call　Cingari；　the　Latins　Egyptians；　and　we　Gitanos；　who；
  notwithstanding　that　they　are　sent　by　the　Turks　into　Spain　for　the
  purpose　of　acting　as　spies　upon　the　Christian　religion；　pretend
  that　they　are　wandering　over　the　world　in　fulfilment　of　a　penance
  enjoined　upon　them；　part　of　which　penance　seems　to　be　the　living　by
  fraud　and　imposition。'　　And　shortly　afterwards　he　remarks：　　'Nor　do
  they　derive　any　authority　for　such　a　practice　from　those　words　in
  Exodus；　（24）　〃et　quasi　signum　in　manu　tua；〃　as　that　passage　does
  not　treat　of　chiromancy；　but　of　the　festival　of　unleavened　bread；
  the　observance　of　which；　in　order　that　it　might　be　memorable　to　the
  Hebrews；　the　sacred　historian　said　should　be　as　a　sign　upon　the
  hand；　a　metaphor　derived　from　those　who；　when　they　wish　to　remember
  anything；　tie　a　thread　round　their　finger；　or　put　a　ring　upon　it；
  and　still　less　I　ween　does　that　chapter　of　Job　（25）　speak　in　their
  favour；　where　is　written；　〃Qui　in　manu　hominis　signat；　ut　norint
  omnes　opera　sua；〃　because　the　divine　power　is　meant　thereby　which
  is　preached　to　those　here　below：　　for　the　hand　is　intended　for
  power　and　magnitude；　Exod。　chap。　xiv。；　（26）　or　stands　for　free
  will；　which　is　placed　in　a　man's　hand；　that　is；　in　his　power。
  Wisdom；　chap。　xxxvi。　〃In　manibus　abscondit　lucem；〃　（27）　etc。　etc。
  etc。
  No；　no；　good　Torreblanca；　we　know　perfectly　well　that　the　witch…
  wives　of　Multan；　who　for　the　last　four　hundred　years　have　been
  running　about　Spain　and　other　countries；　telling　fortunes　by　the
  hand；　and　deriving　good　profit　from　the　same；　are　not　countenanced
  in　such　a　practice　by　the　sacred　volume；　we　yield　as　little　credit
  to　their　chiromancy　as　we　do　to　that　which　you　call　the　true　and
  catholic；　and　believe　that　the　lines　of　the　hand　have　as　little
  connection　with　the　events　of　life　as　with　the　liver　and　stomach；
  notwithstanding　Aristotle；　who　you　forget　was　a　heathen；　and　knew
  as　little　and　cared　as　little　for　the　Scriptures　as　the　Gitanos；
  whether　male　or　female；　who　little　reck　what　sanction　any　of　their
  practices　may　receive　from　authority；　whether　divine　or　human；　if
  the　pursuit　enable　them　to　provide　sufficient　for　the　existence；
  however　poor　and　miserable；　of　their　families　and　themselves。
  A　very　singular　kind　of　women　are　the　Gitanas；　far　more　remarkable
  in　most　points　than　their　husbands；　in　whose　pursuits　of　low
  cheating　and　petty　robbery　there　is　little　capable　of　exciting　much
  interest；　but　if　there　be　one　being　in　the　world　who；　more　than
  another；　deserves　the　title　of　sorceress　（and　where　do　you　find　a
  word　of　greater　romance　and　more　thrilling　interest？）；　it　is　the
  Gypsy　female　in　the　prime　and　vigour　of　her　age　and　ripeness　of　her
  understanding　…　the　Gypsy　wife；　the　mother　of　two　or　three
  children。　　Mention　to　me　a　point　of　devilry　with　which　that　woman
  is　not　acquainted。　　She　can　at　any　time；　when　it　suits　her；　show
  herself　as　expert　a　jockey　as　her　husband；　and　he　appears　to
  advantage　in　no　other　character；　and　is　only　eloquent　when
  descanting　on　the　merits　of　some　particular　animal；　but　she　can　do
  much　more：　　she　is　a　prophetess；　though　she　believes　not　in
  prophecy；　she　is　a　physician；　though　she　will　not　taste　her　own
  philtres；　she　is　a　procuress；　though　she　is　not　to　be　procured；　she
  is　a　singer　of　obscene　songs；　though　she　will　suffer　no　obscene
  hand　to　touch　her；　and　though　no　one　is　more　tenacious　of　the
  little　she　possesses；　she　is　a　cutpurse　and　a　shop…lifter　whenever
  opportunity　shall　offer。
  In　all　times；　since　we　have　known　anything　of　these　women；　they
  have　been　addicted　to　and　famous　for　fortune…telling；　indeed；　it　is
  their　only　ostensible　means　of　livelihood；　though　they　have　various
  others　which　they　pursue　more　secretly。　　Where　and　how　they　first
  learned　the　practice　we　know　not；　they　may　have　brought　it　with
  them　from　the　East；　or　they　may　have　adopted　it；　which　is　less
  likely；　after　their　arrival　in　Europe。　　Chiromancy；　from　the　most
  remote　periods；　has　been　practised　in　all　countries。　　Neither　do　we
  know；　whether　in　this　practice　they　were　ever　guided　by　fixed　and
  certain　rules；　the　probability；　however；　is；　that　they　were　not；
  and　that　they　never　followed　it　but　as　a　means　of　fraud　and
  robbery；　certainly；　amongst　all　the　professors　of　this　art　that
