the zincali-第24章

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that　the　spirit　of　the　Chowahanee　may　descend　more　plenteously　upon　



the　poor　woman。'







Her　demeanour　now　instantly　undergoes　a　change。　　Hitherto　she　has　



been　pouring　forth　a　lying　and　wild　harangue　without　much　flurry　or　



agitation　of　manner。　　Her　speech；　it　is　true；　has　been　rapid；　but　



her　voice　has　never　been　raised　to　a　very　high　key；　but　she　now　



stamps　on　the　ground；　and　placing　her　hands　on　her　hips；　she　moves　



quickly　to　the　right　and　left；　advancing　and　retreating　in　a　



sidelong　direction。　　Her　glances　become　more　fierce　and　fiery；　and　



her　coarse　hair　stands　erect　on　her　head；　stiff　as　the　prickles　of　



the　hedgehog；　and　now　she　commences　clapping　her　hands；　and　



uttering　words　of　an　unknown　tongue；　to　a　strange　and　uncouth　tune。　　



The　tawny　bantling　seems　inspired　with　the　same　fiend；　and；　foaming　



at　the　mouth；　utters　wild　sounds；　in　imitation　of　its　dam。　　Still　



more　rapid　become　the　sidelong　movements　of　the　Gitana。　　Movement！　



she　springs；　she　bounds；　and　at　every　bound　she　is　a　yard　above　the　



ground。　　She　no　longer　bears　the　child　in　her　bosom；　she　plucks　it　



from　thence；　and　fiercely　brandishes　it　aloft；　till　at　last；　with　a　



yell　she　tosses　it　high　into　the　air；　like　a　ball；　and　then；　with　



neck　and　head　thrown　back；　receives　it；　as　it　falls；　on　her　hands　



and　breast；　extracting　a　cry　from　the　terrified　beholders。　　Is　it　



possible　she　can　be　singing？　　Yes；　in　the　wildest　style　of　her　



people；　and　here　is　a　snatch　of　the　song；　in　the　language　of　Roma；　



which　she　occasionally　screams　…











'En　los　sastos　de　yesque　plai　me　diquelo；



Doscusanas　de　sonacai　terelo；　…



Corojai　diquelo　abillar；



Y　ne　asislo　chapescar；　chapescar。'







'On　the　top　of　a　mountain　I　stand；



With　a　crown　of　red　gold　in　my　hand；　…



Wild　Moors　came　trooping　o'er　the　lea；



O　how　from　their　fury　shall　I　flee；　flee；　flee？



O　how　from　their　fury　shall　I　flee？'











Such　was　the　Gitana　in　the　days　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella；　and　much　



the　same　is　she　now　in　the　days　of　Isabel　and　Christina。







Of　the　Gitanas　and　their　practices　I　shall　have　much　to　say　on　a　



future　occasion；　when　speaking　of　those　of　the　present　time；　with　



many　of　whom　I　have　had　no　little　intercourse。　　All　the　ancient　



Spanish　authors　who　mention　these　women　speak　of　them　in　unmeasured　



terms　of　abhorrence；　employing　against　them　every　abusive　word　



contained　in　the　language　in　which　they　wrote。　　Amongst　other　vile　



names；　they　have　been　called　harlots；　though　perhaps　no　females　on　



earth　are；　and　have　ever　been；　more　chaste　in　their　own　persons；　



though　at　all　times　willing　to　encourage　licentiousness　in　others；　



from　a　hope　of　gain。　　It　is　one　thing　to　be　a　procuress；　and　



another　to　be　a　harlot；　though　the　former　has　assuredly　no　reason　



to　complain　if　she　be　confounded　with　the　latter。　　'The　Gitanas；'　



