the zincali-第40章

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in　their　expeditions；　they　say；　that　in　the　event　of　being　pursued　



by　the　jaracanallis；　or　revenue　officers；　whirlwinds　of　dust　will　



arise；　and　conceal　them　from　the　view　of　their　enemies；　the　horse…



stealers　say　much　the　same　thing；　and　assert　that　they　are　



uniformly　successful；　when　they　bear　about　them　the　precious　stone。　　



But　it　is　said　to　be　able　to　effect　much　more。　　Extraordinary　



things　are　related　of　its　power　in　exciting　the　amorous　passions；　



and；　on　this　account；　it　is　in　great　request　amongst　the　Gypsy　



hags；　all　these　women　are　procuresses；　and　find　persons　of　both　



sexes　weak　and　wicked　enough　to　make　use　of　their　pretended　



knowledge　in　the　composition　of　love…draughts　and　decoctions。







In　the　case　of　the　loadstone；　however；　there　is　no　pretence；　the　



Gitanas　believing　all　they　say　respecting　it；　and　still　more；　this　



is　proved　by　the　eagerness　with　which　they　seek　to　obtain　the　stone　



in　its　natural　state；　which　is　somewhat　difficult　to　accomplish。







In　the　museum　of　natural　curiosities　at　Madrid　there　is　a　large　



piece　of　loadstone　originally　extracted　from　the　American　mines。　　



There　is　scarcely　a　Gitana　in　Madrid　who　is　not　acquainted　with　



this　circumstance；　and　who　does　not　long　to　obtain　the　stone；　or　a　



part　of　it；　its　being　placed　in　a　royal　museum　serving　to　augment；　



in　their　opinion；　its　real　value。　　Several　attempts　have　been　made　



to　steal　it；　all　of　which；　however；　have　been　unsuccessful。　　The　



Gypsies　seem　not　to　be　the　only　people　who　envy　royalty　the　



possession　of　this　stone。　　Pepita；　the　old　Gitana　of　whose　talent　



at　telling　fortunes　such　honourable　mention　has　already　been　made；　



informed　me　that　a　priest；　who　was　muy　enamorado　（in　love）；　



proposed　to　her　to　steal　the　loadstone；　offering　her　all　his　



sacerdotal　garments　in　the　event　of　success：　　whether　the　singular　



reward　that　was　promised　had　but　slight　temptations　for　her；　or　



whether　she　feared　that　her　dexterity　was　not　equal　to　the　



accomplishment　of　the　task；　we　know　not；　but　she　appears　to　have　



declined　attempting　it。　　According　to　the　Gypsy　account；　the　person　



in　love；　if　he　wish　to　excite　a　corresponding　passion　in　another　



quarter　by　means　of　the　loadstone；　must　swallow；　IN　AGUARDIENTE；　a　



small　portion　of　the　stone　pulverised；　at　the　time　of　going　to　



rest；　repeating　to　himself　the　following　magic　rhyme：…











'To　the　Mountain　of　Olives　one　morning　I　hied；



Three　little　black　goats　before　me　I　spied；



Those　three　little　goats　on　three　cars　I　laid；



Black　cheeses　three　from　their　milk　I　made；



The　one　I　bestow　on　the　loadstone　of　power；



That　save　me　it　may　from　all　ills　that　lower；



The　second　to　Mary　Padilla　I　give；



And　to　all　the　witch　hags　about　her　that　live；



The　third　I　reserve　for　Asmodeus　lame；



That　fetch　me　he　may　whatever　I　name。'











