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their　behaviour　at　the　present　day　serves　to　confirm　what　is　said　



on　those　points。　　From　the　whole；　we　may　form　a　tolerably　correct　



idea　of　the　opinions　of　the　time　respecting　the　Gitanos　in　matters　



of　morality　and　religion。　　A　very　natural　question　now　seems　to　



present　itself；　namely；　what　steps　did　the　government　of　Spain；　



civil　and　ecclesiastical；　which　has　so　often　trumpeted　its　zeal　in　



the　cause　of　what　it　calls　the　Christian　religion；　which　has　so　



often　been　the　scourge　of　the　Jew；　of　the　Mahometan；　and　of　the　



professors　of　the　reformed　faith；　what　steps　did　it　take　towards　



converting；　punishing；　and　rooting　out　from　Spain；　a　sect　of　demi…



atheists；　who；　besides　being　cheats　and　robbers；　displayed　the　most　



marked　indifference　for　the　forms　of　the　Catholic　religion；　and　



presumed　to　eat　flesh　every　day；　and　to　intermarry　with　their　



relations；　without　paying　the　vicegerent　of　Christ　here　on　earth　



for　permission　so　to　do？







The　Gitanos　have　at　all　times；　since　their　first　appearance　in　



Spain；　been　notorious　for　their　contempt　of　religious　observances；　



yet　there　is　no　proof　that　they　were　subjected　to　persecution　on　



that　account。　　The　men　have　been　punished　as　robbers　and　murderers；　



with　the　gallows　and　the　galleys；　the　women；　as　thieves　and　



sorceresses；　with　imprisonment；　flagellation；　and　sometimes　death；　



but　as　a　rabble；　living　without　fear　of　God；　and；　by　so　doing；　



affording　an　evil　example　to　the　nation　at　large；　few　people　gave　



themselves　much　trouble　about　them；　though　they　may　have　



occasionally　been　designated　as　such　in　a　royal　edict；　intended　to　



check　their　robberies；　or　by　some　priest　from　the　pulpit；　from　



whose　stable　they　had　perhaps　contrived　to　extract　the　mule　which　



previously　had　the　honour　of　ambling　beneath　his　portly　person。







The　Inquisition；　which　burnt　so　many　Jews　and　Moors；　and　



conscientious　Christians；　at　Seville　and　Madrid；　and　in　other　parts　



of　Spain；　seems　to　have　exhibited　the　greatest　clemency　and　



forbearance　to　the　Gitanos。　　Indeed；　we　cannot　find　one　instance　of　



its　having　interfered　with　them。　　The　charge　of　restraining　the　



excesses　of　the　Gitanos　was　abandoned　entirely　to　the　secular　



authorities；　and　more　particularly　to　the　Santa　Hermandad；　a　kind　



of　police　instituted　for　the　purpose　of　clearing　the　roads　of　



robbers。　　Whilst　I　resided　at　Cordova；　I　was　acquainted　with　an　



aged　ecclesiastic；　who　was　priest　of　a　village　called　Puente；　at　



about　two　leagues'　distance　from　the　city。　　He　was　detained　in　



Cordova　on　account　of　his　political　opinions；　though　he　was　



otherwise　at　liberty。　　We　lived　together　at　the　same　house；　and　he　



frequently　visited　me　in　my　apartment。







This　person；　who　was　upwards　of　eighty　years　of　age；　had　formerly　



been　inquisitor　at　Cordova。　　One　night；　whilst　we　were　seated　



together；　three　Gitanos　entered　to　pay　me　a　visit；　and　on　observing　



the　old　ecclesiastic；　exhibited　every　mark　of　dissatisfaction；　and　



speaking　in　their　own　idiom；　called　him　a　BALICHOW；　and　abused　



priests　in　general　in　most　unmeasured　terms。　　On　their　departing；　I　



inquired　of　the　old　man　whether　he；　who　having　been　an　inquisitor；　



was　doubtless　versed　in　the　annals　of　the　holy　office；　could　inform　



me　whether　the　Inquisition　had　ever　taken　any　active　measures　for　



the　suppression　and　punishment　of　the　sect　of　the　Gitanos：　　



whereupon　he　replied；　'that　he　was　not　aware　of　one　case　of　a　



Gitano　having　been　tried　or　punished　by　the　Inquisition'；　adding　



these　remarkable　words：　　'The　Inquisition　always　looked　upon　them　



with　too　much　contempt　to　give　itself　the　slightest　trouble　



concerning　them；　for　as　no　danger　either　to　the　state；　or　the　



church　of　Rome；　could　proceed　from　the　Gitanos；　it　was　a　matter　of　



perfect　indifference　to　the　holy　office　whether　they　lived　without　



religion　or　not。　　The　holy　office　has　always　reserved　its　anger　for　



people　very　different；　the　Gitanos　having　at　all　times　been　GENTE　



BARATA　Y　DESPRECIABLE。







Indeed；　most　of　the　persecutions　which　have　arisen　in　Spain　against　



Jews；　Moors；　and　Protestants；　sprang　from　motives　with　which　



fanaticism　and　bigotry；　of　which　it　is　true　the　Spaniards　have　



their　full　share；　had　very　little　connection。　　Religion　was　assumed　



as　a　mask　to　conceal　the　vilest　and　most　detestable　motives　which　



