the zincali-第37章

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Then；　laughing　like　a　hyena；　he　departed；　and　I　never　saw　him　



again。







At　that　time　on　the　morrow；　Francisco　was　on　his　death…bed。　　He　had　



caught　the　jail　fever；　which　had　long　raged　in　the　Carcel　de　la　



Corte；　where　I　was　imprisoned。　　In　a　few　days　he　was　buried；　a　mass　



of　corruption；　in　the　Campo　Santo　of　Madrid。















CHAPTER　V















THE　Gitanos；　in　their　habits　and　manner　of　life；　are　much　less　



cleanly　than　the　Spaniards。　　The　hovels　in　which　they　reside　



exhibit　none　of　the　neatness　which　is　observable　in　the　habitations　



of　even　the　poorest　of　the　other　race。　　The　floors　are　unswept；　and　



abound　with　filth　and　mud；　and　in　their　persons　they　are　scarcely　



less　vile。　　Inattention　to　cleanliness　is　a　characteristic　of　the　



Gypsies；　in　all　parts　of　the　world。







The　Bishop　of　Forli；　as　far　back　as　1422；　gives　evidence　upon　this　



point；　and　insinuates　that　they　carried　the　plague　with　them；　as　he　



observes　that　it　raged　with　peculiar　violence　the　year　of　their　



appearance　at　Forli。　（54）







At　the　present　day　they　are　almost　equally　disgusting；　in　this　



respect；　in　Hungary；　England；　and　Spain。　　Amongst　the　richer　



Gitanos；　habits　of　greater　cleanliness　of　course　exist　than　amongst　



the　poorer。　　An　air　of　sluttishness；　however；　pervades　their　



dwellings；　which；　to　an　experienced　eye；　would　sufficiently　attest　



that　the　inmates　were　Gitanos；　in　the　event　of　their　absence。







What　can　be　said　of　the　Gypsy　dress；　of　which　such　frequent　mention　



is　made　in　the　Spanish　laws；　and　which　is　prohibited　together　with　



the　Gypsy　language　and　manner　of　life？　　Of　whatever　it　might　



consist　in　former　days；　it　is　so　little　to　be　distinguished　from　



the　dress　of　some　classes　amongst　the　Spaniards；　that　it　is　almost　



impossible　to　describe　the　difference。　　They　generally　wear　a　high…



peaked；　narrow…brimmed　hat；　a　zamarra　of　sheep…skin　in　winter；　and；　



during　summer；　a　jacket　of　brown　cloth；　and　beneath　this　they　are　



fond　of　exhibiting　a　red　plush　waistcoat；　something　after　the　



fashion　of　the　English　jockeys；　with　numerous　buttons　and　clasps。　　



A　faja；　or　girdle　of　crimson　silk；　surrounds　the　waist；　where；　not　



unfrequently；　are　stuck　the　cachas　which　we　have　already　described。　　



Pantaloons　of　coarse　cloth　or　leather　descend　to　the　knee；　the　legs　



are　protected　by　woollen　stockings；　and　sometimes　by　a　species　of　



spatterdash；　either　of　cloth　or　leather；　stout　high…lows　complete　



the　equipment。







Such　is　the　dress　of　the　Gitanos　of　most　parts　of　Spain。　　But　it　is　



necessary　to　remark　that　such　also　is　the　dress　of　the　chalans；　and　



of　the　muleteers；　except　that　the　latter　are　in　the　habit　of　



wearing　broad　sombreros　as　preservatives　from　the　sun。　　This　dress　



appears　to　be　rather　Andalusian　than　Gitano；　and　yet　it　certainly　



beseems　the　Gitano　better　than　the　chalan　or　muleteer。　　He　wears　it　



with　more　easy　negligence　or　jauntiness；　by　which　he　may　be　



recognised　at　some　distance；　even　from　behind。







It　is　still　more　difficult　to　say　what　is　the　peculiar　dress　of　the　



Gitanas；　they　wear　not　the　large　red　cloaks　and　immense　bonnets　of　



coarse　beaver　which　distinguish　their　sisters　of　England；　they　have　



no　other　headgear　than　a　handkerchief；　which　is　occasionally　



