lenient, and courteous public, a fresh delivery of them. In the
present edition, I have attended as much as possible to the

suggestions of certain individuals, for whose opinion I cannot but
entertain the highest respect. I have omitted various passages

from Spanish authors, which the world has objected to as being
quite out of place, and serving for no other purpose than to swell

out the work. In lieu thereof, I have introduced some original
matter relative to the Gypsies, which is, perhaps, more calculated

to fling light over their peculiar habits than anything which has
yet appeared. To remodel the work, however, I have neither time

nor inclination, and must therefore again commend it, with all the
imperfections which still cling to it, to the generosity of the

public.
A few words in conclusion. Since the publication of the first

edition, I have received more than one letter, in which the writers
complain that I, who seem to know so much of what has been written

concerning the Gypsies, (6) should have taken no notice of a theory
entertained by many, namely, that they are of Jewish origin, and

that they are neither more nor less than the descendants of the two
lost tribes of Israel. Now I am not going to enter into a

discussion upon this point, for I know by experience, that the
public cares nothing for discussions, however learned and edifying,

but will take the present opportunity to relate a little adventure
of mine, which bears not a little upon this matter.

So it came to pass, that one day I was scampering over a heath, at
some distance from my present home: I was mounted upon the good

horse Sidi Habismilk, and the Jew of Fez, swifter than the wind,
ran by the side of the good horse Habismilk, when what should I see

at a corner of the heath but the encampment of certain friends of
mine; and the chief of that camp, even Mr. Petulengro, stood before

the encampment, and his adopted daughter, Miss Pinfold, stood
beside him.

MYSELF. - 'Kosko divvus (7), Mr. Petulengro! I am glad to see you:
how are you getting on?'

MR. PETULENGRO. - 'How am I getting on? as well as I can. What
will you have for that nokengro (8)?'

Thereupon I dismounted, and delivering the reins of the good horse
to Miss Pinfold, I took the Jew of Fez, even Hayim Ben Attar, by

the hand, and went up to Mr. Petulengro, exclaiming, 'Sure ye are
two brothers.' Anon the Gypsy passed his hand over the Jew's face,

and stared him in the eyes: then turning to me he said, 'We are
not dui palor (9); this man is no Roman; I believe him to be a Jew;

he has the face of one; besides, if he were a Rom, even from
Jericho, he could rokra a few words in Rommany.'

Now the Gypsy had been in the habit of seeing German and English
Jews, who must have been separated from their African brethren for

a term of at least 1700 years; yet he recognised the Jew of Fez for
what he was - a Jew, and without hesitation declared that he was

'no Roman.' The Jews, therefore, and the Gypsies have each their
peculiar and distinctivecountenance, which, to say nothing of the

difference of language, precludes the possibility of their having
ever been the same people.

MARCH 1, 1843.
NOTICE TO THE FOURTH EDITION

THIS edition has been carefully revised by the author, and some few
insertions have been made. In order, however, to give to the work

a more popular character, the elaboratevocabulary of the Gypsy
tongue, and other parts relating to the Gypsy language and

literature, have been omitted. Those who take an interest in these
subjects are referred to the larger edition in two vols. (10)

THE GYPSIES - INTRODUCTION
THROUGHOUT my life the Gypsy race has always had a peculiar

interest for me. Indeed I can remember no period when the mere
mention of the name of Gypsy did not awaken within me feelings hard

to be described. I cannot account for this - I merely state a
fact.

Some of the Gypsies, to whom I have stated this circumstance, have
accounted for it on the supposition that the soul which at present

animates my body has at some former period tenanted that of one of
their people; for many among them are believers in metempsychosis,

and, like the followers of Bouddha, imagine that their souls, by
passing through an infinite number of bodies, attain at length

sufficient purity to be admitted to a state of perfect rest and
quietude, which is the only idea of heaven they can form.

Having in various and distant countries lived in habits of intimacy
with these people, I have come to the following conclusions

respecting them: that wherever they are found, their manners and
customs are virtually the same, though somewhat modified by

circumstances, and that the language they speak amongst themselves,
and of which they are particularly anxious to keep others in

ignorance, is in all countries one and the same, but has been
subjected more or less to modification; and lastly, that their

countenances exhibit a decided family resemblance, but are darker
or fairer according to the temperature of the climate, but

invariably darker, at least in Europe, than those of the natives of
the countries in which they dwell, for example, England and Russia,

Germany and Spain.
The names by which they are known differ with the country, though,

with one or two exceptions, not materially for example, they are
styled in Russia, Zigani; in Turkey and Persia, Zingarri; and in

Germany, Zigeuner; all which words apparently spring from the same
etymon, which there is no improbability in supposing to be

'Zincali,' a term by which these people, especially those of Spain,
sometimes designate themselves, and the meaning of which is

believed to be, THE BLACK MEN OF ZEND OR IND. In England and Spain
they are commonly known as Gypsies and Gitanos, from a general

belief that they were originally Egyptians, to which the two words
are tantamount; and in France as Bohemians, from the circumstance

that Bohemia was one of the first countries in civilised Europe
where they made their appearance.

But they generally style themselves and the language which they
speak, Rommany. This word, of which I shall ultimately have more

to say, is of Sanscrit origin, and signifies, The Husbands, or that
which pertaineth unto them. From whatevermotive 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 unhappyportion 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