the zincali-第6章

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hardly　to　be　supposed　that　a　few　leagues　of　intervening　salt　water　



would　have　kept　a　race　so　enterprising　any　considerable　length　of　



time；　after　their　arrival　on　the　continent　of　Europe；　from　



obtaining　a　footing　in　the　fairest　and　richest　country　of　the　West。







It　is　easy　enough　to　conceive　the　manner　in　which　the　Gypsies　lived　



in　England　for　a　long　time　subsequent　to　their　arrival：　　doubtless　



in　a　half…savage　state；　wandering　about　from　place　to　place；　



encamping　on　the　uninhabited　spots；　of　which　there　were　then　so　



many　in　England；　feared　and　hated　by　the　population；　who　looked　



upon　them　as　thieves　and　foreign　sorcerers；　occasionally　committing　



acts　of　brigandage；　but　depending　chiefly　for　subsistence　on　the　



practice　of　the　'arts　of　Egypt；'　in　which　cunning　and　dexterity　



were　far　more　necessary　than　courage　or　strength　of　hand。







It　would　appear　that　they　were　always　divided　into　clans　or　tribes；　



each　bearing　a　particular　name；　and　to　which　a　particular　district　



more　especially　belonged；　though　occasionally　they　would　exchange　



districts　for　a　period；　and；　incited　by　their　characteristic　love　



of　wandering；　would　travel　far　and　wide。　　Of　these　families　each　



had　a　sher…engro；　or　head　man；　but　that　they　were　ever　united　under　



one　Rommany　Krallis；　or　Gypsy　King；　as　some　people　have　insisted；　



there　is　not　the　slightest　ground　for　supposing。







It　is　possible　that　many　of　the　original　Gypsy　tribes　are　no　longer　



in　existence：　　disease　or　the　law　may　have　made　sad　havoc　among　



them；　and　the　few　survivors　have　incorporated　themselves　with　other　



families；　whose　name　they　have　adopted。　　Two　or　three　instances　of　



this　description　have　occurred　within　the　sphere　of　my　own　



knowledge：　　the　heads　of　small　families　have　been　cut　off；　and　the　



subordinate　members；　too　young　and　inexperienced　to　continue　



Gypsying　as　independent　wanderers；　have　been　adopted　by　other　



tribes。







The　principal　Gypsy　tribes　at　present　in　existence　are　the　



Stanleys；　whose　grand　haunt　is　the　New　Forest；　the　Lovells；　who　are　



fond　of　London　and　its　vicinity；　the　Coopers；　who　call　Windsor　



Castle　their　home；　the　Hernes；　to　whom　the　north　country；　more　



especially　Yorkshire；　belongeth；　and　lastly；　my　brethren；　the　



Smiths；　…　to　whom　East　Anglia　appears　to　have　been　allotted　from　



the　beginning。







All　these　families　have　Gypsy　names；　which　seem；　however；　to　be　



little　more　than　attempts　at　translation　of　the　English　ones：…　thus　



the　Stanleys　are　called　Bar…engres　（11）；　which　means　stony…fellows；　



or　stony…hearts；　the　Coopers；　Wardo…engres；　or　wheelwrights；　the　



Lovells；　Camo…mescres；　or　amorous　fellows　the　Hernes　（German　



Haaren）　Balors；　hairs；　or　hairy　men；　while　the　Smiths　are　called　



Petul…engres；　signifying　horseshoe　fellows；　or　blacksmiths。







It　is　not　very　easy　to　determine　how　the　Gypsies　became　possessed　



of　some　of　these　names：　　the　reader；　however；　will　have　observed　



that　two　of　them；　Stanley　and　Lovell；　are　the　names　of　two　highly　



aristocratic　English　families；　the　Gypsies　who　bear　them　perhaps　



adopted　them　from　having；　at　their　first　arrival；　established　



themselves　on　the　estates　of　those　great　people；　or　it　is　possible　



that　they　translated　their　original　Gypsy　appellations　by　these　



names；　which　they　deemed　synonymous。　　Much　the　same　may　be　said　



with　respect　to　Herne；　an　ancient　English　name；　they　probably　



sometimes　officiated　as　coopers　or　wheelwrights；　whence　the　



cognomination。　　Of　the　term　Petul…engro；　or　Smith；　however；　I　wish　



to　say　something　in　particular。







There　is　every　reason　for　believing　that　this　last　is　a　genuine　



Gypsy　name；　brought　with　them　from　the　country　from　which　they　



originally　came；　it　is　compounded　of　two　words；　signifying；　as　has　



been　already　observed；　horseshoe　fellows；　or　people　whose　trade　is　



to　manufacture　horseshoes；　a　trade　which　the　Gypsies　ply　in　various　



parts　of　the　world；　…　for　example；　in　Russia　and　Hungary；　and　more　



particularly　about　Granada　in　Spain；　as　will　subsequently　be　shown。　　



True　it　is；　that　at　present　there　are　none　amongst　the　English　



Gypsies　who　manufacture　horseshoes；　all　the　men；　however；　are　



tinkers　more　or　less；　and　the　word　Petul…engro　is　applied　to　the　



tinker　also；　though　the　proper　meaning　of　it　is　undoubtedly　what　I　



have　already　stated　above。　　In　other　dialects　of　the　Gypsy　tongue；　



this　cognomen　exists；　though　not　exactly　with　the　same　



signification；　for　example；　in　the　Hungarian　dialect；　PINDORO；　



which　is　evidently　a　modification　of　Petul…engro；　is　applied　to　a　



Gypsy　in　general；　whilst　in　Spanish　Pepindorio　is　the　Gypsy　word　



for　Antonio。　　In　some　parts　of　Northern　Asia；　the　Gypsies　call　



themselves　Wattul　（12）；　which　seems　to　be　one　and　the　same　as　



Petul。







Besides　the　above…named　Gypsy　clans；　there　are　other　smaller　ones；　



some　of　which　do　not　comprise　more　than　a　dozen　individuals；　



children　included。　　For　example；　the　Bosviles；　the　Browns；　the　



Chilcotts；　the　Grays；　Lees；　Taylors；　and　Whites；　of　these　the　



principal　is　the　Bosvile　tribe。







After　the　days　of　the　great　persecution　in　England　against　the　



Gypsies；　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　they　lived　a　right　merry　



