Let us now take a view of the natural qualities, and capacities, of the Gipseys. Here they will appear to advantage. Observe them at whatever employment you may, there always appear sparks of genius. It is well known, and no writer omits to remark, what artful curious devices they have recourse to in perpetrating any cheat or robbery: but this is not the only particular in which they shew brains and capacity. The following extract from an Hungarian author, who was an attentive observer of these people, contains corroborating instances:
“The Gipseys,” he says, “have a fertile imagination in their way, and are quick and ready at expedients, so that in many serious doubtful cases they soon recollect how to act, in order to extricate themselves. We cannot, indeed, help wondering, when we attend to and consider the skill they display in preparing and bringing their works to perfection, which is the more necessary, from the scarcity of proper tools and apparatus. They are very acute and cunning in cheating or thieving: and when called to account, for any fraud or robbery, fruitful in invention and persuasive in their arguments to defend themselves.”
At Debrezin, as well as at other schools in Hungary and Transylvania, there have been several lads admitted for instruction. Cleverness is observable in all, with no despicable talents for study. If another proof should be wanting, let us advert to their skill in music. That no Gipsey has ever signalised himself in literature, notwithstanding, according to the foregoing accounts, many of them have partaken of the instruction to be obtained at public schools, is no contradiction to the point in question. Their volatile disposition and unsteadiness will not allow them to complete any thing which requires perseverance or application. Frequently the bud perishes before it blows; or if it proceed so far that fruit appears, it commonly falls off and rots ere it attains maturity. In the midst of his career of learning, the recollection of his origin seizes him; a desire arises to return to, what he thinks, a more happy manner of life; this solicitude increases; he gives up all at once, turns back again, and consigns over his knowledge to oblivion. Such is the reason why the Gipsey race has never produced a learned man, nor ever will so long as these principles are retained.
It appears certain that the Gipseys are not deficient in capacity; and it seems equally decided that they have throughout a wicked depraved turn of mind. Their skill and ingenuity might render them very profitable subjects to the state, but their disposition makes them the most useless pernicious beings. They are not fit for agriculture, nor any other art which requires industry; on the contrary, they are burthensome from their begging, they do mischief by their various impositions, besides, being thieves and robbers, they destroy the security of a state. The goldwashers, in Transylvania and the Banat, are the only considerable exceptions; these Gipseys are considered the best of the caste; they have no intercourse with those of their own nation, nor do they like to be called Gipseys, but Bräschen, and in the Hungarian language Aranyasz (gold collectors). Their employment not being profitable, they are generally poor and necessitous; yet seldom beg, and it is still more rare for them to steal. Content with their scanty subsistence, they sift gold sand in summer; in winter they make trays and troughs, which they sell in an honest way. These properties render them, not only harmless, but serviceable to government; as they annually produce large sums, which, but for them, would remain in the earth. What pity it is, that so small a part should be well inclined, in proportion to the multitude, in Transylvania and elsewhere, who live in the manner above described! There remains perhaps one more profession, in which a state might reap advantage from the Gipseys, viz. that of a military life. This seems to be doubted in Spain, as no Gipsey there, even were he so inclined, can become a soldier. In other countries, people think differently. For example, in the two Hungarian regiments, the Orosaish and the Julaish, nearly every eighth man is a Gipsey. In order to prevent either them or any other persons from remembering their descent, it is ordered by government, that as soon as a Gipsey joins the regiment, he is no longer to be called by that appellation. Here he is placed, promiscuously with other men; and by this wise regulation, may be systematically rendered useful. But whether he would be adequate to a soldier’s station, unmixed with strangers, in the company of his equals only, is very doubtful. His healthy robust body, active on every occasion; at the same time so inured to hardship, that he can defy hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and other inconveniences; makes him extremely well qualified for a military life: on the other hand, his innate properties seem incompatible with his profession, and he has little of the essential requisite for a serviceable soldier. How could a regiment composed of people without heart or courage, who would be overcome with fear and dismay on the least appearance of danger, who would give up every thing, and only think of saving themselves by flight, ever perform any great action? Or how could we expect, from their levity, and unspeakable want of foresight, that they should avail themselves to the utmost of any advantage with proper precaution and judgment? The following incident, taken from the Hungarian annals, may serve as proof, whether this suspicion be or be not well founded.—In the year 1557, during the troubles in Zapoly, the castle of Nagy Ida, in the county of Abauywar, was in danger of being besieged and taken by the imperial troops. Francis von Perenyi, who had the command, being short of men, was obliged to have recourse to the Gipseys, of whom he collected a thousand; these he furnished with proper means of defence, and stationed them in the outworks, keeping his own small compliment of men to garrison the citadel. The Gipseys imagined that they should be perfectly free from annoyance behind their entrenchments, and therefore went courageously to their posts. Every thing was in order when the enemy arrived, and the storm commenced. The Gipseys, behind their fortifications, supported the attack with so much more resolution than was expected, returning the enemy’s fire with such alacrity, that the assailants, little suspecting who were the defendants, were actually retreating. They had hardly quitted their ground, when the conquerors, elated with joy on their victory, crept out of their holes, crying after them, “Go and be hanged, you rascals! Thank God we had no more powder and shot, or we would have played the very devil with you!”—“What!” replied the retiring besiegers, as they turned about, and, to their great astonishment, instead of regular troops, discovered a motley Gipsey tribe, “are you the heroes! is it so with you!” immediately wheeling about to the left, sword in hand, they drove the black crew back to their works, forced their way after, and in a few minutes totally subdued them. Thus the affair ended. In this manner Gipseys would frequently trifle away by heedlessness, what they might have secured by good fortune and alacrity, if they were permitted to act in separate corps.
