the zincali-第9章

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curious。　　In　the　Gypsy　language；　the　state　of　being　in　debt　is　



called　PAZORRHUS；　and　the　Rom　who　did　not　seek　to　extricate　himself　



from　that　state　was　deemed　infamous；　and　eventually　turned　out　of　



the　society。　　It　has　been　asserted；　I　believe；　by　various　gorgio　



writers；　that　the　Roms　have　everything　in　common；　and　that　there　is　



a　common　stock　out　of　which　every　one　takes　what　he　needs；　this　is　



quite　a　mistake；　however：　　a　Gypsy　tribe　is　an　epitome　of　the　



world；　every　one　keeps　his　own　purse　and　maintains　himself　and　



children　to　the　best　of　his　ability；　and　every　tent　is　independent　



of　the　other。　　True　it　is　that　one　Gypsy　will　lend　to　another　in　



the　expectation　of　being　repaid；　and　until　that　happen　the　borrower　



is　pazorrhus；　or　indebted。　　Even　at　the　present　time；　a　Gypsy　will　



make　the　greatest　sacrifices　rather　than　remain　pazorrhus　to　one　of　



his　brethren；　even　though　he　be　of　another　clan；　though　perhaps　the　



feeling　is　not　so　strong　as　of　old；　for　time　modifies　everything；　



even　Jews　and　Gypsies　are　affected　by　it。　　In　the　old　time；　indeed；　



the　Gypsy　law　was　so　strong　against　the　debtor；　that　provided　he　



could　not　repay　his　brother　husband；　he　was　delivered　over　to　him　



as　his　slave　for　a　year　and　a　day；　and　compelled　to　serve　him　as　a　



hewer　of　wood；　a　drawer　of　water；　or　a　beast　of　burden；　but　those　



times　are　past；　the　Gypsies　are　no　longer　the　independent　people　



they　were　of　yore；　…　dark；　mysterious；　and　dreaded　wanderers；　



living　apart　in　the　deserts　and　heaths　with　which　England　at　one　



time　abounded。　　Gypsy　law　has　given　place　to　common　law；　but　the　



principle　of　honour　is　still　recognised　amongst　them；　and　base　



indeed　must　the　Gypsy　be　who　would　continue　pazorrhus　because　Gypsy　



law　has　become　too　weak　to　force　him　to　liquidate　a　debt　by　money　



or　by　service。







Such　was　Gypsy　law　in　England；　and　there　is　every　probability　that　



it　is　much　the　same　in　all　parts　of　the　world　where　the　Gypsy　race　



is　to　be　found。　　About　the　peculiar　practices　of　the　Gypsies　I　need　



not　say　much　here；　the　reader　will　find　in　the　account　of　the　



Spanish　Gypsies　much　that　will　afford　him　an　idea　of　Gypsy　arts　in　



England。　　I　have　already　alluded　to　CHIVING　DRAV；　or　poisoning；　



which　is　still　much　practised　by　the　English　Gypsies；　though　it　has　



almost　entirely　ceased　in　Spain；　then　there　is　CHIVING　LUVVU　ADREY　



PUVO；　or　putting　money　within　the　earth；　a　trick　by　which　the　



females　deceive　the　gorgios；　and　which　will　be　more　particularly　



described　in　the　affairs　of　Spain：　　the　men　are　adepts　at　cheating　



the　gorgios　by　means　of　NOK…ENGROES　and　POGGADO…BAVENGROES　



（glandered　and　broken…winded　horses）。　　But；　leaving　the　subject　of　



their　tricks　and　Rommany　arts；　by　no　means　an　agreeable　one；　I　will　



take　the　present　opportunity　of　saying　a　few　words　about　a　practice　



of　theirs；　highly　characteristic　of　a　wandering　people；　and　which　



is　only　extant　amongst　those　of　the　race　who　still　continue　to　



wander　much；　for　example；　the　Russian　Gypsies　and　those　of　the　



Hungarian　family；　who　stroll　through　Italy　on　plundering　



expeditions：　　I　allude　to　the　PATTERAN　or　TRAIL。







It　is　very　possible　that　the　reader　during　his　country　walks　or　



rides　has　observed；　on　coming　to　four　cross…roads；　two　or　three　



handfuls　of　grass　lying　at　a　small　distance　from　each　other　down　



one　of　these　roads；　perhaps　he　may　have　supposed　that　this　grass　



was　recently　plucked　from　the　roadside　by　frolicsome　children；　and　



flung　upon　the　ground　in　sport；　and　this　may　possibly　have　been　the　



case；　it　is　ten　chances　to　one；　however；　that　no　children's　hands　



plucked　them；　but　that　they　were　strewed　in　this　manner　by　Gypsies；　



for　the　purpose　of　informing　any　of　their　companions；　who　might　be　



straggling　behind；　the　route　which　they　had　taken；　this　is　one　form　



