3rdly. That the Gypsies of the present day
in Spain and Italy speak the allegorical robber dialect.
Concerning the first assertion, namely, that the Gypsies of the
west lost their language shortly after their arrival, by mixing
with the outlaws of those parts, we believe that its erroneousness
will be sufficiently established by the publication of the present
volume, which contains a dictionary of the Spanish Gitano, which we
have proved to be the same language in most points as that spoken
by the eastern tribes. There can be no doubt that the Gypsies have
at various times formed alliances with the robbers of particular
countries, but that they ever received them in considerable numbers
into their fraternity, as Hervas has stated, so as to become
confounded with them, the evidence of our eyesight precludes the
possibility of believing. If such were the fact, why do the
Italian and Spanish Gypsies of the present day still present
themselves as a distinct race, differing from the other inhabitants
of the west of Europe in feature, colour, and constitution? Why
are they, in whatever situation and under whatever circumstances,
to be distinguished, like Jews, from the other children of the
Creator? But it is scarcely necessary to ask such a question, or
indeed to state that the Gypsies of Spain and Italy have kept
themselves as much apart as, or at least have as little mingled
their blood with the Spaniards and Italians as their brethren in
Hungaria and Transylvania with the inhabitants of those countries,
on which account they still strikingly resemble them in manners,
customs, and appearance.
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