Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-03
VITALITY OF GYPSIES
HOW THIS STRANGE PEOPLE SUR
WYE ALL vICIssITUDEs.
From the LONDON Standard.


strange people. and without any apprecia
bic success. few years ago Surrey was
up In arms against them, and IL we go back
to the thirty-frst year OF the reign of
Queen Elizabeth we find that the justices OF
the peace of that country, on April % or
dered the building of house, to be called
house of correction. where all idlcrs and
vagabonds shall be relieved. punished, and
sett to worlte." Then, as now, Surrey was
the place most favored by the unwelcome
wanderers. There were other oilers and
vaga bonds who plagued our forefa TIERS
and who are quantity described In an old
statute as such as wake on the night and
sleep on the day, and haunt customahle
taverns and ale-houses, and ruut about;
and no man wot from whence they come
ne whittier they go Idle soldiers and
wandering marines were then treated as
felons, so that 1t is no matter of surprise
that the early laws against the gypsies
were severe in the extreme 1t is supposed
that gypsies first entered this country In
the year 1872 They seem to have had a
keen insight into human nature, for while
in continental countries they courted ard
received tolerance az pilgrims. they pretend
ed here that they were people OF high posi-
ton in Egypt. prosecuted and driven forth
Astrology and magic were fashionable at
the time. and Egypt was the home of these
arts. Hence the gypsies were at first well
coined and made much of. But very soon
they proved to be pest, and In 1880 an act
t22 Henry VIII, c. io) ordered them to Quit
the country within sixteen days. taking all
their goods. with the penalty of forfeiture
and Imprisonment They were described as
outandish people. calling themseve.
Egyptians. using no crafts nor feat of ner.
chandise, who have come into this realm
and gone from shire to shire and place TO
place In great company and used great
subtle and crafty means to deceive the peo-
pie bearing them in hand that they by
palmlstry, could tell mems and women's
fortunes; ard So many times by craft and
fha v,H.a
money and have also committed many
heinous felonies and robberies."
Law of Philip and Mary.
But the act did not succeed In ia54. the
inst year of Philip and Mary. a far moe
stringent law was framed. 1t SAYS that in
spite of the previous ordinance. divers OF
the said company, not fearing the penalty
OF the said statute. have enter. + sed TO
come over again into this realm. ng
Their old accustomed devilish and naughty
practices and devices. to the dangcruuS cN-
ample OF thc.r MAJESTY s subjet is and the
utter undoins of many of them" The e.
lore. any person Lrnging "A gypsy into the
country won be fined $40, while any gypsy
remaining IN the country more than a
month was to tie deemed Il feiCn to suffer
death and loss of goods and 10 lose the
privilege OF sanctuary and clergy. But the
reasonable alternative was gwen them of
LEAVING their idle. naughty and unsoiIy
life. and honestly engaging in wo.k Con-
sequsntiy. a very large numper were hanged
| under the act of Philip and Mary. Thirte II
are said to have been condemned to de ith
at single Surrey assizes. This d d not
prevent many recruits, natives of the coun-
ty, from joining them, about whose eNecu-
ton feons some doubts arose. These
Were settled by an act of the fifth year of
Elizabeth, confirming the former act and
making clear that native gypsies, or all OF
them above fourteen years of age, were TO
be treated precisely like the foreigners.
these statutes, says a writer of 16l2, you
would wonder; yet, Notwithstanding, all
would not prevaile, but they wandered as
before uppe and downe. and meeting once
a year at 6. place appointed. sometimes at
the Peake's Hole In Derbyshire, and other
wise by ketbroak at Blackheath." Scot
| land always more tolerant of foreigners
| than England, seems to have extended hos
| ptality to the gypsies at first. But here,
| also, they soon became an intolerable nui-
sance. A curiously worded act, to apply
to the idle people calling themselves
Egyptians as well as to others was passed
in 1879. "l'orsameikle as there is sundrie
loyable acts of parliament for the stanch-
ing of masterful and idle beggars, ii was
ordered that six make themselves fules
and are balrdes, or other six like runners
about, sell lie put into the kings ward or
irons long they have only GUIDES
OF their awin to live on. And fra they have
ma quahairupon to live of their awin; that
their cares be nailed to the trone or 10
any other three and their cares cutted off.
after they be found againe, that they be
hanged. This did not do. apparently.
When the Eyps.es came in 15l2 they came
to stay In 1909 further Scottish act d.
reefs that Sorners, common thieves called
Egyptians" pass out of the country under
pain of death.
Act Of Elizabeth.
Both in Scotland and In England legisSs-
ton proved quite ineffective. The acts fell
gradually into desuetude. The act of Eliza
beth, applying to English vagabonds, was
repealed by one of George III. and the
death penalty of Philip and Mary was abo-
ished In the first year of George Tvs reign.
Four years later all previous vagrancy acts
were repealed and the mild law was passed
that any person telling fortunes shall be
deemed rogue and vagabond," and also
ANY person wandering abroad and lodging
in the open air, or under tent, or In any
cart or wagon, not having visible means or
subsistence and unable to give good ac-
count of himself" This did not hurt the
gypsies. In William Tvs reign a fine OF
40 shillings imposed on any gypsy
pitching a tent. booth. stall or stand, or
encamping on any part of the highway.
THE gypsies longer prescribed
class" says recent writer on vagrancy,
land 1t is arguable that band of gypses
not engaged in fortune telling and prac-
Using some remunerative occupation may
lawfully live in tents so long they do not
encamp on the high roads" Sanitary by
laws seem TO be the only available weapon
against them. and a weak weapon they are.
When the Surrey county council. few
years ago, passed a series of bylaws
against all jewellers In tents and vans. who
haunt the commons and waysides. the home
secretary refused to conform them until he
got clear evidence Of objections other than
those on the score of insantation. Proba-
bly, the modern gypsy. an this country, does
little evil beyond begging and petty THEFT,
but his determination not to work is as
strong as ever, and 1t seems curious that an
industrious people like ours continues to
tolerate horde of professional idlers. How
numerous the horde is may be gathered
from the fact that the number who win
tered In Surrey one year recently was esti-
mated at 10000. The reputation OF the
gypsy is bad everywhere. An old Spanish
law says, seeing that they are liars, cheats
and thieves. and many of them accustomed
to other kinds of wicknedness." Twiss, in
the book on his travels says: THE men arc
thieves, and the women are libertines."
Swinburne, traveller In the early part of
last century, says: THE men are swarthy,
with dark. scowling eye" e. D. Clarke,
a traveller in Russia. says: They are dis