LA　RAIZ　DEL　BUEN　BARON；　OR　THE　ROOT　OF　THE　GOOD　BARON。　…　On　this　



subject　we　cannot　be　very　explicit。　　It　is　customary　with　the　



Gitanas　to　sell；　under　this　title；　various　roots　and　herbs；　to　



unfortunate　females　who　are　desirous　of　producing　a　certain　result；　



these　roots　are　boiled　in　white　wine；　and　the　abominable　decoction　



is　taken　fasting。　　I　was　once　shown　the　root　of　the　good　baron；　



which；　in　this　instance；　appeared　to　be　parsley　root。　　By　the　good　



baron　is　meant　his　Satanic　majesty；　on　whom　the　root　is　very　



appropriately　fathered。















CHAPTER　VII















IT　is　impossible　to　dismiss　the　subject　of　the　Spanish　Gypsies　



without　offering　some　remarks　on　their　marriage　festivals。　　There　



is　nothing　which　they　retain　connected　with　their　primitive　rites　



and　principles；　more　characteristic　perhaps　of　the　sect　of　the　



Rommany；　of　the　sect　of　the　HUSBANDS　AND　WIVES；　than　what　relates　



to　the　marriage　ceremony；　which　gives　the　female　a　protector；　and　



the　man　a　helpmate；　a　sharer　of　his　joys　and　sorrows。　　The　Gypsies　



are　almost　entirely　ignorant　of　the　grand　points　of　morality；　they　



have　never　had　sufficient　sense　to　perceive　that　to　lie；　to　steal；　



and　to　shed　human　blood　violently；　are　crimes　which　are　sure；　



eventually；　to　yield　bitter　fruits　to　those　who　perpetrate　them；　



but　on　one　point；　and　that　one　of　no　little　importance　as　far　as　



temporal　happiness　is　concerned；　they　are　in　general　wiser　than　



those　who　have　had　far　better　opportunities　than　such　unfortunate　



outcasts；　of　regulating　their　steps；　and　distinguishing　good　from　



evil。　　They　know　that　chastity　is　a　jewel　of　high　price；　and　that　



conjugal　fidelity　is　capable　of　occasionally　flinging　a　sunshine　



even　over　the　dreary　hours　of　a　life　passed　in　the　contempt　of　



almost　all　laws；　whether　human　or　divine。







There　is　a　word　in　the　Gypsy　language　to　which　those　who　speak　it　



attach　ideas　of　peculiar　reverence；　far　superior　to　that　connected　



with　the　name　of　the　Supreme　Being；　the　creator　of　themselves　and　



the　universe。　　This　word　is　LACHA；　which　with　them　is　the　corporeal　



chastity　of　the　females；　we　say　corporeal　chastity；　for　no　other　do　



they　hold　in　the　slightest　esteem；　it　is　lawful　amongst　them；　nay　



praiseworthy；　to　be　obscene　in　look；　gesture；　and　discourse；　to　be　



accessories　to　vice；　and　to　stand　by　and　laugh　at　the　worst　



abominations　of　the　Busne；　provided　their　LACHA　YE　TRUPOS；　or　



corporeal　chastity；　remains　unblemished。　　The　Gypsy　child；　from　her　



earliest　years；　is　told　by　her　strange　mother；　that　a　good　Calli　



need　only　dread　one　thing　in　this　world；　and　that　is　the　loss　of　



Lacha；　in　comparison　with　which　that　of　life　is　of　little　



consequence；　as　in　such　an　event　she　will　be　provided　for；　but　what　



provision　is　there　for　a　Gypsy　who　has　lost　her　Lacha？　　'Bear　this　



in　mind；　my　child；'　she　will　say；　'and　now　eat　this　bread；　and　go　



forth　and　see　what　you　can　steal。'







A　Gypsy　girl　is　generally　betrothed　at　the　age　of　fourteen　to　the　



youth　whom　her　parents　deem　a　suitable　match；　and　who　is　generally　



a　few　years　older　than　herself。　　Marriage　is　invariably　preceded　by　



betrothment；　and　the　couple　must　then　wait　two　years　before　their　



union　can　take　place；　according　to　the　law　of　the　Cales。　　During　



this　period　it　is　expected　that　they　treat　each　other　as　common　



acquaintance；　they　are　permitted　to　converse；　and　even　occasionally　



to　exchange　slight　presents。　　One　thing；　however；　is　strictly　



forbidden；　and　if　in　this　instance　they　prove　contumacious；　the　



betrothment　is　instantly　broken　and　the　pair　are　never　united；　and　



thenceforward　bear　an　evil　reputation　amongst　their　sect。　　This　one　



thing　is；　going　into　the　campo　in　each　other's　company；　or　having　



any　rendezvous　beyond　the　gate　of　the　city；　town；　or　village；　in　



which　they　dwell。　　Upon　this　point　we　can　perhaps　do　no　better　than　



quote　one　of　their　own　stanzas：…











'Thy　sire　and　mother　wrath　and　hate



Have　vowed　against　us；　love！



The　first；　first　night　that　from　the　gate



We　two　together　rove。'











