and then the roar of indignation
which arose from outraged England against the viper, the frozen viper
which it had permitted to warm itself upon its bosom.

But thanks, Popery, you have done all that the friends of enlightenment
and religious liberty could wish; but if ever there were a set of foolish
ones to be found under Heaven, surely it is the priestly rabble who came
over from Rome to direct the grand movement, so long in its getting up.

But now again the damnation cry is withdrawn, there is a subdued meekness
in your demeanour, you are now once more harmless as a lamb. Well, we
shall see how the trick--"the old trick"--will serve you.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. (1872.)

_Lavengro_ made its first appearance more than one and twenty years ago.
It was treated in anything but a courteous manner. Indeed, abuse ran
riot, and many said that the book was killed. If by killed was meant
knocked down and stunned, which is the Irish acceptation of the
word--there is a great deal about Ireland in the book--they were right
enough. It was not dead, however, oh dear no! as is tolerably well shown
by the present edition, which has been long called for.

The chief assailants of the book were the friends of Popery in England.
They were enraged because the author stood up for the religion of his
fathers, his country, and the Bible, against the mythology of a foreign
priest. As for the Pope--but the Pope has of late had his misfortunes,
so no harsh language. To another subject! From the Pope to the Gypsies!
From the Roman Pontiff to the Romany Chals!

A very remarkable set of people are the Gypsies; frequent mention is made
of them in _Lavengro_, and from their peculiar language the word
"Lavengro" is taken. They first attracted notice in Germany, where they
appeared in immense numbers in the early part of the fifteenth century, a
period fraught with extraordinary events: the coming of the Black Death;
the fortunes and misfortunes of the Emperor Sigismund; the quarrels of
the Three Popes--the idea of three Popes at one time!--the burning alive
of John Huss; the advance of the Crescent, and the battle of Agincourt.
They were of dark complexion, some of them of nearly negro blackness, and
spoke a language of their own, though many could converse in German and
other tongues. They called themselves Zingary and Romany Chals, and the
account they gave of themselves was that they were from Lower Egypt, and
were