"
They are much more useless than the Moriscos, as these last were of
some service to the state and the royal revenues, but the Gitanos
are neither labourers, gardeners, mechanics, nor merchants, and
only serve, like the wolves, to plunder and to flee.
'Thirdly, because the Gitanas are public harlots, common, as it is
said, to all the Gitanos, and with dances, demeanour, and filthy
songs, are the cause of continual detriment to the souls of the
vassals of your Majesty, it being notorious that they have done
infinite harm in many honourable houses by separating the married
women from their husbands, and perverting the maidens: and
finally, in the best of these Gitanas any one may recognise all the
signs of a harlot given by the wise king; they are gadders about,
whisperers, always unquiet in places and corners.
'Fourthly, because in all parts they are accounted famous thieves,
about which authors write wonderful things; we ourselves have
continual experience of this fact in Spain, where there is scarcely
a corner where they have not committed some heavy offence.
'Father Martin Del Rio says they were notorious when he was in Leon
in the year 1584; as they even attempted to sack the town of
Logrono in the time of the pest, as Don Francisco De Cordoba writes
in his DIDASCALIA.
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