With　all　the　other　Gypsies；　however；　and　with　the　Busne　or　



Gentiles；　the　betrothed　female　is　allowed　the　freest　intercourse；　



going　whither　she　will；　and　returning　at　all　times　and　seasons。　　



With　respect　to　the　Busne；　indeed；　the　parents　are　invariably　less　



cautious　than　with　their　own　race；　as　they　conceive　it　next　to　an　



impossibility　that　their　child　should　lose　her　Lacha　by　any　



intercourse　with　THE　WHITE　BLOOD；　and　true　it　is　that　experience　



has　proved　that　their　confidence　in　this　respect　is　not　altogether　



idle。　　The　Gitanas　have　in　general　a　decided　aversion　to　the　white　



men；　some　few　instances；　however；　to　the　contrary　are　said　to　have　



occurred。







A　short　time　previous　to　the　expiration　of　the　term　of　the　



betrothment；　preparations　are　made　for　the　Gypsy　bridal。　　The　



wedding…day　is　certainly　an　eventful　period　in　the　life　of　every　



individual；　as　he　takes　a　partner　for　better　or　for　worse；　whom　he　



is　bound　to　cherish　through　riches　and　poverty；　but　to　the　Gypsy　



particularly　the　wedding　festival　is　an　important　affair。　　If　he　is　



rich；　he　frequently　becomes　poor　before　it　is　terminated；　and　if　he　



is　poor；　he　loses　the　little　which　he　possesses；　and　must　borrow　of　



his　brethren；　frequently　involving　himself　throughout　life；　to　



procure　the　means　of　giving　a　festival；　for　without　a　festival；　he　



could　not　become　a　Rom；　that　is；　a　husband；　and　would　cease　to　



belong　to　this　sect　of　Rommany。







There　is　a　great　deal　of　what　is　wild　and　barbarous　attached　to　



these　festivals。　　I　shall　never　forget　a　particular　one　at　which　I　



was　present。　　After　much　feasting；　drinking；　and　yelling；　in　the　



Gypsy　house；　the　bridal　train　sallied　forth　…　a　frantic　spectacle。　　



First　of　all　marched　a　villainous　jockey…looking　fellow；　holding　in　



his　hands；　uplifted；　a　long　pole；　at　the　top　of　which　fluttered　in　



the　morning　air　a　snow…white　cambric　handkerchief；　emblem　of　the　



bride's　purity。　　Then　came　the　betrothed　pair；　followed　by　their　



nearest　friends；　then　a　rabble　rout　of　Gypsies；　screaming　and　



shouting；　and　discharging　guns　and　pistols；　till　all　around　rang　



with　the　din；　and　the　village　dogs　barked。　　On　arriving　at　the　



church　gate；　the　fellow　who　bore　the　pole　stuck　it　into　the　ground　



with　a　loud　huzza；　and　the　train；　forming　two　ranks；　defiled　into　



the　church　on　either　side　of　the　pole　and　its　strange　ornaments。　　



On　the　conclusion　of　the　ceremony；　they　returned　in　the　same　manner　



in　which　they　had　come。







Throughout　the　day　there　was　nothing　going　on　but　singing；　



drinking；　feasting；　and　dancing；　but　the　most　singular　part　of　the　



festival　was　reserved　for　the　dark　night。　　Nearly　a　ton　weight　of　



sweetmeats　had　been　prepared；　at　an　enormous　expense；　not　for　the　



gratification　of　the　palate；　but　for　a　purpose　purely　Gypsy。　　These　



sweetmeats　of　all　kinds；　and　of　all　forms；　but　principally　yemas；　



or　yolks　of　eggs　prepared　with　a　crust　of　sugar　（a　delicious　bonne…



bouche）；　were　strewn　on　the　floor　of　a　large　room；　at　least　to　the　



depth　of　three　inches。　　Into　this　room；　at　a　given　signal；　tripped　



the　bride　and　bridegroom　DANCING　ROMALIS；　followed　amain　by　all　the　



Gitanos　and　Gitanas；　DANCING　ROMALIS。　　To　convey　a　slight　idea　of　



the　scene　is　almost　beyond　the　power　of　words。　　In　a　few　minutes　



the　sweetmeats　were　reduced　to　a　powder；　or　rather　to　a　mud；　the　



dancers　were　soiled　to　the　knees　with　sugar；　fruits；　and　yolks　of　



eggs。　　Still　more　terrific　became　the　lunatic　merriment。　　The　men　



sprang　high　into　the　air；　neighed；　brayed；　and　crowed；　whilst　the　



Gitanas　snapped　their　fingers　in　their　own　fashion；　louder　than　



castanets；　distorting　their　forms　into