resorted　to　as　a　defence　against　the　severity　of　the　weather；　their　



hair　is　sometimes　confined　by　a　comb；　but　more　frequently　is　



permitted　to　stray　dishevelled　down　their　shoulders；　they　are　fond　



of　large　ear…rings；　whether　of　gold；　silver；　or　metal；　resembling　



in　this　respect　the　poissardes　of　France。　　There　is　little　to　



distinguish　them　from　the　Spanish　women　save　the　absence　of　the　



mantilla；　which　they　never　carry。　　Females　of　fashion　not　



unfrequently　take　pleasure　in　dressing　a　la　Gitana；　as　it　is　



called；　but　this　female　Gypsy　fashion；　like　that　of　the　men；　is　



more　properly　the　fashion　of　Andalusia；　the　principal　



characteristic　of　which　is　the　saya；　which　is　exceedingly　short；　



with　many　rows　of　flounces。







True　it　is　that　the　original　dress　of　the　Gitanos；　male　and　female；　



whatever　it　was；　may　have　had　some　share　in　forming　the　Andalusian　



fashion；　owing　to　the　great　number　of　these　wanderers　who　found　



their　way　to　that　province　at　an　early　period。　　The　Andalusians　are　



a　mixed　breed　of　various　nations；　Romans；　Vandals；　Moors；　perhaps　



there　is　a　slight　sprinkling　of　Gypsy　blood　in　their　veins；　and　of　



Gypsy　fashion　in　their　garb。







The　Gitanos　are；　for　the　most　part；　of　the　middle　size；　and　the　



proportions　of　their　frames　convey　a　powerful　idea　of　strength　and　



activity　united；　a　deformed　or　weakly　object　is　rarely　found　



amongst　them　in　persons　of　either　sex；　such　probably　perish　in　



their　infancy；　unable　to　support　the　hardships　and　privations　to　



which　the　race　is　still　subjected　from　its　great　poverty；　and　these　



same　privations　have　given　and　still　give　a　coarseness　and　



harshness　to　their　features；　which　are　all　strongly　marked　and　



expressive。　　Their　complexion　is　by　no　means　uniform；　save　that　it　



is　invariably　darker　than　the　general　olive　hue　of　the　Spaniards；　



not　unfrequently　countenances　as　dark　as　those　of　mulattos　present　



themselves；　and　in　some　few　instances　of　almost　negro　blackness。　　



Like　most　people　of　savage　ancestry；　their　teeth　are　white　and　



strong；　their　mouths　are　not　badly　formed；　but　it　is　in　the　eye　



more　than　in　any　other　feature　that　they　differ　from　other　human　



beings。







There　is　something　remarkable　in　the　eye　of　the　Gitano：　　should　his　



hair　and　complexion　become　fair　as　those　of　the　Swede　or　the　Finn；　



and　his　jockey　gait　as　grave　and　ceremonious　as　that　of　the　native　



of　Old　Castile；　were　he　dressed　like　a　king；　a　priest；　or　a　



warrior；　still　would　the　Gitano　be　detected　by　his　eye；　should　it　



continue　unchanged。　　The　Jew　is　known　by　his　eye；　but　then　in　the　



Jew　that　feature　is　peculiarly　small；　the　Chinese　has　a　remarkable　



eye；　but　then　the　eye　of　the　Chinese　is　oblong；　and　even　with　the　



face；　which　is　flat；　but　the　eye　of　the　Gitano　is　neither　large　nor　



small；　and　exhibits　no　marked　difference　in　its　shape　from　the　eyes　



of　the　common　cast。　　Its　peculiarity　consists　chiefly　in　a　strange　



staring　expression；　which　to　be　understood　must　be　seen；　and　in　a　



thin　glaze；　which　steals　over　it　when　in　repose；　and　seems　to　emit　



phosphoric　light。　　That　the　Gypsy　eye　has　sometimes　a　peculiar　



effect；　we　learn　from　the　following　stanza：…











'A　Gypsy　stripling's　glossy　eye



Has　pierced　my　bosom's　core；



A　feat　no　eye　beneath　the　sky



Could　e'er　effect　before。'











