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.
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