the zincali-第21章

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traditions；　and　unable　to　look　back　for　a　period　of　eighty　years。　　



The　tale　moreover　answered　their　purpose；　as　beneath　the　garb　of　



penitence　they　could　rob　and　cheat　with　impunity；　for　a　time　at　



least。　　One　thing　is　certain；　that　in　whatever　manner　the　tale　of　



their　Egyptian　descent　originated；　many　branches　of　the　sect　place　



implicit　confidence　in　it　at　the　present　day；　more　especially　those　



of　England　and　Spain。







Even　at　the　present　time　there　are　writers　who　contend　that　the　



Romas　are　the　descendants　of　the　ancient　Egyptians；　who　were　



scattered　amongst　the　nations　by　the　Assyrians。　　This　belief　they　



principally　found　upon　particular　parts　of　the　prophecy　from　which　



we　have　already　quoted；　and　there　is　no　lack　of　plausibility　in　the　



arguments　which　they　deduce　therefrom。　　The　Egyptians；　say　they；　



were　to　fall　upon　the　open　fields；　they　were　not　to　be　brought　



together　nor　gathered；　they　were　to　be　dispersed　through　the　



countries；　their　idols　were　to　be　destroyed；　and　their　images　were　



to　cease　out　of　Noph！　　In　what　people　in　the　world　do　these　



denunciations　appear　to　be　verified　save　the　Gypsies？　…　a　people　



who　pass　their　lives　in　the　open　fields；　who　are　not　gathered　



together；　who　are　dispersed　through　the　countries；　who　have　no　



idols；　no　images；　nor　any　fixed　or　certain　religion。







In　Spain；　the　want　of　religion　amongst　the　Gitanos　was　speedily　



observed；　and　became　quite　as　notorious　as　their　want　of　honesty；　



they　have　been　styled　atheists；　heathen　idolaters；　and　Moors。　　In　



the　little　book　of　Quinones'；　we　find　the　subject　noticed　in　the　



following　manner：…







'They　do　not　understand　what　kind　of　thing　the　church　is；　and　never　



enter　it　but　for　the　purpose　of　committing　sacrilege。　　They　do　not　



know　the　prayers；　for　I　examined　them　myself；　males　and　females；　



and　they　knew　them　not；　or　if　any；　very　imperfectly。　　They　never　



partake　of　the　Holy　Sacraments；　and　though　they　marry　relations　



they　procure　no　dispensations。　（35）　　No　one　knows　whether　they　are　



baptized。　　One　of　the　five　whom　I　caused　to　be　hung　a　few　days　ago　



was　baptized　in　the　prison；　being　at　the　time　upwards　of　thirty　



years　of　age。　　Don　Martin　Fajardo　says　that　two　Gitanos　and　a　



Gitana；　whom　he　hanged　in　the　village　of　Torre　Perojil；　were　



baptized　at　the　foot　of　the　gallows；　and　declared　themselves　Moors。







'They　invariably　look　out；　when　they　marry；　if　we　can　call　theirs　



marrying；　for　the　woman　most　dexterous　in　pilfering　and　deceiving；　



caring　nothing　whether　she　is　akin　to　them　or　married　already；　（36）　



for　it　is　only　necessary　to　keep　her　company　and　to　call　her　wife。　　



Sometimes　they　purchase　them　from　their　husbands；　or　receive　them　



as　pledges：　　so　says；　at　least；　Doctor　Salazar　de　Mendoza。







'Friar　Melchior　of　Guelama　states　that　he　heard　asserted　of　two　



Gitanos　what　was　never　yet　heard　of　any　barbarous　nation；　namely；　



that　they　exchanged　their　wives；　and　that　as　one　was　more　comely　



looking　than　the　other；　he　who　took　the　handsome　woman　gave　a　



certain　sum　of　money　to　him　who　took　the　ugly　one。　　The　licentiate　



Alonzo　Duran　has　certified　to　me；　that　in　the　year　1623…4；　one　



Simon　Ramirez；　captain　of　a　band　of　Gitanos；　repudiated　Teresa　



because　she　was　old；　and　married　one　called　Melchora；　who　was　young　



and　handsome；　and　that　on　the　day　when　the　repudiation　took　place　



and　the　bridal　was　celebrated　he　was　journeying　along　the　road；　and　



perceived　a　company　feasting　and　revelling　beneath　some　trees　in　a　



plain　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　village　of　Deleitosa；　and　that　



