the zincali-第7章

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



is　to　be　found。　　About　the　peculiar　practices　of　the　Gypsies　I　need　



not　say　much　here；　the　reader　will　find　in　the　account　of　the　



Spanish　Gypsies　much　that　will　afford　him　an　idea　of　Gypsy　arts　in　



England。　　I　have　already　alluded　to　CHIVING　DRAV；　or　poisoning；　



which　is　still　much　practised　by　the　English　Gypsies；　though　it　has　



almost　entirely　ceased　in　Spain；　then　there　is　CHIVING　LUVVU　ADREY　



PUVO；　or　putting　money　within　the　earth；　a　trick　by　which　the　



females　deceive　the　gorgios；　and　which　will　be　more　particularly　



described　in　the　affairs　of　Spain：　　the　men　are　adepts　at　cheating　



the　gorgios　by　means　of　NOK…ENGROES　and　POGGADO…BAVENGROES　



（glandered　and　broken…winded　horses）。　　But；　leaving　the　subject　of　



their　tricks　and　Rommany　arts；　by　no　means　an　agreeable　one；　I　will　



take　the　present　opportunity　of　saying　a　few　words　about　a　practice　



of　theirs；　highly　characteristic　of　a　wandering　people；　and　which　



is　only　extant　amongst　those　of　the　race　who　still　continue　to　



wander　much；　for　example；　the　Russian　Gypsies　and　those　of　the　



Hungarian　family；　who　stroll　through　Italy　on　plundering　



expeditions：　　I　allude　to　the　PATTERAN　or　TRAIL。







It　is　very　possible　that　the　reader　during　his　country　walks　or　



rides　has　observed；　on　coming　to　four　cross…roads；　two　or　three　



handfuls　of　grass　lying　at　a　small　distance　from　each　other　down　



one　of　these　roads；　perhaps　he　may　have　supposed　that　this　grass　



was　recently　plucked　from　the　roadside　by　frolicsome　children；　and　



flung　upon　the　ground　in　sport；　and　this　may　possibly　have　been　the　



case；　it　is　ten　chances　to　one；　however；　that　no　children's　hands　



plucked　them；　but　that　they　were　strewed　in　this　manner　by　Gypsies；　



for　the　purpose　of　informing　any　of　their　companions；　who　might　be　



straggling　behind；　the　route　which　they　had　taken；　this　is　one　form　



of　the　patteran　or　trail。　　It　is　likely；　too；　that　the　gorgio　



reader　may　have　seen　a　cross　drawn　at　the　entrance　of　a　road；　the　



long　part　or　stem　of　it　pointing　down　that　particular　road；　and　he　



may　have　thought　nothing　of　it；　or　have　supposed　that　some　



sauntering　individual　like　himself　had　made　the　mark　with　his　



stick：　　not　so；　courteous　gorgio；　ley　tiro　solloholomus　opre　lesti；　



YOU　MAY　TAKE　YOUR　OATH　UPON　IT　that　it　was　drawn　by　a　Gypsy　finger；　



for　that　mark　is　another　of　the　Rommany　trails；　there　is　no　mistake　



in　this。　　Once　in　the　south　of　France；　when　I　was　weary；　hungry；　



and　penniless；　I　observed　one　of　these　last　patterans；　and　



following　the　direction　pointed　out；　arrived　at　the　resting…place　



of　'certain　Bohemians；'　by　whom　I　was　received　with　kindness　and　



hospitality；　on　the　faith　of　no　other　word　of　recommendation　than　



patteran。　　There　is　also　another　kind　of　patteran；　which　is　more　



particularly　adapted　for　the　night；　it　is　a　cleft　stick　stuck　at　



the　side　of　the　road；　close　by　the　hedge；　with　a　little　arm　in　the　



cleft　pointing　down　the　road　which　the　band　have　taken；　in　the　



manner　of　a　signpost；　any　stragglers　who　may　arrive　at　night　where　



cross…roads　occur　search　for　this　patteran　on　the　left…hand　side；　



and　speedily　rejoin　their　companions。







By　following　these　patterans；　or　trails；　the　first　Gypsies　on　their　



way　to　Europe　never　lost　each　other；　though　wandering　amidst　horrid　



wildernesses　and　dreary　defiles。　　Rommany　matters　have　always　had　a　



peculiar　interest　for　me；　nothing；　however；　connected　with　Gypsy　



