the zincali-第25章

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not　Gypsies；　who　are　they　then？　　Spaniards？　　If　so；　what　right　had　



the　King　of　Spain　to　send　the　refuse　of　his　subjects　abroad；　to　



corrupt　other　lands；　over　which　he　had　no　jurisdiction？







The　Moors　were　sent　back　to　Africa；　under　some　colour　of　justice；　



as　they　came　originally　from　that　part　of　the　world；　but　what　would　



have　been　said　to　such　a　measure；　if　the　edict　which　banished　them　



had　declared　that　they　were　not　Moors；　but　Spaniards？







The　law；　moreover；　in　stating　that　they　are　not　Gypsies　by　nation；　



seems　to　have　forgotten　that　in　that　case　it　would　be　impossible　to　



distinguish　them　from　other　Spaniards；　so　soon　as　they　should　have　



dropped　the　name；　language；　and　dress　of　Gypsies。　　How；　provided　



they　were　like　other　Spaniards；　and　did　not　carry　the　mark　of　



another　nation　on　their　countenances；　could　it　be　known　whether　or　



not　they　obeyed　the　law；　which　commanded　them　to　live　only　in　



populous　towns　or　villages；　or　how　could　they　be　detected　in　the　



buying　or　selling　of　cattle；　which　the　law　forbids　them　under　pain　



of　death？







The　attempt　to　abolish　the　Gypsy　name　and　manner　of　life　might　have　



been　made　without　the　assertion　of　a　palpable　absurdity。







Philip　the　Fourth；　May　8；　1633；　after　reference　to　the　evil　lives　



and　want　of　religion　of　the　Gypsies；　and　the　complaints　made　



against　them　by　prelates　and　others；　declares　'that　the　laws　



hitherto　adopted　since　the　year　1499；　have　been　inefficient　to　



restrain　their　excesses；　that　they　are　not　Gypsies　by　origin　or　



nature；　but　have　adopted　this　form　of　life'；　and　then；　after　



forbidding　them；　according　to　custom；　the　dress　and　language　of　



Gypsies；　under　the　usual　severe　penalties；　he　ordains：…







'1st。　　That　under　the　same　penalties；　the　aforesaid　people　shall；　



within　two　months；　leave　the　quarters　（barrios）　where　they　now　live　



with　the　denomination　of　Gitanos；　and　that　they　shall　separate　from　



each　other；　and　mingle　with　the　other　inhabitants；　and　that　they　



shall　hold　no　more　meetings；　neither　in　public　nor　in　secret；　that　



the　ministers　of　justice　are　to　observe；　with　particular　diligence；　



how　they　fulfil　these　commands；　and　whether　they　hold　communication　



with　each　other；　or　marry　amongst　themselves；　and　how　they　fulfil　



the　obligations　of　Christians　by　assisting　at　sacred　worship　in　the　



churches；　upon　which　latter　point　they　are　to　procure　information　



with　all　possible　secrecy　from　the　curates　and　clergy　of　the　



parishes　where　the　Gitanos　reside。







'2ndly。　　And　in　order　to　extirpate；　in　every　way；　the　name　of　



Gitanos；　we　ordain　that　they　be　not　called　so；　and　that　no　one　



venture　to　call　them　so；　and　that　such　shall　be　esteemed　a　very　



heavy　injury；　and　shall　be　punished　as　such；　if　proved；　and　that　



nought　pertaining　to　the　Gypsies；　their　name；　dress；　or　actions；　be　



represented；　either　in　dances　or　in　any　other　performance；　under　



the　penalty　of　two　years'　banishment；　and　a　mulct　of　fifty　thousand　



maravedis　to　whomsoever　shall　offend　for　the　first　time；　and　double　



punishment　for　the　second。'







