the zincali-第20章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
as an assurance that the Lord will yet one day redeem and gather
together his scattered and oppressed people。 'Art thou not the God
who brought us out of the land of bondage?' they exclaim in the
days of their heaviest trouble and affliction。 He who redeemed
Israel from the hand of Pharaoh is yet capable of restoring the
kingdom and sceptre to Israel。
If the Rommany trusted in any God at the period of THEIR exodus;
they must speedily have forgotten him。 Coming from Ind; as they
most assuredly did; it was impossible for them to have known the
true; and they must have been followers (if they followed any)
either of Buddh; or Brahmah; those tremendous phantoms which have
led; and are likely still to lead; the souls of hundreds of
millions to destruction; yet they are now ignorant of such names;
nor does it appear that such were ever current amongst them
subsequent to their arrival in Europe; if indeed they ever were。
They brought with them no Indian idols; as far as we are able to
judge at the present time; nor indeed Indian rites or observances;
for no traces of such are to be discovered amongst them。
All; therefore; which relates to their original religion is
shrouded in mystery; and is likely so to remain。 They may have
been idolaters; or atheists; or what they now are; totally
neglectful of worship of any kind; and though not exactly prepared
to deny the existence of a Supreme Being; as regardless of him as
if he existed not; and never mentioning his name; save in oaths and
blasphemy; or in moments of pain or sudden surprise; as they have
heard other people do; but always without any fixed belief; trust;
or hope。
There are certainly some points of resemblance between the children
of Roma and those of Israel。 Both have had an exodus; both are
exiles and dispersed amongst the Gentiles; by whom they are hated
and despised; and whom they hate and despise; under the names of
Busnees and Goyim; both; though speaking the language of the
Gentiles; possess a peculiar tongue; which the latter do not
understand; and both possess a peculiar cast of countenance; by
which they may; without difficulty; be distinguished from all other
nations; but with these points the similarity terminates。 The
Israelites have a peculiar religion; to which they are fanatically
attached; the Romas have none; as they invariably adopt; though
only in appearance; that of the people with whom they chance to
sojourn; the Israelites possess the most authentic history of any
people in the world; and are acquainted with and delight to
recapitulate all that has befallen their race; from ages the most
remote; the Romas have no history; they do not even know the name
of their original country; and the only tradition which they
possess; that of their Egyptian origin; is a false one; whether
invented by themselves or others; the Israelites are of all people
the most wealthy; the Romas the most poor … poor as a Gypsy being
proverbial amongst some nations; though both are equally greedy of
gain; and finally; though both are noted for peculiar craft and
cunning; no people are more ignorant than the Romas; whilst the
Jews have always been a learned people; being in possession of the
oldest literature in the world; and certainly the most important
and interesting。
Sad and weary must have been the path of the mixed rabble of the
Romas; when they left India's sunny land and wended their way to
the West; in comparison with the glorious exodus of the Israelites
from Egypt; whose God went before them in cloud and in fire;
working miracles and astonishing the hearts of their foes。
Even supposing that they worshipped Buddh or Brahmah; neither of
these false deities could have accomplished for them what God
effected for his chosen people; although it is true that the idea
that a Supreme Being was watching over them; in return for the
reverence paid to his image; might have cheered them 'midst storm
and lightning; 'midst mountains and wildernesses; 'midst hunger and
drought; for it is assuredly better to trust even in an idol; in a
tree; or a stone; than to be entirely godless; and the most
superstitious hind of the Himalayan hills; who trusts in the Grand
Foutsa in the hour of peril and danger; is more wise than the most
enlightened atheist; who cherishes no consoling delusion to relieve
his mind; oppressed by the terrible ideas of reality。
But it is evident that they arrived at the confines of Europe
without any certain or rooted faith。 Knowing; as we do; with what
tenacity they retain their primitive habits and customs; their sect
being; in all points; the same as it was four hundred years ago; it
appears impossible that they should have forgotten their peculiar
god; if in any peculiar god they trusted。
Though cloudy ideas of the Indian deities might be occasionally
floating in their minds; these ideas; doubtless; quickly passed
away when they ceased to behold the pagodas and temples of Indian
worship; and were no longer in contact with the enthusiastic
adorers of the idols of the East; they passed away even as the dim
and cloudy ideas which they subsequently adopted of the Eternal and
