The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27
SOME VIEW BOOKS.
Jew, Gypsy and sToslem.

Jew, Gypty and Mos1en.
Mr.. ". II. WILKINS has edited and Messrs
Herbert 8. stone 4 Co. have published three
interesting papers left In manuscript by the
late Sir RICHARD +. BURTON. the well-known
explorer and orientalist. The papers are re-
spectIvely entitled The Jec. the Gvpsv and 81
Isidm- They are reproduced practically as
they left the authors hands. except that. In
the case Of the first paper, the editor has
deemed It best to withhold An appendix on hui
man sacrifice among the sephardim. or Eastern
Jews, and on the murder OF Padre Tomaso.
which took place at Damascus in 1910. II
seems that Burton collected most OF the ma
terlal for the Essay on the jew" between
1859 and 1871. when he was Consul at Damas-
Gus. His intimate knowledge OF Eastern
races and languages, and his sympathy with
Oriental habits and lines OF thought gave
him exceptional facilities for chronological
study OF this kind. Disguised as a native. and
unknown TO any living soul, except his
wife, tho British Consul mingled freely with
the motley population OF Damascus and In
spected every quarter Of the city, Moslem.
Christian and Jewish. There is but little doubt
that his searching inquiry respecting tho al
legged survival OF the rite OF human sacrifice
was one of the reasons which aroused the hos
tility Of the Damascus Jews against him. 1t Is
certain that their hostility had much to do with
his recall by Lord Granville in 1871. Three
years later the mass Of material collected in
Damascus was ready for publication. but an
influential friend. highly placed In the oficial
world, advised Burton not to publish the book
on the ground OF it's anti-Semitio ten
denotes. For once Burton made his self
will give way to discretion and put
his manuscripts on tho shelf. where IL
remained until 1886. when the post OF Consul
"a n Al. .-Il.l H.. - IL 4AyaNa a.1
which had been as good as promised to Him.
was given to another applicant by Lord Rose
berry. who. IL will be remembered. had married
q Rothschild. Then Burton took down the
manuscript on The Jew" again and had It
recopied. but his wife. who was endeavoring to
obtain permission for him to retire on full PEN
sion, pointed out that the book might as well
wait until March. 1891, when, his term Of SER
vice being finished. he would be free to publish
what he chose. Five months. however. before
the date OF his retirement he died. Lady Bur
ton had The Jew" next on her list for publ
cation at the time Of her death. and In pub
fishing 1t. therefore. Mr.. wilkins is simply
carrying out her wishes and those Of her
husband. The tone of the paper is. undoubt-
eddy. anti-semitic. butth editor has not felt
justified in suppressing a painstaking eth
biological study merely to avoid the possibility
Of hurting ths susceptibilities OF the Hebrew
community. 1t has been truly said that every
nation gets the Jew 1t deserves and Mr.. Will
deems 1t not incredible that certain super
.stitlons and cruelties may have been generated
in the Eastern Jews by long centuries Of op-
preston and wrong. From such superstitions
and c~ruelties the enlightened and highly
favored Jews In England and the United States
naturally shrink with adherence and %repudia-
ton. but 1t does not necessarily follow that
80 ha-n ~ .An tbni. laaa tor
tunate Eastern brethren.
As for the paper on Tho Gypsy" we learn
that the data on which it is based were gath
cred for the most part by personal research
during q period OF over thirty years. in Asia.
mainly, but also in Africa. South America and
1t was when Burton was q Lieuten-
ant In the Bombay army and quartered in
Singh that he began his Investigations con-
cerning the affinity between the Jats and the
During his many subsequenttravels
In different parts Of the world he never missed
an opportunity OF securing fresh materials re-
lating to the subject. This essay was one OF
many compositions which Burton intended
TO complete when he should have quilted
the consular service. AS it stands The
Gypsy" is q valuable addition to ethnol-
ogy: for. apart from Burton's rare knowl-
edge of strange peoples and tongues.
his personal connection with the Gypsies
lends to the subject a unique interest. There
IA no doubt that he was affiliated to this strange
people by nature. il not by descent. Not only
could he speak Romany like themselves. but he
many OF their peculiarities in appear
ance and disposition. One who knew him we'll
has pointed out that when his eye looks at
you 1t looks through you. and then. glazing over.
seems to see something behind you. Richard
Burton is the only man. not a Gypsy. with that
- A,ls ~ AnI Ia .LA-Aa IL 49, AL-t- -.
TOR OF a corpse. deathbed scenes and graveyards.
though caring little for his own life." It should
also be noted that Burton " is one of the half
dozen distinctively Romany names. Lady Bur-
ton has recalled that never did we enter a
Gypsy amp without their claiming him. What
are you doing with q black coat on p they
would say. Why don't you Join us and be our
king PEE
OF the paper on "El Islam." or the rank Of
MohAmmedanism among the religions Of the
world. there Is less to be said. 1t appears to
have been written soon after the authors
pilgrimage to Mecca in 1853. It is well
known that Burton was ways powerfully at
tracted by Mohammedanism in its highest as
poets. When he began. in 1949. to prepare for
his Mecca pilgrimage. he not only learned the
Koran and practiced rites and ceremonies. but
entered upon q sympathetic study of Suf-ism.
the gnosticism OF Islam. which raised him high
above the rank Of q nero Moslem. In the
paper before us he dwells with emphasis on the
merits Of Mohammeoanism considered as q
humanizing creed. Much weight must be at
tached to the testimony OF a man like Burton,
who had made himself familiar. by personal
observation. with the inner thoughts and aspir-
atoms OF tho Moslem. who had himself actually
lived the life OF an Arab pilgrim. and had pene-
trated to the Holy OF Holes at Mecca.
We have read with especial interest what
Burton has to tell us about the Jewish residents
OF Palestine, for here he is speaking from frat
observation, and. apparently. is not in
fuenced by prejudice. as he Is in a chapter
on Tho Continuity Of Tradition" where.
upon unsatisfactory evidence. he endeav-
ors to prove that the sacrificing OF Christ
fans by Jews has been persistently car
ried on In the East from the death OF
Christ to the present day. or course in Pales-
tine as elsewhere the two great branches OF
the Hebrew race are the Sephardim and thu
Ashkenazim. They are both orthodox. and
NAV intermarry when they pleaae The