the zincali-第6章

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them；　the　aim　of　which　was　their　utter　extermination；　the　being　a　



Gypsy　was　esteemed　a　crime　worthy　of　death；　and　the　gibbets　of　



England　groaned　and　creaked　beneath　the　weight　of　Gypsy　carcases；　



and　the　miserable　survivors　were　literally　obliged　to　creep　into　



the　earth　in　order　to　preserve　their　lives。　　But　these　days　passed　



by；　their　persecutors　became　weary　of　pursuing　them；　they　showed　



their　heads　from　the　holes　and　caves　where　they　had　hidden　



themselves；　they　ventured　forth；　increased　in　numbers；　and；　each　



tribe　or　family　choosing　a　particular　circuit；　they　fairly　divided　



the　land　amongst　them。







In　England；　the　male　Gypsies　are　all　dealers　in　horses；　and　



sometimes　employ　their　idle　time　in　mending　the　tin　and　copper　



utensils　of　the　peasantry；　the　females　tell　fortunes。　　They　



generally　pitch　their　tents　in　the　vicinity　of　a　village　or　small　



town　by　the　road　side；　under　the　shelter　of　the　hedges　and　trees。　　



The　climate　of　England　is　well　known　to　be　favourable　to　beauty；　



and　in　no　part　of　the　world　is　the　appearance　of　the　Gypsies　so　



prepossessing　as　in　that　country；　their　complexion　is　dark；　but　not　



disagreeably　so；　their　faces　are　oval；　their　features　regular；　



their　foreheads　rather　low；　and　their　hands　and　feet　small。　　The　



men　are　taller　than　the　English　peasantry；　and　far　more　active。　　



They　all　speak　the　English　language　with　fluency；　and　in　their　gait　



and　demeanour　are　easy　and　graceful；　in　both　points　standing　in　



striking　contrast　with　the　peasantry；　who　in　speech　are　slow　and　



uncouth；　and　in　manner　dogged　and　brutal。







The　dialect　of　the　Rommany；　which　they　speak；　though　mixed　with　



English　words；　may　be　considered　as　tolerably　pure；　from　the　fact　



that　it　is　intelligible　to　the　Gypsy　race　in　the　heart　of　Russia。　　



Whatever　crimes　they　may　commit；　their　vices　are　few；　for　the　men　



are　not　drunkards；　nor　are　the　women　harlots；　there　are　no　two　



characters　which　they　hold　in　so　much　abhorrence；　nor　do　any　words　



when　applied　by　them　convey　so　much　execration　as　these　two。







The　crimes　of　which　these　people　were　originally　accused　were　



various；　but　the　principal　were　theft；　sorcery；　and　causing　disease　



among　the　cattle；　and　there　is　every　reason　for　supposing　that　in　



none　of　these　points　they　were　altogether　guiltless。







With　respect　to　sorcery；　a　thing　in　itself　impossible；　not　only　the　



English　Gypsies；　but　the　whole　race；　have　ever　professed　it；　



therefore；　whatever　misery　they　may　have　suffered　on　that　account；　



they　may　be　considered　as　having　called　it　down　upon　their　own　



heads。







Dabbling　in　sorcery　is　in　some　degree　the　province　of　the　female　



Gypsy。　　She　affects　to　tell　the　future；　and　to　prepare　philtres　by　



means　of　which　love　can　be　awakened　in　any　individual　towards　any　



particular　object；　and　such　is　the　credulity　of　the　human　race；　



even　in　the　most　enlightened　countries；　that　the　profits　arising　



from　these　practices　are　great。　　The　following　is　a　case　in　point：　　



two　females；　neighbours　and　friends；　were　tried　some　years　since；　



in　England；　for　the　murder　of　their　husbands。　　It　appeared　that　



they　were　in　love　with　the　same　individual；　and　had　conjointly；　at　



various　times；　paid　sums　of　money　to　a　Gypsy　woman　to　work　charms　



to　captivate　his　affections。　　Whatever　little　effect　the　charms　



might　produce；　they　were　successful　in　their　principal　object；　for　



the　person　in　question　carried　on　for　some　time　a　criminal　



intercourse　with　both。　　The　matter　came　to　the　knowledge　of　the　



husbands；　who；　taking　means　to　break　off　this　connection；　were　



respectively　poisoned　by　their　wives。　　Till　the　moment　of　



conviction　these　wretched　females　betrayed　neither　emotion　nor　



fear；　but　then　their　consternation　was　indescribable；　and　they　



afterwards　confessed　that　the　Gypsy；　who　had　visited　them　in　



