Sweet　Goddess；　give　me　health。　　Holy　Goddess；　give　me　luck　and
  grace　wherever　I　go；　and　help　me；　Goddess；　powerful　and　immaculate；
  from　ugly　men；　that　I　may　go　in　the　road　to　the　place　I　purpose：
  help　me；　Goddess；　forsake　me　not；　Goddess；　for　I　pray　for　God's
  sake。
  WALLACHIA　AND　MOLDAVIA
  In　Wallachia　and　Moldavia；　two　of　the　eastern…most　regions　of
  Europe；　are　to　be　found　seven　millions　of　people　calling　themselves
  Roumouni；　and　speaking　a　dialect　of　the　Latin　tongue　much　corrupted
  by　barbarous　terms；　so　called。　　They　are　supposed　to　be　in　part
  descendants　of　Roman　soldiers；　Rome　in　the　days　of　her　grandeur
  having　established　immense　military　colonies　in　these　parts。　　In
  the　midst　of　these　people　exist　vast　numbers　of　Gypsies；　amounting；
  I　am　disposed　to　think；　to　at　least　two　hundred　thousand。　　The　land
  of　the　Roumouni；　indeed；　seems　to　have　been　the　hive　from　which　the
  West　of　Europe　derived　the　Gypsy　part　of　its　population。　　Far　be　it
  from　me　to　say　that　the　Gypsies　sprang　originally　from　Roumouni…
  land。　　All　I　mean　is；　that　it　was　their　grand　resting…place　after
  crossing　the　Danube。　　They　entered　Roumouni…land　from　Bulgaria；
  crossing　the　great　river；　and　from　thence　some　went　to　the　north…
  east；　overrunning　Russia；　others　to　the　west　of　Europe；　as　far　as
  Spain　and　England。　　That　the　early　Gypsies　of　the　West；　and　also
  those　of　Russia；　came　from　Roumouni…land；　is　easily　proved；　as　in
  all　the　western　Gypsy　dialects；　and　also　in　the　Russian；　are　to　be
  found　words　belonging　to　the　Roumouni　speech；　for　example；
  primavera；　spring；　cheros；　heaven；　chorab；　stocking；　chismey；
  boots；　…　Roum　…　primivari；　cherul；　chorapul；　chisme。　　One　might
  almost　be　tempted　to　suppose　that　the　term　Rommany；　by　which　the
  Gypsies　of　Russia　and　the　West　call　themselves；　was　derived　from
  Roumouni；　were　it　not　for　one　fact；　which　is；　that　Romanus　in　the
  Latin　tongue　merely　means　a　native　of　Rome；　whilst　the　specific
  meaning　of　Rome　still　remains　in　the　dark；　whereas　in　Gypsy　Rom
  means　a　husband；　Rommany　the　sect　of　the　husbands；　Romanesti　if
  married。　　Whether　both　words　were　derived　originally　from　the　same
  source；　as　I　believe　some　people　have　supposed；　is　a　question
  which；　with　my　present　lights；　I　cannot　pretend　to　determine。
  THE　ENGLISH　GYPSIES
  No　country　appears　less　adapted　for　that　wandering　life；　which
  seems　so　natural　to　these　people；　than　England。　　Those　wildernesses
  and　forests；　which　they　are　so　attached　to；　are　not　to　be　found
  there；　every　inch　of　land　is　cultivated；　and　its　produce　watched
  with　a　jealous　eye；　and　as　the　laws　against　trampers；　without　the
  visible　means　of　supporting　themselves；　are　exceedingly　severe；　the
  possibility　of　the　Gypsies　existing　as　a　distinct　race；　and
  retaining　their　original　free　and　independent　habits；　might
  naturally　be　called　in　question　by　those　who　had　not　satisfactorily
  verified　the　fact。　　Yet　it　is　a　truth　that；　amidst　all　these
  seeming　disadvantages；　they　not　only　exist　there；　but　in　no　part　of
  the　world　is　their　life　more　in　accordance　with　the　general　idea
  that　the　Gypsy　is　like　Cain；　a　wanderer　of　the　earth；　for　in
  England　the　covered　cart　and　the　little　tent　are　the　houses　of　the
  Gypsy；　and　he　seldom　remains　more　than　three　days　in　the　same
  place。
  At　present　they　are　considered　in　some　degree　as　a　privileged
  people；　for；　though　their　way　of　life　is　unlawful；　it　is　connived
  at；　the　law　of　England　having　discovered　by　experience；　that　its
  utmost　fury　is　inefficient　to　reclaim　them　from　their　inveterate
  habits。
  Shortly　after　their　first　arrival　in　England；　which　is　upwards　of
  three　centuries　since；　a　dreadful　persecution　was　raised　against
  them；　the　aim　of　which　was　their　utter　extermination；　the　being　a
  Gypsy　was　esteemed　a　crime　worthy　of　death；　and　the　gibbets　of
  England　groaned　and　creaked　beneath　the　weight　of　Gypsy　carcases；
  and　the　miserable　survivors　were　literally　obliged　to　creep　into
  the　earth　in　order　to　preserve　their　lives。　　But　these　days　passed
  by；　their　persecutors　became　weary　of　pursuing　them；　they　showed
  their　heads　from　the　holes　and　caves　where　they　had　hidden
  themselves；　they　ventured　forth；　increased　in　numbers；　and；　each
  tribe　or　family　choosing　a　particular　circuit；　they　fairly　divided
