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Petul。







Besides　the　above…named　Gypsy　clans；　there　are　other　smaller　ones；　



some　of　which　do　not　comprise　more　than　a　dozen　individuals；　



children　included。　　For　example；　the　Bosviles；　the　Browns；　the　



Chilcotts；　the　Grays；　Lees；　Taylors；　and　Whites；　of　these　the　



principal　is　the　Bosvile　tribe。







After　the　days　of　the　great　persecution　in　England　against　the　



Gypsies；　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　they　lived　a　right　merry　



and　tranquil　life；　wandering　about　and　pitching　their　tents　



wherever　inclination　led　them：　　indeed；　I　can　scarcely　conceive　any　



human　condition　more　enviable　than　Gypsy　life　must　have　been　in　



England　during　the　latter　part　of　the　seventeenth；　and　the　whole　of　



the　eighteenth　century；　which　were　likewise　the　happy　days　for　



Englishmen　in　general；　there　was　peace　and　plenty　in　the　land；　a　



contented　population；　and　everything　went　well。　　Yes；　those　were　



brave　times　for　the　Rommany　chals；　to　which　the　old　people　often　



revert　with　a　sigh：　　the　poor　Gypsies；　say　they；　were　then　allowed　



to　SOVE　ABRI　（sleep　abroad）　where　they　listed；　to　heat　their　



kettles　at　the　foot　of　the　oaks；　and　no　people　grudged　the　poor　



persons　one　night's　use　of　a　meadow　to　feed　their　cattle　in。　　



TUGNIS　AMANDE；　our　heart　is　heavy；　brother；　…　there　is　no　longer　



Gypsy　law　in　the　land；　…　our　people　have　become　negligent；　…　they　



are　but　half　Rommany；　…　they　are　divided　and　care　for　nothing；　…　



they　do　not　even　fear　Pazorrhus；　brother。







Much　the　same　complaints　are　at　present　made　by　the　Spanish　



Gypsies。　　Gypsyism　is　certainly　on　the　decline　in　both　countries。　　



In　England；　a　superabundant　population；　and；　of　late；　a　very　



vigilant　police；　have　done　much　to　modify　Gypsy　life；　whilst　in　



Spain；　causes　widely　different　have　produced　a　still　greater　



change；　as　will　be　seen　further　on。







Gypsy　law　does　not　flourish　at　present　in　England；　and　still　less　



in　Spain；　nor　does　Gypsyism。　　I　need　not　explain　here　what　Gypsyism　



is；　but　the　reader　may　be　excused　for　asking　what　is　Gypsy　law。　　



Gypsy　law　divides　itself　into　the　three　following　heads　or　



precepts：…











Separate　not　from　THE　HUSBANDS。



Be　faithful　to　THE　HUSBANDS。



Pay　your　debts　to　THE　HUSBANDS。











By　the　first　section　the　Rom　or　Gypsy　is　enjoined　to　live　with　his　



brethren；　the　husbands；　and　not　with　the　gorgios　（13）　or　gentiles；　



he　is　to　live　in　a　tent；　as　is　befitting　a　Rom　and　a　wanderer；　and　



not　in　a　house；　which　ties　him　to　one　spot；　in　a　word；　he　is　in　



every　respect　to　conform　to　the　ways　of　his　own　people；　and　to　



eschew　those　of　gorgios；　with　whom　he　is　not　to　mix；　save　to　tell　



them　HOQUEPENES　（lies）；　and　to　chore　them。







The　second　section；　in　which　fidelity　is　enjoined；　was　more　



particularly　intended　for　the　women：　　be　faithful　to　the　ROMS；　ye　



JUWAS；　and　take　not　up　with　the　gorgios；　whether　they　be　RAIOR　or　



BAUOR　（gentlemen　or　fellows）。　　This　was　a　very　important　



injunction；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　upon　the　observance　of　it　



