the zincali-第19节

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blessed　element　and　article　most　necessary　to　human　existence　by　



aught　else　than　the　Sanscrit　term　'Pani；'　a　word　brought　by　the　



race　from　sunny　Ind；　and　esteemed　so　holy　that　they　have　never　even　



presumed　to　modify　it。







The　following　is　an　account　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal；　given　me　by　a　Jew　



of　Fez；　who　had　travelled　much　in　Barbary；　and　which　I　insert　



almost　literally　as　I　heard　it　from　his　mouth。　　Various　other　



individuals；　Moors；　have　spoken　of　them　in　much　the　same　manner。







'In　one　of　my　journeys　I　passed　the　night　in　a　place　called　Mulai…



Jacub　Munsur。







'Not　far　from　this　place　is　a　Char　Seharra；　or　witch…hamlet；　where　



dwell　those　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal。　　These　are　very　evil　people；　and　



powerful　enchanters；　for　it　is　well　known　that　if　any　traveller　



stop　to　sleep　in　their　Char；　they　will　with　their　sorceries；　if　he　



be　a　white　man；　turn　him　as　black　as　a　coal；　and　will　afterwards　



sell　him　as　a　negro。　　Horses　and　mules　they　serve　in　the　same　



manner；　for　if　they　are　black；　they　will　turn　them　red；　or　any　



other　colour　which　best　may　please　them；　and　although　the　owners　



demand　justice　of　the　authorities；　the　sorcerers　always　come　off　



best。　　They　have　a　language　which　they　use　among　themselves；　very　



different　from　all　other　languages；　so　much　so　that　it　is　



impossible　to　understand　them。　　They　are　very　swarthy；　quite　as　



much　so　as　mulattos；　and　their　faces　are　exceedingly　lean。　　As　for　



their　legs；　they　are　like　reeds；　and　when　they　run；　the　devil　



himself　cannot　overtake　them。　　They　tell　Dar…bushi…fal　with　flour；　



they　fill　a　plate；　and　then　they　are　able　to　tell　you　anything　you　



ask　them。　　They　likewise　tell　it　with　a　shoe；　they　put　it　in　their　



mouth；　and　then　they　will　recall　to　your　memory　every　action　of　



your　life。　　They　likewise　tell　Dar…bushi…fal　with　oil；　and　indeed　



are；　in　every　respect；　most　powerful　sorcerers。







'Two　women；　once　on　a　time；　came　to　Fez；　bringing　with　them　an　



exceedingly　white　donkey；　which　they　placed　in　the　middle　of　the　



square　called　Faz　el　Bali；　they　then　killed　it；　and　cut　it　into　



upwards　of　thirty　pieces。　　Upon　the　ground　there　was　much　of　the　



donkey's　filth　and　dung；　some　of　this　they　took　in　their　hands；　



when　it　straight　assumed　the　appearance　of　fresh　dates。　　There　were　



some　people　who　were　greedy　enough　to　put　these　dates　into　their　



mouths；　and　then　they　found　that　it　was　dung。　　These　women　deceived　



me　amongst　the　rest　with　a　date；　when　I　put　it　into　my　mouth；　lo　



and　behold　it　was　the　donkey's　dung。　　After　they　had　collected　much　



money　from　the　spectators；　one　of　them　took　a　needle；　and　ran　it　



into　the　tail　of　the　donkey；　crying　〃Arrhe　li　dar〃　（Get　home）；　



whereupon　the　donkey　instantly　rose　up；　and　set　off　running；　



kicking　every　now　and　then　most　furiously；　and　it　was　remarked；　



that　not　one　single　trace　of　blood　remained　upon　the　ground；　just　



as　if　they　had　done　nothing　to　it。　　Both　these　women　were　of　the　



very　same　Char　Seharra　which　I　have　already　mentioned。　　They　



likewise　took　paper；　and　cut　it　into　the　shape　of　a　peseta；　and　a　



dollar；　and　a　half…dollar；　until　they　had　made　many　pesetas　and　



dollars；　and　then　they　put　them　into　an　earthen　pan　over　a　fire；　



and　when　they　took　them　out；　they　appeared　just　fresh　from　the　



stamp；　and　with　such　money　these　people　buy　all　they　want。







'There　was　a　friend　of　my　grandfather；　who　came　frequently　to　our　



house；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　making　this　money。　　One　day　he　took　



me　with　him　to　buy　white　silk；　and　when　they　had　shown　him　some；　he　



took　the　silk　in　his　hand；　and　pressed　it　to　his　mouth；　and　then　I　



saw　that　the　silk；　which　was　before　white；　had　become　green；　even　



as　grass。　　The　master　of　the　shop　said；　〃Pay　me　for　my　silk。〃　　〃Of　



what　colour　was　your　silk？〃　he　demanded。　　〃White；〃　said　the　man；　



whereupon；　turning　round；　he　cried；　〃Good　people；　behold；　the　white　



silk　is　green〃；　and　so　he　got　a　pound　of　silk　for　nothing；　and　he　



also　was　of　the　Char　Seharra。







'They　are　very　evil　people　indeed；　and　the　emperor　himself　is　



afraid　of　them。　　The　poor　wretch　who　falls　into　their　hands　has　



cause　to　rue；　they　always　go　badly　dressed；　and　exhibit　every　



appearance　of　misery；　though　they　are　far　from　being　miserable。　　



Such　is　the　life　they　lead。'







