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to　say；　is　of　Sanscrit　origin；　and　signifies；　The　Husbands；　or　that　



which　pertaineth　unto　them。　　From　whatever　motive　this　appellation　



may　have　originated；　it　is　perhaps　more　applicable　than　any　other　



to　a　sect　or　caste　like　them；　who　have　no　love　and　no　affection　



beyond　their　own　race；　who　are　capable　of　making　great　sacrifices　



for　each　other；　and　who　gladly　prey　upon　all　the　rest　of　the　human　



species；　whom　they　detest；　and　by　whom　they　are　hated　and　despised。　　



It　will　perhaps　not　be　out　of　place　to　observe　here；　that　there　is　



no　reason　for　supposing　that　the　word　Roma　or　Rommany　is　derived　



from　the　Arabic　word　which　signifies　Greece　or　Grecians；　as　some　



people　not　much　acquainted　with　the　language　of　the　race　in　



question　have　imagined。







I　have　no　intention　at　present　to　say　anything　about　their　origin。　　



Scholars　have　asserted　that　the　language　which　they　speak　proves　



them　to　be　of　Indian　stock；　and　undoubtedly　a　great　number　of　their　



words　are　Sanscrit。　　My　own　opinion　upon　this　subject　will　be　found　



in　a　subsequent　article。　　I　shall　here　content　myself　with　



observing　that　from　whatever　country　they　come；　whether　from　India　



or　Egypt；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　they　are　human　beings　and　have　