  ever　existed；　no　people　are　more　adapted　by　nature　to　turn　it　to
  account　than　these　females；　call　them　by　whatever　name　you　will；
  Gitanas；　Ziganas；　Gypsies；　or　Bohemians；　their　forms；　their
  features；　the　expression　of　their　countenances　are　ever　wild　and
  Sibylline；　frequently　beautiful；　but　never　vulgar。　　Observe；　for
  example；　the　Gitana；　even　her　of　Seville。　　She　is　standing　before
  the　portal　of　a　large　house　in　one　of　the　narrow　Moorish　streets　of
  the　capital　of　Andalusia；　through　the　grated　iron　door；　she　looks
  in　upon　the　court；　it　is　paved　with　small　marble　slabs　of　almost
  snowy　whiteness；　in　the　middle　is　a　fountain　distilling　limpid
  water；　and　all　around　there　is　a　profusion　of　macetas；　in　which
  flowering　plants　and　aromatic　shrubs　are　growing；　and　at　each
  corner　there　is　an　orange　tree；　and　the　perfume　of　the　azahar　may
  be　distinguished；　you　hear　the　melody　of　birds　from　a　small　aviary
  beneath　the　piazza　which　surrounds　the　court；　which　is　surmounted
  by　a　toldo　or　linen　awning；　for　it　is　the　commencement　of　May；　and
  the　glorious　sun　of　Andalusia　is　burning　with　a　splendour　too
  intense　for　his　rays　to　be　borne　with　impunity。　　It　is　a　fairy
  scene　such　as　nowhere　meets　the　eye　but　at　Seville；　or　perhaps　at
  Fez　and　Shiraz；　in　the　palaces　of　the　Sultan　and　the　Shah。　　The
  Gypsy　looks　through　the　iron…grated　door；　and　beholds；　seated　near
  the　fountain；　a　richly　dressed　dame　and　two　lovely　delicate
  maidens；　they　are　busied　at　their　morning's　occupation；
  intertwining　with　their　sharp　needles　the　gold　and　silk　on　the
  tambour；　several　female　attendants　are　seated　behind。　　The　Gypsy
  pulls　the　bell；　when　is　heard　the　soft　cry　of　'Quien　es'；　the　door；
  unlocked　by　means　of　a　string；　recedes　upon　its　hinges；　when　in
  walks　the　Gitana；　the　witch…wife　of　Multan；　with　a　look　such　as　the
  tiger…cat　casts　when　she　stealeth　from　her　jungle　into　the　plain。
  Yes；　well　may　you　exclaim　'Ave　Maria　purissima；'　ye　dames　and
  maidens　of　Seville；　as　she　advances　towards　you；　she　is　not　of
  yourselves；　she　is　not　of　your　blood；　she　or　her　fathers　have
  walked　to　your　climate　from　a　distance　of　three　thousand　leagues。
  She　has　come　from　the　far　East；　like　the　three　enchanted　kings；　to
  Cologne；　but；　unlike　them；　she　and　her　race　have　come　with　hate　and
  not　with　love。　　She　comes　to　flatter；　and　to　deceive；　and　to　rob；
  for　she　is　a　lying　prophetess；　and　a　she…Thug；　she　will　greet　you
  with　blessings　which　will　make　your　hearts　rejoice；　but　your
  hearts'　blood　would　freeze；　could　you　hear　the　curses　which　to
  herself　she　murmurs　against　you；　for　she　says；　that　in　her
  children's　veins　flows　the　dark　blood　of　the　'husbands；'　whilst　in
  those　of　yours　flows　the　pale　tide　of　the　'savages；'　and　therefore
  she　would　gladly　set　her　foot　on　all　your　corses　first　poisoned　by
  her　hands。　　For　all　her　love　…　and　she　can　love　…　is　for　the　Romas；
  and　all　her　hate　…　and　who　can　hate　like　her？　…　is　for　the　Busnees；
  for　she　says　that　the　world　would　be　a　fair　world　if　there　were　no
  Busnees；　and　if　the　Romamiks　could　heat　their　kettles　undisturbed
  at　the　foot　of　the　olive…trees；　and　therefore　she　would　kill　them
  all　if　she　could　and　if　she　dared。　　She　never　seeks　the　houses　of
  the　Busnees　but　for　the　purpose　of　prey；　for　the　wild　animals　of
  the　sierra　do　not　more　abhor　the　sight　of　man　than　she　abhors　the
  countenances　of　the　Busnees。　　She　now　comes　to　prey　upon　you　and　to
  scoff　at　you。　　Will　you　believe　her　words？　　Fools！　do　you　think
  that　the　being　before　ye　has　any　sympathy　for　the　like　of　you？
  She　is　of　the　middle　stature；　neither　strongly　nor　slightly　built；
  and　yet　her　every　movement　denotes　agility　and　vigour。　　As　she
  stands　erect　before　you；　she　appears　like　a　falcon　about　to　soar；
  and　you　are　almost　tempted　to　believe　that　the　power　of　volition　is
  hers；　and　were　you　to　stretch　forth　your　hand　to　seize　her；　she
  would　spring　above　the　house…tops　like　a　bird。　　Her　face　is　oval；
  and　her　features　are　regular　but　somewhat　hard　and　coarse；　for　she
  was　born　amongst　rocks　in　a　thicket；　and　she　has　been　wind…beaten
  and　sun…scorched　for　many　a　year；　even　like　her　parents　before　her；
  there　is　many　a　speck　upon　her　cheek；　and　perhaps　a　scar；　but　no
  dimples　of　love；　and　her　brow　is　wrinkled　over；　though　she　is　yet
  young。　　Her　com