His Son; Mary and the saints; would pass away when they ceased to
be nourished by the sight of churches and crosses; for should it
please the Almighty to reconduct the Romas to Indian climes; who
can doubt that within half a century they would entirely forget all
connected with the religion of the West! Any poor shreds of that
faith which they bore with them they would drop by degrees as they
would relinquish their European garments when they became old; and
as they relinquished their Asiatic ones to adopt those of Europe;
no particular dress makes a part of the things essential to the
sect of Roma; so likewise no particular god and no particular
religion。
Where these people first assumed the name of Egyptians; or where
that title was first bestowed upon them; it is difficult to
determine; perhaps; however; in the eastern parts of Europe; where
it should seem the grand body of this nation of wanderers made a
halt for a considerable time; and where they are still to be found
in greater numbers than in any other part。 One thing is certain;
that when they first entered Germany; which they speedily overran;
they appeared under the character of Egyptians; doing penance for
the sin of having refused hospitality to the Virgin and her Son;
and; of course; as believers in the Christian faith;
notwithstanding that they subsisted by the perpetration of every
kind of robbery and imposition; Aventinus (ANNALES BOIORUM; 826)
speaking of them says: 'Adeo tamen vana superstitio hominum
mentes; velut lethargus invasit; ut eos violari nefas putet; atque
grassari; furari; imponere passim sinant。'
This singular story of banishment from Egypt; and Wandering through
the world for a period of seven years; for inhospitality displayed
to the Virgin; and which I find much difficulty in attributing to
the invention of people so ignorant as the Romas; tallies strangely
with the fate foretold to the ancient Egyptians in certain chapters
of Ezekiel; so much so; indeed; that it seems to be derived from
that source。 The Lord is angry with Egypt because its inhabitants
have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel; and thus he
threatens them by the mouth of his prophet。
'I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the
countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that
are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter
the Egyptians among the nations; and will disperse them through the
countries。' Ezek。; chap。 xxix。 v。 12。 'Yet thus saith the Lord
God; at the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the
people whither they were scattered。' v。 13。
'Thus saith the Lord; I will make the multitude of Egypt to cease;
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar; king of Babylon。' Chap。 xxx。 v。 10。
'And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations; and disperse
them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord。'
Chap。 xxx。 v。 26。
The reader will at once observe that the apocryphal tale which the
Romas brought into Germany; concerning their origin and wanderings;
agrees in every material point with the sacred prophecy。 The
ancient Egyptians were to be driven from their country and
dispersed amongst the nations; for a period of forty years; for
having been the cause of Israel's backsliding; and for not having
known the Lord; … the modern pseudo…Egyptians are to be dispersed
among the nations for seven years; for having denied hospitality to
the Virgin and her child。 The prophecy seems only to have been
remodelled for the purpose of suiting the taste of the time; as no
legend possessed much interest in which the Virgin did not figure;
she and her child are here introduced instead of the Israelites;
and the Lord of Heaven offended with the Egyptians; and this legend
appears to have been very well received in Germany; for a time at
least; for; as Aventinus observes; it was esteemed a crime of the
first magnitude to offer any violence to the Egyptian pilgrims; who
were permitted to rob on the highway; to commit larceny; and to
practise every species of imposition with impunity。
The tale; however; of the Romas could hardly have been invented by
themselves; as they were; and still are; utterly unacquainted with
the Scripture; it probably originated amongst the priests and
learned men of the east of Europe; who; startled by the sudden
apparition of bands of people foreign in appearance and language;
skilled in divination and the occult arts; endeavoured to find in
Scripture a clue to such a phenomenon; the result of which was;
that the Romas of Hindustan were suddenly transformed into Egyptian
penitents; a title which they have ever since borne in various
parts of Europe。 There are no means of ascertaining whether they
themselves believed from the first in this story; they most
probably took it on credit; more especially as they could give no
account of themselves; there being every reason for supposing that
from time immemorial they had existed in the East as a thievish
wandering sect; as they at present do in Europe; without history or
traditions; and unable to look back for a period of eighty years。
The tale moreover answered their purpose; as beneath the gar