the zincali-第42章

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We　broke　in　at　midnight；　and　bound　the　old　man：　　we　knew　he　had　



money；　but　he　said　no；　and　would　not　tell　us　where　it　was；　so　we　



tortured　him；　pricking　him　with　our　knives　and　burning　his　hands　



over　the　lamp；　all；　however；　would　not　do。　　At　last　I　said；　〃Let　us　



try　the　PIMIENTOS〃；　so　we　took　the　green　pepper　husks；　pulled　open　



his　eyelids；　and　rubbed　the　pupils　with　the　green　pepper　fruit。　　



That　was　the　worst　pinch　of　all。　　Would　you　believe　it？　the　old　man　



bore　it。　　Then　our　people　said；　〃Let　us　kill　him；〃　but　I　said；　no；　



it　were　a　pity：　　so　we　spared　him；　though　we　got　nothing。　　I　have　



loved　that　old　man　ever　since　for　his　firm　heart；　and　should　have　



wished　him　for　a　husband。'







THE　SCORPION。　…　'Ojala；　that　I　had　been　in　that　cortijo；　to　see　



such　sport！'







MYSELF。　…　'Do　you　fear　God；　O　Tuerta？'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'Brother；　I　fear　nothing。'







MYSELF。　…　'Do　you　believe　in　God；　O　Tuerta？'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'Brother；　I　do　not；　I　hate　all　connected　with　that　



name；　the　whole　is　folly；　me　dinela　conche。　　If　I　go　to　church；　it　



is　but　to　spit　at　the　images。　　I　spat　at　the　bulto　of　Maria　this　



morning；　and　I　love　the　Corojai；　and　the　Londone；　（59）　because　they　



are　not　baptized。'







MYSELF。　…　'You；　of　course；　never　say　a　prayer。'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'No；　no；　there　are　three　or　four　old　words；　taught　



me　by　some　old　people；　which　I　sometimes　say　to　myself；　I　believe　



they　have　both　force　and　virtue。'







MYSELF。　…　'I　would　fain　hear；　pray　tell　me　them。'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'Brother；　they　are　words　not　to　be　repeated。'







MYSELF。　…　'Why　not？'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'They　are　holy　words；　brother。'







MYSELF。　…　'Holy！　　You　say　there　is　no　God；　if　there　be　none；　there　



can　be　nothing　holy；　pray　tell　me　the　words；　O　Tuerta。'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'Brother；　I　dare　not。'







MYSELF。　…　'Then　you　do　fear　something。'







THE　ONE…EYED。…　'Not　I　…







'SABOCA　ENRECAR　MARIA　ERERIA；　（60）







and　now　I　wish　I　had　not　said　them。'







MYSELF。　…　'You　are　distracted；　O　Tuerta：　　the　words　say　simply；　



'Dwell　within　us；　blessed　Maria。'　　You　have　spitten　on　her　bulto　



this　morning　in　the　church；　and　now　you　are　afraid　to　repeat　four　



words；　amongst　which　is　her　name。'







THE　ONE…EYED。　…　'I　did　not　understand　them；　but　I　wish　I　had　not　



said　them。'







