the zincali-第14节

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



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



Augustine　convent；　which　stands　on　the　plain　in　the　direction　of　



Saragossa；　carrying　with　me　an　Arabian　book；　which　a　learned　monk　



was　desirous　of　seeing。　　Night　overtook　me　ere　I　could　return。　　I　



speedily　lost　my　way；　and　wandered　about　until　I　came　near　a　



dilapidated　edifice　with　which　I　was　acquainted；　I　was　about　to　



proceed　in　the　direction　of　the　town；　when　I　heard　voices　within　



the　ruined　walls；　I　listened；　and　recognised　the　language　of　the　



abhorred　Gitanos；　I　was　about　to　fly；　when　a　word　arrested　me。　　It　



was　Drao；　which　in　their　tongue　signifies　the　horrid　poison　with　



which　this　race　are　in　the　habit　of　destroying　the　cattle；　they　now　



said　that　the　men　of　Logrono　should　rue　the　Drao　which　they　had　



been　casting。　　I　heard　no　more；　but　fled。　　What　increased　my　fear　



was；　that　in　the　words　spoken；　I　thought　I　recognised　the　peculiar　



jargon　of　my　own　tribe；　I　repeat；　that　I　believe　some　horrible　



misfortune　is　overhanging　this　city；　and　that　my　own　days　are　



numbered。'







The　priest；　having　conversed　with　him　for　some　time　upon　particular　



points　of　the　history　that　he　had　related；　took　his　leave；　advising　



him　to　compose　his　spirits；　as　he　saw　no　reason　why　he　should　



indulge　in　such　gloomy　forebodings。







The　very　next　day　a　sickness　broke　out　in　the　town　of　Logrono。　　It　



was　one　of　a　peculiar　kind；　unlike　most　others；　it　did　not　arise　by　



slow　and　gradual　degrees；　but　at　once　appeared　in　full　violence；　in　



the　shape　of　a　terrific　epidemic。　　Dizziness　in　the　head　was　the　



first　symptom：　　then　convulsive　retchings；　followed　by　a　dreadful　



struggle　between　life　and　death；　which　generally　terminated　in　



favour　of　the　grim　destroyer。　　The　bodies；　after　the　spirit　which　



animated　them　had　taken　flight；　were　frightfully　swollen；　and　



exhibited　a　dark　blue　colour；　checkered　with　crimson　spots。　　



Nothing　was　heard　within　the　houses　or　the　streets；　but　groans　of　



agony；　no　remedy　was　at　hand；　and　the　powers　of　medicine　were　



exhausted　in　vain　upon　this　terrible　pest；　so　that　within　a　few　



days　the　greatest　part　of　the　inhabitants　of　Logrono　had　perished。　　



The　bookseller　had　not　been　seen　since　the　commencement　of　this　



frightful　visitation。







Once；　at　the　dead　of　night；　a　knock　was　heard　at　the　door　of　the　



priest；　of　whom　we　have　already　spoken；　the　priest　himself　



staggered　to　the　door；　and　opened　it；　…　he　was　the　only　one　who　



remained　alive　in　the　house；　and　was　himself　slowly　recovering　from　



the　malady　which　had　destroyed　all　the　other　inmates；　a　wild　



spectral…looking　figure　presented　itself　to　his　eye　…　it　was　his　



friend　Alvarez。　　Both　went　into　the　house；　when　the　bookseller；　



glancing　gloomily　on　the　wasted　features　of　the　priest；　exclaimed；　



'You　too；　I　see；　amongst　others；　have　cause　to　rue　the　Drao　which　



the　Gitanos　have　cast。　　Know；'　he　continued；　'that　in　order　to　



accomplish　a　detestable　plan；　the　fountains　of　Logrono　have　been　



poisoned　by　emissaries　of　the　roving　bands；　who　are　now　assembled　



in　the　neighbourhood。　　On　the　first　appearance　of　the　disorder；　



from　which　I　happily　escaped　by　tasting　the　water　of　a　private　



fountain；　which　I　possess　in　my　own　house；　I　instantly　recognised　



the　effects　of　the　poison　of　the　Gitanos；　brought　by　their　



ancestors　from　the　isles　of　the　Indian　sea；　and　suspecting　their　



intentions；　I　disguised　myself　as　a　Gitano；　and　went　forth　in　the　



hope　of　being　able　to　act　as　a　spy　upon　their　actions。　　I　have　been　



successful；　and　am　at　present　thoroughly　acquainted　with　their　



designs。　　They　intended；　from　the　first；　to　sack　the　town；　as　soon　



as　it　should　have　been　emptied　of　its　defenders。







'Midday；　to…morrow；　is　the　hour　in　which　they　have　determined　to　



make　the　attempt。　　There　is　no　time　to　be　lost；　let　us；　therefore；　



warn　those　of　our　townsmen　who　still　survive；　in　order　that　they　



may　make　preparations　for　their　defence。'