of　the　patteran　or　trail。　　It　is　likely；　too；　that　the　gorgio　



reader　may　have　seen　a　cross　drawn　at　the　entrance　of　a　road；　the　



long　part　or　stem　of　it　pointing　down　that　particular　road；　and　he　



may　have　thought　nothing　of　it；　or　have　supposed　that　some　



sauntering　individual　like　himself　had　made　the　mark　with　his　



stick：　　not　so；　courteous　gorgio；　ley　tiro　solloholomus　opre　lesti；　



YOU　MAY　TAKE　YOUR　OATH　UPON　IT　that　it　was　drawn　by　a　Gypsy　finger；　



for　that　mark　is　another　of　the　Rommany　trails；　there　is　no　mistake　



in　this。　　Once　in　the　south　of　France；　when　I　was　weary；　hungry；　



and　penniless；　I　observed　one　of　these　last　patterans；　and　



following　the　direction　pointed　out；　arrived　at　the　resting…place　



of　'certain　Bohemians；'　by　whom　I　was　received　with　kindness　and　



hospitality；　on　the　faith　of　no　other　word　of　recommendation　than　



patteran。　　There　is　also　another　kind　of　patteran；　which　is　more　



particularly　adapted　for　the　night；　it　is　a　cleft　stick　stuck　at　



the　side　of　the　road；　close　by　the　hedge；　with　a　little　arm　in　the　



cleft　pointing　down　the　road　which　the　band　have　taken；　in　the　



manner　of　a　signpost；　any　stragglers　who　may　arrive　at　night　where　



cross…roads　occur　search　for　this　patteran　on　the　left…hand　side；　



and　speedily　rejoin　their　companions。







By　following　these　patterans；　or　trails；　the　first　Gypsies　on　their　



way　to　Europe　never　lost　each　other；　though　wandering　amidst　horrid　



wildernesses　and　dreary　defiles。　　Rommany　matters　have　always　had　a　



peculiar　interest　for　me；　nothing；　however；　connected　with　Gypsy　



life　ever　more　captivated　my　imagination　than　this　patteran　system：　　



many　thanks　to　the　Gypsies　for　it；　it　has　more　than　once　been　of　



service　to　me。







The　English　Gypsies　at　the　present　day　are　far　from　being　a　



numerous　race；　I　consider　their　aggregate　number；　from　the　



opportunities　which　I　have　had　of　judging；　to　be　considerably　under　



ten　thousand：　　it　is　probable　that；　ere　the　conclusion　of　the　



present　century；　they　will　have　entirely　disappeared。　　They　are　in　



general　quite　strangers　to　the　commonest　rudiments　of　education；　



few　even　of　the　most　wealthy　can　either　read　or　write。　　With　



respect　to　religion；　they　call　themselves　members　of　the　



Established　Church；　and　are　generally　anxious　to　have　their　



children　baptized；　and　to　obtain　a　copy　of　the　register。　　Some　of　



their　baptismal　papers；　which　they　carry　about　with　them；　are　



highly　curious；　going　back　for　a　period　of　upwards　of　two　hundred　



years。　　With　respect　to　the　essential　points　of　religion；　they　are　



quite　careless　and　ignorant；　if　they　believe　in　a　future　state　they　



dread　it　not；　and　if　they　manifest　when　dying　any　anxiety；　it　is　



not　for　the　soul；　but　the　body：　　a　handsome　coffin；　and　a　grave　in　



a　quiet　country　churchyard；　are　invariably　the　objects　of　their　



last　thoughts；　and　it　is　probable　that；　in　their　observance　of　the　



rite　of　baptism；　they　are　principally　influenced　by　a　desire　to　



enjoy　the　privilege　of　burial　in　consecrated　ground。　　A　Gypsy　



family　never　speak　of　their　dead　save　with　regret　and　affection；　



and　any　request　of　the　dying　individual　is　attended　to；　especially　



with　regard　to　interment；　so　much　so；　that　I　have　known　a　corpse　



conveyed　a　distance　of　nearly　one　hundred　miles；　because　the　



deceased　expressed　a　wish　to　be　buried　in　a　particular　spot。







Of　the　language　of　the　English　Gypsies；　some　specimens　will　be　



given　in　the　sequel；　it　is　much　more　pure　and　copious　than　the　



Spanish　dialect。　　It　has　been　asserted　that　the　English　Gypsies　are　



not　possessed　of　any　poetry　in　their　own　tongue；　but　this　is　a　



gross　error；　they　possess　a　great　many　songs　and　ballads　upon　



ordinary　subjects；　without　any　particular　merit；　however；　and　



seemingly　of　a　very　modern　date。











THE　GYPSIES　OF　THE　EAST；　OR　ZINGARRI











What　has　been　said　of　the　Gypsies　of　Europe　is；　to　a　consid