the zincali-第16章

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as　if　they　had　done　nothing　to　it。　　Both　these　women　were　of　the　



very　same　Char　Seharra　which　I　have　already　mentioned。　　They　



likewise　took　paper；　and　cut　it　into　the　shape　of　a　peseta；　and　a　



dollar；　and　a　half…dollar；　until　they　had　made　many　pesetas　and　



dollars；　and　then　they　put　them　into　an　earthen　pan　over　a　fire；　



and　when　they　took　them　out；　they　appeared　just　fresh　from　the　



stamp；　and　with　such　money　these　people　buy　all　they　want。







'There　was　a　friend　of　my　grandfather；　who　came　frequently　to　our　



house；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　making　this　money。　　One　day　he　took　



me　with　him　to　buy　white　silk；　and　when　they　had　shown　him　some；　he　



took　the　silk　in　his　hand；　and　pressed　it　to　his　mouth；　and　then　I　



saw　that　the　silk；　which　was　before　white；　had　become　green；　even　



as　grass。　　The　master　of　the　shop　said；　〃Pay　me　for　my　silk。〃　　〃Of　



what　colour　was　your　silk？〃　he　demanded。　　〃White；〃　said　the　man；　



whereupon；　turning　round；　he　cried；　〃Good　people；　behold；　the　white　



silk　is　green〃；　and　so　he　got　a　pound　of　silk　for　nothing；　and　he　



also　was　of　the　Char　Seharra。







'They　are　very　evil　people　indeed；　and　the　emperor　himself　is　



afraid　of　them。　　The　poor　wretch　who　falls　into　their　hands　has　



cause　to　rue；　they　always　go　badly　dressed；　and　exhibit　every　



appearance　of　misery；　though　they　are　far　from　being　miserable。　　



Such　is　the　life　they　lead。'







There　is；　of　course；　some　exaggeration　in　the　above　account　of　the　



Dar…bushi…fal；　yet　there　is　little　reason　to　doubt　that　there　is　a　



foundation　of　truth　in　all　the　facts　stated。　　The　belief　that　they　



are　enabled；　by　sorcery；　to　change　a　white　into　a　black　man　had　its　



origin　in　the　great　skill　which　they　possess　in　altering　the　



appearance　of　a　horse　or　a　mule；　and　giving　it　another　colour。　　



Their　changing　white　into　green　silk　is　a　very　simple　trick；　and　is　



accomplished　by　dexterously　substituting　one　thing　for　another。　　



Had　the　man　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal　been　searched；　the　white　silk　