life　ever　more　captivated　my　imagination　than　this　patteran　system：　　



many　thanks　to　the　Gypsies　for　it；　it　has　more　than　once　been　of　



service　to　me。







The　English　Gypsies　at　the　present　day　are　far　from　being　a　



numerous　race；　I　consider　their　aggregate　number；　from　the　



opportunities　which　I　have　had　of　judging；　to　be　considerably　under　



ten　thousand：　　it　is　probable　that；　ere　the　conclusion　of　the　



present　century；　they　will　have　entirely　disappeared。　　They　are　in　



general　quite　strangers　to　the　commonest　rudiments　of　education；　



few　even　of　the　most　wealthy　can　either　read　or　write。　　With　



respect　to　religion；　they　call　themselves　members　of　the　



Established　Church；　and　are　generally　anxious　to　have　their　



children　baptized；　and　to　obtain　a　copy　of　the　register。　　Some　of　



their　baptismal　papers；　which　they　carry　about　with　them；　are　



highly　curious；　going　back　for　a　period　of　upwards　of　two　hundred　



years。　　With　respect　to　the　essential　points　of　religion；　they　are　



quite　careless　and　ignorant；　if　they　believe　in　a　future　state　they　



dread　it　not；　and　if　they　manifest　when　dying　any　anxiety；　it　is　



not　for　the　soul；　but　the　body：　　a　handsome　coffin；　and　a　grave　in　



a　quiet　country　churchyard；　are　invariably　the　objects　of　their　



last　thoughts；　and　it　is　probable　that；　in　their　observance　of　the　



rite　of　baptism；　they　are　principally　influenced　by　a　desire　to　



enjoy　the　privilege　of　burial　in　consecrated　ground。　　A　Gypsy　



family　never　speak　of　their　dead　save　with　regret　and　affection；　



and　any　request　of　the　dying　individual　is　attended　to；　especially　



with　regard　to　interment；　so　much　so；　that　I　have　known　a　corpse　



conveyed　a　distance　of　nearly　one　hundred　miles；　because　the　



deceased　expressed　a　wish　to　be　buried　in　a　particular　spot。







Of　the　language　of　the　English　Gypsies；　some　specimens　will　be　



given　in　the　sequel；　it　is　much　more　pure　and　copious　than　the　



Spanish　dialect。　　It　has　been　asserted　that　the　English　Gypsies　are　



not　possessed　of　any　poetry　in　their　own　tongue；　but　this　is　a　



gross　error；　they　possess　a　great　many　songs　and　ballads　upon　



ordinary　subjects；　without　any　particular　merit；　however；　and　



seemingly　of　a　very　modern　date。











THE　GYPSIES　OF　THE　EAST；　OR　ZINGARRI











What　has　been　said　of　the　Gypsies　of　Europe　is；　to　a　considerable　



extent；　applicable　to　their　brethren　in　the　East；　or；　as　they　are　



called；　Zingarri；　they　are　either　found　wandering　amongst　the　



deserts　or　mountains；　or　settled　in　towns；　supporting　themselves　by　



horse…dealing　or　jugglery；　by　music　and　song。　　In　no　part　of　the　



East　are　they　more　numerous　than　in　Turkey；　especially　in　



Constantinople；　where　the　females　frequently　enter　the　harems　of　



the　great；　pretending　to　cure　children　of　'the　evil　eye；'　and　to　



interpret　the　dreams　of　the　women。　　They　are　not　unfrequently　seen　



in　the　coffee…houses；　exhibiting　their　figures　in　lascivious　dances　



to　the　tune　of　various　instruments；　yet　these　females　are　by　no　



means　unchaste；　however　their　manners　and　appearance　may　denote　the　



contrary；　and　either　Turk　or　Christian　who；　stimulated　by　their　



songs　and　voluptuous　movements；　should　address　them　with　proposals　



of　a　dishonourable　nature；　would；　in　all　probability；　meet　with　a　



decided　repulse。







Among　the　Zingarri　are　not　a　few　who　deal　in　precious　stones；　and　



some　who　vend　poisons；　and　the　most　remarkable　individual　whom　it　



has　been　my　fortune　to　encounter　amongst　the　Gypsies；　whether　of　



the　Eastern　or　Western　world；　was　a　person　who　dealt　in　both　these　



