the zincali-第32章

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foster　what　they　were　intended　to　suppress；　when　we　state　the　



remarkable　fact；　that　since　the　enactment　of　that　law；　as　humane　as　



the　others　were　unjust；　WE　HAVE　HEARD　NOTHING　MORE　OF　THE　GITANOS　



FROM　OFFICIAL　QUARTERS；　THEY　HAVE　CEASED　TO　PLAY　A　DISTINCT　PART　IN　



THE　HISTORY　OF　SPAIN；　AND　THE　LAW　NO　LONGER　SPEAKS　OF　THEM　AS　A　



DISTINCT　PEOPLE？　　The　caste　of　the　Gitano　still　exists；　but　it　is　



neither　so　extensive　nor　so　formidable　as　a　century　ago；　when　the　



law　in　denouncing　Gitanismo　proposed　to　the　Gitanos　the　



alternatives　of　death　for　persisting　in　their　profession；　or　



slavery　for　abandoning　it。







There　are　fierce　and　discontented　spirits　amongst　them；　who　regret　



such　times；　and　say　that　Gypsy　law　is　now　no　more；　that　the　Gypsy　



no　longer　assists　his　brother；　and　that　union　has　ceased　among　



them。　　If　this　be　true；　can　better　proof　be　adduced　of　the　



beneficial　working　of　the　later　law？　　A　blessing　has　been　conferred　



on　society；　and　in　a　manner　highly　creditable　to　the　spirit　of　



modern　times；　reform　has　been　accomplished；　not　by　persecution；　not　



by　the　gibbet　and　the　rack；　but　by　justice　and　tolerance。　　The　



traveller　has　flung　aside　his　cloak；　not　compelled　by　the　angry　



buffeting　of　the　north　wind；　but　because　the　mild；　benignant　



weather　makes　such　a　defence　no　longer　necessary。　　The　law　no　



longer　compels　the　Gitanos　to　stand　back　to　back；　on　the　principal　



of　mutual　defence；　and　to　cling　to　Gitanismo　to　escape　from　



servitude　and　thraldom。







Taking　everything　into　consideration；　and　viewing　the　subject　in　



all　its　bearings　with　an　impartial　glance；　we　are　compelled　to　come　



to　the　conclusion　that　the　law　of　Carlos　Tercero；　the　provisions　of　



which　were　distinguished　by　justice　and　clemency；　has　been　the　



principal　if　not　the　only　cause　of　the　decline　of　Gitanismo　in　



Spain。　　Some　importance　ought　to　be　attached　to　the　opinion　of　the　



Gitanos　themselves　on　this　point。　　'El　Crallis　ha　nicobado　la　liri　



de　los　Cales；'　is　a　proverbial　saying　among　them。　　By　Crallis；　or　



King；　they　mean　Carlos　Tercero；　so　that　the　saying；　the　proverbial　



saying；　may　be　thus　translated：　　THE　LAW　OF　CARLOS　TERCERO　HAS　



SUPERSEDED　GYPSY　LAW。







By　the　law　the　schools　are　open　to　them；　and　there　is　no　art　or　



science　which　they　may　not　pursue；　if　they　are　willing。　　Have　they　



availed　themselves　of　the　rights　which　the　law　has　conferred　upon　



them？







Up　to　the　present　period　but　little　…　they　still　continue　jockeys　



and　blacksmiths；　but　some　of　these　Gypsy　chalans；　these　bronzed　



smiths；　these　wild…looking　esquiladors；　can　read　or　write　in　the　



proportion　of　one　man　in　three　or　four；　what　more　can　be　expected？　　



Would　you　have　the　Gypsy　bantling；　born　in　filth　and　misery；　'midst　



mules　and　borricos；　amidst　the　mud　of　a　choza　or　the　sand　of　a　



barranco；　grasp　with　its　swarthy　hands　the　crayon　and　easel；　the　



compass；　or　the　microscope；　or　the　tube　which　renders　more　distinct　



the　heavenly　orbs；　and　essay　to　become　a　Murillo；　or　a　Feijoo；　or　a　



Lorenzo　de　Hervas；　as　soon　as　the　legal　disabilities　are　removed　



which　doomed　him　to　be　a　thievish　jockey　or　a　sullen　husbandman？　　



Much　will　have　been　accomplished；　if；　after　the　lapse　of　a　hundred　



years；　one　hundred　human　beings　shall　have　been　evolved　from　the　



Gypsy　stock；　who　shall　prove　sober；　honest；　and　useful　members　of　



society；　…　that　stock　so　degraded；　so　inveterate　in　wickedness　and　



evil　customs；　and　so　hardened　by　brutalising　laws。　　Should　so　many　