  the　land　amongst　them。
  In　England；　the　male　Gypsies　are　all　dealers　in　horses；　and
  sometimes　employ　their　idle　time　in　mending　the　tin　and　copper
  utensils　of　the　peasantry；　the　females　tell　fortunes。　　They
  generally　pitch　their　tents　in　the　vicinity　of　a　village　or　small
  town　by　the　road　side；　under　the　shelter　of　the　hedges　and　trees。
  The　climate　of　England　is　well　known　to　be　favourable　to　beauty；
  and　in　no　part　of　the　world　is　the　appearance　of　the　Gypsies　so
  prepossessing　as　in　that　country；　their　complexion　is　dark；　but　not
  disagreeably　so；　their　faces　are　oval；　their　features　regular；
  their　foreheads　rather　low；　and　their　hands　and　feet　small。　　The
  men　are　taller　than　the　English　peasantry；　and　far　more　active。
  They　all　speak　the　English　language　with　fluency；　and　in　their　gait
  and　demeanour　are　easy　and　graceful；　in　both　points　standing　in
  striking　contrast　with　the　peasantry；　who　in　speech　are　slow　and
  uncouth；　and　in　manner　dogged　and　brutal。
  The　dialect　of　the　Rommany；　which　they　speak；　though　mixed　with
  English　words；　may　be　considered　as　tolerably　pure；　from　the　fact
  that　it　is　intelligible　to　the　Gypsy　race　in　the　heart　of　Russia。
  Whatever　crimes　they　may　commit；　their　vices　are　few；　for　the　men
  are　not　drunkards；　nor　are　the　women　harlots；　there　are　no　two
  characters　which　they　hold　in　so　much　abhorrence；　nor　do　any　words
  when　applied　by　them　convey　so　much　execration　as　these　two。
  The　crimes　of　which　these　people　were　originally　accused　were
  various；　but　the　principal　were　theft；　sorcery；　and　causing　disease
  among　the　cattle；　and　there　is　every　reason　for　supposing　that　in
  none　of　these　points　they　were　altogether　guiltless。
  With　respect　to　sorcery；　a　thing　in　itself　impossible；　not　only　the
  English　Gypsies；　but　the　whole　race；　have　ever　professed　it；
  therefore；　whatever　misery　they　may　have　suffered　on　that　account；
  they　may　be　considered　as　having　called　it　down　upon　their　own
  heads。
  Dabbling　in　sorcery　is　in　some　degree　the　province　of　the　female
  Gypsy。　　She　affects　to　tell　the　future；　and　to　prepare　philtres　by
  means　of　which　love　can　be　awakened　in　any　individual　towards　any
  particular　object；　and　such　is　the　credulity　of　the　human　race；
  even　in　the　most　enlightened　countries；　that　the　profits　arising
  from　these　practices　are　great。　　The　following　is　a　case　in　point：
  two　females；　neighbours　and　friends；　were　tried　some　years　since；
  in　England；　for　the　murder　of　their　husbands。　　It　appeared　that
  they　were　in　love　with　the　same　individual；　and　had　conjointly；　at
  various　times；　paid　sums　of　money　to　a　Gypsy　woman　to　work　charms
  to　captivate　his　affections。　　Whatever　little　effect　the　charms
  might　produce；　they　were　successful　in　their　principal　object；　for
  the　person　in　question　carried　on　for　some　time　a　criminal
  intercourse　with　both。　　The　matter　came　to　the　knowledge　of　the
  husbands；　who；　taking　means　to　break　off　this　connection；　were
  respectively　poisoned　by　their　wives。　　Till　the　moment　of
  conviction　these　wretched　females　betrayed　neither　emotion　nor
  fear；　but　then　their　consternation　was　indescribable；　and　they
  afterwards　confessed　that　the　Gypsy；　who　had　visited　them　in
  prison；　had　promised　to　shield　them　from　conviction　by　means　of　her
  art。　　It　is　therefore　not　surprising　that　in　the　fifteenth　and
  sixteenth　centuries；　when　a　belief　in　sorcery　was　supported　by　the
  laws　of　all　Europe；　these　people　were　regarded　as　practisers　of
  sorcery；　and　punished　as　such；　when；　even　in　the　nineteenth；　they
  still　find　people　weak　enough　to　place　confidence　in　their　claims
  to　supernatural　power。
  The　accusation　of　producing　disease　and　death　amongst　the　cattle
  was　far　from　groundless。　　Indeed；　however　strange　and　incredible　it
  may　sound　in　the　present　day　to　those　who　are　unacquainted　with
  this　caste；　and　the　peculiar　habits　of　the　Rommanees；　the　practice
  is　still　occasionally　pursued　in　England　and　many　other　countries
  where　they　are　found。　　From　this　practice；　when　they　are　not
  detected；　they　derive　considerable　advantage。　　Poisoning　cattle　is
  exercised　by　them　in　two　ways：　　by　one；　they　merely　cause　disease
  in　the　animals；　with　the　view　of　receiving　money　for　curing　them
  upon　of