glorious　sun　and　benign　heaven　in　Europe；　and　their　country　is　by
  nature　rich　and　fertile；　yet　in　no　province　of　Spain　is　there　more
  beggary　and　misery；　the　greater　part　of　the　land　being
  uncultivated；　and　producing　nothing　but　thorns　and　brushwood；
  affording　in　itself　a　striking　emblem　of　the　moral　state　of　its
  inhabitants。
  Though　not　destitute　of　talent；　the　Andalusians　are　not　much
  addicted　to　intellectual　pursuits；　at　least　in　the　present　day。
  The　person　in　most　esteem　among　them　is　invariably　the　greatest
  MAJO；　and　to　acquire　that　character　it　is　necessary　to　appear　in
  the　dress　of　a　Merry　Andrew；　to　bully；　swagger；　and　smoke
  continually；　to　dance　passably；　and　to　strum　the　guitar。　　They　are
  fond　of　obscenity　and　what　they　term　PICARDIAS。　　Amongst　them
  learning　is　at　a　terrible　discount；　Greek；　Latin；　or　any　of　the
  languages　generally　termed　learned；　being　considered　in　any　light
  but　accomplishments；　but　not　so　the　possession　of　thieves'　slang　or
  the　dialect　of　the　Gitanos；　the　knowledge　of　a　few　words　of　which
  invariably　creates　a　certain　degree　of　respect；　as　indicating　that
  the　individual　is　somewhat　versed　in　that　kind　of　life　or　TRATO　for
  which　alone　the　Andalusians　have　any　kind　of　regard。
  In　Andalusia　the　Gitano　has　been　studied　by　those　who；　for　various
  reasons；　have　mingled　with　the　Gitanos。　　It　is　tolerably　well
  understood　by　the　chalans；　or　jockeys；　who　have　picked　up　many
  words　in　the　fairs　and　market…places　which　the　former　frequent。　　It
  has；　however；　been　cultivated　to　a　greater　degree　by　other
  individuals；　who　have　sought　the　society　of　the　Gitanos　from　a　zest
  for　their　habits；　their　dances；　and　their　songs；　and　such
  individuals　have　belonged　to　all　classes；　amongst　them　have　been
  noblemen　and　members　of　the　priestly　order。
  Perhaps　no　people　in　Andalusia　have　been　more　addicted　in　general
  to　the　acquaintance　of　the　Gitanos　than　the　friars；　and　pre…
  eminently　amongst　these　the　half…jockey　half…religious　personages
  of　the　Cartujan　convent　at　Xeres。　　This　community；　now　suppressed；
  was；　as　is　well　known；　in　possession　of　a　celebrated　breed　of
  horses；　which　fed　in　the　pastures　of　the　convent；　and　from　which
  they　derived　no　inconsiderable　part　of　their　revenue。　　These
  reverend　gentlemen　seem　to　have　been　much　better　versed　in　the
  points　of　a　horse　than　in　points　of　theology；　and　to　have
  understood　thieves'　slang　and　Gitano　far　better　than　the　language
  of　the　Vulgate。　　A　chalan；　who　had　some　knowledge　of　the　Gitano；
  related　to　me　the　following　singular　anecdote　in　connection　with
  this　subject。
  He　had　occasion　to　go　to　the　convent；　having　been　long　in　treaty
  with　the　friars　for　a　steed　which　he　had　been　commissioned　by　a
  nobleman　to　buy　at　any　reasonable　price。　　The　friars；　however；　were
  exorbitant　in　their　demands。　　On　arriving　at　the　gate；　he　sang　to
  the　friar　who　opened　it　a　couplet　which　he　had　composed　in　the
  Gypsy　tongue；　in　which　he　stated　the　highest　price　which　he　was
  authorised　to　give　for　the　animal　in　question；　whereupon　the　friar
  instantly　answered　in　the　same　tongue　in　an　extemporary　couplet
  full　of　abuse　of　him　and　his　employer；　and　forthwith　slammed　the
  door　in　the　face　of　the　disconcerted　jockey。
  An　Augustine　friar　of　Seville；　called；　we　believe；　Father　Manso；
  who　lived　some　twenty　years　ago；　is　still　remembered　for　his
  passion　for　the　Gitanos；　he　seemed　to　be　under　the　influence　of
  fascination；　and　passed　every　moment　that　he　could　steal　from　his
  clerical　occupations　in　their　company。　　His　conduct　at　last　became
  so　notorious　that　he　fell　under　the　censure　of　the　Inquisition；
  before　which　he　was　summoned；　whereupon　he　alleged；　in　his　defence；
  that　his　sole　motive　for　following　the　Gitanos　was　zeal　for　their
  spiritual　conversion。　　Whether　this　plea　availed　him　we　know　not；
  but　it　is　probable　that　the　Holy　Office　dealt　mildly　with　him；　such
  offenders；　indeed；　have　never　had　much　to　fear　from　it。　　Had　he
  been　accused　of　liberalism；　or　searching　into　the　Scriptures；
  instead　of　connection　with　the　Gitanos；　we　should；　doubtless；　have
  heard　either　of　his　execution　or　imprisonment　for　life　in　the　cells
  of　the　cathedral　of　Seville。
  Such　as　are　thus　addicted　to　the　Gitanos　and　their　language；　are
