The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-09-01
THE HISTORY OF THE GYPSIES.

is that this strange race belonged to
the lowest orders OF India, from which
country they were gradually driven by
their own wandering spirit and by
conquest and oppression. But that the
Gypsy had no other history than the
history of the slave, the renegade and
the vagrant in the land of his nativity,
l do not believe. His faithfulness to
his race instinct bespeaks nobler and
more ancient origin than is allowed by
the theory that he is the offspring OF
mixed community recruited from the
ranks of Indian society. A few hundred
years would not suffice to weld to-
gether such a heterogeneous mass into
a people whose traditions and spirit
| should survive two thousand years
undimmed, and promise to live on for
as many more. Only the remnant OF
vastly ancient race would be able to
scatter over the world, to separate into
small groups, to live in every land and
cline, to experience the sway of
every form Of government OF which
history has account. or which
exists today, to know the influence
of every form of religion and yet 10 be
at the close of the nineteenth century
what they were in the days OF their
expulsion from India, what they were
in the Middle Ages, in no wise changed
or changing, always the same, in all
lands telIers of fortunes, traders OF
horses, dealers in mystery. Though
separated for hundreds of years and by
leagues OF space they all speak the
same language and live the same life,
alike faithful by the sands of Sahara
and by the shores of the Arctic Sea, by
the flow of the Ganges, and by our
own Mississippi. That they passed
through Persia and Greece their lam
guage testifes, as it also testifies to
their vast antiquity, by being closely
allied to Sanscrit. That immediately
prior to their entrance into Europe a
large body of them spent some time in
Egypt, is matter of history. From this
fact comes their name, Egyptians,
egyptians, GYpsies.
They first appeared some time before
the twelfth century, and in the four
teenth century they were largely aug
mented. The first notice of them in
European literature occurs in the writ.
ings OF an Austrian monk about 1922,
who describes them as "Ishmaelites."
In 14I7 band of 500 wanderers,
black as Tartar3 and calling themselves
Secani, appeared at the gates of the
German cities. They bore letters of
safe conduct from the Emperor Sigis-
mun1. In 141S they appeared to the
number of 900 at the gates of Zurich,
led by"Duke Michael of Little Egypt"
In ?, according to the chronicle of
Stumpt, the old Swiss historian, IA 900
of these "rogues and vagabonds" pre-
sented themselves at Basel. On the
18th of August, 1927, band of them
coming from Bohemia approached the
gates of Paris, which they were not
permitted to enter, the authorities
appointing La Chapelle Saint Denis as
their place OF lodgment. So the Gyp-
sizes swept over Europe. Their favorite
account of themselves was that they
came originally from Egypt and their
wanderings was a self imposed penance
for temporary abandonment Of the
Christian faith. But persecu on soon
began against them, and once afoot II
, followed them swiftly and ruthlessly
down the centuries. Francis | ordered
them to quit France on PAIN of being
sent to the galleys without trial when
ever caught. In 1860 they were con-
demned TO perpetual Punishment
. DEGREES were issued against them in
!, England by Henry VIII and by Eliz.
abeth. Even as late as I748 Frederick
the Great renewed the law that every
Gypsy beyond the age of eighteen
: found in his states should be hanged
forthwith. In Scotland they were more
! kindly received. But in I541 an &C
was passed that the Egyptians pas:
forth of the realm.'' under pain o
death. More recently measures les
brutal have been adopted by the gov
ernments OF Europe toward thest
l nomads. Maria Theresa interested
r herself in the education of their childrer
r and in the gradual settlement of tht
i race as tillers of the soil. No othe
t countries have succeeded in winning
t them from their wandering habits, ant
i it cannot be said that to compel then
e to inhabit one spot results in an,
S benefit to the race, itself. To be con
$ vinced that the Gypsy is worthy o
il attention, it is only necessary to give
t few statistics, not very accurate, | fear
% but as nearly exact as can be obtained
: at this time, to show how generally ant
S in what numbers they are scattered
e over the world. In Hungary, wher
r they are known as Czijanyok and Phar
Y aonepek-Pharoah's people-tbere ar
S 14o, 900 in Transylvanla and the Pri
:, cipalities, 2,ooo; in Spain, wher
r they are called Zlncali and Gitanos
IL there are 10000; IN England and Sec
n land, $4,000 in Poland, 1000; i
n Russia, 10000; in Germany, Franc
d and Italy combined, 1000 in Norwa
1900; and so on till the total numbe
IS of Gypsies in the world is computed t
q be about 5,ooo,ooo.
y BlLLINGER'S HARD PROBLEM.
e Billinger, said Mrs. McSwat,
I 4