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第26部分

the zincali-第26部分

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command them to quit these kingdoms within six months; to be 



reckoned from the day of the ratification of these presents; and 



that they do not return to the same under pain of death。〃







'Against this; two things may possibly be urged:…







'The first; that the laws of Spain give unto the Gitanos the 



alternative of residing in large towns; which; it appears; would be 



better than expelling them。  But experience; recognised by grave 



and respectable men; has shown that it is not well to harbour these 



people; for their houses are dens of thieves; from whence they 



prowl abroad to rob the land。







'The second; that it appears a pity to banish the women and 



children。  But to this can be opposed that holy act of your Majesty 



which expelled the Moriscos; and the children of the Moriscos; for 



the reason given in the royal edict。  WHENEVER ANY DETESTABLE CRIME 



IS COMMITTED BY ANY UNIVERSITY; IT IS WELL TO PUNISH ALL。  And the 



most detestable crimes of all are those which the Gitanos commit; 



since it is notorious that they subsist on what they steal; and as 



to the children; there is no law which obliges us to bring up wolf…



whelps; to cause here…after certain damage to the flock。











'IT HAS EVER BEEN THE PRACTICE OF PRINCES TO EXPEL THE GITANOS











'Every one who considers the manner of your Majesty's government as 



the truly Christian pattern must entertain fervent hope that the 



advice proffered in this discourse will be attended to; more 



especially on reflecting that not only the good; but even the most 



barbarous kings have acted up to it in their respective dominions。







'Pharaoh was bad enough; nevertheless he judged that the children 



of Israel were dangerous to the state; because they appeared to him 



to be living without any certain occupation; and for this very 



reason the Chaldeans cast them out of Babylon。  Amasis; king of 



Egypt; drove all the vagrants from his kingdom; forbidding them to 



return under pain of death。  The Soldan of Egypt expelled the 



Torlaquis。  The Moors did the same; and Bajazet cast them out of 



all the Ottoman empire; according to Leo Clavius。







'In the second place; the Christian princes have deemed it an 



important measure of state。







'The emperor our Lord; in the German Diets of the year 1548; 



expelled the Gitanos from all his empire; and these were the words 



of the decree:  〃Zigeuner quos compertum est proditores esse; et 



exploratores hostium nusquam in imperio locum inveniunto。  In 



deprehensos vis et injuria sine fraude esto。  Fides publica 



Zigeuners ne dator; nec data servator。〃







'The King of France; Francis; expelled them from thence; and the 



Duke of Terranova; when Governor of Milan for our lord the king; 



obliged them to depart from that territory under pain of death。







'Thirdly; there is one grand reason which ought to be conclusive in 



moving him who so much values himself in being a faithful son of 



the church; … I mean the example which Pope Pius the Fifth gave to 



all the princes; for he drove the Gitanos from all his domains; and 



in the year 1568; he expelled the Jews; assigning as reasons for 



their expulsion those which are more closely applicable to the 



Gitanos; … namely; that they sucked the vitals of the state; 



without being of any utility whatever; that they were thieves 



themselves; and harbourers of others; that they were wizards; 



diviners; and wretches who induced people to believe that they knew 



the future; which is what the Gitanos at present do by telling 



fortunes。







'Your Majesty has already freed us from greater and more dangerous 



enemies; finish; therefore; the enterprise begun; whence will 



result universal joy and security; and by which your Majesty will 



earn immortal honour。  Amen。







'O Regum summe; horum plura ne temnas (absit) ne forte tempsisse 



Hispaniae periculosum existat。'















