登陆注册
4616500000026

第26章

But though Gypsies have occasionally experienced injustice; though Patricos and Sherengroes were hanged by dozens in Elizabeth's time on suspicion of harbouring disguised priests; though Gypsy women in the time of the Second George, accused of running away with wenches, were scorched and branded, there can be no doubt that they live in almost continual violation of the laws intended for the protection of society; and it may be added, that in this illegal way of life the women have invariably played a more important part than the men. Of them, amongst other things, it may be said that they are the most accomplished swindlers in the world, their principal victims being people of their own sex, on whose credulity and superstition they practise. Mary Caumlo, or Lovel, was convicted a few years ago at Cardiff of having swindled a surgeon's wife of eighty pounds, under pretence of propitiating certain planets by showing them the money.

Not a penny of the booty was ever recovered by the deluded victim;and the Caumli, on leaving the dock, after receiving sentence of a year's imprisonment, turned round and winked to some brother or sister in court, as much as to say: "Mande has gared the luvvu;mande is kek atugni for the besh's starripen"--"I have hid the money, and care nothing for the year's imprisonment." Young Rawnie P. of N., the daughter of old Rawnie P., suddenly disappeared with the whole capital of an aged and bedridden gentlewoman, amounting to nearly three hundred pounds, whom she had assured that if she were intrusted with it for a short time she should be able to gather certain herbs, from which she could make decoctions, which would restore to the afflicted gentlewoman all her youthful vigour. Mrs.

Townsley of the Border was some time ago in trouble at Wick, only twenty-five miles distant from Johnny Groat's House, on a charge of fraudulently obtaining from a fisherman's wife one shilling, two half-crowns, and a five-pound note by promising to untie certain witch-locks, which she had induced her to believe were entwined in the meshes of the fisherman's net, and would, if suffered to remain, prevent him from catching a single herring in the Firth. These events occurred within the last few years, and are sufficiently notorious. They form a triad out of dozens of a similar kind, in some of which there are features so odd, so strangely droll, that indignation against the offence is dispelled by an irresistible desire to laugh.

But Gypsyism is declining, and its days are numbered. There is a force abroad which is doomed to destroy it, a force which never sleepeth either by day or night, and which will not allow the Roman people rest for the soles of their feet. That force is the Rural Police, which, had it been established at the commencement instead of towards the middle of the present century, would have put down Gypsyism long ago. But, recent as its establishment has been, observe what it has produced. Walk from London to Carlisle, but neither by the road's side, nor on heath or common, will you see a single Gypsy tent. True Gypsyism consists in wandering about, in preying upon the Gentiles, but not living amongst them. But such a life is impossible in these days; the Rural Force will not permit it.

"It is a hard thing, brother," said old Agamemnon Caumlo to the writer, several years ago; "it is a hard thing, after one has pitched one's little tent, lighted one's little fire, and hung one's kettle by the kettle-iron over it to boil, to have an inspector or constable come up, and say, 'What are you doing here? Take yourself off, you Gypsy dog!'" A hard thing, indeed, old Agamemnon; but there is no help for it. You must e'en live amongst the Gorgios. And for years past the Gypsies have lived amongst the Gorgios, and what has been the result? They do not seem to have improved the Gentiles, and have certainly not been improved by them. By living amongst the Gentiles they have, to a certain extent, lost the only two virtues they possessed. Whilst they lived apart on heaths and commons, and in shadowy lanes, the Gypsy women were paragons of chastity, and the men, if not exactly patterns of sobriety, were, upon the whole, very sober fellows. Such terms, however, are by no means applicable to them at the present day. Sects and castes, even of thieves and murderers, can exist as long as they have certain virtues, which give them a kind of respect in their own eyes; but, losing those virtues, they soon become extinct. When the salt loses its savour, what becomes of it? The Gypsy salt has not altogether lost its savour, but that essential quality is every day becoming fainter, so that there is every reason to suppose that within a few years the English Gypsy caste will have disappeared, merged in the dregs of the English population.

GYPSY NAMES

There are many curious things connected with the Gypsies, but perhaps nothing more so than what pertains to their names. They have a double nomenclature, each tribe or family having a public and a private name, one by which they are known to the Gentiles, and another to themselves alone. Their public names are quite English;their private ones attempts, some of them highly singular and uncouth, to render those names by Gypsy equivalents. Gypsy names may be divided into two classes, names connected with trades, and surnames or family names. First of all, something about trade names.

There are only two names of trades which have been adopted by English Gypsies as proper names, Cooper and Smith: these names are expressed in the English Gypsy dialect by Vardo-mescro and Petulengro. The first of these renderings is by no means a satisfactory one, as Vardo-mescro means a cartwright, or rather a carter. To speak the truth, it would be next to impossible to render the word 'cooper'

同类推荐
  • 佛说禅行三十七品经

    佛说禅行三十七品经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Historic Girls

    Historic Girls

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞神玄妙白猿真经

    太上洞神玄妙白猿真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Man and Wife

    Man and Wife

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诸蕃志

    诸蕃志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 一句话读懂中国史

    一句话读懂中国史

    本书是一部以历史上88位关键人物的真心话及其背后的故事而串起来的中国史。每一句“真心话”,就是一扇了解历史的窗口,反映的是历史中权力游戏的规则、名利生活中的利害算计,以及人性中固有的弱点乃至阴暗面。这些“真心话”,读来既让人忍俊不禁,又发人深思。故事轻松简单,文字活泼,是一本别开新意的历史知识普及读物。
  • 南天帝君