。　。　。　。　。　。　。







I　repeat　that　there　is　no　individual；　however　hardened；　who　is　



utterly　GODLESS。







The　reader　will　have　already　gathered　from　the　conversations　



reported　in　this　volume；　and　especially　from　the　last；　that　there　



is　a　wide　difference　between　addressing　Spanish　Gitanos　and　Gitanas　



and　English　peasantry：　　of　a　certainty　what　will　do　well　for　the　



latter　is　calculated　to　make　no　impression　on　these　thievish　half…



wild　people。　　Try　them　with　the　Gospel；　I　hear　some　one　cry；　which　



speaks　to　all：　　I　did　try　them　with　the　Gospel；　and　in　their　own　



language。　　I　commenced　with　Pepa　and　Chicharona。　　Determined　that　



they　should　understand　it；　I　proposed　that　they　themselves　should　



translate　it。　　They　could　neither　read　nor　write；　which；　however；　



did　not　disqualify　them　from　being　translators。　　I　had　myself　



previously　translated　the　whole　Testament　into　the　Spanish　Rommany；　



but　I　was　desirous　to　circulate　amongst　the　Gitanos　a　version　



conceived　in　the　exact　language　in　which　they　express　their　ideas。　　



The　women　made　no　objection；　they　were　fond　of　our　tertulias；　and　



they　likewise　reckoned　on　one　small　glass　of　Malaga　wine；　with　



which　I　invariably　presented　them。　　Upon　the　whole；　they　conducted　



themselves　much　better　than　could　have　been　expected。　　We　commenced　



with　Saint　Luke：　　they　rendering　into　Rommany　the　sentences　which　I　



delivered　to　them　in　Spanish。　　They　proceeded　as　far　as　the　eighth　



chapter；　in　the　middle　of　which　they　broke　down。　　Was　that　to　be　



wondered　at？　　The　only　thing　which　astonished　me　was；　that　I　had　



induced　two　such　strange　beings　to　advance　so　far　in　a　task　so　



unwonted；　and　so　entirely　at　variance　with　their　habits；　as　



translation。







These　chapters　I　frequently　read　over　to　them；　explaining　the　



subject　in　the　best　manner　I　was　able。　　They　said　it　was　lacho；　and　



jucal；　and　misto；　all　of　which　words　express　approval　of　the　



quality　of　a　thing。　　Were　they　improved；　were　their　hearts　softened　



by　these　Scripture　lectures？　　I　know　not。　　Pepa　committed　a　rather　



daring　theft　shortly　afterwards；　which　compelled　her　to　conceal　



herself　for　a　fortnight；　it　is　quite　possible；　however；　that　she　



may　remember　the　contents　of　those　chapters　on　her　death…bed；　if　



so；　will　the　attempt　have　been　a　futile　one？







I　completed　the　translation；　supplying　deficiencies　from　my　own　



version　begun　at　Badajoz　in　1836。　　This　translation　I　printed　at　



Madrid　in　1838；　it　was　the　first　book　which　ever　appeared　in　



Rommany；　and　was　called　'Embeo　e　Majaro　Lucas；'　or　Gospel　of　Luke　



the　Saint。　　I　likewise　published；　simultaneously；　the　same　Gospel　



in　Basque；　which；　however；　I　had　no　opportunity　of　circulating。







The　Gitanos　of　Madrid　purchased　the　Gypsy　Luke　freely：　　many　of　the　



men　understood　it；　and　prized　it　highly；　induced　of　course　more　by　



the　language　than　the　doctrine；　the　women　were　particularly　anxious　



to　obtain　copies；　though　unable　to　read；　but　each　wished　to　have　



one　in　her　pocket；　especially　when　engaged　in　thieving　expeditions；　



for　they　all　looked　upon　it　in　the　light　of　a　charm；　which　would　



preserve　them　from　all　danger　and　mischance；　some　even　went　so　far　



as　to　say；　that　in　this　respect　it　was　equally　efficacious　as　the　



Bar　Lachi；　or　loadstone；　which　they　are　in　general　so　desirous　of　



possessing。　　Of　this　Gospel　（61）　five　hundred　copies　were　printed；　



of　which　the　greater　number　I　contrived　to　circulate　amongst　the　



Gypsies　in　various　parts；　I　cast　the　book　upon　the　waters　and　left　



it　to　its　destiny。







I　have　counted　seventeen　Gitanas　assembled　at　one　time　in　my　



apartment　in　the　Calle　de　Santiago　in　Madrid；　for　the　first　quarter　



of　an　hour　we　generally　discoursed　upon　indifferent　matters；　I　then　



by　degrees　drew　their　attention　to　religion　and　the　state　of　souls。　　



I　finally　became　so　bold　that　I　ventured　to　speak　against　their　



inveterate　practices；　thieving　and　lying；　telling　fortunes；　and　



stealing　a　pastesas；　this　was　touching　upon　delicate　ground；　and　I　



experienced　much　opposition　and　much　feminine　clamour。　　I　