ever　yet　led　to　the　commission　of　crying　injustice；　the　Jews　were　



doomed　to　persecution　and　destruction　on　two　accounts；　…　their　



great　riches；　and　their　high　superiority　over　the　Spaniards　in　



learning　and　intellect。　　Avarice　has　always　been　the　dominant　



passion　in　Spanish　minds；　their　rage　for　money　being　only　to　be　



compared　to　the　wild　hunger　of　wolves　for　horse…flesh　in　the　time　



of　winter：　　next　to　avarice；　envy　of　superior　talent　and　



accomplishment　is　the　prevailing　passion。　　These　two　detestable　



feelings　united；　proved　the　ruin　of　the　Jews　in　Spain；　who　were；　



for　a　long　time；　an　eyesore；　both　to　the　clergy　and　laity；　for　



their　great　riches　and　learning。　　Much　the　same　causes　insured　the　



expulsion　of　the　Moriscos；　who　were　abhorred　for　their　superior　



industry；　which　the　Spaniards　would　not　imitate；　whilst　the　



reformation　was　kept　down　by　the　gaunt　arm　of　the　Inquisition；　lest　



the　property　of　the　church　should　pass　into　other　and　more　



deserving　hands。　　The　faggot　piles　in　the　squares　of　Seville　and　



Madrid；　which　consumed　the　bodies　of　the　Hebrew；　the　Morisco；　and　



the　Protestant；　were　lighted　by　avarice　and　envy；　and　those　same　



piles　would　likewise　have　consumed　the　mulatto　carcass　of　the　



Gitano；　had　he　been　learned　and　wealthy　enough　to　become　obnoxious　



to　the　two　master　passions　of　the　Spaniards。







Of　all　the　Spanish　writers　who　have　written　concerning　the　Gitanos；　



the　one　who　appears　to　have　been　most　scandalised　at　the　want　of　



religion　observable　amongst　them；　and　their　contempt　for　things　



sacred；　was　a　certain　Doctor　Sancho　De　Moncada。







This　worthy；　whom　we　have　already　had　occasion　to　mention；　was　



Professor　of　Theology　at　the　University　of　Toledo；　and　shortly　



after　the　expulsion　of　the　Moriscos　had　been　brought　about　by　the　



intrigues　of　the　monks　and　robbers　who　thronged　the　court　of　Philip　



the　Third；　he　endeavoured　to　get　up　a　cry　against　the　Gitanos　



similar　to　that　with　which　for　the　last　half…century　Spain　had　



resounded　against　the　unfortunate　and　oppressed　Africans；　and　to　



effect　this　he　published　a　discourse；　entitled　'The　Expulsion　of　



the　Gitanos；'　addressed　to　Philip　the　Third；　in　which　he　conjures　



that　monarch；　for　the　sake　of　morality　and　everything　sacred；　to　



complete　the　good　work　he　had　commenced；　and　to　send　the　Gitanos　



packing　after　the　Moriscos。







Whether　this　discourse　produced　any　benefit　to　the　author；　we　have　



no　means　of　ascertaining。　　One　thing　is　certain；　that　it　did　no　



harm　to　the　Gitanos；　who　still　continue　in　Spain。







If　he　had　other　expectations；　he　must　have　understood　very　little　



of　the　genius　of　his　countrymen；　or　of　King　Philip　and　his　court。　　



It　would　have　been　easier　to　get　up　a　crusade　against　the　wild　cats　



of　the　sierra；　than　against　the　Gitanos；　as　the　former　have　skins　



to　reward　those　who　slay　them。　　His　discourse；　however；　is　well　



worthy　of　perusal；　as　it　exhibits　some　learning；　and　comprises　many　



curious　details　respecting　the　Gitanos；　their　habits；　and　their　



practices。　　As　it　is　not　very　lengthy；　we　here　subjoin　it；　hoping　



that　the　reader　will　excuse　its　many　absurdities；　for　the　sake　of　



its　many　valuable　facts。















CHAPTER　X















'SIRE；







'The　people　of　God　were　always　afflicted　by　the　Egyptians；　but　the　



Supreme　King　delivered　them　from　their　hands　by　means　of　many　



miracles；　which　are　related　in　the　Holy　Scriptures；　and　now；　



without　having　recourse　to　so　many；　but　only　by　means　of　the　



miraculous　talent　which　your　Majesty　possesses　for　expelling　such　



reprobates；　he　will；　doubtless；　free　this　kingdom　from　them；　which　



is　what　is　supplicated　in　this　discourse；　and　it　behoves　us；　in　the　



first　place；　to　consider











'WHO　ARE　THE　GITANOS？











'Writers　generally　agree　that　the　first　time　the　Gitanos　were　seen　



in　Europe　was　the　year　1417；　which　was　in　the　time　of　Pope　Martinus　



the　Fifth　and　King　Don　John　the　Second；　others　say　that　Tamerlane　



had　them　in　his　camp　in　1401；　and　that　their　captain　was　Cingo；　



from　whence　it　is　said　that　they　call　themselves　Cingary。　　But　the　



opinions　concerning　their　origin　are　infinite。







'The　first　is　that　they　are　foreigners；　though　authors　differ　much　



with　respect　to　the　country　from　whence　they　came。　　The　majority　



say　that　they　are　from　Africa；　an