, or corner of gypsy life or a member of the fraternity with which or
whom he was not familiar. I soon learned his jargon, with every kind of
gypsy device, dodge, or peculiar custom, and, with the aid of several
works, succeeded in drawing from the recesses of his memory an
astonishing number of forgotten words. Thus, to begin with, I read to
him aloud the Turkish Gypsy Dictionary of Paspati. When he remembered or
recognised a word, or it recalled another, I wrote it down. Then I went
through the vocabularies of Liebrich, Pott, Simson, &c., and finally
through Brice's Hindustani Dictionary and the great part of a much larger
work, and one in Persian. The reader may find most of the results of
Matty's teaching in my work entitled "The English Gypsies and their
Language." Very often I went with my professor to visit the gypsies
camped about Brighton, far or near, and certainly never failed to amuse
myself and pick up many quaint observations. In due time I passed to
that singular state when I could never walk a mile or two in the country
anywhere without meeting or making acquaintance with some wanderer on the
highways, by use of my newly-acquired knowledge. Thus, I needed only
say, "Seen any of the Coopers or Bosvilles lately on the drum?" (road),
or "Do you know Sam Smith?" &c., to be recognised as one of the grand
army in some fashion. Then it was widely rumoured that the Coopers had
got a _rye_, or master, who spoke Romany, and was withal not ungenerous,
so that in due time there was hardly a wanderer of gypsy kind in Southern
England who had not heard of me. And though there are thousands of
people who are more thoroughly versed in Society than I am, I do not
think there are many so much at home in such extremely _varied_ phases of
it as I have been. I have sat in a gypsy camp, like one of them, hearing
all their little secrets and talking familiarly in Romany, and an hour
after dined with distinguished people; and this life had many other
variations, and they came daily for many years. My gypsy experiences
have not been so great as those of Francis H. Groome (once a pupil and
_protege_ of Benfey), or the Grand Duke Josef of Hungary, or of Dr.
Wlislocki, but next after these great masters, and as an all-round gypsy
rye in many lands, I believe that I am not far behind any _aficionado_
who has as yet manifested himself.

To become intimate, as I did in time, during years in Brighton, off and
on, with all th