Whereupon　the　two　friends　proceeded　to　the　chief　magistrate；　who　



had　been　but　slightly　affected　by　the　disorder；　he　heard　the　tale　



of　the　bookseller　with　horror　and　astonishment；　and　instantly　took　



the　best　measures　possible　for　frustrating　the　designs　of　the　



Gitanos；　all　the　men　capable　of　bearing　arms　in　Logrono　were　



assembled；　and　weapons　of　every　description　put　in　their　hands。　　By　



the　advice　of　the　bookseller　all　the　gates　of　the　town　were　shut；　



with　the　exception　of　the　principal　one；　and　the　little　band　of　



defenders；　which　barely　amounted　to　sixty　men；　was　stationed　in　the　



great　square；　to　which；　he　said；　it　was　the　intention　of　the　



Gitanos　to　penetrate　in　the　first　instance；　and　then；　dividing　



themselves　into　various　parties；　to　sack　the　place。　　The　bookseller　



was；　by　general　desire；　constituted　leader　of　the　guardians　of　the　



town。







It　was　considerably　past　noon；　the　sky　was　overcast；　and　tempest　



clouds；　fraught　with　lightning　and　thunder；　were　hanging　black　and　



horrid　over　the　town　of　Logrono。　　The　little　troop；　resting　on　



their　arms；　stood　awaiting　the　arrival　of　their　unnatural　enemies；　



rage　fired　their　minds　as　they　thought　of　the　deaths　of　their　



fathers；　their　sons；　and　their　dearest　relatives；　who　had　perished；　



not　by　the　hand　of　God；　but；　like　infected　cattle；　by　the　hellish　



arts　of　Egyptian　sorcerers。　　They　longed　for　their　appearance；　



determined　to　wreak　upon　them　a　bloody　revenge；　not　a　word　was　



uttered；　and　profound　silence　reigned　around；　only　interrupted　by　



the　occasional　muttering　of　the　thunder…clouds。　　Suddenly；　Alvarez；　



who　had　been　intently　listening；　raised　his　hand　with　a　significant　



gesture；　presently；　a　sound　was　heard　…　a　rustling　like　the　waving　



of　trees；　or　the　rushing　of　distant　water；　it　gradually　increased；　



and　seemed　to　proceed　from　the　narrow　street　which　led　from　the　



principal　gate　into　the　square。　　All　eyes　were　turned　in　that　



direction。　。　。　。







That　night　there　was　repique　or　ringing　of　bells　in　the　towers　of　



Logrono；　and　the　few　priests　who　had　escaped　from　the　pestilence　



sang　litanies　to　God　and　the　Virgin　for　the　salvation　of　the　town　



from　the　hands　of　the　heathen。　　The　attempt　of　the　Gitanos　had　been　



most　signally　defeated；　and　the　great　square　and　the　street　were　



strewn　with　their　corpses。　　Oh！　what　frightful　objects：　　there　lay　



grim　men　more　black　than　mulattos；　with　fury　and　rage　in　their　



stiffened　features；　wild　women　in　extraordinary　dresses；　their　



hair；　black　and　long　as　the　tail　of　the　horse；　spread　all　



dishevelled　upon　the　ground；　and　gaunt　and　naked　children　grasping　



knives　and　daggers　in　their　tiny　hands。　　Of　the　patriotic　troop　not　



one　appeared　to　have　fallen；　and　when；　after　their　enemies　had　



retreated　with　howlings　of　fiendish　despair；　they　told　their　



numbers；　only　one　man　was　missing；　who　was　never　seen　again；　and　



that　man　was　Alvarez。







In　the　midst　of　the　combat；　the　tempest；　which　had　for　a　long　time　



been　gathering；　burst　over　Logrono；　in　lightning；　thunder；　



darkness；　and　vehement　hail。







A　man　of　the　town　asserted　that　the　last　time　he　had　seen　Alvarez；　



the　latter　was　far　in　advance　of　his　companions；　defending　himself　



desperately　against　three　powerful　young　heathen；　who　seemed　to　be　



acting　under　the　direction　of　a　tall　woman　who　stood　nigh；　covered　



with　barbaric　ornaments；　and　wearing　on　her　head　a　rude　silver　



crown。　（18）







Such　is　the　tale　of　the　Bookseller　of　Logrono；　and　such　is　the　



narrative　of　the　attempt　of　the　Gitanos　to　sack　the　town　in　the　



time　of　pestilence；　which　is　alluded　to　by　many　Spanish　authors；　



but　more　particularly　by　the　learned　Francisco　de　Cordova；　in　his　



DIDASCALIA；　one　of　the　most　curious　and　instructive　books　within　



the　circle　of　universal　literature。















CHAPTER　IV















THE　Moors；　after　their　subjugation；　and　previous　to　their　expulsion　



from　Spain；　generally　resided　apart；　principally　in　the　suburbs　of　



the　towns；　where　they　kept　each　other　in　countenance；　being　hated　



and　despised　by　the　Spaniards；　and　persecuted　on　all　occasions。　　By　



this　means　they　preserved；　to　a　certain　extent；　the　Arabic　



language；　though　the　use　of　it　was　strictly　forbidden；　and　



encouraged　each　other　in　the　secret　exercise　of　the　rites　of　the　



Mohammedan　religion；　so　that；　until　the　moment　of　their　final　



expulsion；　they　continued　Moors　in　almost　every　sense　of　the　word。　　



Such　places　were　called　Morerias；　or　quarters　of　the　Moors。







In　like　manner　there　were　Gitanerias；　or　quarters　of　the　Gitanos；　



in　many　of　the　towns　of　Spain；　and　in　more　than　one　instance　



p