reigns of Europe, and, as German historians relate, even on the Pope himself, for real pilgrims; and obtained under the seals of these potentates, various privileges and passports, empowering them to travel through all christian countries under their patronage, for the space of seven years. Having once gained this footing, however, the Egyptian pilgrims were at no great loss in finding pretences for prolonging their stay; and though it was soon discovered that their manners and conduct corresponded but little to the sanctity of their first pretensions, yet so strong was the delusion respecting them, and so dexterous were they in the arts of imposition, that they seem to have been either legally protected or silently endured by most of the European governments for the greater part of a century.* When their true character became at length fully understood, and they were found to be in reality a race of profligate and thievish impostors, who from their numbers and audacity had now become a grievous and intolerable nuisance to the various countries they had inundated, severe measures were adopted by different states to expel them from their territories. Decrees of expulsion were issued against them by Spain in 1492, by the German empire in 1500, and by France in 1561 and 1612. Whether it was owing, however, to the inefficient systems of police at that time in use, or, that the common people among whom they were mingled favoured their evasion of the public edicts, it is certain, that notwithstanding many long and bloody persecutions, no country that had once admitted "these unknown and uninvited guests," has ever again been able to get rid of them. When rigorously prosecuted by any government on account of their crimes and depredations, they generally withdrew for a time to the remote parts of the country, or crossed the frontiers to a neighbouring jurisdiction-only to return to their accustomed haunts and habits as soon as the storm passed over. Though their numbers may perhaps have since been somewhat diminished in particular states by the progress of civilization, it seems to be generally allowed that their distinctive character and modes of life have no where undergone any material alteration. In Germany, Hungary, Poland,—in Italy, Spain, France, and England, this singular people, by whatever appellation they may be distinguished,-Cingari, Zigeuners, Tziganys, Bohemians, Gitanos, or Gypsies,-still remain uncombined with the various nations among whom they are dispersed, and still continue the same dark, deceitful, and disorderly race as when their wandering hordes first emigrated from Egypt or from India. They are still every where characterised by the same strolling and pilfering propensities, the same peculiarity of aspect, and the same pretensions to fortune-telling and 'warlockry.'t The estimate of their present numbers, by the best informed continental writers on the subject, is almost incredible." Independently," says Grellmann, "of the multitudes of gypsies in Egypt and some parts of Asia, could we obtain an exact estimate of them in the countries of Europe, the immense number would probably greatly exceed what we have any idea of. At a moderate calculation, and without being extravagant, they might be reckoned at between seven and eight hundred thousand." * Grellmann. + Grellmann.-See also Hume on Crim. Law of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 344.Mackenzie's Obs, on Stat. p. 333. The gypsies do not appear to have found their way to this island till about 100 years after they were first known in Europe. Henry VIII, and his immediate successors, by several severe enactments, and by re-exporting numbers of them at the public expense, endeavoured to expel from their dominions" this outlandish people calling themselves Egupeians," but apparently with little better success than their brother sovereigns in other countries; for in the reign of Elizabeth the number of them in England is stated to have exceeded 10,000, and they afterwards became still more numerous. If they made any pretension to the character of pilgrims, on their arrival among our southern neighbours, it is evident at least that neither Henry nor Elizabeth were deceived by their impostures. Both these monarchs, indeed, (particularly the former,) were too much accustomed to use religion, as well as law, for a cloak to cover their own violent and criminal conduct, to be easily imposed upon by the like artifices in others. We find them accordingly using very little ceremony with the Egyptian pilgrims' who, in several of their statutes, are described by such designations as the following:- Sturdy roags,' rascalls, vacabonds,' 'masterless men, ydle, vagrante, loyteringe, lewde, and yll disposed persons, goinge aboute usinge subtiltie and unlawful games or plaie, such as faynt themselves to have knowledge in phisiognomye, palmestrie, or other abused sciences' tellers of destinies, deaths, or fortunes, and such lyke fantastical imaginatiouns.'— In king Edward's journal we find them mentioned along with other 'masterless men.' The following association of persons seems curious:( June 22, 1549. There was a privy search made through Suffolk for all vagabonds, gipsies, conspirators, prophesiers, all players, and such like.