the zincali-第58章

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version　begun　at　Badajoz　in　1836。　　This　translation　I　printed　at　



Madrid　in　1838；　it　was　the　first　book　which　ever　appeared　in　



Rommany；　and　was　called　'Embeo　e　Majaro　Lucas；'　or　Gospel　of　Luke　



the　Saint。　　I　likewise　published；　simultaneously；　the　same　Gospel　



in　Basque；　which；　however；　I　had　no　opportunity　of　circulating。







The　Gitanos　of　Madrid　purchased　the　Gypsy　Luke　freely：　　many　of　the　



men　understood　it；　and　prized　it　highly；　induced　of　course　more　by　



the　language　than　the　doctrine；　the　women　were　particularly　anxious　



to　obtain　copies；　though　unable　to　read；　but　each　wished　to　have　



one　in　her　pocket；　especially　when　engaged　in　thieving　expeditions；　



for　they　all　looked　upon　it　in　the　light　of　a　charm；　which　would　



preserve　them　from　all　danger　and　mischance；　some　even　went　so　far　



as　to　say；　that　in　this　respect　it　was　equally　efficacious　as　the　



Bar　Lachi；　or　loadstone；　which　they　are　in　general　so　desirous　of　



possessing。　　Of　this　Gospel　（61）　five　hundred　copies　were　printed；　



of　which　the　greater　number　I　contrived　to　circulate　amongst　the　



Gypsies　in　various　parts；　I　cast　the　book　upon　the　waters　and　left　



it　to　its　destiny。







I　have　counted　seventeen　Gitanas　assembled　at　one　time　in　my　



apartment　in　the　Calle　de　Santiago　in　Madrid；　for　the　first　quarter　



of　an　hour　we　generally　discoursed　upon　indifferent　matters；　I　then　



by　degrees　drew　their　attention　to　religion　and　the　state　of　souls。　　



I　finally　became　so　bold　that　I　ventured　to　speak　against　their　



inveterate　practices；　thieving　and　lying；　telling　fortunes；　and　



stealing　a　pastesas；　this　was　touching　upon　delicate　ground；　and　I　



experienced　much　opposition　and　much　feminine　clamour。　　I　



persevered；　however；　and　they　finally　assented　to　all　I　said；　not　



that　I　believe　that　my　words　made　much　impression　upon　their　



hearts。　　In　a　few　months　matters　were　so　far　advanced　that　they　



would　sing　a　hymn；　I　wrote　one　expressly　for　them　in　Rommany；　in　



which　their　own　wild　couplets　were；　to　a　certain　extent；　imitated。







The　people　of　the　street　in　which　I　lived；　seeing　such　numbers　of　



these　strange　females　continually　passing　in　and　out；　were　struck　



with　astonishment；　and　demanded　the　reason。　　The　answers　which　they　



obtained　by　no　means　satisfied　them。　　'Zeal　for　the　conversion　of　



souls；　…　　the　souls　too　of　Gitanas；　…　disparate！　the　fellow　is　a　



scoundrel。　　Besides　he　is　an　Englishman；　and　is　not　baptized；　what　



cares　he　for　souls？　　They　visit　him　for　other　purposes。　　He　makes　



base　ounces；　which　they　carry　away　and　circulate。　　Madrid　is　



already　stocked　with　false　money。'　　Others　were　of　opinion　that　we　



met　for　the　purposes　of　sorcery　and　abomination。　　The　Spaniard　has　



no　conception　that　other　springs　of　action　exist　than　interest　or　



villainy。







My　little　congregation；　if　such　I　may　call　it；　consisted　entirely　



of　women；　the　men　seldom　or　never　visited　me；　save　they　stood　in　



need　of　something　which　they　hoped　to　obtain　from　me。　　This　



circumstance　I　little　regretted；　their　manners　and　conversation　



being　the　reverse　of　interesting。　　It　must　not；　however；　be　



supposed　that；　even　with　the　women；　matters　went　on　invariably　in　a　



smooth　and　satisfactory　manner。　　The　following　little　anecdote　will　



show　what　slight　dependence　can　be　placed　upon　them；　and　how　



disposed　they　are　at　all　times　to　take　part　in　what　is　grotesque　



and　malicious。　　One　day　they　arrived；　attended　by　a　Gypsy　jockey　



whom　I　had　never　previously　seen。　　We　had　scarcely　been　seated　a　



minute；　when　this　fellow；　rising；　took　me　to　the　window；　and　



without　any　preamble　or　circumlocution；　said　…　'Don　Jorge；　you　



shall　lend　me　two　barias'　（ounces　of　gold）。　　　'Not　to　your　whole　



race；　my　excellent　friend；'　said　I；　'are　you　frantic？　　Sit　down　and　



be　discreet。'　　He　obeyed　me　literally；　sat　down；　and　when　the　rest　



