the zincali-第3章

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London　and　Stamboul。











THE　ZIGANI；　OR　RUSSIAN　GYPSIES











They　are　found　in　all　parts　of　Russia；　with　the　exception　of　the　



government　of　St。　Petersburg；　from　which　they　have　been　banished。　　



In　most　of　the　provincial　towns　they　are　to　be　found　in　a　state　of　



half…civilisation；　supporting　themselves　by　trafficking　in　horses；　



or　by　curing　the　disorders　incidental　to　those　animals；　but　the　



vast　majority　reject　this　manner　of　life；　and　traverse　the　country　



in　bands；　like　the　ancient　Hamaxobioi；　the　immense　grassy　plains　of　



Russia　affording　pasturage　for　their　herds　of　cattle；　on　which；　and　



the　produce　of　the　chase；　they　chiefly　depend　for　subsistence。　　



They　are；　however；　not　destitute　of　money；　which　they　obtain　by　



various　means；　but　principally　by　curing　diseases　amongst　the　



cattle　of　the　mujiks　or　peasantry；　and　by　telling　fortunes；　and　not　



unfrequently　by　theft　and　brigandage。







Their　power　of　resisting　cold　is　truly　wonderful；　as　it　is　not　



uncommon　to　find　them　encamped　in　the　midst　of　the　snow；　in　slight　



canvas　tents；　when　the　temperature　is　twenty…five　or　thirty　degrees　



below　the　freezing…point　according　to　Reaumur；　but　in　the　winter　



they　generally　seek　the　shelter　of　the　forests；　which　afford　fuel　



for　their　fires；　and　abound　in　game。







The　race　of　the　Rommany　is　by　nature　perhaps　the　most　beautiful　in　



the　world；　and　amongst　the　children　of　the　Russian　Zigani　are　



frequently　to　be　found　countenances　to　do　justice　to　which　would　



require　the　pencil　of　a　second　Murillo；　but　exposure　to　the　rays　of　



the　burning　sun；　the　biting　of　the　frost；　and　the　pelting　of　the　



pitiless　sleet　and　snow；　destroys　their　beauty　at　a　very　early　age；　



and　if　in　infancy　their　personal　advantages　are　remarkable；　their　



ugliness　at　an　advanced　age　is　no　less　so；　for　then　it　is　



loathsome；　and　even　appalling。







A　hundred　years；　could　I　live　so　long；　would　not　efface　from　my　



mind　the　appearance　of　an　aged　Ziganskie　Attaman；　or　Captain　of　



Zigani；　and　his　grandson；　who　approached　me　on　the　meadow　before　



Novo　Gorod；　where　stood　the　encampment　of　a　numerous　horde。　　The　



boy　was　of　a　form　and　face　which　might　have　entitled　him　to　



represent　Astyanax；　and　Hector　of　Troy　might　have　pressed　him　to　



his　bosom；　and　called　him　his　pride；　but　the　old　man　was；　perhaps；　



such　a　shape　as　Milton　has　alluded　to；　but　could　only　describe　as　



execrable　…　he　wanted　but　the　dart　and　kingly　crown　to　have　



represented　the　monster　who　opposed　the　progress　of　Lucifer；　whilst　



careering　in　burning　arms　and　infernal　glory　to　the　outlet　of　his　



hellish　prison。







But　in　speaking　of　the　Russian　Gypsies；　those　of　Moscow　must　not　be　



passed　over　in　silence。　　The　station　to　which　they　have　attained　in　



society　in　that　most　remarkable　of　cities　is　so　far　above　the　



sphere　in　which　the　remainder　of　their　race　pass　their　lives；　that　



it　may　be　considered　as　a　phenomenon　in　Gypsy　history；　and　on　that　



account　is　entitled　to　particular　notice。







Those　who　have　been　accustomed　to　consider　the　Gypsy　as　a　wandering　



outcast；　incapable　of　appreciating　the　blessings　of　a　settled　and　



civilised　life；　or　…　if　abandoning　vagabond　propensities；　and　



becoming　stationary　…　as　one　who　never　ascends　higher　than　the　



condition　of　a　low　trafficker；　will　be　surprised　to　learn；　that　



amongst　the　Gypsies　of　Moscow　there　are　not　a　few　who　inhabit　



stately　houses；　go　abroad　in　elegant　equipages；　and　are　behind　the　