* A more distinct account of the English gypsies, on their first arrival, is to be found in a work quoted by Mr. Hoyland, which was published in the year 1612, to detect and expose the art of juggling and legerdemain. This kind of people,' says the author, about a hundred years ago, beganne to gather on head, at the first heere, about the southerne parts. And this as I am informed, and can gather, was their beginning: Certain Egyptians banished their country, (belike not for their good conditions,) arrived heere in England, who for quaint tricks and devices not known heere at that time among us, were esteemed and had in great admiration; insomuch, that many of our English loyterers joined with them, and in time learned their crafty cozening.' 'The speach. which they used was the right Egyptian speach, with whom our Englishmen conversing, at last learned their language. These people, continuing about the country, and practising their cozening art, purchased themselves great credit among the country people, and got much by palmistry and telling of fortunes; insomuch, they pitifully cozened poor country girls both of money, silver spoons, and the best of their apparelle, or any goods they could make.' They had a leader of the name of Giles Hather, who was termed their king; and a woman of the name of Calot, was called queen. These riding through the country on horseback, and in strange attire, had a prettie traine after them.' After mentioning some of the laws passed against them, this writer adds:- But what numbers were executed on these statutes you would wonder; yet, notwithstanding, all would not prevail, but they wandered as before upAppendix to Burnett's Hist. of Reformation, vol. ii. pe and downe, and meeting once in a yeare at a place appointed; sotnetimes at the Peake's Hole in Derbyshire, and other whiles by Retbroak at Blackheath." In Scotland the gypsies found a people so fond of the marvellous, and so devoted to superstition, that for a time they were easily imposed on; and John Faw, their chieftain, passed himself off for Lord Erle of Litile Egipt.' Laws were even enacted for his benefit; and the race of rogues flourished, without molestation, until in 1759, the government found it necessary to adopt the most rigorous methods to repress the innumerable swarm of stroling vagabonds of every description, who had overspread the kingdom.' It was in vain, however, that the laws banished them, and enacted severe penalties against all who harboured them. It was in vain that the multitudes of them were hung, without judge or jury, and in some instances, with less evidence than convicted and executed the witches of Salem; for they continue in Scotland to this day. We shall extract some private and personal anecdotes concerning them,' under different heads. Jonnie Faa. The intrigue of the celebrated Johnnie Faa with the Earl of Cassilis? lady, rests on ballad and popular authority. Tradition points out an old tower in Maybole, as the place where the frail countess was confined. The portrait shown as hers in the Abbey of Holyroodhouse, however, is not genuine. Of this affair of gypsey gallantry, Mr. Finlay, in his notes to the old ballad of the Gypsie Laddie, gives the following account, as the result of his inquiries regarding the truth of the traditionary stories on the subject:-" The Earl of Cassilis had married a nobleman's daughter contrary to her wishes, she having been previously engaged to another; but the persuasion and importunity of her friends at last brought her to consent. Sir John Faw of Dunbar, her former lover, seizing the opportunity of the earl's absence on a foreign embassy, disguised himself and a number of his retainers as gypsies, and carried off the lady, nothing loth,' The earl having returned opportunely at the time of the commission of the act, and nowise inclined to participate in his consort's ideas on the subject, collected his vassals, and pursued the lady and her paramour to the borders of England, where, having overtaken them, a battle ensued, in which Faw and his followers were all killed or taken prisoners, excepting one, the meanest of them all, Who lives to weep, and sing their fall. It is by this survivor that the ballad is supposed to have been written. The earl, on bringing back the fair fugitive, banished her a mensa et thoro, and, it is said, confined her for life in a tower at the village of Maybole, in Ayrshire, built for the purpose; and that nothing might remain about this tower unappropriated to its original destination, eight heads, carved in stone, below one of the turrets, are said to be the effigies of so many of the gypsies. The lady herself, as well as the survivor of Faw's followers, contributed to perpetuate the remembrance of the transaction; for if he wrote a song about it, she wrought it in tapestry; and this piece of workmanship is still preserved at Culzean Castle. It * Hoyland's Historical Survey. remains to be mentioned, that the ford, by which the lady and her lover crossed the river Doon from a wood near Cassilis House, is still denominated the Gypsie Steps." Mr. Finlay is of opinion, that there are no good grounds for identifying the hero of this adventure with Johnnie Faa, who was king or captain of the gypsies about the year 1590, and he supposes that the whole story may have been the invention of some feudal or political rival to injure the character, and hurt the feelings of an opponent. As Mr. F. however, has not brought forward any authority to support this opinion, we are inclined still to adhere to the popular tradition, which, on the present occasion, is very uniform and consistent. We do not know any thing about the Sir John Faw of Dunbar, whom he supposes to have been the disguised knight, but we know for certain, that the present gypsey family of Faa in