the zincali-第22节

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content　with　what　the　Gitana　told　them；　as　if　an　apostle　had　spoken　



it。'







The　above　description　of　Gitanas　telling　fortunes　amongst　the　



villages　of　Navarre；　and　which　was　written　by　a　Spanish　author　at　



the　commencement　of　the　seventeenth　century；　is；　in　every　respect；　



applicable；　as　the　reader　will　not　fail　to　have　observed；　to　the　



English　Gypsy　women　of　the　present　day；　engaged　in　the　same　



occupation　in　the　rural　districts　of　England；　where　the　first　



demand　of　the　sibyls　is　invariably　a　sixpence；　in　order　that　they　



may　cross　their　hands　with　silver；　and　where　the　same　promises　are　



made；　and　as　easily　believed；　all　which；　if　it　serves　to　confirm　



the　opinion　that　in　all　times　the　practices　and　habits　of　the　



Egyptian　race　have　been；　in　almost　all　respects；　the　same　as　at　the　



present　day；　brings　us　also　to　the　following　mortifying　conclusion；　



…　that　mental　illumination；　amongst　the　generality　of　mankind；　has　



made　no　progress　at　all；　as　we　observe　in　the　nineteenth　century　



the　same　gross　credulity　manifested　as　in　the　seventeenth；　and　the　



inhabitants　of　one　of　the　countries　most　celebrated　for　the　arts　of　



civilisation；　imposed　upon　by　the　same　stale　tricks　which　served　to　



deceive　two　centuries　before　in　Spain；　a　country　whose　name　has　



long　and　justly　been　considered　as　synonymous　with　every　species　of　



ignorance　and　barbarism。







The　same　author；　whilst　speaking　of　these　female　Thugs；　relates　an　



anecdote　very　characteristic　of　them；　a　device　at　which　they　are　



adepts；　which　they　love　to　employ；　and　which　is　generally　attended　



with　success。　　It　is　the　more　deserving　attention；　as　an　instance　



of　the　same　description；　attended　with　very　similar　circumstances；　



occurred　within　the　sphere　of　my　own　knowledge　in　my　own　country。　　



This　species　of　deceit　is　styled；　in　the　peculiar　language　of　the　



Rommany；　HOKKANO　BARO；　or　the　'great　trick'；　it　being　considered　by　



the　women　as　their　most　fruitful　source　of　plunder。　　The　story；　as　



related　by　Alonso；　runs　as　follows：…







'A　band　of　Gitanos　being　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　village；　one　of　