prison；　had　promised　to　shield　them　from　conviction　by　means　of　her　



art。　　It　is　therefore　not　surprising　that　in　the　fifteenth　and　



sixteenth　centuries；　when　a　belief　in　sorcery　was　supported　by　the　



laws　of　all　Europe；　these　people　were　regarded　as　practisers　of　



sorcery；　and　punished　as　such；　when；　even　in　the　nineteenth；　they　



still　find　people　weak　enough　to　place　confidence　in　their　claims　



to　supernatural　power。







The　accusation　of　producing　disease　and　death　amongst　the　cattle　



was　far　from　groundless。　　Indeed；　however　strange　and　incredible　it　



may　sound　in　the　present　day　to　those　who　are　unacquainted　with　



this　caste；　and　the　peculiar　habits　of　the　Rommanees；　the　practice　



is　still　occasionally　pursued　in　England　and　many　other　countries　



where　they　are　found。　　From　this　practice；　when　they　are　not　



detected；　they　derive　considerable　advantage。　　Poisoning　cattle　is　



exercised　by　them　in　two　ways：　　by　one；　they　merely　cause　disease　



in　the　animals；　with　the　view　of　receiving　money　for　curing　them　



upon　offering　their　services；　the　poison　is　generally　administered　



by　powders　cast　at　night　into　the　mangers　of　the　animals：　　this　way　



is　only　practised　upon　the　larger　cattle；　such　as　horses　and　cows。　　



By　the　other；　which　they　practise　chiefly　on　swine；　speedy　death　is　



almost　invariably　produced；　the　drug　administered　being　of　a　highly　



intoxicating　nature；　and　affecting　the　brain。　　They　then　apply　at　



the　house　or　farm　where　the　disaster　has　occurred　for　the　carcase　



of　the　animal；　which　is　generally　given　them　without　suspicion；　and　



then　they　feast　on　the　flesh；　which　is　not　injured　by　the　poison；　



which　only　affects　the　head。







The　English　Gypsies　are　constant　attendants　at　the　racecourse；　what　



jockey　is　not？　　Perhaps　jockeyism　originated　with　them；　and　even　



racing；　at　least　in　England。　　Jockeyism　properly　implies　THE　



MANAGEMENT　OF　A　WHIP；　and　the　word　jockey　is　neither　more　nor　less　



than　the　term　slightly　modified；　by　which　they　designate　the　



formidable　whips　which　they　usually　carry；　and　which　are　at　present　



in　general　use　amongst　horse…traffickers；　under　the　title　of　jockey　



whips。　　They　are　likewise　fond　of　resorting　to　the　prize…ring；　and　



have　occasionally　even　attained　some　eminence；　as　principals；　in　



those　disgraceful　and　brutalising　exhibitions　called　pugilistic　



combats。　　I　believe　a　great　deal　has　been　written　on　the　subject　of　



the　English　Gypsies；　but　the　writers　have　dwelt　too　much　in　



generalities；　they　have　been　afraid　to　take　the　Gypsy　by　the　hand；　



lead　him　forth　from　the　crowd；　and　exhibit　him　in　the　area；　he　is　



well　worth　observing。　　When　a　boy　of　fourteen；　I　was　present　at　a　



prize…fight；　why　should　I　hide　the　truth？　　It　took　place　on　a　green　



meadow；　beside　a　running　stream；　close　by　the　old　church　of　E…；　and　



within　a　league　of　the　ancient　town　of　N…；　the　capital　of　one　of　



the　eastern　counties。　　The　terrible　Thurtell　was　present；　lord　of　



the　concourse；　for　wherever　he　moved　he　was　master；　and　whenever　he　



spoke；　even　when　in　chains；　every　other　voice　was　silent。　　He　stood　



on　the　mead；　grim　and　pale　as　usual；　with　his　bruisers　around。　　He　



it　was；　indeed；　who　GOT　UP　the　fight；　as　he　had　previously　done　



twenty　others；　it　being　his　frequent　boast　that　he　had　first　



introduced　bruising　and　bloodshed　amidst　rural　scenes；　and　



transformed　a　quiet　slumbering　town　into　a　den　of　Jews　and　



metropolitan　thieves。　　Some　time　before　the　commencement　of　the　



combat；　three　men；　mounted　on　wild…looking　horses；　came　dashing　



down　the　road　in　the　direction　of　the　meadow；　in　the　midst　of　which　



they　presently　showed　themselves；　their　horses　clearing　the　deep　



ditches　with　wonderful　alacrity。　　'That's　Gypsy　Will　and　his　gang；'　



lisped　a　Hebrew　pickpocket；　'we　shall　have　another　fight。'　　The　



word　Gypsy　was　always　sufficient　to　excite　my　curiosity；　and　I　



looked　att