departed；　followed　with　them。　　We　did　not　invariably　meet　at　my　own　



house；　but　occasionally　at　one　in　a　street　inhabited　by　Gypsies。　　



On　the　appointed　day　I　went　to　this　house；　where　I　found　the　women　



assembled；　the　jockey　was　also　present。　　On　seeing　me　he　advanced；　



again　took　me　aside；　and　again　said　…　'Don　Jorge；　you　shall　lend　me　



two　barias。'　　I　made　him　no　answer；　but　at　once　entered　on　the　



subject　which　brought　me　thither。　　I　spoke　for　some　time　in　



Spanish；　I　chose　for　the　theme　of　my　discourse　the　situation　of　the　



Hebrews　in　Egypt；　and　pointed　out　its　similarity　to　that　of　the　



Gitanos　in　Spain。　　I　spoke　of　the　power　of　God；　manifested　in　



preserving　both　as　separate　and　distinct　people　amongst　the　nations　



until　the　present　day。　　I　warmed　with　my　subject。　　I　subsequently　



produced　a　manuscript　book；　from　which　I　read　a　portion　of　



Scripture；　and　the　Lord's　Prayer　and　Apostles'　Creed；　in　Rommany。　　



When　I　had　concluded　I　looked　around　me。







The　features　of　the　assembly　were　twisted；　and　the　eyes　of　all　



turned　upon　me　with　a　frightful　squint；　not　an　individual　present　



but　squinted；　…　the　genteel　Pepa；　the　good…humoured　Chicharona；　the　



Casdami；　etc。　etc。　　The　Gypsy　fellow；　the　contriver　of　the　jest；　



squinted　worst　of　all。　　Such　are　Gypsies。



















THE　ZINCALI　PART　III















CHAPTER　I















THERE　is　no　nation　in　the　world；　however　exalted　or　however　



degraded；　but　is　in　possession　of　some　peculiar　poetry。　　If　the　



Chinese；　the　Hindoos；　the　Greeks；　and　the　Persians；　those　splendid　



and　renowned　races；　have　their　moral　lays；　their　mythological　



epics；　their　tragedies；　and　their　immortal　love　songs；　so　also　have　



the　wild　and　barbarous　tribes　of　Soudan；　and　the　wandering　



Esquimaux；　their　ditties；　which；　however　insignificant　in　



comparison　with　the　compositions　of　the　former　nations；　still　are　



entitled　in　every　essential　point　to　the　name　of　poetry；　if　poetry　



mean　metrical　compositions　intended　to　soothe　and　recreate　the　mind　



fatigued　by　the　cares；　distresses；　and　anxieties　to　which　mortality　



is　subject。







The　Gypsies　too　have　their　poetry。　　Of　that　of　the　Russian　Zigani　



we　have　already　said　something。　　It　has　always　been　our　opinion；　



and　we　believe　that　in　this　we　are　by　no　means　singular；　that　in　



nothing　can　the　character　of　a　people　be　read　with　greater　



certainty　and　exactness　than　in　its　songs。　　How　truly　do　the　



warlike　ballads　of　the　Northmen　and　the　Danes；　their　DRAPAS　and　



KOEMPE…VISER；　depict　the　character　of　the　Goth；　and　how　equally　do　



the　songs　of　the　Arabians；　replete　with　homage　to　the　one　high；　



uncreated；　and　eternal　God；　'the　fountain　of　blessing；'　'the　only　



conqueror；'　lay　bare　to　us　the　mind　of　the　Moslem　of　the　desert；　



whose　grand　characteristic　is　religious　veneration；　and　



uncompromising　zeal　for　the　glory　of　the　Creator。







And　well　and　truly　do　the　coplas　and　gachaplas　of　the　Gitanos　



depict　the　character　of　the　race。　　This　poetry；　for　poetry　we　will　



call　it；　is　in　most　respects　such　as　might　be　expected　to　originate　



among　people　of　their　class；　a　set　of　Thugs；　subsisting　by　cheating　



and　villainy　of　every　description；　hating　the　rest　of　the　human　



species；　and　bound　to　each　other　by　the　bonds　of　common　origin；　



language；　and　pursuits。　　The　general　themes　of　this　poetry　are　the　



various　incidents　of　Gitano　life　and　the　feelings　of　the　Gitanos。　　



A　Gypsy　sees　a　pig　running　down　a　hill；　and　imagines　that　it　cries　



'Ustilame　Caloro！'　（62）　…　a　Gypsy　reclining　sick　on　the　prison　



floor　beseeches　his　wife　to　intercede　with　the　alcayde　for　the　



removal　of　the　chain；　the　weight　of　which　is　bursting　his　body　…　



the　moon　arises；　and　two　Gypsies；　who　are　about　to　steal　a　steed；　



perceive　a　Spaniard；　and　instantly　flee　…　Juanito　Ralli；　whilst　



going　home　on　his　steed；　is　stabbed　by　a　Gypsy　who　hates　him　…