immortal　souls；　and　it　is　in　the　humble　hope　of　drawing　the　



attention　of　the　Christian　philanthropist　towards　them；　especially　



that　degraded　and　unhappy　portion　of　them；　the　Gitanos　of　Spain；　



that　the　present　little　work　has　been　undertaken。　　But　before　



proceeding　to　speak　of　the　latter；　it　will　perhaps　not　be　amiss　to　



afford　some　account　of　the　Rommany　as　I　have　seen　them　in　other　



countries；　for　there　is　scarcely　a　part　of　the　habitable　world　



where　they　are　not　to　be　found：　　their　tents　are　alike　pitched　on　



the　heaths　of　Brazil　and　the　ridges　of　the　Himalayan　hills；　and　



their　language　is　heard　at　Moscow　and　Madrid；　in　the　streets　of　



London　and　Stamboul。











THE　ZIGANI；　OR　RUSSIAN　GYPSIES











They　are　found　in　all　parts　of　Russia；　with　the　exception　of　the　



government　of　St。　Petersburg；　from　which　they　have　been　banished。　　



In　most　of　the　provincial　towns　they　are　to　be　found　in　a　state　of　



half…civilisation；　supporting　themselves　by　trafficking　in　horses；　



or　by　curing　the　disorders　incidental　to　those　animals；　but　the　



vast　majority　reject　this　manner　of　life；　and　traverse　the　country　



in　bands；　like　the　ancient　Hamaxobioi；　the　immense　grassy　plains　of　



Russia　affording　pasturage　for　their　herds　of　cattle；　on　which；　and　



the　produce　of　the　chase；　they　chiefly　depend　for　subsistence。　　



They　are；　however；　not　destitute　of　money；　which　they　obtain　by　



various　means；　but　principally　by　curing　diseases　amongst　the　



cattle　of　the　mujiks　or　peasantry；　and　by　telling　fortunes；　and　not　



unfrequently　by　theft　and　brigandage。







Their　power　of　resisting　cold　is　truly　wonderful；　as　it　is　not　



uncommon　to　find　them　encamped　in　the　midst　of　the　snow；　in　slight　



canvas　tents；　when　the　temperature　is　twenty…five　or　thirty　degrees　



below　the　freezing…point　according　to　Reaumur；　but　in　the　winter　



they　generally　seek　the　shelter　of　the　forests；　which　afford　fuel　



for　their　fires；　and　abound　in　game。







The　race　of　the　Rommany　is　by　nature　perhaps　the　most　beautiful　in　



the　world；　and　amongst　the　children　of　the　Russian　Zigani　are　



frequently　to　be　found　countenances　to　do　justice　to　which　would　



require　the　pencil　of　a　second　Murillo；　but　exposure　to　the　rays　of　



the　burning　sun；　the　biting　of　the　frost；　and　the　pelting　of　the　



pitiless　sleet　and　snow；　destroys　their　beauty　at　a　very　early　age；　



and　if　in　infancy　their　personal　advantages　are　remarkable；　their　



ugliness　at　an　advanced　age　is　no　less　so；　for　then　it　is　



loathsome；　and　even　appalling。







A　hundred　years；　could　I　live　so　long；　would　not　efface　from　my　



mind　the　appearance　of　an　aged　Ziganskie　Attaman；　or　Captain　of　



Zigani；　and　his　grandson；　who　approached　me　on　the　meadow　before　



Novo　Gorod；　where　stood　the　encampment　of　a　numerous　horde。　　The　



boy　was　of　a　form　and　face　which　might　have　entitled　him　to　



represent　Astyanax；　and　Hector　of　Troy　might　have　pressed　him　to　



his　bosom；　and　called　him　his　pride；　but　the　old　man　was；　perhaps；　



such　a　shape　as　Milton　has　alluded　to；　but　could　only　describe　as　



execrable　…　he　wanted　but　the　dart　and　kingly　crown　to　have　



represented　the　monster　who　opposed　the　progress　of　Lucifer；　whilst　



careering　in　burning　arms　and　infernal　glory　to　the　outlet　of　his　



hellish　prison。







But　in　speaking　of　the　Russian　Gypsies；　those　of　Moscow　must　not　be　



passed　over　in　silence。　　The　station　to　which　they　have　attained　in　



society　in　that　most　remarkable　of　cities　is　so　far　above　the　



sphere　in　which　the　remainder　of　their　race　pass　their　lives；　that　



it　may　be　considered　as　a　phenomenon　in　Gypsy　history；　and　on　that　



account　is　entitled　to　particular　notice。







Those　who　have　been　accustomed　to　consider　the　Gypsy　as　a　wandering　



outcast；　incapable　of　appreciating　the　blessings　of　a　settled　and　



civilised　life；　or　…　if　abandoning　vagabond　propensities；　and　



becoming　stationary　…　as　one　who　never　ascends　higher　than　the　



condition　of　a　low　trafficker；　will　be　surprised　to　learn；　that　



amongst　the　Gypsies　of　Moscow　there　are　not　a　few　who　inhabit　



stately　houses；　go　abroad　in　elegant　equipages；　and　are　behind　the　



higher　orders　of　the　Russians　neither　in　appearance　nor　mental　



