The　Zincali　…　An　Account　of　the　Gypsies　of　Spain
  by　George　Borrow
  PREFACE
  IT　is　with　some　diffidence　that　the　author　ventures　to　offer　the
  present　work　to　the　public。
  The　greater　part　of　it　has　been　written　under　very　peculiar
  circumstances；　such　as　are　not　in　general　deemed　at　all　favourable
  for　literary　composition：　　at　considerable　intervals；　during　a
  period　of　nearly　five　years　passed　in　Spain　…　in　moments　snatched
  from　more　important　pursuits　…　chiefly　in　ventas　and　posadas；
  whilst　wandering　through　the　country　in　the　arduous　and　unthankful
  task　of　distributing　the　Gospel　among　its　children。
  Owing　to　the　causes　above　stated；　he　is　aware　that　his　work　must
  not　unfrequently　appear　somewhat　disjointed　and　unconnected；　and
  the　style　rude　and　unpolished：　　he　has；　nevertheless；　permitted　the
  tree　to　remain　where　he　felled　it；　having；　indeed；　subsequently
  enjoyed　too　little　leisure　to　make　much　effectual　alteration。
  At　the　same　time　he　flatters　himself　that　the　work　is　not　destitute
  of　certain　qualifications　to　entitle　it　to　approbation。　　The
  author's　acquaintance　with　the　Gypsy　race　in　general　dates　from　a
  very　early　period　of　his　life；　which　considerably　facilitated　his
  intercourse　with　the　Peninsular　portion；　to　the　elucidation　of
  whose　history　and　character　the　present　volumes　are　more
  particularly　devoted。　　Whatever　he　has　asserted；　is　less　the　result
  of　reading　than　of　close　observation；　he　having　long　since　come　to
  the　conclusion　that　the　Gypsies　are　not　a　people　to　be　studied　in
  books；　or　at　least　in　such　books　as　he　believes　have　hitherto　been
  written　concerning　them。
  Throughout　he　has　dealt　more　in　facts　than　in　theories；　of　which　he
  is　in　general　no　friend。　　True　it　is；　that　no　race　in　the　world
  affords；　in　many　points；　a　more　extensive　field　for　theory　and
  conjecture　than　the　Gypsies；　who　are　certainly　a　very　mysterious
  people　come　from　some　distant　land；　no　mortal　knows　why；　and　who
  made　their　first　appearance　in　Europe　at　a　dark　period；　when　events
  were　not　so　accurately　recorded　as　at　the　present　time。
  But　if　he　has　avoided　as　much　as　possible　touching　upon　subjects
  which　must　always；　to　a　certain　extent；　remain　shrouded　in
  obscurity；　for　example；　the；　original　state　and　condition　of　the
  Gypsies；　and　the　causes　which　first　brought　them　into　Europe；　he
  has　stated　what　they　are　at　the　present　day；　what　he　knows　them　to
  be　from　a　close　scrutiny　of　their　ways　and　habits；　for　which；
  perhaps；　no　one　ever　enjoyed　better　opportunities；　and　he　has；
  moreover；　given　…　not　a　few　words　culled　expressly　for　the　purpose
  of　supporting　a　theory；　but　one　entire　dialect　of　their　language；
  collected　with　much　trouble　and　difficulty；　and　to　this　he　humbly
  calls　the　attention　of　the　learned；　who；　by　comparing　it　with
  certain　languages；　may　decide　as　to　the　countries　in　which　the
  Gypsies　have　lived　or　travelled。
  With　respect　to　the　Gypsy　rhymes　in　the　second　volume；　he　wishes　to
  make　one　observation　which　cannot　be　too　frequently　repeated；　and
  which　he　entreats　the　reader　to　bear　in　mind：　　they　are　GYPSY
  COMPOSITIONS；　and　have　little　merit　save　so　far　as　they　throw　light
  on　the　manner　of　thinking　and　speaking　of　the　Gypsy　people；　or
  rather　a　portion　of　them；　and　as　to　what　they　are　capable　of
  effecting　in　the　way　of　poetry。　　It　will；　doubtless；　be　said　that
  the　rhymes　are　TRASH；　…　even　were　it　so；　they　are　original；　and　on
  that　account；　in　a　philosophic　point　of　view；　are　more　valuable
  than　the　most　brilliant　compositions　pretending　to　describe　Gypsy
  life；　but　written　by　persons　who　are　not　of　the　Gypsy　sect。　　Such
  compositions；　however　replete　with　fiery　sentiments；　and　allusions
  to　freedom　and　independence；　are　certain　to　be　tainted　with
  affectation。　　Now　in　the　Gypsy　rhymes　there　is　no　affectation；　and
  on　that　very　account　they　are　different　in　every　respect　from　the
  poetry　of　those　interesting　personages　who　figure；　under　the　names
  of　Gypsies；　Gitanos；　Bohemians；　etc。；　in　novels　and　on　the　boards
  of　the　theatre。
  It　will；　perhaps；　be　objected　to　the　present　work；　that　it　contains
  little　that　is　edifying　in　a　moral　or　Christian　point　of　view：　　to
  such　an　objection　the　author　would　reply；　that　the　Gypsies　are　not