beings；　should　so　many　souls　be　rescued　from　temporal　misery　and　



eternal　woe；　should　only　the　half　of　that　number；　should　only　the　



tenth；　nay；　should　only　one　poor　wretched　sheep　be　saved；　there　



will　be　joy　in　heaven；　for　much　will　have　been　accomplished　on　



earth；　and　those　lines　will　have　been　in　part　falsified　which　



filled　the　stout　heart　of　Mahmoud　with　dismay：…











'For　the　root　that's　unclean；　hope　if　you　can；



No　washing　e'er　whitens　the　black　Zigan：



The　tree　that's　bitter　by　birth　and　race；



If　in　paradise　garden　to　grow　you　place；



And　water　it　free　with　nectar　and　wine；



From　streams　in　paradise　meads　that　shine；



At　the　end　its　nature　it　still　declares；



For　bitter　is　all　the　fruit　it　bears。



If　the　egg　of　the　raven　of　noxious　breed



You　place　'neath　the　paradise　bird；　and　feed



The　splendid　fowl　upon　its　nest；



With　immortal　figs；　the　food　of　the　blest；



And　give　it　to　drink　from　Silisbel；　（46）



Whilst　life　in　the　egg　breathes　Gabriel；



A　raven；　a　raven；　the　egg　shall　bear；



And　the　fostering　bird　shall　waste　its　care。'　…







FERDOUSI。











The　principal　evidence　which　the　Gitanos　have　hitherto　given　that　a　



partial　reformation　has　been　effected　in　their　habits；　is　the　



relinquishment；　in　a　great　degree；　of　that　wandering　life　of　which　



the　ancient　laws　were　continually　complaining；　and　which　was　the　



cause　of　infinite　evils；　and　tended　not　a　little　to　make　the　roads　



insecure。







Doubtless　there　are　those　who　will　find　some　difficulty　in　



believing　that　the　mild　and　conciliatory　clauses　of　the　law　in　



question　could　have　much　effect　in　weaning　the　Gitanos　from　this　



inveterate　habit；　and　will　be　more　disposed　to　think　that　this　



relinquishment　was　effected　by　energetic　measures　resorted　to　by　



the　government；　to　compel　them　to　remain　in　their　places　of　



location。　　It　does　not　appear；　however；　that　such　measures　were　



ever　resorted　to。　　Energy；　indeed；　in　the　removal　of　a　nuisance；　is　



scarcely　to　be　expected　from　Spaniards　under　any　circumstances。　　



All　we　can　say　on　the　subject；　with　certainty；　is；　that　since　the　



repeal　of　the　tyrannical　laws；　wandering　has　considerably　decreased　



among　the　Gitanos。







Since　the　law　has　ceased　to　brand　them；　they　have　come　nearer　to　



the　common　standard　of　humanity；　and　their　general　condition　has　



been　ameliorated。　　At　present；　only　the　very　poorest；　the　parias　of　



the　race；　are　to　be　found　wandering　about　the　heaths　and　mountains；　



and　this　only　in　the　summer　time；　and　their　principal　motive；　



according　to　their　own　confession；　is　to　avoid　the　expense　of　house　



rent；　the　rest　remain　at　home；　following　their　avocations；　unless　



some　immediate　prospect　of　gain；　lawful　or　unlawful；　calls　them　



forth；　and　such　is　frequently　the　case。　　They　attend　most　fairs；　



women　and　men；　and　on　the　way　frequently　bivouac　in　the　fields；　but　



this　practice　must　not　be　confounded　with　systematic　wandering。







Gitanismo；　therefore；　has　not　been　extinguished；　only　modified；　but　



that　modification　has　been　effected　within　the　memory　of　man；　



whilst　previously　near　four　centuries　elapsed；　during　which　no　



reform　had　been　produced　amongst　them　by　the　various　measures　



devised；　all　of　which　were　distinguished　by　an　absence　not　only　of　



true　policy；　but　of　common…sense；　it　is　therefore　to　be　hoped；　that　



if　the　Gitanos　are　abandoned　to　themselves；　by　which　we　mean　no　



arbitrary　laws　are　again　enacted　for　their　extinction；　the　sect　



will　eventually　cease　to　be；　and　its　members　become　confounded　with　



