The words
are:- "We declare to be vagabonds, and subject to the aforesaid
penalty, the Egyptians and foreign tinkers, who by laws and
statutes of these kingdoms are commanded to depart therefrom; and
the poor sturdy beggars, who contrary to the order given in the new
edict, beg for alms and wander about."
'THE LAWS ARE VERY JUST WHICH EXPEL THE GITANOS FROM THE STATES
All the doctors, who are of opinion that the Gitanos may be
condemned to death, would consider it as an act of mercy in your
Majesty to banish them perpetually from Spain, and at the same time
as exceedingly just. Many and learned men not only consider that
it is just to expel them, but cannot sufficiently wonder that they
are tolerated in Christian states, and even consider that such
toleration is an insult to the kingdoms.
'Whilst engaged in writing this, I have seen a very learned
memorial, in which Doctor Salazar de Mendoza makes the same
supplication to your Majesty which is made in this discourse,
holding it to be the imperious duty of every good government.
'It stands in reason that the prince is bound to watch for the
welfare of his subjects, and the wrongs which those of your Majesty
receive from the Gitanos I have already exposed in my second
chapter; it being a point worthy of great consideration that the
wrongs caused by the Moriscos moved your royal and merciful bosom
to drive them out, although they were many, and their departure
would be felt as a loss to the population, the commerce, the royal
revenues, and agriculture.
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