  called；　in　Andalusia；　Los　del'　Aficion；　or　those　of　the
  predilection。　　These　people　have；　during　the　last　fifty　years；
  composed　a　spurious　kind　of　Gypsy　literature：　　we　call　it　spurious
  because　it　did　not　originate　with　the　Gitanos；　who　are；　moreover；
  utterly　unacquainted　with　it；　and　to　whom　it　would　be　for　the　most
  part　unintelligible。　　It　is　somewhat　difficult　to　conceive　the
  reason　which　induced　these　individuals　to　attempt　such
  compositions；　the　only　probable　one　seems　to　have　been　a　desire　to
  display　to　each　other　their　skill　in　the　language　of　their
  predilection。　　It　is　right；　however；　to　observe；　that　most　of　these
  compositions；　with　respect　to　language；　are　highly　absurd；　the
  greatest　liberties　being　taken　with　the　words　picked　up　amongst　the
  Gitanos；　of　the　true　meaning　of　which　the　writers；　in　many
  instances；　seem　to　have　been　entirely　ignorant。　　From　what　we　can
  learn；　the　composers　of　this　literature　flourished　chiefly　at　the
  commencement　of　the　present　century：　　Father　Manso　is　said　to　have
  been　one　of　the　last。　　Many　of　their　compositions；　which　are　both
  in　poetry　and　prose；　exist　in　manuscript　in　a　compilation　made　by
  one　Luis　Lobo。　　It　has　never　been　our　fortune　to　see　this
  compilation；　which；　indeed；　we　scarcely　regret；　as　a　rather　curious
  circumstance　has　afforded　us　a　perfect　knowledge　of　its　contents。
  Whilst　at　Seville；　chance　made　us　acquainted　with　a　highly
  extraordinary　individual；　a　tall；　bony；　meagre　figure；　in　a
  tattered　Andalusian　hat；　ragged　capote；　and　still　more　ragged
  pantaloons；　and　seemingly　between　forty　and　fifty　years　of　age。
  The　only　appellation　to　which　he　answered　was　Manuel。　　His
  occupation；　at　the　time　we　knew　him；　was　selling　tickets　for　the
  lottery；　by　which　he　obtained　a　miserable　livelihood　in　Seville　and
  the　neighbouring　villages。　　His　appearance　was　altogether　wild　and
  uncouth；　and　there　was　an　insane　expression　in　his　eye。　　Observing
  us　one　day　in　conversation　with　a　Gitana；　he　addressed　us；　and　we
  soon　found　that　the　sound　of　the　Gitano　language　had　struck　a　chord
  which　vibrated　through　the　depths　of　his　soul。　　His　history　was
  remarkable；　in　his　early　youth　a　manuscript　copy　of　the　compilation
  of　Luis　Lobo　had　fallen　into　his　hands。　　This　book　had　so　taken
  hold　of　his　imagination；　that　he　studied　it　night　and　day　until　he
  had　planted　it　in　his　memory　from　beginning　to　end；　but　in　so
  doing；　his　brain；　like　that　of　the　hero　of　Cervantes；　had　become
  dry　and　heated；　so　that　he　was　unfitted　for　any　serious　or　useful
  occupation。　　After　the　death　of　his　parents　he　wandered　about　the
  streets　in　great　distress；　until　at　last　he　fell　into　the　hands　of
  certain　toreros；　or　bull…fighters；　who　kept　him　about　them；　in
  order　that　he　might　repeat　to　them　the　songs　of　the　AFICION。　　They
  subsequently　carried　him　to　Madrid；　where；　however；　they　soon
  deserted　him　after　he　had　experienced　much　brutality　from　their
  hands。　　He　returned　to　Seville；　and　soon　became　the　inmate　of　a
  madhouse；　where　he　continued　several　years。　　Having　partially
  recovered　from　his　malady；　he　was　liberated；　and　wandered　about　as
  before。　　During　the　cholera　at　Seville；　when　nearly　twenty　thousand
  human　beings　perished；　he　was　appointed　conductor　of　one　of　the
  death…carts；　which　went　through　the　streets　for　the　purpose　of
  picking　up　the　dead　bodies。　　His　perfect　inoffensiveness　eventually
  procured　him　friends；　and　he　obtained　the　situation　of　vendor　of
  lottery　tickets。　　He　frequently　visited　us；　and　would　then　recite
  long　passages　from　the　work　of　Lobo。　　He　was　wont　to　say　that　he
  was　the　only　one　in　Seville；　at　the　present　day；　acquainted　with
  the　language　of　the　Aficion；　for　though　there　were　many　pretenders；
  their　knowledge　was　confined　to　a　few　words。
  From　the　recitation　of　this　individual；　we　wrote　down　the
  Brijindope；　or　Deluge；　and　the　poem　on　the　plague　which　broke　out
  in　Seville　in　the　year　1800。　　These　and　some　songs　of　less
  consequence；　constitute　the　poetical　part　of　the　compilation　in
  question；　the　rest；　which　is　in　prose；　consisting　chiefly　of
  translations　from　the　Spanish；　of　proverbs　and　religious　pieces。
  BRIJINDOPE。　…　THE　DELUGE　（65）
  A　POEM：　　IN　TWO　PARTS
  PART　THE　FIRST
  I　with　fear　and　terror　quake；
  Whilst　the　pen　to　write　I　take；
  I　will　utter