depended　the　very　existence　of　the　Rommany　sect；　…　for　if　the　



female　Gypsy　admitted　the　gorgio　to　the　privilege　of　the　Rom；　the　



race　of　the　Rommany　would　quickly　disappear。　　How　well　this　



injunction　has　been　observed　needs　scarcely　be　said；　for　the　



Rommany　have　been　roving　about　England　for　three　centuries　at　



least；　and　are　still　to　be　distinguished　from　the　gorgios　in　



feature　and　complexion；　which　assuredly　would　not　have　been　the　



case　if　the　juwas　had　not　been　faithful　to　the　Roms。　　The　gorgio　



says　that　the　juwa　is　at　his　disposal　in　all　things；　because　she　



tells　him　fortunes　and　endures　his　free　discourse；　but　the　Rom；　



when　he　hears　the　boast；　laughs　within　his　sleeve；　and　whispers　to　



himself；　LET　HIM　TRY。







The　third　section；　which　relates　to　the　paying　of　debts；　is　highly　



curious。　　In　the　Gypsy　language；　the　state　of　being　in　debt　is　



called　PAZORRHUS；　and　the　Rom　who　did　not　seek　to　extricate　himself　



from　that　state　was　deemed　infamous；　and　eventually　turned　out　of　



the　society。　　It　has　been　asserted；　I　believe；　by　various　gorgio　



writers；　that　the　Roms　have　everything　in　common；　and　that　there　is　



a　common　stock　out　of　which　every　one　takes　what　he　needs；　this　is　



quite　a　mistake；　however：　　a　Gypsy　tribe　is　an　epitome　of　the　



world；　every　one　keeps　his　own　purse　and　maintains　himself　and　



children　to　the　best　of　his　ability；　and　every　tent　is　independent　



of　the　other。　　True　it　is　that　one　Gypsy　will　lend　to　another　in　



the　expectation　of　being　repaid；　and　until　that　happen　the　borrower　



is　pazorrhus；　or　indebted。　　Even　at　the　present　time；　a　Gypsy　will　



make　the　greatest　sacrifices　rather　than　remain　pazorrhus　to　one　of　



his　brethren；　even　though　he　be　of　another　clan；　though　perhaps　the　



feeling　is　not　so　strong　as　of　old；　for　time　modifies　everything；　



even　Jews　and　Gypsies　are　affected　by　it。　　In　the　old　time；　indeed；　



the　Gypsy　law　was　so　strong　against　the　debtor；　that　provided　he　



could　not　repay　his　brother　husband；　he　was　delivered　over　to　him　



as　his　slave　for　a　year　and　a　day；　and　compelled　to　serve　him　as　a　



hewer　of　wood；　a　drawer　of　water；　or　a　beast　of　burden；　but　those　



times　are　past；　the　Gypsies　are　no　longer　the　independent　people　



they　were　of　yore；　…　dark；　mysterious；　and　dreaded　wanderers；　



living　apart　in　the　deserts　and　heaths　with　which　England　at　one　



time　abounded。　　Gypsy　law　has　given　place　to　common　law；　but　the　



principle　of　honour　is　still　recognised　amongst　them；　and　base　



indeed　must　the　Gypsy　be　who　would　continue　pazorrhus　because　Gypsy　



law　has　become　too　weak　to　force　him　to　liquidate　a　debt　by　money　



or　by　service。







Such　was　Gypsy　law　in　England；　and　there　is　every　probability　that　



it　is　much　the　same　in　all　parts　of　the　world　where　the　Gypsy　race　



is　to　be　found。　　About　the　peculiar　practices　of　the　Gypsies　I　need　



not　say　much　here；　the　reader　will　find　in　the　account　of　the　



Spanish　Gypsies　much　that　will　afford　him　an　idea　of　Gypsy　arts　in　



England。　　I　have　already　alluded　to　CHIVING　DRAV；　or　poisoning；　



which　is　still　much　practised　by　the　English　Gypsies；　though　it　has　



almost　entirely　ceased　in　Spain；　then　there　is　CHIVING　LUVVU　ADREY　



PUVO；　or　putting　money　within　the　earth；　a　trick　by　which　the　



females　deceive　the　gorgios；　and　which　will　be　more　particularly　