CHAPTER XI















PERHAPS there is no country in which more laws have been framed; 



having in view the extinction and suppression of the Gypsy name; 



race; and manner of life; than Spain。  Every monarch; during a 



period of three hundred years; appears at his accession to the 



throne to have considered that one of his first and most imperative 



duties consisted in suppressing or checking the robberies; frauds; 



and other enormities of the Gitanos; with which the whole country 



seems to have resounded since the time of their first appearance。







They have; by royal edicts; been repeatedly banished from Spain; 



under terrible penalties; unless they renounced their inveterate 



habits; and for the purpose of eventually confounding them with the 



residue of the population; they have been forbidden; even when 



stationary; to reside together; every family being enjoined to live 



apart; and neither to seek nor to hold communication with others of 



the race。







We shall say nothing at present as to the wisdom which dictated 



these provisions; nor whether others might not have been devised; 



better calculated to produce the end desired。  Certain it is; that 



the laws were never; or very imperfectly; put in force; and for 



reasons with which their expediency or equity (which no one at the 



time impugned) had no connection whatever。







It is true that; in a country like Spain; abounding in wildernesses 



and almost inaccessible mountains; the task of hunting down and 



exterminating or banishing the roving bands would have been found 



one of no slight difficulty; even if such had ever been attempted; 



but it must be remembered; that from an early period colonies of 



Gitanos have existed in the principal towns of Spain; where the men 



have plied the trades of jockeys and blacksmiths; and the women 



subsisted by divination; and all kinds of fraud。  These colonies 



were; of course; always within the reach of the hand of justice; 



yet it does not appear that they were more interfered with than the 



roving and independent bands; and that any serious attempts were 



made to break them up; though notorious as nurseries and refuges of 



crime。







It is a lamentable fact; that pure and uncorrupt justice has never 



existed in Spain; as far at least as record will allow us to judge; 



not that the principles of justice have been less understood there 



than in other countries; but because the entire system of 



justiciary administration has ever been shamelessly profligate and 



vile。







Spanish justice has invariably been a mockery; a thing to be bought 



and sold; terrible only to the feeble and innocent; and an 



instrument of cruelty and avarice。







The tremendous satires of Le Sage upon Spanish corregidors and 



alguazils are true; even at the present day; and the most notorious 



offenders can generally escape; if able to administer sufficient 



bribes to the ministers (40) of what is misnamed justice。







The reader; whilst perusing the following extracts from the laws 



framed against the Gitanos; will be filled with wonder that the 



Gypsy sect still exists in Spain; contrary to the declared will of 



the sovereign and the nation; so often repeated during a period of 



three hundred years; yet such is the fact; and it can only be 



accounted for on the ground of corruption。







It was notorious that the Gitanos had powerful friends and 



favourers in every district; who sanctioned and encouraged them in 



their Gypsy practices。  These their fautors were of all ranks and 



grades; from the corregidor of noble blood to the low and obscure 



escribano; and from the viceroy of the province to the archer of 



the Hermandad。







To the high and noble; they were known as Chalanes; and to the 



plebeian functionaries; as people who; notwithstanding their 



general poverty; could pay for protection。







A law was even enacted against these protectors of the Gitanos; 



which of course failed; as the execution of the law was confided to 



the very delinquents against whom it was directed。  Thus; the 



Gitano bought; sold; and exchanged animals openly; though he 



subjected himself to the penalty of death by so doing; or left his 



habitation when he thought fit; though such an act; by the law of 



the land; was punishable with the galleys。







In one of their songs they have commemorated the impunity with 



which they wandered about。  The escribano; to whom the Gitanos of 



the neighbourhood pay contribution; on a strange Gypsy being 



brought before him; instantly orders him to be liberated; assigning 



as a reason that he is no Gitano; but a legitimate Spaniard:…











'I left my house; and walked about



They seized me fast; and bound:



It is a Gypsy thief; they shout;



The Spaniards here have found。







'From out the prison me they led;



Before the scribe they brought;



It is no Gypsy thief; he said;



The Spaniards here have caught。'











In a word; nothing was to be gained by interfering with the 



Gitanos; by those in whose hands the power was vested; but; on the 



contrary; something was to be lost。  The chief sufferers were the 



labourers; and they had no power to right themselves; though their 



wrongs were universally admitted; and laws for their protection 



continually being made; which their enemies contrived to set at 



nought; as will presently be seen。







The first law issued against the Gypsies appears to have been that 



of Ferdinand and Isabella; at Medina del Campo; in 1499。  In this 



edict they were commanded; under certain penalties; to become 



stationary in towns and villages; and to provide themselves with 



masters whom they might serve f

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