There　is；　of　course；　some　exaggeration　in　the　above　account　of　the　



Dar…bushi…fal；　yet　there　is　little　reason　to　doubt　that　there　is　a　



foundation　of　truth　in　all　the　facts　stated。　　The　belief　that　they　



are　enabled；　by　sorcery；　to　change　a　white　into　a　black　man　had　its　



origin　in　the　great　skill　which　they　possess　in　altering　the　



appearance　of　a　horse　or　a　mule；　and　giving　it　another　colour。　　



Their　changing　white　into　green　silk　is　a　very　simple　trick；　and　is　



accomplished　by　dexterously　substituting　one　thing　for　another。　　



Had　the　man　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal　been　searched；　the　white　silk　



would　have　been　found　upon　him。　　The　Gypsies；　wherever　they　are　



found；　are　fond　of　this　species　of　fraud。　　In　Germany；　for　example；　



they　go　to　the　wine…shop　with　two　pitchers　exactly　similar；　one　in　



their　hand　empty；　and　the　other　beneath　their　cloaks　filled　with　



water；　when　the　empty　pitcher　is　filled　with　wine　they　pretend　to　



be　dissatisfied　with　the　quality；　or　to　have　no　money；　but　contrive　



to　substitute　the　pitcher　of　water　in　its　stead；　which　the　wine…



seller　generally　snatches　up　in　anger；　and　pours　the　contents　back；　



as　he　thinks；　into　the　butt　…　but　it　is　not　wine　but　water　which　he　



pours。　　With　respect　to　the　donkey；　which　APPEARED　to　be　cut　in　



pieces；　but　which　afterwards；　being　pricked　in　the　tail；　got　up　and　



ran　home；　I　have　little　to　say；　but　that　I　have　myself　seen　almost　



as　strange　things　without　believing　in　sorcery。







As　for　the　dates　of　dung；　and　the　paper　money；　they　are　mere　feats　



of　legerdemain。







I　repeat；　that　if　legitimate　Gypsies　really　exist　in　Barbary；　they　



are　the　men　and　women　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal。















CHAPTER　VII















CHIROMANCY；　or　the　divination　of　the　hand；　is；　according　to　the　



orthodox　theory；　the　determining　from　certain　lines　upon　the　hand　



the　quality　of　the　physical　and　intellectual　powers　of　the　



possessor。







The　whole　science　is　based　upon　the　five　principal　lines　in　the　



hand；　and　the　triangle　which　they　form　in　the　palm。　　These　lines；　



which　have　all　their　particular　and　appropriate　names；　and　the　



principal　of　which　is　called　'the　line　of　life；'　are；　if　we　may　



believe　those　who　have　written　on　the　subject；　connected　with　the　



heart；　with　the　genitals；　with　the　brain；　with　the　liver　or　



stomach；　and　the　head。　　Torreblanca；　（23）　in　his　curious　and　



learned　book　on　magic；　observes：　　'In　judging　these　lines　you　must　



pay　attention　to　their　substance；　colour；　and　continuance；　together　



with　the　disposition　of　the　correspondent　member；　for；　if　the　line　



be　well　and　clearly　described；　and　is　of　a　vivid　colour；　without　



being　intermitted　or　PUNCTURIS　INFECTA；　it　denotes　the　good　



complexion　and　virtue　of　its　member；　according　to　Aristotle。







'So　that　if　the　line　of　the　heart　be　found　sufficiently　long　and　



reasonably　deep；　and　not　crossed　by　other　accidental　lines；　it　is　



an　infallible　sign　of　the　health　of　the　heart　and　the　great　virtue　



of　the　heart；　and　the　abundance　of　spirits　and　good　blood　in　the　



heart；　and　accordingly　denotes　boldness　and　liberal　genius　for　



every　work。'







In　like　manner；　by　means　of　the　hepatal　line；　it　is　easy　to　form　an　



accurate　judgment　as　to　the　state　of　a　person's　liver；　and　of　his　



powers　of　digestion；　and　so　on　with　respect　to　all　the　other　organs　



of　the　body。







After　having　laid　down　all　the　rules　of　chiromancy　with　the　utmost　



possible　clearness；　the　sage　Torreblanca　exclaims：　　'And　with　these　



terminate　the　canons　of　true　and　catholic　chiromancy；　for　as　for　



the　other　species　by　which　people　pretend　to　divine　concerning　the　



affairs　of　life；　either　past　or　to　come；　dignities；　fortunes；　



children；　events；　chances；　dangers；　etc。；　such　chiromancy　is　not　



only　reprobated　by　theologians；　but　by　men　of　law　and　physic；　as　a　



foolish；　false；　vain；　scandalous；　futile；　superstitious　practice；　



smelling　much　of　divinery　and　a　pact　with　the　devil。'







Then；　after　mentioning　a　number　of　erudite　and　enlightened　men　of　



the　three　learned　professions；　who　have　written　against　such　absurd　



superstitions；　amongst　whom　he　cites　Martin　Del　Rio；　he　falls　foul　



of　the　Gypsy　wives　in　this　manner：　　'A　practice　turned　to　profit　by　



the　wives　of　that　rabble　of　abandoned　miscreants　whom　the　Italians　



call　Cingari；　the　Latins　Egyptians；　and　we　Gitanos；　who；　



notwithstanding　that　they