The　above　two　articles　seem　to　have　in　view　the　suppression　and　



breaking　up　of　the　Gypsy　colonies　established　in　the　large　towns；　



more　especially　the　suburbs；　farther　on；　mention　is　made　of　the　



wandering　bands。







'4thly。　　And　forasmuch　as　we　have　understood　that　numerous　Gitanos　



rove　in　bands　through　various　parts　of　the　kingdom；　committing　



robberies　in　uninhabited　places；　and　even　invading　some　small　



villages；　to　the　great　terror　and　danger　of　the　inhabitants；　we　



give　by　this　our　law　a　general　commission　to　all　ministers　of　



justice；　whether　appertaining　to　royal　domains；　lordships；　or　



abbatial　territories；　that　every　one　may；　in　his　district；　proceed　



to　the　imprisonment　and　chastisement　of　the　delinquents；　and　may　



pass　beyond　his　own　jurisdiction　in　pursuit　of　them；　and　we　also　



command　all　the　ministers　of　justice　aforesaid；　that　on　receiving　



information　that　Gitanos　or　highwaymen　are　prowling　in　their　



districts；　they　do　assemble　at　an　appointed　day；　and　with　the　



necessary　preparation　of　men　and　arms　they　do　hunt　down；　take；　and　



deliver　them　under　a　good　guard　to　the　nearest　officer　holding　the　



royal　commission。'