  a　Christian　people；　and　that　their　morality　is　of　a　peculiar　kind；
  not　calculated　to　afford　much　edification　to　what　is　generally
  termed　the　respectable　portion　of　society。　　Should　it　be　urged　that
  certain　individuals　have　found　them　very　different　from　what　they
  are　represented　in　these　volumes；　he　would　frankly　say　that　he
  yields　no　credit　to　the　presumed　fact；　and　at　the　same　time　he
  would　refer　to　the　vocabulary　contained　in　the　second　volume；
  whence　it　will　appear　that　the　words　HOAX　and　HOCUS　have　been
  immediately　derived　from　the　language　of　the　Gypsies；　who；　there　is
  good　reason　to　believe；　first　introduced　the　system　into　Europe；　to
  which　those　words　belong。
  The　author　entertains　no　ill…will　towards　the　Gypsies；　why　should
  he；　were　he　a　mere　carnal　reasoner？　　He　has　known　them　for　upwards
  of　twenty　years；　in　various　countries；　and　they　never　injured　a
  hair　of　his　head；　or　deprived　him　of　a　shred　of　his　raiment；　but　he
  is　not　deceived　as　to　the　motive　of　their　forbearance：　　they
  thought　him　a　ROM；　and　on　this　supposition　they　hurt　him　not；　their
  love　of　'the　blood'　being　their　most　distinguishing　characteristic。
  He　derived　considerable　assistance　from　them　in　Spain；　as　in
  various　instances　they　officiated　as　colporteurs　in　the
  distribution　of　the　Gospel：　　but　on　that　account　he　is　not　prepared
  to　say　that　they　entertained　any　love　for　the　Gospel　or　that　they
  circulated　it　for　the　honour　of　Tebleque　the　Saviour。　　Whatever
  they　did　for　the　Gospel　in　Spain；　was　done　in　the　hope　that　he　whom
  they　conceived　to　be　their　brother　had　some　purpose　in　view　which
  was　to　contribute　to　the　profit　of　the　Cales；　or　Gypsies；　and　to
  terminate　in　the　confusion　and　plunder　of　the　Busne；　or　Gentiles。
  Convinced　of　this；　he　is　too　little　of　an　enthusiast　to　rear；　on
  such　a　foundation；　any　fantastic　edifice　of　hope　which　would　soon
  tumble　to　the　ground。
  The　cause　of　truth　can　scarcely　be　forwarded　by　enthusiasm；　which
  is　almost　invariably　the　child　of　ignorance　and　error。　　The　author
  is　anxious　to　direct　the　attention　of　the　public　towards　the
  Gypsies；　but　he　hopes　to　be　able　to　do　so　without　any　romantic
  appeals　in　their　behalf；　by　concealing　the　truth；　or　by　warping　the
  truth　until　it　becomes　falsehood。　　In　the　following　pages　he　has
  depicted　the　Gypsies　as　he　has　found　them；　neither　aggravating
  their　crimes　nor　gilding　them　with　imaginary　virtues。　　He　has　not
  expatiated　on　'their　gratitude　towards　good　people；　who　treat　them
  kindly　and　take　an　interest　in　their　welfare'；　for　he　believes　that
  of　all　beings　in　the　world　they　are　the　least　susceptible　of　such　a
  feeling。　　Nor　has　he　ever　done　them　injustice　by　attributing　to
  them　licentious　habits；　from　which　they　are；　perhaps；　more　free
  than　any　race　in　the　creation。
  PREFACE　TO　THE　SECOND　EDITION
  I　CANNOT　permit　the　second　edition　of　this　work　to　go　to　press
  without　premising　it　with　a　few　words。
  When　some　two　years　ago　I　first　gave　THE　ZINCALI　to　the　world；　it
  was；　as　I　stated　at　the　time；　with　considerable　hesitation　and
  diffidence：　　the　composition　of　it　and　the　collecting　of　Gypsy
  words　had　served　as　a　kind　of　relaxation　to　me　whilst　engaged　in
  the　circulation　of　the　Gospel　in　Spain。　　After　the　completion　of
  the　work；　I　had　not　the　slightest　idea　that　it　possessed　any
  peculiar　merit；　or　was　calculated　to　make　the　slightest　impression
  upon　the　reading　world。　　Nevertheless；　as　every　one　who　writes
  feels　a　kind　of　affection；　greater　or　less；　for　the　productions　of
  his　pen；　I　was　averse；　since　the　book　was　written；　to　suffer　it　to
  perish　of　damp　in　a　lumber　closet；　or　by　friction　in　my　travelling
  wallet。　　I　committed　it　therefore　to　the　press；　with　a　friendly
  'Farewell；　little　book；　I　have　done　for　you　all　I　can；　and　much
  more　than　you　deserve。'
  My　expectations　at　this　time　were　widely　different　from　those　of　my
  namesake　George　in　the　VICAR　OF　WAKEFIELD　when　he　published　his
  paradoxes。　　I　took　it　as　a　matter　of　course　that　the　world；　whether
  learned　or　unlearned；　would　say　to　my　book　what　they　said　to　his
  paradoxes；　as　the　event　showed；　…　nothing　at　all。　　To　my　utter
  astonishment；　however；　I　had　no　sooner　returned　to　my　humble
  retreat；　where　I　hoped　to　find　the　re