In the year 1782, the Empress Maria Theresa promul gated an edict, prohibiting gypsies from dwelling in tents, and enjoining them to settle in fixed abodes. They were forbidden to wander about, to allow their children to go naked, to deal in horses, and to wear cloaks, whereby thefts might be easily concealed. They were also commanded to abstain from feeding on carrion, to frequent the church es, and to conform to the manners of the inhabitants of the territory where they resided. Their usual name was to be abolished, and in future they, were, instead of gypsies, to be called new boors, and occupy themselves in the active prosecution of agriculture. These regulations, wisely con ceived, being ineffectual, severer enactments followed. It was decreed, that no gypsey should be permitted to marry, unless he could spew himself in a situation to maintain a wife andiamily ; and that those who had children should be forcibly deprived of their, in order that the rising gene ration should have the hunelit of a better mode of educa tion. The latter part of this ordinance was carried into effect, and in certain districts, all the children above five years of age were conveyed away in waggons from their parents. But it is not evident that such compulsory mea sures were beneficial; and the failure of others in the eastern extremities of Russia, nearly at the same period, though more gentle, prove that it will be extremely diffi cult to reclaim the gypsies to habits of industry. Experi ence daily proves, that mankind, who have roamed at liber ty, are averse to a settled residence, and that the controul of those living in society is an arduous undertaking, while their management is easily accomplished should they be only in an isolated state. With the diminution of their own hordes, a gradual incorporation will take place with those around them, and probably is insensibly doing so at this moment where they are least numerous. No accurate computation can be formed of the extent of the united tribes of gypsies dispersed throughout the world ; for they are unequally distributed, and only partially known. Grell man conjectures, that those in Europe may amount to 700,000 or 800,000; of whom Twiss conceives 40,000 to belong to Spain : there are many in the Turkish empire, but few in the island of Britain, particularly north of the Tweed.
The history of the gypsies is an enquiry not less ob scure than difficult ; and it must be allowed, that even yet we have no conclusive authorities relative to its earliest period. Analogies certainly prove the eastern parentage of their tribes ; but why they left their native soil, or how they penetrated into Europe and its more distant islands, we are unable to discover. It is commonly believed, that
they migrated from Egypt ; an opinion which has probably, received greater corroboration from their name than from other circumstances. But neither their size, complexion, manners, or appearance, correspond with those of any Egyptians described in ancient or modern history ; hence, if we are to draw any argument from their name, we must say it arises from Egypt, being the last point of their de parture from the East. Those observers who have most profoundly studied their history, find a striking resem blance between the gypsies and the natives of Hindostan : Should this hypothesis be correct, they may have reached the isthmus of Suez by the north of India, and crossed it into Egypt; a progress by no means impracticable, but which does not satisfactorily account their immediate access to Europe. The time-of their first appearance in this quarter of the globe is unknown; hut towards the be ginning and middle of the fifteenth century, they attracted general attention as a strange people. They are recorded to have frequented Germany in 1417; Switzerland in 1418 ; and they are spoken of as being in Italy in 1422. It is said that they were originally known in France by the name of Bohemians ; and arrived at Paris on the 17th of August 1427. They travelled in hordes, generally of 70 or 100 persons, probably finding it expedient not to accu mulate too much ; and each horde had a leader, who assu med a title, which, however, has more the character of the West than the East. Rapidly spreading over Europe, they were at first believed to be pilgrims, chiefly from the Holy Land ; and hence they both received protection and indulgence, and were treated with marks of veneration, wherever they went ; but their real disposition speedily betrayed itself; they proved a lawless gang of depredators, deceiving the credulous, plundering their benefactors, and rendering themselves obnoxious to all civilized nations. Every arm was lifted against them ; they were driven front place to pl4ce; and at length the very name of being a gypsey, was esteemed a crime deserving capital punish ment. It is not unlikely, that the severity of the enact ments directed against them had the effect of dividing and spreading their hordes still farther, to avoid the penalties of a permanent residence. But the barbarous and unsettled condition of the different European states was a powerful obstacle to the establishment or a vigorous police ; and it is only in recent times, that the kingdoms, in which we dwell at peace, have been freed from vagabonds and beg gars, who, invading the cottages of the peasantry, demand ed alms in a manner that their inhabitants durst not refuse.