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Among themselves they always use the designation /Romane tchave/。
Some months ago； I paid a visit to a gipsy tribe in the Vosges country。
In the hut of an old woman； the oldest member of the tribe； I found a gipsy；
in no way related to the family； who was sick of a mortal disease。 The man
had left a hospital； where he was well cared for； so that he might die
among his own people。 For thirteen weeks he had been lying in bed in
their encampment； and receiving far better treatment than any of the sons
and sons…in…law who shared his shelter。 He had a good bed made of straw
and moss； and sheets that were tolerably white； whereas all the rest of the
family； which numbered eleven persons； slept on planks three feet long。 So
much for their hospitality。 This very same woman； humane as was her
treatment of her guest said to me constantly before the sick man： 〃/Singo；
singo； homte hi mulo/。〃 〃Soon； soon he must die！〃 After all； these people
live such miserable lives； that a reference to the approach of death can
have no terrors for them。
One remarkable feature in the gipsy character is their indifference
about religion。 Not that they are strong…minded or sceptical。 They have
never made any profession of atheism。 Far from that； indeed； the religion
of the country which they inhabit is always theirs； but they change their
religion when they change the country of their residence。 They are equally
free from the superstitions which replace religious feeling in the minds of
the vulgar。 How； indeed； can superstition exist among a race which； as a
rule； makes its livelihood out of the credulity of others？ Nevertheless； I
have remarked a particular horror of touching a corpse among the Spanish
gipsies。 Very few of these could be induced to carry a dead man to his
grave； even if they were paid for it。
I have said that most gipsy women undertake to tell fortunes。 They do
this very successfully。 But they find a much greater source of profit in the
sale of charms and love…philters。 Not only do they supply toads' claws to
hold fickle hearts； and powdered loadstone to kindle love in cold ones； but
if necessity arises； they can use mighty incantations； which force the devil
to lend them his aid。 Last year the following story was related to me by a
Spanish lady。 She was walking one day along the /Calle d'Alcala/； feeling
very sad and anxious。 A gipsy woman who was squatting on the pavement
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called out to her； 〃My pretty lady； your lover has played you false！〃 （It was
quite true。） 〃Shall I get him back for you？〃 My readers will imagine with
what joy the proposal was accepted； and how complete was the confidence
inspired by a person who could thus guess the inmost secrets of the heart。
As it would have been impossible to proceed to perform the operations of
magic in the most crowded street in Madrid； a meeting was arranged for
the next day。 〃Nothing will be easier than to bring back the faithless one to
your feet！〃 said the gitana。 〃Do you happen to have a handkerchief； a scarf；
or a mantilla； that he gave you？〃 A silken scarf was handed her。 〃Now sew
a piastre into one corner of the scarf with crimson silksew half a piastre
into another cornersew a peseta hereand a two…real piece there； then； in
the middle you must sew a gold coina doubloon would be best。〃 The
doubloon and all the other coins were duly sewn in。 〃Now give me the
scarf； and I'll take it to the Campo Santo when midnight strikes。 You come
along with me； if you want to see a fine piece of witchcraft。 I promise you
shall see the man you love to…morrow！〃 The gipsy departed alone for the
Campo Santo； since my Spanish friend was too much afraid of witchcraft
to go there with her。 I leave my readers to guess whether my poor forsaken
lady ever saw her lover； or her scarf； again。
In spite of their poverty and the sort of aversion they inspire； the
gipsies are treated with a certain amount of consideration by the more
ignorant folk； and they are very proud of it。 They feel themselves to be a
superior race as regards intelligence； and they heartily despise the people
whose hospitality they enjoy。 〃These Gentiles are so stupid；〃 said one of
the Vosges gipsies to me； 〃that there is no credit in taking them in。 The
other day a peasant woman called out to me in the street。 I went into her
house。 Her stove smoked and she asked me to give her a charm to cure it。
First of all I made her give me a good bit of bacon； and then I began to
mumble a few words in /Romany/。 'You're a fool；' I said； 'you were born a
fool； and you'll die a fool！' When I had got near the door I said to her； in
good German； 'The most certain way of keeping your stove from smoking
is not to light any fire in it！' and then I took to my heels。〃
The history of the gipsies is still a problem。 We know； indeed； that
their first bands； which were few and far between； appeared in Eastern
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Europe towards the beginning of the fifteenth century。 But nobody can tell
whence they started； or why they came to Europe； and； what is still more
extraordinary； no one knows how they multiplied； within a short time； and
in so prodigious a fashion； and in several countries； all very remote from
each other。 The gipsies themselves have preserved no tradition whatsoever
as to their origin； and though most of them do speak of Egypt as their
original fatherland； that is only because they have adopted a very ancient
fable respecting their race。
Most of the Orientalists who have studied the gipsy language believe
that the cradle of the race was in India。 It appears； in fact； that many of the
roots and grammatical forms of the /Romany/ tongue are to be found in
idioms derived from the Sanskrit。 As may be imagined； the gipsies； during
their long wanderings； have adopted many foreign words。 In every
/Romany/ dialect a number of Greek words appear。
At the present day the gipsies have almost as many dialects as there
are separate hordes of their race。 Everywhere； they speak the language of
the country they inhabit more easily than their own idiom； which they
seldom use； except with the object of conversing freely before strangers。 A
comparison of the dialect of the German gipsies with that used by the
Spanish gipsies； who have held no communication with each other for
several centuries； reveals the existence of a great number of words
common to both。 But everywhere the original language is notably affected；
though in different degrees； by its contact with the more cultivated
languages into the use of which the nomads have been forced。 German in
one case and Spanish in the other have so modified the /Romany/
groundwork that it would not be possible for a gipsy from the Black Forest
to converse with one of his Andalusian brothers； although a few sentences
on each side would suffice to convince them that each was speaking a
dialect of the same language。 Certain words in very frequent use are； I
believe； common to every dialect。 Thus； in every vocabulary which I have
been able to consult； /pani/ means water； /manro/ means bread； /mas/
stands for meat； and /lon/ for salt。
The nouns of number are almost the same in every case。 The German
dialect seems to me much purer than the Spanish； for it has preserved
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numbers of the primitive grammatical forms； whereas the Gitanos have
adopted those of the Castilian tongue。 Nevertheless； some words are an
exception； as though to prove that the language was originally common to
all。 The preterite of the German dialect is formed by adding /ium/ to the
imperative； which is always the root of the verb。 In the Spanish /Romany/
the verbs are all conjugated on the model of the first conjugation of the
Castilian verbs。 F