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all　others　calculated　to　afford　them　that　knowledge。　　They　were　



continually　at　variance　with　justice；　they　were　frequently　obliged　



to　seek　shelter　in　the　inmost　recesses　of　the　hills；　and　when　their　



thievish　pursuits　led　them　to　the　cities；　they　naturally　made　



themselves　acquainted　with　the　names　of　the　principal　individuals；　



in　hopes　of　plundering　them。　　Doubtless　the　chief　possessed　all　



this　species　of　knowledge　in　a　superior　degree；　as　it　was　his　



courage；　acuteness；　and　experience　alone　which　placed　him　at　the　



head　of　his　tribe；　though　Del　Rio　from　this　circumstance　wishes　to　



infer　that　the　Gitanos　were　spies　sent　by　foreign　foes；　and　with　



some　simplicity　inquires；　'Quo　ant　cui　rei　haec　curiosa　exploratio？　



nonne　compescenda　vagamundorum　haec　curiositas；　etiam　si　solum　



peregrini　et　inculpatae　vitae。'







With　the　Counts　rested　the　management　and　direction　of　these　



remarkable　societies；　it　was　they　who　determined　their　marches；　



counter…marches；　advances；　and　retreats；　what　was　to　be　attempted　



or　avoided；　what　individuals　were　to　be　admitted　into　the　



fellowship　and　privileges　of　the　Gitanos；　or　who　were　to　be　



excluded　from　their　society；　they　settled　disputes　and　sat　in　



judgment　over　offences。　　The　greatest　crimes；　according　to　the　



Gypsy　code；　were　a　quarrelsome　disposition；　and　revealing　the　



secrets　of　the　brotherhood。　　By　this　code　the　members　were　



forbidden　to　eat；　drink；　or　sleep　in　the　house　of　a　Busno；　which　



signifies　any　person　who　is　not　of　the　sect　of　the　Gypsies；　or　to　



marry　out　of　that　sect；　they　were　likewise　not　to　teach　the　



language　of　Roma　to　any　but　those　who；　by　birth　or　inauguration；　



belonged　to　that　sect；　they　were　enjoined　to　relieve　their　brethren　



in　distress　at　any　expense　or　peril；　they　were　to　use　a　peculiar　



dress；　which　is　frequently　alluded　to　in　the　Spanish　laws；　but　the　



particulars　of　which　are　not　stated；　and　they　were　to　cultivate　the　



gift　of　speech　to　the　utmost　possible　extent；　and　never　to　lose　



anything　which　might　be　obtained　by　a　loose　and　deceiving　tongue；　



to　encourage　which　they　had　many　excellent　proverbs；　for　example　…







'The　poor　fool　who　closes　his　mouth　never　winneth　a　dollar。'







'The　river　which　runneth　with　sound　bears　along　with　it　stones　and　



water。'















CHAPTER　III















THE　Gitanos　not　unfrequently　made　their　appearance　in　considerable　



numbers；　so　as　to　be　able　to　bid　defiance　to　any　force　which　could　



be　assembled　against　them　on　a　sudden；　whole　districts　thus　became　



a　prey　to　them；　and　were　plundered　and　devastated。







It　is　said　that；　in　the　year　1618；　more　than　eight　hundred　of　these　



wretches　scoured　the　country　between　Castile　and　Aragon；　committing　



the　most　enormous　crimes。　　The　royal　council　despatched　regular　



troops　against　them；　who　experienced　some　difficulty　in　dispersing　



them。







But　we　now　proceed　to　touch　upon　an　event　which　forms　an　era　in　the　



history　of　the　Gitanos　of　Spain；　and　which　for　wildness　and　



singularity　throws　all　other　events　connected　with　them　and　their　



race；　wherever　found；　entirely　into　the　shade。











THE　BOOKSELLER　OF　LOGRONO











About　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century；　there　resided　one　