higher　orders　of　the　Russians　neither　in　appearance　nor　mental　



acquirements。　　To　the　power　of　song　alone　this　phenomenon　is　to　be　



attributed。　　From　time　immemorial　the　female　Gypsies　of　Moscow　have　



been　much　addicted　to　the　vocal　art；　and　bands　or　quires　of　them　



have　sung　for　pay　in　the　halls　of　the　nobility　or　upon　the　boards　



of　the　theatre。　　Some　first…rate　songsters　have　been　produced　among　



them；　whose　merits　have　been　acknowledged；　not　only　by　the　Russian　



public；　but　by　the　most　fastidious　foreign　critics。　　Perhaps　the　



highest　compliment　ever　paid　to　a　songster　was　paid　by　Catalani　



herself　to　one　of　these　daughters　of　Roma。　　It　is　well　known　



throughout　Russia　that　the　celebrated　Italian　was　so　enchanted　with　



the　voice　of　a　Moscow　Gypsy　（who；　after　the　former　had　displayed　



her　noble　talent　before　a　splendid　audience　in　the　old　Russian　



capital；　stepped　forward　and　poured　forth　one　of　her　national　



strains）；　that　she　tore　from　her　own　shoulders　a　shawl　of　cashmire；　



which　had　been　presented　to　her　by　the　Pope；　and；　embracing　the　



Gypsy；　insisted　on　her　acceptance　of　the　splendid　gift；　saying；　



that　it　had　been　intended　for　the　matchless　songster；　which　she　now　



perceived　she　herself　was　not。







The　sums　obtained　by　many　of　these　females　by　the　exercise　of　their　



art　enable　them　to　support　their　relatives　in　affluence　and　luxury：　　



some　are　married　to　Russians；　and　no　one　who　has　visited　Russia　can　



but　be　aware　that　a　lovely　and　accomplished　countess；　of　the　noble　



and　numerous　family　of　Tolstoy；　is　by　birth　a　Zigana；　and　was　



originally　one　of　the　principal　attractions　of　a　Rommany　choir　at　



Moscow。







But　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　the　whole　of　the　Gypsy　females　at　



Moscow　are　of　this　high　and　talented　description；　the　majority　of　



them　are　of　far　lower　quality；　and　obtain　their　livelihood　by　



singing　and　dancing　at　taverns；　whilst　their　husbands　in　general　



follow　the　occupation　of　horse…dealing。







Their　favourite　place　of　resort　in　the　summer　time　is　Marina　Rotze；　



a　species　of　sylvan　garden　about　two　versts　from　Moscow；　and　



thither；　tempted　by　curiosity；　I　drove　one　fine　evening。　　On　my　



arrival　the　Ziganas　came　flocking　out　from　their　little　tents；　and　



from　the　tractir　or　inn　which　has　been　erected　for　the　



accommodation　of　the　public。　　Standing　on　the　seat　of　the　calash；　I　



addressed　them　in　a　loud　voice　in　the　English　dialect　of　the　



Rommany；　of　which　I　have　some　knowledge。　　A　shrill　scream　of　wonder　



was　instantly　raised；　and　welcomes　and　blessings　were　poured　forth　



in　floods　of　musical　Rommany；　above　all　of　which　predominated　the　



cry　of　KAK　CAMENNA　TUTE　PRALA　…　or；　How　we　love　you；　brother！　…　for　



at　first　they　mistook　me　for　one　of　their　wandering　brethren　from　



the　distant　lands；　come　over　the　great　panee　or　ocean　to　visit　



them。







After　some　conversation　they　commenced　singing；　and　favoured　me　



with　many　songs；　both　in　Russian　and　Rommany：　　the　former　were　



modern　popular　pieces；　such　as　are　accustomed　to　be　sung　on　the　



boards　of　the　theatre；　but　the　latter　were　evidently　of　great　



antiquity；　exhibiting　the　strongest　marks　of　originality；　the　



metaphors　bold　and　sublime；　and　the　metre　differing　from　anything　



of　the　kind　which　it　has　been　my　fortune　to　observe　in　Oriental　or　



European　prosody。







One　of　the　most　remarkable；　and　which　commences　thus：











'Za　mateia　rosherroro　odolata



Bravintata；'