persevered；　however；　and　they　finally　assented　to　all　I　said；　not　



that　I　believe　that　my　words　made　much　impression　upon　their　



hearts。　　In　a　few　months　matters　were　so　far　advanced　that　they　



would　sing　a　hymn；　I　wrote　one　expressly　for　them　in　Rommany；　in　



which　their　own　wild　couplets　were；　to　a　certain　extent；　imitated。







The　people　of　the　street　in　which　I　lived；　seeing　such　numbers　of　



these　strange　females　continually　passing　in　and　out；　were　struck　



with　astonishment；　and　demanded　the　reason。　　The　answers　which　they　



obtained　by　no　means　satisfied　them。　　'Zeal　for　the　conversion　of　



souls；　…　　the　souls　too　of　Gitanas；　…　disparate！　the　fellow　is　a　



scoundrel。　　Besides　he　is　an　Englishman；　and　is　not　baptized；　what　



cares　he　for　souls？　　They　visit　him　for　other　purposes。　　He　makes　



base　ounces；　which　they　carry　away　and　circulate。　　Madrid　is　



already　stocked　with　false　money。'　　Others　were　of　opinion　that　we　



met　for　the　purposes　of　sorcery　and　abomination。　　The　Spaniard　has　



no　conception　that　other　springs　of　action　exist　than　interest　or　



villainy。







My　little　congregation；　if　such　I　may　call　it；　consisted　entirely　



of　women；　the　men　seldom　or　never　visited　me；　save　they　stood　in　



need　of　something　which　they　hoped　to　obtain　from　me。　　This　



circumstance　I　little　regretted；　their　manners　and　conversation　



being　the　reverse　of　interesting。　　It　must　not；　however；　be　



supposed　that；　even　with　the　women；　matters　went　on　invariably　in　a　



smooth　and　satisfactory　manner。　　The　following　little　anecdote　will　



show　what　slight　dependence　can　be　placed　upon　them；　and　how　



disposed　they　are　at　all　times　to　take　part　in　what　is　grotesque　



and　malicious。　　One　day　they　arrived；　attended　by　a　Gypsy　jockey　



whom　I　had　never　previously　seen。　　We　had　scarcely　been　seated　a　



minute；　when　this　fellow；　rising；　took　me　to　the　window；　and　



without　any　preamble　or　circumlocution；　said　…　'Don　Jorge；　you　



shall　lend　me　two　barias'　（ounces　of　gold）。　　　'Not　to　your　whole　



race；　my　excellent　friend；'　said　I；　'are　you　frantic？　　Sit　down　and　



be　discreet。'　　He　obeyed　me　literally；　sat　down；　and　when　the　rest　



departed；　followed　with　them。　　We　did　not　invariably　meet　at　my　own　



house；　but　occasionally　at　one　in　a　street　inhabited　by　Gypsies。　　



On　the　appointed　day　I　went　to　this　house；　where　I　found　the　women　



assembled；　the　jockey　was　also　present。　　On　seeing　me　he　advanced；　



again　took　me　aside；　and　again　said　…　'Don　Jorge；　you　shall　lend　me　



two　barias。'　　I　made　him　no　answer；　but　at　once　entered　on　the　



subject　which　brought　me　thither。　　I　spoke　for　some　time　in　



Spanish；　I　chose　for　the　theme　of　my　discourse　the　situation　of　the　



Hebrews　in　Egypt；　and　pointed　out　its　similarity　to　that　of　the　



Gitanos　in　Spain。　　I　spoke　of　the　power　of　God；　manifested　in　



preserving　both　as　separate　and　distinct　people　amongst　the　nations　



until　the　present　day。　　I　warmed　with　my　subject。　　I　subsequently　



produced　a　manuscript　book；　from　which　I　read　a　portion　of　



Scripture；　and　the　Lord's　Prayer　and　Apostles'　Creed；　in　Rommany。　　



When　I　had　concluded　I　looked　around　me。







The　features　of　the　assembly　were　twisted；　and　the　eyes　of　all　



turned　upon　me　with　a　frightful　squint；　not　an　individual　present　



but　squinted；　…　the　genteel　Pepa；　the　good…humoured　Chicharona；　the　



Casdami；　etc。　etc。　　The　Gypsy　fellow；　the　contriver　of　the　jest；　



squinted　worst　of　all。　　Such　are　Gypsies。



















THE　ZINCALI　PART　III















CHAPTER　I















THERE　is　no　nation　in　the　world；　however　exalted　or　however　



degraded；　but　is　in　possession　of　some　peculiar　poetry。　　If　the　



Chinese；　the　Hindoos；　the　Greeks；　and　the　Persians；　those　splendid　



and　renowned　races；　have　their　moral　lays；　their　mythological　



epics；　their　tragedies；　and　their　immortal　love　songs；　so　also　have　



the　wild　and　barbarous　tribes　of　Soudan；　and　the　wandering　



Esquimaux；　their　ditties；　which；　however　insignificant　in　



comparison　with　the　compositions　of　the　former　nations；　still　are　



entitled　in　every　essential　point　to　the　name　of　poetry；　if　poetry　



mean　metrical　compositions　intended　to　soothe　an