sand other Gorgios since them. Sometimes
they would appear as renegade Christians, converted heathens, Roman
Catholics, in fact, they have been everything to everybody; and, so long
as the "grist was coming to the mill," it did not matter how or by whom
it came.

By an ordinance of the State of Orleans in the year 1560 it was enjoined
that all those impostors and vagabonds who go tramping about under the
name of Bohemians and Egyptians should quit the kingdom, on penalty of
the galleys. Upon this they dispersed into lesser companies, and spread
themselves over Europe. They were expelled from Spain in 1591. The
first time we hear of them in England in the public records was in the
year 1530, when they were described by the statute 22 Hen. VIII., cap.
10, as "an outlandish people calling themselves Egyptians. Using no
craft nor seat of merchandise, who have come into this realm and gone
from shire to shire, and place to place, in great company, and used great
subtile, crafty means to deceive the people, bearing them in hand, that
they by palmistry could tell men's and women's fortunes, and so many
times by craft and subtilty have deceived the people of their money, and
also have committed many heinous felonies and robberies. Wherefore they
are directed to avoid the realm, and not to return under pain of
imprisonment and forfeiture of their goods and chattels; and upon their
trials for any felony which they may have committed they shall not be
entitled to a jury _de medietate linguae_." As if the above enactment
was not sufficiently strong to prevent these wretched people multiplying
in our midst and carrying on their abominable practices, it was
afterwards enacted by statutes 1 and 2 Ph., and in c. 4 and 5 Eliz., cap.
20, "that if any such person shall be imported into this kingdom, the
importer shall forfeit 40 pounds. And if the Egyptians themselves remain
one month in this kingdom, or if any person being fourteen years old
(whether natural-born subject or stranger), which hath been seen or found
in the fellowship of such Egyptians, or which hath disguised him or
herself like them, shall remain in the same one month, or if several
times it is felony, without the benefit of the clergy."

Sir Matthew Hale informs us that at the Suffolk Assizes no less than
thirteen Gipsies were executed upon these statutes a few years before the
Restoration. But to the honour of our national humanity--which at the
time of these