articles。　　He　was　a　native　of　Constantinople；　and　in　the　pursuit　of　



his　trade　had　visited　the　most　remote　and　remarkable　portions　of　



the　world。　　He　had　traversed　alone　and　on　foot　the　greatest　part　of　



India；　he　spoke　several　dialects　of　the　Malay；　and　understood　the　



original　language　of　Java；　that　isle　more　fertile　in　poisons　than　



even　'far　Iolchos　and　Spain。'　From　what　I　could　learn　from　him；　it　



appeared　that　his　jewels　were　in　less　request　than　his　drugs；　



though　he　assured　me　that　there　was　scarcely　a　Bey　or　Satrap　in　



Persia　or　Turkey　whom　he　had　not　supplied　with　both。　　I　have　seen　



this　individual　in　more　countries　than　one；　for　he　flits　over　the　



world　like　the　shadow　of　a　cloud；　the　last　time　at　Granada　in　



Spain；　whither　he　had　come　after　paying　a　visit　to　his　Gitano　



brethren　in　the　presidio　of　Ceuta。







Few　Eastern　authors　have　spoken　of　the　Zingarri；　notwithstanding　



they　have　been　known　in　the　East　for　many　centuries；　amongst　the　



few；　none　has　made　more　curious　mention　of　them　than　Arabschah；　in　



a　chapter　of　his　life　of　Timour　or　Tamerlane；　which　is　deservedly　



considered　as　one　of　the　three　classic　works　of　Arabian　literature。　　



This　passage；　which；　while　it　serves　to　illustrate　the　craft；　if　



not　the　valour　of　the　conqueror　of　half　the　world；　offers　some　



curious　particulars　as　to　Gypsy　life　in　the　East　at　a　remote　



period；　will　scarcely　be　considered　out　of　place　if　reproduced　



here；　and　the　following　is　as　close　a　translation　of　it　as　the　



metaphorical　style　of　the　original　will　allow。







'There　were　in　Samarcand　numerous　families　of　Zingarri　of　various　



descriptions：　　some　were　wrestlers；　others　gladiators；　others　



pugilists。　　These　people　were　much　at　variance；　so　that　hostilities　



and　battling　were　continually　arising　amongst　them。　　Each　band　had　



its　chief　and　subordinate　officers；　and　it　came　to　pass　that　Timour　



and　the　power　which　he　possessed　filled　them　with　dread；　for　they　



knew　that　he　was　aware　of　their　crimes　and　disorderly　way　of　life。　　



Now　it　was　the　custom　of　Timour；　on　departing　upon　his　expeditions；　



to　leave　a　viceroy　in　Samarcand；　but　no　sooner　had　he　left　the　



city；　than　forth　marched　these　bands；　and　giving　battle　to　the　



viceroy；　deposed　him　and　took　possession　of　the　government；　so　that　



on　the　return　of　Timour　he　found　order　broken；　confusion　reigning；　



and　his　throne　overturned；　and　then　he　had　much　to　do　in　restoring　



things　to　their　former　state；　and　in　punishing　or　pardoning　the　



guilty；　but　no　sooner　did　he　depart　again　to　his　wars；　and　to　his　



various　other　concerns；　than　they　broke　out　into　the　same　excesses；　



and　this　they　repeated　no　less　than　three　times；　and　he　at　length　



laid　a　plan　for　their　utter　extermination；　and　it　was　the　



following：…　He　commenced　building　a　wall；　and　he　summoned　unto　him　



the　people　small　and　great；　and　he　allotted　to　every　man　his　place；　



and　to　every　workman　his　duty；　and　he　stationed　the　Zingarri　and　



their　chieftains　apart；　and　in　one　particular　spot　he　placed　a　band　



of　soldiers；　and　he　commanded　them　to　kill　whomsoever　he　should　



send　to　them；　and　having　done　so；　he　called　to　him　the　heads　of　the　



people；　and　he　filled　the　cup　for　them　and　clothed　them　in　splendid　



vests；　and　when　the　turn　came　to　the　Zingarri；　he　likewise　pledged　



one　of　them；　and　bestowed　a　vest　upon　him；　and　sent　him　with　a　



message　to　the　soldiers；　who；　as　soon　as　he　arrived；　tore　from　him　



his　vest；　and　stabbed　him；　pouring　forth　the　gold　of　his　heart　into　



the　pan　of　destruction；　（14）