described　in　the　affairs　of　Spain：　　the　men　are　adepts　at　cheating　



the　gorgios　by　means　of　NOK…ENGROES　and　POGGADO…BAVENGROES　



（glandered　and　broken…winded　horses）。　　But；　leaving　the　subject　of　



their　tricks　and　Rommany　arts；　by　no　means　an　agreeable　one；　I　will　



take　the　present　opportunity　of　saying　a　few　words　about　a　practice　



of　theirs；　highly　characteristic　of　a　wandering　people；　and　which　



is　only　extant　amongst　those　of　the　race　who　still　continue　to　



wander　much；　for　example；　the　Russian　Gypsies　and　those　of　the　



Hungarian　family；　who　stroll　through　Italy　on　plundering　



expeditions：　　I　allude　to　the　PATTERAN　or　TRAIL。







It　is　very　possible　that　the　reader　during　his　country　walks　or　



rides　has　observed；　on　coming　to　four　cross…roads；　two　or　three　



handfuls　of　grass　lying　at　a　small　distance　from　each　other　down　



one　of　these　roads；　perhaps　he　may　have　supposed　that　this　grass　



was　recently　plucked　from　the　roadside　by　frolicsome　children；　and　



flung　upon　the　ground　in　sport；　and　this　may　possibly　have　been　the　



case；　it　is　ten　chances　to　one；　however；　that　no　children's　hands　



plucked　them；　but　that　they　were　strewed　in　this　manner　by　Gypsies；　



for　the　purpose　of　informing　any　of　their　companions；　who　might　be　



straggling　behind；　the　route　which　they　had　taken；　this　is　one　form　



of　the　patteran　or　trail。　　It　is　likely；　too；　that　the　gorgio　



reader　may　have　seen　a　cross　drawn　at　the　entrance　of　a　road；　the　



long　part　or　stem　of　it　pointing　down　that　particular　road；　and　he　



may　have　thought　nothing　of　it；　or　have　supposed　that　some　



sauntering　individual　like　himself　had　made　the　mark　with　his　



stick：　　not　so；　courteous　gorgio；　ley　tiro　solloholomus　opre　lesti；　



YOU　MAY　TAKE　YOUR　OATH　UPON　IT　that　it　was　drawn　by　a　Gypsy　finger；　



for　that　mark　is　another　of　the　Rommany　trails；　there　is　no　mistake　



in　this。　　Once　in　the　south　of　France；　when　I　was　weary；　hungry；　



and　penniless；　I　observed　one　of　these　last　patterans；　and　



following　the　direction　pointed　out；　arrived　at　the　resting…place　



of　'certain　Bohemians；'　by　whom　I　was　received　with　kindness　and　



hospitality；　on　the　faith　of　no　other　word　of　recommendation　than　



patteran。　　There　is　also　another　kind　of　patteran；　which　is　more　



particularly　adapted　for　the　night；　it　is　a　cleft　stick　stuck　at　



the　side　of　the　road；　close　by　the　hedge；　with　a　little　arm　in　the　



cleft　pointing　down　the　road　which　the　band　have　taken；　in　the　



manner　of　a　signpost；　any　stragglers　who　may　arrive　at　night　where　



cross…roads　occur　search　for　this　patteran　on　the　left…hand　side；　



and　speedily　rejoin　their　companions。







By　following　these　patterans；　or　trails；　the　first　Gypsies　on　their　



way　to　Europe　never　lost　each　other；　though　wandering　amidst　horrid　



wildernesses　and　dreary　defiles。　　Rommany　matters　have　always　had　a　



peculiar　interest　for　me；　nothing；　however；　connected　with　Gypsy　



life　ever　more　captivated　my　imagination　than　this　patteran　system：　　



many　thanks　to　the　Gypsies　for　it；　it　has　more　than　once　been　of　



service　to　me。







The　English　Gypsies　at　the　present　day　are　far　from　being　a　



numerous　race；　I　consider　their　aggregate　number；　from　the　



opportunities　which　I　have　had　of　judging；　to　be　considerably　under　



ten　thousand：　　it　is　probable　that；　ere　the　conclusion　of　the　



pr