acquirements。　　To　the　power　of　song　alone　this　phenomenon　is　to　be　



attributed。　　From　time　immemorial　the　female　Gypsies　of　Moscow　have　



been　much　addicted　to　the　vocal　art；　and　bands　or　quires　of　them　



have　sung　for　pay　in　the　halls　of　the　nobility　or　upon　the　boards　



of　the　theatre。　　Some　first…rate　songsters　have　been　produced　among　



them；　whose　merits　have　been　acknowledged；　not　only　by　the　Russian　



public；　but　by　the　most　fastidious　foreign　critics。　　Perhaps　the　



highest　compliment　ever　paid　to　a　songster　was　paid　by　Catalani　



herself　to　one　of　these　daughters　of　Roma。　　It　is　well　known　



throughout　Russia　that　the　celebrated　Italian　was　so　enchanted　with　



the　voice　of　a　Moscow　Gypsy　（who；　after　the　former　had　displayed　



her　noble　talent　before　a　splendid　audience　in　the　old　Russian　



capital；　stepped　forward　and　poured　forth　one　of　her　national　



strains）；　that　she　tore　from　her　own　shoulders　a　shawl　of　cashmire；　



which　had　been　presented　to　her　by　the　Pope；　and；　embracing　the　



Gypsy；　insisted　on　her　acceptance　of　the　splendid　gift；　saying；　



that　it　had　been　intended　for　the　matchless　songster；　which　she　now　



perceived　she　herself　was　not。







The　sums　obtained　by　many　of　these　females　by　the　exercise　of　their　



art　enable　them　to　support　their　relatives　in　affluence　and　luxury：　　



some　are　married　to　Russians；　and　no　one　who　has　visited　Russia　can　



but　be　aware　that　a　lovely　and　accomplished　countess；　of　the　noble　



and　numerous　family　of　Tolstoy；　is　by　birth　a　Zigana；　and　was　



originally　one　of　the　principal　attractions　of　a　Rommany　choir　at　



Moscow。







But　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　the　whole　of　the　Gypsy　females　at　



Moscow　are　of　this　high　and　talented　description；　the　majority　of　



them　are　of　far　lower　quality；　and　obtain　their　livelihood　by　



singing　and　dancing　at　taverns；　whilst　their　husbands　in　general　



follow　the　occupation　of　horse…dealing。







Their　favourite　place　of　resort　in　the　summer　time　is　Marina　Rotze；　



a　species　of　sylvan　garden　about　two　versts　from　Moscow；　and　



thither；　tempted　by　curiosity；　I　drove　one　fine　evening。　　On　my　



arrival　the　Ziganas　came　flocking　out　from　their　little　tents；　and　



from　the　tractir　or　inn　which　has　been　erected　for　the　



accommodation　of　the　public。　　Standing　on　the　seat　of　the　calash；　I　



addressed　them　in　a　loud　voice　in　the　English　dialect　of　the　



Rommany；　of　which　I　have　some　knowledge。　　A　shrill　scream　of　wonder　



was　instantly　raised；　and　welcomes　and　blessings　were　poured　forth　



in　floods　of　musical　Rommany；　above　all　of　which　predominated　the　



cry　of　KAK　CAMENNA　TUTE　PRALA　…　or；　How　we　love　you；　brother！　…　for　



at　first　they　mistook　me　for　one　of　their　wandering　brethren　from　



the　distant　lands；　come　over　the　great　panee　or　ocean　to　visit　



them。







After　some　conversation　they　commenced　singing；　and　favoured　me　



with　many　songs；　both　in　Russian　and　Rommany：　　the　former　were　



modern　popular　pieces；　such　as　are　accustomed　to　be　sung　on　the　



boards　of　the　theatre；　but　the　latter　were　evidently　of　great　



antiquity；　exhibiting　the　strongest　marks　of　originality；　the　



metaphors　bold　and　sublime；　and　the　metre　differing　from　anything　



of　the　kind　which　it　has　been　my　fortune　to　observe　in　Oriental　or　



European　prosody。







One　of　the　most　remarkable；　and　which　commences　thus：











'Za　mateia　rosherroro　odolata



Bravintata；'











（or；　Her　head　is　aching　with　grief；　as　if　she　had　tasted　wine）　



describes　the　anguish　of　a　maiden　separated　from　her　lover；　and　who　



calls　for　her　steed：











'Tedjav　manga　gurraoro'　…











that　she　may　depart　in　quest　of　the　lord　of　her　bosom；　and　share　



his　joys　and　pleasures。







A　collection　of　these　songs；　with　a　translation　and　vocabulary；　



would　be　no　slight　accession　to　literature；　and　would　probably　



throw　more　light　on　the　history　of　this　race　than　anything　which　



has　yet　appeared；　and；　as　there　is　no　want　of　zeal　and　talent　in　



Russia　amongst　the　cultivators　of　every　branch　of　literature；　and　



especially　philology；　it　is　only　surprising　that　such　a　collection　



still　remains　a　desideratum。







The　religion　which　these　singular　females　externally　professed　was　



t