hammers　upraised；　down　they　descend　successively；　one；　two；　three；
  the　sparks　are　scattered　on　every　side。　　The　sparks　…
  'More　than　a　hundred　lovely　daughters　I　see　produced　at　one　time；
  fiery　as　roses：　　in　one　moment　they　expire　gracefully
  circumvolving。'　（17）
  The　anvil　rings　beneath　the　thundering　stroke；　hour　succeeds　hour；
  and　still　endures　the　hard　sullen　toil。
  One　of　the　most　remarkable　features　in　the　history　of　Gypsies　is
  the　striking　similarity　of　their　pursuits　in　every　region　of　the
  globe　to　which　they　have　penetrated；　they　are　not　merely　alike　in
  limb　and　in　feature；　in　the　cast　and　expression　of　the　eye；　in　the
  colour　of　the　hair；　in　their　walk　and　gait；　but　everywhere　they
  seem　to　exhibit　the　same　tendencies；　and　to　hunt　for　their　bread　by
  the　same　means；　as　if　they　were　not　of　the　human　but　rather　of　the
  animal　species；　and　in　lieu　of　reason　were　endowed　with　a　kind　of
  instinct　which　assists　them　to　a　very　limited　extent　and　no
  farther。
  In　no　part　of　the　world　are　they　found　engaged　in　the　cultivation
  of　the　earth；　or　in　the　service　of　a　regular　master；　but　in　all
  lands　they　are　jockeys；　or　thieves；　or　cheats；　and　if　ever　they
  devote　themselves　to　any　toil　or　trade；　it　is　assuredly　in　every
  material　point　one　and　the　same。　　We　have　found　them　above；　in　the
  heart　of　a　wild　mountain；　hammering　iron；　and　manufacturing　from　it
  instruments　either　for　their　own　use　or　that　of　the　neighbouring
  towns　and　villages。　　They　may　be　seen　employed　in　a　similar　manner
  in　the　plains　of　Russia；　or　in　the　bosom　of　its　eternal　forests；
  and　whoever　inspects　the　site　where　a　horde　of　Gypsies　has
  encamped；　in　the　grassy　lanes　beneath　the　hazel　bushes　of　merry
  England；　is　generally　sure　to　find　relics　of　tin　and　other　metal；
  avouching　that　they　have　there　been　exercising　the　arts　of　the
  tinker　or　smith。　　Perhaps　nothing　speaks　more　forcibly　for　the
  antiquity　of　this　sect　or　caste　than　the　tenacity　with　which　they
  have　uniformly　preserved　their　peculiar　customs　since　the　period　of
  their　becoming　generally　known；　for；　unless　their　habits　had　become
  a　part　of　their　nature；　which　could　only　have　been　effected　by　a
  strict　devotion　to　them　through　a　long　succession　of　generations；
  it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　after　their　arrival　in　civilised
  Europe　they　would　have　retained　and　cherished　them　precisely　in　the
  same　manner　in　the　various　countries　where　they　found　an　asylum。
  Each　band　or　family　of　the　Spanish　Gypsies　had　its　Captain；　or；　as
  he　was　generally　designated；　its　Count。　　Don　Juan　de　Quinones；　who；
  in　a　small　volume　published　in　1632；　has　written　some　details
  respecting　their　way　of　life；　says：　　'They　roam　about；　divided　into
  families　and　troops；　each　of　which　has　its　head　or　Count；　and　to
  fill　this　office　they　choose　the　most　valiant　and　courageous
  individual　amongst　them；　and　the　one　endowed　with　the　greatest
  strength。　　He　must　at　the　same　time　be　crafty　and　sagacious；　and
  adapted　in　every　respect　to　govern　them。　　It　is　he　who　settles
  their　differences　and　disputes；　even　when　they　are　residing　in　a
  place　where　there　is　a　regular　justice。　　He　heads　them　at　night
  when　they　go　out　to　plunder　the　flocks；　or　to　rob　travellers　on　the
  highway；　and　whatever　they　steal　or　plunder　they　divide　amongst
  them；　always　allowing　the　captain　a　third　part　of　the　whole。'
  These　Counts；　being　elected　for　such　qualities　as　promised　to　be
  useful　to　their　troop　or　family；　were　consequently　liable　to　be
  deposed　if　at　any　time　their　conduct　was　not　calculated　to　afford
  satisfaction　to　their　subjects。　　The　office　was　not　hereditary；　and
  though　it　carried　along　with　it　partial　privileges；　was　both
  toilsome　and　dangerous。　　Should　the　plans　for　plunder；　which　it　was
  the　duty　of　the　Count　to　form；　miscarry　in　the　attempt　to　execute
  them；　should　individuals　of　the　gang　fall　into　the　hand　of　justice；
  and　the　Count　be　unable　to　devise　a　method　to　save　their　lives　or
  obtain　their　liberty；　the　blame　was　cast　at　the　Count's　door；　and
  he　was　in　considerable　danger　of　being　deprived　of　his　insignia　of
  authority；　which　consisted　not　so　much　in　ornaments　or　in　dress；　as
  in　hawks　and　hounds　with　which　the　Senor　Count　took　the　diversion
  of　hunting　when　he　thought　proper。　　As　the　ground　which　he　hunted