    南天帝君

    一念星辰动,一念九天荒……执三尺青峰,掌万古轮回……一切从南天帝君说起……
  • 小说月报·原创版(2017年第3期)

    小说月报·原创版(2017年第3期)

    《小说月报·原创版》创刊于2003年初,凭借强大的发行网络和发行数量,多年来一直居全国原创类文学期刊之首,并曾多次荣获省市级、国家级优秀期刊奖项。其影响已不仅仅在文学界,更延伸到更广阔的领域之中。许多作品一经发表,即被各大报刊转载,更有近半数作品被改编为影视剧,并产生巨大影响。本刊以贴近现实、关注人生的中长篇小说为主要内容,并力求在秉持沉稳、厚重的风格的同时,依然留有一片充满激情、活力的年轻声音。
  • 独游者

    独游者

    这就只是无比绝伦超级简单没有任何成分超级水。
  • 末世重生之一家亲

    末世重生之一家亲

    末世突然到来,让人猝不及防,由于轻信他人,害的家人惨死!重生末世降临之前,她要如何带着亲人活到黎明到来!种菜?练功?还是寻找那可能存在的乐园?亏欠良多的那个人,只希望你今世好好活着!拥有自己的幸福!只是……措不及防……女主是重生,但没有什么金手指。写的是普通人怎么在末世里生存。
  • 极品小校尉

    极品小校尉

    他本来是一个摸金校尉,在一次倒斗中意外穿越到一个历史上不存在的大汉王朝。穿越在太平年代,他本想着讨几个美媳妇,生得一群子女,卖弄一下自己偷来的才学和见识,过上美滋滋的生活。奈何他太优秀,被举荐入朝为官,一不小心成了朝廷红人,皇帝亲信。最后他发现飞将军李广,大将卫青等根本不存在,封狼居胥的霍去病,不过是小卒,唯一能够让匈奴闻风丧胆的人叫陈汤。而他就是陈汤。
  • 后宫纷争

    后宫纷争

    本故事纯属虚构,如有雷同必属巧合~——————————————————————————————她,名列大清盛朝[第一大美人]之称,被迫放弃了与自己一起长大的青梅竹马的恋人,无奈嫁入深宫,在大婚的那天晚上一见到他,清盛朝皇帝,她总算见识到什么叫跋扈嚣张的气焰,他不但恶声警告她不准靠近他,还让她的姐姐从此与她为敌.他,传说中傲然无情的清盛朝皇帝乃世间罕见的美男子,性格冷酷强悍、人人畏惧,俨然有着冷面王的素称。在他还是阿哥的时候,他就把心给了自己所爱的人,在册封皇后的当天,当她快要回到自己的身边时,却被这清纯绝美的女人耍了手段得到皇后地位,跋扈嚣张的他生气的把责任全归咎于她,不但不宠幸于她,视她为眼中沙肉中刺,大婚当天同时把她姐姐册封为淑妃,让她成了全天下的笑柄。一场封后封妃,一场闹剧,使姐妹俩共伺一夫,从此后宫不得安宁,她能在这斗争永无休止的深宫中幸存吗?而个中的爱恨情仇、纠葛孽债孰胜孰败,孰对孰错,又有谁能说得清?———————————————————————————————姒儿已完结的一个坑《我的宝贝娇妻》【隆重推荐】(姒儿友人哒文文):妖精传说《绝代公主的另类爱情》无悔抉择《穿越之恩怨江湖》(已完结)无悔抉择《苍天捉弄之无心女王》婉如初上《妻妾成群》宇书《暴君的禁脔》————————————————————————后宫视频:?pstyle=1《后宫纷争》引言+楔子视频:?pstyle=1四儿新文:《诱惑我的爱》——————————————————————————————喜欢姒儿书的亲们可以加群:75955488敲门砖为姒儿名下作品任何一个人物或书名o(∩_∩)o...
  • 易学的家宴菜

    易学的家宴菜

    逢年过节要准备一大桌菜时可让主妇们犯难了,那一桌子五花八门的菜式看似难学,但只要有方法,有指导,是能轻松拿下的。《易学的家宴菜》把握了家宴的特点,将繁琐的做法简化,但注重保留菜本身的特点,还注重将菜做得漂亮大气,让您能快速地学会做家宴菜。
  • 气质决定女人一生

    气质决定女人一生

    诗歌、辞章、音乐都是无力的。无论多么优秀的诗人和歌者,最后都会发出奈美若何的叹息!美丽的女人人见人爱,但真正令人恒久心仪的,往往却是具有磁石般魅力的女人。那么,什么样的女人才具有魅力呢?三个字:气质美。
  • 恶魔校草缠上身:攻略坏丫头

    恶魔校草缠上身:攻略坏丫头

    [狗粮撒不止]凌晨玩逃相亲,被逼的无路可退的安小小,却发现巷子里面居然还有一条黑漆漆的小巷子!谢天谢地,终于有救了!却未曾想到,获救的同时,某位被小家伙缠上了! “辰谦时,要不要考虑做我正宫?” “不了,丑拒。”辰谦时冷淡拒绝。 “阿时,要不要考虑臣服于我?”辰谦时低头若有所思:“我考虑考虑……” 某天,安小小突然被壁咚。 “好了,我来做你正宫了。你好,我心念十几年的宝贝。”