the zincali-第7章

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



looked　attentively　at　the　newcomers。







I　have　seen　Gypsies　of　various　lands；　Russian；　Hungarian；　and　



Turkish；　and　I　have　also　seen　the　legitimate　children　of　most　



countries　of　the　world；　but　I　never　saw；　upon　the　whole；　three　more　



remarkable　individuals；　as　far　as　personal　appearance　was　



concerned；　than　the　three　English　Gypsies　who　now　presented　



themselves　to　my　eyes　on　that　spot。　　Two　of　them　had　dismounted；　



and　were　holding　their　horses　by　the　reins。　　The　tallest；　and；　at　



the　first　glance；　the　most　interesting　of　the　two；　was　almost　a　



giant；　for　his　height　could　not　have　been　less　than　six　feet　three。　　



It　is　impossible　for　the　imagination　to　conceive　anything　more　



perfectly　beautiful　than　were　the　features　of　this　man；　and　the　



most　skilful　sculptor　of　Greece　might　have　taken　them　as　his　model　



for　a　hero　and　a　god。　　The　forehead　was　exceedingly　lofty；　…　a　rare　



thing　in　a　Gypsy；　the　nose　less　Roman　than　Grecian；　…　fine　yet　



delicate；　the　eyes　large；　overhung　with　long　drooping　lashes；　



giving　them　almost　a　melancholy　expression；　it　was　only　when　the　



lashes　were　elevated　that　the　Gypsy　glance　was　seen；　if　that　can　be　



called　a　glance　which　is　a　strange　stare；　like　nothing　else　in　this　



world。　　His　complexion　was　a　beautiful　olive；　and　his　teeth　were　of　



a　brilliancy　uncommon　even　amongst　these　people；　who　have　all　fine　



teeth。　　He　was　dressed　in　a　coarse　waggoner's　slop；　which；　however；　



was　unable　to　conceal　altogether　the　proportions　of　his　noble　and　



Herculean　figure。　　He　might　be　about　twenty…eight。　　His　companion　



and　his　captain；　Gypsy　Will；　was；　I　think；　fifty　when　he　was　



hanged；　ten　years　subsequently　（for　I　never　afterwards　lost　sight　



of　him）；　in　the　front　of　the　jail　of　Bury　St。　Edmunds。　　I　have　



still　present　before　me　his　bushy　black　hair；　his　black　face；　and　



his　big　black　eyes　fixed　and　staring。　　His　dress　consisted　of　a　



loose　blue　jockey　coat；　jockey　boots　and　breeches；　in　his　hand　was　



a　huge　jockey　whip；　and　on　his　head　（it　struck　me　at　the　time　for　



its　singularity）　a　broad…brimmed；　high…peaked　Andalusian　hat；　or　at　



least　one　very　much　resembling　those　generally　worn　in　that　



province。　　In　stature　he　was　shorter　than　his　more　youthful　



companion；　yet　he　must　have　measured　six　feet　at　least；　and　was　



stronger　built；　if　possible。　　What　brawn！　…　what　bone！　…　what　legs！　



…　what　thighs！　　The　third　Gypsy；　who　remained　on　horseback；　looked　



more　like　a　phantom　than　any　thing　human。　　His　complexion　was　the　



colour　of　pale　dust；　and　of　that　same　colour　was　all　that　pertained　



to　him；　hat　and　clothes。　　His　boots　were　dusty　of　course；　for　it　



was　midsummer；　and　his　very　horse　was　of　a　dusty　dun。　　His　features　



were　whimsically　ugly；　most　of　his　teeth　were　gone；　and　as　to　his　



age；　he　might　be　thirty　or　sixty。　　He　was　somewhat　lame　and　halt；　



but　an　unequalled　rider　when　once　upon　his　steed；　which　he　was　



naturally　not　very　solicitous　to　quit。　　I　subsequently　discovered　



that　he　was　considered　the　wizard　of　the　gang。







I　have　been　already　prolix　with　respect　to　these　Gypsies；　but　I　



will　not　leave　them　quite　yet。　　The　intended　combatants　at　length　



arrived；　it　was　necessary　to　clear　the　ring；　…　always　a　troublesome　



and　difficult　task。　　Thurtell　went　up　to　the　two　Gypsies；　with　whom　



he　seemed　to　be　acquainted；　and　with　his　surly　smile；　said　two　or　



three　words；　which　I；　who　was　standing　by；　did　not　understand。　　The　



Gypsies　smiled　in　return；　and　giving　the　reins　of　their　animals　to　



their　mounted　companion；　immediately　set　about　the　task　which　the　



king　of　the　flash…men　had；　as　I　conjecture；　imposed　upon　them；　this　



they　soon　accomplished。　　Who　could　stand　against　such　fellows　and　



such　whips？　　The　fight　was　soon　over　…　then　there　was　a　pause。　　



Once　more　Thurtell　came　up　to　the　Gypsies　and　said　something　…　the　



Gypsies　looked　at　each　other　and　conversed；　but　their　words　then　



had　no　meaning　for　my　ears。　　The　tall　Gypsy　shook　his　head　…　'Very　



well；'　said　the　other；　in　English。　　'I　will　…　that's　all。'