  over　was　not　his　own；　he　incurred　some　danger　of　coming　in　contact
  with　the　lord　of　the　soil；　attended；　perhaps；　by　his　armed
  followers。　　There　is　a　tradition　（rather　apocryphal；　it　is　true）；
  that　a　Gitano　chief；　once　pursuing　this　amusement；　was　encountered
  by　a　real　Count；　who　is　styled　Count　Pepe。　　An　engagement　ensued
  between　the　two　parties；　which　ended　in　the　Gypsies　being　worsted；
  and　their　chief　left　dying　on　the　field。　　The　slain　chief　leaves　a
  son；　who；　at　the　instigation　of　his　mother；　steals　the　infant　heir
  of　his　father's　enemy；　who；　reared　up　amongst　the　Gypsies；　becomes
  a　chief；　and；　in　process　of　time；　hunting　over　the　same　ground；
  slays　Count　Pepe　in　the　very　spot　where　the　blood　of　the　Gypsy　had
  been　poured　out。　　This　tradition　is　alluded　to　in　the　following
  stanza：…
  'I　have　a　gallant　mare　in　stall；
  My　mother　gave　that　mare
  That　I　might　seek　Count　Pepe's　hall
  And　steal　his　son　and　heir。'
  Martin　Del　Rio；　in　his　TRACTATUS　DE　MAGIA；　speaks　of　the　Gypsies
  and　their　Counts　to　the　following　effect：　　'When；　in　the　year　1584；
  I　was　marching　in　Spain　with　the　regiment；　a　multitude　of　these
  wretches　were　infesting　the　fields。　　It　happened　that　the　feast　of
  Corpus　Domini　was　being　celebrated；　and　they　requested　to　be
  admitted　into　the　town；　that　they　might　dance　in　honour　of　the
  sacrifice；　as　was　customary；　they　did　so；　but　about　midday　a　great
  tumult　arose　owing　to　the　many　thefts　which　the　women　committed；
  whereupon　they　fled　out　of　the　suburbs；　and　assembled　about　St。
  Mark's；　the　magnificent　mansion　and　hospital　of　the　knights　of　St。
  James；　where　the　ministers　of　justice　attempting　to　seize　them　were
  repulsed　by　force　of　arms；　nevertheless；　all　of　a　sudden；　and　I
  know　not　how；　everything　was　hushed　up。　　At　this　time　they　had　a
  Count；　a　fellow　who　spoke　the　Castilian　idiom　with　as　much　purity
  as　if　he　had　been　a　native　of　Toledo；　he　was　acquainted　with　all
  the　ports　of　Spain；　and　all　the　difficult　and　broken　ground　of　the
  provinces。　　He　knew　the　exact　strength　of　every　city；　and　who　were
  the　principal　people　in　each；　and　the　exact　amount　of　their
  property；　there　was　nothing　relating　to　the　state；　however　secret；
  that　he　was　not　acquainted　with；　nor　did　he　make　a　mystery　of　his
  knowledge；　but　publicly　boasted　of　it。'
  From　the　passage　quoted　above；　we　learn　that　the　Gitanos　in　the
  ancient　times　were　considered　as　foreigners　who　prowled　about　the
  country；　indeed；　in　many　of　the　laws　which　at　various　times　have
  been　promulgated　against　them；　they　are　spoken　of　as　Egyptians；　and
  as　such　commanded　to　leave　Spain；　and　return　to　their　native
  country；　at　one　time　they　undoubtedly　were　foreigners　in　Spain；
  foreigners　by　birth；　foreigners　by　language　but　at　the　time　they
  are　mentioned　by　the　worthy　Del　Rio；　they　were　certainly　not
  entitled　to　the　appellation。　　True　it　is　that　they　spoke　a　language
  amongst　themselves；　unintelligible　to　the　rest　of　the　Spaniards；
  from　whom　they　differed　considerably　in　feature　and　complexion；　as
  they　still　do；　but　if　being　born　in　a　country；　and　being　bred
  there；　constitute　a　right　to　be　considered　a　native　of　that
  country；　they　had　as　much　claim　to　the　appellation　of　Spaniards　as
  the　worthy　author　himself。　　Del　Rio　mentions；　as　a　remarkable
  circumstance；　the　fact　of　the　Gypsy　Count　speaking　Castilian　with
  as　much　purity　as　a　native　of　Toledo；　whereas　it　is　by　no　means
  improbable　that　the　individual　in　question　was　a　native　of　that
  town；　but　the　truth　is；　at　the　time　we　are　speaking　of；　they　were
  generally　believed　to　be　not　only　foreigners；　but　by　means　of
  sorcery　to　have　acquired　the　power　of　speaking　all　languages　with
  equal　facility；　and　Del　Rio；　who　was　a　believer　in　magic；　and　wrote
  one　of　the　most　curious　and　erudite　treatises　on　the　subject　ever
  penned；　had　perhaps　adopted　that　idea；　which　possibly　originated
  from　their　speaking　most　of　the　languages　and　dialects　of　the
  Peninsula；　which　they　picked　up　in　their　wanderings。　　That　the
  Gypsy　chief　was　so　well　acquainted　with　every　town　of　Spain；　and
  the　broken　and　difficult　ground；　can　cause　but　little　surprise；
  when　we　reflect　that　the　life　which　the　Gypsies　led　was　one　above
  all　others　calculated　to　afford　them　that　knowledge。　　They　were
  conti