the zincali-第15节

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



particular　barrios　or　districts　are　still　known　by　this　name；　



though　the　Gitanos　themselves　have　long　since　disappeared。　　Even　in　



the　town　of　Oviedo；　in　the　heart　of　the　Asturias；　a　province　never　



famous　for　Gitanos；　there　is　a　place　called　the　Gitaneria；　though　



no　Gitano　has　been　known　to　reside　in　the　town　within　the　memory　of　



man；　nor　indeed　been　seen；　save；　perhaps；　as　a　chance　visitor　at　a　



fair。







The　exact　period　when　the　Gitanos　first　formed　these　colonies　



within　the　towns　is　not　known；　the　laws；　however；　which　commanded　



them　to　abandon　their　wandering　life　under　penalty　of　banishment　



and　death；　and　to　become　stationary　in　towns；　may　have　induced　them　



first　to　take　such　a　step。　　By　the　first　of　these　laws；　which　was　



made　by　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　as　far　back　as　the　year　1499；　they　



are　commanded　to　seek　out　for　themselves　masters。　　This　injunction　



they　utterly　disregarded。　　Some　of　them　for　fear　of　the　law；　or　



from　the　hope　of　bettering　their　condition；　may　have　settled　down　



in　the　towns；　cities；　and　villages　for　a　time；　but　to　expect　that　a　



people；　in　whose　bosoms　was　so　deeply　rooted　the　love　of　lawless　



independence；　would　subject　themselves　to　the　yoke　of　servitude；　



from　any　motive　whatever；　was　going　too　far；　as　well　might　it　have　



been　expected；　according　to　the　words　of　the　great　poet　of　Persia；　



THAT　THEY　WOULD　HAVE　WASHED　THEIR　SKINS　WHITE。







In　these　Gitanerias；　therefore；　many　Gypsy　families　resided；　but　



ever　in　the　Gypsy　fashion；　in　filth　and　in　misery；　with　little　of　



the　fear　of　man；　and　nothing　of　the　fear　of　God　before　their　eyes。　　



Here　the　swarthy　children　basked　naked　in　the　sun　before　the　doors；　



here　the　women　prepared　love　draughts；　or　told　the　buena　ventura；　



and　here　the　men　plied　the　trade　of　the　blacksmith；　a　forbidden　



occupation；　or　prepared　for　sale；　by　disguising　them；　animals　



stolen　by　themselves　or　their　accomplices。　　In　these　places　were　



harboured　the　strange　Gitanos　on　their　arrival；　and　here　were　



discussed　in　the　Rommany　language；　which；　like　the　Arabic；　was　



forbidden　under　severe　penalties；　plans　of　fraud　and　plunder；　which　



were　perhaps　intended　to　be　carried　into　effect　in　a　distant　



province　and　a　distant　city。







The　great　body；　however；　of　the　Gypsy　race　in　Spain　continued　



independent　wanderers　of　the　plains　and　the　mountains；　and　indeed　



the　denizens　of　the　Gitanerias　were　continually　sallying　forth；　



either　for　the　purpose　of　reuniting　themselves　with　the　wandering　



tribes；　or　of　strolling　about　from　town　to　town；　and　from　fair　to　



fair。　　Hence　the　continual　complaints　in　the　Spanish　laws　against　



the　Gitanos　who　have　left　their　places　of　domicile；　from　doing　



which　they　were　interdicted；　even　as　they　were　interdicted　from　



speaking　their　language　and　following　the　occupations　of　the　



blacksmith　and　horse…dealer；　in　which　they　still　persist　even　at　



the　present　day。







The　Gitanerias　at　evening　fall　were　frequently　resorted　to　by　



individuals　widely　differing　in　station　from　the　inmates　of　these　



places　…　we　allude　to　the　young　and　dissolute　nobility　and　hidalgos　



of　Spain。　　This　was　generally　the　time　of　mirth　and　festival；　and　



the　Gitanos；　male　and　female；　danced　and　sang　in　the　Gypsy　fashion　



beneath　the　smile　of　the　moon。　　The　Gypsy　women　and　girls　were　the　



principal　attractions　to　these　visitors；　wild　and　singular　as　these　



females　are　in　their　appearance；　there　can　be　no　doubt；　for　the　



fact　has　been　frequently　proved；　that　they　are　capable　of　exciting　



passion　of　the　most　ardent　description；　particularly　in　the　bosoms　



of　those　who　are　not　of　their　race；　which　passion　of　course　becomes　



the　more　violent　when　the　almost　utter　impossibility　of　gratifying　



it　is　known。　　No　females　in　the　world　can　be　more　licentious　in　



word　and　gesture；　in　dance　and　in　song；　than　the　Gitanas；　but　there　



they　stop：　　and　so　of　old；　if　their　titled　visitors　presumed　to　



seek　for　more；　an　unsheathed　dagger　or　gleaming　knife　speedily　



repulsed　those　who　expected　that　the　gem　most　dear　amongst　the　sect　



of　the　Roma　was　within　the　reach　of　a　Busno。







Such　visitors；　however；　were　always　encouraged　to　a　certain　point；　



and　by　this　and　various　other　means　the　Gitanos　acquired　