would　have　been　found　upon　him。　　The　Gypsies；　wherever　they　are　



found；　are　fond　of　this　species　of　fraud。　　In　Germany；　for　example；　



they　go　to　the　wine…shop　with　two　pitchers　exactly　similar；　one　in　



their　hand　empty；　and　the　other　beneath　their　cloaks　filled　with　



water；　when　the　empty　pitcher　is　filled　with　wine　they　pretend　to　



be　dissatisfied　with　the　quality；　or　to　have　no　money；　but　contrive　



to　substitute　the　pitcher　of　water　in　its　stead；　which　the　wine…



seller　generally　snatches　up　in　anger；　and　pours　the　contents　back；　



as　he　thinks；　into　the　butt　…　but　it　is　not　wine　but　water　which　he　



pours。　　With　respect　to　the　donkey；　which　APPEARED　to　be　cut　in　



pieces；　but　which　afterwards；　being　pricked　in　the　tail；　got　up　and　



ran　home；　I　have　little　to　say；　but　that　I　have　myself　seen　almost　



as　strange　things　without　believing　in　sorcery。







As　for　the　dates　of　dung；　and　the　paper　money；　they　are　mere　feats　



of　legerdemain。







I　repeat；　that　if　legitimate　Gypsies　really　exist　in　Barbary；　they　



are　the　men　and　women　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal。















CHAPTER　VII















CHIROMANCY；　or　the　divination　of　the　hand；　is；　according　to　the　



orthodox　theory；　the　determining　from　certain　lines　upon　the　hand　



the　quality　of　the　physical　and　intellectual　powers　of　the　



possessor。







The　whole　science　is　based　upon　the　five　principal　lines　in　the　



hand；　and　the　triangle　which　they　form　in　the　palm。　　These　lines；　



which　have　all　their　particular　and　appropriate　names；　and　the　



principal　of　which　is　called　'the　line　of　life；'　are；　if　we　may　



believe　those　who　have　written　on　the　subject；　connected　with　the　



heart；　with　the　genitals；　with　the　brain；　with　the　liver　or　



stomach；　and　the　head。　　Torreblanca；　（23）　in　his　curious　and　



learned　book　on　magic；　observes：　　'In　judging　these　lines　you　must　



pay　attention　to　their　substance；　colour；　and　continuance；　together　



with　the　disposition　of　the　correspondent　member；　for；　if　the　line　



be　well　and　clearly　described；　and　is　of　a　vivid　colour；　without　



being　intermitted　or　PUNCTURIS　INFECTA；　it　denotes　the　good　



complexion　and　virtue　of　its　member；　according　to　Aristotle。







'So　that　if　the　line　of　the　heart　be　found　sufficiently　long　and　



reasonably　deep；　and　not　crossed　by　other　accidental　lines；　it　is　



an　infallible　sign　of　the　health　of　the　heart　and　the　great　virtue　



of　the　heart；　and　the　abundance　of　spirits　and　good　blood　in　the　



heart；　and　accordingly　denotes　boldness　and　liberal　genius　for　



every　work。'







In　like　manner；　by　means　of　the　hepatal　line；　it　is　easy　to　form　an　



accurate　judgment　as　to　the　state　of　a　person's　liver；　and　of　his　



powers　of　digestion；　and　so　on　with　respect　to　all　the　other　organs　



of　the　body。







After　having　laid　down　all　the　rules　of　chiromancy　with　the　utmost　



possible　clearness；　the　sage　Torreblanca　exclaims：　　'And　with　these　



terminate　the　canons　of　true　and　catholic　chiromancy；　for　as　for　



the　other　species　by　which　people　pretend　to　divine　concerning　the　



affairs　of　life；　either　past　or　to　come；　dignities；　fortunes；　



children；　events；　chances；　dangers；　etc。；　such　chiromancy　is　not　



only　reprobated　by　theologians；　but　by　men　of　law　and　physic；　as　a　



foolish；　false；　vain；　scandalous；　futile；　superstitious　practice；　



smelling　much　of　divinery　and　a　pact　with　the　devil。'







