is　a　very　feeble　one；　for　little　



attention　is　ever　paid　to　its　reproofs。　　With　regard　to　conscience；　



be　it　permitted　to　observe；　that　it　varies　much　according　to　



climate；　country；　and　religion；　perhaps　nowhere　is　it　so　terrible　



and　strong　as　in　England；　I　need　not　say　why。　　Amongst　the　English；　



I　have　seen　many　individuals　stricken　low；　and　broken…hearted；　by　



the　force　of　conscience；　but　never　amongst　the　Spaniards　or　



Italians；　and　I　never　yet　could　observe　that　the　crimes　which　the　



Gitanos　were　daily　and　hourly　committing　occasioned　them　the　



slightest　uneasiness。







One　important　discovery　I　made　among　them：　　it　was；　that　no　



individual；　however　wicked　and　hardened；　is　utterly　GODLESS。　　Call　



it　superstition；　if　you　will；　still　a　certain　fear　and　reverence　of　



something　sacred　and　supreme　would　hang　about　them。　　I　have　heard　



Gitanos　stiffly　deny　the　existence　of　a　Deity；　and　express　the　



utmost　contempt　for　everything　holy；　yet　they　subsequently　never　



failed　to　contradict　themselves；　by　permitting　some　expression　to　



escape　which　belied　their　assertions；　and　of　this　I　shall　presently　



give　a　remarkable　instance。







I　found　the　women　much　more　disposed　to　listen　to　anything　I　had　to　



say　than　the　men；　who　were　in　general　so　taken　up　with　their　



traffic　that　they　could　think　and　talk　of　nothing　else；　the　women；　



too；　had　more　curiosity　and　more　intelligence；　the　conversational　



powers　of　some　of　them　I　found　to　be　very　great；　and　yet　they　were　



destitute　of　the　slightest　rudiments　of　education；　and　were　thieves　



by　profession。　　At　Madrid　I　had　regular　conversaziones；　or；　as　they　



are　called　in　Spanish；　tertulias；　with　these　women；　who　generally　



visited　me　twice　a　week；　they　were　perfectly　unreserved　towards　me　



with　respect　to　the