Francisco　Alvarez　in　the　city　of　Logrono；　the　chief　town　of　Rioja；　



a　province　which　borders　on　Aragon。　　He　was　a　man　above　the　middle　



age；　sober；　reserved；　and　in　general　absorbed　in　thought；　he　lived　



near　the　great　church；　and　obtained　a　livelihood　by　selling　printed　



books　and　manuscripts　in　a　small　shop。　　He　was　a　very　learned　man；　



and　was　continually　reading　in　the　books　which　he　was　in　the　habit　



of　selling；　and　some　of　these　books　were　in　foreign　tongues　and　



characters；　so　foreign；　indeed；　that　none　but　himself　and　some　of　



his　friends；　the　canons；　could　understand　them；　he　was　much　visited　



by　the　clergy；　who　were　his　principal　customers；　and　took　much　



pleasure　in　listening　to　his　discourse。







He　had　been　a　considerable　traveller　in　his　youth；　and　had　wandered　



through　all　Spain；　visiting　the　various　provinces　and　the　most　



remarkable　cities。　　It　was　likewise　said　that　he　had　visited　Italy　



and　Barbary。　　He　was；　however；　invariably　silent　with　respect　to　



his　travels；　and　whenever　the　subject　was　mentioned　to　him；　the　



gloom　and　melancholy　increased　which　usually　clouded　his　features。







One　day；　in　the　commencement　of　autumn；　he　was　visited　by　a　priest　



with　whom　he　had　long　been　intimate；　and　for　whom　he　had　always　



displayed　a　greater　respect　and　liking　than　for　any　other　



acquaintance。　　The　ecclesiastic　found　him　even　more　sad　than　usual；　



and　there　was　a　haggard　paleness　upon　his　countenance　which　alarmed　



his　visitor。　　The　good　priest　made　affectionate　inquiries　



respecting　the　health　of　his　friend；　and　whether　anything　had　of　



late　occurred　to　give　him　uneasiness；　adding　at　the　same　time；　that　



he　had　long　suspected　that　some　secret　lay　heavy　upon　his　mind；　



which　he　now　conjured　him　to　reveal；　as　life　was　uncertain；　and　it　



was　very　possible　that　he　might　be　quickly　summoned　from　earth　into　



the　presence　of　his　Maker。







The　bookseller　continued　for　some　time　in　gloomy　meditation；　till　



at　last　he　broke　silence　in　these　words：…　'It　is　true　I　have　a　



secret　which　weighs　heavy　upon　my　mind；　and　which　I　am　still　loth　



to　reveal；　but　I　have　a　presentiment　that　my　end　is　approaching；　



and　that　a　heavy　misfortune　is　about　to　fall　upon　this　city：　　I　



will　therefore　unburden　myself；　for　it　were　now　a　sin　to　remain　



silent。







'I　am；　as　you　are　aware；　a　native　of　this　town；　which　I　first　left　



when　I　went　to　acquire　an　education　at　Salamanca；　I　continued　there　



until　I　became　a　licentiate；　when　I　quitted　the　university　and　



strolled　through　Spain；　supporting　myself　in　general　by　touching　



the　guitar；　according　to　the　practice　of　penniless　students；　my　



adventures　were　numerous；　and　I　frequently　experienced　great　



poverty。　　Once；　whilst　making　my　way　from　Toledo　to　Andalusia　



through　the　wild　mountains；　I　fell　in　with　and　was　made　captive　by　



a　band　of　the　people　called　Gitanos；　or　wandering　Egyptians；　they　



in　general　lived　amongst　these　wilds；　and　plundered　or　murdered　



every　person　whom　they　met。　　I　should　probably　have　been　



assassinated　by　them；　but　my　skill　in　music　perhaps　saved　my　life。　　



I　continued　with　them　a　considerable　time；　till　at　last　they　



persuaded　me　to　become　one　of　them；　whereupon　I　was　inaugurated　



into　their　society　with　many　strange　and　horrid　ceremonies；　and　



having　thus　become　a　Gitano；　I　went　with　them　to　plunder　and　



assassinate　upon　the　roads。







'The　Count　or　head　man　of　these　Gitanos　had　an　only　daughter；　about　



my　own　age；　she　was　very　beautiful；　but；　at　the　same　time；　



exceedingly　strong　and　robust；　this　Gitana　was　given　to　me　as　a　



wife　or　cadjee；　and　I　lived　with　her　several　years；　and　she　bore　me　



children。







'My　wife　was　an　arrant　Gitana；　and　in　her　all　the　wickedness　of　her　



race　seemed　to　be　concentrated。　　At　last　her　father　was　killed　in　



an　affray　with　the　troopers　of　the　Hermandad；　whereupon　my　wife　and　



myself　succeeded　to　the　authority　which　he　had　formerly　exercised　



in　the　tribe。　　We　had　at　first　loved　each　other；　but　at　last　the　



Gitano　life；　with　its　accompanying　wickedness；　becoming　hateful　to　



my　eyes；　my　wife；　who　was　not　slow　in　perceiving　my　altered　



disposition；　conceived　for　me　the　most　deadly　hatred；　apprehending　



that　I　meditated　withdrawing　myself　from　the　society；　and　perhaps　



betraying　the　secrets　of　the　band；　she　formed　a　conspiracy　against　



me；　and；　at　one　time；　being　opposite　the　Moorish　coast；　I　was　



seized　and　bound　by　the　other　Gitanos；　conveyed　across　the　sea；　and　



delivered　as　a　slave　into　the　hands　of　the　Moors。







'I　continued　for　a　long　time　in　slavery　in　various　parts　of　Morocco　



and　Fez；　until　I　was　at　length　redeemed　from　my　state　of　bondage　by　



a　missionary　friar　who　paid　my　ransom。　　With　him　I　shortly　after　



departed　for　Italy；　of　which　he　was　a　native。　　In　that　country　I　



remained　some　years；　until　a　longing　to　revisit　my　native　land　



seized　me；　when　I　returned　to　Spain　and　established　myself　here；　



where　I　have　since　lived　by　vending　books；　many　of　which　I　brought　



from　the　strange　lands　which　I　visited。　　I　kept　my　history；　



however；　a　profound　secret；　being　afraid　of　exposing　myself　to　the　



laws　in　force　against　the　Gitanos；　to　which　I　should　instantly　



become　amenable；　were　it　once　known　that　I　had　at　any　time　been　a　



member　of　this　detestable　sect。







'My　present　wretchedness；　of　which　you　have　demanded　the　cause；　



dates　from　yesterday；　I　had　been　on　a　short　journey　to　the　



Augustine　co