Carlos　the　Second　followed　in　the　footsteps　of　his　predecessors；　



with　respect　to　the　Gitanos。　　By　a　law　of　the　20th　of　November　



1692；　he　inhibits　the　Gitanos　from　living　in　towns　of　less　than　one　



thousand　heads　of　families　（vecinos）；　and　pursuing　any　trade　or　



employment；　save　the　cultivation　of　the　ground；　from　going　in　the　



dress　of　Gypsies；　or　speaking　the　language　or　gibberish　which　they　



use；　from　living　apart　in　any　particular　quarter　of　the　town；　from　



visiting　fairs　with　cattle；　great　or　small；　or　even　selling　or　



exchanging　such　at　any　time；　unless　with　the　testimonial　of　the　



public　notary；　that　they　were　bred　within　their　own　houses。　　By　



this　law　they　are　also　forbidden　to　have　firearms　in　their　



possession。







So　far　from　being　abashed　by　this　law；　or　the　preceding　one；　the　



Gitanos　seem　to　have　increased　in　excesses　of　every　kind。　　Only　



three　years　after　（12th　June　1695）；　the　same　monarch　deemed　it　



necessary　to　publish　a　new　law　for　their　persecution　and　



chastisement。　　This　law；　which　is　exceedingly　severe；　consists　of　



twenty…nine　articles。　　By　the　fourth　they　are　forbidden　any　other　



exercise　or　manner　of　life　than　that　of　the　cultivation　of　the　



fields；　in　which　their　wives　and　children；　if　of　competent　age；　are　



to　assist　them。







Of　every　other　office；　employment；　or　commerce；　they　are　declared　



incapable；　and　especially　of　being　BLACKSMITHS。







By　the　fifth；　they　are　forbidden　to　keep　horses　or　mares；　either　



within　or　without　their　houses；　or　to　make　use　of　them　in　any　way　



whatever；　under　the　penalty　of　two　months'　imprisonment　and　the　



forfeiture　of　such　animals；　and　any　one　lending　them　a　horse　or　a　



mare　is　to　forfeit　the　same；　if　it　be　found　in　their　possession。　　



They　are　declared　only　capable　of　keeping　a　mule；　or　some　lesser　



beast；　to　assist　them　in　their　labour；　or　for　the　use　of　their　



families。







By　the　twelfth；　they　are　to　be　punished　with　six　years　in　the　



galleys；　if　they　leave　the　towns　or　villages　in　which　they　are　



located；　and　pass　to　others；　or　wander　in　the　fields　or　roads；　and　



they　are　only　to　be　permitted　to　go　out；　in　order　to　exercise　the　



pursuit　of　husbandry。　　In　this　edict；　particular　mention　is　made　of　



the　favour　and　protection　shown　to　the　Gitanos；　by　people　of　



various　descriptions；　by　means　of　which　they　had　been　enabled　to　



follow　their　manner　of　life　undisturbed；　and　to　baffle　the　severity　



of　the　laws：…







'Article　16。　…　And　because　we　understand　that　the　continuance　in　



these　kingdoms　of　those　who　are　called　Gitanos　has　depended　on　the　



favour；　protection；　and　assistance　which　they　have　experienced　from　



persons　of　different　stations；　we　do　ordain；　that　whosoever；　



against　whom　shall　be　proved　the　fact　of　having；　since　the　day　of　



the　publication　hereof；　favoured；　received；　or　assisted　the　said　



Gitanos；　in　any　manner　whatever；　whether　within　their　houses　or　



without；　the　said　person；　provided　he　is　noble；　shall　be　subjected　



to　the　fine　of　six　thousand　ducats；　the　half　of　which　shall　be　



applied　to　our　treasury；　and　the　other　half　to　the　expenses　of　the　



prosecution；　and；　if　a　plebeian；　to　a　punishment　of　ten　years　in　



the　galleys。　　And　we　declare；　that　in　order　to　proceed　to　the　



infliction　of　such　fine　and　punishment；　the　evidence　of　two　



respectable　witnesses；　without　stain　or　suspicion；　shall　be　



esteemed　legitimate　and　conclusive；　although　they　depose　to　



separate　acts；　or　three　depositions　of　the　Gitanos　themselves；　MADE　



UPON　THE　RACK；　although　they　relate　to　separate　and　different　acts　



of　abetting　and　harbouring。'







The　following　article　is　curious；　as　it　bears　evidence　to　Gypsy　



craft　and　cunning：…







'Article　18。　…　And　whereas　it　is　very　difficult　to　prove　against　



the　Gitanos　the　robberies　and　delinquencies　which　they　commit；　



partly　because　they　happen　in　uninhabited　places；　but　more　



especially　on　account　of　the　MALICE　and　CUNNING　with　which　they　



execute　them；　we　do　ordain；　in　order　that　they　may　receive　the　



merited　chastisement；　that　to　convict；　in　these　cases；　those　who　



are　called　Gitanos；　the　depositions　of　the　persons　whom　they　have　



robbed　in　uninhabited　places　shall　be　sufficient；　provided　there　



are　at　least　two　witnesses　to　one　and　the　same　fact；　and　these　of　



good　fame　and　reputation；　and　we　also　declare；　that　the　CORPUS　



DELICTI　may　be　proved　in　the　same　manner　in　these　cases；　in　order　



that　the　culprits　may　be　proceeded　against；　and　condemned　to　the　



corresponding　pains　and　punishments。'







The　council　of　Madrid　published　a　schedule；　18th　of　August　1705；　



from　which　it　appears　that　the　villages　and　roads　were　so　much　



infested　by　the　Gitano　race；　that　there　was　neither　peace　nor　



safety　for　labourers　and　travellers；　the　corregidors　and　justices　



are　therefore　exhorted　to　use　their　utmost　endeavour　to　apprehend　



these　outlaws；　and　to　execute　upon　them　the　punishments　enjoined　by　



the　preceding　law。　　The　ministers　of　justice　are　empowered　to　fire　



upon　them　as　public　enemies；　wherever　they　meet　them；　in　case　of　



resistance　or　refusal　to　deliver　up　the　arms　they　carry　about　them。







Philip　the　Fifth；　by　schedule；　October　1st；　1726；　forbade　any　



complaints　which　the　Gitanos　might　have　to　make　against　the　



inferior　justices　being　heard　in　the　higher　tribunals；　and；　on　that　



account；　banished　all　the　Gypsy　women　from　Madrid；　and；　indeed；　



from　all　towns　where　royal　audiences　were　held；　it　being　the　custom　



of　the　women　to　flock　up　to　the　capital　from　the　small　towns　and　



villages；　under　pretence　of　claiming　satisfaction　for　wrongs　



inflicted　upon　their　husbands　and　relations；　and　when　there　to　



practise　the　art　of　divination；　and　to　sing　obscene　songs　through　



the　streets；　by　this　law；　also；　the　justices　are　particularly　



commanded　not　to　permit　the　Gitanos　to　leave　their　places　of　



domicile；　except　in　cases　of　very　urgent　necessity。







This　law　was　attended　with　the　same　success　as　the　others；　the　



Gitanos　left　their　places　of　domicile　whenever　they　thought　proper；　



frequented　the　various　fairs；　and　played　off　their　jockey　tricks　as　



usual；　or　traversed　the　country　in　armed　gangs；　plundering　the　



small　villages；　and　assaulting　travellers。







The　same　monarch；　in　October；　published　another　law　against　them；　



from　St。　Lorenzo；　of　the　Escurial。　　From　the　words　of　thi