the　women　went　to　a　house　where　lived　a　lady　alone。　　This　lady　was　



a　young　widow；　rich；　without　children；　and　of　very　handsome　person。　　



After　having　saluted　her；　the　Gypsy　repeated　the　harangue　which　she　



had　already　studied；　to　the　effect　that　there　was　neither　bachelor；　



widower；　nor　married　man；　nobleman；　nor　gallant；　endowed　with　a　



thousand　graces；　who　was　not　dying　for　love　of　her；　and　then　



continued：　　〃Lady；　I　have　contracted　a　great　affection　for　you；　and　



since　I　know　that　you　well　merit　the　riches　you　possess；　



notwithstanding　you　live　heedless　of　your　good　fortune；　I　wish　to　



reveal　to　you　a　secret。　　You　must　know；　then；　that　in　your　cellar　



you　have　a　vast　treasure；　nevertheless　you　will　experience　great　



difficulty　in　arriving　at　it；　as　it　is　enchanted；　and　to　remove　it　



is　impossible；　save　alone　on　the　eve　of　Saint　John。　　We　are　now　at　



the　eighteenth　of　June；　and　it　wants　five　days　to　the　twenty…third；　



therefore；　in　the　meanwhile；　collect　some　jewels　of　gold　and　



silver；　and　likewise　some　money；　whatever　you　please；　provided　it　



be　not　copper；　and　provide　six　tapers；　of　white　or　yellow　wax；　for　



at　the　time　appointed　I　will　come　with　a　sister　of　mine；　when　we　



will　extract　from　the　cellar　such　abundance　of　riches；　that　you　



will　be　able　to　live　in　a　style　which　will　excite　the　envy　of　the　



whole　country。〃　　The　ignorant　widow；　hearing　these　words；　put　



implicit　confidence　in　the　deceiver；　and　imagined　that　she　already　



possessed　all　the　gold　of　Arabia　and　the　silver　of　Potosi。







'The　appointed　day　arrived；　and　not　more　punctual　were　the　two　



Gypsies；　than　anxiously　expected　by　the　lady。　　Being　asked　whether　



she　had　prepared　all　as　she　had　been　desired；　she　replied　in　the　



affirmative；　when　the　Gypsy　thus　addressed　her：　　〃You　must　know；　



good　lady；　that　gold　calls　forth　gold；　and　silver　calls　forth　



silver；　let　us　light　these　tapers；　and　descend　to　the　cellar　before　



it　grows　late；　in　order　that　we　may　have　time　for　our　



conjurations。〃　　Thereupon　the　trio；　the　widow　and　the　two　Gypsies；　



went　down；　and　having　lighted　the　tapers　and　placed　them　in　



candlesticks　in　the　shape　of　a　circle；　they　deposited　in　the　midst　



a　silver　tankard；　with　some　pieces　of　eight；　and　some　corals　tipped　



with　gold；　and　other　jewels　of　small　value。　　They　then　told　the　



lady；　that　it　was　necessary　for　them　all　to　return　to　the　staircase　



by　which　they　had　descended　to　the　cellar；　and　there　they　uplifted　



their　hands；　and　remained　for　a　short　time　as　if　engaged　in　prayer。







'The　two　Gypsies　then　bade　the　widow　wait　for　them；　and　descended　



again；　when　they　commenced　holding　a　conversation；　speaking　and　



answering　alternately；　and　altering　their　voices　in　such　a　manner　



that　five　or　six　people　appeared　to　be　in　the　cellar。　　〃Blessed　



little　Saint　John；〃　said　one；　〃will　it　be　possible　to　remove　the　



treasure　which　you　keep　hidden　here？〃　　〃O　yes；　and　with　a　little　



more　trouble　it　will　be　yours；〃　replied　the　Gypsy　sister；　altering　



her　voice　to　a　thin　treble；　as　if　it　proceeded　from　a　child　four　or　



five　years　old。　　In　the　meantime；　the　lady　remained　astonished；　



expecting　the　promised　riches；　and　the　two　Gitanas　presently　coming　



to　her；　said；　〃Come　up；　lady；　for　our　desire　is　upon　the　point　of　



being　gratified。　　Bring　down　the　best　petticoat；　gown；　and　mantle　



which　you　have　in　your　chest；　that　I　may　dress　myself；　and　appear　



in　other　guise　to　what　I　do　now。〃　　The　simple　woman；　not　perceiving　



the　trick　they　were　playing　upon　her；　ascended　with　them　to　the　



doorway；　and　leaving　them　alone；　went　to　fetch　the　things　which　



they　demanded。　　Thereupon　the　two　Gypsies；　seeing　themselves　at　



liberty；　and　having　already　pocketed　the　gold　and　silver　which　had　



been　deposited　for　their　conjuration；　opened　the　street　door；　and　



escaped　with　all　the　speed　they　could。







'The　beguiled　widow　returned　laden　with　the　clothes；　and　not　



finding　those　whom　she　had　left　waiting；　descended　into　the　cellar；　



when；　perceiving　the　trick　which　they　had　played　her；　and　the　



robbery　which　they　had　committed　in　stealing　her　jewels；　she　began　



to　cry　and　weep；　but　all　in　vain。　　All　the　neighbours　hastened　to　



her；　and　to　them　she　related　her　misfortune；　which　served　more　to　



raise　laughter　and　jeers　at　her　expense　than　to　excite　pity；　though　



the　subtlety　of　the　two　she…thieves　was　universally　praised。　　These　



latter；　as　soon　as　they　had　got　out　of　the　door；　knew　well　how　to　



conceal　themselves；　for　having　once　reached　the　mountain　it　was　not　



possible　to　find　them。　　So　much　for　their　divination；　their　



foreseeing　things　to　come；　their　power　over　the　secrets　of　nature；　



and　their　knowledge　of　the　stars。'







The　Gitanas　in　the　olden　time　appear　to　have　not　unfrequently　been　



subjected　to　punishment　as　sorceresses；　and　with　great　justice；　as　



the　abominable　trade　which　they　drove　in　philtres　and　decoctions　



certainly　entitled　them　to　that　appellation；　and　to　the　pains　and　



penalties　reserved　for　those　who　practised　what　was　termed　



'witchcraft。'







Amongst　the　crimes　laid　to　their　charge；　connected　with　the　



exercise　of　occult　powers；　there　is　one；　however；　of　which　they　



were　certainly　not　capable；　as　it　is　a　purely　imaginary　one；　though　



if　they　were　punished　for　it；　they　had　assuredly　little　right　to　



complain；　as　the　chastisement　they　met　was　fully　merited　by　



practices　equally　malefic　as　the　crime　imputed　to　them；　provided　



that　were　possible。　　IT　WAS　CASTING　THE　EVIL　EYE。















CHAPTER　VIII















IN　the　Gitano　language；　casting　the　evil　eye　is　called　QUERELAR　



NASULA；　which　simply　means　making　sick；　and　which；　according　to　the　



common　superstition；　is　accomplished　by　casting　an　evil　look　at　



people；　especially　children；　who；　from　the　tenderness　of　their　



constitution；　are　supposed　to　be　more　easily　blighted　than　those　of　



a　more　mature　age。　　After　receiving　the　evil　glance；　they　fall　



sick；　and　die　in　a　few　hours。







The　Spaniards　have　very　little　to　say　respecting　the　evil　eye；　



though　the　belief　in　it　is　very　prevalent；　especially　in　Andalusia　



amongst　the　lower　orders。　　A　stag's　horn　is　considered　a　good　



safeguard；　and　on　that　account　a　small　horn；　tipped　with　silver；　is　



frequently　attached　to　the　children's　necks　by　means　of　a　cord　



braided　from　the　hair　of　a　black　mare's　tail。　　Should　the　evil　



glance　be　cast；　it　is　imagined　that　the　horn　receives　it；　and　



instantly　snaps　asunder。　　Such　horns　may　be　purchased　in　some　of　



the　silversmiths'　shops　at　Seville。







The　Gitanos　have　nothing　more　to　say　on　this　s