There are many instances recorded in the annals of former centuries, [89a] of Gipseys having been employed in military expeditions: but seldom, or rather never, were they thought of as solders. At Crupa, 1565, they prepared cannon balls for the Turks: still earlier, in 1496, they served Bishop Sigismund at Fünfkirchen in the same manner. In the thirty-years war, the Swedes likewise had a body of Gipseys in their army. And when, in 1686, Hamburgh was besieged by the Danes, there were three companies of them in the Danish army. Their destination was not so much to stand to their arms, as to perform other services; they were chiefly employed in flying parties, to burn, plunder, or lay waste, the enemy’s country. As these are the operations most suitable to their genius, they are now by the Turks destined to such purposes, and incorporated with the Sains Serdenjesti, and Nephers.
Such is the assistance which has hitherto been derived from the Gipseys in war; whence we experience the possibility of their being rendered serviceable, although the strict watch necessary to be kept over them, on account of their propensity to be guilty of excesses and irregularities, would be exceedingly troublesome.
But, in order to bring the advantages and disadvantages attending them to a fair discussion, it must not be forgotten, that at the very time one part of these people might be rendered beneficial, [a/]viz. in time of war, another part would have it in their power to do more mischief; by reason of the disorder which then prevails, when the relaxed attention of the magistrates makes them more daring in their depredations. Besides, what is still worse, they are very convenient for the enemy to use as machines for treachery. What they were in former times accustomed to practise very commonly, they still continue whenever they have an opportunity. They have been generally decried, in early ages, as traitors and spies: perhaps this accusation may be too far extended, but it is not without foundation. A Gipsey possesses all the properties required to render him a fit agent to be employed in traitorous undertakings. Being necessitous, he is easily corrupted; and his misconceived ambition and pride persuade him that he thus becomes a person of consequence: he is at the same time too inconsiderate to reflect on danger; and, artful to the greatest degree, works his way under the most difficult circumstances.
This accusation may be proved by more than one instance.—Count Eberhard, of Wirtemberg, with a train of forty people, made a pilgrimage to Palestine in the year 1468: and, as Crusius says, fell into the hands of the Sultan of Egypt, through the treachery of the Gipseys. Further, during the troubles excited by John Zapolya, in Hungary, in the sixteenth century, sundry spies and delegated incendiaries [a/]were taken, which proved to be Gipseys. In 1602 Count Basta, the imperial general, who besieged the city of Bistritz in Transylvania, when he wanted to circulate a letter among the besieged, effected it by means of a Gipsey.
They have been sometimes still more dangerous to a country, by harbouring other spies, who, under the disguise of Gipseys, made excursions, surveying cities and countries, without being noticed. An example of this kind is recited in the Adventures of a certain French engineer, Peter Durois; which is a circumstance, in the records of Louis XIV. perhaps as much unknown as it is remarkable. It relates, that at Padock (Patak), in Upper Hungary, a great fire happened, through the carelessness of the Gipseys; by which not only the little city adjoining the fort was burnt, but the beautiful Bruderhoff was also reduced to ashes: on which occasion seven supposed Gipseys were taken into custody, one of whom was the French engineer above mentioned. This person had travelled about with them during nine years: he had sketches of all the principal fortifications in the whole Roman empire, and the imperial hereditary dominions, taken in the most concise manner, with remarks where each place was least defensible.—This affair has still another voucher, who says, “in the month of June of the year 1676, the Gipseys fired this little city (Patak), together with the church. [a/]With these Gipseys was found a French engineer, named Peter Durois, who had been nine years in this disguise, and received considerable remittances from France. He was taken by the imperialists, and there were found upon him plans of almost all the cities of Upper Hungary, and the German empire.”
Thus these people, in whatever point of view they are considered, are found to cause incalculable damage and mischief, without, in general, returning the smallest profit or benefit to the state in which they reside.