Then；　after　mentioning　a　number　of　erudite　and　enlightened　men　of　



the　three　learned　professions；　who　have　written　against　such　absurd　



superstitions；　amongst　whom　he　cites　Martin　Del　Rio；　he　falls　foul　



of　the　Gypsy　wives　in　this　manner：　　'A　practice　turned　to　profit　by　



the　wives　of　that　rabble　of　abandoned　miscreants　whom　the　Italians　



call　Cingari；　the　Latins　Egyptians；　and　we　Gitanos；　who；　



notwithstanding　that　they　are　sent　by　the　Turks　into　Spain　for　the　



purpose　of　acting　as　spies　upon　the　Christian　religion；　pretend　



that　they　are　wandering　over　the　world　in　fulfilment　of　a　penance　



enjoined　upon　them；　part　of　which　penance　seems　to　be　the　living　by　



fraud　and　imposition。'　　And　shortly　afterwards　he　remarks：　　'Nor　do　



they　derive　any　authority　for　such　a　practice　from　those　words　in　



Exodus；　（24）　〃et　quasi　signum　in　manu　tua；〃　as　that　passage　does　



not　treat　of　chiromancy；　but　of　the　festival　of　unleavened　bread；　



the　observance　of　which；　in　order　that　it　might　be　memorable　to　the　



Hebrews；　the　sacred　historian　said　should　be　as　a　sign　upon　the　



hand；　a　metaphor　derived　from　those　who；　when　they　wish　to　remember　



anything；　tie　a　thread　round　their　finger；　or　put　a　ring　upon　it；　



and　still　less　I　ween　does　that　chapter　of　Job　（25）　speak　in　their　



favour；　where　is　written；　〃Qui　in　manu　hominis　signat；　ut　norint　



omnes　opera　sua；〃　because　the　divine　power　is　meant　thereby　which　



is　preached　to　those　here　below：　　for　the　hand　is　intended　for　



power　and　magnitude；　Exod。　chap。　xiv。；　（26）　or　stands　for　free　



will；　which　is　placed　in　a　man's　hand；　that　is；　in　his　power。　　



Wisdom；　chap。　xxxvi。　〃In　manibus　abscondit　lucem；〃　（27）　etc。　etc。　



etc。







No；　no；　good　Torreblanca；　we　know　perfectly　well　that　the　witch…



wives　of　Multan；　who　for　the　last　four　hundred　years　have　been　



running　about　Spain　and　other　countries；　telling　fortunes　by　the　



hand；　and　deriving　good　profit　from　the　same；　are　not　countenanced　



in　such　a　practice　by　the　sacred　volume；　we　yield　as　little　credit　



to　their　chiromancy　as　we　do　to　that　which　you　call　the　true　and　



catholic；　and　believe　that　the　lines　of　the　hand　have　as　little　



connection　with　the　events　of　life　as　with　the　liver　and　stomach；　



notwithstanding　Aristotle；　who　you　forget　was　a　heathen；　and　knew　



as　little　and　cared　as　little　for　the　Scriptures　as　the　Gitanos；　



whether　male　or　female；　who　little　reck　what　sanction　any　of　their　



practices　may　receive　from　authority；　whether　divine　or　human；　if　



the　pursuit　enable　them　to　provide　sufficient　for　the　existence；　



however　poor　and　miserable；　of　their　families　and　themselves。







A　very　singular　kind　of　women　are　the　Gitanas；　far　more　remarkable　



in　most　points　than　their　husbands；　in　whose　pursuits　of　low　



cheating　and　petty　robbery　there　is　little　capable　of　exciting　much　



interest；　but　if　there　be　one　being　in　the　world　who；　more　than　



another；　deserves　the　title　of　sorceress　（and　where　do　you　find　a　



word　of　greater　romance　and　more　thrilling　interest？）；　it　is　the　



Gypsy　female　in　the　prime　and　vigour　of　her　age　and　ripeness　of　her　



understanding　…　the　Gypsy　wife；　the　mother　of　two　or　three　



children。　　Mention　to　me　a　point　of　devilry　with　which　that　woman　



is　not　acquainted。　　She　can　at　any　time；　when　it　suits　her；　show　



herself　as　expert　a　jockey　as　her　husband；　and　he　appears　to　



advantage　in　no　other　character；　and　is　only　eloquent　when　



descanting　on　the　merits　of　some　particular　animal；　but　she　can　do　



much　more：　　she　is　a　prophetess；　though　she　believes　not　in　



prophecy；　she　is　a　physician；　though　she　will　not　taste　her　own　



philtres；　she　is　a　procuress；　though　she　is　not　to　be　procured；　she　



is　a　singer　of　obscene　songs；　though　she　will　suffer　no　obscene　



hand　to　touch　her；　and　though　no　one　is　more　tenacious　of　the　



little　she　possesses；　she　is　a　cutpurse　and　a　shop…lifter　whenever　



opportunity　shall　offer。







In　all　times；　since　we　have　known　anything　of　these　women；　they　



have　been　addicted　to　and　famous　for　fortune…telling；　indeed；　it　is　



their　only　ostensible　means　of　livelihood；　though　they　have　various　



others　which　they　pursue　more　secretly。　　Where　and　how　they　first　



learned　the　practice　we　know　not；　they　may　have　brought　it　with　



them　from　the　East；　or　they　may　have　adopted　it；　which　is　less　



likely；　after　their　arrival　in　Europe。　　Chiromancy；　from　the　most　



remote　periods；　has　been　practised　in　all　countries。　　Neither　do　we　



know；　whether　in　this　practice　they　were　ever　guided　by　fixed　and　



certain　rules；　the　probability；　however；　is；　that　they　were　not；　



and　that　they　never　followed　it　but　as　a　means　of　fraud　and　



robbery；　certainly；　amongst　all　the　professors　of　this　art　that　



ever　existed；　no　people　are　more　adapted　by　nature　to　turn　it　to　



account　than　these　females；　call　them　by　whatever　name　you　will；　



Gitanas；　Ziganas；　Gypsies；　or　Bohemians；　their　forms；　their　



features；　the　expression　of　their　countenances　are　ever　wild　and　



Sibylline；　frequently　beautiful；　but　never　vulgar。　　Observe；　for　



example；　the　Gitana；　even　her　of　Seville。　　She　is　standing　before　



the　portal　of　a　large　house　in　one　of　the　narrow　Moorish　streets　of　



the　capital　of　Andalusia；　through　the　grated　iron　door；　she　looks　



in