ents their
employing themselves in any thing, but in providing for the immediate
wants of nature; beyond which even their roguishness does not extend;
and, only endeavouring to save themselves the trouble of labour, they are
contented if they can procure food by showing feats of dexterity; and
only pilfer to supply themselves with the trifles they want; so that they
never render themselves liable to any severer chastisement, than that of
whipping, for having stolen chickens, linen, &c. Most of the men have a
smattering of physic and surgery, and are skilful in tricks performed by
slight of hand."

"The foregoing account is partly extracted from _Le Voyageur Francois_,
Vol. XVI.; but the assertion that they are all so abandoned, as that
author says, is too general. I have lodged many times in their houses,
and never missed the most trifling things, though I have left my knives,
forks, candlesticks, spoons, and linen at their mercy."

Swinburne states, that "they swarm more in the province of Granada, than
in any other part of the realm. This singular sect have kept themselves
separate from the rest of mankind ever since their first appearance which
has been recorded in history.

"Their origin remains a problem not to be satisfactorily solved; and I
doubt whether the Gitanos themselves, have any secret tradition that
might lead to a discovery of what they really were in the beginning, or
from what country they came. The received opinion sets them down as
Egyptians, and makes them out to be the descendants of those vagabond
votaries of Isis, who appear to have exercised, in ancient Rome, pretty
much the same profession as that followed by the present Gypsies, viz:
fortune-telling, strolling up and down, and pilfering.

"Few of them employed themselves in works of husbandry, or handicrafts;
indeed the Spaniards would not work with them. Except a small part of
them who follow the trades of blacksmiths, and vintners, most of them are
makers of iron rings, and other little trifles, rather to prevent their
being laid hold of as vagrants, than really as a means of subsistence.
Several of them travel about as carriers and pedlars.

"Though they conform to the Roman Catholic mode of worship, they are
looked upon in the light of unbelievers; but I never could meet with any
body that pretended to say what their private faith and religion may be.
All the Gypsies I have conversed with, assured me of their sound
Catholicism;