The　following　passages　are　extracted　from　a　Spanish　work；　（55）　and　



cannot　be　out　of　place　here；　as　they　relate　to　those　matters　to　



which　we　have　devoted　this　chapter。







'The　Gitanos　have　an　olive　complexion　and　very　marked　physiognomy；　



their　cheeks　are　prominent；　their　lips　thick；　their　eyes　vivid　and　



black；　their　hair　is　long；　black；　and　coarse；　and　their　teeth　very　



white。　　The　general　expression　of　their　physiognomy　is　a　compound　



of　pride；　slavishness；　and　cunning。　　They　are；　for　the　most　part；　



of　good　stature；　well　formed；　and　support　with　facility　fatigue　and　



every　kind　of　hardship。　　When　they　discuss　any　matter；　or　speak　



among　themselves；　whether　in　Catalan；　in　Castilian；　or　in　Germania；　



which　is　their　own　peculiar　jargon；　they　always　make　use　of　much　



gesticulation；　which　contributes　to　give　to　their　conversation　and　



to　the　vivacity　of　their　physiognomy　a　certain　expression；　still　



more　penetrating　and　characteristic。







To　this　work　we　shall　revert　on　a　future　occasion。







'When　a　Gitano　has　occasion　to　speak　of　some　business　in　which　his　



interest　is　involved；　he　redoubles　his　gestures　in　proportion　as　he　



knows　the　necessity　of　convincing　those　who　hear　him；　and　fears　



their　impassibility。　　If　any　rancorous　idea　agitate　him　in　the　



course　of　his　narrative；　if　he　endeavour　to　infuse　into　his　



auditors　sentiments　of　jealousy；　vengeance；　or　any　violent　passion；　



his　features　become　exaggerated；　and　the　vivacity　of　his　glances；　



and　the　contraction　of　his　lips；　show　clearly；　and　in　an　imposing　



manner；　the　foreign　origin　of　the　Gitanos；　and　all　the　customs　of　



barbarous　people。　　Even　his　very　smile　has　an　expression　hard　and　



disagreeable。　　One　might　almost　say　that　joy　in　him　is　a　forced　



sentiment；　and　that；　like　unto　the　savage　man；　sadness　is　the　



dominant　feature　of　his　physiognomy。







'The　Gitana　is　distinguished　by　the　same　complexion；　and　almost　the　



same　features。　　In　her　frame　she　is　as　well　formed；　and　as　flexible　



as　the　Gitano。　　Condemned　to　suffer　the　same　privations　and　wants；　



her　countenance；　when　her　interest　does　not　oblige　her　to　dissemble　



her　feelings；　presents　the　same　aspect　of　melancholy；　and　shows　



besides；　with　more　energy；　the　rancorous　passions　of　which　the　



female　heart　is　susceptible。　　Free　in　her　actions；　her　carriage；　



and　her　pursuits；　she　speaks；　vociferates；　and　makes　more　gestures　



than　the　Gitano；　and；　in　imitation　of　him；　her　arms　are　in　



continual　motion；　to　give　more　expression　to　the　imagery　with　which　



she　accompanies　her　discourse；　her　whole　body　contributes　to　her　



gesture；　and　to　increase　its　force；　endeavouring　by　these　means　to　



sharpen　the　effect　of　language　in　itself　insufficient；　and　her　



vivid　and　disordered　imagination　is　displayed　in　her　appearance　and　



attitude。







'When　she　turns　her　hand　to　any　species　of　labour；　her　hurried　



action；　the　disorder　of　her　hair；　which　is　scarcely　subjected　by　a　



little　comb；　and　her　propensity　to　irritation；　show　how　little　she　



loves　toil；　and　her　disgust　for　any　continued　occupation。







'In　her　disputes；　the　air　of　menace　and　high　passion；　the　flow　of　



words；　and　the　facility　with　which　she　provokes　and　despises　



danger；　indicate　manners　half　barbarous；　and　ignorance　of　other　



means　of　defence。　　Finally；　both　in　males　and　females；　their　



physical　constitution；　colour；　agility；　and　flexibility；　reveal　to　



us　a　caste　sprung　from　a　burning　clime；　and　devoted　to　all　those　



exercises　which　contribute　to　evolve　bodily　vigour；　and　certain　



mental　faculties。







'The　dress　of　the　Gitano　varies　with　the　country　which　he　inhabits。　　



Both　in　Rousillon　and　Catalonia　his　habiliments　generally　consist　



of　jacket；　waistcoat；　pantaloons；　and　a　red　faja；　which　covers　part　



of　his　waistcoat；　on　his　feet　he　wears　hempen　sandals；　with　much　



ribbon　tied　round　the　leg　as　high　as　the　calf；　he　has；　moreover；　



either　woollen　or　cotton　stockings；　round　his　neck　he　wears　a　



handkerchief；　carelessl