the zincali-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




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



notwithstanding　that　they　are　sent　by　the　Turks　into　Spain　for　the　



purpose　of　acting　as　spies　upon　the　Christian　religion；　pretend　



that　they　are　wandering　over　the　world　in　fulfilment　of　a　penance　



enjoined　upon　them；　part　of　which　penance　seems　to　be　the　living　by　



fraud　and　imposition。'　　And　shortly　afterwards　he　remarks：　　'Nor　do　



they　derive　any　authority　for　such　a　practice　from　those　words　in　



Exodus；　（24）　〃et　quasi　signum　in　manu　tua；〃　as　that　passage　does　



not　treat　of　chiromancy；　but　of　the　festival　of　unleavened　bread；　



the　observance　of　which；　in　order　that　it　might　be　memorable　to　the　



Hebrews；　the　sacred　historian　said　should　be　as　a　sign　upon　the　



hand；　a　metaphor　derived　from　those　who；　when　they　wish　to　remember　



anything；　tie　a　thread　round　their　finger；　or　put　a　ring　upon　it；　



and　still　less　I　ween　does　that　chapter　of　Job　（25）　speak　in　their　



favour；　where　is　written；　〃Qui　in　manu　hominis　signat；　ut　norint　



omnes　opera　sua；〃　because　the　divine　power　is　meant　thereby　which　



is　preached　to　those　here　below：　　for　the　hand　is　intended　for　



power　and　magnitude；　Exod。　chap。　xiv。；　（26）　or　stands　for　free　



will；　which　is　placed　in　a　man's　hand；　that　is；　in　his　power。　　



Wisdom；　chap。　xxxvi。　〃In　manibus　abscondit　lucem；〃　（27）　etc。　etc。　



etc。







No；　no；　good　Torreblanca；　we　know　perfectly　well　that　the　witch…



wives　of　Multan；　who　for　the　last　four　hundred　years　have　been　



running　about　Spain　and　other　countries；　telling　fortunes　by　the　



hand；　and　deriving　good　profit　from　the　same；　are　not　countenanced　



in　such　a　practice　by　the　sacred　volume；　we　yield　as　little　credit　



to　their　chiromancy　as　we　do　to　that　which　you　call　the　true　and　



catholic；　and　believe　that　the　lines　of　the　hand　have　as　little　



connection　with　the　events　of　life　as　with　the　liver　and　stomach；　



notwithstanding　Aristotle；　who　you　forget　was　a　heathen；　and　knew　



as　little　and　cared　as　little　for　the　Scriptures　as　the　Gitanos；　



whether　male　or　female；　who　little　reck　what　sanction　any　of　their　



practices　may　receive　from　authority；　whether　divine　or　human；　if　



the　pursuit　enable　them　to　provide　sufficient　for　the　existence；　



however　poor　and　miserable；　of　their　families　and　themselves。







A　very　singular　kind　of　women　are　the　Gitanas；　far　more　remarkable　



in　most　points　than　their　husbands；　in　whose　pursuits　of　low　



cheating　and　petty　robbery　there　is　little　capable　of　exciting　much　



interest；　but　if　there　be　one　being　in　the　world　who；　more　than　



another；　deserves　the　title　of　sorceress　（and　where　do　you　find　a　



word　of　greater　romance　and　more　thrilling　interest？）；　it　is　the　



Gypsy　female　in　the　prime　and　vigour　of　her　age　and　ripeness　of　her　



understanding　…　the　Gypsy　wife；　the　mother　of　two　or　three　



children。　　Mention　to　me　a　point　of　devilry　with　which　that　woman　



is　not　acquainted。　　She　can　at　any　time；　when　it　suits　her；　show　



herself　as　expert　a　jockey　as　her　husband；　and　he　appears　to　



advantage　in　no　other　character；　and　is　only　eloquent　when　



descanting　on　the　merits　of　some　particular　animal；　but　she　can　do　



much　more：　　she　is　a　prophetess；　though　she　believes　not　in　



prophecy；　she　is　a　physician；　though　she　will　not　taste　her　own　



philtres；　she　is　a　procuress；　though　she　is　not　to　be　procured；　she　



is　a　singer　of　obscene　songs；　though　she　will　suffer　no　obscene　



hand　to　touch　her；　and　though　no　one　is　more　tenacious　of　the　



little　she　possesses；　she　is　a　cutpurse　and　a　shop…lifter　whenever　



opportunity　shall　offer。







In　all　times；　since　we　have　known　anything　of　these　women；　they　



have　been　addicted　to　and　famous　for　fortune…telling；　indeed；　it　is　



their　only　ostensible　means　of　livelihood；　though　they　have　various　



others　which　they　pursue　more　secretly。　　Where　and　how　they　first　



learned　the　practice　we　know　not；　they　may　have　brought　it　with　



them　from　the　East；　or　they　may　have　adopted　it；　which　is　less　



likely；　after　their　arrival　in　Europe。　　Chiromancy；　from　the　most　



remote　periods；　has　been　practised　in　all　countries。　　Neither　do　we　



know；　whether　in　this　practice　they　were　ever　guided　by　fixed　and　



certain　rules；　the　probability；　however；　is；　that　they　were　not；　



and　that　they　never　followed　it　but　as　a　means　of　fraud　and　