connections　which　frequently　stood　them　in　good　stead　in　the　hour　



of　need。　　What　availed　it　to　the　honest　labourers　of　the　



neighbourhood；　or　the　citizens　of　the　town；　to　make　complaints　to　



the　corregidor　concerning　the　thefts　and　frauds　committed　by　the　



Gitanos；　when　perhaps　the　sons　of　that　very　corregidor　frequented　



the　nightly　dances　at　the　Gitaneria；　and　were　deeply　enamoured　with　



some　of　the　dark…eyed　singing…girls？　　What　availed　making　



complaints；　when　perhaps　a　Gypsy　sibyl；　the　mother　of　those　very　



girls；　had　free　admission　to　the　house　of　the　corregidor　at　all　



times　and　seasons；　and　spaed　the　good　fortune　to　his　daughters；　



promising　them　counts　and　dukes；　and　Andalusian　knights　in　



marriage；　or　prepared　philtres　for　his　lady　by　which　she　was　always　



to　reign　supreme　in　the　affections　of　her　husband？　　And；　above　all；　



what　availed　it　to　the　plundered　party　to　complain　that　his　mule　or　



horse　had　been　stolen；　when　the　Gitano　robber；　perhaps　the　husband　



of　the　sibyl　and　the　father　of　the　black…eyed　Gitanillas；　was　at　



that　moment　actually　in　treaty　with　my　lord　the　corregidor　himself　



for　supplying　him　with　some　splendid　thick…maned；　long…tailed　steed　



at　a　small　price；　to　be　obtained；　as　the　reader　may　well　suppose；　



by　an　infraction　of　the　laws？　　The　favour　and　protection　which　the　



Gitanos　experienced　from　people　of　high　rank　is　alluded　to　in　the　



Spanish　laws；　and　can　only　be　accounted　for　by　the　motives　above　



detailed。







The　Gitanerias　were　soon　considered　as　public　nuisances；　on　which　



account　the　Gitanos　were　forbidden　to　live　together　in　particular　



parts　of　the　town；　to　hold　meetings；　and　even　to　intermarry　with　



each　other；　yet　it　does　not　appear　that　the　Gitanerias　were　ever　



suppressed　by　the　arm　of　the　law；　as　many　still　exist　where　these　



singular　beings　'marry　and　are　given　in　marriage；'　and　meet　



together　to　discuss　their　affairs；　which；　in　their　opinion；　never　



flourish　unless　those　of　their　fellow…creatures　suffer。　　So　much　



for　the　Gitanerias；　or　Gypsy　colonies　in　the　towns　of　Spain。















CHAPTER　V















'LOS　Gitanos　son　muy　malos！　…　the　Gypsies　are　very　bad　people；'　



said　the　Spaniards　of　old　times。　　They　are　cheats；　they　are　



highwaymen；　they　practise　sorcery；　and；　lest　the　catalogue　of　their　



offences　should　be　incomplete；　a　formal　charge　of　cannibalism　was　



brought　against　them。　　Cheats　they　have　always　been；　and　



highwaymen；　and　if　not　sorcerers；　they　have　always　done　their　best　



to　merit　that　appellation；　by　arrogating　to　themselves　supernatural　



powers；　but　that　they　were　addicted　to　cannibalism　is　a　matter　not　



so　easily　proved。







Their　principal　accuser　was　Don　Juan　de　Quinones；　who；　in　the　work　



from　which　we　have　already　had　occasion　to　quote；　gives　several　



anecdotes　illustrative　of　their　cannibal　propensities。　　Most　of　



these　anecdotes；　however；　are　so　highly　absurd；　that　none　but　the　



very　credulous　could　ever　have　vouchsafed　them　the　slightest　



credit。　　This　author　is　particularly　fond　of　speaking　of　a　certain　



juez；　or　judge；　called　Don　Martin　Fajardo；　who　seems　to　have　been　



an　arrant　Gypsy…hunter；　and　was　probably　a　member　of　the　ancient　



family　of　the　Fajardos；　which　still　flourishes　in　Estremadura；　and　



with　individuals　of　which　we　are　acquainted。　　So　it　came　to　pass　



that　this　personage　was；　in　the　year　1629；　at　Jaraicejo；　in　



Estremadura；　or；　as　it　is　written　in　the　little　book　in　question；　



Zaraizejo；　in　the　capacity　of　judge；　a　zealous　one　he　undoubtedly　



was。







A　very　strange　place　is　this　same　Jaraicejo；　a　small　ruinous　town　



or　village；　situated　on　a　rising　ground；　with　a　very　wild　country　



all　about　it。　　The　road　from　Badajoz　to　Madrid　passes　through　it；　



and　about　two　leagues　distant；　in　the　direction　of　Madrid；　is　the　



famous　mountain　pass　of　Mirabete；　from　the　top　of　which　you　enjoy　a　



most　picturesque　view　across　the　Tagus；　which　flows　below；　as　far　



as　the　huge　mountains　of　Plasencia；　the　tops　of　which　are　generally　



covered　with　snow。







So　this　Don　Martin　Fajardo；　judge；　being　at　Jaraicejo；　laid　his　



claw　upon　four　Gitanos；　and　having　nothing；　as　it　appears；　to　



accuse　them　of；　except　being　Gitanos；　put　them　to　the　torture；　and　



made　them　accuse　themselves；　which　they　did；　for；　on　the　first　



appeal　which　was　made　to　the　rack；　they　confessed　that　they　had　



mu