on　demanding　the　cause　he　was　told　that　it　was　on　account　of　Simon　



Ramirez　marrying　one　Gitana　and　casting　off　another；　and　that　the　



repudiated　woman　told　him；　with　an　agony　of　tears；　that　he　



abandoned　her　because　she　was　old；　and　married　another　because　she　



was　young。　　Certainly　Gitanos　and　Gitanas　confessed　before　Don　



Martin　Fajardo　that　they　did　not　really　marry；　but　that　in　their　



banquets　and　festivals　they　selected　the　woman　whom　they　liked；　and　



that　it　was　lawful　for　them　to　have　as　many　as　three　mistresses；　



and　on　that　account　they　begat　so　many　children。　　They　never　keep　



fasts　nor　any　ecclesiastical　command。　　They　always　eat　meat；　Friday　



and　Lent　not　excepted；　the　morning　when　I　seized　those　whom　I　



afterwards　executed；　which　was　in　Lent；　they　had　three　lambs　which　



they　intended　to　eat　for　their　dinner　that　day。　…　Quinones；　page　



13。







Although　what　is　stated　in　the　above　extracts；　respecting　the　



marriages　of　the　Gitanos　and　their　licentious　manner　of　living；　is；　



for　the　most　part；　incorrect；　there　is　no　reason　to　conclude　the　



same　with　respect　to　their　want　of　religion　in　the　olden　time；　and　



their　slight　regard　for　the　forms　and　observances　of　the　church；　as　



their　behaviour　at　the　present　day　serves　to　confirm　what　is　said　



on　those　points。　　From　the　whole；　we　may　form　a　tolerably　correct　



idea　of　the　opinions　of　the　time　respecting　the　Gitanos　in　matters　



of　morality　and　religion。　　A　very　natural　question　now　seems　to　



present　itself；　namely；　what　steps　did　the　government　of　Spain；　



civil　and　ecclesiastical；　which　has　so　often　trumpeted　its　zeal　in　



the　cause　of　what　it　calls　the　Christian　religion；　which　has　so　



often　been　the　scourge　of　the　Jew；　of　the　Mahometan；　and　of　the　



professors　of　the　reformed　faith；　what　steps　did　it　take　towards　



converting；　punishing；　and　rooting　out　from　Spain；　a　sect　of　demi…



atheists；　who；　besides　being　cheats　and　robbers；　displayed　the　most　



marked　indifference　for　the　forms　of　the　Catholic　religion；　and　



presumed　to　eat　flesh　every　day；　and　to　intermarry　with　their　



relations；　without　paying　the　vicegerent　of　Christ　here　on　earth　



for　permission　so　to　do？







The　Gitanos　have　at　all　times；　since　their　first　appearance　in　



Spain；　been　notorious　for　their　contempt　of　religious　observances；　



yet　there　is　no　proof　that　they　were　subjected　to　persecution　on　



that　account。　　The　men　have　been　punished　as　robbers　and　murderers；　



with　the　gallows　and　the　galleys；　the　women；　as　thieves　and　



sorceresses；　with　imprisonment；　flagellation；　and　sometimes　death；　



but　as　a　rabble；　living　without　fear　of　God；　and；　by　so　doing；　



affording　an　evil　example　to　the　nation　at　large；　few　people　gave　



themselves　much　trouble　about　them；　though　they　may　have　



occasionally　been　designated　as　such　in　a　royal　edict；　intended　to　



check　their　robberies；　or　by　some　priest　from　the　pulpit；　from　



whose　stable　they　had　perhaps　contrived　to　extract　the　mule　which　



previously　had　the　honour　of　ambling　beneath　his　portly　person。







The　Inquisition；　which　burnt　so　many　Jews　and　Moors；　and　



conscientious　Christians；　at　Seville　and　Madrid；　and　in　other　parts　



of　Spain；　seems　to　have　exhibited　the　greatest　clemency　and　



forbearance　to　the　Gitanos。　　Indeed；　we　cannot　find　one　instance　of　



its　having　interfered　with　them。　　The　charge　of　restraining　the　



excesses　of　the　Gitanos　was　abandoned　entirely　to　the　secular　



authorities；　and　more　particularly　to　the　Santa　Hermandad；　a　kind　