says　Doctor　Sancho　de　Moncada；　in　his　discourse　concerning　the　



Gypsies；　which　I　shall　presently　lay　before　the　reader；　'are　public　



harlots；　common；　as　it　is　said；　to　all　the　Gitanos；　and　with　



dances；　demeanour；　and　filthy　songs；　are　the　cause　of　infinite　harm　



to　the　souls　of　the　vassals　of　your　Majesty　（Philip　III。）；　as　it　is　



notorious　what　infinite　harm　they　have　caused　in　many　honourable　



houses。　　The　married　women　whom　they　have　separated　from　their　



husbands；　and　the　maidens　whom　they　have　perverted；　and　finally；　in　



the　best　of　these　Gitanas；　any　one　may　recognise　all　the　signs　of　a　



harlot　given　by　the　wise　king：　　〃they　are　gadders　about；　



whisperers；　always　unquiet　in　the　places　and　corners。〃'　（28）







The　author　of　Alonso；　（29）　he　who　of　all　the　old　Spanish　writers　



has　written　most　graphically　concerning　the　Gitanos；　and　I　believe　



with　most　correctness；　puts　the　following　account　of　the　Gitanas；　



and　their　fortune…telling　practices；　into　the　entertaining　mouth　of　



his　hero：…







'O　how　many　times　did　these　Gitanas　carry　me　along　with　them；　for　



being；　after　all；　women；　even　they　have　their　fears；　and　were　glad　



of　me　as　a　protector：　　and　so　they　went　through　the　neighbouring　



villages；　and　entered　the　houses　a…begging；　giving　to　understand　



thereby　their　poverty　and　necessity；　and　then　they　would　call　aside　



the　girls；　in　order　to　tell　them　the　buena　ventura；　and　the　young　



fellows　the　good　luck　which　they　were　to　enjoy；　never　failing　in　



the　first　place　to　ask　for　a　cuarto　or　real；　in　order　to　make　the　



sign　of　the　cross；　and　with　these　flattering　words；　they　got　as　



much　as　they　could；　although；　it　is　true；　not　much　in　money；　as　



their　harvest　in　that　article　was　generally　slight；　but　enough　in　



bacon　to　afford　subsistence　to　their　husbands　and　bantlings。　　I　



looked　on　and　laughed　at　the　simplicity　of　those　foolish　people；　



who；　especially　such　as　wished　to　be　married；　were　as　satisfied　and　



content　with　what　the　Gitana　told　them；　as　if　an　apostle　had　spoken　



it。'







The　above　description　of　Gitanas　telling　fortunes　amongst　the　



villages　of　Navarre；　and　which　was　written　by　a　Spanish　author　at　



the　commencement　of　the　seventeenth　century；　is；　in　every　respect；　



applicable；　as　the　reader　will　not　fail　to　have　observed；　to　the　



English　Gypsy　women　of　the　present　day；　engaged　in　the　same　



occupation　in　the　rural　districts　of　England；　where　the　first　



demand　of　the　sibyls　is　invariably　a　sixpence；　in　order　that　they　



may　cross　their　hands　with　silver；　and　where　the　same　promises　are　



made；　and　as　easily　believed；　all　which；　if　it　serves　to　confirm　



the　opinion　that　in　all　times　the　practices　and　habits　of　the　



Egyptian　race　have　been；　in　almost　all　respects；　the　same　as　at　the　



present　day；　brings　us　also　to　the　following　mortifying　conclusion；　



…　that　mental　illumination；　amongst　the　generality　of　mankind；　has　



made　no　progress　at　all；　as　we　observe　in　the　nineteenth　century　



the　same　gross　credulity　manifested　as　in　the　seventeenth；　and　the　



inhabitants　of　one　of　the　countries　most　celebrated　for　the　arts　of　



civilisation；　imposed　upon　by　the　same　stale　tricks　which　served　to　



deceive　two　centuries　before　in　Spain；　a　country　whose　name　has　



long　and　justly　been　considered　as　synonymous　with　every　species　of　



ignorance　and　barbarism。







The　same　author；　whilst　speaking　of　these　female　Thugs；　relates　an　



anecdote　very　characteristic　of　them；　a　device　at　which　they　are　



adepts；　which　they　love　to　employ；　and　which　is　generally　attended　



with　success。　　It　is　the　more　deserving　attention；　as　an　instance　



of　the　same　description；　attended　with　very　similar　circumstances；　



occurred　within　the　sphere　of　my　own　knowledge　in　my　own　country。　　



This　species　of　deceit　is　styled；　in　the　peculiar　language　of　the　



Rommany；　HOKKANO　BARO；　or　the　'great　trick'；　it　being　considered　by　



the　women　as　their　most　fruitful　source　of　plunder。　　The　story；　as　



related　by　Alonso；　runs　as　follows：…







'A　band　of　Gitanos　being　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　village；　one　of　



the　women　went　to　a　house　where　lived　a　lady　alone。　　This　lady　was　



a　young　widow；　rich；　without　children；　and　of　very　handsome　person。　　



After　having　saluted　her；　the　Gypsy　repeated　the　harangue　which　she　



had　already　studied；　to　the　effect　that　there　was　neither　bachelor；　



widower；　nor　married　man；　nobleman；　nor　gallant；　endowed　with　a　



thousand　graces；　who　was　not　dying　for　love　of　her；　and　then　



continued：　　〃Lady；　I　have　contracted　a　great　affection　for　you；　and　



since　I　know　that　you　well　merit　the　riches　you　possess；　



notwithstanding　you　live　heedless　of　your　good　fortune；　I　wish　to　



reveal　to　you　a　secret。　　You　must　know；　then；　that　in　your　cellar　



you　have　a　vast　treasure；　nevertheless　you　will　experience　great　



difficulty　in　arriving　at　it；　as　it　is　enchanted；　and　to　remove　it　



is　impossible；　s