（or；　Her　head　is　aching　with　grief；　as　if　she　had　tasted　wine）　



describes　the　anguish　of　a　maiden　separated　from　her　lover；　and　who　



calls　for　her　steed：











'Tedjav　manga　gurraoro'　…











that　she　may　depart　in　quest　of　the　lord　of　her　bosom；　and　share　



his　joys　and　pleasures。







A　collection　of　these　songs；　with　a　translation　and　vocabulary；　



would　be　no　slight　accession　to　literature；　and　would　probably　



throw　more　light　on　the　history　of　this　race　than　anything　which　



has　yet　appeared；　and；　as　there　is　no　want　of　zeal　and　talent　in　



Russia　amongst　the　cultivators　of　every　branch　of　literature；　and　



especially　philology；　it　is　only　surprising　that　such　a　collection　



still　remains　a　desideratum。







The　religion　which　these　singular　females　externally　professed　was　



the　Greek；　and　they　mostly　wore　crosses　of　copper　or　gold；　but　when　



I　questioned　them　on　this　subject　in　their　native　language；　they　



laughed；　and　said　it　was　only　to　please　the　Russians。　　Their　names　



for　God　and　his　adversary　are　Deval　and　Bengel；　which　differ　little　



from　the　Spanish　Un…debel　and　Bengi；　which　signify　the　same。　　I　



will　now　say　something　of











THE　HUNGARIAN　GYPSIES；　OR　CZIGANY











Hungary；　though　a　country　not　a　tenth　part　so　extensive　as　the　huge　



colossus　of　the　Russian　empire；　whose　tzar　reigns　over　a　hundred　



lands；　contains　perhaps　as　many　Gypsies；　it　not　being　uncommon　to　



find　whole　villages　inhabited　by　this　race；　they　likewise　abound　in　



the　suburbs　of　the　towns。　　In　Hungary　the　feudal　system　still　



exists　in　all　its　pristine　barbarity；　in　no　country　does　the　hard　



hand　of　this　oppression　bear　so　heavy　upon　the　lower　classes　…　not　



even　in　Russia。　　The　peasants　of　Russia　are　serfs；　it　is　true；　but　



their　condition　is　enviable　compared　with　that　of　the　same　class　in　



the　other　country；　they　have　certain　rights　and　privileges；　and　



are；　upon　the　whole；　happy　and　contented；　whilst　the　Hungarians　are　



ground　to　powder。　　Two　classes　are　free　in　Hungary　to　do　almost　



what　they　please　…　the　nobility　and　…　the　Gypsies；　the　former　are　



above　the　law　…　the　latter　below　it：　　a　toll　is　wrung　from　the　



hands　of　the　hard…working　labourers；　that　most　meritorious　class；　



in　passing　over　a　bridge；　for　example　at　Pesth；　which　is　not　



demanded　from　a　well…dressed　person　…　nor　from　the　Czigany；　who　



have　frequently　no　dress　at　all　…　and　whose　insouciance　stands　in　



striking　contrast　with　the　trembling　submission　of　the　peasants。　　



The　Gypsy；　wherever　you　find　him；　is　an　incomprehensible　being；　but　



nowhere　more　than　in　Hungary；　where；　in　the　midst　of　slavery；　he　is　



free；　though　apparently　one　step　lower　than　the　lowest　slave。　　The　



habits　of　the　Hungarian　Gypsies　are　abominable；　their　hovels　appear　



sinks　of　the　vilest　poverty　and　filth；　their　dress　is　at　best　rags；　



their　food　frequently　the　vilest　carrion；　and　occasionally；　if　



report　be　true；　still　worse　…　on　which　point；　when　speaking　of　the　



Spanish　Gitanos；　we　shall　have　subsequently　more　to　say：　　thus　they　



live　in　filth；　in　rags；　in　nakedness；　and　in　merriness　of　heart；　



for　nowhere　is　there　more　of　song　and　dance　than　in　an　Hungarian　



Gypsy　village。　　They　are　very　fond　of　music；　and　some　of　them　are　



heard　to　touch　the　violin　in　a　manner　wild；　but　of　peculiar　



excellence。　　Parties　of　them　have　been　known　to　exhibit　even　at　



Paris。







In　Hungary；　as　in　all　parts；　they　are　addicted　to　horse…dealing；　



they　are　likewise　tinkers；　and　smiths　in　a　small　way。　　The　women　



are　fortune…tellers；　of　course　…　both　sexes　thieves　of　the　first　



water。　　They　roam　where　they　list　…　in　a　country　where　all　other　



peopl