of　police　instituted　for　the　purpose　of　clearing　the　roads　of　



robbers。　　Whilst　I　resided　at　Cordova；　I　was　acquainted　with　an　



aged　ecclesiastic；　who　was　priest　of　a　village　called　Puente；　at　



about　two　leagues'　distance　from　the　city。　　He　was　detained　in　



Cordova　on　account　of　his　political　opinions；　though　he　was　



otherwise　at　liberty。　　We　lived　together　at　the　same　house；　and　he　



frequently　visited　me　in　my　apartment。







This　person；　who　was　upwards　of　eighty　years　of　age；　had　formerly　



been　inquisitor　at　Cordova。　　One　night；　whilst　we　were　seated　



together；　three　Gitanos　entered　to　pay　me　a　visit；　and　on　observing　



the　old　ecclesiastic；　exhibited　every　mark　of　dissatisfaction；　and　



speaking　in　their　own　idiom；　called　him　a　BALICHOW；　and　abused　



priests　in　general　in　most　unmeasured　terms。　　On　their　departing；　I　



inquired　of　the　old　man　whether　he；　who　having　been　an　inquisitor；　



was　doubtless　versed　in　the　annals　of　the　holy　office；　could　inform　



me　whether　the　Inquisition　had　ever　taken　any　active　measures　for　



the　suppression　and　punishment　of　the　sect　of　the　Gitanos：　　



whereupon　he　replied；　'that　he　was　not　aware　of　one　case　of　a　



Gitano　having　been　tried　or　punished　by　the　Inquisition'；　adding　



these　remarkable　words：　　'The　Inquisition　always　looked　upon　them　



with　too　much　contempt　to　give　itself　the　slightest　trouble　



concerning　them；　for　as　no　danger　either　to　the　state；　or　the　



church　of　Rome；　could　proceed　from　the　Gitanos；　it　was　a　matter　of　



perfect　indifference　to　the　holy　office　whether　they　lived　without　



religion　or　not。　　The　holy　office　has　always　reserved　its　anger　for　



people　very　different；　the　Gitanos　having　at　all　times　been　GENTE　



BARATA　Y　DESPRECIABLE。







Indeed；　most　of　the　persecutions　which　have　arisen　in　Spain　against　



Jews；　Moors；　and　Protestants；　sprang　from　motives　with　which　



fanaticism　and　bigotry；　of　which　it　is　true　the　Spaniards　have　



their　full　share；　had　very　little　connection。　　Religion　was　assumed　



as　a　mask　to　conceal　the　vilest　and　most　detestable　motives　which　



ever　yet　led　to　the　commission　of　crying　injustice；　the　Jews　were　



doomed　to　persecution　and　destruction　on　two　accounts；　…　their　



great　riches；　and　their　high　superiority　over　the　Spaniards　in　



learning　and　intellect。　　Avarice　has　always　been　the　dominant　



passion　in　Spanish　minds；　their　rage　for　money　being　only　to　be　



compared　to　the　wild　hunger　of　wolves　for　horse…flesh　in　the　time　



of　winter：　　next　to　avarice；　envy　of　superior　talent　and　



accomplishment　is　the　prevailing　passion。　　These　two　detestable　



feelings　united；　proved　the　ruin　of　the　Jews　in　Spain；　who　were；　



for　a　long　time；　an　eyesore；　both　to　the　clergy　and　laity；　for　



their　great　riches　and　learning。　　Much　the　same　causes　insured　the　



expulsion　of　the　Moriscos；　who　were　abhorred　for　their　superior　



industry；　which　the　Spaniards　would　not　imitate；　whilst　the　



reformation　was　kept　down　by　the　gaunt　arm　of　the　Inquisition；　lest　



the　property　of　the　church　should　pass　into　other　and　more　



deserving　hands。　　The　faggot　piles　in　the　squares　of　Seville　and　



Madrid；　which　consumed　the　bodies　of　the　Hebrew；　the　Morisco；　and　



the　Protestant；　were　lighted　by　avarice　and　envy；　and　those　same　



piles　would　likewise　have　consumed　the　mulatto　carcass　of　the　



Gitano；　had　he　been　learned　and　wealthy　enough　to　become　obnoxious　



to　the　two　master　passions　of　the　Spaniards。







Of　all　the　Spanish　writers　who　have　written　concerning　the　Gitanos；　



the　one　who　appears　to　have　been　most　scandalised