and　tranquil　life；　wandering　about　and　pitching　their　tents　



wherever　inclination　led　them：　　indeed；　I　can　scarcely　conceive　any　



human　condition　more　enviable　than　Gypsy　life　must　have　been　in　



England　during　the　latter　part　of　the　seventeenth；　and　the　whole　of　



the　eighteenth　century；　which　were　likewise　the　happy　days　for　



Englishmen　in　general；　there　was　peace　and　plenty　in　the　land；　a　



contented　population；　and　everything　went　well。　　Yes；　those　were　



brave　times　for　the　Rommany　chals；　to　which　the　old　people　often　



revert　with　a　sigh：　　the　poor　Gypsies；　say　they；　were　then　allowed　



to　SOVE　ABRI　（sleep　abroad）　where　they　listed；　to　heat　their　



kettles　at　the　foot　of　the　oaks；　and　no　people　grudged　the　poor　



persons　one　night's　use　of　a　meadow　to　feed　their　cattle　in。　　



TUGNIS　AMANDE；　our　heart　is　heavy；　brother；　…　there　is　no　longer　



Gypsy　law　in　the　land；　…　our　people　have　become　negligent；　…　they　



are　but　half　Rommany；　…　they　are　divided　and　care　for　nothing；　…　



they　do　not　even　fear　Pazorrhus；　brother。







Much　the　same　complaints　are　at　present　made　by　the　Spanish　



Gypsies。　　Gypsyism　is　certainly　on　the　decline　in　both　countries。　　



In　England；　a　superabundant　population；　and；　of　late；　a　very　



vigilant　police；　have　done　much　to　modify　Gypsy　life；　whilst　in　



Spain；　causes　widely　different　have　produced　a　still　greater　



change；　as　will　be　seen　further　on。







Gypsy　law　does　not　flourish　at　present　in　England；　and　still　less　



in　Spain；　nor　does　Gypsyism。　　I　need　not　explain　here　what　Gypsyism　



is；　but　the　reader　may　be　excused　for　asking　what　is　Gypsy　law。　　



Gypsy　law　divides　itself　into　the　three　following　heads　or　



precepts：…











Separate　not　from　THE　HUSBANDS。



Be　faithful　to　THE　HUSBANDS。



Pay　your　debts　to　THE　HUSBANDS。











By　the　first　section　the　Rom　or　Gypsy　is　enjoined　to　live　with　his　



brethren；　the　husbands；　and　not　with　the　gorgios　（13）　or　gentiles；　



he　is　to　live　in　a　tent；　as　is　befitting　a　Rom　and　a　wanderer；　and　



not　in　a　house；　which　ties　him　to　one　spot；　in　a　word；　he　is　in　



every　respect　to　conform　to　the　ways　of　his　own　people；　and　to　



eschew　those　of　gorgios；　with　whom　he　is　not　to　mix；　save　to　tell　



them　HOQUEPENES　（lies）；　and　to　chore　them。







The　second　section；　in　which　fidelity　is　enjoined；　was　more　



particularly　intended　for　the　women：　　be　faithful　to　the　ROMS；　ye　



JUWAS；　and　take　not　up　with　the　gorgios；　whether　they　be　RAIOR　or　



BAUOR　（gentlemen　or　fellows）。　　This　was　a　very　important　



injunction；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　upon　the　observance　of　it　



depended　the　very　existence　of　the　Rommany　sect；　…　for　if　the　



female　Gypsy　admitted　the　gorgio　to　the　privilege　of　the　Rom；　the　