Yetholm have been long accustomed to boast of their descent from the same stock with a very respectable family of the name of Faw, or Fall, in East Lothian, which we believe is now extinct. The transformation of Johnnie Faa into a knight and gentleman, is not the only occasion on which the disguise of a gypsey is supposed to have been assumed for the purpose of intrigue. The old song of • Clout the Caudron' is founded upon such a metamorphosis, as may be seen from the words in Allan Ramsay's Tea-table Miscellany; but an older copy preserves the name of the disguised lover: "Yestreen I was a gentleman, This night I am a tinkler; Gea tell the lady o' this house, Come down to Sir John Sinclair.” Bloody Skirmishes of the Gypsies. Tweeddale was very much infested by these banditti, as appears from Dr. Pennycuick's history of that county, who mentions the numerous executions to which their depredations gave occasion. He also gives the following account of a bloody skirmish which was fought between two clans of gypsies near his own house of Romanno. "Upon the 1st of October 1677, there happened at Romanno, in the very spot where now the dovecoat is built, a memorable polymachy betwixt two clanns of gypsies, the Fawes and Shawes, who had come from Haddingtoun fair, and where going to Harestains to meet with two other clanns of those rouges, the Baillies and Browns, with a resolution to fight them; they fell out at Romanno amongst themselves, about dividing the spoil they had got at Haddington, and fought it manfully; of the Fawes were four brethren and a brother's son; of the Shawes, the father with three sons, with several women on both sides: Old Sandie Faw, a bold and proper fellow. with his wife then with child, were both kill'd dead upon the place, and his brother George very dangerously wounded, Febru ary 1678, old Robin Shaw the gypsie, with his three sons, were hang'd at the Grass-mercat for the above-mentioned murder committed at Romanno, and John Faw was hang'd the Wednesday following for another murder. Sir Archibald Primrose was justice-general at the time, and Sir George M'Kenzie king's advocat." Dr Pennycuick built a dovecote upon the spot where this affray took place, which he adorned with the following inscription: "A. D. 1683. The field of Gypsie blood which here you see, A shelter for the harmless Dove shall be." Such skirmishes among the gypsies are still common, and were formerly still more so. There was a story current in Teviotdale,—but we cannot give place and date, that a gang of them came to a solitary farm house, and, as usual, took possession of some waste out-house. The family went to church on Sunday, and expecting no harm from their visitors, left only one female to look after the house. She was presently alarmed by the noise of shouts, oaths, blows, and all the tumult of a gypsey battle. It seems another clan had arrived, and the earlier settlers instantly gave them battle. The poor woman shut the door, and remained in the house in great apprehension, until the door being suddenly forced open, one of the combatants rushed into the apartment, and she perceived with horror that his left hand had been struck off. Without speaking to or looking at her, he thrust the bloody stump, with despe rate resolution, against the glowing bars of the grate; and having stanched the blood by actual cautery, seized a knife, used for killing sheep, which lay on the shelf, and rushed out again to join the combat.-All was over before the family returned from church, and both gangs had decamped, carrying probably their dead and wounded along with them; for the place where they fought was absolutely soaked with blood, and exhibited, among other reliques of the fray, the amputated hand of the wretch, whose desperate conduct the maid-servant had witnessed. The village of Denholm upon Teviot was, in former times, partly occupied by gypsies. The late Dr. John Leyden, who was a native of that parish, used to mention a skirmish which he had witnessed there between two clans, where the more desperate champions fought with clubs, having harrow-teeth driven transversely through the end of them. A Point of Honour. About ten years ago, one John Young, a tinker-chief, punished with instant death a brother tinker, of inferior consequence who intruded on his walk. This happened in Aberdeenshire, and was remarked at the time chiefly from the strength and agility with which Young, constantly and closely pursued, and frequently in view, maintained a flight of nearly thirty miles. As he was chased by the Highlanders on foot, and by the late general Gordon of Cairnfield and others on horseback, the affair much resembled a fox-chase. The pursuers were most of them game-keepers; and that active race of men were so much exhausted, that they were lying by the springs lapping water with their tongues like dogs. It is scarce necessary to add, that the laws of the country were executed on Young without regard to the consideration that he was only enforcing the gypsey subordination. Mr. Hogg's Account of Some Gypsies. It was in the month of May that a gang of gypsies came up Ettrick; one party of them lodged at a farm house called Scob-Cleugh, and the rest went forward to Cossarhill, another farm about a mile farther on. Among the latter was one who played on the pipes and violin, delighting all that heard him; and the gang, principally on his account, were very civilly treated. Next day the two parties again joined, and proceeded westward in a body. There were about thirty souls in all, |