Then　pushing　the　people　aside；　he　strode　to　the　ropes；　over　which　



he　bounded　into　the　ring；　flinging　his　Spanish　hat　high　into　the　



air。







GYPSY　WILL。　…　'The　best　man　in　England　for　twenty　pounds！'







'THURTELL。　…　'I　am　backer！'







Twenty　pounds　is　a　tempting　sum；　and　there　men　that　day　upon　the　



green　meadow　who　would　have　shed　the　blood　of　their　own　fathers　for　



the　fifth　of　the　price。　　But　the　Gypsy　was　not　an　unknown　man；　his　



prowess　and　strength　were　notorious；　and　no　one　cared　to　encounter　



him。　　Some　of　the　Jews　looked　eager　for　a　moment；　but　their　sharp　



eyes　quailed　quickly　before　his　savage　glances；　as　he　towered　in　



the　ring；　his　huge　form　dilating；　and　his　black　features　convulsed　



with　excitement。　　The　Westminster　bravoes　eyed　the　Gypsy　askance；　



but　the　comparison；　if　they　made　any；　seemed　by　no　means　favourable　



to　themselves。　　'Gypsy！　rum　chap。　…　Ugly　customer；　…　always　in　



training。'　　Such　were　the　exclamations　which　I　heard；　some　of　which　



at　that　period　of　my　life　I　did　not　understand。







No　man　would　fight　the　Gypsy。　…　Yes！　a　strong　country　fellow　wished　



to　win　the　stakes；　and　was　about　to　fling　up　his　hat　in　defiance；　



but　he　was　prevented　by　his　friends；　with　…　'Fool！　he'll　kill　you！'







As　the　Gypsies　were　mounting　their　horses；　I　heard　the　dusty　



phantom　exclaim　…







'Brother；　you　are　an　arrant　ring…maker　and　a　horse…breaker；　you'll　



make　a　hempen　ring　to　break　your　own　neck　of　a　horse　one　of　these　



days。'







They　pressed　their　horses'　flanks；　again　leaped　over　the　ditches；　



and　speedily　vanished；　amidst　the　whirlwinds　of　dust　which　they　



raised　upon　the　road。







The　words　of　the　phantom　Gypsy　were　ominous。　　Gypsy　Will　was　



eventually　executed　for　a　murder　committed　in　his　early　youth；　in　



company　with　two　English　labourers；　one　of　whom　confessed　the　fact　



on　his　death…bed。　　He　was　the　head　of　the　clan　Young；　which；　with　



the　clan　Smith；　still　haunts　two　of　the　eastern　counties。











SOME　FURTHER　PARTICULARS　RESPECTING　THE　ENGLISH　GYPSIES











It　is　difficult　to　say　at　what　period　the　Gypsies　or　Rommany　made　



their　first　appearance　in　England。　　They　had　become；　however；　such　



a　nuisance　in　the　time　of　Henry　the　Eighth；　Philip　and　Mary；　and　



Elizabeth；　that　Gypsyism　was　denounced　by　various　royal　statutes；　



and；　if　persisted　in；　was　to　be　punished　as　felony　without　benefit　



of　clergy；　it　is　probable；　however；　that　they　had　overrun　England　



long　before　the　period　of　the　earliest　of　these　monarchs。　　The　



Gypsies　penetrate　into　all　countries；　save　poor　ones；　and　it　is　



hardly　to　be　supposed　that　a　few　leagues　of　intervening　salt　water　



would　have　kept　a　race　so　enterprising　any　considerable　length　of　



time；　after　their　arrival　on　the　continent　of　Europe；　from　



obtaining　a　footing　in　the　fairest　and　richest　country　of　the　West。







It　is　easy　enough　to　conceive　the　manner　in　which　the　Gypsies　lived　



in　England　for　a　long　time　subsequent　to　their　arrival：　　doubtless　



in　a　half…savage　state；　wandering　about　from　place　to　place；　



encamping　on　the　uninhabited　spots；　of　which　there　were　then　so　



many　in　England；　feared　and　hated　by　the　population；　who　looked　



upon　them　as　thieves　and　foreign　sorcerers；　occasionally　committing　



acts　of　brigandage；　but　depending　chiefly　for　subsistence　on　the　



practice　of　the　'arts　of　Egypt；'　in　which　cunning　and　dexterity　



were　far　more　necessary　than　courage　or　strength　of　hand。







It　would　appear　that　they　were　always　divided　into　clans　or　tribes；　



each　bearing　a　particular　name；　and　to　which　a　particular　district　



more　especially　belonged；　though　occasion