第 29 节
作者:指环王      更新:2024-01-24 16:00      字数:9322
  Egypt; drove all the vagrants from his kingdom; forbidding them to
  return under pain of death。  The Soldan of Egypt expelled the
  Torlaquis。  The Moors did the same; and Bajazet cast them out of
  all the Ottoman empire; according to Leo Clavius。
  'In the second place; the Christian princes have deemed it an
  important measure of state。
  'The emperor our Lord; in the German Diets of the year 1548;
  expelled the Gitanos from all his empire; and these were the words
  of the decree:  〃Zigeuner quos compertum est proditores esse; et
  exploratores hostium nusquam in imperio locum inveniunto。  In
  deprehensos vis et injuria sine fraude esto。  Fides publica
  Zigeuners ne dator; nec data servator。〃
  'The King of France; Francis; expelled them from thence; and the
  Duke of Terranova; when Governor of Milan for our lord the king;
  obliged them to depart from that territory under pain of death。
  'Thirdly; there is one grand reason which ought to be conclusive in
  moving him who so much values himself in being a faithful son of
  the church; … I mean the example which Pope Pius the Fifth gave to
  all the princes; for he drove the Gitanos from all his domains; and
  in the year 1568; he expelled the Jews; assigning as reasons for
  their expulsion those which are more closely applicable to the
  Gitanos; … namely; that they sucked the vitals of the state;
  without being of any utility whatever; that they were thieves
  themselves; and harbourers of others; that they were wizards;
  diviners; and wretches who induced people to believe that they knew
  the future; which is what the Gitanos at present do by telling
  fortunes。
  'Your Majesty has already freed us from greater and more dangerous
  enemies; finish; therefore; the enterprise begun; whence will
  result universal joy and security; and by which your Majesty will
  earn immortal honour。  Amen。
  'O Regum summe; horum plura ne temnas (absit) ne forte tempsisse
  Hispaniae periculosum existat。'
  CHAPTER XI
  PERHAPS there is no country in which more laws have been framed;
  having in view the extinction and suppression of the Gypsy name;
  race; and manner of life; than Spain。  Every monarch; during a
  period of three hundred years; appears at his accession to the
  throne to have considered that one of his first and most imperative
  duties consisted in suppressing or checking the robberies; frauds;
  and other enormities of the Gitanos; with which the whole country
  seems to have resounded since the time of their first appearance。
  They have; by royal edicts; been repeatedly banished from Spain;
  under terrible penalties; unless they renounced their inveterate
  habits; and for the purpose of eventually confounding them with the
  residue of the population; they have been forbidden; even when
  stationary; to reside together; every family being enjoined to live
  apart; and neither to seek nor to hold communication with others of
  the race。
  We shall say nothing at present as to the wisdom which dictated
  these provisions; nor whether others might not have been devised;
  better calculated to produce the end desired。  Certain it is; that
  the laws were never; or very imperfectly; put in force; and for
  reasons with which their expediency or equity (which no one at the
  time impugned) had no connection whatever。
  It is true that; in a country like Spain; abounding in wildernesses
  and almost inaccessible mountains; the task of hunting down and
  exterminating or banishing the roving bands would have been found
  one of no slight difficulty; even if such had ever been attempted;
  but it must be remembered; that from an early period colonies of
  Gitanos have existed in the principal towns of Spain; where the men
  have plied the trades of jockeys and blacksmiths; and the women
  subsisted by divination; and all kinds of fraud。  These colonies
  were; of course; always within the reach of the hand of justice;
  yet it does not appear that they were more interfered with than the
  roving and independent bands; and that any serious attempts were
  made to break them up; though notorious as nurseries and refuges of
  crime。
  It is a lamentable fact; that pure and uncorrupt justice has never
  existed in Spain; as far at least as record will allow us to judge;
  not that the principles of justice have been less understood there
  than in other countries; but because the entire system of
  justiciary administration has ever been shamelessly profligate and
  vile。
  Spanish justice has invariably been a mockery; a thing to be bought
  and sold; terrible only to the feeble and innocent; and an
  instrument of cruelty and avarice。
  The tremendous satires of Le Sage upon Spanish corregidors and
  alguazils are true; even at the present day; and the most notorious
  offenders can generally escape; if able to administer sufficient
  bribes to the ministers (40) of what is misnamed justice。
  The reader; whilst perusing the following extracts from the laws
  framed against the Gitanos; will be filled with wonder that the
  Gypsy sect still exists in Spain; contrary to the declared will of
  the sovereign and the nation; so often repeated during a period of
  three hundred years; yet such is the fact; and it can only be
  accounted for on the ground of corruption。
  It was notorious that the Gitanos had powerful friends and
  favourers in every district; who sanctioned and encouraged them in
  their Gypsy practices。  These their fautors were of all ranks and
  grades; from the corregidor of noble blood to the low and obscure
  escribano; and from the viceroy of the province to the archer of
  the Hermandad。
  To the high and noble; they were known as Chalanes; and to the
  plebeian functionaries; as people who; notwithstanding their
  general poverty; could pay for protection。
  A law was even enacted against these protectors of the Gitanos;
  which of course failed; as the execution of the law was confided to
  the very delinquents against whom it was directed。  Thus; the
  Gitano bought; sold; and exchanged animals openly; though he
  subjected himself to the penalty of death by so doing; or left his
  habitation when he thought fit; though such an act; by the law of
  the land; was punishable with the galleys。
  In one of their songs they have commemorated the impunity with
  which they wandered about。  The escribano; to whom the Gitanos of
  the neighbourhood pay contribution; on a strange Gypsy being
  brought before him; instantly orders him to be liberated; assigning
  as a reason that he is no Gitano; but a legitimate Spaniard:…
  'I left my house; and walked about
  They seized me fast; and bound:
  It is a Gypsy thief; they shout;
  The Spaniards here have found。
  'From out the prison me they led;
  Before the scribe they brought;
  It is no Gypsy thief; he said;
  The Spaniards here have caught。'
  In a word; nothing was to be gained by interfering with the
  Gitanos; by those in whose hands the power was vested; but; on the
  contrary; something was to be lost。  The chief sufferers were the
  labourers; and they had no power to right themselves; though their
  wrongs were universally admitted; and laws for their protection
  continually being made; which their enemies contrived to set at
  nought; as will presently be seen。
  The first law issued against the Gypsies appears to have been that
  of Ferdinand and Isabella; at Medina del Campo; in 1499。  In this
  edict they were commanded; under certain penalties; to become
  stationary in towns and villages; and to provide themselves with
  masters whom they might serve for their maintenance; or in default
  thereof; to quit the kingdom at the end of sixty days。  No mention
  is made of the country to which they were expected to betake
  themselves in the event of their quitting Spain。  Perhaps; as they
  are called Egyptians; it was concluded that they would forthwith
  return to Egypt; but the framers of the law never seem to have
  considered what means these Egyptians possessed of transporting
  their families and themselves across the sea to such a distance; or
  if they betook themselves to other countries; what reception a host
  of people; confessedly thieves and vagabonds; were likely to meet
  with; or whether it was fair in the TWO CHRISTIAN PRINCES to get
  rid of such a nuisance at the expense of their neighbours。  Such
  matters were of course left for the Gypsies themselves to settle。
  In this edict; a class of individuals is mentioned in conjunction
  with the Gitanos; or Gypsies; but distinguis