race　of　the　Rommany　would　quickly　disappear。　　How　well　this　



injunction　has　been　observed　needs　scarcely　be　said；　for　the　



Rommany　have　been　roving　about　England　for　three　centuries　at　



least；　and　are　still　to　be　distinguished　from　the　gorgios　in　



feature　and　complexion；　which　assuredly　would　not　have　been　the　



case　if　the　juwas　had　not　been　faithful　to　the　Roms。　　The　gorgio　



says　that　the　juwa　is　at　his　disposal　in　all　things；　because　she　



tells　him　fortunes　and　endures　his　free　discourse；　but　the　Rom；　



when　he　hears　the　boast；　laughs　within　his　sleeve；　and　whispers　to　



himself；　LET　HIM　TRY。







The　third　section；　which　relates　to　the　paying　of　debts；　is　highly　



curious。　　In　the　Gypsy　language；　the　state　of　being　in　debt　is　



called　PAZORRHUS；　and　the　Rom　who　did　not　seek　to　extricate　himself　



from　that　state　was　deemed　infamous；　and　eventually　turned　out　of　



the　society。　　It　has　been　asserted；　I　believe；　by　various　gorgio　



writers；　that　the　Roms　have　everything　in　common；　and　that　there　is　



a　common　stock　out　of　which　every　one　takes　what　he　needs；　this　is　



quite　a　mistake；　however：　　a　Gypsy　tribe　is　an　epitome　of　the　



world；　every　one　keeps　his　own　purse　and　maintains　himself　and　



children　to　the　best　of　his　ability；　and　every　tent　is　independent　



of　the　other。　　True　it　is　that　one　Gypsy　will　lend　to　another　in　



the　expectation　of　being　repaid；　and　until　that　happen　the　borrower　



is　pazorrhus；　or　indebted。　　Even　at　the　present　time；　a　Gypsy　will　



make　the　greatest　sacrifices　rather　than　remain　pazorrhus　to　one　of　



his　brethren；　even　though　he　be　of　another　clan；　though　perhaps　the　



feeling　is　not　so　strong　as　of　old；　for　time　modifies　everything；　



even　Jews　and　Gypsies　are　affected　by　it。　　In　the　old　time；　indeed；　



the　Gypsy　law　was　so　strong　against　the　debtor；　that　provided　he　



could　not　repay　his　brother　husband；　he　was　delivered　over　to　him　



as　his　slave　for　a　year　and　a　day；　and　compelled　to　serve　him　as　a　



hewer　of　wood；　a　drawer　of　water；　or　a　beast　of　burden；　but　those　



times　are　past；　the　Gypsies　are　no　longer　the　independent　people　



they　were　of　yore；　…　dark；　mysterious；　and　dreaded　wanderers；　



living　apart　in　the　deserts　and　heaths　with　which　England　at　one　



time　abounded。　　Gypsy　law　has　given　place　to　common　law；　but　the　



principle　of　honour　is　still　recognised　amongst　them；　and　base　



indeed　must　the　Gypsy　be　who　would　continue　pazorrhus　because　Gypsy　



law　has　become　too　weak　to　force　him　to　liquidate　a　debt　by　money　



or　by　service。







Such　was　Gypsy　law　in　England；　and　there　is　every　probability　that　



it　is　much　the　same　in　all　parts　of　the　world　where　the　Gypsy　race　



is　to　be　found。　　About　the　peculiar　prac