robbery；　certainly；　amongst　all　the　professors　of　this　art　that　



ever　existed；　no　people　are　more　adapted　by　nature　to　turn　it　to　



account　than　these　females；　call　them　by　whatever　name　you　will；　



Gitanas；　Ziganas；　Gypsies；　or　Bohemians；　their　forms；　their　



features；　the　expression　of　their　countenances　are　ever　wild　and　



Sibylline；　frequently　beautiful；　but　never　vulgar。　　Observe；　for　



example；　the　Gitana；　even　her　of　Seville。　　She　is　standing　before　



the　portal　of　a　large　house　in　one　of　the　narrow　Moorish　streets　of　



the　capital　of　Andalusia；　through　the　grated　iron　door；　she　looks　



in　upon　the　court；　it　is　paved　with　small　marble　slabs　of　almost　



snowy　whiteness；　in　the　middle　is　a　fountain　distilling　limpid　



water；　and　all　around　there　is　a　profusion　of　macetas；　in　which　



flowering　plants　and　aromatic　shrubs　are　growing；　and　at　each　



corner　there　is　an　orange　tree；　and　the　perfume　of　the　azahar　may　



be　distinguished；　you　hear　the　melody　of　birds　from　a　small　aviary　



beneath　the　piazza　which　surrounds　the　court；　which　is　surmounted　



by　a　toldo　or　linen　awning；　for　it　is　the　commencement　of　May；　and　



the　glorious　sun　of　Andalusia　is　burning　with　a　splendour　too　



intense　for　his　rays　to　be　borne　with　impunity。　　It　is　a　fairy　



scene　such　as　nowhere　meets　the　eye　but　at　Seville；　or　perhaps　at　



Fez　and　Shiraz；　in　the　palaces　of　the　Sultan　and　the　Shah。　　The　



Gypsy　looks　through　the　iron…grated　door；　and　beholds；　seated　near　



the　fountain；　a　richly　dressed　dame　and　two　lovely　delicate　



maidens；　they　are　busied　at　their　morning's　occupation；　



intertwining　with　their　sharp　needles　the　gold　and　silk　on　the　



tambour；　several　female　attendants　are　seated　behind。　　The　Gypsy　



pulls　the　bell；　when　is　heard　the　soft　cry　of　'Quien　es'；　the　door；　



unlocked　by　means　of　a　string；　recedes　upon　its　hinges；　when　in　



walks　the　Gitana；　the　witch…wife　of　Multan；　with　a　look　such　as　the　



tiger…cat　casts　when　she　stealeth　from　her　jungle　into　the　plain。







Yes；　well　may　you　exclaim　'Ave　Maria　purissima；'　ye　dames　and　



maidens　of　Seville；　as　she　advances　towards　you；　she　is　not　of　



yourselves；　she　is　not　of　your　blood；　she　or　her　fathers　have　



walked　to　your　climate　from　a　distance　of　three　thousand　leagues。　　



She　has　come　from　the　far　East；　like　the　three　enchanted　kings；　to　



Cologne；　but；　unlike　them；　she　and　her　race　have　come　with　hate　and　



not　with　love。　　She　comes　to　flatter；　and　to　deceive；　and　to　rob；　



for　she　is　a　lying　prophetess；　and　a　she…Thug；　she　will　greet　you　



with　blessings　which　will　make　your　hearts　rejoice；　but　your　



hearts'　blood　would　freeze；　could　you　hear　the　curses　which　to　



herself　she　murmurs　against　you；　for　she　says；　that　in　her　



children's　veins　flows　the　dark　blood　of　the　'husbands；'　whilst　in　



those　of　yours　flows　the　pale　tide　of　the　'savages；'　and　therefore　



she　would　gladly　set　her　foot　on　all　your　corses　first　poisoned　by　



her　hands。　　For　all　her　love　…　and　she　can　love　…　is　for　the　Romas；　



and　all　her　hate　…　and　who　can　hate　like　her？　…　is　for　the　Busnees；　



for　she　says　that　the　world　would　be　a　fair　world　if　there　were　no　



Busnees；　and　if　the　Romamiks　could　heat　their　kettles　undisturbed　



at　the　foot　of　the　olive…trees；　and　therefore　she　would　kill　them　



all　if　she　could　and　if　she　dared。　　She　never　seeks　the　houses　of　



the　Busnees　but　for　the　purpose　of　prey；　for　the　wild　animals　of　



the　sierra　do　not　more　abhor　the　sight　of　man　than　she　abhors　the　



countenances　of　the　Busnees。　　She　now　comes　to　prey　upon　you　and　to　



scoff　at　you。　　Will　you　believe　her　words？　　Fools！　do　you　think　



that　the　being　before　ye　has　any　sympathy　for　the　like　of　you？







She　is　of　the　middle　stature；　neither　strongly　nor　slightly　built；　



and　yet　her　every　movement　denotes　agility　and　vigour。　　As　she　



stands　erect　before　you；　she　appears　like　a　falcon　about　to　soar；　



and　you　are　almost　tempted　to　believe　that　the　power　of　volition　is　



hers；　and　were　you　to　stretch　forth　your　hand　to　seize　her；　she　



would　spring　above　the　house…tops　like　a　bird。　　Her　face　is　oval；　



and　her　features　are　regular　but　somewhat　hard　and　coarse；　for　she　



was　born　amongst　rocks　in　a　thicket；　and　she　has　been　wind…beaten　



and　sun…scorched　for　many　a　year；　even　like　her　parents　before　her；　



there　is　many　a　speck　upon　her　cheek；　and　perhaps　a　scar；　but　no　



dimples　of　love；　and　her　brow　is　wrinkled　over；　though　she　is　yet　



young。　　Her　com