the　residue　of　the　population；　for　certainly　no　Christian　nor　



merely　philanthropic　heart　can　desire　the　continuance　of　any　sect　



or　association　of　people　whose　fundamental　principle　seems　to　be　to　



hate　all　the　rest　of　mankind；　and　to　live　by　deceiving　them；　and　



such　is　the　practice　of　the　Gitanos。







During　the　last　five　years；　owing　to　the　civil　wars；　the　ties　which　



unite　society　have　been　considerably　relaxed；　the　law　has　been　



trampled　under　foot；　and　the　greatest　part　of　Spain　overrun　with　



robbers　and　miscreants；　who；　under　pretence　of　carrying　on　partisan　



warfare；　and　not　unfrequently　under　no　pretence　at　all；　have　



committed　the　most　frightful　excesses；　plundering　and　murdering　the　



defenceless。　　Such　a　state　of　things　would　have　afforded　the　



Gitanos　a　favourable　opportunity　to　resume　their　former　kind　of　



life；　and　to　levy　contributions　as　formerly；　wandering　about　in　



bands。　　Certain　it　is；　however；　that　they　have　not　sought　to　repeat　



their　ancient　excesses；　taking　advantage　of　the　troubles　of　the　



country；　they　have　gone　on；　with　a　few　exceptions；　quietly　pursuing　



that　part　of　their　system　to　which　they　still　cling；　their　



jockeyism；　which；　though　based　on　fraud　and　robbery；　is　far　



preferable　to　wandering　brigandage；　which　necessarily　involves　the　



frequent　shedding　of　blood。　　Can　better　proof　be　adduced；　that　



Gitanismo　owes　its　decline；　in　Spain；　not　to　force；　not　to　



persecution；　not　to　any　want　of　opportunity　of　exercising　it；　but　



to　some　other　cause？　…　and　we　repeat　that　we　consider　the　principal　



if　not　the　only　cause　of　the　decline　of　Gitanismo　to　be　the　



conferring　on　the　Gitanos　the　rights　and　privileges　of　other　



subjects。







We　have　said　that　the　Gitanos　have　not　much　availed　themselves　of　



the　permission；　which　the　law　grants　them；　of　embarking　in　various　



spheres　of　life。　　They　remain　jockeys；　but　they　have　ceased　to　be　



wanderers；　and　the　grand　object　of　the　law　is　accomplished。　　The　



law　forbids　them　to　be　jockeys；　or　to　follow　the　trade　of　trimming　



and　shearing　animals；　without　some　other　visible　mode　of　



subsistence。　　This　provision；　except　in　a　few　isolated　instances；　



they　evade；　and　the　law　seeks　not；　and　perhaps　wisely；　to　disturb　



them；　content　with　having　achieved　so　much。　　The　chief　evils　of　



Gitanismo　which　still　remain　consist　in　the　systematic　frauds　of　



the　Gypsy　jockeys　and　the　tricks　of　the　women。　　It　is　incurring　



considerable　risk　to　purchase　a　horse　or　a　mule；　even　from　the　most　



respectable　Gitano；　without　a　previous　knowledge　of　the　animal　and　



his　former　possessor；　the　chances　being　that　it　is　either　diseased　



or　stolen　from　a　distance。　　Of　the　practices　of　the　females；　



something　will　be　said　in　particular　in　a　future　chapter。







The　Gitanos　in　general　are　very　poor；　a　pair　of　large　cachas　and　



various　scissors　of　a　smaller　description　constituting　their　whole　



capital；　occasionally　a　good　hit　is　made；　as　they　call　it；　but　the　



money　does　not　last　long；　being　quickly　squandered　in　feasting　and　



revelry。　　He　who　has　habitually　in　his　house　a　couple　of　donkeys　is　



considered　a　thriving　Gitano；　there　are　some；　however；　who　are　



wealthy　in　the　strict　sense　of　the　word；　and　carry　on　a　very　



extensive　trade　in　horses　and　mules。　　These；　occasionally；　visit　



the　most　distant　fairs；　traversing　the　greatest　part　of　Spain。　　



There　is　a　celebrated　cattle…fair　held　at　Leon　on　St。　John's　or　



Midsummer　Day；　and　on　one　of　these　occasions；　being　present；　I　



observed　a　small　family　of　Gitanos；　consisting　of　a　man　of　about